Watts & McLaren: Scar Tissue

The survivor of a deadly plague, now mired in a criminal scheme with the hopes of unearthing the truth about the frightening genetic modifications it left her with, finds an unexpected friend in a Special Forces Colonel who is neck deep in her own deadly campaign of revenge. Their unlikely alliance has implications neither can see and stirs powerful forces intent on keeping the truth hidden.

This gallery is art that inspired and was inspired by my novel, released 02.13.2017. You can find it here at Amazon.com Watts & McLaren: Scar Tissue These are merely a drop in the bucket. Watts and McLaren refuse to leave me alone, so expect more in the future.

Paintings

Illustration is my point of origin when it comes to art. I love the works of J.C Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, Lucian Freud, Andrew Loomis, Edward Hopper, Gil Elvgren, Stanley Zuckerberg . . . This list could easily take up a whole page so I'll end it with my all time favorite, Frank Frazetta. His ink work is amazing and his illustrations inspired me to learn to paint. That quest led me to the video game industry.

Concept

It's always fun and challenging to realize something from the ethereal spark of an idea. This is a small sampling of things, environments and characters. Some were for games, others for personal projects.

Sketches

I'm never be bored if I have a sketch book and a pen. Ink has always been go to, my medium of choice, because it makes you think before making a mark and forces you to come up with creative solutions to fix mistakes.

Story Boards

I love film and my library is vast. The visual language of cinema is powerful and influences my approach to art and writing as well. These boards are based on two original short stories, 'The Witch and the Soulless' and a children's book 'Sarah the Brave' which addresses bullying.

Comics

Comics and Graphic Novels are some of the earliest fuel for my creative fire. These original comic stories were published in the 'Atomic Lead' anthology series put together by artists working at Sucker Punch Productions.

"Chunky Cheetah: 'B' Comic Actress" © cronicles the exploits of 'C.C.' a struggling comic actress who wants to be taken seriously. She routinely breaks the 'Fourth Wall' because she knows I'm the artist writing and drawing the book. The other characters like her best friend and confidant Tiki or her faithful manager Stu Stewart do not. They both worry she is mentally ill. Tiki is a 10.000 year old defunct god in the form of a mask that can talk and float around, but only in her presence because she believes in him. He is rendered powerless by the disbelief of others.

Freelance Illustrations

I've done a lot of freelance work over the years. These pieces were done for a paper based RPG and I still love the feel of the set. They are Copyright © Living Room Games/FASA Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Other Work

This is other freelance work that I did in the realm of advertising. Marker Comp Artists are largely extinct now. In the midst of my career taking off, this dying industry prompted my return to school and subsequent transformation into a mostly digital artist. I still love the look and feel of them, so I've included some favorites from my archives. (At the time in St. Louis, Beer and Pet food were the mainstays of the art industry.)