Everybody loves freckles

I caught a bit of Big Cat Diary" on Animal Planet this morning. Today's episode featured a seven-week-old cheetah cub, called "Toto" whom I simply had to sketch. He was such a wee rock star, with that fluffy mass of downy fur and that bold, devil-may-care attitude. The host of the programme could not stop going on about how precious and tiny Toto was. Really, I can not say as I blame him!



Quick marker sketch. Now, I have company coming round tonight, so I have to go make some samosas at cheetah-speed. Cheerio!

We're sketchy on the details, ma'am

This was a fun one . . . Poster design!

In the story accompanying the Japanese adventure kit, Anna invents a robot specifically progammed to fold origami. The robot works, but goes haywire and winds up folding Obo and Ini into a two-headed paper monster. The kit includes a poster. I looked to a lot of old Godzilla posters for inspiration on this.

CHARACTER DESIGN




THUMBNAILS FOR POSTER DESIGN


POSTER SKETCH


Full colour version's coming soon, of course.

. . . We're supposed to get multiple feet of snow this week-end? Really? Eesh.

Let me bayou a drink

Just finished another watercolour painting, horray!

FINAL (the scan came out a bit squint and blurry because I had to do it in two segments)



PROCESS:

Got you covered

Just finished these for the origami kit. They're for the instructions booklet;

FRONT COVER:


INSIDE FRONT COVER:


BACK COVER:

And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I miiiight

Time for some Otto and Anna! . . . Or, time for A LOT of Otto and Anna!

More page layouts for the website;





More from the upcoming English Garden kit;









And some things from the upcoming Japanese Origami kit;

Page layouts for the Origami instructions booklet;


. . . Cover sketch for said booklet;


. . . And a few pages from said booklet;








Back to work with me. More to come later!

Jeez Loiuse (-iana)

Well, my best mate Carlea is home for the hols, and with that comes the tradition of yet another Carlea/Fala collaberation!

So far, our story takes place in the early 1900's in the Louisiana Teche. Zekiel Arcenaux is mourning the recent loss of his twin brother, which leads him to explore the services of a travelling medium named Aveline. This, in turn, leads to a strange journey into the supernatural world within the bayou, to uncover the mysteries surrounding the bizarre death of Zekiel's brother.

Stuff inspired by our writings thus far;

Early character concept sketch for Zekiel . . . Why do I get the feeling I ought to apologise for this . . . ?


Zekiel and his brother, Zemington;


Aveline detects the dark presence of Zem's lingering spirit;


Concept sketches for Zekiel's boat, the Octopus;


Zeke loves hunting the gators. With nowt but a knife and a rock . . . Mmmyap;


After a particularly difficult channeling session, both Aveline and Zeke are feeling worse for the wear.


Aveline ventures into the swamp with the help of a friend;


.
.
.

OTTO AND ANNA LAUNCHES 1ST FEBRUARY! ANother big post of O&Astuffs is coming either today or tomorrow!

hoping for a perfect 10

Wow, it's already a new year. I think we all can agree that 2009 was a big year for milestones.

I could really stand to improve upon my speed-doodling, so here are a few of my personal 2009 milstones in speed-doodle form:

10. Worked a job at college;



9. Turned 23 years old (hoy, it counts! I've never done it before, right? And I won't be doing it again, either, heh)



8. Graduated from college;



7. Got a NEW job;



6. Bought my first car . . .



5. . . . learned how to drive it . . .


. . . Er, I have the sense of direction of a carousel horse.

4. And got my driver's licence . . .


. . . My navigation skills have improved, by now. A bit.

3. Had surgery . . .



2. I had never been to a funeral in my life. This year, I attended three funerals within the span of three weeks;


My grandmother (she loved owls, which was appropriate, since we often looked to her, as the matriarch, for Athena-like wisdom)


My great-uncle, who was buried with full honours at Arlington Cemetery


My former schoolmate, who played the cello, had a biting literary wit, and died quite unexpectedly at the age of 23.

Two of my uncles also passed this year, as well, but I was not present at their funerals.

. . . Additionally, I lost two beloved pets;


"Pinstripe"
2008-2009


"Niisan"
1996-2009

1. . . . And welcomed a new pet into my life.



0. And I finally had my name legally changed.



HONOURARY MILESTONES:

- I've always fantasised about having a mohawk, and this year, I finally did it (but you can see it in all of the pictures, here, so I didn't think it needed another one)
- I'm moving out of my parent's house. I'm not quite finished, so that is why it is an "honourary" milestone. Still fairly big, though.
- Hosted my first Burns' Supper (for Scots, this is a fairly big deal)
- Went to New York for the first time.

HAPPY 2010, everyone. Auld Lang Syne and all that jazz!

All dogs go to heaven

A few hours ago, my dear doggie passed away. It happened so suddenly . . . I can only hope that this means he did not suffer.

I called him 'Niisan' because it is a Japanese word for 'brother', and considering I am an only child, he really was something of a sibling to me. Thank you for sharing your thirteen years with me, my brother. I love you so very, very much.

West meets East

Today was me da's birthday, and I spent the better part of today making a card for him. Here's the watercolour painting I did for it;

(my father's Western zodiac is Sagittarius and his Chinese zodiac is an ox)



Heh, I meant to make Saj a great deal hairier, but I ran out of time. Avast and alas and alack the day. But this was a nice visit back to the realm of traditional media I have been neglecting for a long time. I hope it doesn't show too much . . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LANCE-PANTS!

Going green(house)

More from the O&A gardening adventure kit;

My pencil rough for the comic (PAGE ONE):


Some colour: