references that tie back to the days when i spent time at RISD in the nature lab, convinced  i was going to be a scientific illustrator.

it is backgrounds like this that allow me to scratch that need to paint that still creeps in the studio now and then.

looking at this final image i am sure that the scientific illustration community is pleased that i didnt make the cut into their field.

The event takes place Sept 11 2010.

here is a bit about the Croquet Ball:

For 15 years, the Croquet Ball has raised significant support for over 1,400 children at Penfield Children’s Center.  The event has contributed funds to renovate the Special Care Nursery at Penfield and support children and families through the Family Fund.

here are the sketches i submitted to the great crew at Cramer-Krasselt:

here is the color study i created from the approved sketch.

the final poster.

a bit of backstory:

Clutch has never won a race, he is still looking for that elusive victory, any victory for that matter. He will race anything, a tree, a barn, his shadow, you name it he’ll race it and no matter how hard he tries he still manages to loose.

this is a shot of the 1:9 scale model of the Norton bike that i assembled and ‘modified’ along with an initial sketch of Clutch scaled to the size of the bike.

here is a schematic of Clutch with notes on his costume and gear

the final shot with his ‘mark’

it was a bear getting the image to have speed (that’s where a cordless drill and a hairdryer came in handy)

here is a film of the set in action:

here are the initial roughs:

the inspiration behind the peacock feathers came from a conversation i had once with the amazing, modern day, god father of illustration, Brad Holland. it was at my first showing at the Society of Illustrators in NY. specifically the now defunct 3-Dimensional Salon. Being Mr Holland was one of the judges for the exhibit he came to the opening and it took me all night to get the courage to walk up and speak to him. After we exchanged hellos, he asked about my studio name Red Nose Studio and how many people i had working for me. i told him it was just me and my dog and he chuckled and said i was using the name like peacock feathers, to sound bigger than i was. i kindly replied that i chose the name because it had more character and branding than ‘Chris Sickels Illustration’ and that i hoped it would allow my work to also expand into other markets beyond what was then, for me, mostly editorial illustration. Thanks to Mr Holland for the chance for me to justify and clarify my career objectives, for being a factor in how i was able to show my first pieces at the Society, for being an inspiration when i saw him speak when i was in school in Cincinnati and for leaving an impression that help me generate this image that ended up on the cover (my forth!) of HOW.

this is the second concept, i like the idea that the character isn’t quite sure how to use the megaphone and the sidekick dog seems to really add a punch line. i am sure this duo will show up again in my sketches.

this one was a bit of a stretch and just didn’t have the quick ‘zing’ that the others had.

this is the chosen concept in the cover template, with an added sidekick, but the sidekick was more of a distraction..

the approved sketch. we decided that the assortment of megaphones showed how he has tried a few other ways to promote himself and that the peacock feathers became the best choice.

these are the fabric swathes and color studies i did for myself prior to the build.

the final cover on newsstands at the end of the month.

thanks to the folks at Angie’s List and Indianapolis Monthly, its nice to get a little recognition in the neighborhood.

with that said i wanted to post an illustration i did last fall and include a little animation that i did as an experiment in seeing how an illustration of mine could potentially come to life. admittedly this animation is not much more than eye candy, i don’t think it adds to the concept of the illustration, but i does allow the viewer to see that the characters are moving along and doing there best to spread the message of their brands which we are all trying to do these days.

the project was the cover for the October 2009 issue of Deliver magazine. the topic was on how direct mail can work in tandem with other methods of marketing.

here are the three roughs submitted for the piece.

here is the clipping from an old history of war book that i have had on my worktable for several years that was the inspiration behind the trumpet mobile contraption.

here is a preliminary shot with the sketch overlayed to check for composition and fit into the layout.

the final shot

and the final cover, thanks to Grayson Cardinell for a fun project.

here is the animation test to see how movement could potential enhance the visual concept. there is no audio in this test, and being that it focuses on trumpets that is an aspect that could take this experiment to the next level of interaction. if you can imagine Devotchka’s Basso Profundo playing over the animation.

here is a link to more information on the show from fine folks at Gallery Nucleus.

the piece i have for sale in the show is called ForeArm. there will be a signed, framed print on display along with the original sculpture/puppet.

Along with sculptures and framed prints of the work there will be my personal sketch books on hand and animations showing, some Red Nose classics like ForkBoy and The Red Thread Project along with never before seen test scenes of Scout and the new super silent short Bandit Blood.

here is the release form the gallery:

Manifest digs deep, exploring the fringes of visual arts which include design and illustration (not just philosophical conceptualism and nihilism). Adding to its history of such exhibits begun with Transportation Design, the Drawthrough Collection by Scott Roberston, and Funny Men which included works by noted illustrators Ryan Ostrander and Gabriel Utasi, Manifest invites Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio back to Cincinnati for a full spectrum experience of his intense and highly unique illustrative process. Seeing Red (Nose) will feature a start to finish range of works by Sickels that lead to his stunning photographic images. Like artists such as Sandy Skoglund or the Brothers Quay, Sickels employs a painstaking process of crafting every element within each image as an object, then combining and manipulating them, then lighting and ultimately photographing. Manifest’s exhibit will include original sketchbooks, hand-crafted sculptural models, finished photographic illustrations, and stop-motion animation featuring the compelling characters in haunting moving dramas.

the opening is July 9th 2010 6-9 pm the show runs July 9 – Aug 6th 2010

Manifest Gallery 2727 Woodburn Avenue Cincinnati Ohio 45206

HERE is a video from a book signing for ‘Here Comes The Garbage Barge!’ i did as a fund raiser at my favorite non profit organization Happen Inc.

a special thanks to everyone at Happen Inc for a fun event!