Daniel Vasconcellos

Caricature

2009-07-03T16:44:00.020-04:00

Here's a recent piece for the cover of Network World on the competition between the leading I.T. companies... or at least their CEO's.

My work primarily features facial expression whether in the form of a gentle likeness, extreme caricature, or simply to help tell the story. As with most assignments, this particular illustration had to capture the prominent features of these gentlemen and allow for the cover design elements; mailing label in the lower left side, masthead along top and various copy headlines on the left side of the page.

It's always fun and challenging to create an image that meets the criteria of design space, production deadline and, of course, pleases the client (and me). I'll post the print version as soon as I receive a copy.

Thanks to Stephen Sauer, art director at Network World for this opportunity.

Risk assessment

2009-07-03T16:24:00.011-04:00

Have you ever found yourself trapped in an intimate setting with someone you have absolutely nothing in common with?...

Humorist Pat McManus writes of such an encounter (as only he can) in the March 2009 issue of Outdoor Life magazine.
And after reading Pat's take, I figured an illustration of him in the paddler's "distress" position would say it all. The good folks at OL agreed and here's the two-step; sketch to final process above.

Try something new...

2009-03-10T10:37:00.017-04:00

Okay, I'm not suggesting bananas with ketchup. More along the lines of trying a new creative approach like calling me to collaborate on your next visual assignment.

My hand-drawn, humorous, pen and ink and watercolor illustrations have served to connect a wide-range of clients stories with their intended audience. My work resonates through humor and expressive characters who are all-too familiar. In short, my work (and I) won't disappoint.

Give me a call.

781-829-8815

Heavy lifting

2009-01-13T08:38:00.022-05:00

A recent assignment for the Christian Science Monitor, Mutual Funds Quarterly section once again featuring the bear as economic indicator.... or maybe it's just one of those 'too big to fail' folks who aren't apparently held to account for the whereabouts of the recent generous 'bail out' money given to them by the U.S. taxpayer?

John Kehe, Graphics Designer at the Christian Science Monitor shared the heavy lifting in creating this illo.

Vasky Cards

2008-12-29T08:02:00.018-05:00

"Share a laugh."

Now here's a concept I trust we can all agree on, and the very spirit which informs Vasky Cards; my new line of greeting cards featuring, yes, my artwork. Funny and smart Vasky Cards bring the gift of humor to every occasion. View my initial 12 designs by simply clicking and following the 'Vasky Cards' link on the home page.

And please bear with me as this effort is in its infancy. Presently the cards are available for purchase by check with a minimum order via the web of 8 cards (1 box). Our online purchasing capability should be in place early 2009. If you're located on the the South Shore of Massachusetts, there are several shops carrying Vasky Cards with more venues to come. As always, feel free to email or call me directly with any questions and we'll get the cards to you.

If you'd like to stay informed of Vasky Cards updates and announcements please send your email to cards@vasky.com and you'll be added to my mailing list. Of course, I respect your privacy, and I will never sell, share or distribute your email or personal information to a third party, ever.

I appreciate and encourage your feedback and suggestions. Thanks for your support.

Share a laugh,

Dan

Da BEAR

2008-10-21T08:40:00.020-04:00

<
AND in the category of "Leading Animal in the Present Economic Crisis"

the winner IS...

(drum roll)

... the hulkin' bear.

Sketch above was created for Christian Science Monitor, Mutual Funds Quarterly article. As federal investigations continue to evolve somebody might want to tell the pig to be ready and waiting in the wings. This role could be recast real soon.

Lets Make a Deal

2008-09-29T17:46:00.025-04:00

This from a radio program earlier today in response to the 'rescue' package being debated on Capitol Hill:

"We're socializing losses and privatizing profits".

- Gretchen Morgenson, business columnist for The New York Times.

Dead on, if you ask me. Dead on.

Laughter + wine =

2008-09-16T07:32:00.014-04:00

If laughter is good medicine then why not combine it with the fruit of the vine. Well, Mr. Ron Leland and the talented folks at Real Life Branding did just that with this client's product, and on a recent visit I bumped into these old friends.

http://www.reallifebranding.com/portfolio/?id=kookaburra

The sketches were provided by yours truly for their Laughing Kookaburra brand development project and the little guy that eventually made the cut can be seen here:

(Note: Have the volume on your computer turned down)

http://www.kookaburrawine.com

© Daniel Vasconcellos 2008 All rights reserved

Yellow Bus

2008-08-31T08:18:00.013-04:00

I don't know where summer went, but I suspect the yellow school bus which arrived on our street last week may have been involved with its disappearance.

It also reminded me of this illustration I'd created for a Smart Money Magazine article on summer camps. It addressed the concerns parents have for their child's well being when going off to summer camp. As a parent, and veteran kid, this experience transfers with the changing season from camp to the school bus. The big yellow school bus.

And now our son, Davis, fully appreciates the exaggerated preparedness concept behind this illustration as his overnight summer camp experience was a worse case scenario of what awaits the unsuspecting camper. Thankfully, he's fully recovered, but there's one aspect of summer I won't miss.

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs...

2008-06-20T11:54:00.009-04:00

I came across these sketches recently and thought I'd share them with you. Suffice to say I was asked to render some simple dog characters for a potential assignment and here's a sampling of what poured onto one of several sketchbook pages.

Posted for two simple reasons:

1. Yes, I do draw dogs.

2. My web host is anything but a dog and can be found by clicking their logo down below. (Woof! a bit of a shameless plug for these fine service-minded canines.)

Summer fare

2008-06-12T12:16:00.010-04:00

... is now being served. With temps recently in the 80's -- and it's only early June! The smells and sounds of summer are not far away. The kids will be out of school in a few short days and oh boy... let the fun begin!

This recent illustration was created for the First Parish Church Summer Fair in Duxbury, MA. The 158th Annual... and this smilin' kid is doing it all!

Enough said

2008-04-17T10:37:00.011-04:00

Knock! knock!

2008-04-09T10:23:00.015-04:00

The daily news of the housing mortgage crisis generated this assignment opportunity. You never know who'll drop by for a nice, neighborly visit these days... Do you.

If it's Fred Norgaard, my collaborator on this illo from the NY Times, then by all means, let him in. He's good company.

A March Lioness

2008-03-22T18:28:00.008-04:00

A March Lion

2008-03-13T12:33:00.030-04:00

Got Money?

2008-02-21T16:02:00.040-05:00

Here's a recent illo for Fred Norgaard at the New York Times. It accompanied the essay, "A Fairer System: Tax the Annoying", by John Schwartz in the Business section on February 10, 2008.

To avoid the image being misread as the all-too-familiar family searching for TV remote, I gave one to the family dog. Obviously, he was happy to cooperate.

John's essays are always a fun read, and these assignments present the challenge of developing and executing the art under a short deadline.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/business/yourtaxes/10essay.html

2008!

2008-01-02T07:15:00.020-05:00

Here's the final stage in the process. (First-time visitors please scroll down to view my work process description beginning in the November 2007 post)

After discussing the sketch with the client I complete any required revision of the sketch and working directly from the approved sketch I render the line work onto 140lb Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper using Higgins waterproof drawing ink and a Hunt 101 Imperial pen nib. Once the line work is dry I paint over it with Winsor Newton watercolors. Absent any specific requests from the client I generally allow the mood of the narrative to dictate the color pallet.

The final color art is then scanned here in my studio, cleaned up (as needed) in Photoshop and emailed to the client as a jpeg. In this case, to Mr. Ray Gedeon of Softmart (http://www.softmart.com) for approval and incorporation into the intended brochure.

So there you have it; a brief peek into my work process. As always feel free to email me with questions or comments. I'll do my best to respond.

Happy 2008!

Seasons Greetings!

