A few weeks ago I was about to start inking this job for Field & Stream Magazine, but I couldn’t find my ink well. To my shock and horror I found it had fallen off my table and onto my fedora, forming a moat of black ink around the brim.
It was bad enough to lose the hat, but I had a job to do, so I searched my supplies for more india ink. Unfortunately I couldn’t any, but I did find a bottle of black Luma “Brilliant Concentrated Water Colors.” I’ve been experimenting with them ever since and so far I like it.
As for the assignment itself, the piece was to be about practicing camping in your back yard before actually trying it in the woods. The first sketch I came up with had “African Jungle” inspired wildlife, which I was looking foward to drawing because every great illustrator does a “Tiger” illustration at some point.
Some great tiger illustrations:
James Jean
Tomer Hanuka
Josh Cochran
Nathan Fox
Sam Weber
With sage-like wisdom, art director, Mr. Neil Jamieson, asked me to change the animals to be more North-American, suggesting a bear, a mountain lion, and a wolf.
I didn’t understand why I had to change it at the time, but now I realize it’s because I’m not quite ready to move to the next level by doing a tiger piece. Oh well…Here are a couple of the colored versions I mulled over. On the left version the wild animals are rim-lit by the window outside, and on the right side they are kept graphic. The graphic version wound up being the one I submitted to Neil for print.
I had a lot of fun working on this, and it gave me some ideas of techniques to try on future jobs…
thanks for reading,
13 Comments
Add Yours →Tigers are the new octopi.
-JT
Okay, I gotta ask — you have an ink well? What kind?
It’s always a pain to measure out ink from those narrow necked plastic bottles that ink comes in. A small glass or plastic jar works, but I’m just curious if you’ve come up with a better idea.
JT you’re absolutely right, though I don’t think the era of the octopus has come to pass…
Nathan, my ink well was passed on from my grandfather’s uncle who was an illustrator during the first world war. He carved it from whale bone while hiding in a fox hole for two weeks and waiting for assistance.
f.
whose that handsome man that you used as a model?
Very nice indeed. Is it just me or are the composition and shape of the piece evocative of church window.
josh – you know the answer to that.
mr. bugatto – it wasn’t conscious or intentional, but I see what you mean.
f.
It was originally your illustrations for the bear attack in May 2007 from the Artist a Day gadget that attracted me to your work. You do wonders with wildlife. So sorry about your fedora.
freakin awesome frank! the dude’s expression is well captured. and i think you’re more than ready to tackle a tiger illustration!!
your drawings are always so solid.
this piece looks like a step in a new exciting direction…
great job frank, as always I love it when you post your process dealing with your drawings. As for your figure drawing post a while back I just took out “High Focus In Drawing” by James McMullan its amazing you should definitely pick it up if you arent already familiar with his draftsmanship.
-Steve
Show-worthy piece, all around. Props!
(Also, of the two final color pieces, the one you submitted for print is my fave)
Hey, I wanted to say “hi”, instead the usual lurking. I engoy your work. From The sketch to the final layout. From the exgarations to the appeal of characters. Your fine lines goes a long way.
Thanks for taking time to blog.
Awesome piece Frank. Its so hard to draw up the nose like that without making them look like a pig.