MooseHeartJones

Family Sick Time

2012-02-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

My Wife and Jimi got sick over the last few days. Every time I left or came home felt so dramatic, like I was leaving them alone in the wilderness. Not that I'm so big a help to have around.. but I still felt bad.

Jimi's Superpower!

2012-02-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

Jimi has a superpower.
He can locate nipples without looking. His strike is swift, accurate, and deadly strong.
It makes sense that a baby would have such a superpower, but you don't think that he might do it for fun, or maybe just to show off, until it's too late.

rrrruuuuuUUNNNNNN!!!

2012-01-04T23:04:00.000-08:00

Effing Goblins are after you, ruuuuunnnn!!

Goblinnin' it up!

2012-01-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

Every good hero needs a good villain. This is the head goblin. Our Dwarf King and he have been fighting over the same set of tunnels for as long as either one can remember. Maybe this will be their chance to settle their differences.

The Mountaintop

2012-01-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

Cross section of the mountain in which the Dwarf King is tunneling about looking for secrets. The colors are kinda ugly, but I like the concept for each floor, so we'll continue forward.

Moe!

2011-12-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

This is Moe Prigoff, from "Storage Wars: Texas". My wife and I started watching it the other night, and now we're hooked. The regular Storage Wars is pretty good, but the Texas version has more interesting characters. I don't do many caricatures, but this Moe is such a character.. makes it easy.

Jimi in stars

2011-12-11T23:14:00.001-08:00

The boy's getting taller again.
And the poop.. wow. Serious poop since we started giving him solid food. Lets just say it's opened my eyes.

Dwarf magic!

2011-12-10T22:30:00.001-08:00

Every good RPG has magic. Most of the dwarf king's magic will be channeled through his mighty pick-axe, but he will learn spells from others. These will use different methodology; like tossing balls in the air.

Dwarf Steed

2011-12-09T21:51:00.001-08:00

The Dwarf King emerges from a tunnel atop his noble steed. It's sort of a giant hog-dog with horns and a pair of rocky stoney tongues it uses for burrowing!

Cat hath feasted

2011-12-08T23:45:00.001-08:00

It's a big fat cat, chasing a toy on a string. I find it calming to draw fat cats.

I just wanna draw a stupid horse sometimes.

2011-12-08T23:38:00.001-08:00

This horse doesn't actually have any issues with intestinal distress. He's just the butt of a cruel joke played upon his great grandsire. I think after four generations, it's time to give it a rest you guys.

King's Pick

2011-12-07T00:22:00.001-08:00

The Dwarf King needs a weapon. Many cultures develop weapons from tools that are important to their everyday lives. What's more important to a Dwarf than the tool they use to gather shiney objects?
The King's pick is golden (in color, but not actually made of gold since gold is far too soft to do any serious mining with) with an aqua haft. He uses it to obliterate stone and enemies alike, stirring up some earth magics along the way.

Broccoli

2011-12-05T22:23:00.001-08:00

Momma's been making food for Jimi recently. She started by making rice porridge, which is the traditional way of starting babies on solids in Japan.
This week, we moved on to broccoli. Maybe he doesn't like it, or maybe it's just harder to eat, but for whatever reason, he always spits it out all over the place. The rice porridge, on the other hand, he gobbles up quite neatly.

Vamporc!

2011-12-04T21:40:00.001-08:00

So I been playing Skyrim for a pretty short amount of time, and I'm already a got dang Vampire. I just wanted to hone some friggin daggers, and now I have to feed on blood to keep the ol' tum-tum in check.
I felt that this faux-chibi style artwork best described my petulance.

Sittin Pretty

2011-12-03T23:17:00.001-08:00

Thas my boy. He likes to lean back and let his sausage appendages just dangle, droolin like the dickens he is.
Oh my but he is a dickens!

Secret Conversations

2011-12-02T21:54:00.001-08:00

The Dwarf King wanders into a cave full of stone elementals. They are deciding what to do with the little monarch.

Utako Fashion!

2011-12-01T21:29:00.001-08:00

Utako looking cute in her fall fashion. Wind blows the leaves from the trees these days, it feels like fall in Los Angeles.

