Greetings folks. I haven’t posted anything all year so here are some sketches I’ve done recently. Honestly, I’ve been hard at work on some exciting design projects, so I haven’t been doing much sketching this month. That’s a shame.

I sketched this sad sports fan after watching the 49ers/Saints football game this weekend.

Hello everybody. Just wanted to share that for a limited time my 2011 Christmas illustration is being featured on the home page of AddThis.com. They even added a cute, subtle animation.

Behold the official Cleland Christmas card of 2011. This is a 5″x7″ full-color card. I haven’t yet put this card on the market for purchase. That’ll probably happen next Christmas.

Concept value sketch

Taken from my iPhone

Detailed image

Wallpaper

Wallpaper featured on Smashing Magazine

I created a special wallpaper version that is featured on Smashing Magazine. To download your very own copy click here to visit the post on Smashing Magazine.

Merry Christmas!

Here is art for Stages Performing Arts Youth Academy’s upcoming production of The Phantom Tollbooth. The visuals are heavily influenced by the 1970s Chuck Jones animated film. For more information on the production check the Stages website.

Rough composition sketch.

My wife, Rayna, and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary yesterday, November 1. I wanted to create a personal card, but because our printer is on the fritz I decided to make it a desktop wallpaper.

If you would like your own “Space-Alien Fighting Astronaut Guard Dog” anniversary wallpaper (1920 x 1200) for your special honey click here. I might even make this piece available as a print for purchase.

Quick concept sketch

Recently, several big banks have started (or are considering) imposing monthly fees for debit card purchases. Unitus Community Credit Union decided this would be a perfect time to highlight the credit union difference with a fun Halloween-themed postcard.

Update October 31, 2011: I’m submitting this piece to this week’s “Illustration Friday”. The theme: “Scary”. Beware those scary fees this Halloween!

Front of the postcard in its entirety. Even monsters are scared of all these fees.

Back of the postcard.

Rough sketch submitted to the client (grayscale values to depict mood).

Process screenshot.

Flash banner ad.

The client liked the postcard so much they requested it be converted into a flash banner ad to be featured on their website. For a limited time you can view the banner here.

Starting today you can buy my art prints through Society 6. My library is small right now, but will continue to grow. I also have a library of items for sale on my Zazzle shop. To make things easier I have created a page on this site listing all (or most) of my items for sale. Just click here.

In case you haven’t heard, Apple’s former CEO, Steve Jobs, passed away yesterday (October 5, 2011). We all owe Steve Jobs a lot! Even if you use PC and Android products you have Steve Jobs to thank for inspiring those products.

Steve, I personally thank you for making my day-to-day workflow such a joy.

Note: The above image was taken directly from Apple.com.

Lately I’ve been working to expand my style—experimenting with colors, textures, and shapes from the 1950s and 1960s. I’ve also been thinking of off-the-wall topics and fun juxtapositions (normal, quaint family dinner with a fantastical underwater scene outside).

I guess you can say that The Jetsons and The Flintstones were a major influence in this piece.

This is a first in a series of promotional illustrations. I have not decided yet what to do with them. Perhaps prints, postcards, cards, place mats, who knows. I’ll keep you all posted. The copy below the headline may change. I’m not completely satisfied with it.

Update 10/7/11: I have decided to submit this to Illustration Friday. This week’s topic: Contraption.

Look below to view the process of creating this illustration.

Initial rough sketch.

Developing the family.

I initially wanted the boy to be taking a large bite of his meal. However It became clear to me that the added detail would be too much for the piece when viewed as a whole.

Initial color study.

Creating initial vectors.

Creating structure.

Beginning to fill with color.

Family is coming to life.

Working on the pattern for the table cloth.

Poster details

My wife says the dad looks like Commissioner Gordon from "The Dark Knight".

My dog is always barking at anything that moves outside. I can only imagine the amount of barking with fish swimming by.

Family detail

Up-close look at the textures used in the rocks.

Outline view. For those of you who work in Illustrator, you can appreciate this.

It’s been a while since I posted a rough sketch so here’s a sketch I did today. The sketch is loosely based off my childhood dog, Bibbit. I say “loosely” because I didn’t use any reference photos for this—all based on memory.