"Healing" Book Cover Design

This is a book cover that I designed for my friend David Elliott. I really believe in the uplifting message of David's work and I highly recommend getting a copy at Amazon or at his web site.

Graphic Design Storyboards - Ecolab

Some storyboards from the summer done with a different approach then I've ever tried (or been asked to do). The boards were meant to reflect the look of the final video, which was an animated/graphic design video.

Always a good challenge to think in shape instead of line, it usually produces some interesting and unexpected results. Especially when you have a short deadline and no time to think...

SC Magazine Illustration "Social Media Revolution"

Artic Expedition

A piece from last summer that I never posted and just found while digging for some reference. Its oil and acrylic on board, that started with a purposely gaudy underlay of rainbow colors that I glazed again and again with bluish-white washes in order to give the ice a feeling of transparency and reflected light. A great suggestion from Andrea Wicklund.

"2012 Time for Change" Screening

Please join Curious Pictures for a screening of 2012 Time for Change followed by a panel: Socially Conscious Media... Imagining the Evolution with:
Morgan Spurlock
Joseph Castelo
Asi Burak
Daniel Pinchbeck
Joao Amorim

Tuesday October 19th @ 7pm
AMC Loews Village 7
66 3rd Ave. @ 11 st.
New York, NY 10003

Tickets

Trailer

Sketchbook 10-11-10

Thought it was time to take a break from the marker sketches and work on something new in my sketchbook to push myself a bit.

Here are a couple of quick 15 minute gouache sketches.

Looking at a still frame from the movie "George Washington"...

Another from "2001: A Space Odyssey"...

And trying to recapture a walk home from memory...

Sketchbook 10-5-10

Some sketches while looking at magazines and while watching "Man on Fire". Trying to see how simply I can state these sketches and working on designing my mark-making as much as possible.

ESPN The Magazine Illustration

I just saw that this came out in the most recent ESPN The Magazine. I am really happy with how this turned out, especially because I see some elements that have been developing in my sketch books show up in a finished piece.


The thumbnail layout and idea phase...



And a couple of the elements I created with pencil and marker that I scanned and colored digitally...

Book Cover: "The 4 Stages of Cruelty"

Another fun book cover assignment from St. Martin's Press -- "The Four Stages of Cruelty" by Keith Hollihan.

Painted Sketch

A little painting of our dog for my wife. Its always fun to get out the traditional media and play around...

Book Cover "The Kensei"

I saw that this was available for pre-orders on Amazon so thought I'd post it. This was a fun assignment, its always great to have a chance to illustrate a vampire/ninja!

Sketchbook 7-1-10

More experimenting with my markers sketches and digital color...

Sketchbook 6-23-10

Sketchbook 6-07-10

Sketchbook 5/20/10

Outdoor Life Magazine- May

This is the last of my three "This Happened to Me" Illustrations for Outdoor Life Magazine.

And here is the rough sketch done for approval before working on the final...

2010 Illustration Academy

Friday, May 14, 2010
ILLUSTRATION ACADEMY 2010

Illustration Academy Faculty Announced!
The 2010 Illustration Academy is fast approaching there are still spots available at both locations
- for more information and to apply visit www.illustrationacademy.com.
Now you can APPLY ONLINE to The Illustration Academy! Go to the Application Page and see how!
Also, make deposits and payments online!
VLP Members receive a $495.00 discount!
The full-time faculty and visiting artists for each location will be as listed below:
Kansas City
Faculty: John English, Mark English, Brent Watkinson, George Pratt
Visiting Artists: Gary Kelley, C.F. Payne, Anita Kunz, Jon Foster
Richmond
Faculty: Sterling Hundley, Doug Chayka, Josh George, Robert Meganck
Visiting Artists: Jon Foster, Anita Kunz, John English, and more to be announced.

Football Sketch

Mykonos Illustration

An illustration that I have been playing around with whenever I have a free moment between jobs. I am running out of ideas to improve it so I think it might be done...

Factory Illustrations

Some recent work for a State Street Corporation publication...

Outdoor Life Magazine Illustration 2

Here is the next "This Happened to Me" comic for Outdoor Life Magazine. A pretty crazy story this month-- and a fun one to draw.

Feature Film Project

Along with my illustration work, I've also been working diligently to make a feature length movie for the last six months. It has always been my dream, and last fall I decided that I couldn't wait on it any longer. I just had to go out and make a movie.

The project has been steadily picking up momentum, and last Friday we were able to shoot the opening sequence as a test. I thought I'd post it because I was really pleased with the results. We are intending to complete the film by the end of 2010.

Below is a link to view the opening test sequence. The music is a placeholder for now but I will re-post once we create the actual soundtrack. Also, it may take a minute or so to load (its a 79 MB file) but I didn't want to show a small, compressed quick time and lose the imagery we worked so hard to capture...

http://www.charliegriak.com/film_test/opening03_23_10.html


There are definitely a lot of unknowns between here and the completion but I'm confident we can bring this vision to life.




Below are the some of the storyboards I made for the shoot...