Chinnel

2011-11-30T21:38:00.001-08:00

Quick sketch of Darwin in a tunnel.. I never get tired of drawing that little squirt.

Ofuro!

2011-11-29T22:08:00.001-08:00

In Japan, the bathroom usually has a good sized tub. It's a priority to have a nice tub to soak in after cleaning up.
Jimi really liked this. The first time Utako took him in for his regular bath, he went bonkers. Arms and legs flying everywhere, I think he was ready to start swimming. Maybe once he gets older we'll put him swim class.

Choosin

2011-11-28T22:38:00.001-08:00

Just bought Skyrim today! I want to play a hand to hand combat kind of a character, and I was a bit conflicted about whether to go play as an orc or a kajiit (cat person).
The cats are pretty awesome, but if you are gonna tear shit up face to face, I think it's better to be a nasty ol' orc. Then you can get up nice and close with the funky ol' orc breath. Instant KO.

Among the hills and befreshened by breezes

2011-11-28T01:25:00.001-08:00

Our hero the Dwarf King finds himself atop a mountain. The inside of this mountain is the only home he's ever known. He's stricken with Agoraphobia!

So this is what I imagine the game will look like, more or less. Isometric angle, blocky shapes, bright colors with an emphasis on teal and a round, bearded guy running around stirring shit up. It's rough, of course, color study/ framework kind of thing. Needs more texture and depth and characters.

Back from Japan!

2011-11-27T00:57:00.001-08:00

During our trip to Japan, there was a sumo tournament under way. I watched some, sketched some, and discovered I really like drawing Sumo wrestlers.

Now, Japan is full of delicious foods, and we enjoyed most all of them: pork tempura, pork nabe, pork ramen (a lot of delicious greasy meat. So good!). After a week, Momma's milk had carried enough of it to little Jimi that he began to resemble a sumo himself.

We had a fantastic trip. My deepest thanks to my in-laws for their warm hospitality.

Break

2011-11-11T23:29:00.001-08:00

Takin a little break. Daily posts return on the 23rd!

Leggy

2011-11-10T22:21:00.001-08:00

Jimi is really starting to use his legs! It's like an overnight difference. All of a sudden he's using his feet for everything: reaching for toys, wrapping them around my arm, kicking faces. This is a big step in his journey to become independently mobile. It's really exciting for us.
I hope it's also another hint that he's a dancer.

Dropping in!

2011-11-10T01:07:00.000-08:00

Runnin around through the caves, you might end up dropping into an underground lake.
Now me, I hate water levels in games. Something about the tension of having to find the next breath. I'm gonna think on it and find a good excuse why he can breath underwater.
(It'll probably be some cheap excuse like a magic amulet or something.)

Dark Sun on the horizon.

2011-11-09T00:14:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of the Dark Sun campaign setting has always been the Dragon of Tyr. That is one badass dragon. He can fry you with his brain, or flay your hide with hot sand breath, or cast wicked spells all over you so complex Voldemort couldn't even recognize what was happening. He doesn't sit on a horde of treasure, he wanders around collecting sacrifices by the thousands and just whaling on entire nations. You hide when you hear his name, that is the deal with this guy.
So our new campaign is set on Athas, the most hard core extreme setting yet. It's like Mad Max and Gladiator and The Road had a baby. It is not pretty. The best part, though, is that when the entire party is so close to death, it tends to bring out the teamwork in players. I just have to remember not to hold back with the punishment.
But I promise to only use this guy as a last resort.

Jimi on Pointe

2011-11-08T00:23:00.000-08:00

This morning, after my lovely wife finished changing Jimi's diaper, she stood him up. As she did so, he achieved the most graceful ballet 4th position. It came so naturally, I wonder if he'll enjoy dance like his parents do?
That would be fun.

Breakin out!

2011-11-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Dwarf King breaks out of his kingdom into the caverns beyond, searching for a cure. Goblins lie in wait, but they will find that he is no easy prey!

Taster and his Pies

2011-11-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

The wizard in the party I'm DMing for is a ten year old boy. He loves his pies, and sometimes it gets the party in trouble!

