We woke up last night to the most amazing storm, with very high winds, huge hail and the threat of a tornado that fortunately failed to form. We got off easy, with a tiny leak around a window which I dealt with quickly by putting down a towel. The bar next door had its neon sign ripped off and twisted, but as we hate that bar, we weren’t too down-hearted. On our morning walk, Storm and I saw downed trees, an overturned marble bench, and a car unfortunate enough to be parked under a particularly large tree. No one’s going to drive that car again.

None of us experienced any sort of drenching, but a wet dog seemed appropriate for today.

ShareThis

Maggie and I were discussing ideas for the A Dog a Day Project, and one of them was to keep trying new tools. One of the tools that we thought of was a Sharpie. So today, after several notable failures, I did this Sharpie on printer paper dog. The reasons for the mess-ups? I was determined to work loosely and without doing a preliminary pencil sketch to work over. Another personal challenge. But I think this one has a sort of underground comix feel to it.

Maggie had some other good ideas, and I’ll be tackling those soon. And my friend Christy had some great ideas to expand another idea I had. So running out of ideas won’t be a problem for at least a little bit. Running out of time is another story. But I am determined to complete 366 dogs in 366 days.

What happens on January 1, 2009? I haven’t made up my mind yet. But I don’t think I’ll be abandoning regular dog drawing, so stay tuned as I make up my mind (most likely late on December 31).

ShareThis

I’ve done pieces with Dally throughout the year, but I don’t think you’ve seen the actual in-the-sort-of-flesh original. So here he is. It appears that his helium-balloon fueled picnic basket rides around the world have temporarily run out of gas (well, helium). How will our intrepid dalmatian get out of this situation?

If you haven’t seen one of my earlier Dally pieces (his real name is Salvador, you might catch the joke), here’s the original.

ShareThis

Yep, I’m racking up the years. Fortunately, I’ve slowed time down by doing this project: having a daily creative requirement keeps life interesting and therefore things don’t just fly by. I won’t say how old I am, but it’s a great age for a geek. If you’ve read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you’ll likely remember that a certain number is at the heart of one of the big jokes. There’s a hint for you.

So, a birthday dog for me. I stuck him in my glasses, that’s how you know it’s a personalized.

Update: I thought I’d share this drawing done by my friend Max, featuring his naughty husky Kodiak. I still owe him an entry featuring his dog as an evil Pokemon-style villain. It’s in the works, I promise.

ShareThis

Sometimes I get caught up in the need to create something more intricate or showy. I forget that it’s also a challenge to create something appealing that uses only a few lines. Yesterday I became frustrated while hunting for an idea and just started scribbling. This dog came out of that, and I’m happy.

I knew that coming up with a new dog every day might be a challenge, but I didn’t realize how much I’d care about quality. Not that I meant to coast on crappy drawings, I mean that I find myself tweaking and worrying pieces, looking to make something wonderful daily. It just isn’t possible to do that, but I do my best and am pleased that I have kept to my schedule.

Thanks to everyone who’s told me they liked Saturday’s toy kit and have suggested drawings that would make good shirts. I love hearing from people, so don’t hesitate to say “hi”.

ShareThis

Ah, motherhood. Somewhere in that little piggy-pile of puppies is a certain dog you’ve met in these pages before. You are witnessing the beginnings of Storm’s obsession with food right here.

Her mother is Indy, a very lovely and patient Golden Retriever. I’m sure those of you who know Storm can spot the family resemblance.

Anyway, to mothers everywhere and my mother (and Storm’s) in particular, happy Mother’s Day.

ShareThis

I’m not particularly good working with my hands. So today I challenged myself to make something physical for the project. You can see the printable picture and the assembled final piece above. If you want to assemble one of these for yourself (and if you’re good with scissors and an X-acto knife, or just really really good with scissors) you can download the printable PDF file by clicking here. I used to be really good with an X-acto knife back in my layout and paste-up days, but that skill doesn’t seem to be in the “just like riding a bike” category.

Just cut around the black outline (I’ve left some color outside of the lines in case you slip a bit). Don’t cut out the arms, though. Make a cut through the white line on the left to insert the tab on the right. You’ll want to tape him together on the inside. The tab on the circular top doesn’t get inserted anywhere, it just helps hold the lid in place.

If you get one together, please send me a picture of this guy in his new environment.

I’m not sure I’m any better with my hands, but I had fun and plan to do another in the future, maybe a more complicated one with a sticky-outy nose and separate arms. I can already think of ways I could improve this one, so when I have another day in which I’m not stressed out and have the time, I’ll do another one.

Update:

Here’s a photo of my brother’s dog Jackie with the toy. Though I think my mother did the construction and my dad did the photography.

ShareThis

Dogs get to sleep all day. Then they get up and get to play and go for walks and eat. Then they sleep all night. And we let them.

It makes you feel good giving someone else the life you’d like to have, I guess.

ShareThis

A very quick sketch using Painter’s liquid ink brushes. I just went with quick strokes, looking for the right lines and working with what I got. Doing a dog this way is good for me (I can see what I can do in a very short time, and learn from the experience) and bad for me (what if new visitors think that this is the best that I can do?). Ah well, be brave Erik. Here is today’s dog, sketched quickly and warts-and-all in appearance.

ShareThis

Another beautiful dog, just waiting for you at the Austin Humane Society. I was taken immediately by her gentle face and brindle coat. I only hope that I did her justice. Especially since today I went traditionally, with only pencils and a paper stump for smearing. It’s important to step away from the computer once in a while.

ShareThis