aboutimage galleriescontactsubscribe

Launch

DECEMBER 3, 2009
Sometimes the phone rings and it's a pitch for a job that sounds both complicated, unknown and a challenge.  Erin Mayes was the reason I took the assignment.  She was quick and funny on the phone and made this story about a stagnant housing market and how to revive it seem full of possibilities.
As soon as I hung up the phone I stared working on ideas.  
Drawing creates ideas.  I try to tell my students this all the time.  Sitting thinking of concepts works, but do sketch while you think helps you see shapes and what those shapes might become or evolve into.


I thought that the dormer might be a great infographic. An upward pointing arrow.
This is a sketch that was intended for the cover in my mind.
I think this one missed the point but I liked it.

This one looks less like a lift off and more like a meth lab in the basement blowing up.
The sketch below was done as a 10 minute demo.



Erin chose the lift off.
I always send color sketches as my sketches.  They just indicate to the client what I' thinking and when I go to finish there are few surprises.  
At Pratt I did a demonstration of how to take a rough sketch and make a color sketch so I really figured out what I was going to do. 

I love the power of light.  In order to do it convincingly you need real darkness.  Thankfully I was allowed to have that in this piece.
It was a fun assignment that sounded like trouble when pitched.  Those are often he best.
All that white noise below the house was put on with a tiny brush in the drawing stage in white gouache.

© 2024 Tim O'Brien