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

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

NFL Season is Here - Eddie Lacy Artwork

Hi All,

Are you ready for Football?  I am!  I'm a fan of the Green Bay Packers.  They were the local team, when I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin and I still follow them today.  The old loyalties are strong sometimes.  So naturally as an artist I like to occasionally create Packers artwork.  I do it for fun.

Last year the Packers drafted running back Eddie Lacy and he had an amazing rookie year.  It looks like this year may be even better for him.  This made him a natural choice to become piece of artwork that I can share with friends and internet.

reference material and layout

I found a couple of photos on the internet that I liked and started with them as reference material.  I like the contrast between him with helmet off, in a candid moment and the other photo, with Lacy running with great intensity straight at the camera.  I combined them in a photoshop file.  I removed/erased all the material around the photo without the helmet and laid it over the action photo.

re-drawing, or drawing over the photographs

Usually, I'll do a pencil drawing to start with.  In this case, I just started drawing right on the actual photo layout itself.  I kind of consider it "cheating."  However - in the interest of saving time, that's the way I did it.  This technique is still not instant, it still took a good chunk of time to "re-draw" the photos and background.

smudging the background

When I started working the background more, I used the smudge tool to give it a little illusion of motion.

after applying the duo-tone color

To add color I applied a duo-tone to the artwork thru Photoshop.  Giving it the green and gold coloring over the entire picture.

Eddie Lacy - Running Back, Green Bay Packers, by Tom Kreienbrink

I made some adjustments to the colors, added a border, a little more drawing/sketching and added a logo overlay and.....it's finished.  I hope you enjoy the artwork and the upcoming football season.

Take care everyone and have a great week.  Summer's fading fast, so enjoy it while it's here.

Peace,

Tom

www.behance.net/tk-art

Tom is also an holistic therapy practitioner in Phoenix, AZ.
www.HolisticTherapySolutions.weebly.com

Packers Gallery - Playoffs start this weekend!

Hi All,

Happy Friday.  I'm excited.  2014 is starting off pretty well in many ways.  One good thing - my favorite football team (Green Bay Packers), will be playing the 49ers on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs.

In honor of that, I'm posting a gallery of some of the Packer artwork that I've done over the years.  Go Packers!!

Aaron Rodgers - pencil and digital paint

Of course - there's the current star quarterback for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers.  However, I thought I'd dip into the archives and break out some Packers of the past.  Some of these, you may not have seen for a while.  I hope you enjoy.

Leroy Butler - Defensive back - originator of the Lambeau Leap.  Digital paint.

Aaron Kampman - Defensive End and pass rush specialist.  Digital paint.

Mike Mckenzie - Defensive Back.  Digital paint.

Ray Nietzsche - One of the baddest, meanest Linebackers of all time.  A Hero
in the Packers teams of the 1960s.  digital paint.

Bill Schroeder - Wide Receiver  - Amazing speed and ability to make
the coach furious.  digital paint.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.  If you're a football fan - have fun watching the playoffs.

Cheers,

Tom