Graphic Novel Cover Illustration Idea...

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This month's cover art of Allen Forkum's newspaper was a bit of a challenge. Having to render stone sculptures depicting aspects of automotive service, yet still with a bit of whimsy, is the kind of work that makes image-creation fascinating.
I'm pretty sure he was refering to cigarettes, but I like to think it could be applied to soft socialism.
TOP: "Conspicuous Consumption" reproduced as a 16" x 11" watercolor and ink on illustration board.
ABOVE: The original 9" x 6" cartoon as it appeared March 4, 2007 at the old Cox & Forkum site and our book, "Black and White Volume IV".
I was commissioned to turn this small cartoon into a rather large "original" for a group of people in Nashville, TN who were involved with revealing the details of Gore's tremendous kilo-watt hour usage back in 2006.
Once I blew up the original drawing to the finished proportions, it was just a matter of capturing the spirit of the ink lines and shading of the smaller one, then using subtle watercolor technique to add pizzazz.
If you happen to be a Cox and Forkum fan and you have a favorite toon you'd like reproduced large and in color, feel free to make contact at my e-mail address (see above). We'll discuss pricing based on the finished size and then I'll get started on creating a real keeper. Turn-around time is two to three days.
Illustration Friday invites illustrators to submit work based on a weekly theme. I thought it might be fun to enter this piece and see what happens.
TOP:16" x 11", watercolor on illustration board.
NEXT:9" x 6", original that appeared January 13, 2005 on the Cox and Forkum website. It was also included on our book, "Black and White World III" (page 19).
Chris was happy to discover I was more than pleased to reproduce one his favorite C&F editorial cartoons as a large, colorful original (at least to the degree the 16" x 11" piece is all ink and watercolor...NOT a large photocopy merely tinted).
I'm getting a kick out of seeing small ink drawings as full blown wall pieces. I'd enjoy hearing from anyone out there who'd like one of their faves done up.
An asphalt nomad,
Made restless for sun-kissed climes,
Freezes in headlights.
NOTE: Going through some older work, I found this one that dates back to the early 90's.
Another hat-tip to my little helper, Doc Al.
You can check out the the other "Phenomena" entries at Illustration Friday.
This is the cover for the upcoming January issue of Automotive Report. I look forward to the annual "Year in Quotes" issue because the visual solution tends to be more interpretive.
While I was away for Christmas, my family members and I caught "True Grit" which
features Jeff Bridges as the bloody Rooster Cogburn and a sparkling performance by first-timer Hallee Steinfeld as the gritty, sharp-tongued Mattie Ross.
Jeff Bridges expands and clarifies the Cogburn role made famous by John Wayne in the original. I'm sure there are many die-hard Wayne fans that aver his performance was the ultimate expression of the boozy, burnt out marshall with a weakness for doomed adventures. I'm happy to state that Bridges brings a contemporary flair to the role that the Coen brothers seize in their teeth, six-guns blazing.
Jeff Bridges for Best Actor in 2010.
John Cox is a painter, cartoonist, and illustrator for hire. For information about purchasing existing work or commissioning new work, contact him by e-mail at john555cox [at] hotmail.com.
This page contains all entries posted to John Cox Art in December 2010. They are listed from oldest to newest.
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