Book cover art: Chameleon Moon!

Chameleon Moon Second Edition - Regan and Evelyn
11x17 acrylic ink on smooth bristol paper

This is officially the largest inked drawing I've ever made within a relatively short amount of time (read: "working all day, not leaving the apartment, burning the midnight oil" kind of time). :D

Regan - anxious lizard man - and Evelyn - punk rock goddess - hail from Chameleon Moon, a novel written by my good friend, RoAnna. October 11th is going to be a special day: the Second Edition of Chameleon Moon will be available to purchase on Amazon!

Jumping into this right after finishing Tiana's House of Lazarus book cover was masochistic on my part - but I'm happy with the outcome, and knowing that I can push myself to create is a reminder that I can do this. I can DO this, guys!

Early pose idea for Evelyn.

Alternate workplace setup, similar to what I did for the Oaxacan Barn Owl Dragon.

Sketchbook studies!

I used a photo I'd taken of Gary Numan as reference for Evelyn's final pose.

(That show was one of the best experiences of my life, by the way.)

Rough study on 11x15 watercolor paper.

 Fixed Regan and Evelyn's poses; cleaned up pencils!

I made a stand-in microphone out of a hand exercise ball and a small spray bottle.

You know, when I pay $9.50 for a damn nib holder, I DON'T expect this to happen.

I bought two, so there's that.

Details of Evelyn's skirt; using a blow dryer helps speed up the pen and ink process.

HELLOOOO, AFTERNOON COFFEE

 I mis-inked Regan's arm; corrected it with an X-Acto knife.

Regan doesn't smoke like he did in the first edition, so RoAnna asked if I could remove it. Easy fix with a white gel pen. THEN I SMUDGED IT. Thankfully, it cleanup up nicely in Photoshop.

The color-blocked draft above was an attempt to fix placement before I began penciling on bristol board. I made the draft on the right using photos I'd taken of downtown Portland, skewing them to try to match the vanishing point. Though not a final cover image, it's a decent visualization for something RoAnna could use as a future cover.

I'm SO happy I finally made proper fanart for RoAnna's characters, and I can't wait to read the second edition of Chameleon Moon!

Book cover: The House of Lazarus, Part 2: DONE!

   

House of Lazarus cover
11x17 acrylic ink and gouache on smooth bristol paper

Final 6x9-proportioned file!

Three digital mockups I made to explore figure placement and texture.

6x9-proportioned study on cold-pressed watercolor paper.

Inked with a 3/4" wash brush. I should make more work like this for INKtober!

Black acrylic ink finished off with white acrylic paint.

Drafted with a Palomino Blackwing pencil. Kneaded eraser helps to knock pencil back for inks!

Inking begun with a Hunt 513EF nib - my favorite!

I made a smudge cover out of a scrap of matboard. Brush inking begun on hair.

I can use the margins as I work to clear excess ink from my nibs and brushes.

All done! I inked to the borders to allow for some wiggle room on the final file.

Tiana, thank you again SO MUCH for commissioning me for another book cover! This was an absolute treat to work on, and it helps me feel that my skills are improving, slowly but surely. Plus, who doesn't love zombies? :D

Book cover: The House of Lazarus, Part 1