Rivercene

After some rough starts, Joseph Kinney ended up doing quite well for himself in the steamboat business.  He built a mansion for his family just across the Missouri River from Boonville.  The mansion was playfully called Rivercene by Joseph and his wife Matilda as a pun playing off the fact that the river can be seen from the house and the house can be seen from the river. Rivercene still stands today and it remains a striking building unlike any other in the area.  

This artwork is for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Steam Boat Race

This illustration for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney saw some changes since the most recent composition sketch.  Mainly, I changed the angle of the steam ships so it looked more like they were passing by instead of heading right for the poor spectators.  I also changed the POV of the ships to make it appear as though the crowd is on higher ground instead of near the shore line. Below is the final illustration along with some of the original composition sketches for this chapter.

This artwork is for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Final illustration of steamboat race

Final composition sketch showing steamboat race 

An early idea sketch for this chapter showing the race from inside the wheelhouse.  I still like the potential of this one.

An early rough sketch.  Hell I'm not sure why I'm including this one.  It doesn't look like a race or anything really.  It more looks like some knucklehead just hanging out with his lady and waving a flag while ships pass by.

Joseph Kinney's Shoe Store

The illustration of Joseph Kinney working in his Boonville shoe store unexpectedly turned out to be one of my favorites from this story.  I just really like the atmosphere.  

Below is the final art along with the original composition sketch and the revised composition sketch.  This artwork is for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Final illustration

Revised and tightened composition sketch

Original composition sketch

The flatboat hits a snag

This is another illustration that ran through a few versions.  It depicts Joseph Kinney's venture into flatboat ownership ending in disaster.

Flatboats were an affordable means of moving goods down river, especially before the steamboat was firmly established.  Rivers were pretty treacherous to navigate due to snags and boat wrecks were not uncommon.  When such wrecks would happen, nearby flatboats (should they be around) would help rescue the crew and save the cargo.  

Originally I thought an illustration of such a scene would be interesting to look at, but the problem was that Joseph Kinney lost most all of his cargo which makes it unlikely that there would've been another flatboat close enough to salvage anything.  So I pushed the other boat far into the background and made some other changes as well.  Both versions are shown below.

This is the final art showing Joseph Kinney's wrecked flatboat.

Here is the first version of the flatboat wreck with another boat helping out.  While I do like the commotion of this one, Joseph looks a bit too calm. Like he's asking the other captain how his corn crop is coming along or something.

This artwork is for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Young Joseph Kinney watching an early steamboat

Here a young Joseph Kinney is seen working for his uncle and admiring an early steamboat passing by.  And so began his life long passion for steam boats. 

This one went through a few changes in editing.  It was decided that it was more likely that Joe would have had a clerical job than a labor job when working for his uncle so I changed him from pushing a barrel to pushing a pencil.  While at it I tweaked quite a few other aspects of the illustration too.  Compare them and try to spot what's different.  

This artwork is for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Final version - Joseph Kinney counting barrels and watching an early steamboat

First version - Joseph Kinney pushing a barrel watching said early steamboat

Joseph Kinney comp sketches

Here are a few new composition sketches for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney. Joseph Kinney was a 19th century steamboat mogul who spent most of his life in Boonville, Missouri.  I call him a mogul but honestly I'm not sure what mogul means. I think I'll look that up.

These sketches are for the Notable Missourian book on Joseph Kinney, written by Maryellen McVicker and published by Truman State University Press.

Joseph Kinney as a teen working on a dock while watching an early river steamboat pass by.

Joseph Kinney's investment in a flatboat ended in disaster when the boat sank.

Joseph Kinney opened a shoe store in Boonville. While working there he met his second wife, Matilda.  Business was good and he accrued enough money to return to his passion, steamboats.

A steamboat race on the Missouri River.  Who wouldn't love a steamboat race?

An aerial view of old Boonville showing Joseph Kinney's mansion, Riverscene, on the north side of the Missouri.

This one won't be used but it amused my inner cartoonist.  Here he's posing for his portrait painting by George Caleb Bingham and he can't help getting excited and breaking his pose when he sees a steamboat passing by on the river.

Steamboat Race Sketch

Another comp sketch example for the Notable Missourian (Truman State University Press) book on Joseph Kinney.  This one is a wheelhouse view of Joseph Kinney in a steamboat race.  

Wheelhouse view of a steamboat race

Joseph Kinney NoMo Composition Sketch

Here's a sample of a comp sketch from the Notable Missourian (Truman State University Press) story on Joseph Kinney, a steamboat builder/operator in Missouri during the mid 1800s.  During the civil war many of the railroad bridges over the Missouri RIver were destroyed.  Joseph Kinney's steamboats would be used to get the train passengers and freight across the river to a location where the railroad could pick them up again.  This is one of several composition ideas for this chapter and may not be used.

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