Child's Play | An Illustration Blog by Christian Elden

I've Moved!

2010-08-15T00:25:00.004-04:00

Hello all,

This message is to let you know that this blog has moved to christianelden.com/blog. While I haven't kept this one current as of late, it's my hope that the swanky new blog locale will provide the inspiration to keep it fresh. If you're a follower of Child's Play, I hope that you'll continue to follow me in the future, as I plan on posting some cool new stuff soon.

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you'll stop by the new digs.

-Christian

Illustration Friday: FROZEN

2009-10-16T13:59:00.005-04:00

Maybe it's just me, but this lil' fella looks like he's tired of being frozen.

Laptop Chic

2009-07-22T14:34:00.003-04:00

This sassy lass is just a piece of an identity re-design I recently finished up.

More Playin'

2009-07-10T15:37:00.002-04:00

Long Live the King

2009-07-09T17:26:00.005-04:00

Playing with a lil' looser line style than I'm used to. What do you guys think?

Lil' Footballer

2009-05-15T14:46:00.006-04:00

Black History Month Portraits

2009-01-30T09:52:00.014-05:00

I just finished up a series of portraits that will be used in a Black History Month product line next year. I did them on 80 lb. medium surface drawing paper with regular 2B & 3B pencils. Featured are Marian Anderson (singer), Mary Church Terrell (writer/civil rights activist), Kenneth Clark (psychologist), Paul Robeson (athlete/actor), and Martin Luther King, Jr.

[NOTE]: I thought these would work for the "time" theme at Illustration Friday, not only because these individuals forged new paths for equality during a time when support for their cause was limited, but their accomplishments also broke new ground for the basic rights of everyone, and put simply, affected history.

New Stuff

2009-01-22T16:16:00.003-05:00

Here's some new stuff from a recent activity book project. I felt like I had to put something new up... the goods were gettin' stale around here!

Illustration Friday: VOICES

2008-12-22T10:45:00.004-05:00

Whipped this up for my sis-in-law (who volunteers with YoungLife) to give to her girls. I'm guessing you can imagine why I thought this might work for IF's "voices".... a mess of teen girls on one page -- you do the math. I need earmuffs just looking at it. :)

Illustration Friday: RAMBUNCTIOUS

2008-12-19T09:57:00.003-05:00

This was an idea I'd started for my holiday cards this year, but never had time to finish it. He fits the "rambunctious" title though, methinks.

Cut It Out!

2008-11-18T13:46:00.003-05:00

Anyone remember your old-school Sunday school teacher telling Bible stories with those little paper cutouts on a felt board? Well... here are a few drawings that are soon to be those very cutouts. They're all Jesus in varying states of consciousness/mood, except for the two groups of His disciples (freaking out while Jesus slept peacefully on a boat about to be ravaged by an incoming storm). More to come...

Jesus, meet Nicodemus

2008-11-11T16:56:00.006-05:00

Here are a couple finished characters (Jesus & Nicodemus) that will be used separately in a new project... actually only the outlines were needed, but I couldn't NOT color them. :) Then I dropped them into a recycled background, and voila! The story's from John 3:1-21, where Nicodemus goes to Jesus at night & is taught about the concept of being "born again."

3...2...1...

2008-09-26T15:28:00.003-04:00

Here's another cover concept I finished recently for a new teacher resource book. It's by the same author as Beakers, Bubbles & the Bible, so the artwork needed to follow suit.

Mmmmm. Jelly Beans.

2008-08-17T17:41:00.004-04:00

I was recently given the challenge of creating an interesting cover for a jelly bean-inspired kids' activity book. How does one make jelly beans interesting? Well I don't know how YOU do it, but I give 'em all crazy faces. Works like a charm.

New Stuff

2008-08-13T09:19:00.004-04:00

I recently finished this cover illustration for an activity/coloring book about some of the Bible's most famous stories. Know which three I worked into the cover?

Baby, Baby

2008-08-04T14:57:00.003-04:00

Here are some cutesy baby animals I developed for a "baby congratulations" card set (yes, I made the elephant pink on purpose). :)

Early Bird Special

2008-04-18T15:21:00.007-04:00

This was done for the quasi-weekly theme draw over at Honor Roll Artworks. I do believe I was the earliest early bird this week.

