It's (Not Really) Almost Christmas Morning

OK, so 2017 may be behind us, but that doesn't mean we have to forget everything that happened! Case in point - Happy Holi-Dakes Vol. 7 was released with a pretty great cover, along with an awesome original tune called Almost Christmas Morning that will get stuck in your head.

Anyway, more about the letter-&-brush-work. Let me explain the animated GIF below for you...

(1) I usually try to draw a cover that encompasses everything contained within the album. This year that just wasn't working. Sorry, Santa.
(2) New idea - keep it simple. Like an album cover of old, just show the performers and information about what they're playing.
(3) Refine #2. Note: My brother doesn't quite look like that. But he also doesn't have a beard or glasses, so it's his own fault I can't draw him.
(4) We need some color in the background. This dullish blue will do.
(5) We need some drama! Enter the spotlight...
(6) We need information about what's inside, along with a note about my dear grandmother who left us earlier in 2017. Hi, gramma!
(7) And this was the key. Instead of leaving the players cold and white, they needed a warmth. But not TOO Christmas-green. So this key lime does the trick.

And that's that.

(It's a slow burn GIF. Relax.)

Method, Man

I don't do this often, but I thought it would be fun to show some of my work (like 5th grade long division). So here's the process for the latest Happy Holi-Dakes album cover. Summarized and simplified of course. You can download the album for free here: http://jamesdake.bandcamp.com/album/happy-holi-dakes-2013.

 

(Click the image to feel the jingle.)

 

Note: All work done with Wacom Bamboo Capture in Manga Studio 5. GIF made with GIMP.
(1) Rough sketch in black.
(2) Copy sketch layer and change it to blue; increase opacity.
(3) Draw final black line drawing.
(4) Flat color on new layer beneath line drawing, with movement lines on another layer. (6 layers total at this point, with white background layer.)
(5) Background created in two layers: the first with two brushes to create texture, followed by a diagonal gradient from left to right. I changed the colors around until I settled on the pink salmon color.
(6) Time to add glow! The star glows on its own layer with a trail of flashes creating more movement.
(7) Based on the light source of the star, I added highlights and shadows on a new layer, using mostly yellow and purple respectively. This adds much needed depth to the image as you can see in the animated GIF. I repeated this step in the animation to better show the difference.
(8) Added text. (In total, there were 11 layers counting white background.)

Happy Holi-Dakes!

Dog & Tricks

A bit long and late in posting, but I've got two in a row to make up for it. The first is a quick sketch from a recent open mic night:

(Click the image for pop-up action.)

Songs That Float

Troy Morris, Flint Crepe Company: Thursday, August 2, 2012.

(Click on the image for live action.)