With a few days of vacation time ahead, I've decided to at least test out the idea of a publishing a compilation of my digital sci-fi and fantasy art. I'm still not sure if it will be a portfolio book, or a journal, or a how-to book. Writing and designing it from scratch will be a challenge. Book design is not one of my strengths, and I can already see myself adhering to a conservative and fool-proof approach to layout.

It's fair to say that I've had this project in mind since childhood. I always imagined being asked to do a retrospective after many years of success as an illustrator. So in a way, I'm definitely putting the cart before the horse, and gambling on hunch that says that people around the world have been waiting this since my first posts at Elfwood so many years ago.

Six years of creating, not for a popular game or film, but for myself and others who enjoy viewing and commenting on my work online. The Musewo, Mega Slaves, the Axen, the Grothgith, little Elega and the White Woodsman, Boggermen, Clitoriths, so many ideas and stories, all of which have been received with enthusiasm an support. Although I cannot include all of them in a volume of digital works, I should mention them in the introduction. I've also saved a lot of high to medium in-progress shots for some of my favorite pieces.

The possible sections will be as follows:

A discussion on making the transition from traditional to digital
A section on at least three successful digital repaints
Commentary on my approach to pin-up art and depicting women in fantasy art
Versions of eurayo.com
A section on staying inspired and what I like to call the "California School"

I'm shooting for 150 pages of typing, which means about twenty pages a night over the next week or so.

Hung Up

The good news is that they've opened the AIGA SF Fall Gala skateboard deck auction to member submissions for a "People's Choice" competition. But, I have less than a week to come up with something.

The Gala is called "Hung Up" so the idea of a little white penis I immediately came to mind. As a complete outsider to skateboarding, I've always seen it as an angry world of arrested development, withered masculinity and self-deprecation. I still remember when skateboarding suddenly made a comeback back in the early 80s. At the time it seemed to be the exclusive domain of wealthy white kids from the hills who had enough access and funds to indulge in books and videos on skating, along with and the boards themselves. I remember the ugly, grating sound of the wheels rolling on concrete, and boards being slammed and scraped and hurled against anything public, and the marks, and the decals, and tagging, and open wounds. And, I remember not understanding it at all. Skateboarding came across as weirdly self-centered, even antisocial at times. A lot of those kids are adults now. Some still skate. Some are phenomenal artists and designers. And I can't complain too much about an outlet that promotes outdoor physical activity. I've seen more than a few parks with play structures gutted in favor of gardens and benches.

So, I've decided to do submit a design, and to avoid any snarky digs at skateboarders or the subculture. I also won't be including any social commentaries on society, politics, class or identity. I've decided to draw or paint something rich and inspired and beautiful.