Duck 'n Cover

I've had numerous dreams where I'm in an apartment building, I look out the window, and Godzilla is rampaging across the city. I kid you not. Numerous times. I tell myself to just 'stay still and be quiet' when I see him. I mean, he's so freakin' big and I'm so freakin' tiny, it's not like he'll see me. And as soon as I think this, he looks over with his huge menacing yellow eyes, does that high-pitched metal-bending roar of his, and then proceeds to smash apart the building where I'm cowering inside.


It's kind of funny because Godzilla in films isn't terrifying whatsoever. Yet, the very IDEA of something gallavanting across a city, destroying everything in its path (a la Cloverfield), with you, so insignicantly small, unable to do anything about it, is a really frightening notion. Think about it!

This piece was worked on over the course of the later part of this week. ...It ended up being like three illustrations in one; the monster outside the window, the girl inside the apartment, and then that lil vintage 'gojira!' poster on the wall. Phew!

Dig It

Tak Toyoshima contacted me if my German For Autumn illustration could be used on this week's issue of Boston's Weekly Dig. And 'lo 'n behold, I said yes and now it's on the cover! If you live in the Boston area, pick up a copy; if not, you can download a PDF of the current issue online. Funny they put 'I guess she's a PC' overtop the illustration... I do use a PC!! I really have nothing against apples!!

Hydro-Fracking

If you live in NYC, you can pick up a copy of The Indypendent, the 'free paper for free people!' I had the chance to create a piece for the cover, an article that deals with the procedure of 'hydro-fracking' and how it might be polluting NYC's drinking water.
Here's the illustration as it appears on the cover, and then the original below it:

Poor Circulation

A creepy illustration just for this creepy time of year. I could have done more leaves and Autumn-related colors, but there's something I find extremely eerie about how quiet everything gets when it snows.


Those feet can belong to something mortal, or not, either way, she has very poor blood circulation...

Flying

Wow, I have to say I'm pretty darn proud of this one. This is for Illustration Friday! with the theme of the week, 'Flying.' Of course I immediately thought of Icarus who flew too close to the sun, but it was his quote that really got to me: "All limits are self imposed."

My limits are as far as I make them, so I think I went nuts with this one, working for most of the entire day on this as well as yesterday. As a bonus, here's a few work-in-progress images so you can see my process (at least... the process for this particular illustration).

First I start with solid lines, I just refer to them as 'inks.' The flames are there to give me an idea of what style I may do them in, either stylized in the same fashion as the smoke, or something else.
Next comes the background and I place flats on the front elements. The smoke I tinge with a bit of color to remind myself that Hey, I'm putting fire in there somewhere....And then I accidentally shut that red-tinge layer off. BUT. Now we have more background elements such as clouds, the shadows under them etc. I've also started placing a shadow on the man and his broken wings, with slight color tweaks here and there.

Aaaaand here's the final! Textures are brought in, the flames are painted in, embers are a-flyin' and he's most assuredly falling.
Enjoy!

Pop!

Much thanks goes out to Popwhore for mentioning me on his blog! Check it out, there's a slew of great people on there!

Also, a sneak peek at my current illustration, for Illustration Friday!'s topic 'Flying.' Enjoy!

Herbst

Not sure why, but this piece took me far longer than I thought it would have. I might've mentioned this before. My last name, 'Herbst' is actually German for the season of 'Autumn.' It holds a special place in my heart. I had created a piece a few weeks ago to signify the end of summer. This one signifies my Fall illustration for this year, literally titled 'German for Autumn.' It's been years since I did an actual self-portrait, and while I don't actually have pink hair, this is about as close as you'll get to a self-portrait from me.

...Also, I have nothing against apples except for the fact that I'm sadly allergic to them (along with all the other 'stone fruits') but I somehow force myself to eat them once in awhile anyway. Because they're ever-so-delicious.