Rocket Shoes

A spot for the upcoming issue of Runner's World about speed. Thanks to Marc Kauffman for the fun job. Here are a few of the ideas I sent: 

Drawing in Church 3/20

...The Morning Star.

Book Signing

The drawing on my next book continues- steadily plowing through fields of chimney soot, icy winds and hungry rats of 1820's London. In the current radio silence, enjoy a few blurry pictures from my book signing last week. Mobile phone cameras are the new polaroids. A warm thanks to all the kids from CCS school who came out to the signing!

My son, Jack, (in orange stripes and panting) wasn't excited at all. 

I showed the process work for the cover image, version A sketches on the right and the revision ideas on the left. Many folks are astonished at the amount of 'behind-the-scenes' drawing that takes place in a project like this. 

Kids books can only be seen one spread at a time. So I always find it neat to view a book like this, where you can see the whole thing at once. 

Jack really wanted to sign each book with me. I compromised by letting him scream continuously. 

Today in the Sketchbook

Studio update: I've been working away on my Charles Dickens book the last four weeks, and I'll post some of these images eventually, but I'd like to keep them close to the vest for now. A recent sketchbook page...  drawing on location always serves as a reminder of what I love most about creating images.

A Nice Comparison

Barry Blitt's new book, The Adventures of Mark Twain, by Huckleberry Finn, a hysterically clever concept, is out now and getting good reviews. Barry was kind enough to forward me this review, which mentioned my work in an insanely flattering manner.


Hot on the heels of Susy Clemens, in Barbara Kerley’s The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy), comes a rival Mark Twain child biographer, of sorts—Huckleberry Finn himself. With Burleigh’s, ahem, editorial assistance, Huck recreates his creator, one might say, in his own homespun voice: “Sam tried soldierin’. But it didn’t take. There wasn’t much sand in his craw for killin’ people. And . . . he was very unfavorable to bein’ killed hisself.” Huck not only effectively and wittily conveys the basics of his literary father’s life, but he also displays an excellent grasp of the critiques addressed to Twain’s work by both contemporaries and later generations: “Before I came along, most folks wouldn’t pay no attention to a story ’bout a no-account boy. . . . And they wouldn’t like that my words ain’t always presented in the King’s English.” Huck is assisted in his authorial debut by Barry Blitt, whose spidery line-and-watercolor paintings echo the fluid ink work of Robert Andrew Parker and the spot-on caricature of John Hendrix. Our “author” admits he “left a lot out,” but he slyly puts responsibility for any of his work’s shortcomings on Twain himself: “I coulda throwed more style into it, but I can’t do that very handy, not being brought up to it.” Fortunately, his editor supplies additional data in an appended note, and as to style—well, I reckon most kids’ll think he done just fine.

I owe so much to Mr. Blitt in my work that it is almost embarrassing to read a review comparing his work to mine, but regardless, a very rich compliment. 

Drawing in Church- 2/6

Clearly, I'm procrastinating. Enjoy another one from the pew.

In the Art Cave

For the next two months, I won't be taking any work outside of completing the final art for my next book, the true childhood story of Charles Dickens titled, A Boy Called Dickens which will be out in the spring of 2012. You might guess that 2012 is the 200th anniversary of Dicken's birth, and if you know anything about Charles Dickens writing, then you know something about his childhood. David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Little Dorrit and many of his other works come directly from his traumatic childhood experiences living in debtor's prison and working 12 hour days in a blacking factory.

I wanted to share a few of my sketches and drawings, and a bit of the final art. Here Charles is running down the streets of London, to Warren's Blacking Factory, where he packaged shoe polish.

I'm drawing without as much of the ink in this book, using instead graphite, pencil and charcoal to create much of the atmosphere. Look for some new work in a few weeks.

Sketchbook Show

A few weeks back, Patrick, owner of my favorite dusty little coffeeshop, Meshuggahs, asked me if I'd like to show some work on his espresso scented walls. It offered a chance to put together a small collection of images from my ongoing "Drawing in Church" sketchbook series.

Sketchbooks are very difficult to present faithfully in any kind of exhibition. You really can't display original art as removing the images from the binding compromises the entire book, it is also clunky to ask a viewer to flip through an open book on a pedestal. As many of my students have seen at the Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University, we have an extensive collection of Robert Weaver's sketchbooks. What the students always say is "Why did he draw on the BACK of this amazing drawing with ANOTHER amazing drawing!" I made hi-res color prints and foam laminated them for hanging. My short introduction follows.

I love to draw. There is something magical about the solitude of pen, paper, and a voice. To me, the joy of making images is the opportunity to tell a small story. Not a lofty or unique goal, to be sure, but one that I enjoy. Working everyday as an editorial and book illustrator, I don’t consider drawing a mystical event, but a process. That said, there is something transcendental about the linear improvisation of working in a sketchbook. Much like jazz, it is unpredictable, exciting and unfiltered... with very good and very bad results.


Though I agonize over my more finished and composed drawings, the accidental doodads in my sketchbook represent the very best part of my work. I attend church every Sunday, and I draw during the sermon. All of these pages were done in a pew at Grace & Peace Fellowship, a Presbyterian church a few blocks east on Delmar. The images on the wall are a small collection of my favorites. Though I don't bring my watercolors with me (that waits till I get home and have an upcoming deadline) I draw with a variety of colored pens and inks. The collision of text and image on a page can bring new meaning not found in either passage alone. This is also true in the language of faith, as the parables of Jesus bring new meaning to difficult ideas. Simultaneous drawing and listening can transform familiar language into something new- a feedback loop of symbols, theology and wonder. -John Hendrix



The show will be up through February, a few images of the show.

 

Progressive Cover- Plutocracy

Nick Jehlen from The Progressive gave me a fun assignment last week, the cover for the February issue about the visually gripping concept of plutocracy. It is an idealistic, if not academic, piece by Bill Moyers, about the dangers of a society controlled by wealth. Despite feeling like it would better fit in The Economist, sometimes these kinds of articles can yield fun, broad metaphors.

 

I'm happy to give Nick credit for suggesting the idea that 'a rising tide lifts all boats' as a way to think about the plutocratic rationality. Unfortunately for some, their boats are chained to the bottom.

This was a case where I only did one sketch, that came to me almost immediately. The idea was driven in some ways by a desire to draw on blue paper, like I did with my recent post-its for Mark Todd, which I enjoyed very much. 

I set out to construct a little collage, assisted by Professor Photoshop. The blue paper is a high end colored paper, and I built the waves in multiple layers and intentionally emphasized the shadows behind each layer. A few details. 

AIGA 50/50 Book Release

The new AIGA 50/50 book showing the 50 best covers of 2009, including my cover of American Illustration 28, is out now, you can buy here it at blurb.com or even page through the whole book online! Thanks to art director Matthew Lenning for the heads up.

Sarah Edmonds Preview Copy

Got an exciting package in the mail yesterday, my very first copy of Nurse, Soldier, Spy! It is such a wonderful moment to see a years worth of work turn into a real live book. Of course, I'm wracked with anxiety over certain choices I made that seem silly when the book is seen all together, but over all I think it looks great. The cover is coated with a spot varnish, which doesn't translate in photos, but is very striking in person. So, the moral is, order your copy now!

On this note, two of these images will be seen in the Society of Illustrators 53rd Annual Book & Editorial Show, highlighting the best work over the last year in these categories. Both the cover and the spread below of Sarah being teased as "Our Little Woman" will be on display. The opening is February 4th, 6pm, at the American Museum of Illustration at Society of Illustrators in New York.