New York again

Last year on this very day I was at New York, drawing a subway monster. This year the Stationery show was a little earlier, so I'm back in the best city in the world, posting some annual NYC illustration. The Subway monster makes another appearance.



I don't think I'm done with this piece yet. I'd like to add some tone and/or color and make it a print.

You can see some vintage Subway monster over here.

Daily Pattern: Fishing

A thing I've been noticing more and more as we make these patterns is that half the magic doesn't happen until you put them together. I'm developing a newfound appreciation for the art of pattern-making.

Painting Process

I'm working on a (belated) birthday watercolor painting for my grandma. Here's a little bit of process:

The inked drawing on 300 lb watercolor paper. I use a nib to ink–it's definitely my favorite inking tool.


A quick, loose underpainting, to figure out value. My watercolor paintings don't have heavy tonal contrast, but it's still nice to try.


Blocking in some local color.

I'll post more process as I continue working on it!

Daily Pattern: Books

Today's daily pattern is a tribute to my parents, who not only passed on an eager appreciation of reading and books, but passed on an appreciation of a certain genre of literature: the mystery.

Nearly every Thursday my parents' have a date night. I remember when I was little we'd have a babysitter if they went to eat, or they'd stay home and watch an A&E's murder mystery. They'd actively theorize about motives and culprits of the cases, and I'd sneak down and listen to the program. I don't doubt this is where my love of TV theories comes from.
When I was old enough to read something that didn't have pictures on every page, I read through my parent's entire collection of classic murder mystery novels. I love them to this day; there is nothing more romantic than a locked room mystery.

A part of the Daily Pattern project.

Daily Pattern: Mirrors

The best part of working on this one was coloring it, for sure. I took my palette from a photograph and let Corel Painter's watercolor brushes do the rest. This is one of the first times I've achieved something I like with digital watercolor.

Daily Pattern: Bones

Another!

Check out all of the other patterns on the Paper Bicycle blog!

A New Project.

I wish I could define what that header means. You people know. You like making stuff.
We're starting a new Paper Bicycle project: a pattern a day. I will be writing more about this once we've collected our thoughts about it, but for now, pattern number one: gym class.



(Here is Lindsay's!)