How I Illustrated My Holiday Card This Year

And we’re back from break! I sent out New Year’s cards this year. Not many. Just enough to make sure all the people who sent me Christmas cards didn’t think I was a complete jerk.

But while I was making the card, I also took the opportunity to record my process and talk about it with my friend, RunRedRun. I might not be a complete jerk, but I’m also not gonna pass up the opportunity to generate some fresh content for my YouTube channel.

So we uploaded a video where I discussed not only my illustration process for this cute little hamster, but also name-dropped the many various tools and materials I used to create the card — from the sketch stage right on up to me dropping it in the mailbox.

Enjoy the video. And Happy New Year!

Inking the General Mills Monster Cereal Mascots (Franken Berry, Count Chocula, Boo Berry)

Last week we had another Halloween Leftover. The General Mills Monster Cereal Mascots!

I wanted to have a little fun with them, so I made them just slightly creepier than they appear on the cereal boxes.

We’ve done a few videos since then (subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date) but here’s Franken Berry, Count Chocula, and Boo Berry getting the ink wash treatment:

The Fly: Ink and Watercolor

The Fly has always been one of my favorite horror movies since I saw it on TV as a kid. That giant fly-head freaked me out then and it still freaks me out now.

So I illustrated the monster in ink wash and watercolor, and played around a little with masking fluid too.

You can watch my process in the video below, and listen to Run Red Run and I gab about the movie.

Sam Hain (from Trick ‘R Treat): Ink & Watercolor

One of my favorite kinds of horror movie is the anthology. They used to do them all the time in the early 70s — Tales From The Crypt, From Beyond The Grave, The House The Dripped Blood, Asylum — honestly, I could go on and on because I’ve seen them all and I love ’em.

They don’t do them so often anymore. And if they do, they’re rarely as good as the classics. One exception, however, is Trick ‘R Treat. A Halloween-themed anthology horror flick that doesn’t disappoint, it’s an annual watch for me this time of year.

And since Halloween’s so close, we drew a bonus monster this week. Sam, the pint-sized ghoul from Trick ‘R Treat is as adorable as he is murderous. Run Red Run and I talk about the movie while I ink and color Sam. You can watch the video below. Happy Halloween!

Frankie Scarlatti (from Lady In White): Ink & Watercolor

Like Bradbury’s Halloween Tree, Frank LaLoggia’s Lady In White is one of those things that can reinvigorate my love for the Halloween season. So it’s an annual watch for me.

So I drew the movie’s protagonist, little Frankie Scarlatti, then inked him up and used watercolor to color him. It’s just part of my endless attempt to get better at inking and watercolor (and natural media in general).

Here’s my process video. Spoiler warning if you haven’t seen Lady In White. Run Red Run and I gab the whole time about how much we love this movie. Here’s the video:

The Bride of Frankenstein : Ink and Watercolor

Another take on a classic Universal Monster…The Bride of Frankenstein! With a respectful nod to the design worn in the original film by Elsa Lanchester.

I use ink and watercolor to illustrate the bride, while Run Red Run and I discuss Elsa Lanchester, Mary Poppins, and bawdy cockney songs.

We’re having a ton of fun in the studio drawing these monsters during October. Especially now that the cool weather is here and the ground is covered in leaves. If you want to see all of our monsters as soon as they’re uploaded, subscribe to our YouTube channel. For now, here’s video of me bringing the bride to life:

The Invisible Man : Ink and Watercolor

Another cool October day, another monster. This time It’s my version of the Invisible Man (with a respectful nod to the Universal Monsters version).

I use ink and watercolor to illustrate this transparent madman, while Run Red Run and I discuss actor Claude Rains, process, and the institution of marriage.

Here’s the video:

Creature From The Black Lagoon : Ink Wash and Watercolor

Fall is here, finally. And Halloween cannot be far behind. So it’s the perfect time to work on some monster art. We’re starting off this season with a classic — The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

I tried out watercolor over ink wash, to see how I’d like it. I’m no watercolor expert, but I had fun.

And while I inked and colored the creature, RunRedRun and I discussed Milicent Patrick, the creature’s designer, who didn’t get the proper credit for her work early on. Here’s the vid: