Remie Geoffroi illustration unlimited

Wikileaks Wars

2010-12-07T15:29:00.005-05:00

The idea for this cartoon came to me almost immediately upon learning of Julian Assange's threat for unleashing his "thermonuclear device" (of course, in Return of the Jedi, it's actually a Thermal Detonator, but close enough).

It made sense for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be C-3PO, since his is the diplomatic role, and thanks to Spaceballs it's not a huge leap to turn 3PO into a female.

Stephen Harper is Salacious Crumb, which seemed a fitting role, considering he's seen as an Obama lap-dog -- that is, according to the Wikileaks releases.

Mish Mash

2010-09-17T13:34:00.003-04:00

Presently working on the Mish Mash illustrations for the December issue of ChickaDEE magazine.

video game character illustrations

2010-09-16T14:22:00.002-04:00

Latest works: Cottage Life + Orange Coast

2010-09-14T10:59:00.004-04:00

It was a busy Summer, and is revving up to be an even busier Fall!
Here are some recent commissions from Cottage Life and Orange Coast magazine...

Thanos

2010-06-23T11:18:00.002-04:00

Illustrator warm-up of Thanos, one of my favourite Marvel characters.

sketch:

TCAF / NY mag / NMAs / the Greater Good

2010-05-11T15:44:00.009-04:00

I had an AMAZING time at TCAF this year! I was glad to meet many illustrators I've admired for years (including Daniel Clowes). I can't believe I almost didn't go...
Here I am drawing at the Owlkids table:

Here's a recent infographic for the current issue of New York magazine is also online. It supports an open-letter to LeBron James, encouraging him to become a NY Knick after he becomes a free agent.

I'm included among the National Magazine Awards nominations, and will be attending the gala in June. My entries can be found on the NMA site:
How to > Cottage Life > Captain Cottager Single Service Article package > explore > Do It Like An Olympian

Since April, I've been sharing a studio space with 3 other creatives. We're calling our collective, "the Greater Good". I'll be posting more on that in the coming weeks.

An illustrated portrait of Malcolm Gladwell: The Creative Journey

2010-02-17T22:51:00.071-05:00

Man. Sometimes, you just can never predict how an illustration is going to go. After reading Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, "What the Dog Saw" - I was inspired to create a Gladwell portrait promo piece (as I'm currently overdue). Given his signature hairdo and striking features, I thought Gladwell would be a snap to portray.

After looking through dozens of photographs, I marveled at how much Gladwell's appearance changes... he never looks the same twice! I now knew his likeness would be a challenge to capture. I mean seriously, do any of these guys look alike to you???

This last one looks like he's had an MJ nose job! But anyway...

My initial idea/sketch was to portray Gladwell alongside some of the memorable people/concepts from the book.

Kinda dull, not very dynamic. I soon got carried away on a redo. I stopped once I realize it was taking a direction in style that was all wrong.

Obviously the likeness was hurting, too - but I was still just playing around here.

I went back to the drawing board on the concept sketch - shooting for more dynamics. I intended to include Ron Popeil, George Soros and Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer -- people profiled in the book. The plane is an allusion to the JFK Jr. story ("The Art of Failure -Why some people choke and others panic" - probably my favourite essay), as is the ketchup bottle an allusion to "The Ketchup Conundrum".

Once this sketch was done, I started working his head... exploring various ways to render it:

Done! No, not really. I was kinda digging this, but not entirely. I felt like the style wasn't there yet. I decided to push it another way, and got here:

I was happy with this likeness. Which led me to putting him in a setting...

.. and eventually reworking the colours and composition to this:

At this point, I considered the illustration done, project complete - although I did end up tweaking it a bit further thanks to the input of some valued friends and colleagues (shout outs to Matt Howe, Kagan McLeod, Michael Cho and Ian Rapsey). In spite of the rework, I wasn't satisfied. The sticking point for me (raised by Matt) was that it lacked a true concept. Which set me thinking all over again... what did I want to say about the man?