His raccoon familiar, Fatty, is the perfect accomplice for this sort of behavior.

Taking a little walk.

2011-11-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

We needed bread the other morning, so before work Jimi and I took a little walk to get some from the market. Daddy got the wrong kind of bread, but Jimi got to sit in my armpit for a good half-hour and collect coos from the ladies at the market.
All in all a good time.

A King and his peoples

2011-11-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

So let's just say there was a dwarf kingdom deep deep deep under the mountain. Let us further suppose that they had few enemies, and lived in peace, mining their precious gems and metals.
One day, the entire kingdom might turn to stone, save the King, who would then be sure to rush out into the caverns beyond, searching for a reason and a cure for his people.
This is my idea for a video game. I've done a lot of D&D posts here recently, but I want a new subject matter to throw into the mix, so I'll be designing characters and locations and levels and such here on the blog.
Hope you like it!

Jimi Soft Paint

2011-11-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

Just did a soft paint trying to capture his ever changing 'cute look'. The look he uses when he wants to cuddle.
Most of the time, though, it's the 'I want to find something more interesting than your face, can you help me with that?' look.
Paintings of that look to follow.

Peggy and the Spike Pit

2011-11-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

Peggy fell into a pit of spikes, piercing her arm! Severely wounded, she healed a nearby ally and together they escaped by climbing a rope offered by friends.

I’m experimenting with coloring techniques. It’s messy, but I like the blown-out look.

Zero

2011-11-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

It turns out our little Jimi has learned some new sign language.
"What number is Jimi?"
He smiles and puts his hands together.
"What number is Mommy?"
Looks at Mom lovingly and wiggles his fingers.
"What number is Daddy?"
Jimi holds up his fingers as illustrated.
'Zero'.
He did this over and over again.

We'll see where Daddy places once he discovers Daddy is his Lego connection.

Peggy and the Cave Fisher

2011-10-31T00:57:00.000-07:00

This is my Human Paladin, Peggy, ripping the barb of a Cave Fisher from her neck. She don't even care!
Peggy's actual name is Poid du Bois, which I got from translating 'wooden leg' into French very roughly. She lost a leg at a young age, but it doesn't slow her down. She still has a 6 move!

Bubbles!

2011-10-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

Just recently, Jimi has been bubbling over with drool. It drenches his bib, which is gross, but the champagne look is pretty funny, so it all works out.

Big Red!

2011-10-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

Another Illustration from our Lunchtime D&D campaigns. Same team, but this is a friend's Dwarf Battlemind facing off against some Carrion Crawlers in a disgustulous sewer!
It was a pretty impressive round, he downed one and immobilized another. I had to draw the showdown.
So here's the sketch at the table on the post-it note and the photoshopped version. Hope you like it!

Baby gone crazy!

2011-10-28T00:12:00.000-07:00

Jimi has a pretty good amount of energy throughout the day. He's very curious and wants to be entertained. Who could blame him?
But lets just say that around 10 hours into his curiosity and entertainment needs, mom is in need of some help. Hopefully dad gets home in time before the last of her energy is spent, but not every day.

Bush Monk!

2011-10-27T00:39:00.000-07:00

This is the character I play in my friend's campaign.
Walden is a humanoid bush. He's quick as can be, dumb as rocks and incredibly obnoxious. He uses a big live-wood hoop as his kung-fu weapon of choice. Here's a scene of what that looks like:
http://youtu.be/L13JhkI1_vY
Starting at 4:20, totally nuts!

I did this illustration in the upper corner of my character sheet, then did a colored version in photoshop. It looks like he's bursting out of a hedge.
Exciting!

Almost rolling!

2011-10-26T01:29:00.000-07:00

Not quite rolling, but he's about halfway these days. Little Jimi, as we like to call him, is making splendid progress. Just splendid!

Elevator.

2011-10-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today, my wife and son were trapped in a department store elevator. All told, they were there for about a half an hour.

