Gig work, 12-11-10 / 12-12-10

composition whoops

Evil Leprechaun

Part of a softball logo design.

Caricatures for Independent Advocates

This weekend I worked at a fundraiser for Independent Advocates, a local nonprofit agency that provides advocacy services for victims of domestic violence. Read more about independent advocates here.

Some favorites of the night:

Governator

Click for larger image.

Fan Mail

Some fan mail for Cheeky's Security Blanket. Thanks, Randy and Connor!

Dubya

Sans lines

Sometimes I like to turn off the "inks" layer in photoshop while I'm working on something. Looks kinda neat.

Restaurant Sketchin'

Cheeky's Tales: The Cover

Though the cover of Cheeky's Security Blanket is the first thing a reader will see, it was the last illustration I worked on for the book. Lindsay's suggestion was that the illustration show Cheeky trying her best to retrieve her collar from the mud room hook where it hangs. I wanted something with a dramatic, eye-catching perspective that would pull a viewer into the image, and also wanted to make sure that Cheeky was fully visible and looking toward the viewer.

Though I still like the design of this one, we eventually (and with some of the publisher's feedback) decided that the perspective might be too extreme or jarring for younger readers.

Lindsay suggested something from a more standard perspective, such as a view of Cheeky in the same position, just from behind her. I was still hoping for something more eye-catching that also managed to show Cheeky's face and help the viewer to connect with her--inherently a bit of a challenge when the character is facing toward a wall!

This thumbnail managed to retain all the essential information, while keeping a more conventional perspective. We were all happy with this one, but it was decided that Cheeky's expression should be less forlorn and more mischievous--a good change, as it fits better with the overall tone of the book and Cheeky's personality.

Along the way, it was decided that the trash can should be changed to Cheeky's supper dish. The palette also underwent a few revisions from this early state, and a number of adjustments were made to the display text to make it "pop" and look more pleasing.

Above is the final cover as it appears in print. Cheeky's Security Blanket is available from Amazon.com here!

Jack Nicholson

Cheeky's Tales: Cheeky's Security Blanket

My first picture book, Cheeky's Tales: Cheeky's Security blanket is finally available for purchase! Written by Lindsay Lewchuk, Cheeky's Security blanket is the story of a great dane named Cheeky who learns a lesson about identity through the loss of her dog collar. Also featuring 21 pages of lush, full color illustrations by yours truly.

You can view a short preview of the book being read by the author:



Cheeky's Security Blanket is available for purchase from Amazon.com here!

Isaac Klunk: Drawn to Children's Illustrations

Toledo.com has a new feature article about my illustration and caricature work, written by Katie Warchol!

"Picture yourself in a stuffy classroom, the teacher droning on about photosynthesis or sub-atomic particles or Greek architecture. Watching the clock is a fruitless task. You turn instead to the margins of your notebook. First a few lines, then a circle. For many of us, our pen and ink universes never became more than a silent testament to extreme boredom. For Isaac Klunk, his drawings live on in the real world, turning his talent into a career on the verge."

Click here to read the full article.

∞class

One of the classiest dames I've ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. Toledo is going to miss you, Emily.

Hot Town

Cover for the Toledo City Paper's June "Summer in the City" issue. This is the second Summer in the City cover I've done for the TCP, and this year I wanted elements that said "Toledo!" in a very clear and specific way. The Maumee river bridge and Toledo's iconic skyline fit the bill.

Here's the final cover:

Caricatures, 5-15-10

Teenagers are awesome.

Earl, one of the n00bz

Caricatures, 4-17-10

Rapscallions and Vagabonds.

For the brother's senior recital. Those of you with long memories may recall that last year at about this time I made a promotional poster for his junior recital as well. Decided to stick with the Top Cat theme again this year. If it ain't broke!

Where Children Sang, and Pilgrims Mourned

Visual interpretation of one of my favorite classical music pieces. This kind of work is extremely enjoyable for me!

Paisley

These Things Moved Me When I Turned my Back

I've lost interest in eyes, recently.

Odds are, someone you know is a wolfman

A chiaroscuro look seemed thematically appropriate for this sports logo I finished recently, and I thought it would be a good chance to experiment. One of my favorite things about these logo designs is the way you're forced to limit your color usage because of the silkscreening process that's later used to print them--not only because the advance planning is an interesting challenge, but also because I feel like it forces me to make much bolder choices than I normally would, which I often end up being much more pleased with than I expected.

An earlier, rejected sketch. The "monster sandwich" with the words in the final version is much more interesting.