SFG Blank Book Project

2008-04-02T09:48:00.005-04:00

I just wrapped up my installment of the Sugar Frosted Goodness Blank Book project. For those unaware, it's a traveling sketchbook that, when complete, will have skipped all over the world. It was a lot of fun & I was happy to be part of it. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Here are a couple "teaser shots" from my sketchbook pages... I won't reveal all & spoil the surprise. ;)

Illustration Friday: GARDEN

2008-03-07T10:36:00.006-05:00

This is a slightly less-leafy alternative, but every garden I've ever been involved with seemed to have equal parts leaves, equal parts these. Maybe I need to watch more HGTV...?

Beakers, Bubbles & Bibles.... Oh my!

2008-03-03T10:13:00.004-05:00

The latest project I designed/illustrated is now available for purchase. It's a Sunday school teacher's resource book that uses science experiments to illustrate Bible lessons and make 'em loads of fun. You can check it out under my "Published Works" section to the right.

I want to ride my bicycle

2008-02-18T09:24:00.003-05:00

Just finished these guys last night. They're a father/son duo, and they bike across the country just for kicks.

Be Mine

2008-02-13T15:04:00.004-05:00

I whipped up a homemade valentine this year for the wife (scoreboard!) that included this little diddy:

"I'm sure there were a lot of guys
that coulda brought you joy...
but out of all the dudes around,
you picked this tall white boy!"

Gold. Solid gold.

Steve Johnson Advertising

2008-02-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

Well, Steve Johnson (my uncle) is finally online -- he's one of the most artistically talented men I know, and I'm glad to have helped him establish a presence on the web. If you want to see an example of a very talented muralist & sign painter, go check him out.

My uncle Steve was one of the primary influences in my early interest of art -- he'd draw pictures for me to color & got me all kinds of art stuff for birthdays & Christmases. I guess it could be said I owe a lot of what I am today to him.

Illustration Friday: BLANKET

2008-02-05T15:51:00.001-05:00

Weren't dryer-warmed blankets the best?!

When we were kids, Mom used to put our towels in the dryer while we were in the tub so they'd be all toasty-warm when we got out. Same principle. I'd do it now, but the shower's upstairs and the dryer's in the basement.... I don't think our neighbors would appreciate all the nude towel-fetching.

That reminds me -- I need to get some blinds.

Divalicious

2008-01-29T09:08:00.001-05:00

Just wrapped on this logo for a digital scrapbooking website.

Domo Arigato

2008-01-29T08:15:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-19T15:29:00.001-05:00

Since we'll be away for the holidays, here's an early "Merry Christmas!" from me to you. Hope you get everything you asked Santa for.

Illustration Friday: HATS

2007-11-02T09:28:00.001-04:00

Birthdays give everybody an excuse to wear a goofy hat one day out of the year.

Trick or Treat!!

2007-10-26T11:44:00.001-04:00

Illustration Friday: BLUES

2007-10-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

Well, it's hard to say who has the blues here (the sick lion or Noah, who's about to lose his hand)....

Saccharine Overload

2007-09-26T10:20:00.001-04:00

I don't know what these fellers are talking about, but they look like they're having a grand ol' time!

Mushy-Gushy

2007-09-26T10:11:00.001-04:00

It's a little early (or late, depending on how you look at it) to be sending out valentines, but it's never to late for love. 1.....2.....3..... AWWWWWWW!

Happy Camper

2007-07-12T16:37:00.001-04:00

I just wrapped up a set of 59 roughs for a pair of activity books -- all line art. None of it will be published in color, but I couldn't resist trying one out. 59 drawings and no color? I just couldn't do it.

What do you think this youngster just discovered?

Illustration Friday: GEEKY

2007-07-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

He's a little tired of the geek jokes, alright?!

Illustration Friday: NEIGHBOR

2007-05-10T16:32:00.000-04:00

Here's something I worked up a while back for a project that never panned out... but it seems to fit this week's topic. Ahh... the small town life.

Illustration Friday: FORTUNE

2007-04-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

When I saw that this week's Illustration Friday topic was "fortune", I immediately recalled a Christmas-themed project about the birth of Jesus I'd just finished up.