At first, he cried and cried from being trapped in such a hot, small, boring space. In any other situation he would need to be walked around in his stroller to keep from crying. But, as the fear of being trapped began to set in for my wife, his demeanor changed. As she nursed him to keep him hydrated, he reached out his little hand and held hers. He never let go until help arrived and they were safe.

Only 4 months old and he was so strong for his mama. I'm so proud of our big little boy.

Doodle

2011-10-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

Abstract doodle I whipped up. Kinda makes me think of a Tesla coil.

Baby Paladin

2011-10-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Baby Paladin shields himself from the fiery breath of a red dragon. Can he reach his sword? If he does, can he swing it?
At least he found armor and clothes that fit.. That baby must be richer than hell, gettin' himself all tailored-up like.

Bath Time

2011-10-22T01:26:00.000-07:00

Boy does our boy like his bath time! Even though he's hungry and tired and fed up, he still gets the giggles for bath time.
In this respect, especially, he is his Momma's son.
Dad prefers to be stinky.

Diggin

2011-10-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

Happiest Moment of the Day

2011-10-20T02:22:00.000-07:00

This is the happiest moment of my day. Almost every day, at a certain time, my wife gets our son and waits in front of our building for me to come home.
The moment I see them, I feel so happy words can't express.

Sweet Pea!

2011-10-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, our baby boy likes to kick a lot. At night, this means he kicks his blankets off, which is no good.
The solution is the Sweet Pea, the cutest piece of clothing in his arsenal. He can't kick it off, and he looks like an adorable worm.
Everybody wins.

Mesmer Baby

2011-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is a recently developed talent. He learned it, somehow, at Disneyland.

The Shocking Continuance!

2011-10-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Looks like Squirrely struck oil! So to speak.

Unreleased Comics!

2011-10-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

Oh dear lord I forgot I made this. There's another one, but just the two of em. Never released it on account of I wanted to build up a bunch before I set em loose in the wild.
Hope you like it!

The Magnetic Gentlemen, pt. 3 A!

2011-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Could it be? Who is that daring fellow, elegantly slaying a charging dragon, single-handedly?

It couldn't be the diminutive Pipikio. A slight halfling with a wide grin, he's dangerous to be sure. But an adult red all by himself?

We'll have to take a closer look!

Thri Kreen!

2011-10-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

Thri-Kreen. Mantis people of the desert! Next on the docket for D&D is a Dark Sun campaign, and the Thri-Kreen are easily the sweetest playable race. Getting pumped!

The Magnetic Gentlemen, pt. 2

2011-10-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

Introducing the second of the Magnetic Gentlemen, Gurgahl, the Eladrin wizard!
He is stealing something important from the ravenous beholder, but I don't know what.
I sure hope it's worth the trouble!

Droolies.

2011-10-04T23:36:00.001-07:00

Fresh out the bath!

2011-10-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

Darwin leaps from the bath, fresh and sparkling.
Chinchillas love baths, give em lots of dust and they will love you passionately!

Concerning cat antics.

2011-10-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

But seriously, we love our cat.

The Magnetic Gentlemen, pt. 1

2011-10-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

I've recently introduced a group of villains to my PCs, known in bounty hunting circles as the "Magnetic Gentlemen". I like them a lot, so I figured I'd do a series of sketches about their past exploits.

This is their fearless leader Kurassio battling an Umber Hulk in some dank cavern.

I think the light is coming from the pools of... magic water? Works for me!

Night time is when dad is vulnerable.

2011-10-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, as a new father, I would wake up in the middle of the night to care for my son. I would drag myself out of bed feeling horrible, achy, brain half-functioning, and irritable. My back felt like it was going to tear open from lifting him from the wrong angle for the hundredth time that day..
..But then he would smile at me. A look of absolute joy at being there, just hanging out. He would make a little excited giggle-gurgle (which is the happiest sound a person can make) and I would start to cry out of exhausted happiness.
It's a moment I love so much I wanted to share.

Custard

2011-09-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

A quick sketch of my wife's wizard, Custard, eluding the orc slavers on her way to Havenglen. Don't worry, she's safe!

Cheese.

