Self Preservation

Because sometimes you just can't count on anyone else.

Salacious Sketch

Just decided to try doing a looser version.

Salacious Zen

Being the court jester to Jabba the Hutt can be pretty taxing sometimes. Meditation helps to keep one's center, especially in the face of the dreaded Sarlacc pit.

"I'm too old to be chasing mice"

We recently watched "The Rescuers" which I can safely say I haven't seen since I was a kid. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor were great as Bernard and Ms. Bianca, but another stand out character was Rufus, the old orphanage cat. I decided I'd like to see what he might look like if he was a real cat, and this drawing is what I came up with.



And here's a look at what he looked like in the movie alongside the missing little girl, Penny.



Hope everyone had a good new years eve! Here's hoping the new year is filled with even more sketching than the last. What cartoon animal character would YOU like to see realistified?


"Two little mice? What- what can YOU do?

Secret Agent Bear

A few months ago I was hired to illustrate a children's book for a local publishing company, but for a variety of reasons the project fell through. The book would have featured 20 brand new animal portraits, and in the course of development only one was worked on which I've been sitting on, UNTIL NOW!

Here's a sketch I did for the Grizzly Bear. Don't be fooled by his cuddly exterior. He has honey tipped poison darts, and god help you if you ever find yourself in one of his dreaded Bear Hugs. The air in your lungs gets pushed out so quickly it feels like your soul is escaping your body . . . or so they say.

The Rebel

And finally we have Sterling Morrison. Named after the guitarist of the Velvet Underground, Sterling is the middle child of the three cats. Without the seniority of Kimmswick, or the youthful cuteness of Zardoz, Sterling is left being the forgotten one which leaves him only one choice. To REBEL. Sterling spends most of his nights out at the local all ages punk venue "Claws" and usually stumbles back around dawn, smelling of catnip. When not sleeping you can find Sterling bumming around at the park, frightening mice, practicing on his broken guitar, or listening to records. His favorite bands are Crass, The Ramones, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and Beat Happening.

Kimmswick

This is the Godfather of the bunch. He's the oldest of the cats, the most favored, and kind of calls the shots around the house. I especially like his shimmery pink ascot.

A Very Zardoz Christmas

First off, Merry Christmas everyone! And with it being the season of gift giving I always try to think of things I can make for my friends instead of wracking my brain for something to buy them. Homemade gifts are usually appreciated more anyways (to some).

Our good friends Ben and Amber have three cats and like all cat owners are pretty crazy about them. So for their present I decided to do portraits of all of them, and put them in clothes that capture their personality (I could see how this might be overboard for some). Anyhow, this is their newest cat, Zardoz. He's the youngest and the most kitten like of the three so he gets to be a sailor. Kudos goes to Stephanie for the sailor outfit idea. Expect the next two in the coming days.

What's the best handmade gift that you've ever given to or gotten from someone? Tell me all about it. Happy holidays!

In progress

I don't usually like posting these until they're finished, but I'm running low on material so here's a look at a new animal portrait in progress. It's a Rocky Mountain Sheep and it needs some work.

Home Sweet Home

Steph and I moved into a new place this month. This is what it would look like if there were nothing behind or next to it. Cutout snowflakes on the windows courtesy of Swoops' birthday shindig.