2014 Recap: Get Me Out Of Here! Cover and Save Rafe! Map

Okay, as promised, I'm finally going to start posting some of the illustration work that I did last year! I'll alternate these posts with my 100 Watercolors posts, until I run out of stuff.

In 2013 I finished illustrating Middle School: Ultimate Showdown.  Then, a few times in 2014, the art directors of the Middle School series contacted me to do a few random art jobs in "Rafe's" drawing style (which is, of course, drawn by Laura Park who illustrates the Middle School and I Funny series).

The first project was to draw some new Rafes for the cover of the second book in the series, Get Me Out of Here!  I drew half a dozen different variations and this one was used for the current cover, which still incorporates lots of elements from Laura's original cover, plus a new photographic element:

The second project was a promotional map for the sixth book in the series, Save Rafe!  The idea was to convey the entire plot of the book in one giant map.  I guess this folds in thirds and then fits inside the book, though I have never seen it in a copy of the book.  Maybe it only went out to schools or libraries or something?  If anyone has ever seen one of these in real life, please let me know!  I'd be interested to know where you came across it.

Click to see bigger!

Next week I'll be talking about some illustrations that I did for the Slate.com Book Review!

100 Watercolors #57 - Sacrifice

It was fun, while working on this one, looking up reference photos of ancient greek vases that depict goat sacrifices.  It's pretty crazy that thousands of years ago people were also using a bunch of little lines to depict people doing things!

Next week's theme: Kick in the Head

Also, I'm trying to find the time to finally post some of the illustrations I did back in 2014.  If I can get my act together, I'm going to try and start posting that stuff on Thursday, and continue posting these watercolors on Tuesdays.  We'll see how it goes!

100 Watercolors #56 - Danger Ahead

I've been spending a lot of time on this project in the new year.  I've been going through the list, sketching out ideas for future numbers and I only have about fifteen more to design.  Then they all go into the production pipeline: penciling, inking, watercoloring!

This one had a nice, simple composition with some big shapes to paint.  I'm having fun working on these!  Let's hope I can through the rest of them before the end of the year.

Next week's theme: Sacrifice

100 Watercolors #55 - Waiting

Does anybody remember my 100 Watercolors project???  Well, I do!  And it is one of the many projects I am trying to finish off this year.  Blogger is telling me that it's been almost exactly two years since my last post from this project.  Well, then I guess this week's theme of "waiting" is appropriate!

If I can post one of these a week for the rest of the year, I'll have this done.  My plan is to then put together a book of all the paintings and then sell off the originals.  We'll see how it goes!

Next week's theme: Danger Ahead

Season's Bleatings!

I had the honor of drawing a holiday card for one of my favorite organizations this year, The Harry Potter Alliance.  HPA co-founder Paul DeGeorge sent me a couple of ideas over email, and then after a round of sketches, he decided on a depiction of the Dumbledores having a quiet Christmas at Aberforth's house, with all his goats:

I added the message "Season's Bleatings" inside, a pun that I lifted from an old Nickelodeon Magazine illustration that Aaron Renier did.  Nick editor Chris Duffy said it was okay for me to reuse this joke, though he couldn't remember exactly who came up with it.  So thanks to whoever came up with that pun!

As 2014 comes to a close, I'm realizing that I've done a crummy job documenting all the illustration work I did this year.  To rectify this, I'm going to put up some "2014 recap" posts over the next couple of weeks.  I'm also thinking about writing a series of posts about how my comics process has changed recently.  Anyway, there's a lot of new stuff on the way!  Until then, I hope everyone's 2014 wraps up well and that your 2015s get off to a good start!