I had this brilliant idea of having a group of people waiting at a bus stop (or airport gate - hadn't decided yet) reading Gladwell's books. They would represent various age and social groups, but would all be sporting Gladwell's signature hairdo and spectacles -- having been "infected" by the Gladwell thought process. Gladwell himself would be walking by, amused. It didn't work. I sketched it several times and eventually decided the concept wasn't quite so brilliant after all. The focus on Gladwell himself was lost. His presence was all but meaningless - just a casual observer.

Finally, today I suddenly had the idea of portraying Gladwell as a guru, implying that he has revealed, through his books, a form of intelligence enlightenment. I thought this idea would be clear, and that the guru connection would resonate well.

In this first version, I created a background intended to resemble eastern motifs:

This palette wasn't yet right, but I abandoned it because I decided the eastern motif itself wasn't fitting. I also realized his legs needed serious medical attention. Below is the final (final?) illustration:

I thought it would be appropriate to put Gladwell in front of a backdrop of NYC buildings - since NY is his home, and he writes for the New Yorker. I also found appeal in the representation that he is a shaman amidst the city's chaos. I added the 3rd eye to drive home the concept of him being an enlightened guru. I felt it was an appropriate symbol since he famously makes observations and sees patterns where others do not.

In summary, I think it can truly be said that a piece of art is never really finished. It's perhaps magnified where illustration is concerned: Under the constraint of deadlines, it's always a matter of setting priorities and making sacrifices.

Here for There: Haiti Art Fundraiser

2010-01-26T12:02:00.002-05:00

Mike (Zeke) Zavacky invited me to donate artwork for this Thursday's "Here for There" Haiti fundraiser. My sketch is entitled, "Where There is Life".

Entrance donation is $5. Proceeds from all sales is being donated to World Vision's relief effort.

Le Petit Mort Gallery
306 Cumberland Street
Ottawa, Ontario

How to: Bend Them to Your Will

2010-01-04T15:18:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year!

I've been working on some fun, monthly-recurring "How To's" for Report on Business. Here's the most recent, with sketch process. The article is about gaining favour with bosses and colleagues, using coercive or subliminal measures.

First thumbnail concept featuring hypnotic office worker presenting gift of coffee. First person perspective from vantage of the receiver.

Second thumbnail concept featuring office worker using pocket watch to hypnotize colleague while under the guise of presenting gift of coffee. This concept was chosen, but the AD and I agreed it needed simplifying...

Sketch before final render, quite close to the final. Funny enough, it once again became a first person perspective, but this time from the vantage of the hypnotist.

Process Revealed: the Weekly Cartoon

2009-09-15T21:03:00.019-04:00

Whoah! It's been a long time since I've posted... so much going on... undergoing a kitchen reno while preparing for the imminent arrival of our baby daughter!

Every Tuesday, I've got to submit my editorial cartoon to the Ottawa X Press by 4:30pm. I'm a moderate news and politics junkie, but I pay extra close attention to the news on Mondays and Tuesdays, scanning for topics that I hope will still be relevant when the newspaper hits the newsstand on Thursday morning.

This week, Jack Layton is allegedly going to prop up the Conservatives in exchange for this new social security thingy, under threat of an election call from the Iggy. This is juicy grist for the cartoon mill!

First thought comes to mind is that the NDP and Conservatives make strange bedfellows, which naturally leads to the classic metaphorical image of the two leaders in bed together. It's been done before billions of times, but it still tickles me. So I proceed with the artwork - still unsure of what the exact dialogue exchange will be. I ponder this while I draw...

Here's my initial caption:

Obviously this presumes the deed has already been done. But I stew on this a little, and then wonder if I've left out a little too much information. Revising it to:

But something about this strikes me as awkward. Then I arrive at a statement that implies the deed is yet to occur, and I figure I can get away with the possibility that Jack is undoing his tie, instead of doing it back up!

Latest Cartoon

2009-06-23T11:00:00.001-04:00

It just sickens me that the latter can be considered even remotely newsworthy.

If I had $1 Trillion...

2009-05-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

I recently completed a very cool project for Globe & Mail's Report on Business, creating an infographic to visualize $1,000,000,000,000. Here are the various stages:

US $100 bill

A stack of $10,000 bills

$1 million. Fits nicely into a duffle bag. Preceding amounts are highlighted in green.

$100 million. Fits squarely on a standard palette.

$1 billion. We'll need 10 palettes of $100 million, if you please...

$1 trillion. The sum that utterly boggles the mind. Note the palettes are stacked 4 palettes deep! What you're looking at is 1,000 palettes of $100 million each.

New Portfolio Website!

2009-04-30T19:18:00.004-04:00

Phew! After months of setbacks, I finally managed to complete my new website! Hopefully the whole user experience has been improved. There's a bunch of new work up there, with more to come!

The Canadian Government is in Chaos!

2008-12-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

ICE Awards: Best Illustration

2008-10-17T13:13:00.006-04:00

Thanks to my friend Aaron Mackenzie Fraser, I just found out that I won an ICE Award for Best Illustration last night!

Here's a series of Treasury bureaucrat portraits, just completed for NY mag.

Keep Control: Series 2

2008-09-11T22:18:00.002-04:00

A few illos from the native-youth directed "Keep Control" series...

The Hilarious Adventures of Mish and Mash

2008-09-08T22:49:00.004-04:00

Owl Kids, the publisher's of ChickaDEE magazine, have just released a new joke book, fully illustrated by yours truly! It collects most of the illustrations I've done since beginning with ChickaDEE in 2002, and also introduces three new characters: Mish, Mash and the cagey Mush!

Crucified Ronald McDonald is a Cliché

2008-07-02T13:08:00.004-04:00

My friend Drew Gonsalves sent me this article. I love that the author exposes the sacrilegious art "formula" for what it is.

2Magazine spots

2008-06-19T00:13:00.002-04:00

Current Kayak magazine cover

2008-06-13T12:08:00.002-04:00

and some Gabe & Allie spots (from the inside pages)

Carniverous

2008-04-03T15:31:00.002-04:00

Meat cuts for NY Mag...

Recent Work

2008-03-07T12:29:00.007-05:00

I haven't gotten around to updating my website yet... here is some recent work:

Story on people buying strangers a coffee... for Seattle Met magazine

How to Parallel Park, for GM

VRB Power, for Canadian Business mag

Investor icons for Report on Business Investor

isometric floorplan for Report on Small Business

Tu Ciudad: Pop Quiz illoz

2008-02-22T21:03:00.001-05:00

For the spanish community LA mag

Recycling Images

2008-01-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

Envelope Dooooooooodles

2008-01-06T22:28:00.001-05:00

Shazam!

2008-01-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

is also the name of my cat.

Happy 2008

2008-01-03T21:59:00.001-05:00

Profit magazine

2007-12-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

Illustration for Profit magazine, for a series entitled, "Your Next Big Thing". This is a socio/eco-conscious Gen-Yer.

How to Succeed as a Freelance Illustrator: Part Two

2007-11-03T14:51:00.000-04:00

Affiliate.

Don't be shy. Go out and meet people. Show your work around and try to strike alliances and rapport with ad agencies, graphic design studios and other illustrators. Seek out informal and formal media networking events. Always carry business cards with you when you leave the house! ... something I often fail to do, and later regret.

Find a mentor. Find multiple mentors.

Reach out to fellow illustrators and ask questions. We're generally a friendly bunch. Most, if not all, chose this career for ourselves. I don't think many people fall into illustration by accident. You'll find most are happy to talk about their experiences and relate advice.

Promote your work.

Send out emails, postcards, portfolios and samples - and be creative! to stand out from the glut they receive every day. They'll get back to you if they like what they see, but it's wise to send a follow-up email.

I personally don't make cold calls, but some artists, such as Luc Latulippe, advocate it. In the past, I've found it to be a waste of time, and I fear that I'll come across as a pest. Art directors are usually insanely busy people, and it's rare that you'll catch them with time enough to chat... it's more likely that your call will be breaking their stride.

