Work That Elastic. It's Lookin' Fantastic!

My tribute to the Queen of all Lady Jams A.K.A. Mother Gem. 

Don't know her? Best recognize: leslieandthelys.com

Leslie Hall of Leslie and the Lys

Here Comes the Sun

The Sun gets a bad wrap for being absent for the past couple weeks. 
Cut him some slack, y'all. He shows up every day.
Remember: Those a-hole clouds ruined the party.

Also, SUNSHINE! 

Little Red Flapper Hood

Some time last week, I started a Twitter account for Black Sheep Illustration. Soon after, my friend Mark Whitney - writer, barista, and overall cool dude - followed back and earned the distinction of becoming my First Follower. 

Is that a thing? It is now. Why? Because Mark won a prize, that's why.

I asked Mark to come up with a theme for an upcoming illustration, and that I'd attempt to draw it. After a little hesitation on his part ("The power!!" he tweeted), he came up with two choices: 

Both themes were exciting, but something immediately clicked with "1920's fairy tales." Below is the image that popped into my mind. Hope you like it, Mark!

Little Red Flapper Hood

Welcome Baby Jonah!

So excited for my dear friends Daniel and Anna Kedinger on the arrival on their new bundle of joy, Jonah Timothy - an adorable addition to their beautiful family!

Welcome to the world little buddy. You've got some rad parents and your big sisters are pretty cool, too.

MEET JONAH HERE!

The Logo Has Stuck With Me

Many of you know that the Black Sheep Studio brand and logo aren't new. I used the name as a freelance graphic designer several years ago. As with lots of other professions, I'm sure, graphic artists are the worst at working for themselves. So, it was very tough to design my own logo. I would stay up late nights - sure that I had come up with the one - only to wake up to a design that I hated. 

Once I had decided to use a spin on my name, I liked the idea of a black sheep. And after several minor revisions, I really liked this one. Actually loved it. 

And almost five years later, I'm happy to say that I still do! No easy feat, considering the client was a real hard-ass. 

I'll spare you the laundry list of what makes it the perfect logo (Ha!), but I do want to share a cool piece of art that it inspired. My very good friend (and then-roommate), Hans Schmidt, had been experimenting with duct tape art & mentioned he wanted to take a stab at creating the Black Sheep in tape.

I thought it would be cool to share it here - and to thank Hans for a very cool piece. You rocked it out, bruh!

Black Sheep Studio by Hans W. Schmidt (duct tape)

Enter the Dragon

Pete's Dragon.

The NeverEnding Story.

Harry Potter.

Game of Thrones.

Spirited Away.

The Hobbit.

Who doesn't appreciate a fire-breathing dino-lizard?

Plus they can EFFING fly!

Here's a lil' homage to my scaly homeboy, The Dragon.

-Blake

Hello! My Name is...

Hello Internet Friends! 

I'll be posting some doodles, sketches, & illustrations on this here blog. It'll probably also serve as an outlet for silly thoughts, pithy observations, & pop culture rants. You'll find that I'm a delight. And, oh, so humble! 

A Note About the Name:
One theory on the origin of the name Blake suggests that it derives from "blac", a nickname for someone who has dark hair or skin. The name Lagneaux is derived from "l'agneau," which in French means "the lamb." 
GET IT? BLACK SHEEP! 

A Note About the Note: Grammatically, my last name is incorrect. The L' implies a singular lamb, while the X denotes a plural. Hmmm...

...anyway, Welcome!
-Blake