Oaxacan Coyote, Stage 7!

Stripes on the neck will be left white with black outlines.

Masking tape wrapped around Verithin to better secure it in
my pencil extender.

Like the neck stripes, these 'ribs' will be white with black outlines.

Before long, I'll return to the Coyote's closeup. Not much left to do on the side view!

Oaxacan Coyote, Stage 6!

Character Development: Kritchpaw

Character development is, for me, often a lengthy process. I may not realize I like a design until I've left it alone for a year or more, only to pick it up again to try and improve it. Such has been the case with Kritchpaw.

She began - as many of my characters have - as one of those silly ideas that simply popped into my head, demanding to be drawn before I forgot. From walleyed goofball to grumpy, reactive fighter, Kritchpaw's design has been a lot of fun to explore. 

I'm not sure what she is exactly. Mutated pet? Alien species? Parallel universe denizen? 

Kritchpaw and a couple other characters I've developed (I'll introduce them soon!) are part of a story I'm keeping in mind, perhaps a short comics venture. Consider it an ode to my love of the odd.

Just a little something to post about before a larger update on the Oaxacan Coyote.

Oaxacan Coyote, Stage 5!

Scratchboard: Fate Up Against Your Will

"Fate Up Against Your Will"
5" x 7" Scratchbord
(yes, the brand is spelled that way)
approx. 45-50 minutes

Sketch from my Creatura sketchbook.

A quick scratchboard experiment based off an older sketch. With better planning (i.e. gesture and composition), I'd like to create a larger scratchboard piece like this one; it's a great medium for moonlit werewolves!

I've got more progress photos for the Oaxacan Coyote coming soon (finally!). The poor guy has been subjected to my fickle inspiration. And to think I sketched him in February.

The Beast in the Bedchamber: book cover progress!

It's time for me to share a project I've been hard at work on for the past few weeks: a book cover for my good friend Tiana's short story anthology, The Beast in the Bedchamber. I met her on deviantART ten years ago--sharing with her a passion for animals, writing, and classic films--and I was thrilled when she asked me to create the cover for her book. She is a fantastic writer (I had the pleasure of reading each story as she finished it) and a joy to work with. The anthology will be self-published through Amazon, released on April 15! This post will include a direct link to the book once it's out. Keep your eyes peeled.

EDIT, April 15, 2013: Get your copy of The Beast in the Bedchamber here on Amazon!

Thumbnails drawn from imagination and stock photos.

^ Digital drafts sketched in Photoshop.

^ Real media drafts: at left, Tombow Dual Brush Pen and white gouache;

at left, black acrylic paint. Both are on sketchbook paper.

Washing the wall with my hake brush.

The Beast in the Bedchamber for T. L. Bodine.

Acrylic paint and acrylic ink on cold-press watercolor paper.

A sepia-toned version on the left (contrast fixed in PS without color correction) and a more true-to-life version on the right. Tiana opted for the sepia version, and the type looks great with it! Check it out on her blog post here: http://tlbodine.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-beast-in-bedchamber-cover-reveal.html