Carly Monardo's Art Blog

2011-11-18T14:00:00.001-08:00

Cartoon portrait of Colleen Crumbcake, the best of the DJs!

2011-11-15T11:55:00.001-08:00

I drew some people while they were reading!

Happy Birthday, Dick Grayson!

2011-11-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Still my favorite Boy Wonder. Brush pen inks and Photoshop colors.

Head Full Of Bees

2011-11-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Completely literal self-portrait!

"Morning Ritual"

2011-09-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

That drawing of my hair in the first panel? Not at all exaggerated.

"Right On, Red" in Color

2011-09-08T15:01:00.000-07:00

I finally finished coloring this piece! Read about the concept/inspiration here: "Right On, Red"

I'm so happy that it's done :) Please do click the image to view it in higher resolution...there's a lot of detail in there!

Creative and Accounts

2011-08-25T09:59:00.001-07:00

Harry Crane, Ken Cosgrove, and Paul Kinsey. A fine-looking bunch!

Another Mad Man

2011-08-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Roger Sterling! If I was a dude, I would not mind looking as good as John Slattery does at almost 50, let me tell you.

Mad Men

2011-08-23T19:08:00.001-07:00

Pete Campbell and Peggy Olson from Mad Men. It's funny, it kind of seems like I meant to make them looking at each other, but I didn't! Okay, maybe it's not that funny.

"Ram"

2011-08-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

I tried to create a new "Women's Lifestyle" image for my portfolio, but this came out instead.

(Re)presenting...!

2011-08-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

I am happy to announce that I am now represented by Lemonade Illustration Agency! Check it out! :)

Recipe Comix

2011-08-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Next to drawing and ~~being obnoxious~~ making friends, cooking is one of my number one passions! So I was delighted when the fine folks at Saveur asked me to contribute to their excellent series of Recipe Comix! Mine is all about hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy!

Tumblr

2011-06-28T09:07:00.001-07:00

I've been posting a lot of stuff to my Tumblr, recently. I don't typically link to it from here, because I try to keep this blog and my website somewhat "professional", but what the heck! Most of the work I post there is pretty silly, some of it is mildly NSFW, but perhaps you will enjoy it all the same!

http://tickledfancy.tumblr.com

"Morning Hair"

2011-06-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

Warmed up this morning with a sketch!

Critters

2011-05-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Some critters I designed! I plan on fleshing them out, drawing more angles, etc., but this is a first glimpse :)

Family Portraits

2011-05-16T13:19:00.001-07:00

Art For Japan

2011-05-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

Talented sisters Alice and Meg Hunt have enlisted the help of artists from around the world to raise money for Japan's relief efforts. All of the donated artwork will be (or is already) up for auction on eBay, and 100% of the profits are going to AmeriCares Foundation, Inc.

The piece I contributed, an ink drawing of San & Moro from Princess Mononoke, is now up for auction! Please take a gander and bid, if you desire, and be sure to check out the other excellent offerings available!

The piece was inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen on watercolor paper and measures 9"x12". Perfect for framing, or sticking in a drawer and forgetting about forever, save for the lingering warmth that comes from knowing you contributed to a good cause. Or a combination of both!

Batgirl sketch

2011-04-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

Batgirl sketch! I still love Barbara's original design from Batman The Animated Series. Did I ever mention how obsessed I was with that show? I used to record it every day so I could watch it as soon as I got home from school. Memories!

101 Reasons continued!

2011-04-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that there are a few selections from 101 Reasons To Shop on my website! Have a peek!
http://www.carlymonardo.com

101 Reasons to Shop

2011-04-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Remember just a few days ago when I said I was often secretly working on things I couldn't share? Well this was a big one!

101 Reasons to Shop was written by Jessica Waldorf, designed by Mary Austin Speaker, published by Harper Collins, and illustrated by yours truly!

