25 of 365

Since just about everyone I know is sick right now (and I'm nursing a sinus infection my own self) I decided to send Irmajean over with a casserole.

Micron and Copic marker...with a crunchy potato chip topping. 

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The question is - is he running TO or running FROM?

I have no answers, I'm just amused that when I opened my spicy brains for today's cartooning session, this is what fell out. 

Today's 'toon is brought to you by the letter B and a new Prismacolor brush pen used with the old standbys of Micron pen and Copic marker. 

23 of 365

I don't know where this one came from, but apparently he's rather frightened of bees. I can't say that I blame him...I'm scared of bees too. I could've done a better job with the markers on this guy, but I spent the day larking about in San Francisco with a friend so I was already tired when I came home tonight. This is what you get when you overtire the illustrator -  a strange and kind of trippy hat and shadow combo. 

22 of 365

"Gloria overheard them say that Mummy's wealthy new husband had a dicey ticker..."

Micron pen, Copic marker and PURE EVIL...

21 of 365

She's epic and unavoidable..

She's everywhere and nowhere, both at once...

She's so darn friendly...

She is....

 That Woman That Your Mother Knows.

C'mon, you know we all have one of these.

Or maybe if you're younger, she's That Woman That Your Grandma Knows.

Either way, she's here now. Because it was only a matter of time anyway.

You just know she's got a three bean salad in some tupperware in that bag, don't you? In case of emergency pot luck in a church basement...

Micron pen and Copic marker

20 of 365

Jasper shakin' his groove thang...

I have no idea either.  Sometimes they just show up like that. I guess some days are just "drawing a dancing elf for no particular reason" kinds of days.

Micron pen and Copic marker

19 OF 365

Ween on Wheels

Doesn't he look like he's having fun?

Micron pen and Copic marker

18 of 365

Soren dubbed this one: "I.T. guys in Outer Space.."

Clearly, Xort loves his job. And I loved drawing Xort except for the fact that I used a new paper today and it kind of "had words" with the markers and then they got into a slap fight. Tomorrow's cartoon will definitely -not- be on this paper.

But at least Xort is still happy in his mushy moonscape of marker bleed-throughs.

Micron pen and Copic marker on STOOPID paper

17 of 365

It's a CuttleFish!

Went to the Science Museum today and spent a good long time hanging out in the Aquarium section and that's where I discovered the uber-cuteness that are Cuttlefish. I'd never really stopped to look at them before, but they're even cuter than squid!

They have freckles, play with each other and they appear to be curious about museum patrons. I now have a new cephalopod to love...

16 of 365

"I can't believe it! I catched it!" 

Yes, well...it's Friday and sometimes on a Friday you just have to go with the cute kitten motif...

This one's in pencil, because I'm a firm believer in mixin' it up.

15 of 365

"The little seen, semi-legendary Coyote Air Guitar battles of the open desert..." 

It's still rainy and gloomy here in California, but as I was driving my daughter to school this morning Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" came on the radio and...well....

Micron pen, Copic marker and Photoshop for the clouds.

14 of 365

This guy landed on the tree stump out in front of my studio a few days ago and scared the livin' daylights out of my cat. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever seen an uglier bird, so of course, I had to draw him. I've been drawing buzzards for about a week now. Today I've given him a bit of a chibi quality which I rather like in something that eats dead things.

13 of 365

"Mabel was not about to let a little rain slow her down on market day.."

It's raining buckets here in California today and I was casting around for inspiration when I looked out my window and noticed that despite the rain, my little flock of goldfinches were happily chowing down at the thistle feeder hanging outside my studio window.

Somehow that sight got tied to my memories of my Grandma who'd just tuck her hair under a handkerchief on rainy days and go about her business regardless of what the weather was doing. She used to tell me "You ain't so sweet that you'll melt in a little rain storm.."

Hence, Mabel the Finch, getting her business taken care of.

I believe this is the first time I've ever attempted to render rain or an umbrella, at least as an adult. I'm kind of amused by that.

Micron pen and Copic Marker.

12 of 365

It's a very, very blustery day out today. Which is fine by me, as I am still sick and inclined towards staying indoors anyway. I feel sorry for the little backwards flying birds though...

