Aaron Rodgers Sketch

Hi All,

You may know...I'm a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan.  And...they're one game away from the Super Bowl.  Yes!!  I'm excited.

So the other day I was doing a little sketching in a nice custom hand-made sketchbook my son Dave gave to me for Fathers day last year.  I did a little sketch of Aaron Rodgers.  I didn't intend to share it, but then I took it into Photoshop and had a little fun with it and...I'll share it anyways. 

Just quick and dirty sketch fun.  I had fun doing them.  I get a little self conscious sharing something that's loose and quick - but that's ok.  I will anyhow. 

The NFC Championship game is today. Go Pack Go!!

Have a great Sunday,

Tom

on line portfolio: www.behance.net/tk-art

Super Bowl Sunday and the MVP

Hi All,

Writing a quick post before the Super Bowl.  As any of you who read the blog know, I'm a big Packers fan.  The loss to Seattle two weeks ago was a devastating loss.  I know it's just a game and there's so much more to life than football.  That being said - the loss and the manner of the loss is still hard to swallow.

Rodgers - pencil and computer...I did this one a few years ago.

There's one bright spot in all of it.  Aaron Rodgers was named MVP of the NFL.  He's truly the best of the best, and a good guy too.   Congrats to Rodgers.

Packers fans - chin up.  Next year is another year.  Keep the perspective.  It's a game.  We love our team.  And...as we know, they don't always get to the Super Bowl.

Rodgers Toon - I did this one this year.  Worked it with Photoshop and
my Wacom tablet on Mac.  Fun project.

Today - I'm pulling for the Seahawks.  I'm going to enjoy the game, the commercials, and even the Katy Perry halftime show.

Enjoy the show today...enjoy whatever you're doing.  Be in the moment every day in gratitude.  It makes it a lot better.

Well - I've got to go...the game is starting.  Congrats Rodgers.  You're the best.  Good luck to the two teams playing today.

Peace,

Tom

Green Bay Packers Artwork

Hi All,

Alright - I'm excited.  The Packers are one game away from the Super Bowl.  They play Seattle this weekend.  It's going to be a tough game and a lot of fun.

The Packers are my favorite team.  I'm from that area originally and have followed them since I can remember.  Throughout the years I've enjoyed drawing my favorite Packers.  With the playoffs coming toward the end - The Super Bowl, I'd like to share some of my newer and older Packers artwork.  I hope you like it.  Go Packers!!!

Hall of Fame Linebacker - Ray Nitsche.  I met him once when I was about 10
years old.  He was a nice person and one of the toughest players ever, on the field.  Picture
produced using Wacom tablet and Painter software.

Current Pro Bowl Linebacker - Clay Matthews.  Photoshop and Wacom tablet
starting with a pencil sketch.  Love this guy - he's a gamer!!

The late, great Reggie White.  One of the all-time greats and an even better person
off the field.  This painting was produced with opaque watercolors (gouache), on
illustration board.

Brett Favre - pen and ink with Photoshop.  Of course we all know about Favre; the guy could flat-out
play Football.  

I have always enjoyed cartoon drawings.  This is one of former Packer wide out,
Donald Driver.  Driver was one of Brett Favre's favorite receivers to throw to.  He
was a great.  I drew the illustration with pen and ink - colored it with Photoshop software.

Usually when I'm making this kind of artwork, I like to try new and different things....it's
play-time for me.  This one started with a tight pencil rendering, then scanned and worked
it with Photoshop.  Dorsey Levens - former Packers running back.  He was a tough runner
and a good receiver out of the backfield.

Eddie Lacy - current All Pro running back for the Pack.  This guy is a load - stout and runs with
incredible power.  The pic is comprised of photo reference, painted in Photoshop.

Aaron Rodgers - All World Quarterback for the Packers.  Pen and Ink cartoon, painted with Photoshop.
Love this guy - he's an amazing player.  We'll see how he plays this weekend.

Last one - Pen and Ink picture of Reggie White.  I've done many pen and inks of Packers over the years, so I had to include at lease one that's just an ink drawing.  RIP Reggie.

I hope you enjoy my collection of some of my Packers artwork.  I enjoyed drawing them.  I can't wait for the game this weekend.  We've got friends coming in from the midwest and family from San Diego...should be a lot of fun.
Enjoy the game and remember - if your team doesn't win - don't take it too hard.  I sure hope the Pack can make it and win the Super Bowl - but only two teams will be there.  It's been a great year so far...we'll see what happens.

Peace,

Tom

www.behance.net/tk-art  - on-line portfolio
www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Kreienbrink-Art-and-Design - follow me on FB

Cartooning - Mr. Rodgers

Hi All,

I just finished a cartoon drawing of Aaron Rodgers (of the Green Bay Packers).  It combines two lifelong loves of mine; The Packers football team and Cartooning.

Since I was a young boy I loved cartoons and comic strips and I was always a Packers fan.  The Packers were the local heros where I grew up, and I still cheer for them (win or lose).  I also loved cartoons and drawing cartoons.  I would copy pictures of Snoopy and others, as well as making up my own characters.

My favorite cartoons growing up were Peanuts and probably Beatle Bailey (as a young boy), and Doonesbury was one of my favorites as I got into my teens.  Of course there are many others that I enjoyed - as well as Batman and Archie comic books.

Pen and Ink, photographed and partially colored in Photoshop on computer.

I've been playing with this piece off and on for about a month and a half.  I start out with bristol board, pencil and eraser.  Then I created a pen and ink cartoon.  I took a photo of it with my phone camera (hadn't purchased the new printer/scanner yet).  And - as you can see above, started cleaning it up and coloring the toon.

I do most of this with the brush tool in Photoshop.  I was working on this for fun and wasn't in a big hurry, so taking the extra time on this piece gives it a real hand drawn look (because it really is).  I use other tools and know of many other more efficient ways - I'm telling you how I did this picture, and it's a slower process for sure.

Finished artwork of Aaron Rodgers immortalized in a cartoon.

When the actual cartoon character is finished, I work the lettering.  I clean up the letters and use selection tool and airbrush to get the effect.  Finally I use custom brushes, layers, and transparency levels to put a nice background together.  Simple and fun.

Have fun with the cartoons.  The beauty of cartooning is you can do it anywhere and just about at any time.  All you need is a drawing implement and something to draw on.

Have a great week.  Go Packers!!

Peace,

Tom

www.behance.net/tk-art