As you may know, I'm a closet fashion geek, so spending months immersed in images of couture and runway shows was a fitting use of my time. I spent many a sleepless night working on this project. It's my first book and it was a wonderful and exciting challenge! I'm so thrilled that it is out there in the real world now! Kate Spade even tweeted about it!

You can sneak a peak at the book at the Harper Collins website! I will eventually (and with the author's permission) post some images here as well.

Thanks to everyone who supported and encouraged me throughout this process. Special thanks to Jessica Waldorf, Stephanie Meyers, Danielle Corsetto, George Baier IV, and of course my amazing husband, Christopher Hastings; I couldn't have done this without you!

Stumpy Pencil

2011-04-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Have I ever talked about Stumpy Pencil? My good friend Mike Foran developed this Photoshop brush that beautifully replicates the look and feel of your favorite worn-down pencil. I use it ALL the time, so if you're a regular visitor of this blog (then gosh, thank you! ♥) you've seen it before; like here, and here, and also here!

The brushes are pressure-sensitive, so you can really experiment with different textures and finishes. I highly recommend downloading the preset and playing around with it.

I will leave you with my most recent Stumpy Pencil doodle; a comic depicting what happens when my husband makes me a cup of coffee:

Denim Day 2011

2011-04-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Min works with the Korean American Family Service Center, which is a great non-profit organization "serving in the New York Tri-State area to prevent and end domestic violence and relationship abuse". Earlier this week, Min asked if I could step in and design a flyer for KAFSC's Denim Day event, and I was happy to do it! This is a wonderful organization and an important cause, and the event promises to be a good one, so if you find yourself in NYC on April 21st, be sure to check it out and lend your support!

Finished Flyer:

Original sketch:

Credits:

Denim textures courtesy of Six Revisions

Concrete & brick textures courtesy of CG Textures

Fonts used: Futura & Bebas Neue

"Right On, Red"

2011-04-12T18:32:00.001-07:00

A lot of the stuff I work on can't be shared while the projects are in development, which often leads to a lot of radio silence over here. So with that in mind, I am throwing this drawing up in its inked stage!

"Right On, Red" is part of the fashion-inspired illustration series I kicked off in my last post. I chose to feature Cacharel's Pre-Fall line (which I lo-o-ove) this time around. I was immediately taken with the bold but simple colors and silhouettes in this collection, and the "story" came to me almost immediately. The title is a nod to Joanna Newsom's "The Book Of Right On", which I didn't hear for the first time until well after the drawing was underway; still it felt like a perfect fit!

I'd like to acknowledge the model who posed for all of the Cacharel shots, whoever she is. Her look was obviously a huge inspiration for the sisters' designs here. I think she's lovely!

Color will follow eventually!

Marc Jacobs In Space

2011-02-03T21:26:00.001-08:00

I was having dinner with my friend Stephanie a week or so ago, and we were talking about our careers. I mentioned to her how I love the idea of working on the fringe of the fashion industry...illustrating fashion-related drawings but not doing fashion illustration, per se (though I would do that, too: hint, hint!) She came up with this fantastic idea of taking various designers' collections and illustrating them in a new way. So I started with Marc Jacobs, since he's the first name Steph mentioned, and I tried to create something based on the feelings I got from his 2010 Spring RTW collection. The results are now here for you to see!

Detail shots:

Starfire

2011-01-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

Cross-posted again from Facebook:

"My take on Koriand'r, better known as Starfire! I wanted to accentuate her feline qualities, so I gave her "whisker"-like freckles and thin pupils. I kept her hair big on top (flat-haired Kori just doesn't do it for me), but pulled it back in a thick braid so it's slightly more manageable. The armor was partly influenced by ancient Persian armor; the symbol I designed as a sort of Tamaranean emblem that could also appear on a flag or...more armor I guess. I kept some cleavage cos I thought Kori would want it that way."

Additional comments:

Basically I wanted to have Koriand'r as a sort of foil to my Raven design. Whereas I made Raven willowy and androgynous, Kori is more statuesque and voluptious, and a little sunnier in both color and disposition!

