Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Brian J. Smith
11 x 14 inches, pen and ink on bristol
Personal work for school scholarship book

This piece is inspired by themes and concepts from Cory Doctorow’s book Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, one of my personal favorite books. There’s about 100 characters in this image, about 75 of them are characters that have appeared in Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride some way or another - whether it be in a painting or as an animatronic.

There are quite a few easter eggs hidden within the image such as Cory Doctorow himself, Mickey Mouse (twice), a few characters from the book - but rather than point them out I’ll let you discover them yourself (it’ll probably be easier for people who are more familiar with the source material).

This was created as a gift for Cory, which he gladly accepted, and will also be used as part of my scholarship book for school.

Digital Design Week 2 HW

Broken City Blues by Brian J. Smith
Art Center College of Design
Class: Digital Design 1
Instructor: Daniel Sorenson

Here's my week two assignment for my Digital Design 1 course - a class which specializes in the basics of digital design and the teaching of programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. I could have tested out of the class but honestly I don't know a thing about Illustrator so I think that'll be really beneficial; especially as an Illustration Design major.

The assignment was to draw an illustration and to then color it using separate layers, layer clippings, and layer masks. I've never colored anything digitally like this... now I don't imagine I'll do it any other way (that is until I learn something better).

The basis of the subject is an idea that's been floating around for quite some time in my head. A graphic novel called Broken City Blues. A noir tale inspired by the likes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Blade Runner, Max Fleischer and Ubbe Iwerks cartoons, Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Jazz music - it borrows from a lot of themes and subjects.