To me, "fortune" is represented no better way than through the gift of life God gave to us through Christ. My wife & I are expecting our first child soon, and already I can't even imagine watching it grow up, knowing that I'd have to let him/her die for the sake of a bunch of people I didn't even know. I haven't even met my child yet, and that act seems like it would be one of the hardest things anyone could ever do. And yet, it was done -- without question & without counting the cost. Jesus Christ died knowing that his death meant giving life to anyone who chose to accept it.

What could be worth more than that?

Oh Snap!

2007-03-30T16:17:00.000-04:00

Spring is here! As this spring chick[en] can attest...

Drink Yer OJ!

2007-03-29T12:28:00.001-04:00

This public service announcement brought to you by:

The letter O
The letter J
The vitamin C

Illustration Friday: WIRED

2007-03-12T17:15:00.000-04:00

This guy's wired for sound.

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

2007-03-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

Turned this out for a friend's magazine. It's based on the Switchfoot song by the same name. Pretty profound idea, I think.

Baby Stuff

2007-02-27T23:30:00.000-05:00

These are for a certificate and greeting card set. I might add a couple more to the mix yet...

Illustration Friday: CRASH

2007-02-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd try a little something different with this one... It's been so long since I've posted to IF, it's not like anyone would remember what my regular stuff looks like anyway. :)

The Path

2006-12-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

I recently finished up an illustrated outreach booklet that an area pastor & I collaborated on.... He came to me with the idea, basically finished, but he wanted it to be a visually engaging booklet that someone (non-Christian & new Christian alike) would want to pick up & read.

It turned out really well, and it's a great tool for ministry. He writes from a very down-to-Earth perspective with a sincere heart, pointing out Biblical truths that are both easy to understand & hard to ignore. A must-read for anyone with questions about becoming a Christian.

The booklet is 12 pages long, with Scripture and striking imagery coming together to produce a formidable tool for spreading the Good News, challenging readers to take it upon themselves to dig deeper and find out more.

If you'd like more information about the booklet, contact Sam Wrisley of Harvest Christian Fellowship.

UPDATE (1-26-2007): Pastor Wrisley will be traveling to Liberia in a couple weeks, and he's taking 500 copies of this booklet to hand out at a leadership conference put on by Revive Liberia Missions, Inc. Listening to him talk about it, I've learned the situation in Liberia is a dire one. I know God will use the booklet mightily, and I'm glad to have had the chance to work on something that will reach so many people.

Have A Merry [Little] Christmas

2006-12-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

This was part of a quickie cover for a Christmas music mix our sales team put together for everyone..... the title of the mix was "Have A Merry Little Christmas" so I made this "little" guy the MC.

Where there's smoke, there's fire...

2006-11-03T09:35:00.000-05:00

Take a shot at a caption... I'll reward you with everlasting acceptance. :)

Illustration Friday: GHOST

2006-10-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

I guess I've been in cute-girly-mode lately. Even my ghosts are turning out that way.

Voodoo Woman

2006-10-17T16:07:00.000-04:00

Ohh they call me the voodoo woman
Ohh and I know the reason why
Ohh, if I raise up my hands now
Don’t you know the sky begins to cry!

I gotta rabbit foot in my pocket
A toad frog in my shoes,
crawdaddy on my shoulder
Looking dead at you

I got dust from a rattlesnake
And a black spider bone
If that don’t do it baby
You better leave this girl alone

3 Cheers for Football Season

2006-09-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

Football season’s almost here.

You can still brag about your team (for the time being)... They can’t prove you wrong. Yet.

Illustration Friday: MATCH

2006-08-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

Here are a few ladies I've been working on for a project, TBA. They match.... sort of.

Illustration Friday: CAPTURE

2006-08-08T14:11:00.000-04:00

This lass (who just happens to resemble my wife... coincidence?) done captured a thought. It's..... wait for it...... "think pink". Get it? Because the word "think" is actually pink. It's a play... on... words....

She's wearing a logo tee of a certain someone, too, God bless her.

Surfer Girl

2006-07-31T11:12:00.000-04:00

I have watched you on the shore
Standing by the ocean's roar
Do you love me... do you surfer girl?

Design Inspiration Interview

2006-07-31T08:32:00.000-04:00

A big thanks goes out to Jeff Andrews for including me on his Design Inspiration blog. The site is described as

"A place to introduce talented illustrators and designers to other creative professionals in their industry. A forum for new talent, a venue to be seen and noted."