ADDENDUM: Dean Trippe was kind enough to feature this design on his excellent blog, Project: Rooftop! P:R is one of my favorite websites on the whole dang internet, and Dean's one of my favorite super-hero artists, so it's always a treat to be included! Thanks, Dean!

Raven

2011-01-03T23:03:00.001-08:00

EDIT: Now in color!

Cross-posted from my Facebook:

"My take on Raven from New Teen Titans. Not sure how I wound up with such a complete departure from her original look! I guess I wanted to play with the balance between her human and demon sides, which manifested itself in Victorian-inspired menswear and a lot of crystals. Oh, and those eyes in the close-up are painted on her eyelids!"

I guess I'm into feathered capes at the moment! Color coming soon, plus possibly another Titan or two.

Kytássin

2010-12-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Front-on drawing of Kytássin, since her outfit was pretty obscured in the original "design". In color, just cos I like ya. ;)

Delák and Kytássin

2010-11-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

These two bozos are twin wizards! They're going to pop up soon in The Walking Weapon (which WILL continue!) The boy is Delák and the girl is Kytássin.

What kind of Pokémon are you?

2010-11-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Steve Wolfhard started a side-project a while back called "Portrait-dex", which is a blog collecting self-portraits of other cartoonists -- as Pokémon! I'm in love with the idea, and a while back I created my own Pokémon. Here she is!

Machine Of Death

2010-11-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

You may have heard recently of a little science-fiction anthology climbing the Amazon bestseller charts to #1. The book, Machine Of Death, was the pet project of two very good friends of mine, Messrs. David Malki(!) & Ryan North (it was also co-edited by a Mr. Matt Bennardo, who I do not have the pleasure of knowing, but whose last name almost rhymes with mine).

In any case, David and Ryan reached out to some writers and artists with this idea of creating stories and illustrations based around a machine of death: a mechanism which tests your blood and then churns out a slip of paper telling you the cause of your eventual demise.

The premise may sound bleak (and I suppose it is), but don't let that fool you! Thar's pathos and love and humor in them pages!

Particularly dear to my heart is, of course, the story I illustrated: NOT WAVING BUT DROWNING by Erin McKean.

The story is available, read by Ms. McKean, as the first episode of the Machine Of Death Podcast! I highly recommend giving it a listen. I'm about to! And if you're interested, please consider buying a copy of Machine Of Death from Amazon or Topatoco! Let's keep this success story going!

The Walking Weapon (pts 1 & 2)

2010-10-28T20:47:00.001-07:00

I had so much fun with The Walking Weapon that I decided to do a few comics with him! I plan on doing more; I'm really enjoying myself so far!

Fearsome Creatures

2010-10-27T23:53:00.001-07:00

Having some fun with my moleskin!

This is Chelsey. She's the most popular girl in class:

Dabbling in furry art:

This guy is fearless:

Page Fulla Gordons

2010-10-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

My little dog, Commissioner Gordon, is surprisingly difficult for me to caricature (but it's a lot of fun to try)! Here's a bunch of sketches I did with my brush pen last night:

People I Know pt 1

2010-10-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get back into portraiture again! These are two friends of mine:

This guy is a talented composer (and my next-door neighbor):

And this fellow here is my favorite photographer, good friend, and snazzy beard-wearer:

Eventually these will become paintings, but I liked them as monochromatic drawings, so I thought I'd share! More to come!

These Are Their Stories

2010-07-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky enough to have been included in Brandon Bird's latest gallery show "These Are Their Stories", featuring artwork based on DirecTV synopses of Law & Order Episodes! I am in excellent company, and all of the pieces I've seen are fantastic! If you're in the LA area, be sure to check it out!

Here is my piece, "Goren Takes On A Chess Master" (I'm a huge Criminal Intent fan!):

"These are Their Stories" will run July 24 to July 30, 2010 at Gallery Meltdown, 7522 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046. Prints for this and other pieces are currently available at Brandon Bird's site!

