We Three Kings 2013

All images and Text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

The last Christmas Lunch bag (and lunch bag) of 2013 is an interpretation of "We Three Kings" represented by homeless men outside of the Stable Inn.  The traditional gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh hinted in the coffee cup, the box that is being carried, and the hat.

Col-Erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, oil pastels on kraft paper (lunch bag)

Robot Dragon Slayer meets the Shaman

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

For generations the Shaman had hid in amongst the debris of the Lost Ones, perfecting the spells and following the old rituals, protecting the bastion of healing from the onslaught of the dragons.  Now though, her citadel had been breached by the Robot that stood at the edge of the flickering light of the remaining ancient oracles.  

This is watercolor and Copic Markers on Strathmore board with Pitt Pens and colored pencils. 

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

All images copyright 2013 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

It is the time of the school year when Sara's lunch bags switch over the Christmas Carols. This week we start with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". The angels are singing or harking away.

Col-Erase Pencil, Pitt Pens, copic marker, prismacolor, gel pens, and oil pastels are combined on the lunch bag to create the illustration.

There is a text insert that gives the history of the carol.

Lunch bag and insert side by side

6th Grade Lunch Bag 14

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week Sara has to figure out what kind of energy it is that has escaped her science books. She is determining whether it is Potential, Kinetic, Mechanical and a couple of others that I have forgotten. She has placed the sphere on a high platform to see if it has potential energy, it has crashed down through the ground and she is looking at it.

Col-Erase Pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, oil pastels on a standard lunch bag.

6th Grade Lunch Bag 13

Last week was mis-labeled as #11, so I am back on the right track with illustration #13 for the year:

All images and text, copyright 2013 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week finds that Sara has made it out of the social studies books and into the realm of science.  Sara has found a little ball of energy that has broken free from the text books and needs to return to its point of origin.  She has to determine what kind of energy it is first, potential, kinetic, chemical, thermal, electric, mechanical, or nuclear so she can take care of the little guy.  She is surrounded with things that use or make energy.

Col-Erase Pencil, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, oil pastels.

Robot Dragon Slayer episode 4

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

I got the sketch card for my son's lunch done early this week, it helps when he skips a week.

The Robot Dragon Slayer's quest has led him into the Temple of Healing, what the ancients mysteriously referred to as the CeeDeeCee.  After navigating the seemingly endless corridors and bottomless shafts and passing multiple dragon signs, the Robot emerges what appears to be the most sacred spot of the temple, still magically lit only by glowing windows housed in mystical frames that shown on the surfaces of the Robot's dirty armor. 

Pitt Pens, watercolor, copic marker on Strathmore board.

6th Grade Lunch bag #11

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week we get back to the main story.  Sara helped clear out the mess that was blocking the irrigation system of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and now she is investigating the issue with the science books.

Copic markers, pitt pens, col-erase pencils and oil pastels on a lunch bag.

Halloween Lunch Bag

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

Thursday is the last day of the week for Sara, AND it is also Halloween, so the normal illustration is replaced with something holiday appropriate.

Col-Erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Marker, oil pastels on a standard lunch bag

Robot Sketch Card - On a Ledge

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith -Doodle Bag Productions

This week finds the Robot Dragon Slayer still working on his quest, the setting sun glints off of his few remaining clean surfaces and he is precariously perched on a ledge reaching for the next safe spot.

Watercolors, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers on Strathmore board

Halloween Witch Sketch

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This was a little warm up sketch for this week's lunch bag illustration.

Warm Up Sketch

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This was a quick warm up hand sketch that I added some color to in photoshop.

Robot Sketch Card

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

In this week's sketch card for my son's lunch we find the Robot Dragon Slayer looking over his shoulder at the edge of a ruined city.  The original name for Atlanta, GA was Terminus.

Strathmore illustration board, HB lead, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, and watercolors

6th Grade - lunch bag #10

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

We are back in school after fall break! This lunch bag has Sara needing to find a spot to stick all the components of the Egyptian Chapter of the history book so that the water will flow for the Hanging Gardens! She calls upon the Locker Gnome to store the stuff until they are ready for it in Social Studies.

Regular Lunch bag, col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pen, oil pastels.

Updated Halloween Witch

Images copyright Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

Updated the witch image and re-formatted her for printing.

Originally a hand drawing that I then re-drew in Illustrator and placed the color in Illustrator as well.  The final composition was put together in PhotoShop.

Halloween Witch

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This started out as a watercolor in the sketchbook.  I have been wanting to develop the ability to "ink" on the computer, so I brought it into Illustrator and re-drew it and added the color with the live paint feature as well as the shadows.  I used photoshop for the background.

Halloween 2013

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

These are a couple of T-Shirt designs for this year's Halloween.

Robot Dragon Slayer Quest

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This is another study for the Robot Dragon Slayer character for my son's sketch card series.  

Ink pens and watercolor with a little prismacolor pencils and copic markers thrown in for accent.

