The Second Redraw Challenge

There’s this super cool trend on TikTok and Instagram where artists will show an older illustration they did and then erase the layer (original art above) exposing their latest take (on the layer below) showing how much they have improved over time. A couple years ago, I wrote a post about redrawing my older artworks (sans cool video editing) and how satisfying that can be. Today I’m doing something (kind of) similar (again, sans cool video editing) and how the more unique illustrations will always be the ones I cherish most.

Back in 2017 I sketched a reverse mermaid (pretty self–explanatory once you look at it) which for some reason felt like something I just needed to draw. Five years later I knew I could do better even if I had no idea why I should. The reality is I was very interested in learning what my drawing program Procreate’s brushes could do. In 2017, I sketched Weird Al Yankovic as Batman. Okay, hold on a hot second. Let’s get something cleared up quickly now that I think of it:

  1. Many of these illustrations are really just rough sketches that could be considered concepts and not very well thought out beyond that and refined much, much later.

  2. Something inspired these crimes against humanity, and I really no longer remember what they were, so just come along for the ride with me, m’kay? Thanks.

Like many, I love The Simpsons. Their pious neighbor Ned Flanders is my wife’s favorite character and I love building upon creator Matt Groening’s style. I actually wrote in depth about this particular illustration last year if you’re curious about the pose and overall inspiration!

Again, while I don’t remember the inspiration for many of these illustrations, I at least know that both the following 2014 sketch and 2022 recreation are not depictions of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. No religious disrespect here! I do know that what I was initially drawn to (pun intended) were the hand poses. Holding chopsticks, ASL “I love you”, the Salvator Mundi blessing gesture, and the open hand are really cool and challenging. Also, again I was enjoying learning how to better digitally paint in Procreate as well as trying out some of the adjustments and effects. I’m a real sucker for chromatic aberration.

I’ve written a couple times about how kids can bring a really fresh perspective for getting out of a creative block. One of those exercises is to take a drawing a kid makes and put your own spin on it. I have done this so many times and it’s just the most fun thing to do. My cousin Lily (once removed) drew me a picture awhile ago of our late cat Destiny floating around in outer space. I freaking love it so much! I do not remember when she drew this original piece of art but it was definitely a loooooong time ago because Lily is now in college! In 2016, I dug this beautiful gem out of my memory box and took a stab at it myself. Lily’s is still the best one though!

Again, back in 2013, my other cousin once removed, Avery drew this cosmically gorgeous creature that I interpreted myself 11 years later. Avery’s art fills me with so much joy because it is so free and fearless! Draw your dreams! Lovingly foster your imagination! And let family members exploit it in their blog!

The final piece is always the inspiration for these blog posts, and so I proudly present to you, Generations — the musically inspired illustration absolutely nobody asked for. Again, the 2014 sketch should more realistically be called a concept, but there are a few notable tidbits that make this piece special to me. For starters, it’s a ridiculously stupid idea (and therefore makes for some fun art!). Secondly, while it’s not clear in the 2014 original, the jacket is absolutely inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller jacket (sorry not sorry, I think that’s the coolest jacket ever). Third, the boombox is a direct homage to the one my siblings and I listened to back in the late 80s and early 90s. I had taken a swing and missed when I tried to draw that same boombox when I created the art for Matt Vogel’s newest podcast Solve For Gen X. I got a lot closer in this go–around.

Fourth, the “grandfather” subject uses my maternal grandmother’s radio as his head. She always had this radio on in her bedroom. It now resides on my own nightstand as a cherished heirloom (despite being manufactured in the mid 1970s even though it looks like one she would have had during the second World War).

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Artist Games Featuring Noah Ginex

Two weeks ago, Will Carroll and I played a game together where we would take a pass at a drawing, back and forth adding to it until it was so crammed with stuff we decided to share it with you. This time around I’m playing again with Noah Ginex! Before we get into any of that, first let’s talk about Noah.

Some of Noah’s characters.

