the hot point at ICON6 earlier this month in Pasadena, CA was the topic of motion in illustration as the next great thing or not. i wont get into pointing fingers or saying what is right or wrong but i do think the way the topic got people stirred up and talking can only lead to good things. it stemmed from the idea that magazines specifically WIRED magazine is spearheading the way on how magazines can potentially  utilize new devices and programs to allow readers to have a direct interaction with the editorial content by having graphics that can be multi-dimensional and by having illustrations that move. the hot point was that illustrators are illustrators not animators, that the power of a single image that can bring the reader into the text is a skill that shouldn’t be watered down by simply making something move for the sake of eye candy. the high point was that the content should remain the focus. if the content calls for something to move, then by all means move it, the software needed to do that is now becoming more accessible… the point that i see from all of this is that we as illustrators should continue to push our mediums and allow things to grow and expand and with open minds we will continue to ride the flow of up and downs and still continue to move forward in our careers.

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.

this is sure to be one heck of a group exhibit with a whopping 50 illustrators. it co-insides with ICON6 the 6th Illustration Conference, which starts this thursday July 15th in Pasadena.

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.

here are a few shots from  the opening. the folks at Manifest Gallery sure know how to do it up right. a tremendous thanks to Jason Franz for spearheading my involvement. here are a few shots he sent of the evening.

It’s only been about 5 years since this many of my pieces have been on display in one place. Jason Franz of Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati Ohio has worked closely with me selecting a body of work from my illustration and personal work for an exhibit called Seeing Red (Nose).

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