Alpine Max Beer

2007-10-22T19:01:00.000-04:00

I recently created a series of illustrations for Max Alpine beer with Extreme Group in Halifax. Apparently the illustrations appear along with a feature on EG in the latest issue of Strategy magazine... I have yet to get my hands on a copy!

http://www.extremegroup.com/work/36

Q-Bert

2007-10-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

New York magazine

2007-10-16T19:21:00.001-04:00

Penthouses...
I'm hitting NYC at the end of the month! It's been a while... any recommendations???

Kellylee Evans poster illustration

2007-10-15T21:59:00.000-04:00

If you're in the Ottawa area, go check out this amazing performer on November 4th! If you're not, check her website to see when she's coming to a city near you.

How to Succeed as a Freelance Illustrator: Part One

2007-08-31T01:45:00.000-04:00

Aside from the occasional curious client, I believe it's usually other illustrators that scope out illustrator blogs. Considering that, I've decided to post some freelancing advice that I've passed on from time to time. I'm passionate about the topic of freelance illustration, and am happy to discuss my experiences, when asked. In that vein, I'm going to begin a series of writings on the topic, and I invite your feedback!

Without further ado...

Get Used to Criticism.

Prepare to have your artwork verbally ripped to shreds after pouring hours of blood, sweat and coffee into it. Nothing is beyond reproach, and you need to develop a thick skin. If you see any illustration as "your baby" then you'll come to dread dealing with clients.
Furthermore, if it makes you uncomfortable receiving criticism and direction, the art director will sense it. An awkward or difficult exchange won't make them want to work with you again.

Refine your portfolio, put it online. Refine some more.

Display the kind of work you want to do, not necessarily the type of work you are getting. It's difficult to establish your style, and sometimes you need to take the jobs that are willing to pay, especially when you're starting out. That doesn't mean that work should go in your portfolio. Dress the part. Don't include work that doesn't reflect the projects you want. Student assignments often (but not always) looks like student assignments. Don't include pencil drawings of your cat/dog. You might be thinking, "This shows that I am multi-talented, and can handle styles of many varieties and difficulty" - but it sends the incorrect message that you are seeking pencil-drawing, animal subject-matter assignments.

The printed portfolio is still relevant, but I believe it is dying. Creating a user-friendly, simple website portfolio is essential to reaching art directors that don't have more than a few moments to look at your work. Keep it simple and easy to navigate. Overblown, high-concept Flash sites are often confusing, and can take forever to load.

Madonna

2007-08-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

We're back from Europe and getting settled into our new property in Westboro. Life is good!

Here's a recent illustration reflecting 25 years of Madonna, for Chatelaine.

David Suzuki

2007-04-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

Cover for the upcoming Thursday edition of the Ottawa XPress.

The New Budget

2007-03-22T09:51:00.000-04:00

Original Art: eBay Auctions

2007-02-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd try something new, and see if there's interest in my original inked drawings for the Ottawa X Press. As a trial, today I've listed 4 drawings for auction. If it goes well, you can expect to see more...

Vector Art: My Process

2007-01-24T20:57:00.000-05:00

1. Scan sketch into Photoshop. Save as jpeg. Receive approval from client. In this case, ChickaDEE magazine.

2. "Ink" the sketch using the brush tool in Adobe Illustrator. Wacom tablet required.

3. On a lower layer, placed beneath my "Ink" layer (so that said layer is visible), I create polygon shapes with the pen and pencil tool to block in the colour. This is what those shapes look like with the Ink layer not visible.

4. Save file. Send via email. Invoice client.

Kellylee Evans

2007-01-10T00:23:00.000-05:00

new poster design...
She's amazing - check out her website for a sampling of her songs.

Studio: Life Drawing

2007-01-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

Last night I finally made it to the Sandy Hill Community centre for one of their Wednesday night figure drawing sessions. I had been struggling with a project, and had to get out of the house. I was so glad I went - great to be in a class-like atmosphere again. It only took me a year to get around to going, after finding out about it from Matthew Stewart. Thanks, Matt!

Two tone

2007-01-03T18:08:00.000-05:00

One way I enjoy sketching is to employ 2 different shades of pencil crayon. Example:

Happy New Year, Muttonhead!

2006-12-31T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here's an old concert poster I did for my friend Travis' band... this is going way back to '97.