Aside from being a super talented artist (who is also a fellow Muppet Mural alumni), Noah is an award winning puppet builder who has an exceptional sense of humor and is wonderfully and wildly creative. I was very excited to play this game with Noah because he really knows how to look at things from a very different and even unconventional angle. He has also played this type of game with his daughter so this was not his first rodeo. For everyone else who may have missed the first time I played with Will, here’s how this works:

The Rules

One artist draws something rather fleshed out then passes it on to the other. There are no time limits or space restrictions. Either artist can draw as much or as little as they want before passing it on. One artist can add to or obscure the previous work as much as they like as long as they don’t manipulate it (within reason).

The Game

Whenever I play this with an artist, I give them the option of using a full color render of the illustration I did or just the line art. I drew a white gloved cartoon hand holding a phone receiver. Noah chose to stick with the line art.

“It’s for you.”

Noah Ginex: I didnt know what to expect at first. Honestly the first volley was a lot more fully realized than I was expecting, but that just meant i could bite off a bigger chunk myself. I responded with traditional pen and ink the first time, because I didn’t have my Cintiq with me. Which I think directed the piece more to traditional black and white.

Noah’s first pass.

Just as when Will first responded, I was so excited to see that Noah had taken this in a direction I never could have anticipated. For starters, I was excited we were staying black & white, but anthropomorphizing the handset was super cool. My high school nostalgia sparked me to channel my inner Sam Keith and go really off the rails. I also took the opportunity to refine my previous line art to pop more now that the black & white direction had been set.

This weird Radio Shack rabbit then headed back to Noah.

Noah: I see faces everywhere, so it was nice when Dave responded with even more opportunities to add little details. I especially loved the phone cord turning into curly ringlets.

I don’t know what exactly this thing does, but I’m skeptical of its warranty.

Aside from minimal cleanup on my previous passes, I didn’t want to do anything else to the main art. Truth be told, I was completely lost on what I had done and what Noah had done. This fusion that normally marries two different styles together whilst retaining each artists unique styles was somehow obliterated. Noah and I had achieved a very comfortable simpatico… thing and I loved it. Still channeling those Sam Keith vibes I felt before, I opted to add a splash of red and cover it in chaotic text so it looked like a splash page right out of The Maxx.

The final collaboration.

Noah: I think the final piece ended up looking very Ralph Steadman-y, which is fine by me, so I signed it with a Steadman-esque version of my artist stamp. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I think it's perfect.

Again, this was so much fun. I actually am sad when I finish these games because it’s liberating, exciting, and so creatively satisfying. If I were a braver man, I’d consider this for a tattoo!

Thank you to Noah for being a part of this week’s post! Check out all his art by following him on Instagram @artbyNoahginex and his website too: noahginex.com

You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter and tune in every Friday right here for more creative thinking!

2021: Year in Illustrative Review

Way back in 2013, I started on a mission to draw every single day. Flash forward to becoming a father who completely gave up on trying to properly manage his creative free time and it should be no surprise that mission went out the window. Now that being said, I still try and draw as much as possible and maintain the guise of a “daily sketch” if in organization only. I aim to really illustrate at least a solid 100 pieces that I can post and I managed to do that this year (even though I still haven’t even finished up Inktober!). 

Obviously I’m not going to post everything I did in 2021. My daughter and I like to draw together a LOT and I’ve gotten pretty good with crayons and sidewalk chalk (if I do say so myself). I also went to a couple life drawing classes at duCret, but I won’t be showing any of that off today (although I hope to write and share more about those things in the coming year). 

The Great Muppet Mural by over 70 artists, illustrators, and industry professionals which I not only contributed to but was privileged to be Assistant Art Director on as well.

Of course the work I’m most proud of is on The Great Muppet Mural but that’s something I’ll be sharing about in droves in a month. For now, I’d really like to showcase the other things I did this past year that I’m proud of and learned so much from. 

Gaffer and Robin from The Muppet Show, and the “Why not both?” girl meme originally from an Old El Paso commercial.

Granted there’s nothing particularly fresh or even that great about these pieces, but drawing Muppets and memes is fun, and isn’t that what creating art is really about?

Christmas in July for The Salvation Army, Asbury Park Citadel Corps and my daughter.

The surfing Santa was a commission, and just like any other time I draw Ol’ Saint Nick, I base him on my dad. The quick sketch of my daughter was one my wife loves so much she made it the home screen on her phone! If the person who knows you and what you’re capable of best does something like that, it’s a big deal when they praise a piece of work. My wife is my greatest critic but in an actual constructive way, so I consider that a huge win.