Character design

2010-07-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Not sure what I am going to do with her yet (but it will be great, I hope!)

Web-Comics Auction For The Gulf Of Mexico (now live!)

2010-07-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

(cross-posted from the Whirring Blender Design Challenge)

Hello everyone! I am pleased to announce the Web-Comics Auction For The Gulf Coast! I have been working on organizing it for weeks now, and this coming Monday, July 5th, the first auctions will be posted on ebay. For information on the other artists involved and for a full schedule, please visit the official auction website!

I will be donating the original artwork for the Runaways + CLAMP challenge! Both drawings are 11"x14" ink on bristol. If you'd like some original artwork and want to donate to an excellent cause, I do hope you will consider bidding on these or any of the other drawings up for auction.

Whirring Blender Design Challenge: Runaways + CLAMP

2010-06-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have a new design challenge up! One year late!

Whirring Blender Design Challenge: Runaways + CLAMP

Black Canary

2010-05-03T10:48:00.001-07:00

This was my submission for Project Rooftop's Canary On The Catwalk challenge! I got third place :)

The other winners and runners-up all did a fantastic job! Check them out here!

Cowgirls

2010-04-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Playing with my brush pen

2010-04-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Some good caricatures, some unsuccessful, and some faces from my mind.

Malcolm Gladwell

2010-03-24T18:14:00.001-07:00

Inspired by all of the great stuff over at Hey Oscar Wilde! It's Clobberin' Time!!!, I decided to draw one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell!

Commission Update

2009-08-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Just a quick line to tell you I'm still accepting commissions!

I thought I would share a couple of the drawings that already went out:

Hope you like them! :)

It's That (McNinja) Time Again!

2009-07-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, friends, it's here: the new and exciting third volume of The Adventures of Dr. McNinja! I was happy to repeat my duties as cover artist for the good doctor.

We did a lot of research before I started illustrating the cover this time, so we had a really clear idea of what we wanted. Basically, the cover is a recreation of two old movie posters:

We loved the composition of "Plan 9 From Outer Space", but preferred the toxic, fiery color palette of "First Spaceship On Venus". So we decided to combine these two elements into a new, more ninja-like design!

Dr. McNinja in the space helmet was a given:

But then we also had to decide which scenes from the book we wanted to showcase. We knew we had to feature the Ben Franklin Thriller routine:

(Incidentally, I don't think Ben ever looked better!)

Finally, we wanted to reference the training sequence with Gordito and Dark Smoke Puncher:

(Fun fact: I posed for both Gordito and DSP! I think I've found an alternative career posing as prepubescent/adolescent boys.)

All of these elements together made for a pretty cool front cover! After that, we just needed to design the back. I loved the colored squares on the bottom of the "'Venus" poster; apart from the aesthetics, I thought the captions underneath struck the perfect chord. I had a lot of fun writing the new ones for this book!

Last, but not least, title design was courtesy of George Baier IV, who also helped layout the interior of the book!

Put it all together, and what do you get?

Violà!

The book is up for pre-order right now at Topatoco.com! The pre-order comes with all sorts of goodies! Did I mention it's the biggest volume of Dr. McNinja yet? What are you waiting for? ;)

Darkstalkers

2009-07-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to post this! A while ago I tried to submit for Udon's Darkstalker book; I never really finished the image the way I wanted to, but I submitted it anyway (it didn't make it in, not surprisingly). I'm still fairly pleased with how the characters came out, though, so I thought I'd share them!

Wonder(mark)ful!

2009-06-26T12:38:00.001-07:00

I have a guest strip up today at Wondermark! Malki(!) is a great friend and considerate house guest. He's also something of a mad genius, so when he asks you to do something I find it's in your best interests to buck up and do it! I had a lot of fun with this, though it's a bit tinier than I originally wanted; I'll probably be posting a higher resolution version of it here soon!

