Mark English studio pilgrimage with the Illustration Academy in 2017
We’ve lost a legend with the recent passing of illustrator and artist Mark English. In the summer of 2017, I spent a week at the Illustration Academy in Kansas City. Getting instruction and inspiration from illustrators John English, George Pratt, Bill Carman and Bill Sienkiewicz, and Mark English, was a life changing experience. When I got back I made a blog post about the whole week. Here is an excerpt of the original post on the transformative visit to Mark English’s studio.
Mark English’s Studio: Kansas City, July 7, 2017
The visit to Mark English’s home studio was magical. When entering his studio we were encouraged to move things around and look behind paintings, in stacks and flat files. It reduces seasoned illustrators to kids in a candy shop.
Mark English: The master artist in his element.
Beautiful Mark English painting with collage
detail
Mark and John English (above),
Mark encourages students to dig through his artwork as Bill Carman watches.
Work table full of supplies
George Pratt, Bill Carman (with back to camera), Mark English and Bill Sienkiewicz.
Selfie time: Bill Sienkiewicz, Chuck Todd and Bill Carman in Mark English’s studio.
Yes, that is a Bison head and displays with Society of Illustrators medals.
This is one of my favorite paintings from the visit to the Mark English studio.
The best part was getting to talk with Mark and tell him about how inspired I was from seeing him do a demonstration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco in 1997 or 1998. I spied a box of books and asked him if they were for sale, so I bought one and asked him to sign it. Timmy Trabon took the above picture of Mark English and I in his studio with a work in progress in the background.
Seeing George Pratt and Bill Sienkiewicz go though flat files in Mark’s basement was like seeing young boys going through a newly discovered stack of old comics.
Haunting, mysterious, violent and powerful Mark English illustration
Two Bills, a George and a Bernie Fuchs
Chuck Todd and a Bernie Fuchs magazine illustration. (George Pratt: ” Hey man, you want a picture with the Fuchs?” Me: Yes, Please!”)
Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders drawing by Mark English
Detail of Teddy Roosevelt by Mark English
Mark’s dogs were part of the experience as well.
Found this John Collier gem hiding under some artwork.
Detail from the Fuchs illustration
Detail from the Fuchs illustration
A ghost story illustration by Mark English (sharing space with Collier and Fuchs)
Transfer drawing monotype using linseed oil. I think George said this one was for Sports Illustrated.
Look! Bill Carman’s book on display in Mark English’s den!
Bill Carman, Mark English, Bill Sienkiewicz, George Pratt and furry friend.
We went out to lunch. I sat down at a small table and John English invited me to sit at their table, and I sat next to Mark. We had more conversations about where he shows in galleries, etc. And listened to him tell some great, hilarious stories. I had ordered a pizza and beer. I was sweating it, because for a dollar more I got the 22-ounce porter (instead of the polite 16-once size). I worried that Mark English is going to think I’m a lush! When it was delivered to the table, Mark asked me what it was. I said it was a crane brewery porter. I asked him if he would like to try it. So he took a sip of my beer. “That is a heavy beer.” And he returned to drinking his bottle water. So I can proudly say that Mark English sipped my beer!
August 13, 2019 note: The impact and legacy of Mark English from his decades of influential illustration, to his fine art paintings to his teaching and mentoring is immeasurable. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the scores of artists inspired by the example he set for us.
For the full post on my week at the Illustration Academy go here.
https://chucktoddartist.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/my-week-the-illustration-academy-2017/
In Black and White: Family Immigration and Deportation Illustrations
For the Fall 2017 issue of VERDICT –a journal by the National Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals – I created these quick, visceral black and white illustrations on what desperate families crossing our borders face. I drew these images in August 2017, they sadly have even more resonance today. What do people in this situation feel? What does a child feel being separated from parents? How would I feel? These are the questions I ask when I created these drawings to help me capture an emotional truth in each piece.
Child Internment Illustration by Chuck Todd, Verdict 2017. Pen and Ink/mixed media on board
DETAINED Illustration by Chuck Todd, Verdict 2017. Pen and Ink/mixed media on board
Pen & Ink, mixed media Illustration by Chuck Todd for Verdict story on Immigration and Deportation
The image below shows a young girl being taken from her parents by U.S. officials. I created this drawing for the January 2015 issue of VERDICT, about laws that allow children of foreign nationals to be taken from their parents. The drawing now seems like a foreshadowing of what is happening in 2018 on a massive scale.
