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.

Ella Ewing at home with Friends

Ella was much more than just a side show act.  She was a kind person who made many close friends throughout her life.  After retiring from the circus she returned home where she greatly enjoyed sharing the company of her friends and family.

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian (Truman State University Press) book on Ella Ewing.

Storm Line

Maybe its the influence of growing up in Kansas, but I like to put storm clouds in the background of otherwise pastoral paintings.  I remember so many gorgeous days where by late afternoon these massive mountains of moisture and turbulence would hug the horizon,  rising higher and higher until they would flatten out on top and begin to turn pink with the sunset.  It was always quite a show and pleasant to see in the background.  Now it was a different story if they were rising to the southwest.  That meant soon they would blot out the sun and make the streetlights come on early.  Concerned heads would poke out of front doors to look skyward as kids would run home lest their moms freak out (well, mine anyways).  I think thats what I like about storms in the background of paintings.  Its a great reminder that whatever the situation is, its fleeting. Maybe right now its beautiful here and stormy there. Will it stay in the background?  Is the storm on its way here? What's it like under that big thunderhead with all the lightning? Will I be able to watch with fascination as this potentially destructive force moves and grows at a distance?  Or will I be picking up the pieces under a cloud looking pretty in the distance of somebody else's sky?  Its humbling.

This painting is for the 2016 Katy Days, a railroad heritage festival held annually in Parsons Kansas.  I'll have a booth there where I will be whipping up fun little paintings for the kids and selling originals and prints.  Its always a good time and frankly its a great excuse to go back to Parsons and catch up with my old friends.

The clouds in the background of this painting were based on the ones I saw on a drive home from Wichita.  A line of particularly menacing thunderheads stretched about 180º along the horizon.  I was obsessed with trying to remember them for no apparent reason.  Later that afternoon one of those thunderheads would spawn the Joplin tornado.

These are some of my favorite background clouds.  Here I think they worked to show uncertainty. The subject, Great Walker, has painted his face black to mourn a treaty that gave the government land where his people's ancestral burial grounds were located.

Ella Ewing at the Fair

This illustration for the Notable Missourian book on Ella Ewing (Truman State University Press) shows the Missouri giantess Ella Ewing as an attraction at a state fair.

Final Art

Rough sketch....she was a little too big here.  I was approaching "Lord of the Rings" giant size.

Rough sketch with details honed in.

Animated GIF showing the difference between the final art completed on the computer and the rough base hand painted on panel.

Ella Ewing

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book (Truman State University Press) on Ella Ewing. Ella was a giant hailing from Missouri.  I'm not sure if calling someone a "giant" is politically correct, but it seems like one of those words that can't be used in a diminishing way.  Well I guess when you use it as an adjective it definitely can be used to diminish.  Like "Fred is a giant @#$&#%$".  But! as noun its hard to imagine that it would be offensive.  That said what do I know?!  

Okay, forgive me that tangent.  This illustration shows a young Ella and her parents visiting Chicago for the first time. Ella's parents were initially reluctant to accept any of the offers to "display" her at fairs or the circus, but the money was good and Ella thought it would be an opportunity to travel and meet new people.  Her parents ultimately agreed so long as they could travel with her, no doubt to look out for her.

Ella and her parents disembarking from a street car in Chicago ~ 1890

Original rough sketch.  I thought the view was pulled back a bit to far.  Was afraid the people would get lost.

A tightened rough sketch with a closer view of the street car.  I was mainly thinking the street car would be a good device to show the relative sizes of the people.  

A makeover for the Ladies

This is actually a painting that I "started" a year or two ago.  I painted the lady bugs very roughly on top of an old painting, brought said rough lady bugs into photoshop, cleaned them up and made them into wall sticker art (see below).  Well the other day I was re-arranging my studio and came across the half done rough and decided it would be fun to finish the actual painting (vs finishing it digitally as before).  Honestly I like it better.  Wall sticker art made for certain limitations.  For example I didn't want any long, skinny protrusions as they can get torn off or folded onto themselves relatively easilly when made into vinyl stickers.  And dang it my bugs need legs and long antennae.  Anyways this is all part of my prep for Katy Days, my annual excuse to go to Parsons, Kansas, see old friends and hock some art.  Looking forward to it!(Memorial Weekend).

Original rough painting.

Digitally finished art for wall stickers.  Meh.

Buck O'Neil as a scout

This illustration for the Notable Missourian book on Buck O'Neil shows him scouting for the Kansas City Royals.