2011-09-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Jailor

2011-09-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Another illustration from the D n D campaign I'm running. Can our heroes escape from the fiend- infested prison? Will they kill any innocents along the way (as they have a tendency to do)?
Find out! ..Later! ..I'll totally tell you what happened!

Weird Hippo!

2011-09-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

Jeez. That's a weird hippo.

My Boy!

2011-09-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

It's been three months now since my lovely wife squeezed this little miracle out, and boy are we just pleased as punch with the results.
Every morning I yank him out of bed and we babble at each other, drooling, snorting and gurgling, until it's time for work.
I hope we can keep that up for a long time.

50 posts quest!

2011-09-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

New header today. I'm starting a run of posts, and I'd like a touch of identity for the blog.
My goal is to post one drawing a day for the next 50 days. I'm interested to see how the pace changes the way I think about this blog. Perhaps I'll find a theme, or make new characters, or who knows what?
Let's find out together!

2011-09-20T23:13:00.000-07:00

Experimenting with color. Though I never stray too far from minty green.

2011-09-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

There is some serious stuff happening in the D&D game I'm running right now. I threw the players up against an old friend who had transformed into a monster (pictured). They killed him, like he asked.
Half robot (or warforged, in D&D), half troll. Once they killed and decapitated him, the warforged paladin burned away the troll bits, leaving what you see at the left. Not sure what a magical robot's brain looks like, but I think they would have one, and fancy wood seems a good material for such a thing.

August 17, 2011

2011-08-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

This is the party of adventurers I'm Dungeon Mastering for, currently. I've been meaning to draw them for a while, the players are all doing such great illustrations of their own characters, this is my take on their designs. Its fun when they've been playing for awhile and you can imagine them all running around together. Especially this group, which ranges from a runty 3 foot somethin' gnome to a nearly 9 foot goliath.

What adventure lies in store for our heroes? What dangers await? What riches!?! Stay Tuned!

I had a demon in me.

2011-08-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like I had a little demon in me. Just sat down to draw something, and here we are. I think this looks like decor for some warlock's grimoire.
Probably all over a grimoire somewhere. I'm fiddling with some seriously dangerous joojoo, so don't stand too close.

Baby New Year

2011-01-24T22:49:00.001-08:00

This year is the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar. My son will come into the world later this year, so that makes him a Rabbit.

(It already shows, his first communication with me was a wicked kick to the ear.)

According to our acupuncturist, boy Rabbits have quick reflexes and keen wit. It sounds like he'll keep us running, but I'm excited to have a boy in the family who acts quickly. Dear old dad is much

more of a tortoise.

Darwin At Large

2010-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Darwin At Large

2010-01-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Darwin at Large 1

2010-01-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Blockhead, and his quest for diluvian bliss

2009-10-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Blockhead Takes a Dip from Neil Graf on Vimeo.
I'm using Flash these days to animate, and it feels good! I got an idea here for something like a video game level, a character going from point a to point b. Aside from the first animated post, this is also my first time using Vimeo. Its a good site/service and I recommend it highly.

Lighthouse

2009-06-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Its a lighthouse! With cannons!

That could be useful, right?

This actually is related to something I'm working on, so its not a complete non-sequitor.

Website and Blog Updates!

2009-05-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Good news! I've completely overhauled my website. I learned some CSS and Javascript in the process. They were a little time-consuming to pick up, but over all, much less difficult than I expected!
To match the website, I've redone the colors on the blog. Hope nobody barfs. Neons rule, is all. Must be my early 90's teenhood. Memories of dayglo fannypacks and LA Style shoes are so vivid. Wrong as they may be, I can't shake em!

Here's an illustration from the new crop featured on my site. That's my pet chinchilla messing around down there. I had to tone down his antics a little. In reality, all you would see is motion blurs.

These Stairs..

2009-02-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

These stairs, in the parking garage of the building in which I work...

It used to be that I would come in in the morning and they would smell like delicious chocolate chip cookies. There aren't any cookies near the stairwell, so who knows why it was they smelled that way. It made me happy, I left it at that.

Nowadays they smell sorta like pee. Its not a public stairwell, so its unlikely that there is actually pee in there. I'd rather not know where the smell is coming from. I just wish the cookies would return.

