Johnson County Library

Awhile back I was commissioned to make an illustration for the Johnson County Library system based on their main branch location.  Their idea was to use the illustration in their annual promotional materials. Well, recently I had a chance to see how the printed materials turned out and I was super impressed! Using the artwork, the library design department put together a summer programs guide, book marks, posters, a summer reading booklet, and a mural I need to see. Below is the original illustration as well as a photo of some of the printed materials. 

Long time no post!

Busy busy!  Now where did we leave off?  Oh yes good old James Cash Penney.  Here are some of the final illustrations for the story of his life, written by Jason Offut and published by Truman State University Press.

Young businessman J.C. Penney raising and selling pigs in his family's yard, much to the chagrin of neighbors.

J.C. as a young man, working at the Golden Rule dry goods store in Wyoming.

J.C also had an interest in raising prize winning livestock.  Now that I look at this illustration for the first time in awhile, I realize both the men look related or like the same guy.  Eesh.  

J.C. going over accounts while his wife does some canning.  Every penny had to count during the depression.

An older J.C. at a department store during the 50s.

JC Penney

Its time to get started on the 2017 Notable Missourian illustrations for Truman State University Press.  The first book features James Cash Penney.  That's right, JC Penney himself.   Here are some of the sketches done for Chapter 1 - They show a young JC in the hog business.

Groundhog Day

I'm not sure if its perception or reality but it seems like one could wake up from hibernation to an increasingly strange world these days.  This was thrown together real quick on Groundhog day when I should have been working on story revisions.  

Chili Season

I have some problems with how I chose to compose this one, but I still like the lively atmosphere.

New life for an abandoned painting.

"The Gift" original "unfinished" version

So in my studio has sat a painting that had confounded me for a few years now.  I wasn't sure if it was done or if it was unfinished. To be clear, I would tell myself it was done, but there was always a little voice in the back of my brain saying "no its not".

Well the other day I decided I needed to paint.  I was going through old paintings trying to decide if I wanted to paint over an old so-so one or use a new canvas.  While digging around I came across the aforementioned painting and for the first time it struck me that I should finish it...whatever that meant.  So I did!

"The GIft" acrylic on 24"x36" canvas. It probably went a completely different direction then what I originally had in mind, but thats kind of what makes the recently finished version cool.

Hard Working Robot

I bet you didn't know it, but robots love apples.

Andrew Taylor Still teaching

This illustration shows an older Andrew Taylor (A.T.) Still watching over a class being taught at his newly founded school of Osteopathy.  This illustration is for the Notable Missourian series published by Truman State University Press.

Final art

Rough sketch.  You can see quite a few changes were made.

Robots!

The dog was not much help at robot building.

I'm working on some character sketches for a new project.  One of the characters is a robot.  Now, my brain automatically wants to draw every robot to look like Bender from Futurama. That's not imitation...I've drawn robots that way since I was a kid.  Can head, can body, flexible hose like arms and legs...its so easy and it looks like a robot!  Well for these character sketches I wanted to get out of my robot comfort zone.  So I pulled out a box of scrap I've been accumulating and used the materials to make robot shapes to base sketches on.  I recruited my son and niece to help me.  So... here are our robot creations.  

This is where I started...then I decided I needed the help of some young minds.  IE Free labor.

Andrew Taylor Still - Helping the wounded during the Civil War

This Illustration of A.T. Still shows him dressing the wound of an injured soldier at a Civil War field hospital.  This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book an Andrew Taylor Still, published by Truman State University Press.

Final Art

Rough sketch

Rough sketch

A.T. Still - caring for the sick

Here Andrew Taylor Still is tending to sick native americans at his father's mission.  

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book on Andrew Taylor Still. 

Rough Sketch

Rough Sketch

Andrew Taylor Still

Here is the first illustration for the Notable Missourian book on AT (Andrew Taylor) Still. He founded the school of Osteopathy.  What is Osteopathy?  Well this question illustrates why I like these Notable Missourian books so much...I learn from them!  I've always wondered what it meant when a doctor has DO by his or her name instead of MD.  Now I know It stands for Doctor of Osteopathy.  I'm pretty sure a lot of you are saying "No shit", but I had no idea. Anyways this first illustration shows AT Still as a child with his family watching his dad return a trip.  His dad was a traveling preacher.  

The Notable Missourian series is published by Truman State University Press. 

Andrew Taylor Still Rough Sketches

Here are some rough sketch examples for the Notable Missourian book on A.T. Still, the founder of Osteopathy.  The Notable Missourian series is published by Truman State University Press.