Matt's Page

I drew this to put on a card for some friends who are expecting in a couple of weeks. If you're not from Pittsburgh, you might need some extra context to get the joke.

The process of creating the image went something like this:

• First, create a bunch of quick sketches in pen to explore the concept. Google image search is great for source material.
• Next, sketch the design in pencil.
• Trace over the sketch again in pencil. Notice the front wing gets smaller and the bird picks up a bit of a hairdo.
• Trace it again, this time in pen.
• On a digital scan of the image, fix the parts that didn't work in the drawing, like the head shape, eye placement, beak, and lettering. In this step I also make all of the outlines "watertight" for the coloring step.

Finally, color the beak, feet, and towel, and place the bird over a cloudy sky. All the digital editing was done with the GIMP.

Took a big ride around Braddock Hills and Swissvale today.

It's been a great summer for bike riding.