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

Last Christmas Bag

All images and text copyright 2012 - Michael Smith Doodle Bags Productions

This is the last Christmas Bag of 2012, it is another "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" red bag, it is somewhat successful, but I will need to try and think of a better way to use these guys in the future.

Pitt Pens, Col-Erase Pencils, prismacolor pencils and white gel pens.

In the Bleak Mid Winter

All images and text copyright 2012 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

This week I tried something a little different and it appears to have generated mixed results. The carol is "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" which is a very somber song and didn't seem to lend itself to a character. I also tried to not use lines to define the image and fell back on the crutch in a couple of places, but I am not skilled enough with the markers it seems to get a good blend yet. It still has some good parts and Sara seems pleased.

Kraft Paper (lunch bag), copic markers, calligrapher's ink, white gel pens

Lunch bag sneak peak

All images and text copyright 2012 - Michael Smith Doodle Bag Productions

The colors are going down on this week's lunch bag.  The illustration is from the Christmas Carol "I'll be home for Christmas"

Kraft paper, pitt pens, copic markers (so far)

Christmas Card Sketching

Images Copyright 2012 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

Images Copyright 2012 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions 

A couple more doodles for the Christmas Card.

Starting the Christmas Card

Christmas Mom - Copyright 2012 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

Christmas Sara- Copyright 2012 Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions 

Last year I waited almost too long to start working on our Christmas Cards, so I resolved to get on them earlier this year.  Here are the pencils for a couple of the characters.  I think that this year's card will be really great and am excited about how these sketches look right now, even thought these were taken with instagram and only show a little bit of the over all image.  More to come later.