Current Highlights
Much of my present practice is about quick drawing at live events, creating customized artwork in a specific context, tackling creative challenges, and facilitating interactive experiences. The strength of this approach is its special process and presentation, that I hope to lean into further.
Therefore, while my emphasis is project/strategy as a whole, the result is more often a collection of sketches than one polished picture to display. However, a few pieces do stand out, so I'd like to keep updating this section with new portfolio work. Meanwhile, briefly explained in Latest Work
A hand-drawn poster of the evening's performers greeted visitors as they entered the International Justice Mission benefit concert.
Live sketches of the music and dance performances at the International Justice Mission benefit concert.
What started as a simple drawing with poetic words became a mixed media collage displayed at the Rooded In Scripture church retreat, where I also read original poems and live-sketched the speakers, lettered Bible verses.
In Between
More of my recent and/or experimental work (and projects in between or ongoing) can be viewed on other pages of this site, organized into categories like Publications and FREE Coloring. Some very interesting works were never uploaded, so keep checking back as I remedy that situation and finally showcase these endeavors... this website itself is a complex art project!
Classic Illustration Portfolio
These are some of my favorite pieces from approximately 2007/8-2014, my last year of college to when I first set up this website. Many of them I still consider my "greatest hits" from an era when I could pour hours into a project, and pushed my own boundaries of style and media. They remain representative of my range of abilities and paths I would like to continue exploring.
For curious minds, some additional collections of older artwork (and the origin of my current practices like sketching live events) can be viewed on my previous gallery site ellesaur.blogspot.com and Eventageous
I sat down one day and drew an imaginary dinosaur, from a mixture of other dinosaurs. It has become my mascot! Ballpoint pen, used like a pencil.
A superhero and ultravillain fight! Who will be victorious? From a comic story in development: When Life's Just Super. Pencil with digital color.
Artwork is based on instructions from writer and co-teacher Patrick J. Reilly, to promote our workshops about making comics. Pencil drawing (digitally hued by the flier designer).
Business card design, for a friend who was planning to start a pie business. Inked in pen, digitally enhanced and colored.
Drawn from a medieval print, and used in the fliers to promote my Mythical Creatures drawing workshop series. Dark pencil.
Visual interpretation of a bizarre short story involving pregnancy and fish sculptures made from the teeth of roadkill. Sumi ink (brushed over pencil), with digital color.
Character from superhero story, who changes into a wave of water shaped like a wolf. Mechanical pencil.
First page of a short comic depicting the story of Jesus healing a blind man. (Photo of) charcoal drawing.
Second page of a short comic depicting the story of Jesus healing a blind man. (Photo of) charcoal drawing.
Originally designed as a mascot submission for the New York Anime Festival, ended up with this dynamic image that I then used for art prints. Dark pencil lines, digitally enhanced and colored.
Modernized version of rubbing the lamp, where a glowing blue genie emerges when the phone is flipped open. Watercolor painting, digitally enhanced.
Sample art for an author's book pitch, where the letter Z washes zebras at the zoo. India ink with nib pen, digital touch-ups.
The evil witch puts a spell over the cabbage, from a silly retelling of the fairytale Rapunzel. Pencil drawing with digital coloring.
In an anemone-like forest, a young creature awakes and looks outside. India ink, with both brush and nib. Pen panel outlines.
The little one observes the other creatures and begins to follow them. India ink, with both brush and nib. Pen panel outlines.
Illustration (to accompany a poem) about the New York subway as a beast that eats all the people. Various pencils.
Vibrant marker and colored pencil, layered over the printout of a quick sketch that was drawn while watching the musical Rockabye Hamlet.
Poster/postcard for an Americana band, used on their Kickstarter campaign. Pieces of the scene are drawn in pen, then digitally assembled and colored.