Lunchbag #9 of 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions 

This week Sara discovers that the chapter in her social studies book on Egypt has been storing their stuff in the aqueduct system of the Hanging Gardens. Now she has to figure out a way to clear up the mess.

Col-Erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pen, oil pastels on a brown paper bag.

Robot Dragon Slayer

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week's sketch card for my son has a robot knight who is working to rid his world of dragons.

Strathmore board, Prismacolor Ink Pens, with a little copic markers.

Sketchbook Studies

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

These are different sketchbook studies for a variety of projects, including the revisions to the Sara lunch bag character, Halloween characters, and a couple of characters for some writing projects.  Even tried out some watercolors on the witch character.

Lunchbag #8 of the 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week finds Sara deeper in the hanging gardens trying to find out why the water isn't supplying the plants. We are still going with the braided hair.

Col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, and oil pastels on a typical brown lunch bag.

7th lunch bag of the 6th grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This week Sara delves deeper into the hanging gardens of Babylon to try and find out why the water has stopped flowing. I have also relented and made a drastic change to the character. The real Sara wears her hair in a braid, and after several years of her asking for the lunch bag character to have a braid I have given in.

Col-Erase pencils, Pitt Pens, copic markers, oil pastels, gel pens on a lunch bag.

Dr. Who - Sontaran

Sontaran property of respective rights holders

This character is a request from my son from Dr. Who.  Evidently a potato-head alien that I have never heard of, still he was fun to work on shading and subtle lines, I wish I had spent more time on him though.

Copic Markers, strathmore mixed media board, Pitt Pens

Dragon Completed

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

Taylor has been asking for a drawing, so we went back to dragons for him this week to get started.

6th Lunch bag of the 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

The social studies lesson at the beginning of the year has been about early cultures and the advent of written language. So Sara has met up with Hammurabi and she has to work out what his code is all about in order to make it through the Mystery of History.

Kraft Paper (lunch bag) col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, copic markers, oil pastels, gel pens.

Dragons...again

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

My son has been asking when he is going to get a drawing again, so I started working on a dragon for him.  This is the practice sketch.

Pen and pencil

5th Lunch bag of 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

Sara's Mom shows up on this week's lunch bag with a roll of plans to help Sara figure out the best way to deal with the mystery from history.

Craft Paper (lunch bag), col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, oil pastels

Sketch Book Doodles

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

Here are some more sketches from the sketch book, working out the current lunch bag, practicing Sara's Mom character and throwing a robot in for fun.

Blue Col-Erase Pencil, Stabilo Pen, and a Marvy Artwin marker

Lunchbag 4 for the 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This week the school books have blocked the school and it looks like the only way that Sara can help her friends is to go through the Social Studies books, and solve a mystery from history.

Kraft paper (lunch bag), col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, oil pastels.

Sketches

All images and text copyright 2013 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

These are all sketchbook studies for a variety of projects

Lunch Bag 3 for 6th Grade

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This week finds Sara dodging textbooks as she weaves her way out of the school before all of the information blocks her path to freedom!

Kraft Paper (Lunch Bag) col-erase pencil, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white Gel Pens, oil pastels

6th Grade Lunch Bag 2

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This week finds Sara and her friends dealing with the books as the workload of 6th grade begins to bear down on them.  The books are disgorging their information in a massive wave of knowledge.  The math books are actually throwing the text and numbers at the students.

Kraft Paper (lunch bag), col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pen, oil pastels.

First 6th Grade Bag

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This is the first lunch bag of the new school year to go with Sara to school.  The story is Sara and Math Mountain.  

Kraft Paper (lunch bag), col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pen, oil pastels

2013 Low Country Boil

All Images Copyright 2013 - Michael Smith

This is the back image of a t-shirt for a friend's company's annual client appreciation picnic.  I took the inspiration from the Morris Island Lighthouse and the shrimp boats that ply the waters around Charleston.  The crab has been on every shirt that I have done for them and I am always looking for ways to incorporate him.

The line art was done in Illustrator CS5 and the colors are from Photoshop.  The blue is the color of the shirt.

AIA Tennessee Auction Bag

All images and text copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

I have been asked to speak at the 2013 Tennessee AIA Convention, also to provide a bag that can be part of the auction.  

This is a large lunch bag, col-erase pencils, Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, white gel pens, and oil pastels.

Country Music Singer

All Images and Text Copyright 2013 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This is my first all vector illustration.  I sketched the character initially by hand and scanned the image to use as a base.  Then using Illustrator I inked it all in the computer and added the color inside of Illustrator as well.  I was a little fast and loose with the light source, but it was fun to do and learn as well.

My steps for going through this are illustrated below.

All Images and Text Copyright 2013 - Michael Smith- Doodle Bag Productions

Toddler Illustration

All images and text are Copyright 2013 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This is a commission for someone who wanted an illustration of her daughter similar to the lunch bag illustrations.  

Pitt Pens, Copic Markers, Oil Pastels on Kraft Paper