CHARACTER DESIGN

Original characters for a book I was writing. I had designed most of these before, but here I was learning digital painting techniques and experimenting with a cel shaded aesthetic.

FISH TATTOO

I designed this tattoo for a co-worker. It was in honor of a friend of his who had died. Inked by Fatty at Fatty's Custom Tattooz in Washington, D.C.

Some early design ideas:

SELF PORTRAIT

ZONGKER CHARACTERS

I was asked by my partner's cousin to design some characters for a video he was making. I had just purchased a digital drawing tablet and was still getting used to it.

BALLROOM MASK

Just something silly I made for a ballroom dance. We were given blank white masks to decorate with paint, feathers, sequins, etc., but I just painted my own face on it.

FIELD GUIDE TO HOMOPHOBES

This was intended to be the first section of an illustrated book I wanted to write about homophobia, specifically the many arguments against homosexuality or gay equality. These are meant to be slightly-offensive stereotypes, and for anyone who has had to deal with anti-gay bigotry, viewing these should be a cathartic exercise. However, the remaining sections of the book would evolve past making fun of people, and more critically deconstruct anti-gay arguments themselves. All of these characters are directly based on people and arguments I have encountered in my lifetime, either in person or in the media.

Continue to see them all with commentary:

WATERCOLOR

Work from a watercolor course I took as an undegrad.

CHARACTER DESIGN

Original characters for a story I was writing. This was also the time I first began experimenting with digital painting. At this point I was drawing with graphite, then scanning the images and coloring them in Photoshop using the mouse (I didn't own a drawing tablet yet).

The following are characters from video games, cartoons and comic books: