Ric Flair Tribute...

As promised, this is the finished version of the Ric Flair tribute I completed for THE WRESTLER. I want to give a special "thank you" to Dave Malan, who's kind encouragement and advice has been invaluable. Due to deadline constraints, I was not able to apply his suggestions to this piece, however I am currently working on some other paintings that have improved drastically thanks to his generosity.

It is extremely exciting to see your work grow by leaps and bounds simply because other artists in this community are kind enough to share their advice. I thank you all and can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Digital Paintings...

This is a little sneak peak at an illustration I just completed for THE WRESTLER (I'll post the finished artwork once the publication hits newsstands). This is the reason why I LOVE this little community of blogs and all the great artists who are kind enough to share their work! Three months ago, I would not have had the confidence to even attempt an illustration like this. I have never completed a fully rendered digital painting in this style before. However, some very talented artists like Jason Seiler, Paul Moyse and Josh Cassidy have been very kind with their encouragement, advice and critiques. I can't thank you guys enough! And for anyone who may reading this that isn't familiar with their work, it would be well worth your time to click on their link and check out their blog. Their work will blow you away!

Warm-up Sketch...

I've been working on this sketch of John McCain for about a week now. I'll only spend about 5 or 10 minutes per session on it, so that I can keep coming back to it with fresh eyes. Like I've said before, I struggle with values, especially balancing them throughout the drawing, so I'm hoping these types of sketches will help me improve.

I'm posting it now, as a work-in-progress, with the hopes that some of you will be kind enough to leave any comments, suggestions or critiques that come to mind. Believe me, any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Warm-up Sketch...

This is a very simplified graphite sketch of myself that I just finished for a wrestling fan. I tried to keep this as loose as possible. I was also shooting for a minimum of lines while still maintaining a decent likeness.

Warm-up Sketch...

This is a warm-up sketch I did of conservative radio host/Fox News talking head, Sean Hannity. I have a lot of trouble with values. That's something I've really been trying to work on.

Another "Lashing Out!"...

This is another "Lashing Out!" cartoon that appeared in The Wrestler. The storyline? A Leprechaun-ish "little person" whom referred to himself as "Hornswoggle" being exposed as Vince McMahon's illegitimate son. Their similarities, of course, are obvious...

"Lashing Out!"

This is a "Lashing Out!" cartoon I drew for The Wrestler last summer. The storyline was a supposed Vince McMahon "death" caused by a "car bomb." Needless to say, the "death" storyline was short-lived due to the very real tragedy of Chris Benoit and his family.