Coffee Shop Cutie #3

Here's another quick sketch from a coffee shop.

This was a young woman immersed in her headphones while writing a paper of some kind on her laptop. She was deadly serious and quite focused the whole time I was there. I don't know what she had going in those headphones but whatever it was it certainly didn't distract her from her writing.

Breaking away from my usual haunt, I did this in a coffee shop inside of a large shopping mall.

Coffee shop cutie

Unlike with the drawing I posted yesterday, I didn't get caught sketching this young lass.

Lauren joined me for the last half of my sketching session on the day that I created this and the drawing I posted yesterday. By the time I started working on this one Lauren was sitting with me and that created excellent camouflage. No one suspects a fine upstanding lad sitting with his lady to be doing anything creepy.

The way I figure most people see it is that a guy sitting in the corner by himself sketching attractive women is lonely, desperate, odd, socially inept and possibly even a little (or a lot) unsafe.

But a guy sitting in the corner with his gal and drawing attractive women? Surely that guy is a professional. He's creative, talented special and possibly even a little bit attractive himself.

That's the magic of social proof. We all feel a whole lot more comfortable about something when we see that someone else likes it.

But I'm cool with all of that of course. I'm a dork and I know it. I'm probably even a little socially inept. I'm not creepy though so at least I've got that going for me. And as for sitting alone in the corner sketching away while the world thinks I'm a hazard... well I guess I just have to apologize in advance if my presence makes folks uncomfortable.

Worry not though, I'm just a goofy little art boy trying like mad to improve my craft and maybe knock out a few winners to share with everyone. Enjoy your coffee, I promise not to stare.

Busted for sketching a girl at a coffee shop

I got busted while trying to discreetly sketch this cutie at a coffee shop.

I normally pride myself on my ability to discreetly sketch people in public without them noticing. I keep it on the low because I don't want people to feel uncomfortable. This time however, I got busted.

I was sketching at a coffee shop and I noticed this young lass in line to order her drink. I took a few furtive glances and got started on this sketch.

After she had ordered her drink she went to wait for it by the area of the counter where the staff hands out the finished drinks. I had an even better view of her there so I was able to get a couple of good looks at her without her noticing me at all.

Immediately following my second extended look (as I was about to look back down at my sketchbook) my eyes shifted over and noticed to my shock and horror that her friend was standing right there! She was staring directly at me, watching me watch her friend.

I reacted on impulse by quickly looking down at my sketch but then I just had to acquiesce. I looked right back up at the friend who was smiling now. I smiled too and shrugged. I put my hands up in a gesture that said "You caught me." She smiled wider and leaned over to whisper in her friend's ear.

I quickly buried my nose in my sketchbook like a dope and prayed that I wouldn't have to face further embarrassment by showing off the half completed sketch if they decided to walk over. Fortune shined upon me and they both left without stopping by.

I suppose the odds were in my favor, though. Who the heck wants to go confront that creepy guy in the corner who's been staring at you and scribbling away furiously in some mysterious book. Those are the kinds of guys who drive broken down old vans with duct tape and black spray paint over the back windows. Those are the kinds of guys you avoid at all costs if you value your life.

James Bond 007 I am not.

Starting my oil painting of Greece

Here is the rough preliminary sketch for an oil painting of Greece that I am doing for my mom.

My mother asked me for an original oil painting for the dining room back home. She loves the Greek Islands and the gorgeous ocean side landscapes that are common there. After pouring over cascades of beautiful reference photos we settled on this arrangement.

This has elements from several different photos arranged together into a single composition.

I'm very excited to paint this! In my mind I can see the masterpiece but it will be quite a challenge for me to match with paint the vision that I have in my head. I'll keep you posted as I progress through the various phases on this project!

George Carlin was a genius!

George Carlin is my all time favorite comedian!

I created and originally posted this illustration in 2008 when George passed away (as part of my then Summer Slam Blog). I decided to post it again here since I've been on a roll lately with posting illustrations in this style.

I love to listen to his comedy while I spend a good long day at the drawing table. It never gets old! His performances were not only hilarious but poignant and thought provoking.

Henry Ford said: "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it."

I think George Carlin was doing his part to help all of us remedy that. 

Here is a complete list of the links to all of the other people and characters that I have tackled so far with this style.

Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert  Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Wolverine 
Spiderman
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

 

Superpowers give you a big head...literally

As promised here's my Spiderman illustration in this fun cartoony style.

Here also are the preliminary sketches which came first.

I actually like several of these sketches and I've been thinking about going back and creating final color versions of them. It would be fun to have a series of these cute little Spidey illustrations.

Once again I scanned the pencil sketch and colored this in Adobe Illustrator.

Just like yesterday's Wolverine, this Spidey was created for my 2008 Summer Slam Blog.

The thing that I love most about working in this style (or any style, actually) is best exemplified in a quote from Orson Welles that I keep taped above my computer monitor.


"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

Limitation gives me (as an artist) a framework to play with. Once I have a box that I know I need to work within, it gives me all sorts of freedom to begin creative experimentation. I ask myself: "How can I express this idea within the confines of this style?" That's a challenge and I love it!

Here are some links to other people and characters that I have tackled so far with this style.


Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert  Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Wolverine
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

Bouncy little Wolverine!

 When this little guy springs into action I don't know whether to cower or laugh!

This rambunctious fella is from the ol' Lark archives. I created him in 2008 as part of my then Summer Slam Blog.

Here's the step by step ink and colored pencil drawing that came first!

To create the digital version I scanned the red pencil sketch and colored it in Adobe Illustrator. 

I just love the challenge of approaching established and familiar characters or real life personalities in a new and interesting way. We've all seen plenty of stunning Wolverine permutations over the years and I hope that I've added a little something new to the mix.
 
If you dig this style then tune in tomorrow for Spiderman!

And in the meantime, here are some links to other illustrations that I've done with this fun, bouncy approach..
Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert  Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

The Notorious D.O.G.

As a big fan of hip hop music and of The Notorious BIG in particular I was ecstatic when I was commissioned to create this T-Shirt design inspired by the late great rapper.

Here is the approved pencil sketch which I used to create the final color version (above) in Adobe Photoshop.

The final color version still looks a little too slick to me and lacks texture but that was the specific style that my client was after. I was asked to create an "Airbushed" look. I may still go back and play with it a bit just for my own fun and satisfaction.

In order to properly fuel my inspiration I pulled out my Biggie CDs and played them back to back while I worked on this. I had a blast creating this and finding a creative way to turn Biggie into a pooch!

My Sweetie's astounding study of Sorolla!

Today I simply have to throw the spotlight on my sweetheart Lauren and her gorgeous oil study!

Lauren painted this beautiful oil study of a Joaquin Sorolla painting on a 14x18 canvas. She was super nervous about painting the two little boys. She was worried that her draftsmanship of the figures would fall short but look how nicely this turned out!

Lauren and I are both big fans of Joaquin Sorolla (often referred to as the Spanish John Singer Sargent). It's nearly impossible to find a book of his paintings locally so L and I took a road trip down to San Diego where some of Sorolla's work is on display and we heard a rumor that a book of his paintings was available in the gift shop.

What a fun trip! I got in trouble with museum security for sketching without a "Sketching Pass". The guard made me put away my sketchbook and pencil until I could acquire proper permission to sketch in the museum. So I went to the front desk prepared to either pay some hefty fee or argue my case and it turns out that "Sketching Passes" are free and tossed out like candy to anyone who cares to ask for one. No I.D., no questions, no nothin'. THEN WHAT THE HECK IS THE POINT OF REQUIRING A PASS?

Anyhoo, I got my pass (a sticker) and stuck it on my shirt in a place that was covered up by my sketchbook while I was drawing. The same power hungry security guard spotted me sketching and didn't see my covered pass. He came rushing over gleefully to bust me but I simply lowered my sketchbook and showed him the pass emblazoned on my chest like the Superman logo. He said not a word and sulked away.

But alas, I digress. The point here is that Lauren and I got the book and she chose one of her favorite paintings from the book to create a study of. So here it is in all it's glory. I'm so proud of her! Nice job, sweetie!

Sketching under firecracker bombardment

This past Sunday the New Year's festivities in Chinatown made for some great sketching.

Lauren and I went to the main temple there where the majority of the festivities take place. They have performances (including the classic dragon dance), martial arts demonstrations and a plethora of firecrackers.

Everyone gets into the firecracker spirit and it's unnerving to stand there and sketch because of the loud sudden cracks happening at random times on all sides of you.

