Frog Sketch

   I'm not the first to doodle when I'm on the phone or in meetings. I'm certainly not the last. This 'lil guy came from a work meeting when it wasn't my turn to talk. I'll color him one day, give him a name, and a famous quote.

J.

Eirinn Go Brach! - Happy St. Patrick's Day

   I've always loved my Irish t-shirts to commemorate my 1/16 Irish heritage. (I know, right? That 'n $5 will get you a latte). I have my old 2005 Old Navy St. Paddy's Day shirt that nice and worn out, as well as some others. 

   When I was introduced to CafePress.com, I realized I could just do my own if I couldn't find what I wanted. Here's round 1. I love it, and that's the beauty of the site. Do what you like. 

Check out what it looks like on shirts here. 

J. 

The Cheeky Daddy Shop Is Open!

Let it be known near and far. The Cheeky Daddy's CafePress account is OPEN!!!

Just gots to load it with more stuff, artwork 'n all. 

Check 'er out: 

http://www.cafepress.com/TheCheekyDaddy

Requests welcome. 

J. 

Wreck-It Ralph - Review

"Just because you are bad guy,...doesn't mean you're 'bad guy'".     - Wreck-It Ralph, 2012

 

 

   So me and my crew saw Wreck-It Ralph. We were not disappointed. My art manager from years ago had emailed me an article about Disney doing an 8-Bit animated feature. Mmmm, close. The hype built as the kids requested the trailer every other night. My little guy ran around the house yelling, "I'm gonna wreck it!", before pounding his fists on anything,....and anyone.

   Now, I'm pretty easily entertained. Yet, there are a LOT of animated movies out there now and so very many of them are garbage. Wreck-It Ralph had me glued. More importantly, it had my two kids glued. If I'm paying through the nose, for a MATINEE, then I'd better get my money's worth. If my little guy can sit through most of a film, then it has my stamp of approval regardless of content. Having said that, I was laughing throughout the film.

   The visuals were eye-candy in every sense of the phrase. I loved the different game genre that they hit. More than just scene changes, they found the essence of the 8-Bit game all the way over to first person shooter modern graphics. The storyline was pleasing too. I love that there was a male figure trying to figure some stuff out, and a strong female character or two for my daughter to be invested in. At one point at the end, during a triumphant moment, my little guy sitting on my lap threw both fists in the air. He was feeling the vibe and I was too.

   I don't remember theatre's being THAT loud, but,...it was LOUD. We got in the car and I felt like I'd just been to a heavy metal concert. I doubt that was the film's fault. The soundtrack had my shoulders twitching, and my little guy stood up from his seat more than once to dance to the music. I can recommend this flick to everyone. Children, grown up children, grown-ups WITH children, etc. It was a fun ride and we'll be owning it at home one day for sure. Enjoy!

 

J. 

Art When You Can

I will produce art where and when I can. This was a project for my 'Lil Miss's Fall Festival at school. Their class booth was paper airplanes. I volunteered for the box and tried to make something fun. My little guy helped me out with painting and such. The final product is at the bottom and while we were at the festival, it looked like a lot of fun. It was for all ages, so you decorated a paper airplane, chucked it in the box, and BAM.....candy.

Art when you can.

J.

Lunch Box Art Surprises

     I've tried to do more of my lunch box art surprises for my 'Lil Miss. They're VERY quickly done, so that I don't get burned out on doing them. I remember how much fun it was to get a note from my mother in my lunch, and so I've tried to start doing more of that with my first born. As she is in kindergarten now, we're still in the beta test phase. I'm finishing 1 every week or two on average. Some weeks I'll do almost all 5 days. Sometimes I'll go a few weeks without doing one.
   The point is actually trying. She loves it and I enjoy the outlet for my art (which is hard to find time for these days). Being fast, there are liberties taken on anatomy and architecture. She gets the point, and that's all that matters.

J.

