Friday, November 23, 2012

Alien Dude and Mummies

 Some marker sketches that were done as studies for portfolio pieces. I'll post the finished work when it's done.

In other news, I've decided to venture into self-publishing. My first project will be "The Christmas Monster". More details to come as work progresses.

Thanks for visiting!
-Tom

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Alien Dude Full Color Interior Illustration Sample



Above is an illustration sample I finished recently. This is for my original book concept, "Alien Dude Makes Space Pizza". It depicts Alien Dude gathering some important Space Pizza ingredients from between a giant Gruncher's toes. The Gruncher wakes up and our heroes, Alien Dude and Shrip, have to skip town in a hurry. 

I included a high quality print of this image with my "snail-mail" submissions of my Alien Dude dummy book to prospective publishers. I sent out my submission packages about three weeks ago. I have received one reply so far. The editor had positive things to say about the work but was not interested in publishing it. I'm thankful for any response, positive or negative. Every response just encourages me to keep pushing harder and creating better and better material. I'm saving all of my rejection letters so that one day when I finally crack this nut I can look back and remember fondly the bumps in the road along the way.

Thanks for visiting! More art soon!

All characters and concepts are copyright Tom Travers 2012.

-Tom

Friday, August 24, 2012

Alien Dude Full Color Cover Sample

Here's a full color sample illustration I intend to include a print of with my submissions to publishers. My submission of my Alien Dude Makes Space Pizza dummy book proposal to be exact. I am using a new technique for these samples and I am really enjoying it. It has been a challenge for me to find a way to make my finished illustrations have the life and energy of my rough pencil drawings. This sketchy, energetic style I have discovered achieves the effect I have desired for a long time. I plan to continue to experiment with and master this technique through producing many more illustrations in the style. I plan to do more Alien Dude material as well as a range of other subjects to round out my portfolio.

I'll post more stuff as it is completed.

Thanks for visiting!

-Tom

Monday, August 13, 2012

Another Alien Dude Color Test

I'm still messing around with the color scheme for Alien Dude. I like the one featured in this sketch. I think I am going to go with it or something very close to this.

My goal with the Alien Dude illustrations is to maintain the life and energy of my pencil drawings. I feel I achieved that with this piece. I intend to use this technique to complete my sample illustrations. They'll be a bit more refined than this piece here but still pretty rough and energetic if all goes according to plan. The background in this piece was an afterthought, I would definitely spend way more time polishing a background in a finished illustration. My focus here was really the Alien Dude character and the colors I will use to bring him to life. I'll post some finished illustrations here as soon as they are ready.

Thanks for visiting!

-Tom

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Alien Dude Progress

 I recently completed my dummy book for "Alien Dude Makes Space Pizza", Alien dude's first official adventure. The dummy is a rough version of what I envision the finished book looking like. All of the art in the dummy is done in rough pencil. The text is placed in the book in a very basic manner. The goal of the dummy is to show prospective publishers the story and characters and the overall potential of the idea.

The color image above is a quick sketch I did to test some illustration techniques. I like the way that this drawing turned out and I plan to use a similar, though more refined, style to complete some finished full color illustration samples featuring Alien Dude. I will include reproductions of the full color illustrations with my dummy book submission to publishers. I want publishers to see me as both a writer and an illustrator, someone capable of both conceiving of a story and bringing it to a finished stage visually.


This is the pencil art I used for the cover of the dummy book.

I'll be sending submissions to roughly twenty editors in hopes that someone may be interested in publishing the book. Wish me luck!!

Thanks for visiting!

-Tom