BIG DUTCH - update

There she is!

...now I'm all thirsty.

Tell me what you REALLY think

I was looking through some old dummies I'd submitted when I was trying to get "The Woodcutter" published, and found something pretty hilarious:

You can vaguely make out some text on the first page. Someone must have scribbled a note on a piece of paper, which left an impression on the plastic cover of the front portfolio sleeve.  I'm not sure which publishing house/agency this particular portfolio went to, but here's what someone over there thought of my book, as it was making the rounds:

Pass - the art doesn't wow me enough + PB w/out child protag is hard sell -RS 

Kinda neat to get that little glimpse of a true, honest reaction from within the industry.

Beer label - BIG DUTCH

A few weeks ago, my cousin floated the idea of me designing a beer label. A colleague was turning 60, and to mark the occasion, he was going to brew a batch of beer, to be named "Big Dutch."  I'd never designed a beer label before, but the project intrigued me and it seemed like a good challenge (not to mention a nice element to have in my portfolio).  He gave me full latitude in designing the label, which was much appreciated.  I used an iPad app called ProCreate to whip-up a first draft:

Having gotten the composition worked-out, I got the paper and watercolors out, and ended-up moving away from the enormous naked guy:

A beer brewed with Steenstra's windmill cookies.  Mmmmmmm 

 I love the way the tulips and brickwork turned-out.  This was a really fun illustration project, and I would definitely not shy away from doing more beer labels in the future.  With the incredible popularity of craft brewing in Michigan, I'm sure the opportunities are out there.