Here it is!

The Piece!

2009-06-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that I never posted a picture of the piece I did for New Moon! How silly!!

Here it is! (Sans frame)

And here's a lovely shot of it on the wall, next to Scott C.'s Dog Amongst Dogs, taken by Steve Talkowski (AKA Sketchbot).

~~The piece is still available on the myplasticheart website~~ ~~(cough, cough!), though I'm not sure for how long.~~ EDIT: This piece has sold!

Thanks again to John Wong, who curated the show, and to Kano for suggesting me!

Qwantz!

2009-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have a guest comic up at Dinosaur Comics today! When a fellow like Ryan North asks you for a favor, you don't even think about it. You just immediately say, "yes" and then silently expect compensation. (I have yet to receive any remuneration).

An Update!

2009-04-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Guys, I am in ANOTHER show! I can basically not believe my good fortune, but there you have it.

I am really excited to be included with such talented artists, and I hope the whole internet comes to Myplasticheart Gallery in NYC on Friday, April 10th to ~~buy my piece~~ enjoy the opening!!

This, in combination with other projects I have been working on, is the reason I haven't been updating. I'm not allowed to show my piece online until after the opening, which is why you should all come to see it!!

I'll also be starting on a new Dr. McNinja book cover soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

2008-12-02T06:15:00.001-08:00

THIS FRIDAY!

for more information please visit

http://www.bunnycutlet.com/2A4TV

Opens Friday December 5th, 6pm at Erebuni in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I hain't dead!

2008-11-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys! Did I mention that I'm going to be in my very first gallery show? And that I'll be joined by some of the coolest people in the animation industry? It's called Too Art For TV and it's curated by Liz Artinian. I'll be contributing a portrait to the show. I'm really excited! I'll post more info once the promotional cards are available, but in the mean time, here's a sneak peak.

UPDATE:
Check out the website for details!

There goes another t-shirt!

2008-10-14T09:21:00.001-07:00

You know the story, friends! You can go here to vote! The previous design is still up for voting as well :)

Childhood Farewell

2008-10-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends! I have a new t-shirt design up for voting at Design By Humans! Please show your support and vote! :)

(http://www.designbyhumans.com/vote/detail/31801)

Vampirella: ReVamp!

2008-08-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

My entry for Project Rooftop's latest, fabulous contest: Vampirella ReVamp!

A lot of people kind of assume that Vampi is just some T&A queen, because...well...look at her! But there's a more to her than her sexuality. Did you know that she's a Vampire ALIEN? From outer SPACE? And that she hunts vampires here on Earth? I wanted to reflect her outer-space origins and give her kind of a fun, Barbarella look; still sexy, but more believable as a hunter.

I also have a nakeder variant. I am honestly torn, here, between staying true to the character and staying true to my own standards. Vampirella's been 3/4 naked for so long...maybe she's just one of those characters that's just SUPPOSED to be naked? I don't know.

Magnetic Cowboy

2008-08-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

I haven't painted a portrait in what feels like a very long time! (In fact I think the last time I did so for recreational purposes was the Thom Yorke portrait...and that was almost a year ago!)

This fellow here is Evan Johansen, aka Magnet, a Norwegian musician. I exaggerated his eyes a lot, making him appear somewhat wall-eyed; not out of any viciousness you understand. Actually I was thinking a lot about white rabbits when I painted him, how they have those far-set, red eyes. For some reason it made sense at the time.

Under da sea

2008-07-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

A design for a fish-type person!

UPDATE
The David Malki/Carly Monardo "Futurism" print that had everyone talking at Comic Con is now available for sale at the Wondermark website!

(Did we mention Wil Wheaton bought one? GO!)

Megaman!

2008-07-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot to post this! This is a Megaman pinup that the super-talented Zack Giallongo drew and asked me to paint. I had a lot of fun with this one :)

Retro Futurism!