You've Got A Friend In Me

You've got troubles, well I've got 'em too

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

We stick together and we see it through

You've got a friend in me

- Randy Newman

     I snapped this pic a few days back and realized how good I've got it that my little ones get along so well. While they ARE still young, I hope it's a foundation to build on so that later on in life they don't resort to the exchange of gunfire. My 'Lil Miss is very type A, and can get extremely frustrated when things are not going her way. That seems to pale in comparison to her loving nature. She's always looking out for the underdog, offering help where the shy kid needs it, and comforts her little brother whenever he's upset. My 'Lil Man is the same. He's all boy, for sure, but has a sweet natured side that uses "please" and "thank you" all day long.

     How can we accomplish this? The Wife and I communicate with the kids often. While some items fall under the "because I'm your father" category, explaining things goes over very well. Granted, The Wife has more patience with that than I do, but I'm learning. I think showing love to one another for them to see it important too. Mom and dad showing affection and helping each other. Dad showing that same love and help to each child. They then adopt the behavior to each other.

   Either way, the scene pictured above melted my heart. Let's hope we have a lifetime of them.

J. 

The Birth Of A New Toon

     So, here's the first cartoon for a company that sells generic medication sample kiosks to doctors. The middle panel is a line they use on the doctors, and this was the basis for the first 'toon to come out of it. I have a slew of ideas for the kiosk and its conversations.
     I'm just happy to be creating again. Creating characters and putting them in fun situations is great. As long as that remains, I am a happy man.

J.

This Day Is Just Dragon On

     I did a sketch whilst in a meeting at work. The scribbles turned into a dragon, and as I said the word "dragon" over and over in my head, it clicked. In my head, as I sighed, I thought "Man, this day is just draggin' on."
     The sketch was digitized and the text layed out. I'm sure you've all had days like that, and are in agreement that they tend  to drag-on. It's high time we had a mascot for that feeling. I threw the graphic on a pile of gear at Cafe Press, just in case anyone wants a tee or mug that announces your feelings on the day, meeting, etc.
     Hope you like it.

J.

Art When You Can

   So this certainly isn't the work of an artist up all night, for weeks on end. As my time becomes more limited between my day job, kids, and the Attack of the Clones (huh?....), I find little time for me. There's even less time for my art. Yet, I find the time where I can. In this case, I was waiting on a lunch order for an appointment with a doctor's office. One Sushi has been really good to me (Flash site, takes a bit to load). The owners open up early for me to get my food to the office in time and always throw in a bit more than I ordered.
   In this case, I was waiting for the food to come out, had my sketch pad, and whipped this little homage. I handed it to her as I signed the receipt. She quickly put a piece of tape on the piece and put it on the wall behind her. "I put it here.", she said with a HUGE smile on her face. Either they don't get much extra appreciation, or she liked it that much. Either way, I got to draw a bit more and show some love. Now your turn.

J.

Modern Art In A Few Words

   I stumbled across a piece by Craig Damrauer, which can also been seen at 20x200. It summarizes what I've been feeling within myself as of late about art, my art and the art of others. When my wife and I used to go out window shopping, I was always armed with my art degree and the need to say, "I could do that." Add that with "Yeah, but you didn't.", and you get me and my modern art. Children, job, occasional apathy,........it all plays a part. It's not excuse, no matter how you stack it. 

   Life finds a way, and keeps going no matter what your day is like. Just this past year, I was laid off, losing a house, getting a new job, putting my dog of 11.5 years down, moving to a new city, and a host of other things. I realized in the middle of it all that life was moving on despite me. I applied that thinking to my art and it all made sense. Art is made with our without you. I've done a few pieces here and there since. My daughter has a lot to play in the influence of continual creation. 

   Point is, don't scoff or demean unless you really plan on doing something about it. I intend to gain momentum with each day and I thank Craig's and this piece for reminding me of that. 

Creativity Anytime

So. I was grabbing a frozen yogurt at the local Yog-in and the gal behind the counter had been doodling to pass the time. I got a shot of it and decided it would go well with my thought for the day. Whether you're on the phone, killing some time at work, needing some warm up exercises for an art gig, or whatever, we can all use a little creativity anytime. A lot of times it comes from sketching. The guys at First Second Books have some good insight in warm ups. I like the the line that says "sketching is like play". That's exactly it!