Sheesh.

The only reason thicc Kermit makes this list is because he did exactly what I wanted him to do: make people very uncomfortable! Look, I said I love drawing Muppets—it gets more likes and attention than literally anything else I do—but often I feel pigeonholed into doing so. If I can subvert expectations and change the narrative for my own sake, then you can bet the farm Leg Day Kermit is going to walk all over your socials and make you stare awkwardly while you fidget in your seat.

Things that I think are cooler than they actually are.

Other artists can really relate to this, but sometimes you’ll post something that gets next to no attention, even though it means the world to you. My Dorkus Malorkus (a tribute to Lisa Simpson) and Drunk Dolly did acceptable numbers (for me), but they were favorites of mine that I was so excited to share on Instagram and Twitter. The Skull Woman in particular was a pose I’ve been trying my hand at for years.

Animation created in Procreate.

I’ll go into depth a little more in awhile, but I leaned in hard to drawing almost completely digitally on my iPad using the Apple Pencil and Procreate. These pieces were early explorations into different brushes, techniques, and even features I was curious (albeit hesitant) to explore. Bottom line: An old dog can indeed learn new tricks.

Ella Fitzgerald

My friend Amanda Duncan is a very creative person whom I try and shoehorn into every really big project I take on, and in this case, she approached me to create something for her live online show Soft Pants Nation. I created several time lapse illustrations of Ella Fitzgerald, but this one was my favorite. No matter what new things I learn, Adobe Illustrator will always be my raison d'etre.

Commission work and a concept I keep pushing without luck.

I’m always happy when I get a commission and create something I’m truly proud of (although I should probably be happiest knowing the client is satisfied instead). Fortunately, the family that hired me was also really pleased. I actually did this Rosie the Riveter Sally very late last year, but I posted it early on in 2021 and have been pushing it every chance I get for any concept that even remotely relates to it. Maybe next year.

Sharpie markers, angst, and patience.

Sticking with stuff that found its genesis in 2020, this poster was a pet project I started during quarantine to relax. I found catharsis in free drawing and using just Sharpie markers. It sat in my attic (then garage) for months before I finally finished it. This is one that’s only special to me.

My friend and cupcake enthusiast Zach Woliner commissioned me to do various Kermit illustrations for his KermDubs Youtube videos. I did a lot, but Kermit Borat was my favorite. I also find lots of inspiration on Instagram, and the very creative Dilpreet Kaur Walia has some great posts and allowed me to draw this one.

Dr. Teeth and Bert & Ernie

Believe me when I say I had much bigger plans for Inktober, aka Muptober, but I burned out fast. I was pretty pleased with these in particularly though.

Selling out for the Apple Pencil, iPad, and Procreate!

Okay, so I’m about to schill for Apple products, but I swear I’m not part of the cult… well, not full–time at least. I was encouraged to get an iPad and try the Apple Pencil and I gotta’ say, these are some seriously intuitive products. The above pieces aren’t anything special (although PePe in Squid Games is dope, right?!), but they mark a turning point for me, particularly how I color digitally. Almost every digital artist I follow on Instagram also uses Procreate and the power between this trinity have been so exciting for me.

I would really love to go into the ludicrous debate about digital artists not being real artists here, but I’ll save that for another entry. The short and sweet version is that these products work more like traditional mediums and I am finding real joy drawing with them. I’ve used tablets, a Cintiq, and various stylus pens in the past, but they felt awkward and lacking a grounded or practical sensation when it came to drawing. I really can’t explain how excited I am to learn more in 2022.

Bessie Coleman

Every year for Black History month I like to learn about amazing people and difficult history and this year I read all about Bessie Coleman. As the first African-American woman to hold a pilot license and the first Black person to earn an international pilot's license, I wanted to capture her likeness as it might have been seen illustrated in the early 1920’s when she was a high-profile pilot in notoriously dangerous air shows. It’s simple, but this is my personal favorite illustration I did in 2021.

As always, if you’d like to see all my work, please follow me on Instagram or Twitter. I’m really looking forward to 2022, so stick around and have a Happy New Year!