Chris Howard's Blog, page 101
August 1, 2011
Fear of Flying
Spent several hours painting yesterday, exploring a new story idea and some characters. Here's where it is so far--the full work and a crop below:
July 28, 2011
I just found this link on Guy Kawasaki's G+ stream. Ever...
I just found this link on Guy Kawasaki's G+ stream. Everything you need to know about starting and operating a street food business in NYC, and I was thinking there's no end to the stories that can come out of being a street vendor in the City. Meeting hundreds of people every day, some of them regulars. The protag—the owner of the food truck or pushcart--can be a retired private investigator, an alien, a vampire, an impatient classically trained chef with a love for yakitori. Think what you can do with humor, information gathering, a front for crime or the CIA, horror--a street food vendor on Sept. 11. What if we turn this vampire/undead thing on its head and suddenly every book and magazine publisher is getting dozens of stories centered on the street food business in NYC? That would be worth writing and submitting a couple stories itself.
Who's with me?
Start here:
http://newyorkstreetfood.com/10085/the-basics-of-starting-a-street-food-business/
Go write something!
July 26, 2011
"The Victor" final
Got some time to work on this one over lunch, and I think it's done. I'd love to hear what think.
You must click the image for the full view:
(From my previous post: The title of this one is "The Victor", showing a victorious warrior queen after battle with her arm in a "V" for victory, and gravity pulling blood down her sword, dripping on her arm in an upside down "V"—and instead of her arm making a V with a chopping motion (about to chop down an enemy), she's sitting and thinking, holding her head in one hand because it hurts, her sword in the other because she can't let go of it.
This is another bookcover painting, and it came out of some thinking about the very famous relief sculpture of Athena—called "Mourning Athena".)
July 25, 2011
What I'm working on
I'm 61k words into my current book—near future SF, but I took a six hour break yesterday to paint an idea I've been working with for a while.
The title of this one is "The Victor", showing a victorious warrior queen after battle with her arm in a "V" for victory, and gravity pulling blood down her sword, dripping on her arm in an upside down "V"—and instead of her arm making a V with a chopping motion (about to chop down an enemy), she's sitting and thinking, holding her head in one hand because it hurts, her sword in the other because she can't let go of it.
This is another bookcover painting, and it came out of some thinking about the very famous relief sculpture of Athena—called "Mourning Athena". On the left is a picture of the piece I shot in the Acropolis Museum in Oct. 2001.
Here's a sample of "The Victor"--still in progress--with a detail crop and the full work with her army marching up behind her, a city she's sacked in the background.
July 20, 2011
Bellatrix's dagger
Just in case there are any house elves you want to kill with a poisoned throwing dagger...
Here's what my son Christopher is working on this week, Bellatrix Lastrange's dagger from Harry Potter--this is just the blade piece, cut out of poplar I believe.
233 pages of Saltwater Witch are back up
With updated pages! I put these back up last night but forgot to tell anyone. I haven't put up the new pages I'm working on--the rest of chapter 12, but you should notice some updates through the first couple chapters. I'm still a bit embarrassed about a lot of the art and lettering in chapters 2 through 8, and I'm working on new panels for 12, and redrawing existing pages as I get time.
See Saltwater Witch chapters 1 - 11 + the first page of chapter 12 here.
Here's a new page from chapter 2 followed by the old page--I just realized Kassandra is pointing the wrong way in the old page. The windows should be to her right:
July 18, 2011
Readercon sketching
A few samples of some of the stuff I drew in the Art Rage app on the iPad while taking in some of the panels at Readercon over the weekend. I'm working--as much as I can--on redrawing all of chapter 2 of Saltwater Witch (http://www.saltwaterwitch.com/switch).
Here are the beginnings of three of the replacement panels.
July 14, 2011
Teller w/illustrations giveaway at GoodReads
Click "Enter to Win" to get one of three copies of Teller I'm giving away through GoodReads.com!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Teller
by Chris Howard
Giveaway ends August 14, 2011.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
July 13, 2011
The Real Ollivander
My son Christopher is a mix of legendary sword maker Muramasa and Ollivander--only cooler. And, in Ollivander's case, he would never allow himself to be abducted by a handful of clownish deatheaters. He's been into woodworking and carving for a while, making full length samurai swords out of oak and poplar, Harry Potter wands, and various sharp ninja accoutrements. Really beautiful work. Here's a nice set of examples he's created for the final HP movie, including Dumbledore's wand, Bellatrix's wand (the bent one), and various other wands, using walnut, cherry, birch, and ash. These are all hand carved. Christopher you're so creative--really proud of you.
Click for the view:
Ollivander is my son
Or maybe it's the other way around. My son Christopher has been into woodworking and carving for a while, making full length samurai swords out of oak and poplar, Harry Potter wands, and various sharp ninja accoutrements. Incredible beautiful work.
Here's a nice set of examples, including Dumbledore's wand, Bellatrix's wand (bent), and various other wands, using walnut, cherry, birch, and ash. These are all hand carved. Christopher you're so creative. I'm so proud of you.
Click for the view:
