Pulsing Blanket

Wolverine
(Ink, Digital)

I'm listening to the BoB Dylan - No Direction Home podcast, inking and coloring this lil Wolverine drawing. Don't Think Twice is my favorite Dylan song. Listening to bits of genius and how someone can experience bits of genius is fascinating to me. It seems like sometimes I can melt into a drawing mind and forget remember everything I need and forget anything else - a pulsing blanket of concentration.

In the Glass

Batman and Robin
(ink, Watercolor)

Blogging for me has been kind of like being naked in front of a window to a deserted back yard. There could be people out there in the woods. One might just look up from what they're doing and catch a glimpse of what I'm lucky enough to see every morning in the mirror before I jump into the shower. She might even stare, poke her friend and hastily point out what she can see but can't touch, wanting someone else to share in her hopeless longing. Then again, there could be no reason to look up at all because there are 3 million other people standing naked out in the snow trying to get the attention of these silly forest people. The market is saturated. So, what's a guy to do? Draw Batman. and then draw him with Robin. Why? Why the hell not? If i'm going to be naked, I might as well toss in a few hot turns. Afterall, I can still kind of see myself in the reflection of the glass......

Mike and Caroline 2

"They Shared Simmilar Interests."
(Pencil)

A finished sketch of the next installment of Mike and Caroline. They work pretty well together.

Mike and Caroline

Caroline met Mike on a Camping Trip Last August.
(Ink on Wood)


This is the first in a series of panels i'm going to be doing about these two characters. I really wanted to draw on this piece of ply I found in some blok's trashpile. The original is pretty big, at least for my scanner it was. It took four passes to get the whole thing in there. A color piece will follow as well......soon.

New WFH spot

Inspiration
(Pencil, Photoshop)

This spot will appear in the next Women For Hire Magazine for an article about everyday influential women leaders. So look for my piece when you get the new issue!

Self Portrait

5 Min Self
(Photoshop)

Here's a quick sketch of my beautiful mug. Thats not a needle by the way...

The Don

The Don
(Pen, collage)

Although I'm an avid Red Sox fan, I have to say that the first batting stance I ever mimicked was The Don's. Something about that turned out heel spoke to me. It was almost as if he was turning his heel at the establishment or maybe he was getting a head start back to the bench. In any case, It was different and I liked it. Almost as much as The Don loves "Fantastic little drawings of spiders," which was his answer to the question what is your favorite thing on this planet ever for all time, when asked by the makers of TOPPS 1986 baseball cards. The Don and I had a lot in common then. I can't help but think of the retired The Don standing in front of his vast collection of tiny framed arachnid drawings, turning his heel out and, with a gentle grin, taking a swing.

Rations

Rations
(Sketch)
I've had this kicking around my sketchbook in thumbnail form. This is where I'm at as of Day 2 of 2006. We've had plumbing problems in my aptartment, water leaking everywhere. I don't think The Ginormous Cow is responsible, but what if she is? Mooin' around on the roof droppin' stickball bats down our vents, sqeezin' milk from her six pack, gettin high on fungus that grows off her feces. I'll be its TGC.....

Song Punch

Song-jitsu
(Pencil, Digital)

Somewhere there's a wallpapered room where disputes are settled not with physical combat, but with the raw power of SONG. Enter Song-jitsu.

Get Down

Get Down
(Pencil, Digital)
Here's the color version.

Get Down - Sketch
(Pencil)
Just pencil for now. Whenever I get in a slump I just draw myself. Sometimes my raw beauty torques my feet out and they're forced to huck themselves upwards toward the ceiling. Mostly naked though, getting them down is next to impossible.

Trapper Van Pelt

Trapper Van Pelt
(Brush)
This is the famous Trapper Van Pelt...At least an artist's rendering of him. I mean, come on, has anyone really, truly seen him?

A Few in Pen

Sketch

(Pen)
Here's a caricature of one of my fellows BTSS. He's wicked smart and sports a relatively good beard. Drawn on the subway with a mear pen.

Sketch
(Pen)
This one is of out of the blue. It was kind of a rural prog thing....

Sketchachussetts

Sketch
(Pen)
I stopped and bought Sin City on the way home today. It psyched me up to draw. This is what came out....

Angel Bag

Sketch
(Pencil)
This one stems from a subway drawing as well. To be colored and re-posted!
Not everyone realizes that when angels get chopped up into 8 pieces and stuffed into plastic bags by a man in plaid pants, they fly home to be put back together! This guy sure didn't!

Better than the Original

An Incredible-er Journey
(Pencil, Digital)
Ok, remember when there was an "earthshake" and all the babies were separated from the moms and dads and the babies were forced to go on an incredible journey to find their mothers and the Great Valley? Well, this is kind of the same except with more plastic and more holes, way more holes.

Brown Bagged Legs

Almonds are for Lovers
(Pencil,Digital)
Another train sketch turned illustration. This guy really did have that windbreaker on. It was wicked sweet and I wanted it. I wanted him to want to give it to me for free. Alas, he never did.

Up to Speed 2

The Hand
(Pencil, Digital)
A life drawing spawned illustration of an odd occurance on a train.

Up to Speed

The 747 Hit a Unicorn So Everyone Lived
(Ink Digital)
A piece I did before a flight from Phoenix to Manchester. I've never been a big fan of flying, but I'd never be afraid if I was sure unicorns were on the ground protecting us.

Brown Baggin' It
(Pencil, Collage, Digital)
A piece I did for Desert Living for an article on how to throw your own brown bag mystery wine extravaganza. If you look closely, you can see the guy in blue is with the blonde, but he's makin' eyes at the fiery redhead. The texture in the background there is 100% real recycled brown bag. This piece drips with authenticity.

Mike Stackhouse
(pencil, Digital)
The sketch was done on the spot and colored on the computer. Mike Stackhouse is an incredible musician. He and Ian make up Special Band and they are amazing. I had the pleasure of sitting in on a practice session with Rum Tenor, another excellent act from AZ.
Check out their website - http://home.earthlink.net/~harrisonhufman/

First Things First

Welcome to my brand spanking new outlet/sounding board for my newest illustration work. Seeing as how my website ( http://www.loujoe.com ) has become obsolete, I figured this would be a simple, immediate way to get back on track. So, here it goes...

Beth the Baby Killer
(Ink, Digital)
Beth had two potential children and neglected them both resulting in their eventual rotting away and consumption by ants. She was on them for a while, but I guess she just got bored. Unfortunately, Brendan got in the way as I was drawing her. (Click on the image to make it larger.)