Additionally there is an official lighting of a string of hundreds of firecrackers. Once they are lit the rapid fire blasts and smoke build for several minutes. It's pretty intense. Here's a pic I took of the smoke lifting from the area...

We had a great time. I enjoyed sketching portions of the temple and also the people inside the temple praying and learning their fortunes for the upcoming year. Lauren was kind enough to take this pic of me sketching...

As much fun as I have there each year it is clear that I will never completely fit in. Being six foot five in a massive crowd of people who rarely stand taller than my shoulder or chin makes me a bit of an oddball. But (as Lauren's family likes to point out), it's impossible to lose me in the crowd!

Chinese New Year Bombshell

Here's a little cutie inspired by this Chinese New Year - the year of the tiger!

February 14th (Valentine's Day) was actually Chinese New Year's Eve this year. I celebrated with Lauren and her family. There was a large and jovial get together at her older sister's house. First we stuffed ourselves silly on delicious, authentic, home cooked Chinese food. Then all of the "Grown Ups" hung out at the kitchen table talking and laughing while the "Kids" gathered up for a good long, rambunctious game of Monoploy. Yeeeea! Old school Monopoly!

Now which table do you think Lauren and I were at? Grown Ups or Kids? I'll give you a hint: I draw pretty pictures for a living, still read comic books and get excited at holidays. You better believe we were rollin' those dice on the Monopoly board!

Well, I got roasted at that game but I did manage to come up with a fun idea for an illustration to celebrate the holiday. Up above is my Chinese New Year Bombshell along with my initial rough sketch. Drawn by hand, scanned and tidied up in Adobe Illustrator.

I love it when an illustration idea comes to me out of an atmosphere of pure joy and celebration. Hangin' with Lauren's family, getting schooled by her nieces and nephews in a board game against the backdrop of a holiday was the perfect setting for inspiration to strike. It did and here's what I've got to show for it.

Hope ya dig it!

Step by Step Valentine's Day Card!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! As promised, here is the brand new illustration that I created for the 2010 Valentine's Day card that Lauren and I sent out. Following that is a photo journal of how I put it together. So cozy up with your sweetheart and enjoy!

First and foremost Lauren and I went shopping for some blank cards and envelopes that we liked. Once we had those, I created my illustration custom to fit.

I started  with a very small and very loose thumbnail sketch by hand.

Next I scanned the sketch and created all of the cleaned up final work in Adobe Illustrator.

Next I printed the 5"x5" image two at a time on an 8.5"x11" sheet of card stock and then cut them out with an X-Acto knife.

Next I pulled out a pad of StudioTac. StudioTac is a pad of adhesive sheets. It provides a fast, clean and easy way to apply adhesive without dealing with glue or spray. The pads are a little pricey so it's not always my first choice but it certainly has its applications. 

Next I place the illustration cards down on the StudioTac to apply adhesive to the back.

Next I removed the illustration cards (now with adhesive on the back) and placed them carefully on the pink insert cards that Lauren and I had purchased. Here you can see the finished stack of them sitting next to the envelopes.

Lastly here's the final card and envelope together.

And that's the whole kit and kaboodle! This was a ton of fun and Lauren and I always enjoy being able to create something custom for our family and friends.

I hope everyone has a stupendous Valentine's Day!

Love ya!
N

Where valentines and mass murderers meet

A you may remember, Valentine's Day fell on the day after Friday the 13th last year.

I remember being quite taken with what an odd pairing that was! It didn't take too long before my twisted little brain thought of a way to blend the two in a way that gave me a good chuckle.

Hence here's a little illustration from the ol' Lark Archive. At the time that I released this I was submitting it for the topic of "Celebration" on IllustrationFriday.com. Here's that blog post from last year.

This was sketched by hand, scanned and then colored in Adobe Illustrator.

As you may have guessed from the past several days worth of posts, this is all leading up to my 2010 Valentine's Day Illustration. Please tune in tomorrow for the official release of that as well as a bunch of pics showing how I assembled it into the annual V-Day card that Lauren and I sent out to our family and friends!

Public Watercolor Sketching

I love to go watercolor sketching in public. It's a fun, fast and loose way to explore people and environments.

