Eight Things You Probably Don't Want To Know About Me

1. I’m a Thursday.
2. I was a ballroom dance instructor.
3. I am an Introvert. (The main difference between an extrovert and an introvert is that an extrovert recharges his or her batteries by being around people, and an introvert does so by having alone time.)
4. I had a pet white rat while in art school. Her name was Phil. She would sneak into bed with me at night.
5. My right shoulder has dislocated over 30 times.
6. I can’t grow sideburns.
7. I saw Elvis in concert. My Mom took me for my birthday when I was ten or eleven.

8. I had an I.Q. in the 99.9 percentile until we had children.

Howie Schneider, 1930-2007

I have been of a fan of Howie Schneider's since I was a kid. I followed his "Eek & Meek" comic strip because it was one of the very few comics our local newspaper carried. I love, love, love the simplicity!

Within the last few years, I have become familiar with Howie's children's books, of which I'm a huge fan.
If you haven't come across some of his books, I urge you to go to your local library, bookstore, etc. and check them out.
Absolutely brilliant work!

The sad news has come that Howie passed away on Thursday from complications following heart surgery. He was 77 years old.

Howie was a comic stripper, an editorial cartoonist, a sculptor, a painter and a children's book author/illustrator.
He obviously loved creating art.

Condolences go to his family.


LINKS:
The Provincetown Banner story on Howie Schneider.
Journalista
Mike Lynch's blog
A remembrance on Paul Giambarba's blog

Images from "Chewy Louie" by Howie Schneider.

Some friends of mine.

I had some scribble time with my son at the pool. - Wes

Erg

Your ever have one of those days when nothing you draw or paint or write comes out right? How about a whole decade?? Ever think maybe you should have gone for that degree in physics, or basketweaving or whatever? Or is this just a chemical imbalance or something? I need more iron in my blood and less lead in my butt.

Maroon Bells

My brother, who lives in Colorado, sent me a terrific photo he took this week. I thought I'd use it as a reference for a landscape painting in ArtRage.

8 Things Tag

Everyone is doing it. It's the "Eight Things Tag." Share eight things people may not know about you and tag someone else to do the same. So here it goes...



1. I am currently learning how to play the harmonica. Since fourth grade, I've played the trombone and bass trombone, but I have forgotten how difficult it is to take up a new instrument. The harmonica is not an easy instrument to play because it is the only instrument that you can play by both blowing and drawing air through it. I would also love to learn how to play the banjo.

2. I am a night owl. On any given day, I could be awake and working in my studio at 3 a.m.

3. I have a twin brother, Tracy. He doesn't draw, he's a paramedic and volunteer firefighter.

4. I have not had caffeine since October 2006.

5. Eight people I would love to have a long lunch with: Alan Alda, Andy Griffith, Axl Rose, Peter Reynolds, Patrick McDonnell, Oprah, Jerry Scott and Hugh Laurie.

6. One day I hope to find out what it is that I am supposed to do with my life.

7. I know what SVT is.

8. I look forward to the day when I meet Ted Dawson and Wes Hargis in person.

Robot

Musical sketch

A quick sketch I made tonight while trying to make myself sleepy enough to go to bed.
It worked.
Enjoy!

Watercolor Paper

Okay, here's a question for all you lurkers out there, it's time for you to click on the Comments and leave a comment. We know you're out there. :-)

I spent a lot of time in the art supply store today, buying over a dozen large sheets of watercolor paper for a BIG project I'm starting work on tomorrow. I'm committed to this paper for this project, but is it the right paper for me? The saleslady in the paper department introduced me to many, many flat files of different kinds of watercolor paper. It's not that I'm a moron, I know the difference between hot-pressed, cold-pressed and so on, I'm just not sure what paper is a good match for me...

QUESTION: What watercolor paper do you use?
What brand?
Hot-pressed, cold-pressed, rough?
Poundage?
Watercolor block, pad or sheet of watercolor paper?

Good qualities / Bad qualities about the paper you're using?

