New Project

So the wedding is gearing up for a wonderful year long roller coaster ride of planning and stress. Flowers, honeymoon, tux, dress, alterations, boots (yeah boots), and so much other stuff its insane. I think that there kind of is an entrance exam for marriage. And it's this part. Okay, that aside, I have a new project.

When I was younger my friend Gabe and I created comics. He and I collaborated on content and I drew them. Given my remedial skills as an illustrator, we kind of looked like the same person in the comics. And, while the storyline was kind of there, I like to think we'll have more depth this time around. We're going to attempt a comic about childhood. A sort of blend of reality and fantasy. I found that after drawing long lanky characters all my life, drawing kids is freaking hard. (As I said to both Gabe and Deanna because I thought myself clever: "They're all big heads and tiny arms. Like a T-Rex, but less cool.")

So now gabe and I are working on a story and character models. I see the comic starting out playfully, but dealing with some real issues as the story progresses. Possible things to tackle:

Is what is happening (aliens, dinosaurs, etc.) actually real?
If not, then is the other friend even real?
And probably more, lol. I have some sketches I'd like to share now.

Outside

Outside
A Mural Print by Daniel James Clark

Through my artistic development, my work has drawn from a common theme: the blending of reality and fantasy. I’ve made the association between childhood fantasies, and the adult need for wonder, excitement, and adventure. My thesis is that as we age, our thirst for the magical, the fantastic, and the “otherworld” just out of sight does not diminish. As adults we still need to believe that anything is possible. I feel that the way we can satisfy this need is through exploration: going “outside”. Whether exploring takes us just outside our comfort zone, or thrusts us into something wholly immersive does not matter, so long as we are outside.

“Outside” examines that conclusion by drawing the character, and thereby the viewer to peer outside through the window into a universe of possibility. Printed as a 40x26 inch piece, “Outside” is intended to place the viewer in front of a scene they can immerse themselves in more effectively than a smaller print would allow.