Two of my favorite things

2009-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Suckas break like Totoro and Ozone..

Guys in Vans

2009-01-27T18:15:00.000-08:00

Apparently guys in vans are very friendly. Waving is all well and good, but don't get in unless you know them!

Fun with Pronuncitation

2009-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

So I've been seeing this car around town, the Bentley Brabus. Every time I see it, I can't help but start saying "Brabus" every single way I can imagine it being pronounced. Usually I use a kind of a british, fireside chat, old man who's a little too close with his tea-puckered lips kind of a voice.
"My boy.. when I was your age.. Neither man nor beast dare lay eyes upon.. for fear of terrible cabbage-ridden torment.. THE BRA-BYOOS!" (as he wips his head toward you, eyes ablaze, spittle flying, teacup trembling..)

Dragons and Otters

2008-08-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

They have such a similar appeal,
Dragons and Otters.
Don't you think?

Nnnnnnnnnext.

2008-08-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Here's an update!
Oh what a weekend can bring. I went to the Nissei Week parade in Little Tokyo this weekend, it was a pretty good show. What did I come away with? A renewed interest in Taiko drumming and Akita dogs.
Akita fur is like a dense, soft brush. They have some angularish features and look bitchin as all get-out in a neck kerchief. Like if Dean Martin in 'Rio Bravo' were a japanese dog. I know the possibility has crossed your mind.
Taiko drumming is (apparently, mind you, I've done no research yet) a manner of beating a huge drum and looking as intense as possible doing it. Even when the dudes and gals would dance about as they beat the drums, it was intense.
If there is one thing I love, its intensely beaten drums. Don't ever think otherwise.

Oh, and then I got back to work and turned out this new pic of Rock. He looks more in line with the other characters now, while still feeling fluffy and reasonably un-roosterish. I like it way better!

Neil

Rock's humble beginnings

2008-08-15T17:57:00.001-07:00

Rock here is a ptarmigan. He's Herb's best friend and roommate.
The design is still rough. Up until now, he looked much more like a rooster, which isn't gonna work. NOW, he looks more like a ptarmigan, yet less like the other characters. So the design is still in progress..

The ptarmigan is the state bird of Alaska. In the winter their feathers go white and the ridges on the males' foreheads pop up all bright red. This is in the interest of simultaneously hiding from predators and attracting the attention of mates. A highly nuanced maneuver to be sure.

Herb Again!

2008-06-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Herb's back.
He's a little happier here. Much more inline with reality. Herb's the kinda guy who, despite the hardships life may hand him, remains inexplicably, maniacally happy. Certainly there are bouts of confusion (often), and even fits of rage... but Herb is ever kind-hearted.
And he would very much enjoy a glass of egg nog.
You can see, he wears snow shoes. It's because he's so small. Without them, he'd get lost in the snow!

Hope y'all throw some love about for ol Pops this weekend!

I love Winston

2008-05-15T15:48:00.001-07:00

Oh yes I do. Winston is, so far as i can tell, the pinnacle of Persian cat perfection. Belligerent, gluttonous, stupid and affectionate.
And I don't mean any of that as an insult. All of those can be very charming traits and I've never wanted a Persian cat of my own more.

Octo pie

2008-04-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Some octopuses can camouflage themselves pretty dang well. Like chameleons, only faster.
So, I'd wager that the young octopi run around with all sorts of designs like ponies and butterflies on their skin.. to look cool.
I left a little space in the center of its head, in case you want to print it out and make your own fun designs!

Herb!

2008-03-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody! Its Herb!
Herbert Jones, that is, the star of Mooseheart Jones. He's sad right now. Lets let him have some silence.

BTW, there's an amazing moose over here, too.

Plane Ride!

2008-03-14T17:57:00.001-07:00

I'm going on a plane ride.
To scenic Seattle. Everybody say hooray!
I'll bring back sketches. Should be fun.

Melini!

2008-03-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is Melini. She's a deer.. Probably looks a little more like a green chihuahua to most folks, but she's actually a deer.
Melini is the new girl in the forest, hailing from forests further south. She wants a more peaceful place to practice her artwork and breath the fresh air.
Lets see if her love of atmosphere can help her look past the tremendous idiocy of her new neighbors.

