Barnabas Collins WIP

I love Dark Shadows.

Even though I'm not old enough--I don't get to say that nearly enough--to have seen it during its original run on tv, the local PBS station aired it every night at 11 in the late 80's, and I watched it then and fell in love with the gothic melodrama of it all.

I enjoyed the half-season run of the early 90's revival series as well.  I thought Ben Cross was a fine Barnabas Collins, just not as good as Jonathan Frid.

I plan on seeing the new film, and I have yet to be disappointed in a Burton/Depp collaboration, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it on its own merits.

However, the original source material will always be my favorite, and so I thought I'd share with you a work-in-progress of Barnabas Collins, as brought to (un)life by Jonathan Frid.

It's not a perfect likeness, but I don't really need it to be. If it's recognizable as Frid, I've done well enough. I'll keep you updated on the progress--I really only get to sit down and draw for a few minutes at a time anymore.

 I hope you'll keep checking back to see it, plus I've got a bit of big news for later in the summer that I hope you'll enjoy and help me share.

 Keep creating!

 Brad

Something New...

So, just to prove that I haven't been completely idle during my forced internet exile, I thought I'd share with you something I've been working on during my breaks at school.  It's kind of a sketch for a larger piece I have in mind, but I'm kinda liking the way the sketch is coming out, too.

The Visitor

Hopefully you like it; as usual, I'm having fun working on it and seeing where it's taking me.

Thanks for looking, 

Brad

Time Flies When You Wish You Were Having Fun...

Holy.

Freakin'.

Crow.

It's taken me this long to be able to get back here. Due to problems with my mother's computer--and my complete lack of one--I haven't been able to get here since October.

I got a NookColor for Christmas (wonderful, wonderful thing...), and while it's taken care of my general "webless-ness", I have trouble with blogger on it.

I have been busy, however, and will be sharing some new stuff very soon, but first things first:

I have drawn at random a winner from the folks who were kind enough to comment during my Halloween post-a-thon so very, very long ago. I apologize for taking so long with it, but computer issues really have been to blame.

Without further ado, the winner of the free print-of-choice is:

Kaycee!!

Congratulations, Kaycee! If you want one, I'll be happy to make you a print of any of the images I posted in October.

And now, I need to go get more stuff ready for Halloween 2012...sounds ominous already, dunnit?

Thanks,

Brad

Final Halloween Offering, Number Fourteen...

First of all, thanks to everyone who's joined me here at Second Star for my Halloween Offerings this year! I've had a great time drawing these pictures, and I've got a lot more ideas for next year.

It's finally here! Halloween night!

This is always a bittersweet night for me; I love Halloween (obviously), and wait anxiously for it all year. When it arrives, I soak it up, enjoying every minute. But there's always that twinge of sadness because I know that once it's gone, I won't see it again for another year.

*Heavy sigh*

But for tonight, at least, the ghouls are dancing, the witches are flying, the werewolves are howling, and the leaves are whispering as they blow across the streets...

For my final Offering for 2011, I'd like to show you what for me, above any other, has been the face of Halloween since 1978:

I do not wanna look up the stairs and see this...

I'm going to wait a few days for any more comments to show up, then I'll draw a name from those commenters to receive the print of their choice from the Offerings series.

I'm definitely doing this again next year, and I hope you'll join me for Halloween Offerings 2012.

Thanks for joining in!

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Thirteen...

Yesterday, as part of the Halloween festivities at work, we painted pumpkins with the kids in my class (working at an elementary school has its advantages; I get to do stuff like this).

Here's how mine turned out:

Halloween Offerings, Number Twelve...

Another great use for a set of extra, extendible jaws:

 

 

 

Poor Timmy...

Thanks for checking in with me, and I'll see you on Saturday!

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Eleven...

Welcome back to Second Star to the Right, where I have another Halloween goodie to offer up...

I love comic books. Always have, always will.

One of the favorites of my youth was Swamp Thing. While not strictly Halloween related, the original series in the mid-70's was a fantastic example of gothic horror comics done right. The best of the series renders it creepy enough, in my opinion, to warrant inclusion in the category of Halloween art.

I've haven't checked out any of DC's recent universe-wide revamp, but I hear that a new Swamp Thing series is planned, so I'll probably pay another visit to the monster-infested swamps that fired up my imagination so long ago...

Thanks,
Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Ten...

You may have noticed that I missed last Wednesday and Friday.  There's a story involved, but truthfully, it's not a very good one, and so I won't go into it here.  Suffice to say that computer issues were part of the problem, but not its entirety.

My most humble apologies, and I return today with a new Offering.

I love cemeteries...I can stroll for hours through the stones, enjoying the peace and quiet, paying attention to not much in particular.

I went to visit my dad's grave today, and on a whim took my camera. I consider photography as much a part of my art as anything I do with a pencil or brush, and so I make a photo Offering today.

As I strolled around the corner from my dad's grave, I came upon this Graveyard Angel, whom I had never noticed before:

I was entranced, and when I moved forward to get a closer shot, I found, through sheer happenstance of where I was standing, that she was staring back at me...

One step closer...