Micron and Copic marker.

11 of 365

"And Mummy will never suspect a thing.." 

Micron pen and Copic Marker

Still sick today, but nonetheless the show must go on and thus, I must draw dreadful little children who are plotting. I really don't know what this kid is planning, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's likely that he's up to no good.

I hope his Nanny brings her A game today, she's going to need it.

10 of 365

"Lizard has taken to bed.."

Which is where I should be too, at the moment. Needless to say, this was inspired by how I'm feeling today with this wretched headcold. Hopefully tomorrow both Lizard and I will be feeling better, but for right now I'm going to follow Liz's example and curl up with a trashy magazine and an assortment of teas, medications and various brands of facial tissue.

9 of 365

"Miz Holly Bugg catches a photo op while on holiday..."

I have a miserable head cold today so I was more than happy to send Miz Bugg off on a Roman Holiday somewhere in her lovely little vintage Yves Saint Laurent.

8 of 365

"And then Clyde just plain lost it.."

Micron Pen + Copic Marker for the blazing green eyes of indignant feline fury.

7 of 365

I call this one "The Candy Run.."

This one was mostly about me trying to nail a walking pose down without using source material or a photo reference. I think this works and I'm pleased with it. I'm also trying not to draw -only- animals every day, even though they're what comes easiest for me. I definitely need to get more practice in drawing kids, what with that being part of my job and all.

6 of 365

"Ralphie meets Earl, bane of southeast Florida.."

Micron pen & Copic marker as per usual.

5 of 365

I call him "Mew-pid."

See, I was thinking about Cupid recently (probably because the stores already have Valentine's Day displays out) and I was thinkin' that if there's a Cupid who hits you with a love dart the first time you see your beloved, there's got to be a kitty lurv equivalent right?

And a puppy lurv equivalent too (Aroo-ros?), only I haven't gotten 'round to drawing him yet.

4 of 365

"Bethilda decided that she and Astrid hadn't wanted to play with a bunch of mean ol' boar hogs anyhow.."

Today I decided to go for some color, since poor Bethilda is having such a rough day.

This was done with a Micron pen and Copic marker, then colored in Corel Painter.

3 of 365

"Hen Lake?" I don't know. One minute I'm watching  a documentary on Julia Child (and she's preparing Coq Au Vine) and the next thing I know there's dancing chickens on my sketch pad.

Maybe I was hungry?

2 of 365

"Bossie exceeds her own expectations" Micron pen and Copic marker.

I'm still trying to get warmed up to this exercise and strangely enough, I've found myself sitting in front of my drawing pad going "What to draw? What to draw?" But I have a rule about how many self indulgent seconds I can spend doing that before I have to just shut up and draw something....and that apparently means that my brain starts going back over to nursery rhymes when not otherwise engaged.

Most interesting discovery I made while drawing this? I don't really know what the MOON looks like. Weird. I've looked at it almost every day of my life, but when it comes down to "draw that" time I have to refer to a photo? How weird is that?

1 of 365

And we're OFF to the races! I call this one "Maggie and Kip reading the morning news." I did this one with a Micron pen and Copic markers, which I'm just learning to use.

And so it begins...

A couple of days ago one of the sites I followed featured the blog of Melanie Matthews, an incredibly talented illustrator from Australia who was challenging herself to draw a cartoon a day for 365 days.

Here's a link to her website, 365cartoons, which I highly recommend checking out.

I commented on her blog that I thought her idea was an awesome one and would she object to my taking up the challenge as well? She graciously stated that she wouldn't mind my doing so, and thus I had no further excuses to make about why I couldn't possibly undertake such a thing.

So today I begin a journey which will take a full year to complete. I will attempt to draw a cartoon (or illustration, depending upon your definition those two things can be different or the same or both at once) a day for 365 days.
The drawings will probably end up being done in a variety of mediums, on a variety of papers. I may end up coloring some of them, or not, depending upon my time constraints and mood at the time. They'll probably encompass a variety of themes as well, since we're dealing with the welter of randomness and nonsense that IS the inside of my cranium.
The one constant is that there will be no constants. Well, that and the fact that I'm going to have a lot of fun creating them.

So, without further ado...

Let the Draw'rings begin!