I inked these two illustrations by Scott Harder. They were just pencil sketches and I inked them in PhotoShop. Used for a club night posters and flyers. Scott was still inking everything with tech pens and markers, but wanted to learn how to do it in a computer, so I showed him how.
Some of you might recognize a similarity between those two drawings and the image I use as my header and avatar. You would be correct. It was done by Scott.
Christmas of 95, he came over, and was profusely apologetic as he gave me a gift.
“It’s kind of lame, but it’s all I could afford.”
I opened what still remains one of the most amazing gifts I’ve ever received. He had done portraits of a bunch of his friends and family, each one astutely observant and utterly poignant. Each portrait had been copied onto mylar, with nothing more elaborate than tin foil behind it, and framed in black cardboard. (Also included was a simple photcopied booklet that showed what everyone else had gotten.) Really simple and it left me speechless. It was anything but lame. Despite the fact that he was easily one of the most talented illustrators I’ve ever known, he had no money to buy gifts, so he did these instead. It was a thousand times cooler than any gift that he could have purchased with money.
“It’s kind of lame, but it’s all I could afford.”
I opened what still remains one of the most amazing gifts I’ve ever received. He had done portraits of a bunch of his friends and family, each one astutely observant and utterly poignant. Each portrait had been copied onto mylar, with nothing more elaborate than tin foil behind it, and framed in black cardboard. (Also included was a simple photcopied booklet that showed what everyone else had gotten.) Really simple and it left me speechless. It was anything but lame. Despite the fact that he was easily one of the most talented illustrators I’ve ever known, he had no money to buy gifts, so he did these instead. It was a thousand times cooler than any gift that he could have purchased with money.
The portrait he did of me in his inimitable style, showed me with an appropriate background, cargo pants, pockets stuffed with all sorts of treats and useful doodads, belt with accoutrements and gadgets affixed to it, shirt with a cool graphic on it, freaky hair, tattoos, ring through my septum, rings in my ears, big pack on my back. Oh, and he got the upward perspective bang on too.
On December 6th 2000 I received one of the biggest shocks of my life. Three weeks before they were due to be married, his fiancé found him dead on the floor of their house. At the autopsy they discovered that he had Cardiomyopathy, scarring on his heart, probably from an illness or disease early in his life. What made it even more shocking is that the doctor stated it was a miracle he had lived as long as he had and that he hadn’t been an invalid. Given that he was passionate about riding his bike, played baseball and road hockey regularly for years, this was indeed surprising.
Scott was truly one of the finest people I’ve had the privilege of knowing. Besides being an awesome illustrator who inspired me to no end, he was hysterically funny, could charm a room full of people, loyal, honest and incredibly generous. He was a great friend and I remember him often and fondly.
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