Eric Orchard's Blog, page 40

Griffin Commission

Now that people have received their commissions and people seem happy with them I feel OK posting the commissions in full. Here's a griffin picture I did that I really enjoyed doing.

If you haven't received your commission yet I'm still sending them out so they are likely on thier way soon!

Atlantic Ocean

Was I this  brave when I was three? We went to the beach and the waves were the perfect height for slamming into you but not dragging you off. The day was stunning, sunny and a lively ocean.

Now I'm in a local coffee shop because the cat wouldn't stop sitting on me and I really need to get some work done. Also, there was snoring. It's raining now which means our planned garage sale is canceled. But that's finde, I need to work anyway.

I think we'll start the drive back early on Monday. The weather should be clear and it'll give me time to finish up a few pieces before the trip. 

Fox Creature

Another Cat Island sketch, I apologize for how light it is! I like this drawing but it was done in pretty light pencil. 

Cat Island Elder

A Cat Island Elder. I'm actually changing the name of Cat Island but still haven't thought up a new name. If you have any ideas I'd love to know!

East

Just leaving the east coast and blogging from a highway rest-stop. Here are some more pictures from our brief trip. I'm looking forward to being back in Toronto and having a schedule again.

On The Road

I started to think we would never get out of Toronto, the traffic in the city was unreal but after that it was fun and smooth. I love travelling through Canada, especially the east when you get that first glimpse of ocean.I read all of a very good book on the way After The Golden age by Carrie Vaughn, one of the best superhero novels I've read. Very highly recommended. A fast and very fun read. I also finished Daniel clowe's Wilson before I even got out of Toronto, another great book. Very short but somehow very epic.

I also brought my Nintendo DS but didn't play much. I'm hoping to play through a bunch of Final Fantasy 3 on the way home.

And I DID manage to work in the car on the way to Halifax, just on Cat Island. I have a first story, just under 100 pages, I'm very pleased with. I'm trying to pack a lot of magic and invention into every panel. Something I love doing, Maddy Kettle is similar in that it is packed with magic and drawing. I'm also playing with new names, right now Hen The Cat Boy is in the lead. I know I'd read a book called Hen The Cat Boy.

Leafy Onion Spirit

Here's a Cat Island sketch of the mailman. I see the whole island as being full of weird spirits and creatures. Fun stuff to draw!

Jack Pumpkinhead Of Oz Sketch

People often say that something gets ost between the sketch and the final piece but I think it's more that they end up different, each with different strengths and weaknesses. You kind of exchange some of the energy of a fast sketch for some sense of polish and weight. I think that's a fair trade, the sketch is still kicking around in any case. 

NightCrawler Commission

As promised yesterday here is a look at the finished Nightcrawler commission. I was surprised, and happy to get a bunch of superhero commissions with this lot of orders. All heroes I grew up with and love and something I don't get to draw very often. I even found myself starting to write a costumed hero comic! That goes way on the back burner. When I told my wife the idea he told me I needed a production team to keep up with my ideas. Which is true, I tend to have a lot of ideas. I'm not saying they're all good but there are a lot of them. 

Nightcrawler Sketch

A sketch I did for a finished commission last week. The final ended up not really looking like this at all but I thought this was an interesting sketch, kind of a cross between Nightcrawler and Sandman. I'll post the finished version tomorrow.