Giant Chair

2006-12-18T22:10:00.000-05:00

Head Explodes

2006-11-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

... and a warped skull...

Website Update + Pam Anderson

2006-10-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

I've made another big website update... check it out!

+ here's a new cartoon for the XPress!

Update!

2006-09-26T11:53:00.000-04:00

My online portfolio has been updated ... www.remgeo.com

Nash

2006-09-14T13:44:00.000-04:00

Would you marry Steve Nash? ... from a story on Avril Lavigne, appearing in this month's Toro.

Bassett Hound

2006-09-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

For an upcoming issue of Know magazine...

Politically Correct Cartoons

2006-08-24T10:20:00.000-04:00

Harper skips The Conference

2006-08-17T20:06:00.000-04:00

In this week's X Press. Chrétien skipped it, too.

Hamburger

2006-08-10T16:38:00.000-04:00

America's favourite funnyman, Neil Hamburger.... or perhaps a reasonable facsimile.

Bob Dylan sketch

2006-08-08T17:20:00.000-04:00

Raging Bull

2006-08-04T11:50:00.000-04:00

From a series of icons I'm developing for Toro magazine.

Jong!

2006-07-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Oh, Train...

2006-06-22T16:46:00.000-04:00

Everyone has an opinion on the Ottawa O-Train expansion. Do you?

Snack Time!

2006-05-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

My lizard, Chummer, chowing down on a scrumptious cricket. Chummer is an illegal immigrant. He stowed away in a bouquet of flowers from my wedding in St. Lucia.

Ahmadinejad on the Block

2006-05-23T18:04:00.000-04:00

So as it turns out, that story about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad requiring coloured armbands to distinguish religious affiliation was false.

The Geoffroi Family

2006-05-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

Each Mother's Day (and birthday) my Mom looks forward to receiving a "homemade" card from her son, the artist... which puts the squeeze on me to come up with new ideas!

KOBO TOWN

2006-05-15T11:42:00.000-04:00

If you're in Ottawa next Saturday, come check these guys out. They put on an amazing show - you won't be disappointed!

The Babe

2006-05-04T14:05:00.000-04:00

For an upcoming issue of Kayak magazine.

That's one Dandy Lion!

2006-04-27T10:52:00.000-04:00

D'Arcy McGee about to get capped

2006-03-31T13:23:00.000-05:00

For a kids' book on Canadian crime. Read up on him at Wikipedia, my favourite website.

The Three Amigos

2006-03-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

Bébé

2006-03-24T21:19:00.000-05:00

A p'tit bébé pour vous.

Scrappy Doodles

2006-03-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

I tend to doodle on whatever's handy, and usually not in my sketchbook. Go figure. Then I'm cursed with these piles of scrap paper with doodles I don't want to chuck. Enter my Blog. Now I can scan and scrap the scrap! Sweet relief...

Funny Bunny

2006-03-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

Q: What is a rabbit's favourite music?

A: Hip Hop!

See the April issue of ChickaDEE for the rest of the jokes!

Ethics

2006-03-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Ethics Comissioner Bernard Shapiro has cleared PM Stephen Harper of culpability for "inducing" Emerson's defection from the Liberals. I'm always tickled by all the ridiculous political terms. I dreamt up a couple other ideas before striking on this one...

Sketchbook Scan: Sock 'Em!

2006-03-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

Bob Rae considers leadership race

2006-03-13T18:18:00.000-05:00

I'm just ramping up with the cartoon syndicate, Artizans. Here's my first solo cartoon:

Don't Be a Menace to Brokeback Mountain While Sipping Your Perrier in the Hood

2006-02-28T22:31:00.000-05:00

For Toro magazine's review of Brokeback Mountain.

Also for Toro, one of a series of icons for campy movies. This will probably print no larger than a dime.

Archives: Polynesian Girl

2006-02-27T17:01:00.000-05:00

Here's one from the archives. When I was getting set to go freelance, I took 2 illustrations to turn into promotional postcards. I created this one in Painter, a program I probably haven't touched since.

