New pieces from the job...

**Smeagol71** · January 15th, 2006, 04:08 PM

Greetings again all! Finally got the green light to post some work from my new job. The 2006 catalog is out so I'm okay to show it. Definitely not the most exciting thing posted on CA.org, and art directed to death, but some of my friends here expressed an interest in seeing them...

Set of Luau party decorative cutouts:

Set of Halloween cutouts:

...and finally a set of Valentine's cutouts:

So, the subject matter has sometimes been a challenge, but I'm just happy to be working in the field!!! Now, back to my secret campaign to get the company to do a set of elemental dragon wall clings! LOL!

**bwkeough** · January 15th, 2006, 06:15 PM

fun stuff! the luau party images have a great kinda corny quality to them; makes me want a piña colada and a sun burn!

the first two halloween images are good cartoons, too. the grim reaper gets a little too strong with the purple/yellow-green, though.

I'll pass on the valentines day stuff, not because it isn't well-done, but because it's valentines day. bleh.

**BMunchausen** · January 16th, 2006, 06:55 PM

The hula girl's toes scare me!

It is pretty cheesy, those luau images but I'm sure that's not your doing. I much prefer the holiday stuff.

**shadoman** · January 16th, 2006, 07:15 PM

I really like the coconut and the Halloween images. Did you use Adobe Illustrator or something else?

I just found out you must live like 10 minutes from me. I'll PM you on that.

**Smeagol71** · January 17th, 2006, 06:22 PM

Wow...my jaw is on the floor. Another artist from the York area? Whew! I was beginning to think that I was all alone out here! Heh heh!

Thanks for the comments guys...much appreciated...

bwkeough
BMunchausen: You guys are definitely right, cheese is on the menu with those Luau cutouts. But, the art director is boss, right? I have an alternate version of the hula girl I whipped up before a meeting to play a joke on my AD one day...maybe I'll try and post that. LOL!

shadoman: Got your PM, very cool. The Halloween pieces were done with Illustrator, the rest are all PS. Nobody knows Painter there so I'm trying to work that in slow but sure! Someday I'll have them all with Wacom tablets on their desks and Painter on their monitors!

**bwkeough** · January 17th, 2006, 08:13 PM

you central PA guys might be a bit far afield, but I know there's pretty good artist communities in Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg. (I grew up in Carlisle)

**Theo** · January 18th, 2006, 02:21 AM

these are nice, specially like the halloween ones! One thing that struck me as off though, was the shadows in the luau pics. A blazing sun gives sharp shadows. I realize youre going for a setting sun mood, but your shadows make it seem as if it was overcast n cloudy.

hope that helps in future projects. rock on!

**Smeagol71** · January 18th, 2006, 11:22 PM

Thanks for the advice Theo. You're exactly right, that's the way the shadows should be...but even things like the shadows were AD'd in these pieces and I was told that the "realistic shadows needed to be softned and toned down" for this decoration. LOL, such is life at work. But at least we know better, eh?

**JoshuaTheJames** · January 18th, 2006, 11:30 PM

Hehe. I like the Halloween cartoons.

Where are your creature sketches?? You haven't blessed us with any in a verrry long time!

-JtJ

**Smeagol71** · January 19th, 2006, 07:41 PM

Hey JTJ, thanks for dropping in. Always good to see a familiar name! Your point is well taken, but I think in the next couple of months I'm going to be gearing up for another round of concepts. I'm determined to crank out several good paintings for my port and of course creature sketches will come as part of that progression. Time is always the enemy my friend...but I shall conquer it! YAHHHHHHHHHH!