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I'm just laying all sloppy sick in bed doodling, napping, reading, surfing, and relaxing. I had to peel myself out to scan a page from my sketchbook. This cold flu medicine makes me more spaceheaded than my usual self. Space is pretty this time of year, but I can't wait to touchdown on earth. Good day earthlings.
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When it came to quenching Uncle Ned's raging thirst, lemonade was his numero uno beverage he turned to for help.
I have been scarce lately. So here is an attempt at keeping the blog alive. Lots going on but it can't stay this way because illustration will find a way to seep out of my pores if I don't pick up my pencil.
Have you ever read aloud, news about a tragic death and someone says, man, that would be my least favorite way to die? Then you and your friends start coming up with all your least favorite ways to go stories? Someone always says shark attack because we all know how likely that can be. Then there is always a claustrophobic in the group who wraps their arms around themselves and gets all creepy faced as they squeeze out, in a trembling voice, the unthinkable buried alive scenario. Of course burning to death no doubt comes up as you flip the burgers on the grill and who can deny the discomfort of being chased by zombies through the town square. My mom always thought I was in a ditch dead whenever I came home way late. We were not living in an agricultural society and as far as I can remember, I had never seen a ditch on the side of any of the roads in my town or any surrounding towns for that matter. But according to her, that was the very first thing that popped into her head. I guess being swallowed up by a sneaky ditch isn't so bad compared to some of the choices that my friends and I were croaking out. Anyway the conversation always spirals into a who can top the last death blow when some weak minded sap gets all wigged out and has to turn it around because they won't be able to sleep if they don't reverse the bad vibe that is sinking it's little talons into their undersized noggin. Then they spin the conversation to favorite ways to die. Is it me, or is there something still off with this line of reasoning? But you play along and come up with the most enjoyable ways to exit planet earth. C'mon, it's not like God is going to hand us a list. As in, my children, I want you all to check off a really enjoyable way for me to smite you. As a side, it's is very interesting how different men and women are on this latter thought. I might be getting a tad punchy people so let me get to my main point.
The reason all this came out was because of an ironic thing that actually happened to me. One day, I tripped over a big wire in a store called Wireless Central. It instantly cracked me up. It didn't strike anyone in the store as funny at the time. The laborers (who had the wires all over the floor) just looked at me like I had gotten electrocuted and was short circuiting (not a pleasant way to die, I might add). The help behind the counter gave me a weak efforted smile as I shared my inane observation. Well, I say crusty endings to all of them. I am a cartoon guy and I see life as a series of panels and speech balloons. And I saw a headline announcing, "Man trips to his death over a wire in Wireless Central". And that, in all it's glorious irony my friends, is the way I would like to go.
So that is my big thought for the day. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite cuz that would be a icky way to go.
Helmets are kinda like masks. Ok, I haven't posted for IF in a couple of weeks and wouldn't have made it this week either. So I had to make this fit. At a least a bird in the horses mouth is worth watching him drink. I'm gonna make like a tree and sleep on it. Later people.
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Man, I am having trouble getting into this season this year. It doesn't feel like it should even be Halloween yet. My oh my. Where do the years go? I thought the Santa project on Drawergeeks would spark something but I ended up getting all cynical. But the good news is I ended up with a piece of art I am really diggin'. This will post on drawergeeks site next Friday. I think.
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On October 11, where I was showing off my 2nd book, I promised to post my 1st book. So, since I am so busy working on my website and not illustrating half as much as I want to and need to, I will try to dig up already done art to keep the blog breathing. No one wants an out of breath, stagnant, mosquito infested blog. Si?
Just a warning. This book was illustrated 3 years ago and my 2nd book which just came out was illustrated around last year at this time. Now, the stuff you see me posting since I created this blog in September has moved on in technique and style and direction. There are some pages in these books, that frankly embarrass me when I compare them to my present characters and the direction I am going in now. So if you are fixin' buy these books, thinking that you will get the same level of work my blog is promoting, you may be disappointed. How's that for selling my stuff? At least you get honesty here. No one has ever said to Jimmy, "you can't handle the truth!".
Since we will be away, I am posting this a day early. As I mentioned in a previous post, Debbie has liked a total of about 2 photos of her since I have known her. This is one of them so it will make her happy to have her self image redeemed from the last post of her. Happy birthday beautiful girl. This picture doesn't lie.
<3 jimmy
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Just need to post some sketches. It's been awhile. I don't even sketch and doodle as much as I want to. My website is in progress now and it is consuming much of my time which means less illustration posts. Jimmy works full-time in the corporate world and does this art thing whenever he can, even if it means skipping sleep. I promise to post when I can. Yawn.
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This is an illustration from my old site that I illustrated from a Counting Crows song called "A murder of one". The words to their songs are like verbal paintings. My mind gets inspired and sees something in many of their songs and I hope to do more with the things I find rolling round my brain as time moves on. I cropped in on the crows and got rid of the rest because it wasn't as strong as my new stuff. There are a few illustrations from my older site that I have in mind to redo. I just purchased Dreamweaver 8 and will be crackin' on a new site soon. This blog will then take on an even more experimental flavor at that point and the site will represent my body of work. This blog is standing in as a showcase for my work (especially my new stuff) at this point in time. I feel so illegitimate without an actual updated site that I feel cool about sending people too.
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Smokin' Joe is the Lord of the Wings. I haven't posted since last Sunday. What a slacker. I'll try to get some more sketches and stuff up soon.
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There is something really cool about old Japanese and Chinese paintings. The typography, brush work, colors and mood amaze me. I decided to start there and then add my today Jimmy stuff and it made for a new cultural experience. It's the next best thing to traveling. The Far East has so much rich history when it comes to art. I would love to go there someday?
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There are many things to spend money on. So why not blow it on Jim?
Hello, my name is Jim and I endorse this message.
The skeleton illustration is my recent entry for DrawerGeeks. It will be posted there on Nov. 3. They supplied us with 5 actual kids illustrations and our job was to make it our own while staying as close to the original kid art as possible. I built mine off of 2 of the samples. The skeleton from one and the balloon from another. The originals will be posted along side of each artist's entry.
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Playing with new textures and cut outs. This was a different way to build my illustration than my usual. The experiment paid off. Each new thing I try brings all kinds of ideas in my head for future illustrations. It's cool how after all the years I've been doing this, each job can be like starting new. The wonder of it all!
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Here's the final to a sketch post and a preliminary post below. I have been struggling with this one for some reason. I'm not liking it as much as I want to. I felt like I was getting too close to it so I figured I would just post it and move on. There are parts to it I really like but can't figure out what it is that's bothering me. If anyone sees it, don't be shy about offering some criticism.
