(General Rader/Pencil)
Most of my life I have been an artist. from an early age my Grandmother Guldenschuh took time to sit me down and tutor me in the basics of art and how to view the world around me. Very quickly I developed an obsession with detail. I had to make sure it was all there when I drew something. That was both a blessing and curse. A blessing in that I would not stop till I got a work right and a curse in that I sometimes would take too long.
I worked through that when I began drawing to have my art published and began dealing with deadlines. I took up sketching to teach myself how to be quick and I forced myself to not linger too long any one piece.
(Museum exhibit at BSA event, Pen and Ink and Colored Pencil)
My formal training as an artist was as an art major at Asbury College. That was 1981 - 85 so therefore back when computer graphics did not exist. I learned it all by hand, old school. That gave me a foundation not only in design and format, but also in the importance of relying on your own talent and training - not the tools. I took that philosophy with me into the US Army.
(Article illustration,Buenas Noticias magazine,Pen and Ink)
Having that as my core belief has helped me develop a style all my own. With the advent of digital graphics programs I have been forced to teach myself some of those tools, however I still begin ALL my work by hand. Even the work that appears to be all hand work gets some work done in photoshop to clean it up.
(Vehicle Decal for 19th Cav Regiment, Pencil to Digital)
Each time I begin a new project with a style I have not worked in before I take the time to work out the details and the materials needed. It is why I work in such a wide range of styles.
(Easter Cover/Buenas Noticias,Pencil to Digital)
When asked to provide multiple illustrations for the same issue of the magazine Buenas Noticias I made a point of creating artwork that was completely different from one article to the next - trying to create a seperate "feel" for each article.
(Buenas Noticias, Pen and Ink to Digital)
(Buenas Noticias, Pen and Ink to Digital)
(Buenas Noticias, Pen and Ink to Digital)
My clients have included the Salvation Army, the US Army the Boy Scouts, the Landmark Society of Western NY and many others.
(Buenas Noticias,Pen and Ink)
(Buenas Noticias,Pen and Ink)
(Temple Building/Landmark Society,Pen and Ink)
(19th Cav. Regimental Crest,Texas State Guard,Pen and Ink to Digital)
(Camp Massawepie,Boy Scouts,Pen and Ink to Digital)
(The Academy building,Rochester NY, Landmark Society, Colored Pencil and Water Color)