Years prior to creating this, while I was in Hawaii, I visited an antique shop. I saw a print of Soonie's Rose by Margaret Keane, and it really made an impression on me. I think it served to inspire this drawing.

X Press Yourself, No More

2006-02-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

The Ottawa X Press axed my political cartoon. Evidently, I fell victim to restructuring and cutbacks at the paper.

Does this mean the end of my political cartoons? Perhaps not... stay tuned.

Evolution of a Character

2006-02-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working on a project that requires a character of a 12-year old girl. The first sketch I did (and submitted) was done in my "signature" kids' style.

While rendering her, I began to think the lines could be simplified. I drew inspiration for the rework from the "Dora the Explorer" character.

I ended up with a final rendering very close to this reworked sketch, but added length to her legs to make her a bit older. I don't suppose she's quite 12 yet... maybe more like 8? But I don't think it matters too much.

Whoops, that's not a quail!

2006-02-16T09:22:00.000-05:00

Emporharper and Darth Emerson?

2006-02-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

I know, I know... it's usually Darth Harper. But now he has an apprentice!

I feel like there was a missed opportunity this week. I really wish I had done a cartoon on the uproar over the Muhammed cartoon, but I didn't develop an idea in time. Now I have 2 ideas. I might draw them to post here.

Whitman Inked

2006-02-03T01:21:00.000-05:00

That was one long day of blogging. A few things to correct on this one, but otherwise, we're good to go. Good night, Beautiful Dreamer.
zzzzzzz

He-Man: Part 3

2006-02-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

I have to say I rarely sweat anatomy this much, but these legs were really bothering me, and I was determined to get them right. Or almost right... basically, to the point that I could live with them. I also figured it would be good practice.

So here are the many embarrassing stages of He-Man's legs, for your edutainment. There are aspects I like in each of them, but they usually didn't work harmoniously.

A This is the first sketch I made, which came before He-Man: Part 2.

As you can see, I would have needed to pivot his torso in Photoshop to match properly. These legs reminded me too much of the Hulk, and I opted instead to put him in his boots (as he appeared in the cartoon) rather than barefoot.

B I was trying to get different angles on his legs to give him a broad, foreshortened stance, but it just ended up looking like he was perched on something, so I drew a rock for his foot.

If you notice on the left leg, I corrected a line there that belonged over his calf and not under.

C With this one, he wasn't looking as squat as I wanted. I couldn't figure out which way his right foot should be pointing. Duh. As I once told my friend, fellow illustrator Mike Faille, I sometimes find I have drawn something the complete opposite of what it should be. He had no idea what I was talking about.

On it's own, I like his left leg.

D Now I was quite happy with this one, and was almost prepared to stop. It's a pose befitting his torso, and the entire shape of the character is pleasing. Except, it felt like a cheat... I hadn't truly solved the problem of drawing his legs, so I decided to go at it again.

E Voila! The winner. Again, still a few things to fix up, but I'm happy enough with this one to call it quits.

Slim Whitman

2006-02-02T18:38:00.000-05:00

If you know old-time country music, you know Slim Whitman. If you don't, make it your mission to find a copy of Slim singing, "Una Paloma Blanca", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Danny Boy". You'll thank me.

He-Man: Part 2

2006-02-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've decided to take He-Man to final art, so I finished sketching his body. I often struggle to get legs looking right.... even bloated, muscley cartoon ones. This was actually my second attempt, and I'm still not super happy with it. His chest strap is all wrong, too. I'll try to make corrections when I ink it. Stay tuned.

Ottawa X Press

2006-02-02T10:52:00.000-05:00

Every Tuesday, I illustrate a political cartoon for the local newsweekly, Ottawa X Press. The new cartoons are posted on their website each Thursday morning. I invite you to stop by and leave your comments!

New Year's Resolution & He-Man

2006-02-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

This year, I made it my new year's resolution to start sketching and drawing more — just for pleasure.

A blog seemed like a good venue for showing some of my sketch work... stuff that's probably not destined for my portfolio, but stuff I still think is worthy of being seen. Your comments are welcome and appreciated!

Here's He-Man: