"Zephyr"

"Zephyr" / 11 x 17" / acrylic & ink on bristol board

At long last, we have reached the conclusion of Series 4. I'm ending this run with a westerly wind & an eerie seaside confrontation.

I'm not sure if those floating, black goo-headed swordsmen mean to do harm to our one-handed man. But from the looks of things, this isn't exactly the prelude to a friendly stroll on the beach. It only felt appropriate to close out with a snippet from an untold story that's been floating around in my head. This entire series has been made up of imaginary snapshots.

I've had an absolute blast creating all 26 illustrations in this series. To everyone who's followed the blog these past 5-and-a-half weeks, thanks so much for joining me on my little black & white tour de force. Please stay tuned for news, regarding my future plans for Alphabet Attack!, including the next series, a book collecting the art, and more.

Again, thanks for tuning in & giving me an extra incentive to go hog wild with a handful of pens, half a dozen brushes, and several gallons of ink!

- Dave C.

"Xylon"

"Xylon" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper

I'm closing out this week's illustrations with a hanging gone terribly wrong. At least, it's gone wrong for the executioners. Apparently, the evil our five heroes have captured and hanged is far from dead.

Have an excellent weekend, and tune in next week for the final two drawings of Alphabet Attack! Series 4. I can hardly believe how close we are to the end!

- Dave C.

"Velocity"

"Velocity" / 8.5 x 11" / acrylic & ink on paper

I recently saw a photo of someone skydiving and thought to myself, "Hmm... I wonder if I'll ever try that, someday."

I'm not afraid of heights. In fact, I find heights to be quite exhilarating. Whenever I travel to a city, I'll always do my best to find a rooftop or penthouse view, to check things out from. And I love going on flights, from jumbo jets to propeller-driven puddle jumpers. So it chances to follow that I'd enjoy skydiving.

Of course, standing on the roof of a tall building or sitting comfortably in coach are both VERY different from free-falling at 117 to 125 mph!

- Dave C.

"Tracker"

"Tracker" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper

I'm closing out this week's drawings with a Dangerous Woman & Creepy Monster combo piece! As I've said before, I'm an absolute sucker for drawing a well-armed woman, stalking through the woods after some ungodly creature. Of course, who's to say that the beast is stalking her, and not the other way around?

Have a great weekend, everyone. And join me on Monday for the start of the last full week of Alphabet Attack! Series 4.

- Dave C.

"Headless"

"Headless" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper

Today's illustration features yet another Dangerous Woman. And much like the heroine of "Cestus," this deadly dame is dealing buckets full of pain to a much larger opponent. What can I say? I'm a sucker for an underdog. Even when said underdog is armed with razor-sharp blades capable of removing a man's noggin in one powerful slash!

- Dave C.

"Balustrade"

"Balustrade" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper 

I don't know what it is about it, but I'm especially fond of the word "balustrade." And I'm even more fond of swashbuckling sword fights, where heroes leap atop a balustrade & deal razor-sharp vengeance upon their enemies!

- Dave C.

Swordplay Sketches

The above sketches are for an upcoming Alphabet Attack! drawing, involving a brave hero facing off against demonic fencers. It kinda feels like I've been waiting my entire life to draw a scene like this. Especially when I consider that I grew up with a heaping helping of swashbuckling films. From Errol Flynn's Robin Hood & The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, to Luke Skywalker & Zorro, sword-swinging adventure has always held a special place in my heart & imagination. So it feels wonderful to aim for that same excitement in an illustration of my own.

Alphabet Attack! Series 4

Fresh Illustrations, Monday through Friday

Starting June 3, 2013

www.alphabetattack.blogspot.com

"If I don't get some fresh bread soon, gonna punch in yer face & bark at the moon!"

- Dave C.