Deportation Officials take a little girl away from her parents who are seen crying in the background. Pencil drawing by Chuck Todd. Published by Verdict in Jan. 2015
Going Global: Chuck Todd illustrations for Global Press Journal
Since 2016 I have had the pleasure of creating illustrations for Global Press Journal, and in recent months I’ve been creating illustrations for GPJ Passport Podcasts on a variety of topics. It has been a joy working with the talented folks at GPJ including Cristi Hegranes (CEO and Founder), Krista Kapralos (Enterprise Editor) and on the podcasts with Kyana Moghadam (Engagement Producer and Podcast Host).
The artwork:
“Memory and Truth” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
Detail of “Memory and Truth” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
“Image Perception” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
“Translation” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
“Desperate Journeys” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal
“Food for Thought” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
“Transparency in the News” artwork by Chuck Todd for Global Press Journal Passport Podcast
For great journalism stories from around the world go to https://globalpressjournal.com/
and check out the Passport extra podcast content at: https://globalpressjournal.com/passport-podcasts/
More of my artwork can be seen at http://www.chucktodd.net
My week @ The Illustration Academy 2017
My wife and two daughters gave me the best 50th birthday present ever: A week at the Illustration Academy in Kansas City! Learning, growing and pushing as an illustrator never stops. Getting instruction and inspiration from illustrators John English, George Pratt, Bill Carman and Bill Sienkiewicz, and Mark English, is a life changing experience.
July 2, 2017:
I arrived on the Rockhurst campus in KC on Sunday and was greeted by George Pratt in the workshop. (It was a joy to catch up with George, I shared a room with George and illustrator Bill Koeb at Comic Con in 1998 or 1999.) I felt right at home, many students were in the workshop working away on the week 3 assignments due on Monday. (A very talented, and amazing group of students! So fortunate to get to spend the week with these artists. ) John English gave another week 4 student, Beth, and I a rundown of the program, and some handouts on approaches and philosophies. Timmy Trabon helped me get settled into my townhouse dorm room for the week.
I watched George and John work on oil paintings, and I did some work in my sketchbook. Leaned up against the walls and setting on tables were other works by George Pratt and John English, as well as some drawings and demo works by instructors from previous weeks. A C.F. Payne mixed media portrait was on the table. I worked in my sketchbook and reviewed the handouts to prep for the official start of the Week 4 program on Monday.
July 3:
Monday morning illustrators Bill Carman and Bill Sienkiewicz joined George Pratt and John English as instructors for the week. (Wow!) I got a good sense of how exciting and challenging the week was going to be as I listened to the critiques of the week 3 assignments.
Monday critique session led by Bill Sienkiewicz, John English, Bill Carman and George Pratt
Bill Carman presents:
Late afternoon we were treated to a Bill Carman presentation on his artwork and life as an illustrator. (Pugs, Fly Fishing and beautiful drawings and paintings of imaginative creatures. ) Bill does such amazing and original work. Wow! An inspiring presentation! One of the best things about the week was meeting Bill and getting feedback from him. He gave me some helpful advice and directions to think about and challenged me to take my illustration work to the next level.
Bill Carman discusses art and yes, narwhals! Meanwhile George Pratt and Bill Sienkiewicz work in their sketchbooks.
Bill Carman presentation July 3, 2017 at The Illustration Academy.
For my week 4 assignment I had a choice between a book cover or comic book cover for an existing title.
July 4:
Thumbnail reviews and Bill Carman illustration demo.
I decide to jump in and do a comic book cover. Should I dare try to tackle a Batman Cover, especially with Batman artists George Pratt and Bill Sienkiewicz? I went for broke…if I was going to get my butt kicked doing a Batman cover…this is the best place to do it. I went with a Batman origin story concept…but wanted to illustrate the moment after the death of young Bruce Wayne’s parents, when the birth of the Batman occurs.