2008-07-26T15:34:00.001-07:00

A couple of months ago, back around MoCCA, a fascinating gent named David Malki(!) approached me about painting a poster for him. He had visions of cigar-shaped rockets and chaps in fedoras and a city of lights and monorails! It was my pleasure to bring those visions to life :) Here are the preliminary sketches and studies...

And here is the finished product! It's currently making the rounds at San Diego Comic Con as a limited run print, but at some point in the not too distint future (ha!) it will be a poster available for sale on the internet :) I will, of course, be letting you fine folks know just as soon as that happens.

Concept, text, and typography by David Malki, sketch, design, and painting by me!

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifThe Mighty Monarch!

2008-07-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

I realize I haven't posted any of my Venture Bros. work since...ever? 99% of what I do is props and characters, but on Season 3 I had the opportunity to assist with backgrounds and, occasionally, even paint one of my own! Here are two Monarch interiors I painted for "Home Is Where The Hate Is" (alternatively "My Dinner With Hatred")!

EDIT: I almost forgot to mention the amazing background design team responsible for the original designs here! George Fort is the fearless leader, working with Ray Feldman, Denny Fincke, and Chris Palesty. (Guys, if you have blogs let me know so I can link them!)

And of course I am supervised by the crazy talented Liz Artinian and joined by the amazing Chris Fisher and Deo Pangandoyon (who never ever told me his last name so I had to go looking it up on Google. Thanks, Deo!)

Monarch's Sick Bay

Monarch Corridor

(this one looks like it was stretched and skewed a bit).

Hopefully I can dig up some more to post later on :)

May I direct your attention...?

2008-07-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

To my new blog/project? It's called Whirring Blender Weekly Design Challenge! Each week I take 2 or 3 designs and attempt to redesign them in another artist or property's style! This week kicked off with my challenge to take two Disney princesses and redesign them after the style of Hyung-tae Kim! Check it out!

Overcompensating for something

2008-07-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have a guest comic at Overcompensating today! And it's ANIMATED!!

85% true

2008-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Baby Dog

2008-07-02T15:23:00.001-07:00

This is an illustration I did for a project that sadly never got off the ground. I still had fun with the drawing!

It's here!!

2008-07-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Fat Chunk Volume One: Robots is here!!

Please help spread the word about this great anthology! Edited by Jamie Smart (http://www.bohdate.com/) and published by Slave Labor Graphics, Fat Chunk features 80 artists including moi!

The Diamond order code is MAR083402. Please tell your local comic shop to stock our sweet little comic baby :)

Twins!

2008-06-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Another quick commission, for kind Canadian fan Peter Trinh!

Firefly

2008-06-12T22:03:00.001-07:00

This was another commission, this time for a young gent named Michael. He requested Mal and Inara from Firefly/Serenity. Lookit them! Awww! They're so in love! Or maybe not I've never seen the show.

I went with a different shading style here; very air-brushy, which was fun, but not something I plan on doing too much in the future. I'm always afraid I've either gone too far with the airbrush or not far enough!

Pocus Whiteface

2008-06-07T05:28:00.001-07:00

This is a gig poster I did for London-based band Pocus Whiteface! The lead singer, Theo, commissioned it from me, and he basically let me do whatever I wanted with it. For some reason this is what I came up with!.

Carly <3 Rene!

2008-06-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Rene Engström was kind enough to help yours truly when I was in need! So in return I drew her this little pinup! If you're not familiar with Rene's comic, Anders <3 Maria, you should MAKE yourself familiar! (Tis a bit graphic, though, so it's not for the kiddies or your workplace.)

Rufus Sewell part one

2008-05-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite actors is Rufus Sewell! So, in celebration of my adding 1 GB of RAM to my Mac, and the fact that it's been far too long since I've done a portrait, I've decided to try and paint Rufus. I'm toying with the approach at the moment, but in the meantime I'll share my sketch with you:

Guest comic update!

