October Monster Madness 2011 - Day 01 - Jack the Pumpkinhead

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but in 2008 I took on a personal challenge that for the month of October I would draw a different monster sketch every day and upload it. I've decided to do that again this year. Last time I used mainly one method, which was sketch it, scan it, covert it in CorelDraw, color it and finish it. This year, I hope to utilize a variety of methods - tablet sketch, black and white pencil sketch, CorelDraw, painted, maybe clay - we'll see what I end up with.

To kick things off, here is my first one for October. He's the main character of a children's book I wrote and illustrated called Jack the Pumpkinhead and you can get it at www.lulu.com/mcrosser.

Artist Notes - Done as a pencil sketch in a Dentist Office waiting room - maybe a dentist could be one of my monsters, hmm. Then I scanned it onto my Xoom tablet and traced it and colored it in Sketchbook Mobile Pro.

October Monster Madness 2011?

So back in 2008, I did a series of illustrations throughout October called, October Monster Madness. It was part fun, part challenge. It can be hard drawing different types of monsters, coloring them and doing it every day! It takes discipline. I'm thinking of doing it again. We'll see. Here's a link to the 2008 series, http://mattsketchpad.blogspot.com/search/label/October%20Monster%20Madness%202008. And here is one of my favorite new monsters I've drawn.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #31

And finishing off the October Monster Madness is monster #31, the Wolf Man. Aawoooooooooo!

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #30

Monster #30, shows us what happened after Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall....he went on the warpath! Only one monster left.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #29

Coming into the final stretch is a madly demented jack in a box, monster #29. In August, I got to visit a restaurant, which when growing up was a childhood favorite later closed. The restaurant was "Jack in the Box". I'm not sure if it would have been one of my favorites if the mascot looked like this one.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #28

And bringing some class into the final week is monster #28, a tip toeing Frankenstein, tipping his hat to Young Frankenstein and Peter Boyle's version of the monster.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #27

Myself, I am not afraid of clowns, but I know several people who are....this goes out to you., monster #27.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #26

Hiding behind the closet door is monster #26. Those eyes.....

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #25

Here is ghost number #25, which is my version of a classic cartoon ghost.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #24

Aaargh, ahoy is monster #25, a ghost pirate. Working on this one, I had one of those happy accidents. I made a shadow of the ghost figure then colored a ghostly blue. My plan was to place it behind the ghost, but then in moving it I accidentally put it in front, which subdued the ghost and made the glow that much more effective. I liked it so much that I used it for another upcoming monster afterwards.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4. I used a shadow colored ghostly blue made from an outlined ghost pirate, then I moved it in front, giving it the glowing effect.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #23

This is monster #23 a living mummified dog wrapped in toiltet paper.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #22

Here is something you don't want to come across in a corn field...monster #22, a living scarecrow!

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #21

Here is monster #21, which is my rendition of the Boogeyman.


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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #20

Coming in at #20 is today's monster, it's the Invisible Man.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #19

Not every monster is a classic one. Monster #19 is actually a big ol' bullfrog. And to an ant, that bullfrog is one of the most terrifying sights it could come across. Monsters depend on perspective.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #18

Did anyone ever hear this little bedtime diddy....

Good night,
Sleep tight,
Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Well, here is monster #18, Bed Bugs. Did you know bed bugs are real??? I don't want them in my bed, that's for sure.


Here is a weird little clip of a snail saying the quote from above about bed bugs...
http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/snailshalloween-25.m3u

From the CD at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/snailshalloween

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #17

Here is a halloween classic. A witch riding her broomstick with a full moon.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #16

Here is monster #16, which is the Horned Flying Monkey. I had the flying creatures from the Wizard of Oz in the back of my head when I was drawing this monster.

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - #15

This is one monster I have been excited to work on. It is inspired part by any good haunted house, but also in part by one of my favorite spooky halloween themed movies of all time, that is The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. Here is monster #15, the Mad Organist.

Follow this link to see a little of my inspiration from The Ghost and Mr Chicken:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XdqRbIfNgE&feature=related

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Technical details: I used two Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pens, one V7 fine and one V5 extra fine. I didn't use any pencil, choosing to sketch with the pen. It creates a more improvisational line. Then I scanned them in and colored them using CorelDraw X4.

October Monster Madness 2008 - midway

Okay, so we are about halfway through this project of mine. It has actually surprised me how many people are actually visiting the site and checking these out. Apparently, over 150 people have been coming on here in the last month to check out the site! Sometimes, I imagine that no one is reading them....and it is like a little game of play pretend like I may have done as a child. That is...pretending I am writing to someone, when no one is really there. That actually reminds me of a short poem I read recently....

Yesterday upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

This verse, titled "Antigonish" was written by William Hughes Mearns in 1899. William Hughes Mearns, better known as Hughes Mearns (1875-1965) was an American Educator and Poet. He wrote two books which are credited for fueling the educational trend of creative writing.

Apparently, it was inspired by reports of a haunted house in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. That puts it in a different light!

So, halfway through this project, I wanted to list some of the upcoming "monsters". I won't list them all, since I want some to be a surprise, but here are a few of the upcoming monsters.

- Mad Organist
- Horned Flying Monkeys
- Witch riding a broom
- The Boogeyman

I hope you enjoy them and it puts you in a spooky mood!