I always think it's cool to see how other artists started out, and get a glimpse into their thought processes and schtuff. Hopefully this can give everyone a suitable peek into my life & times.

Check out the interview here.

Illustration Friday: OPPOSITES

2006-07-22T00:40:00.000-04:00

It don't get much more opposite than this in CartoonLand.

Illustration Friday: SKYLINE

2006-07-08T01:18:00.000-04:00

A bit of a stretch, but how can you say no to this face?!

Illustration Friday: RAIN

2006-06-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

Rain, rain, go away.

Illustration Friday: DANCE

2006-06-22T23:29:00.000-04:00

Since this was a last-minute effort, I thought I'd experiment with the old illustration-on-top-of-an-actual-photo trick to save time.

Rebekah

2006-06-22T15:04:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick color of a spot (actually published in black/white) I did for a kids' activity book.

Genesis 24:18 "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

Illustration Friday: PORTRAIT

2006-06-02T10:13:00.000-04:00

It was cool to see this week's IF topic in my inbox this morning, because I had just finished this quasi-caricature portrait for a coworker & friend of mine. His son is playing John Darling in his school's version of Peter Pan, and he wanted a caricature done to commemorate it.

I did the outlines in pencil & then colored in Photoshop. Worked out pretty well.

Illustration Friday: ANGELS & DEVILS

2006-05-16T20:09:00.000-04:00

Illustration Friday: SPOTTED

2006-04-18T17:27:00.000-04:00

Spotted shorts -- perfect attire for mowing the spotted-insect-infested yard!

PourHouse.org

2006-04-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

Recently finished this site for a friend of mine. Check it out.

Illustration Friday: MONSTER

2006-03-26T15:21:00.000-05:00

This fella tried the whole under-the-bed scene, but that got old pretty quick -- he just couldn't connect with anyone.

The Temple of Doom called...

2006-03-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

Here's the coverboy for a children's Bible activity book I'm working on.

The Children Are Our Future

2006-02-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

Here are a few kiddie illos for a "Good Job" certificate I'm doing at work. Stand & be recognized.

Illustration Friday: CHAIR

2006-02-04T17:23:00.000-05:00

Had to delve deep into the archives to pull this saucy lil' number (I knew I did a chair once). Don't let it fool you.... this hasn't been digitally altered in any way.

Illustration Friday: GLAMOUR

2006-01-28T13:07:00.000-05:00

Her Hollywood glamourmeter is a bit low, but she does have that "Goth-Glam" thing going for her. And the unstoppable little black dress, to boot.

Find this lovely lass & more in my online shop.

Illustration Friday: CATS

2006-01-20T18:25:00.000-05:00

I can't say without lying that I'm a huge fan of cats. Luckily, I don't have one, so it kind of works out.

Find illustrations like this one for sale at my online shop.

Illustration Friday: "E" IS FOR...

2006-01-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

"E" is for EVIL villain. You've seen this type of hombre before -- he's the one who lurks around in the shadows, kidnapping dames & tying them to railroad tracks.

Find illustrations like this one for sale at my online shop.

Illustration Friday: FLAVOR

2005-12-31T15:42:00.000-05:00

Even the tough guys can't handle the bitter brew-ha-ha.

Happy New Year, everybody.

Illustration Friday: SURPRISE

2005-12-09T18:17:00.000-05:00

Surprise, Dad! Your teenage daughter barely wears underwear!

Illustration Friday: BLUE

2005-12-03T17:55:00.000-05:00

This fella's blue because he can't get a date.

Illustration Friday: SMALL

2005-11-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

I did this waaay back in college, but it fit the bill for this week's topic. It was a drawing that was going to go into a children's book I had written for a senior project, but I ended up going a different route. Still did a kids' book, just a different one.

Deer Hunter

2005-11-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

This is a cropped version of a quick spoof on one of my dad's friends. He's actually looking back because he dropped something..... but you'll never know what it was.

Bike & Hike

2005-11-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

Here's the final promo graphic for Right to Life's Bike & Hike. I added the lil' runner to the original. Had to cover all the bases.

It'll be used for t-shirts, flyers, registration forms, etc.

Good & Bad

2005-09-01T02:04:00.000-05:00

These were part of a project for Angie's List -- they're illustrating Good vs. Bad. One's an employee of a good, solid company, and the other's an employee of a lesser corporation... in this case, painting companies.

Soooooooooooey!

2005-08-18T18:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a pig I had in the ol' sketchbook from a while back, & I just now decided to ink & color it. Better late than never, they always say.

Gorillaz-style

2005-08-18T11:05:00.000-05:00

Here's a Gorillaz-style self-portrait I did for a thread on drawingboard.org. A pretty nice break from the norm...

Bring Back the Couch!

2005-07-29T14:25:00.000-05:00

Visit bringbackthecouch.blogspot.com -- you'll understand.

My take on it was that "the couch" was thieved by none other than the Easter Bunny, and was currently being enjoyed by his bastard son (below).

I might have too much time on my hands... I'm looking into it.

Mystery Creature

2005-07-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me (cuz I don't know) what type of lil' furry creature this fella is.... I just started doodling, and this is what came out. Kinda looks like an odd-shaped bear of some sort??

Beach Bum

2005-07-20T08:43:00.000-05:00

Alright, I promised a drawing or two from the honeymoon, so here it is (the only one I had time for). I did this on the plane to Ft. Lauderdale, on the back of my flight itinerary. It was inspired by a large gentleman on the plane who looked pretty excited to be headed for some sunshine.

Purple M&Ms?

2005-07-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

Here's another draw-ring that I did for the National Reading Styles Institute in New York. These black & white ones were for packets of short stories that helped children learn how to read. This one was for a story called, "The Purple M&Ms".

*NOTE: This is my last post as a single man, ladies & gents. I'm leaving town tomorrow for my wedding (7-9-05). I'm sure all the weekend's events will inspire some illustrations. Wait n' see, folks... wait n' see.

Just Jackin' With Ya

2005-07-01T08:43:00.000-05:00

Well, while we're still in the too-busy-to-post-new-stuff phase, here's a portrait i did of Jack Lambert, an old-school Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker. A guy my dad works with commissioned me to do this for his father, an avid Steelers fan.

The Best of What's Around

2005-06-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

I'm baaa-aaaaack...

So, with the summer concert season "crash"ing down upon us, I thought it only appropriate to include this portrait of Dave Matthews I did a while back. This was a Christmas present for my brother one year, and it was very last-minute, so I forgot to take a high-quality photo of it before I gave it to him (this picture was taken at his house with a camera-phone). The portrait was pretty good sized, though... like 18" x 24" or so.

Busy, Busy

2005-06-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

So I haven't had a spare second to post any new drawings yet this week, because I've been super busy at work (where I usually post from). So, when this season of unrelenting busy-ness finally recedes, I'll come with a flurry of drawrings for you, my loyal fans. Yes, both of you.

Here's something to keep the ball rolling, though -- an under-a-minute sketch I did way back before Saddam went to hide in his foxhole. Man, that seems like a long time ago now...

2005-06-09T15:34:00.001-05:00

[Insert UK expression here]!!!

2005-06-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not gonna have time to draw today or tomorrow, so I bring you a couple spoof drawings I did a while back for this girl in my office who, when there's a lull in conversation, fills the silence with faux British accent gibberish. It's like a nervous habit -- I don't think she can handle silence.

You have to experience it to fully appreciate it. I think it's hilarious, though.

Boing Boing Boing........ Boing

2005-06-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

This bunny looks waaaay too happy... but it's nice out -- we'll let it slide just this once.

Whooo Doggies!

2005-06-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is a preliminary b/w sketch I did for a short story called, "The Day the Post Office Went to the Dogs". It was for the National Reading Styles Institute in New York.

Yaaaaaaayyy!

2005-06-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

I figured this one was only fitting for today. See ya'll on Monday.

June Already?

2005-06-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the illustration for today. Like I mentioned at the out-set, I'm going to try to post a new illustration daily, but if the time required to do so eludes me, I'll post ones I've previously done (like the 2 you see here). Enjoy.

Let's Get It Started

2005-05-31T12:15:00.000-05:00

Well, here we go... an illustration-a-day (when possible). I'm launching this "blog" in the hopes that it will motivate me to draw at least a little bit every day, inbetween the full-time job & hectic schedule that an upcoming wedding brings along with it. It'll also give me a chance to add to my portfolio, while staying sharp, artistically speaking.

Stay tuned -- more to come.