2008-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, folks! I've been working on a couple of things, but none of them are ready to be shown off yet. In the meantime, please accept this, a preview of my guest comic for The Slightly Askew Adventures of Inspector Ham and Eggs, which should be going up some time this week. It's pretty "in-jokey" so I definitely suggest reading the current story first! It's only about 20 pages and it goes down smooth like a butter milkshake.

www.inspectorham.com

Wilhemina

2008-04-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

My second entry for Square-Enix/deviantART's "The World Ends With You" contest. This will probably be the last one...I should be getting ready to move!

Marjan

2008-04-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry for the Square-Enix/deviantART "The World Ends With You" contest. I always like to challenge myself with a new style, so this was a fun exercise. I'm not sure she's dressed distinctively enough to be a contender, but I'm well pleased with it anyway :)

(And yes, she was named after Marjane Satrapi. The "e" was omitted due to my own forgetfulness! )

Have a heapin' helpin' of Ham & Eggs!

2008-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a pinup I did for Ham and Eggs. I wanted to make a title card for what could have been an old cartoon of the two animals' early careers. Note the lack of pants on our hero. Classic.

Guys, if you haven't checked out The Slightly Askew Adventures of Ham and Eggs then you must do so now! It's hilariously written by Jesus Hates Zombies's Stephan Lindsay and illustrated by none other than my own sister Lauren Monardo! Lauren is totally kicking hammy butt with the art on this one, so go! GO!

Print Update!

2008-03-28T06:39:00.001-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that I will be selling my remaining Ostrich prints with Topatoco and Raptor Bandit Industries!

I intend to do even more prints in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!

For sale (Fo sho)!

2008-03-20T03:48:00.001-07:00

Those of you born under a lucky star will be able to buy one of these lil beauts at the UK Web & Mini Comics Thing this Saturday! It is my first ever limited edition print!

Two webcomic items.

2008-02-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

First! The complete cover for Dr. McNinja: Surgical Strike!

Second! A pinup for Dave Roman's Agnes Quill!

Meet me in the Red Room

2008-02-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is an illustration I did for my new promotional postcard :)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program...

2008-02-21T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hot Topic is currently selling a t-shirt that is a BLATANT rip off of one of Jess Fink's designs. This sort of thing seems to be rampant nowadays, but we should still support artists when we have the opportunity.

Fat Chunk

2008-02-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

I'm am VERY excited to be included in the upcoming Fat Chunk anthology, published by Slave Labor Graphics. Here's a preview of my two page comic :) I'll update with details as they become available!

50th post! How bout some Lord of the Rings?

2007-12-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I was lucky enough to do some Artist Sketch Cards for Topps's Lord of the Rings Masterpiece II series. Here are some of my favorites...

Happy Holidays, Internet!!

2007-12-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Wonder Woman!

2007-11-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

My entry for Project Rooftop/Zeus Comics' Wonder Woman Wardrobe War!

Radio Head

2007-10-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Trying to make my portraits less boring. I...I wanna be an illustrator, guys!!!

TV Ladies

2007-10-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Working with a different style here! America's favorite anthropologist and cheerleader!

I'm just talkin' about McNinja!

2007-10-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

It's Doctor McNinja time again! This time I'm painting the cover for the second book, which will be a print version of the two-part 80's action film homage "D.A.R.E. To Resist Ninja Drugs and Ninja Violence".

Obviously I'm going for those really great 80's/early 90's movie posters. I'm looking at a lot of Bob Peak...he has some really lovely color choices. I wish they still painted movie posters like this...anyway!

This lovely lady on my left was my first concept. Chris and I both liked this one, but he wanted to see what else I could come up with, so I did the following image.

While Chris liked the composition on this one, he didn't want two Dr. McNinjas on the cover, so we scrapped it. Which is a shame because look how cute little chubby Ben Franklin looks!!

