Recent Commissions

This week I'm sharing some of my recent commissions. This first batch was from C2E2.

Harry and Hagrid from Book 7: The Deathly Hallows. 

The commissioner originally requested a moment after this when Hagrid has leapt off the motorbike and Voldemort is in pursuit, but as a composition I felt the moment before when Hagrid is trying to repair the bike & sidecar was more interesting.

Process photo while I was inking

Mrs. Brisby/Frisby and the Owl from Secret of NIMH

This was rather straight forward and only took a little bit of work to modify my style of drawing owls and mice to something more like the animated feature designs. The webbing was almost entirely done by inking in the space between the web rather than going back in with white.

Process photo while I was inking

Hooded Merganser Drake & a Mouse

The commissioner hopes to get on my list a total of 3 times for a sequence of images. This being the third where the mouse and duck have discovered and collected an under water treasure.

Process photo while I was inking

Baby Emperor Penguins with Saxon and Kenzie

The commissioner requested a group of these chubby cute penguins with Saxon and Kenzie in appropriate gear for a visit, with perhaps the penguins giving them a gift (the fish). Unfortunately I didn't take an process photos as I inked the piece.

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After C2E2 I had to stop doing commissions for conventions. The plan is to have them canceled through May & June only so I can catch up on work when I'm at home in between a busy con schedule, and so that I don't burn out at cons, so that when I do get home I can get back to work on some tight deadlines. But because I still needed pieces of the 2014 Mouse Guard sketchbook, I started doing pieces in hotel rooms, as I wound down at night at home, etc...with no pressure of them filling a request or being due at any given time. I then sell these at conventions. Below are the results (and they are all spoken for)

Alma: A cook.

I have a Mouse Guard story with a cook coming up and I needed to design her look and costume. Plus I thought it would be fun to explore the ingredients a mouse cook would have at the ready: Coriander, seeds, wild onions, acorns, berries, carrots, rosemary, peppercorns, etc.

Process photo while I was inking

Ragnier: A Hunter

Again I needed a character design for a Mouse Guard story, this time a rough, rugged, and battle scarred veteran hunter/warrior. He is scarred and his ears are tattered, his cloak is one of something else's hide, he wears leather and chain armor, and a weapons that can only deal death: an axe. i enjoy drawing bones and thought it was fun to have them not fill the space, but act as a gradient and get more dense near the edges.

Process photo while I was inking

A Mouse with a Fez riding a Tarantula

After two character designs, I thought I should do something with no purpose and a bit of a story implied. This was just for fun because I don't know that you would ever see a tarantula in Mouse Guard (not the right region). And while I say there is a story, it's an implied story for you to imagine, I have nothing specific in mind.

Process photo while I was inking

Midnight with the Black Axe on a pinecone raft

It had been a while since I'd drawn the Fall 1152 villain. This piece was more about pose, and a pattern of large black shapes and large white negative spaces than it was about a typical Mouse Guard panel with detailed background or implied story.

Process photo while I was inking

Mouse Nursery

I was asked by someone about how mouse children are/would be depicted in the books since real mouse babies are hairless, pink, and not very cute. Real mice do get cute quickly, so I think almost every child portrayal I've done so far synchs up with nature in that way...but It got me thinking how I'd handle a little baby...and then I just wanted to draw a mouse-made crib. Unfortunately, no process photos of this piece.

Mouse & Duckling jouster

While at a convention and thinking of birds I have yet to draw in Mouse Guard (or for commissions), a duckling came to mind (though I have drawn a gosling). And I thought it might be fun to do an Atari Joust homage and give the mouse a lance.

Process photo while I was inking

I may have some more pieces like these for my remaining June shows if I have the time.

Hopefully I'll be able to open a commission list for SDCC. If I do, I'll post on Facebook and Twitter that I've opened up the list in my online store. The pieces must be picked up at the convention.

2014 Appearances:

Special Edition NYC: June 14-15

Heroes Con: June 20-22

San Diego Comic Con: July 23-27

Boston Comic Con: August 8-10

Baltimore Comic Con: Sept. 5-7

NY Comic Con: Oct. 9-12