It's that time again - another Singapore Slingers concert is around the corner, and nothing gets the word out around town so well as a playful poster. This time the theme is "Fall Frolic", taking a cue from the seasonal college parties of the 1920s. To me, Fall brings forth thoughts of falling leaves, and plenty of squirrels. And considering I used to have a good friend who happened to be a squirrel, this illustration brought back some great memories. Let's have a look at two profiles of these arboreal wonders...
The two featured here get the musical treatment, appropriately enough - a somewhat Dixieland theme, resplendent in peppermint-striped vests and straw boaters. While I'm personally more familiar with the Northern Grey Squirrel crowd, I added a touch of terra cotta pencil to these fellows, as Red Squirrels are the common Dallas variety. Our trumpet player...
Of course, plentiful use of metallic ink is at play here - short of the squirrels themselves, nearly the entire surface of the bristol is layered in it, along with colored pencil. I greatly enjoyed working on the leaf, trying out a good handful of varying tones on top of the copper ink...
... A simple, nutty detail...
And at last, an unusual, un-bordered font. A minor departure for me, as I almost always line words out with at least a thin, solid black border - in this case, I went for a somewhat "neon sign" appearance.
Finally, several words of good news - the Slingers will be playing on September 23rd with jazz legend Leon Redbone, at the Kessler Theatre in Dallas. As well, the orchestra has been nominated in the Best Jazz Group category of the Dallas Observer Music Awards - hop by their website and place your vote! We're honored by the nomination alone, but to win would be truly wonderful.
Look for further updates - I will be working on a new poster for the aforementioned Leon Redbone show, and creating new stand flags for Matt's Czech band, the Royal Klobasneks. Plenty of illustration and sewing lay ahead!