Rough Sketch

Alternate rough sketch showing Buck and his wife, Ora, observing the construction of the Negro League Museum in Kansas City.

Buck O'Neil gets the news about Jackie Robinson

Here's the Chapter 4 illustration for the Notable Missourian book on Buck O'Neil.

While Buck was serving in the Pacific he got the news about Jackie Robinson getting signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Black players finally being "welcomed" into the major leagues was a big deal; it also meant the inevitable death of the Negro League which had become a celebrated contributor to black culture.  Still, Buck and most of the country was thrilled.  Finally, the best could play with the best.

This illustration is for the Notable Missourian book on Buck O'Neil, published by Truman State University Press.

Final Art

Rough sketch

Buck O'Neil with the Monarchs

Here's another illustration for the Notable Missourian book on Buck O'Neil (Truman State University Press).  This one shows Buck playing 1st base for the Kansas City Monarchs during the Negro League World Series against the Homestead Grays.  

Rough Sketch

Barnstorming Baseballers

This illustration is for chapter 2 of the Notable Missourian book on Buck O'Neil by Truman State University Press.  Many early Negro League teams would "barnstorm" small towns to play baseball against local company teams or other Negro League teams.  The towns loved this because they weren't often able to watch high caliber major league players, and in every sense the negro league players were exactly that.  It is still commonly believed that some of the best players to ever play baseball were likely in the negro leagues.

Anywho I'm on a tangent!  I've been on a Ken Burns kick and am smack in the middle of the Baseball series which dovetails nicely with this book about Buck O'Neil.  This illustration shows Buck and a bunch of his teammates driving to the next small Florida town where they have a game scheduled.  If one of the cars would break down, the guys would have to all cram into a single car to make it to their destination. Some of the guys would even stand on the running boards and ride on the outside of the car! Now that's dedication.

Rough Sketch

Buck O'Neil!

Here's some more Notable Missourian artwork for a book on baseball legend Buck O'Neil (published by Truman State University Press).  This illustration shows young Buck and some friends watching a baseball game through a fence.  

Final Art

Approved rough sketch.  I ended up moving the fence and the ball field up for the final art.

Alternate rough sketch

Another alternate sketch

More William Clark

Here is an older William Clark in his council house meeting with a tribal leader.  This image is for the Notable Missourian book on William Clark published by Truman State University.

Again...in some ways I like the orginal rough draft better than the final.  I love these Notable Missourians but some seem to stiffen up when I make the final art.

This rough shows Clark along with artist George Catlin visiting the imprisoned chief Black Hawk.

Another alternate rough showing Clark along with Prince Maximilian visiting the imprisoned Chief Black Hawk.

William Clark as an Indian Agent

Rough sketch

William Clark spent much of his later years as an Indian Agent - basically someone who acted as a liaison between the native americans and the U.S. government.  Its easy to look back at Indian Agents as bad guys but it should be noted that many of them such as Clark worked hard to make sure the natives weren't exploited or booted off their land during the explosion of western expansion. In fact, Clark lost a bid to be Governor of Missouri because his opponents painted him as too friendly with the Indians.  

This illustration for the Notable Missourian book on William Clark shows Clark and other officials meeting with native american leaders for a treaty signing.  The Notable MIssourian book series is published by Truman State University Press.

Alternate rough sketch

Another alternative rough showing Clark meeting with an tribal leader.  I ended up using a version of this for the chapter 5 artwork.

William Clark's return from the Pacific

The illustration for the 3rd chapter of the Notable Missourian book on William Clark shows Clark on his return from searching for a Northwest Passage to the Pacific.  

The final art shows Clark taking notes while passing through the Yellowstone region (He didn't see any of the geothermal stuff)

Rough of final art

Here's an alternate rough showing Lewis and Clark returning successfully to St Louis.

Another rough showing Lewis and Clark's return to St Louis from a different POV.

This alternate rough shows the discovery crew quickly rowing with the river current and starting to pass signs they've re-entered civilization, such as a flatboat heading up-river.  As one can imagine, the return trip going with the river current went much much MUCH faster than the outbound trip where they had to fight against the current all the way to the mountains of Montana.

Buck O'Neil stuff in progress

Here's some cropped close ups of some Buck O'Neil illustrations currently being worked on.. 

What are these guys looking at?

One of the Homestead Grays makes a mad dash to first base.  Where's Buck?