The talented artist, Jeremy Gordon, took this photo of me at the critique session.
More on the project later …
Bill Carman demo:
Bill works with golden liquid acrylics that are intense in color. He demonstrated a mixed media approach with matte medium, acrylics and ink on paper.
Bill Sienkiewicz, Bill Carman and George Pratt prep for Carman’s demo on July 4, 2017 at the Illustration Academy
Here are a couple of photos that George Pratt posted of Bill Carman’s process:
Bill Carman demo, photo by George Pratt
Bill Carman demo, photo by George Pratt
Over the course of the week Bill continued working on the piece. It was amazing to see it come to life, change and transform into the final piece.
Here is the image Bill Carman posted of the final work:
Art by Bill Carman
July 5th:
Bill Sienkiewicz presentation of his career in illustration and comics.
Moon Night page that move clockwise through the panels.
Bill Sienkiewicz discusses his approach to illustrating comics…and Batman.
Batman’s cape is an expressive visual character
Bill Sienkiewicz key art for the Clint Eastwood film, Unforgiven.
July 6:
Feedback and critiques on roughs in the morning. Bill Sienkiewicz demo in the afternoon and a 3 hour figure drawing session in the evening. Whew!
Over a couple of days I did more rough sketches, research and experimentation for the illustration. And lots of Bat drawings …
———
Here are some iphone shots of the Bill Sienkiewicz mixed media demo. Pencil, ink, crayon, watercolor, clear gesso, bleach…. on an animation layout bound that takes abuse.
George Pratt takes a photo of the Bill Sienkiewicz piece at various stages.
Show and Tell: The in progress demo art was passed around to students.
Sienkiewicz demo at the 2017 Illustration Academy
Not sure how long this link will be available, but here a video of the Bill Sienkiewicz demo that the Illustration Academy posted: https://www.facebook.com/visualartspassage/videos/1460484310664137/
The three hour figure drawing session was intense. I worked to try the Academy technique in pastel drawing. George Pratt gave me a demo….then he returned to his easel to create figure painting with a brayer and paint scraper.
Friday, July 7: Visit to Mark English’s studio!
The visit to Mark English’s home studio was magical. When entering his studio we were encouraged to move things around and look behind paintings, in stacks and flat files. It reduces seasoned illustrators to kids in a candy shop.
Mark English: The master artist in his element.
Beautiful Mark English painting with collage
detail
Mark and John English
George Pratt, Bill Carman (with back to camera), Mark English and Bill Sienkiewicz.
Selfie time: Bill Sienkiewicz, Chuck Todd and Bill Carman in Mark English’s studio.
Yes, that is a Bison head and displays with Society of Illustrators medals.
This is one of my favorite paintings from the visit to the Mark English studio.
The best part was getting to talk with Mark and tell him about how inspired I was from seeing him do a demonstration at the Academy of Art in San Francisco in 1997 or 1998. I spied a box of books and asked him if they were for sale, so I bought one and asked him to sign it. Timmy Trabon took the above picture of Mark English and I in his studio with a work in progress in the background.
Seeing George Pratt and Bill Sienkiewicz go though flat files in Mark’s basement was liking seeing young boys going through a newly discovered stack of old comics.
Haunting, mysterious, violent and powerful Mark English illustration
Two Bills, a George and a Bernie Fuchs
Chuck Todd and a Bernie Fuchs magazine illustration. (George Pratt: ” Hey man, you want a picture with the Fuchs?” Me: Yes, Please!”)
Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders drawing by Mark English
Detail of Teddy Roosevelt by Mark English
Mark’s dogs were part of the experience as well.
Found this John Collier gem hiding under some artwork.
Detail from the Fuchs illustration
Detail from the Fuchs illustration
A ghost story illustration by Mark English (sharing space with Collier and Fuchs)
Transfer drawing monotype using linseed oil. I think George said this one was for Sports Illustrated.
Look! Bill Carman’s book on display in Mark English’s den!
Bill Carman, Mark English, Bill Sienkiewicz, George Pratt and furry friend.