Do you ALWAYS use the exact same watercolor paper or do you toss it up a bit?

I am desperately seeking a watercolor paper that I can say, "This is the watercolor paper I will marry!!"
But I haven't found it.
I sometimes think I've found it and then I break-up with it and never make eye contact with it again.

Come on, give me some suggestions and advice.

Bear + Lion

Some warm-up sketches.
Drawn in ink + watercolor

Momentum

It was fun looking through all the google images to find just the perfect horse for this one. I don't miss my reference photos one bit -Wes

Inspired 2

Inspired

Bugs!

My earliest memory as a toddler was when a wasp flew into me and my twin brother's room and buzzed around for a few minutes. I think my thoughts were: "Um, HELLOOO?.. Adult people?.. is anyone going to help us with this situation here? Helloooo?" -Wes

Arts & Sciences for Kids magazine

I did this spot illustration for an article on space trash in the July/August 2007 issue of Ask magazine.

This is one of my very few Photoshop-colored pieces for the children's market.
I'm somewhat expected to do watercolor artwork, but I asked to use Photoshop so I could get some cool space effects.
Notice the odd shape of the artwork and it went across the fold.
It printed very, very nice. I am more than happy with it.
The folks at Ask magazine are awesome to work with, just so you know!

Self Portrait

Twenty minute speed painting.

Warrior

dragon

My son started a new little exercise where we each alternatively think of something for both of us to draw individually, and then show our work. Here's my dragon. Done in Art Rage 2.

Flapjacks

One of the great downers of my low-carb diet is having to give up pancakes. There is a place in Tucson called Bobo's that has just about the best blueberry's I've ever had. Their milk prices were ridiculous tho, so i would sneak my own quart into the place. -Wes

Wacky Wedding

Here is my entry for the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators illustration contest.
The challenge was to illustrate a very unconventional wedding.

Wow! They had over 100 entries!

Click here to view the winning entries.

Congrats to Brad Sutton, Kristi Valiant and Ryan Gerrish.

Moleskine Monkey

Here are some sketches I made of a monkey character in my Moleskine sketchbook.
I like this character, but it's daggone hard to draw a monkey that's not a close relative of Curious George!

Reading the paper.

I did this for my sister. She thought she'd poke fun at her grandfather in-laws driving habits. He's quite the well-read cowboy. -Wes

The Perilous Pie

Scooby-doo is hungry.

He has no food at home.

What a problem!

What can Scooby-doo do?

Scooby-doo looks outside.

He sees a pie!

The pie is on the porch next door.

The house next door is haunted!

This is not good.

But the pie smells good.

It is dark outside.

Scooby-doo is too scared to get the pie.

“No ray!” said Scooby.

Shaggy was asleep. He wakes up.

“Man, I’m hungry, Scoob!” said Shaggy.

“Re, roo!” said Scooby.

“Rook!” said Scooby.

“Like, a pie!” said Shaggy. “Let’s go, Scoob!”

“Rook!” said Scooby.

“Zoinks! A ghost on the porch! It’s haunted!” said Shaggy.

Shaggy and Scooby were sad and hungry.

But mostly they were hungry.

“Rook!” said Scooby.

“Like, the ghost is going to eat the pie!

“We have to stop him!” said Shaggy.

Shaggy and Scooby had to save the pie.

They jumped out the window and ran to the haunted house.

“Let go of that pie!” said Shaggy.

“Ret ro rof rat rie!” said Scooby.

The ghost was scared. It flew away.

Now the pie was safe.

Well, at least, it was! Now it’s gone!

“Yum!” said Shaggy.

“Rum!” said Scooby.

The End

A note about those nice glossy promo cards...

If you get the glossy coating on the BACK there is not a pen in existence that won't smear when you try to write the address down. I had to resort to drying them out in the sun and it helped, but it's still not perfect. Next time I will just do matte backs. -Wes

Big bag-o-stuff.

This is a pirate I did for a client a while back. I like the "zanyness" of his motion. I didn't end up using him and I sort of regret it. -Wes