I also like art collaboration, competition and a collection of artists that feed off each other for ideas, showcasing and the like. One of my favorites has always been the endless amount of talent at Avalanche Software, where they work on Disney games. The blog is dedicated to all the previously mentioned stuff, and has always inspired me to keep drawing.

Point is, whether you're an artist by trade, by night, or by yourself.....keep on doing it. The world needs more creativity. We all start off in school cutting, pasting and drawing. It gets weeded out, beaten out, and schooled out of us too soon. So next time you're on the phone, or sitting on the train/bus/boat or any other version of mobile sketching,.... doodle something. Anything. Heck, email it to me and I'll post it. HAPPY to!!! 'Till then.....

(original sketch by A. Matilla. Thanks for the pic!)
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An-emotion

So we rented and watched Toy Story 3 the other night and I'm compelled to mention that the whole later third for the movie had me in an emotional state for the remainder of the evening and had me thinking into the next day. There's a part where the Toy Story crew is in peril and the end looks near. I watched as Buzz's face had a look of acceptance, and he prepared to meet his end. He then convinced the others, through facial expressions alone, that this was okay. For whatever reason, it moved me beyond words.

It reminded me of Frank and Ollie commenting on the animation done on Snow White, after the apple is bitten and she appears to be dead. At the viewing, the dwarves are in mourning and some are crying. Frank and Ollie commented that this was a first for animation. Evoking emotion through hand drawn animation. This was the same with the scene in Toy Story 3. The whole remainder of the movie kept me in that state and there was a sense of true closure in a wonderful trilogy. Kudos to the story writers, animators and composer of the score. All three made it one of the most memorable scenes I've experienced.

Kyra's Surf Shop

I have a niece that lives in Utah, but I swear belongs on a beach somewhere. She's got a hammock hanging over her bed for crying out loud. Here's the wipe board logo we did together. Fun stuff.

My Princess

I remember seeing posts from fellow artists that were inspired by their own little critters, rugrats, or whatever you want to lovingly call your offspring. Once my first born started developing a personality, I noticed that she inspired me in the same way. She's my little princess. She also comes up with the most random sayings, characters and situations, which we ALL know is what an artist thrives on. Hence the princess doodle, the Quibee character, and the little girl sketch.

Hopefully, I'm back. www.jasonswann.com is still online for the time being. It may be moved to another hosting site, so we'll see. Until next time.....pencils ready!!!

Long time...no post

Okay, so I don't know if anyone visits this anymore, but I'm determined to jump start this baby. Lot's going on these days, but that's no excuse. I redid my type test as a start and WHOA, all those IMs are paying off...


60 words

Speed test

...So until next time, my apologies. Mostly to myself, as I may be the only one looking here anymore. Here's to a rebirth, or reblog, or reblogbirth,...'er something.

J.

Clickity Clack!

I did this for fun, just to see how much I've improved since high school. NOT BAD!!! I thought I was in the mid 30's. See what constant blogging will do for you?




62 words

Speedtest

Kare-Free Koala

I did a phone doodle at work last week and had a few minutes to put him into Illustrator. He seems to either have a care free look to him, or possibly sympathy for my rusty drawing skills. Either way, he was a fun sketch.

Astropop - The Drink of the Future!

I was doing a test in Illustrator and needed a subject. Hence the birth of "Astropop"! This soft drink is light years ahead of the competition. From initial liftoff, you will feel the sensation of weightlessness. Some people may even experience the sensation of queezyness. One thing's for sure. You'll see stars and may never touch down again.
* Side effects may include: depression, euphoria, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, lightheadedness, nausea, runny nose, hot sweats, cold sweats, invisibility, telepathy, and in rare cases, death. Enjoy!

(disclaimer - this is a joke, not real and fake. In no way is meant to compete with Astropop, if a real product of the same name exists.)

Ben's Surf Shop

So Ben's my buddy that claims he's a dentist. I'm a conspiracy theorist who believes that it's all a cover for his actual business and lifestyle. Surfing. Reports are filtering in that his patients recall being referred to as "dude" more frequently, and that his practice has the unmistakable oder of board wax. While his tan gets better, we wait to see when the blond dread locks appear. Surfs up Dr. McEvoy!