We went out to lunch. I sat down at a small table and John English invited me to sit at their table, and I sat next to Mark. We had more conversations about where he shows in galleries, etc. And listened to him tell some great stories. I had ordered a pizza and beer. I was sweating it, because for a dollar more I got the 22-ounce porter (instead of the polite 16-once size). I worried that Mark English is going to think I’m a lush! When it was delivered to the table, Mark asked me what it was. I said it was a crane brewery porter. I asked him if he would like to try it. So he took a sip of my beer. “That is a heavy beer.” And he returned to drinking his bottle water. So I can proudly say that Mark English sipped my beer!
Back at the Illustration Academy workshop, I asked George if they would be able to look at my website/portfolio and give me some feedback and direction.
Saturday, July 9:
Critique, and figure drawings.
For the students that were attending only Week 4, project critique was on Saturday morning rather than Monday. I worked through Friday night into Saturday morning to get my project to a finish for review. Got a couple of hours of sleep and back to the workshop. George, Bill S. and Bill C. had some great insights into the piece. I got some great direction on the cover, in terms of color and pushing it farther from each. Here is where I ended up on Saturday.
Batman cover by Chuck Todd. Ink, pencil, nupastel and digital.
Before Bill Carman and later Bill Sienkiewicz left, I got this photo of the group of phenomenal Week 4 illustrators and instructors. From left George Pratt, John English, Bill Sienkiewicz and Bill Carman.
John English asked me to join in for a group photo: George Pratt, Chuck Todd, John English, Bill Sienkiewicz and Bill Carman.
In the afternoon another figure drawing session. Here is a George Pratt drawing:
George Pratt nupastel figure drawing
Sunday, July 9:
Great way to end the experience. Hanging out with John English and George Pratt waiting for my ride. Great conversation with John English comparing notes and observations about illustration and my week 4 experience. We discussed John’s series of clay court tennis paintings I’d seen him painting on during the week. I expressed to him how transformative my one week at the Illustration Academy had been. Then, chilling and talking art with George Pratt. Going through Pratt’s Morocco sketchbooks and on his ipad the works he is assembling for an artbook. Oh…and he created an amazing watercolor illustration in my copy of Enemy Ace.
A beautiful in progress oil painting by John English
This John English oil painting gem leaned up in a corner of the Illustration Academy workshop.
I think this is a George Pratt in progress oil painting.
Worktable is more like a George Pratt shrine with demos and in progress pieces.
Drawing from George Pratt’s Morocco Trip Sketchbooks
Watercolor and ink from George Pratt’s Morocco Sketchbook
Drawing George Pratt’s Morocco Sketchbook
I asked George if he could sign my copy of his Enemy Ace graphic novel. He signed it…after he created this beautiful ink and watercolor illustration. We talked as he worked and he asked if I had seen his Morocco Sketchbooks. As I was transported to Morocco through his sketchbook and stories he was telling me…I had to remember to watch him work on the painting in the book.
George Pratt’s finished illustration and note in my worn copy of Enemy Ace. An amazing illustration and visit with George was an inspirational way to end my week at the Illustration Academy.
How was my Illustration Academy 2017, Week 4 experience?: Amazing, transformative, exhausting, challenging, difficult and inspirational. I have a lot of great information and input to put to use… better get to work!
Thanks to Timmy Trabon for working with me on all of the logistics ( and taking the photo of me with Mark English). Thanks to the instructors: John English, George Pratt, Bill Carman and Bill Sienkiewicz. And also to Mark English, the trip to Mark’s studio and sitting next to him at lunch I’ll never forget.
The final of the Batman Cover Project:
After getting back home to California, I took the critiques and suggestions and pushed the cover much further. Everything has been reworked and refined, and a background color added. Some background textures peak through from the earlier state:
Birth of Batman Cover Project by Chuck Todd
Eastern Fox Squirrel illustration for Los Angeles Magazine
For the September issue of Los Angeles Magazine my illustration of a fox squirrel accompanies a Know Your Neighbor column by Jason G. Goldman. I have turned in artwork for October’s column and am looking forward to more wildlife illustrations for the monthly column. As they publish I’ll share.
