The Final Problem 11x14 Pen and Ink Commission

 

Just completed my latest commission of THE ADVENTURE OF THE FINAL PROBLEM. Inked in Deleter #4 Black Drawing Ink on Canson 11x14 Bristol Board.

 

Sherlock Holmes's pose is based on an illustration by an artist who went by the moniker Spy. That image was based on actor William Gillette. Professor Moriarty in my piece was based on Peter Cushing.

 

Although, Mr. Cushing had portrayed Holmes on both film and television, I always thought he would have made a great Professor Moriarty.

Sherlock Commission #2

A second Sherlock Holmes commission inspired by a Sidney Paget original. Making progress on it. Added a table of knickknacks and will be doing a light sepia wash soon. Luckily Deleter#4 is waterproof. I found that out when I was trying to do an ink wash and actually WANTED the lines I made to run a little.

 

 

A Study in Sherlock cover

I just finished tweaking the file for my next book. A collection of practically all the Sherlock Holmes artwork I have done over the past 12 years. Which will include illustrations, small pen and ink sketches, comic art and set design.

 

I hoping to have a few copies available by the time stART at the Station rolls around. But if things go pear-shaped, it'll be available on Amazon.com and for download on Kindle.

 

Perfect for a last minute stocking stuffer.

 

However Memento Mori, the book I worked on with my wife Syd, WILL be available for purchase at stART. It's already available for purchase and available for download!! You can find a link to it on the right hand side of your computer screen.

My study in Sherlock. Things to look forward to in my next book...

As I finish up on the book I'm working on with my wife Syd, I have also finished compiling illustrations (like the one above) for a book featuring a great number of Sherlock Holmes artwork I have done since 2000. This will include illustrations, comic art and small works.

While not all the work featured will be a gem. Matter of fact some of it is pretty bad. But it does represent a stage in my development as a professional artists and my development in my understand of the character of Sherlock Holmes.

And eventually aided me in my approach of the character when I decided to adapt William Gillette's play into a graphic novel.

I'm hoping to have both this book and the one I'm completing with Syd out just in time for Holiday shopping.

A couple more holiday auctions... for the road...

Here's your chance to win a copy of either Gloomy Presentiments of Thing to Come or Sherlock Holmes: The Painful Predicament of Alice Faulkner. Or both.

And since 'Tis the Season, or so I have been lead to believe, the winning bidder of Gloomy Presentiments will also win not only their copy PERSONALLY inscribed to them by author Susurrus Din and myself, they will also receive THE ORIGNAL COVER ART of the book as well.

Click on one or the other image below to start bidding. Happy Holidays and Happy Bidding!!

The Return of Sherlock Holmes

After doing an adaptation of William Gillette's play Sherlock Holmes I have been putting a lot of thought into doing an adaptation of one of the stories from the canon.

My choices have come down to both Charles Augustus Milverton and Black Peter. And I think I may end up doing both!!

Originally I ended up wanting to do Sherlock Holmes stories that had not been adapted too much. And even though it's been adapted a couple times, I couldn't resist doing an adaptation of Charles Augustus Milverton.

Although, I've already got a to do list of projects longer than both my arms, I don't mind tacking a couple more on to that to do list.

Although I've already started scripting Charles Augustus Milverton to a comic book script, probably wouldn't get either project started until sometime after I finished both the second Polly and Handgraves tale and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

But it's always nice to have projects planned and scripted in advanced. Just so my mind doesn't rebel against stagnation too too much ;-)

New print!! The Blue Carbuncle

I try to do at least one new print for every art show. This year I created a color print of an earlier illustration I did based on Sidney Paget's illustration for the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.

Five signed copies the print will be available for purchase at this year's stART at the Station on Sunday December 6th. So, get them while they last!!

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

Four or five years back now I attempted to adapt the Sherlock Holmes story The Adventure of the Cardboard Box as a graphic novel. This was probably going back to either 2004 or 2005 I attempted this. I probably got 15 or so pages into the project and I gave up tossing the pages I had completed into the files with countless other scripts and unfinished projects.

Having completed lettering Alice Faulkner about a month or so ago has made me want to do at least a couple more Sherlock Holmes graphic novels. And The Cardboard Box immediately sprang to mind. I always enjoyed the story because it was based on a true crime.

For those of you unfamilar with the world of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had based this particular tale on a case he had taken part in with his professor Dr. Joseph Bell while he was at Univesity. Someone had received a parcel with two severed ears and Dr. Bell deduced that the ears came from two seperate people.

For those of you who love those CSI style shows, this is the man you can thank for them. He basically helped established forensic science the way we know it now.

But I feel one of the things that hindered me from finishing the story was the fact that I had written the script as a movie script and not a comic book script. I think I had originally intended it as script for a movie or animation. Trying to layout panels and pages on the fly is not an easy task. It's nearly as problematic as trying to write a graphic novel without using a script.

It was something I use to attempt in High School drawing pages for graphic novels on xerox paper with Sharpie Markers. Yeah, I know how could working with those quality supplies EVER doom a professional project to failure. But in the end the project would become rambling (and a slight rip off of both Batman and Spawn) and it's ultimate fate was the dustbin.

So a few days ago I decided I may give the Carboard Box another try. I just finished reworking the script this morning before I headed out to teach my art classes.

This time I broke it down from page to page and panel to panel. Which brought the book out to around 80 pages. More given all the credit pages and any goodies I may or may not add at the end.

But it would be nice to create this book as a companion piece for Alice Faulkner. Since my previous Holmes project is based on pastiche. Although, very enjoyable pastiche.

Still, I thought it would be nice to tackle one of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

So, stay tuned brave readers.

Sherlock Holmes cover art.

I just finished up the second cover for my two part (perhaps three part) Sherlock Holmes graphic novel. The illustration is based on a Sherlock Holmes piece by Frederic Dorr Steele. Yes. This time I'm more than certain it's by Frederic Dorr Steele.

Since William Gillette WAS Sherlock Holmes at that time, many of his Holmes illustrations featured Gillette's likeness. Sort of in the same way now how people immediately identify the character of Sherlock Holmes either with Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett. Although, there have been many, many really fine actors who have taken on the role in between, THOSE are the actors I think of when you mention Sherlock Holmes.

I also drew upon (no puns intended. really. seriously. honest. well, maybe a little) Sidney Paget's artwork for Holmes's attire. Which has been used in both Peter Cushing's series for the BBC in the late 1960's and Jeremy Brett's series in the 1980's to mid 1990's.

A bit of a historical correction

I had mentioned in a previous blog entry that the cover for volume one of my Sherlock Holmes graphic novel was based on an illustration by Frederic Dorr Steele. Upon further investigation I discovered I was incorrect. The illustration I based this upon was illustrated by an artist named SPRY for a 1901 issue of Vanity Fair.


Nonetheless, it still fits in the realms of wanting to use artwork which depicts William Gillette as Holmes for the covers of both volumes. With a few changes inspired by Sidney Paget's illustrations. The second cover will be indeed inspired by a Frederic Dorr Steele illustration. Which I am applying Deleter #3 ink to the pencils as I sit here and write.