I was cruising through a sketchbook from last fall and came across these sketches. I created these while hangin' out with my sweetie at an outdoor shopping center. We grabbed a little table near some food vendors and both of us did some sketching.

Actually this was the same day that I saw and sketched that guy who was intensely and furiously clipping his nails! You may remember my blog post about that fella.

These sketches are a mix of pencil, pen and watercolor.

2009 Valentine's Day Illustration

  Here is the illustration that created for theValentine's Day card that Lauren and I sent out last year.

I had a blast with this. I chose to illustrate clothing that she and I actually own and wear. It was a nice little touch that added a sense of familiarity for our family and friends who received the card.

I still smile when I look at this!

I created this by starting with a hand drawn sketch. I then scanned the sketch and colored it in Adobe Illustrator.

If you dig this you might want to check out the Valentine's Day painting I posted yesterday.

Old School Valentine's Day Painting

Here's a fun little illustration from the ol' Lark archives.

I painted this in 2007 for the annual Valentine's Day card that Lauren and I mail out to family and friends.

I have really vivid memories of working on this. I woke up earlier than normal each morning so that I could spend an hour or so working on this before I started my day. It was a nice way to go about it. Early in the morning while it was still dark and quiet outside I was peacefully starting my day with a painting. Additionally the subject matter was so whimsical and light that it put me in a wonderful mood each morning. Hmm... I should get back into that habit.

This was done with watercolor and colored pencil on cold press illustration board. The full size painting is 8.5"x11".

Enjoy!

Valentine Cutie Pie

 

Valentine's day brings the sweet and sensitive side out of my artwork.

You may recognize this little cutie from the 3 Minute Sketch that I posted last Thursday. If not, here it is again for ya...

 

I guess I'm just a big ol' sap. I love Valentine's Day and all of the sweet things that go along with it. I just can't help myself. 

Valentine's Day also makes me feel extra creative and I get all sorts of fun ideas for things to draw and paint. Today I really wanted to revisit my sketch from last week so I decided to finish it as a vector illustration. Needless to say this means that I imported the sketch into Adobe Illustrator and tidied it up there.

This was lots of fun! I really enjoyed playing with the color palette and going for something a little unexpected with the hair and eyes. 

Hope ya dig it!

My Honest Truth About Approaching Women

Gathering the courage to approach an attractive woman is a lot like being whacked in the stomach several hundred times with a sledgehammer. The only difference is that when it's over, the sledgehammer doesn't reject you.

Then again, a sledgehammer won't laugh at your terrible jokes and give you smooches either so I guess it all evens out in the end.

In my case though I have typically experienced more sledgehammer than smooches...or rejection. Back in my single days my problem wasn't getting shot down. My problem was that I chickened out before I ever approached at all.

The true story I posted yesterday about my clueless nature with women who approach me reminded me of this cartoon I drew in a sketchbook back in 1999. Even though the draftsmanship is shoddy I'm still quite fond of it. It's real, it's personal and it perfectly captures my dilemma back then. As personal as this dilemma was for me I can't help but think I wasn't alone in this. Surely I can't be the only guy to ever get his stomach twisted in knots over the thought of approaching someone.

Despite the honest, dorky and revealing picture it paints of me I feel a tremendous creative urge to tell the stories that expose my most vulnerable sides. I can remember conceiving and illustrating this cartoon in a flash. As soon as I got the idea I was full throttle to get it down on paper in a fun and visual way.

Holy smokes! I just had an epiphany! I stopped typing this blog for a minute to go get a drink of water and it hit me...

My interaction with women I'm attracted to has usually been closely accompanied by feelings of uncertainty, self doubt and nervousness. However, when I get a chance to later reflect on the experience I turn to the one area of my life that I can count on for certainty, confidence and comfort...my artwork. It is my security blanket. I can be naked, vulnerable and honest in my illustrated depictions of myself because those depictions live in the context of something that makes me feel wonderful and free. Wow. I just realized that right now.

Seriously...I'm having a moment.

When attractive women approach me while I'm sketching...

Drawing attractive young women at a coffee shop is a great way to attract gorgeous groupies and live like a rockstar!

The above sentence was deviously concocted to get you to keep reading (insert evil laugh sound effect here)! Well,  if you're still with me I might as well share a true personal story that illustrates what happens when an attractive young woman actually does take notice of a dork like me sketching away at the local coffee shop...

