And if you’d like a quick download of my resume and references, those are available here…

Care to share what your workspace looks like?  Post a link in the comments! I’d love to see it.  (This post was inspired by a similar posting on an artist’s blog at JacketFlap.com)

Original drawing in my sketchbook...

The next step is really refining and darkening my line work, in preparation for scanning into the computer. I lay a sheet of tracing paper over my sketch, and using a Staples OptiFlow pen (or other nice and smooth ink pen) I redraw the sketch with dark lines and any relevant shading I want to show in my linework after its colored.

Scanned sheet of tracing paper

My next step is scanning the tracing paper into the computer. I usually scan in grayscale to get the subtleties of the scan to show, rather than scanning as 1-bit line art. Also, I try to always scan 300 dpi, because you never know when you’ll need a hi-res version of your illustration.

Working off my scanned image, I’ll adjust the brightness, contrast and levels of the scan in Photoshop, and erase any smudges that might have gotten on the original drawing. I’ll select the layer once I’m happy with the cleanliness of the image, and float it to a new layer and then changing the blending mode to Multiply (after selecting the white with the Magic Wand tool then deleting it). This allows my coloring layers beneath the lineart to show through, but it doesn’t mess up the top line layer.

I’ll start by creating a few layers for color, laying down the background color as well as a few swatches to use as a painter’s palette (for the eyedropper tool):

Coloring the drawing with a handy pallete layer in Photoshop

Once all the coloring is finished (the longest step), I’ll create a new layer for shadows. Using my marquee tool is the quickest and easiest for me, as I block in large areas of shadow, referring to my original sketch in my sketchbook. Once all the shadows are filled with black in the shadow layer, I’ll apply a Gaussian Blur to give a soft effect, if necessary.  It looks a bit dark, but this is what I’m seeing a this point:

Shadow layer painted on and Gaussian blur applied

Having the shadows on a separate layer helps a great deal, because I can adjust the intensity easily with that layer’s opacity slider. I decided on 15% opacity for these shadows:

Shadow layer complete with opacity turned to 15%

The next step in this illustration was the lighting effect. This was different from the shadows, because I have a TV casting a cool glow across the subject. I create this effect by blocking in the area that will be OUTSIDE of the lit-up area using the marquee tool, and filling it with a dark blue color to add intensity. Once that layer is filled, I’m going to apply a gaussian blur to this effect as well for a more subtle dramatic effect. Take a look at the layer in the layer palette:

Creating the shadows from the TV

Note I’ve turned the opacity down a bit. Again, it always helps to have it on a separate layer…

Shadow layer (from TV)

Once those final touches are done, the illustration is ready! Here’s a smaller, web-friendly version (the original is 300 dpi)… Voila!!

Final illustration!

See, I’ve always customized the heck outta all my stuff – computer wallpapers, desktop icons, cassette tape video covers, popcorn poppers (!), even a computer monitor once. So I was psyched when Starbucks started selling these “Design Your Own” Coffee Tumblers. I like standing out in a crowd when it comes to my work, and have created 4-5 custom tumbler art pieces both for me and my wife. After my last tumbler art, I got to thinking -this could advertise and show off some of my best pieces, EVEN WHILE I’m sleeping on the train! Plus, contact information. So why not use it as ad space! I mean, this IS America, after all!!!

Without further ado, I present to you, the Coffee Tumbler Portfolio!

Here’s the flat art:

Basically, use my Coffee Tumbler template PSD, and copy and paste some of your best pieces into it. Also, don’t forget to include your name and title pretty large, so that people know what you do. And also include contact information – you might do a website, or like I did, e-mail address and phone number. Not only does this tumbler serve as a great conversation starter, it will advertise what you do, and could even make a great self-promo gift for your best clients!

All you need to do is cut it out with an X-acto once the design is finished and printed out, then head over to Starbucks and pick up a “Design Your Own Coffee Tumbler”, unscrew the bottom and stick your own artwork in. Fill with your favorite coffee or tea, and hit the road! Great for designers, illustrators and photographers!

All in all, the book contains about 12 illustrations inside, and the front cover in color, of course. Now if ONLY I hadn’t kept forgetting to have the layout designer to put in an “illustrated by” credit in there! D’OH!!! Oh well, next time.

But this is the FIRST STEP towards illustrating my first children’s book!

Here are my best stabs at making a selection, inverting, making a path, exporting the path to Illustrator, then smoothing it out in Illustrator. The problem is there are a LOT of points so it needs to be simplified somehow:

another attempt, a bit smoother:

and one even more smooth:

So there has to be an easier way… Anyone? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?