"Let's You and Me Bounce" Tigger (Disney) | Oil on Canvas and Pencil Sketch

I've tried oil painting on one other occasion, and thought I might give it a go again. Here's my version of Tigger bouncing in the meadow. It's available as a print on FineArtAmerica.com if you're interested.

Here's the value sketch. I taped a few pieces of paper together to make my illustration the size of the canvas. Now I wish I'd spent a few dollars on some nice Stonehenge paper. The sketch would have certainly brought a happy face to the kitchen when I wander in each morning. :0)

Jazz Cat | Free Coloring Page

In an earlier post I mentioned that I'd created more than 20 cats for Vacation Bible School at my Church (Calvary Community Church). The stories about Joseph were the focus of the lessons, and the artwork that decorated the walls of the children's building was meant to tell his story and have a Bible times Egyptian feel. "Jazz Cat" is one that I did just for fun.

Here's the sketch...

Smile Monster | Paper Bag Puppet with Free Template

I've been designing paper bag puppets for my elementary art site, MakingArtFun.com. I love designing  fun and wacky projects.

If you're up for a little wacky fun for you and your kids, you can get the free template and instructions at the link below:

Smile Monster | Paper Bag Puppet

Here's the original sketch...

Flash Frog | Free Music Flash Cards

I put together a new set of flashcards for my music site, MakingMusicFun.net this week. It was fun to jump in, and really see how far I could push myself to create a set of flashcards with some strong graphic appeal.

Below is the pencil sketch I started with for the frog, and a couple of the images from the flashcard set. If you are interested in printing a set for your kids, here's the link:

Get Flash Frog | Free Music Flash Cards

Sly Girl | Sketchbook Doodle

Here's a pencil doodle of a girl with a little bit of a sly, cunning attitude. I love my woodless pencil.

Duck Playing the Banjo | Sketchbook

 Here's an illustration for a project that I'm working on. The sketch is below.

Storm | Illustration Friday

This weeks Illustration Friday word is "Storm". I doodled this crazy bird being hurled from a tornado. I guess that qualifies. :-)

Hope you enjoy it!

Evil and his Brother Skippy | Sketchbook

A little funny stuff for you. Hope you like it!

Pizza Chef | Sketchbook

Here's a doodle from my sketchbook. I started with a few gestures lines and wound up with the torso, said to myself, "What is this?" A little bit more doodling and he was a pizza chef.

Maybe I can talk my wife into pizza for lunch? Yum.

Girl Looking Up | Sketchbook

More fun with Photoshop. I finished this sketchbook doodle with pencil on paper, and then enhanced it some with a default brush. Most of the enhancements were to punch up the darks.

Imagination for Illustration Friday | Sketchbook

Imagination is Illustration Friday's word of the week this week. It started out as a pencil sketch, and then received a few tweeks in Photoshop.

At the Movies | Sketchbook

Here's a pencil sketch from my sketchbook. I started with a doddle of the girl on the screen, and it evolved into an old movie theater.

Girl at Ballet Barre | Sketchbook

I've been working on gesture poses, and came up with two ballet themed doodles of a girl at the ballet barre. It seems, in the one at the bottom, that the dance instructor is quite the task master and the girl has had just about enough.

Hands (The Sequel) | Pencil Drawing

Here's another go a drawing hands.

"Teacher" for Illustration Friday

Illustration Friday's word for this week is "Teacher" so I drew a student with an apple. Not too imaginative, but a nice challenge as I'm trying working on my ability to draw hands.

"Freeze" for Illustration Friday

Illustration Friday's word for this week is "Freeze". I thought of the moment in The Christmas Story when Ralphie's friends Flick and Schwartz argue over whether a person's tongue will stick to a frozen flagpole. A "triple dog dare" issued, and Flick's tongue gets stuck to the pole.

This my variation on that scene, with the character wearing a Santa cap.

Kooky Goose | Sketchbook and Watercolor

A little bit of doodling, and a little bit of finding out what a goose should look like and voila... a pencil sketch of a kooky goose!

I love composing music that walks a fine line between jazz and classical music. I thought I would try the same with this character, combining illustration with a traditional approach to painting a watercolor landscape.

"Bounce" for Illustration Friday

My first drawing for Illustration Friday. This week's word was "Bounce".

Cat with Yarn | Sketchbook

Here's a sketch from my sketchbook that sort of evolved out of a single gesture line.

Bear | Pencil Sketch

Here's a bear from my sketchbook. I doubt that I'll ever do anything with him, but I thought he was cute... and hope you do too.