Once while I was sketching at a coffee shop a very good looking young woman and her equally attractive friend approached me.
Her: "Wow, that's beautiful."
Me: "Thank you, I appreciate that."
Her: (after watching me draw for another few seconds) "You're really talented."
Me: "Thank you. Thank you very much."
Her: "So...do you do this for a living?"
Me: "Yeah, actually. I'm an illustrator."
Her: (smiling) "Gosh, you're so lucky. You get to do what you love."
Me: "I feel lucky. Believe me, it's not lost on me. I just like coming down here and sketching to relax."
Her: (eye contact, smiling) "You must have girls hanging off of you and asking you out all the time when you come here."
Me: (smiling a little nervously) "I'm not sure..."
Her: (eye contact, still smiling) "What do you mean? Why not?"
Me: "I don't know. I usually have my nose buried so deep in my drawings that I don't ever notice if a woman is interested."
Her (prolonged eye contact, pause, wider smile): "Well maybe you should!"
Me (sort of smiling but clueless): "...Yeah, maybe your right."
...quiet awkward pause...
Her (still smiling): "Okay, well... have a good night."
Me (still clueless): "Thanks! You too!"
...I go back to sketching...five minutes passes...
I think: "Hey, I wonder if she was hitting on me?"

Now that's a true story boys and girls and probably one of my all time dumbest moments. How often does a total knockout approach you, start a conversation and then take the first opportunity to openly hit on you? Sadly, I've had a few moments like this in my life and it always ends up about the same way (give or take a few IQ points on my part).

Nowadays these things need not concern me 'cuz I was somehow lucky enough to land a super duper sweetheart who loves me despite my oblivious nature. Nevertheless I just thought you might like to hear how a rockstar like me handles his fans.

Enjoy!

Sweet Little Skulls - Valentine's Day Approaches

 

Now what could possibly say Valentine's Day like a collection of sweet little skulls?

Chocolates and flowers you say? Nonsense. Skulls. I'm not saying it'll fly with your sweetheart when you show up with skulls instead of jewelry or something but it sure was fun to design!

You may remember my post in October when I created that collection of fun little skull designs. I had a blast creating those simple, iconic images and thought it would be fun to revisit that for the upcoming holiday of love.

My initial design had the eyes as circles. Then it occurred to me to use hearts for the eyes so I did that. I walked away for a few minutes and when I came back it hit me that I should flip the hearts upside down. A few minutes later I was done. 

Upon finishing the design I felt that it would work well as a pattern hence the iterative layout that you see here. 

I created this whole thing directly in Adobe Illustrator. No hand drawn sketch this time.

Hope ya dig it!

Superbowl Bombshell - work in progress sketch

Potato chips? Are you kidding me? Bombshells go much better with football!

Here's a little work in progress. I've gotta work tomorrow and I most likely won't have a chance to finish her in time for the Superbowl this Sunday.

Next time you see this sassy little lass she'll be all colored up and full of tomboy attitude. Ahhhhhh...oops, sorry. I was daydreaming a bit. I think my heart might have fluttered a little.

Okay, back to work now.

'night.

3 Minute Sketch

Before I dove headfirst in my workload today I took three minutes to create these two sketches.

I really enjoyed doing the ten minute sketch yesterday and decided to do another one to help me loosen up for the day's work. After just three minutes though I had this little cutie sketched out and I was already feeling loose. For some reason I just had a really easy time getting into the zone today.

So, I put the pen down, sketchbook away and proceeded to have one of my most creative and productive days. I love when that happens!

Once again this little cutie is inspired by my sweetheart, Lauren. Thank you L, for the eternal spring on inspiration which you continue to be!

10 minute sketch

Taking a quick break from work I gave myself ten minutes to sketch this little fellow.

In my mind I initially saw him as big and intimidating but I was listening to The Fear (by Lily Allen) at the time and it inspired me to change his attitude. So now he looks a little spooked and I added some fuzzy slippers to underscore his vulnerability.

He's about four inches tall, sketched in an 8.5"x11" Cachet Earthbound Recycled Sketchbook with a black Faber-Castell Pitt pen (size XS) and a white Prismacolor pencil.

Doing something positive with my ALMOST Oscar nomination

Well, The Response (the film I storyboarded and designed the poster for) didn't make the cut for an official Academy Award nomination today but by golly we were close!

