2010.

The year sounds massive and I aim to make it so.

Christmas Card Offer

I've got left over Christmas Cards for anyone who'd like to have one. Just email me your mailing address at brianiswells@gmail.com and I'll send one your way. Each is high quality matte print. Quantities are limited, so first come, first serve.

Episode 01: Process 02

You won't see this cover again until the book is finished.

The Times They Are A-Changing

Santa Claus hasn't changed much since the 19th Century, even if the toys he delivers have. An illustration for my family's annual Christmas Card.

Episode 01: Process 01

Beginning work in earnest on the cover. Still far from complete, but the basic elements are in place. I'll let the story explain some of the abstractions.

A sketch of Geira's leader, known (for now), simply Madame Minister. Age seems to hit like a brick in Archetype–I confess, it's only because the old are much more fun to draw.

All of Archetype's action takes place in Altusbein, the so-called World of Worlds, a place of staggering age and size that defies every attempt at comprehension. In the more civilized areas, thousands of cultures may exist in cramped quarters. Trying to create this kind of cultural immersion is a bit tricky. To handle the multifaceted language barrier, I've borrowed a trick from Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes and replaced the foreign sounds with a kind of symbol language.

That's all for now.

Archetype Est.

No formal painting this week. After, oh, ten thousand hours or so, I'm finally reaching the point where Archetype is something bookish. Above is an early comp for the cover. Expect a (pretty rough) sampling of the interior in a few days.

In a Mirror, Darkly

These self portraits are pretty experimental, so I don't always know how they'll end up. This one turned out a bit, well, Caligula. Which is surprising, as it's been an alright Thursday, by and large.