Drawing amidst the heat...

NB has been hot this week...don't know what a humidex is, but it sounds diabolical. Poor puppy...she's like a slobbery rug on the hardwood floor...

Draw Yourself as a Teen

click for bigger

You knew I'd have to get in on this...in internet time, its probably not even cool to draw yourself as a teen anymore...an appropriate time for me to jump in I guess.

The meme seems to be dwelling here: http://davario.livejournal.com/30861.html

IF: Seed

Took a break from a caricature to whip up this wee little seed for Illustration Friday. Felt a little ominous (might be the Gary Panter interview I'm listening too...who knows) so I tried to cheer it up with colours.

May 3 is Free Comic Book Day!

I will be at Gamezilla in Moncton for Free Comic Book Day. Come on down and say "Hi!" and make some comics, do some sketches...might even be making some Artist Trading Cards (Moncton really needs to get on board with those!).

See you there!

IF: Pet Peeves

We had a few days of spring (before winter returned with an icestorm and more snow last week) revealing multiple layers of garbage, broken glass and of course...dog poop.

Its the 21st century! Pick up yer poop!

IF: Heavy

You know spring is ready to get sprung when you are walking the pup-dog along the shore of the lake and the huge, thick plates of ice begin shifting, overlapping and cracking in half. What a sound! Like a deep thunder with a bright sharp splitting sound...

My ke-rack is no Don Martin onomatopoeia, but does the trick...speaking of onomatopoeia, had visit to Ape-lad's latest project yet?

Spring Thaw

Hey everyone, Yes! I am still around...drawing and trying to stay warm! Why did I organize my studio space so far from the woodstove?

There are a few projects on the go right now, at various stages of development...a big project that is in its early sketch stages is an exciting research experience (thank goodness for google books) as well as an intruiging fusion of my education and cartooning backgrounds.

Here is a little peek at some of that project's upcoming imagery:




I am really enjoying getting to meet all of the cartooning and art stars in our new home city...and have been welcomed into the community enthusiastically.

A nearby rural school (home to Scott Tingley of Comics in the Classroom fame) has seemingly adopted me (!) as one of their own...and we had a wonderful time working together and I look forward to further workshops and opportunities to collaborate with all these great kids.

(photo from RCS)

One of the workshops involved working with the Grade 3s on their logo for a website full of their comics, writing and other literacy projects...eventually we all agreed on some ideas for the lettering and I produced a banner for the website based on all of the wonderfully quirky ideas:

IF: Multiple

For Teri, by request!



Won't be able to get to colouring this in the next few days, so we will have to enjoy it in its monochromatic splendor.

Thanks to all the Illustration Friday folks that have stopped by to say hello!

Frye Festival Lecture

Was fortunate enough to hear about a lecture being given by Philip André Collette here in Moncton on Frye's Educated Imagination. André is a friend of ours, and it was great to see his presentation....he's a very dynamic and empassioned speaker,

Sketching at Teri's knitting night...

More sketching at the Craft & Draught with Teri...lots of animated characters and people sitting still! i was able to spend a little more time than usual watching facial expressions...

IF: Choose

Wishful thinking...I know, the little stinker! And always my expensive shoes and not the cheap ones. How does she know??

Pictures for Stacey

Helping out Stacey with a project...got some pretty fun pictures in the end!

Eric Does the Comix Jam poster!

"For the gang in Moncton and environs:

Okay, we're de retour after skipping December...

The next monthly Monkeytown Comix Jam is this coming Monday, January 28 at the Laundromat (corner of Cameron and St.-George.) Starts about 7pm; ends when Marky kicks us out. (Usually 2am.)

Show up! Drink beer! Draw comix and stuff!


Ke, pis on est back apres avoir sauté le mois de decembre...

Le prochain Monkeytown Comix Jam aura lieu lundi le 28 janvier au cafe Laundromat (angle Cameron et Saint-George.) On commence, comme toujours, vers 19h.

Venez! Boire de la biere! Faites des bedes... et stuff."

Mon Qui Towne is online!

I've finally found a home for the comic strip I started this year...its still in its infant stages, but here we go! Each strip is based either wholly or in part on conversations had/overheard and people I've met here in our new home in Moncton, NB. The conversations usually end up with a hearty "How d'ya like THAT, Alberta-boy??", but I haven't found it necessary to include that...

Here's the link...
If you think your home paper, alt-weekly, etc would be a happy home for Mon Qui Towne, please contact me @ info@ericdyck.com

Thanks to Scott & BOOM magazine for giving me an excuse to get started...

birthday monkey

Birthday illo for a friend...

IF: excess

A little slow this week...sat down to colour this just tonight...and the reason is pretty obvious. I've been doing a lot of this activity this week!

Threadless'n

I got a pretty good response to the last tee submission...so here goes again!!

Vote for me, I get paid, and we all get nice t-shirts!

Threadlessness

Hey folks,

Please head on over to Threadless to vote for my T-shirt entry...and mebbe...just mebbe...they might print it, and then you too can own an eric tee. We'll see.

Thanks!

Just click link below:

IF: "scale"

Idea: first outta my head
Tools: All on the tablet in photoshop
Background: listening to the WW podcast for the first time

I think they're calling it Craft & Draught now...

The following sketches were done at the Laundromat's knit/sew/craft & DJ night. Teri joined in to knit up a storm, and I was a) glad that I wasn't the only dude there and b) took the opportunity to sketch 20+ people sitting around not moving much!

Met lots of great Moncton folk too...they were very welcoming and had lots of wonderful stories to tell over their knittin' & purlin' (note to self: not moving to rural Labrador any time soon). Discussions soon turned to Guerrilla Knitting a la Suzen Green, so we'll keep our eyes open for illicit woolen coverings.

Sketch dump

Time for a new sketch dump:

IF: "Hat"

Hey IF folks!

Illustration Friday's word this week is "hat".

Drawn with my dusty ol' Pentel brush...

Arne

"Arne from Olds, AB"
We met Arne shortly after we moved, and he is a bit of a local celebrity here. Arne is the unstoppable force behind the St. George Soup N' Sandwich shop (I'm still reminiscing about that Pork/Apple Cider-sauteed onion sandwich...mmmm...) and slings coffee at the Laundromat on occasion, as well as leading by example in the organic food/sustainable gardening/ Monkey Money scene.

Arne has been kind and very generous in making us feel welcome and helping us to fit in a little 'round Moncton.

Lost: if found, please return

Tim Horton's Sketches

Got rained out walking to a late-night concert...sought refuge in a Tim Hortons. A country music jamboree (don't ask) was wrapping up, and all sorts of characters stood around in line for me to sketch from.





The lanky kids are a few of the many skinny-jean-Ramones tee-shirt wearing under-fed punk teenagers that wander Moncton's down-town in a daze. I could spend all day analyzing their gait in my sketchbook...

Yes, this actually happened to me...sigh...
"Lady, I'll zoom up to your eyebrows, that's the best I can do."




rainslickers seen on concer-goers out the window...