Here is the link to the column with some fun facts on how non-native fox squirrels found their way to Los Angeles and Southern California.
http://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/know-your-neighbors-eastern-fox-squirrel/
Eastern Fox Squirrel illustration in Los Angeles Magazine http://www.lamag.com
Injustice: When justice attacked and rendered powerless
It seems that too often in America justice fails us.
Yesterday’s grand jury announcement that there would be no criminal charges against the police officer who killed an unarmed 18-year-old named Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri sparked more rage, unrest, looting, riots and violence. Many more people were hurt and buildings destroyed in Ferguson. Unrest, protests and riots happened around the country last night and including close to home in Oakland.
Today, It seems fitting to post a b&w illustration I did last year for VERDICT on the theme of justice being cut down and rendered powerless.
We should not let injustice, racism and violence rule in any form. We have work to do as a nation and in our communities to mend justice and find true peace and equality.
Chuck Todd Illustration of Lady Justice being attacked and cutdown, rendered powerless. Created for VERDICT
Chuck Todd’s Smartphone Kill Switch artwork featured in newspapers; Huffington Post story
Artwork by Chuck Todd for Bay Area News Group; Illustration was also used by Huffington Post. “Kill Switch” technology locks down smartphones in an effort to keep phones and private information out of the hands of thieves.
I created this illustration for Bay Area News Group to go with a Dana Hull story on lock down technology used by Apple and other smartphone makers to thwart thieves from stealing private information from a cell phone. In print the illustration ran in the San Jose Mercury News and in the Contra Costa Times in the TechMonday business section. I few months later I was delighted to learn that my artwork was also picked up by The Huffington Post and ran with this story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/16/smartphone-kill-switch_n_5158926.html
The illustration was created with pencil, photocopy and Photoshop. I wanted to really push the threatening feeling of the hands trying to snatch the iPhone. I did this as a separate drawing, xeroxed it to push the blacks and texture and then worked back into it some more. On another piece of bristol board I drew the hand and the lock with chains wrapping around the iPhone to keep it locked down. I scanned both in and accented the hand and phone with color in photoshop. Keeping the background black and white was more striking and sinister. This approach harkens back to my love for printmaking and etching.
Devin Farney Poster and CD cover for Brilliant Ideas, Advertising
Chuck Todd Illustration for Brilliant Ideas advertising for promotional material and CD cover “Introducing the Music of Devin Farney” Pencil and Photoshop.
For this and more of my illustrations go to my Directory of Illustration portfolio:
http://goo.gl/oQZCQq
or visit my website: http://www.chucktodd.net
Art direction by Briliiant Ideas, Advertising (copyright)
For more on the music of Devin Farney and Brilliant Ideas go to:
http://biadverts.com/2013/07/july-22-2013-the-devin-farney-press-release-is-on/
Street Smarts: New technology changing the way drivers interact with their cars
Street Smarts graphic and illustration by Chuck Todd created for the Monday, Dec. 2 TECHNOLOGY section in Bay Area News Group papers. Centerpiece design by Daymond Gascon (and the Street Smarts headline). Story by San Jose Mercury News writer Dan Nakaso.
Cars are getting smarter and safer: From Toyota’s fuel cell concept car expected to go 310 miles between fill ups to sensors that detect and warn of cars in a drivers blind spot to systems that maintain safe distances from cars in traffic, new car technology is changing how drivers interact with their vehicles.
For this illustration I played on the idea of cars making drivers smarter. I had fun using the car as the brains of a driver and used the vector car art to highlight new car model technology. The driver’s profile was drawn in pencil, xeroxed and drawn back into to increase contrast and then taken into photoshop. I decided to keep the driver drawing in light blue tones and pop the car out for emphasis by using oranges and black lines. The car and graphic elements were created in illustrator.
Here is a link to the story: http://goo.gl/6FoziB
The Great Facebook Escape
A man tries to go cold turkey from Facebook for thirty days and and writes of his experience. Illustration by Chuck Todd for Bay Area News Group. For story by Sherman Turntine on his experience of trying to go 30 days without Facebook. I created this illustration using pencil, illustrator, and photoshop. The writer of the article was also the model for the illustration. The story and illustration will be in Monday, Nov. 18 print editions (with design by Daymond Gascon) and is online at mercurynews.com. http://bit.ly/17yL0us
