Dennis Jones
eclectic artwork & other random things
Sparticus Maximus Squirrelicus
A month ago when I started working on initial ideas for this new board game, my client/art director told me he was having an epic battle with squirrels in his backyard. They had taken over and were daring him to do something about it… an ongoing, ferocious military conflict! I immediately sketched this picture and sent it to him in an email entitled “Squirrel Warning!” I told him the sqirrels in his backyard had pooled their money together and hired this enforcer to come and settle the score with him…
…and that is how this picture made it into the board game.
March Madness
Here’s a little process video for March Madness. I’m sure there is a dunk of some sort in this players immediate future…
Vikings
The History Channel has a new tv series called Vikings and after watching an episode or two I have come to the conclusion that those viking guys were some pretty rough customers, although not quite as bad as a couple of hockey defensemen I have run into… literally… but viking boats were really cool with all the colorful round shields hanging off their sides and that was my inspiration for this new board game picture… although these fellows don’t seem nearly as ferocious as the typical, run-of-the-mill viking is on that tv show.
Hammer Throw
I always thought the hammer throw was a… uhm… to say the least… unique?… sporting event. I’m pretty sure this fellow gold medaled in the 1492 Medieval Summer Olympics in it.
A Good Pencil Sharpener
Hey, there’s nothing more interesting than some good pencil sharpener talk on a Friday afternoon, right?
Over the years I have worn out half-a-gazillion electric pencil sharpeners. Recently I bought several new ones… well… what I should say is, I kept buying different brands and taking them back and trying other brands because none of them would put a decent point on a pencil. The point the new electrics put on a pencil officially became the new standard for what a fully dull pencil should look like…
…so I gave up on electric pencil sharpeners altogether and decided to go low-tech. I bought a Kum (hand-held) Long Point Sharpener. I have found it to be most excellent. It is a two step system. The first hole sharpens only the wood and the second hole puts a great point on the pencil.
I thought I would miss the convenience of an electric pencil sharpener, but I have quickly gotten used to sharpening pencils by hand… plus I can take this sharpener with me anywhere I go.
Swiss Army Knife
A new one for the board game. It is a play on a previous illustration I did… but now with 90% more apples!
Gladiator
…and now stepping into the arena… SPARTICUS SQUIRRELICUS.
Starting On A New Board Game
I am getting started on a new board game that is really going to be fun to work on. I did this piece as a sort of “warm up” to get my creative juices flowing. If you have any ideas for a fun, fantasy type scene featuring warrior animals, let me know… maybe I can work them into the mix. These games should be ready for this Christmas season and I will post more about that later on this year.
Creature Feature
I had a few spare minutes to play last night, so I threw a little color onto a scribble from my sketchbook.
Heavy Texture
I’m scheduled to play bass at church this Sunday, so last night I thought it might be a good idea if I practiced a little bit. Our special music is a Coldplay song… I might have to ask the drummer to wake me up when it’s over because that song moves really slowww… but I digress… when I was done practicing music it was around 9:00 and I had nothing to do, so I experimented with some heavy texture on this little picture…
My 2012 Video Sketchbook
As you know, every year about this time I grab my sketchbook, step out into the limelight with it and if I see my shadow we all have six more weeks of winter… oh yes, every year about this time I also upload my latest sketchbook to YouTube… here it is.
The Hobbit
I am currently waiting for a scheduled client call to take place and rather than get all involved in a different job and then have to quit midstream in that to take the call, I doodled this little picture out instead… and no, this is not supposed to be the Hobbit… but it kinda reminded me of some of the guys from the Hobbit movie… which I saw over Christmas… and immediately forgot… not that it wasn’t good, I liked it… I just cant remember it… any of it…
Monday Morning Hockey Report 02/18/03
I play in a mens ice hockey league on Sunday nights, and this is my official Monday Morning Report on last nights game. At some point in the second period something happened, (not sure what) and I found myself on my knees, spinning around in circles and holding half a hockey stick in my hand, but not to worry… with a little hockey tape that stick can be fixed up good as new.
Theory vs Reality: Finished
Last week I showed a spare time project I started on a Saturday. I showed my progress on it a few days later. One thing I have learned over the years… if I don’t finish these little side projects quick, I lose interest and they never get done… so for better or for worse, here is my completed, semi-moveable archer.
Really Buff Angels We Have Heard On High
When I was growing up, one of the things that always bugged me was the way an angel looked in a Children’s Bible… a frail little fellow walking around in his moms white bed sheet sporting a 1970’s Farrah Faucett hairdo. I had no idea what an angel actually looked like, but surely not that… which is why without proper adult supervision, my angels always turn out looking something like this.
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Dennis Jones 