I won't lie to you: it was a very subtle, creepy moment--the almost total silence, combined with stone eyes--carved long ago--peering at me through my camera lens.

And that's why I submit it here, for your consideration, as a Halloween Offering.

I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks,

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Nine...

I hope you enjoyed Hunter and Blake's submissions on Saturday (they certainly enjoyed drawing them, and can't wait to be famous), and thanks for checking back with me today.

I love cartooning, and definitely wanted to include that in my Offerings, so that's what I'm presenting today.

Several years ago, as I was waiting for someone to pass me the platter of Thanksgiving turkey, I remember thinking, "If I had an extra set of jaws, like an Alien, I could just snag my turkey from over there..."

This led me to think about all of the things that an extra set of jaws would be useful for, like yes, snagging turkey from afar, and maybe cheating while bobbing for apples---a game I was never very good at---which led to this cartoon:

Poor Timmy...

I hope you enjoy this, and please check back in on Wednesday, for the next Halloween Offering!

Halloween Offerings, Number Eight...

Today is a bit different.

Today, instead of original artwork by myself, I'm offering up original artwork by my sons, Hunter and Blake, who have wanted to be involved with the Halloween Countdown since I told them about it.

They are the reasons that I do everything I do, and since it Halloween wouldn't be anywhere near as much fun without them, please allow me to present their first showcased artistic pieces, starting with Hunter, age 10.

He wanted to make a Halloween card for everyone, and I think he did a great job. The little animal "e's" and the zombie "p" wanting brains shows how creative he is.

Next up is Blake, age 6.

Blake informed me the other day that when he grows up, he wants to be a "professional vampire". I can tell he's put a lot of thought into this, because when he drew this piece, he informed me that the vampire's big shoes are important, because he "steps on people's feet so they can't get away".

I hope you enjoy this art from my sons, and I hope you can tell how very, very proud I am of both of them.

See you on Monday!

Thanks,

Hunter and Blake's Dad

Halloween Offerings, Number Seven

Today's piece was never intended for this series; strictly speaking, it isn't even about Halloween.

It's one of those "happy accidents" that I love so much about art.

I was working from a photo I took of a dead tree in my mother's yard. I wasn't thinking about it much...I truly enjoy the spontaneous creativity that can emerge when I "just go with the flow", so to speak.

I wasn't even in a particularly "Halloween-y" mood.

But as I worked, I began to think "Are there...faces in there, among the branches? Some laughing, some crying for release?"

Yes.

Yes, I believe there are...

The Soul Tree

Thanks again for joining me today, and I'll see you on Saturday!

And remember, leave me a comment--love it, hate it, give it a "meh"--and you'll get your name into a drawing for the print of your choice.

Thanks,
Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Six...

Hello, and welcome back to Second Star to the Right!  Thank you for joining me for number six in my Halloween Offerings, which I present without further ado:

This is one of those instances where I sat down with no idea of where I wanted to go with the materials in front of me, and just let the picture take form as my hand was moving across it.

Admittedly not my best, but I still think it turned out well, and it was really fun just letting go with the creative process.

Thanks again, and I hope you'll join me for Number Seven on Thursday!

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Five...

Thanks for joining me for number five in my Halloween Offerings! I appreciate everyone who's commented so far, and for those who haven't, I still appreciate you taking a look!

The 1931 James Whale Frankenstein stands as my favorite monster movie of all time. I discovered this film in my childhood through late-night monster-fests like Memories of Monsters, and I fell in love with it on first viewing. While not what we'd consider "scary" (not by today's standard, at any rate) Whale's moody and atmospheric direction, along with Jack Pierce's incredible make-up and prosthetic designs, and especially Boris Karloff's nothing-short-of-brilliant performance set the standard and made this movie unforgettable, while making Karloff's face an iconic image.

I soon sought out the book, and despite the differences, it has become my all-time favorite novel. I re-read it periodically, and it remains as crisp and thrilling (and full of gothic melodrama) as it was when I first read it in my childhood.

That being said, it's Karloff's Frankenstein Monster that visits us here:

I had originally planned on including something dramatic, such as bolts of lightning, in the space to the left, but this picture told me when it was finished, and I'm glad I listened.

Also, I'd never tried working with oil pastels before this pic, but after playing around with them, I can't imagine why. I'm hooked.

Thanks again for joining me today, and I hope you'll check back on Tuesday!

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Four

Welcome back!  I'm glad you could join me again today for this, the fourth entry into my Halloween Offerings blog series.

Without further ado, please allow me to present Pumpkin Face:

I couldn't think of what else to call it...

I hope you've enjoyed the four pieces I've offered so far, and that you'll join me on Sunday for number five, and maybe bring a friend or two with you...

Thanks,
Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Three...

Thanks for joining me again today!

One of my favorite movies--not just Halloween movies, but one of my favorite movies, period--is The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Not only am I a huge Tim Burton fan, but this movie in particular entranced me with its stunning design, dark strangeness, and a sense of magic that reminds me of those wonderful, pleasantly disturbing stop-motion Christmas specials from my childhood.

That being said, this is the first time I've even attempted to draw Jack Skellington, but I think it turned out pretty well:

 

He IS the Pumpkin King...