It was a tremendous honor to have made the Academy's top ten shortlist in the first place! I'm actually not bummed out about it though. In fact, I used this opportunity to spread some positive vibes (cuz that's how I roll)!


As soon as I found out this morning which short films had been nominated I immediately dug up the contact info for each one and sent an email congratulating them. It was just an instinct and it really felt great to do it. One exception. I wasn't able to find contact info for the creator's of "Instead of Abracadabra". If anyone knows where I can send a well wishing email for those folks I would be much obliged!

I suppose I could be crying in my soup over getting this close to an Oscar nomination and seeing it slip away. The truth of the matter though is that this whole experience has left me exhilarated with an exciting and expanded view of what it possible in my life.

This won't be my last time at the rodeo.

Thank you IMMENSELY to everyone that stopped by to wish me well! Also, thank you so much to everyone who's been reading anonymously and quietly hoping for good things. I love every one of ya!

Click here to see my preliminary sketches for the movie poster.
Click here to see my storyboards from the film.

Click here to read my blog announcing the potential Academy Award nomination.

Movie poster concept sketches for "The Response"

Less that 24hrs until we find out if our film The Response has been nominated for an Oscar!
After making the Academy's Official Top Ten list it all comes down to their final selection tomorrow morning at 5:30amPT.

I worked with the Director (Adam Rogers) and Producer (Sig Libowitz) of the film to develop, design and illustrate the movie poster for The Response. Here's a little peek behind the curtain at the concept sketches leading up to the final design. I will post them here in the order that I created them.

I began by submitting a batch of three rough sketches to Adam and Sig. This was my first. Here I chose to place a heavy emphasis on the court/judgment aspect of the film. I wanted the detainee (depicted on the right) to be overpowered by the court process which will dictate the course of his life. I chose to incorporate the American flag into the gavel to underscore that this is an American Military Tribunal.

Sketch #2 (of the first batch of 3). Here I used a leg iron (which the detainee is chained to in the film) blended with the American flag. I wasn't terribly hot on this sketch but I felt that the idea had merit and room to grow if Adam and Sig liked the general direction of it.

 

Sketch #3 (of the first batch of 3). Here I turned the flag on its side and used the stripes to represent the bars containing the detainee. This was a clear favorite of the first three I submitted. Adam, Sig and I all felt like it was a bold approach and we liked the impact of it. The one potential drawback that concerned us was that it might give the impression that the U.S. was somehow unjust in holding the detainee. The film itself does not take any particular side on the issue (which is why it's so powerful) and so we didn't want the poster to do that either.

For sketch #4 Adam asked to see a version which incorporated the microphone that the judges each have before them. I kept the flag from sketch #3 and turned the microphone chord into barbed wire. Looking back on it I think it fails to communicate that this is a court proceeding. How is the audience to know the purpose of that mic? I should have solved that better.

For sketch #5 I was getting away from metaphor a bit and using a more literal approach. I like the detainee being dwarfed by the flag, fence and judges but there are probably too many elements in this design given its layout. It begins to look a bit cluttered and it doesn't make a strong enough impression at a glance.

 

Sketch #6 came to me in a flash moment of inspiration. I was doing something else completely and the image of a folded flag wrapped in barbed wire came to me. Adam quickly pointed out that a folded flag comes with connotations of American casualties. Somehow I looked right past that when I was sketching it. Adam and I quickly agreed that it was off the mark for the message of the film and it was scrapped right away.

 

Sketch #7 (like sketch #5) was a departure from the metaphor approach but this time it was less cluttered. The wall, silhouetted guard tower, barbed wire and flag were composed to create a strong and immediately clear impression.

Ultimately we all came back to sketch #3. It was a favorite from the start. As I mentioned, we all wrestled for a while with the risk that audiences would think it cast a negative light on the United States by giving an unintended impression of false imprisonment. In the end, however, we decided that the boldness, strength and impact of the image outweighed our concerns. None of us regret the choice and it has been very well received. Adam and Sig have told me that they continue to hear excellent feedback about the poster at festivals and screenings. 

I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Which of the 7 sketches would you have developed?

Click here to read my blog announcing the potential Academy Award nomination.

Click here to see my storyboards from the film.