Retrospective of 2014 - a very busy year: finished my 100th book cover for Penguin (I'm currently at 112); illustrated a full kid's book; taught a Digital Painting class... Regrets? More time for personal projects, which takes a high priority in 2015.

Like many (most?) artists, I often cringe when I look back at old work – and that can mean an illustration done last month! I see so many things I would change/fix/delete... The upside is that I see my work improve. Today I'm sharing my (humiliating) FIRST caricatures ever. Ick. And a new Wayne Gretzky piece I just finished.

It's been a while since I posted a tip. Here's a sneak peek at a new book project I just finished...

Sometimes there are no shortcuts: for the main character (in-progress book), the scales had to be rendered without a custom brush. Time-consuming and a bit tedious, but they just looked better.

I really like painting old people - the wrinkles and textures in their faces give them so much character. Here's a recent project with some background adjustments to make the focal point more dominant.

Water pops up a lot in my work: rivers, oceans, and lakes often can be rendered with smaller generic waves/ripples. Stormy seas, waves and white-caps are a different beast.

Thinking BEFORE you paint can save a lot of time. While most things can be painted with standard brushes, being creative with custom brushes often is more efficient and gives a better result - providing you still add some detailing...