2007-12-17T11:34:00.011-05:00

Here's the next step in my process:

Once I settle on sketches I think work the pencil roughs are scanned from my sketchbook and cleaned up, and 'tweaked' to fit the client's specifications and my idea of what the illustration should communicate. I'll then attach the jpeg image and email it to my client for their review and feedback.

After a conversation via phone or email where the reception the image received is discussed, and when necessary, changes are made to accommodate my client request or I'm given the go ahead to proceed to final art. (Which I can happily report was the case here. Thanks, Ray)

No two assignments are the same. And the collaborative process is a big part of what keeps this work so interesting.

Check back in next month for a look at the final artwork.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have about my work. I'll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.

November Thanks

2007-11-26T17:50:00.009-05:00

Since I enjoy seeing the process by which any creative effort arrives at its destination I offer a quick peek into my "process" by way of this recent pencil sketch rendered for Ray Gedeon of Softmart. These pencil sketches mark the initial step for all my illustrations where text and concept are distilled into a visual expression. (Sounds fancy, eh? Sorry but explaining how these sketches come to be takes the fun out of it. Truth is, I use elves.)

This initial interpretation plays on the chaotic and perplexing task of monitoring a company's I.T. inventory (absent Softmart's involvement, of course). It will be the first sketch of what will eventually be three full-color drawings commissioned for introducing Softmart's I.T. scalability products and solutions.

Visit Softmart (http://www.softmart.com) where Ray, and the good folks at Softmart can explain their products and capabilities far better than I could here.

Stop by next month when I'll show the next step in the process.

And thanks to Ray, Softmart, and all my trusting clients who grant me the opportunity to collaborate and make my pictures.

Hunt for read October

2007-10-10T09:33:00.006-04:00

Here's a little something for you early-bird holiday shoppers... or those who simply could use a good laugh.

I've previously shared illustrations created for Pat McManus's monthly Last Laugh column in Outdoor Life magazine. This past summer Pat and the good folks at Simon & Schuster chose one of my images to grace the cover of his latest collection of short stories titled "Kerplunk" which will be available November 3, 2007.

It's a real honor to be associated with Pat and his work, and I encourage you to visit his website http://www.mcmanusbooks.com and order several hundred copies -- and get 'em all signed! And please say hello to Pat and Bun for me.

September!

2007-09-04T13:12:00.007-04:00

Okay, so not everyone is happy that summer's coming to a close.

Yeah, I'd planned to lose a few pounds during the warmer months and get in better shape, but I have to remind myself of all those goals I DID achieve...

...[queue the crickets]...

But hey, enough about me, here's to the changing seasons, and in partucular, Fall: a time to enjoy life wearing long pants.

© Daniel Vasconcellos 2007

Dog Days...

2007-07-18T07:14:00.008-04:00

Ahhh, summah in New England!... Where expectations collide with a brief reality.

To view recent work, pick up a copy of the following publications ; Harvard Business School, Outdoor Life, the Wall Street Journal, EDN News, MetGolfer and Perfect Vision magazine.

And I hope your summer is exceeding your imagination.

It's JULY! and here's what's cooking...

2007-07-03T09:37:00.007-04:00

Thanks for checking in.

In the coming months your visit should be rewarded with more content; notecards, art reprints, original art and assorted items available at the 'store' link, as well as occasionally updated portfolio images. I trust the content will prove worthy of your time and support.

If there's something you'd like to see more of feel free to let me know. And please, tell a friend or twelve to drop by.

And in response to recent requests, yes, virtually every image on this site is available to be ordered as notecards for your personal or business communication needs or as a gift t-shirt, etc. I invite your inquiries and do check back soon. I'm planning to update this "News!" blog every month. Thanks.

"Uh-oh!"

2007-07-02T11:00:00.006-04:00

Pick up a copy of Outdoor Life magazine where you'll find the Last Laugh column written by the funniest outdoorsman alive, Patrick F. McManus.

I'm fortunate to have the unique privilege of illustrating Pat's work every month, so I speak from personal experience when I say you won't be disappointed.

The image above appeared in the February 2007 issue where Pat addresses (as only he can) working with outdoor guides.