Which brings us to this little number! Same basic color scheme as the first version, only a warmer background, and MORE EXPLOSIONS! Ultimately this has a much stronger "I'm an action movie with muscles!" vibe, so it's the logical choice.

I want to try to go for a less photorealistic approach with this one, so I'll be posting my progress to see what you guys think!

Wish me luck ;)

It's-a me!

2007-09-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a self portrait since I can remember...definitely at some point during college. So I've decided to paint one!

It's kind of interesting to explore your own face that way. You see all the little flaws and imperfections (which are actually my favorite part!) Anyway, without further ado, here's a sneak peak...there's more to come :D

Red-head

2007-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back! This is a design for an upcoming mystery guest comic. Isn't she cute? DON'T YOU JUST LOVE HER PRETTY DRESS?????

:D

Meredith Grey

2007-06-06T20:45:00.001-07:00

The painting is done! Say hello to narrator extraordinaire Meredith Grey from TV's Grey's Anatomy.

Thanks to Dr. McBoyfriend for the helpful critiques :D

Carly paints again!

2007-06-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

A new work in progress!! You know, I think I'm done with the super smooth and totally rendered paintings for the time being. There's nowhere you can go from that! They just sort of become dead to me. With something like this, though, there's still a feeling of energy. Plus it is obviously a painting. It's not trying to be a photograph or anything.

So unless a client comes along and requests otherwise (that's right, ladies and gents, I take commissions, weenk weenk!) this will be my way of painting! Oh, and here's the original sketch, for posterity.

Big internet happ'nins!

2007-05-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

FIRST! Lasagna Children has a new design and it is up and running!!

SECOND! My Scary Go Round guest strip ran yesterday!

THIRD! Baby Dracula shirts are now up for sale on Dr. McNinja.com! (They will also be available at MoCCA, with any luck. More on that later!)

LIFE METER!

2007-05-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak preview of a Legends of Zelda comic that Chris and I did for the upcoming Life Meter! It will be available at MoCCA, so be sure to grab a copy!

Happy Birthdavid!

2007-04-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Man, people keep havin' dem birthdays! This time it's David McGuire! Happy 30th, buddy!!

Two, two, two posts in one!

2007-04-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

FIRST! Here's a little diddy I sung up whilst eagerly awaiting my twin's return from D.C. It's a bit of an inside joke, but still enjoyable to others, I hope!

SECOND! Here's a shot from my much-delayed Dr. McNinja Guestravaganza conclusion. A big "oops" and "sorry!" to all the Dr. McNinja fans who had to wait for this. I wish I could say that the ending was TOTALLY meant to be all suspenseful and stuff, but the truth is that I was super busy with work.
Anyhooby, the page should be up tonight, and hopefully you will all enjoy it :}

EDIT: IT IS UP! :D

Guest comic...HOOOOOO!

2007-04-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

Page one of my guest comic for Dr. McNinja is up now! Check it out! :D

McNinja time!!

2007-03-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

The Dr. McNinja Poster is finally finished :) Check it out, and please buy one!!! (Or two! OR THREE!)

I'll post a more in-depth description and some detail shots later :D

D'awww

2007-02-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

Supergirl!

2007-02-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

For the meme started by the ever-talented Dean Trippe!

More birthin'!

2007-02-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

Another Birthday! This time it was the lovely Rachel Simon! (Actually, her birthday is tomorrow, but I wanted to try being early for a change!)

So heeeeere's She-ra! (I hope to post the finished Siobhan pic later)

Hands!

2007-02-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Also part of the poster in progress for Doctor McNinja. I think it should be okay to post these. Lately I've found that painting hands might be the most difficult, yet satisfying part of painting people. (If you're curious as to which bit I find the most difficult and least satisfying, I think the answer is ears. Really!)

Happy Birthday!

2007-01-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to friend Siobhan! This drawing is not finished yet...

Okay! So now Shivers is in color! It still isn't done, though. There's one more part! Also, I'm tooling around with the outline color. I may have to make it darker again.