Tank VS Dragon

2008-02-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

A tank and a dragon do battle. Who will win? I dunno the tank's model number or anything, but as you can see, it has a gun, and probably little rocket things on its turret. Also, the Tank is the character, it has no pilot.. The dragon, he breathes fire.
Cold, calculating machine versus blistering reptilian rage!
Place your bets!

Vaughn!

2008-02-02T00:48:00.000-08:00

Here's Vaughn. He's a caracal. A sort of wild cat, native to Africa, that can jump to impressive heights to catch birds. And whats even better is that they use the long tufts of hair at the tip of their ears for communication!

Vaughn is Herb's best friend. He's enthusiastic, optimistic, occasionally violent.. but on the whole, a great guy.
Originally, Herb lived in Africa with Vaughn. Now Herb lives in the frozen north, and when Vaughn visits him he needs a parka.

This set of scribbles was on a post-it note.. I like how when you zoom in it has a nice mottling.

Bear and Mantis

2008-01-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is a remake of an image I drew in school. We were talking about the perfect tattoo.. and I wanted either a polar bear or a praying mantis. Couldn't decide. My buddy Pen Ward suggested I just have both. Kissing. The original turned out really sensual.. I was kinda taken aback. I dunno if this lives up to the original's romance, but I like it. Kinda underlines the idea that as artists, we can take any subjects at all, and wrench whatever emotion we want out of them. Thats a really liberating idea for me.

So, I've added the original.
Passionate, no?
I'm glad its not plastered acrosst my calf. I'll tell you that. =]

Fizzy

2008-01-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

Fizzy is Stu's Stock manager, First mate, and Best Friend. He has a bit of a whistle in his voice, from his overgrown baleen. He is a cheerful, buoyant soul. The kind to skip and whistle about the boat as he swabs the deck.
On a design note, his head may become more convoluted over time. I've been looking at humpback whales online, and they are shaped really well in the wild.. it'd be sad to lose that in the cartoon character. =]

And here's the happy pair together. Stu's gettin all worked up over the big haul of frozen underwear they found floating in the ocean over Norway, and Fizzy is imagining the ocean air tickling his tummy.

Stu!

2008-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

So here's Stu. The first character I've put up that is actually from the Mooseheart Jones universe. He won't be in anything too soon.. I just put him up because I like the drawing! Anyhow, he's an Orca what runs a black market around the frozen north with his pal Fizzy. Can you see the lil mustache? I can't. Only because I know its there. Thats achin for a redesign, lemme tell you. =]

Darnley

2008-01-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

This is Darnley Hamilton. He's a Clydesdale Giraffe. I created him to play the role of Captain of the rescue team at Great St. Bernard Hospice in a lil film I wrote a few years back. He's named Darnley after one of the first fine examples of a Clydesdale ever bred, back in Scotland in the 1800s. I would've assumed they were an older breed! Anyhow, who better than a hearty giraffe to clomp through the snow and espy distressed travelers in the snow? Nobody. I'm proud of how he's so stout of brisket that his back legs don't even touch the ground, due to balance... ahh. It takes so little to make me happy. =]

Dragon

2008-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Rawr!
er.. Snore!

Introducing Mr.Meeches

2007-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a little experiment I did recently.. scribbled on a post-it note, worked over with a bat out behind the ol photoshop.
This guy can take a beating, lemme tell you.

Paul Bunyan IS "OFF TASK!!!"

2007-09-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is Paul Bunyan. He has lost his senses in a fit of bonkers.
A sturdy chap, his formidable mind broken by the immense tedium only office work can impress upon an immortal lumber-man. You see, Paul's been away from the forest for some time. Nowadays, Paul's got a cush middle management assignment.
Paul runs the efficiency department at Struffman, Huffman, McCarborundum and Ron, Projections and Leverages Inc. in Madison, WI. The pressure is abundant, the goals vague, and the fresh air sparse.
This is the story of the day Paul snaps..
and goes..
OFF TASK!