I hope you enjoy it; please let me know what you think, and I'll see you on Friday!

Thanks,

Brad

Halloween Offerings, Number Two...

I apologize for the lateness of the post, but this Monday has been one of the longest weeks I've ever had. And since the internet is open 24 hours, I'm still on time.

One of the things I love about drawing is how something can turn out completely different than what you plan in your head; I love the organic flow as a picture tells you what it wants to be. When I put my pencil down to paper, sometimes I get exactly what I visualize, other times, it's a surprise even to me.

That's what happened here; this started out as a scarecrow, but ended up as everyone's favorite king of the vampires (the non-sparkly kind, thank you very much--that's for you, Nik ;)), Dracula:

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did drawing it. That's what it comes down to, ultimately--I love creating, and I love sharing those creations.

It's getting late, and I've been sitting at my mother's computer for over an hour now (I told you this thing is slow), so I'll sign off and hopefully see you on Wednesday!

Thanks,

Brad

Halloween Offerings: Day 1...

Welcome to my Halloween Offerings blog-a-thon!

This is my favorite season, with Halloween being one of my favorite nights of the year, and my imagination spends quite a bit of time there, so every other day for the next month, I'll be sharing my imaginings with you (I'll post more often if I can, but with my computer issues right now, every second day seems like a pretty safe bet).

For Day 1, I'd like to share with you a piece I call "Wake-up Call":

Four different friends mentioned the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence in Disney's Fantasia when I showed this to them, which is exactly what was in my mind while I was painting it, so I count this one as a success.

I'm pleased with how this one turned out, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

To make things more interesting and fun, I've decided to run a contest this month as well: anyone who posts a comment here at Second Star during October will be entered into a random drawing to win the print of their choice from my Halloween Offerings. Multiple comments do not increase your chances; just comment once, and you're in--of course, if you want to comment every day, please do; I thrive on the feedback.

Barring technological issues (if my mother's computer goes down, I'm sunk), I'll see you on Monday.

Thanks for joining me!

Brad

Tis the Season....

Ha! October is finally here!

This is the time of year that I wait all year for. I love the weather, I love the colors as trees begin to change, and most of all:

I love Halloween.

In honor of the season, I'm running a blog-a-thon here at Second Star, one that I hope you will join in on.

Allow me to draw your attention to the snazzy Peter Cushing badge in the right sidebar. I've joined in on the Halloween Countdown this year; just click on it, and it will take you to the Halloween Countdown blog, where you'll find a list of many other Cryptkeepers, and I hope you'll spend some time checking out their blogs as well.

I had originally planned "The 31 Days of Halloween", but I won't be able to keep to that intense of a schedule this year...for one thing, my computer died last week, and my only online access is through my mother's computer, and my online time is rather limited now. Plus, Mom's computer moves in three speeds: slow, really slow, and "Merciful Zeus, it's going backwards", and it's rather frustrating.

So I now plan on posting every other day during the month of October, beginning tomorrow. I will post one piece of Halloween/spooky artwork for your perusal and hopeful enjoyment. Some of it will be pencil sketches, some will be more finished paintings, some will be photos of things I see around town that help keep the anticipation of All Hallow's Eve going strong. At least one will be whatever pumpkin creation the boys and I come up with for the front porch this year. I might even post a tale or two...

I hope you'll join me; I'm sure that not everyone will like every piece that I post, but hopefully everyone will like at least some of them.

Also, to quote Tim Burton's Batman: "I want you to tell your friends about me." If you like what you see here, pass it on to someone else you think might enjoy both my artistic endeavors, and the Halloween Countdown in general.

See you tomorrow...

Brad

Playtime!

I recently bought a package of Derwent brand "Inktense" watercolor pencils.  They're not cheap, but through a local "back to school" sale, I was able to get 30 % off, and I've wanted some of these for a long time, so I splurged.

Unlike other watercolor pencils, these aren't made of graphite; the "lead" is made of water-soluble ink. The colors that wash out when you apply water are so much more vivid and intense than any other watercolor pencil I've ever played with. Even before I brought water into it, these are among the best colored pencils I've ever used.

Here's a (what else?) dragon that I did as experimentation. Each wing panel has a slightly different color/brush/technique combination, 'cause I really wanted to play around with these things.

The verdict? Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils:

Best.

Things.

Ever.

I'm off to play some more!

Thanks,
Brad

Work Your Fingers to the Bone...

I was going to wait 'til October to put this up (I have something big and fun planned; stay tuned), but decided to go ahead and post it now, 'cause I haven't put anything new up in a bit.

This started out as a doodling-with-a-ballpoint-pen-while-talking-on-the-phone thing, and grew into tribute to my love for the master of stop-motion special effects, Ray Harryhausen. His movie monsters (in particular, the skeleton warriors of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts) frightened, delighted, and inspired me as a child.

Just for kicks and giggles, here's the same image in negative ('cause I think it looks cool):

As I said, I've got something planned for October that I think will be fun, and I'll be making the announcement as soon as I have my plans finalized. Don't worry, there'll be some more stuff between now and then, so I hope you'll keep checking back.

Thanks!

Brad