I've just scanned all my pencil layouts! Here I am "inking" in a spherical city maze. I'm wearing my new Threadless hoodie and listening to the audiobook Gone Girl on Overdirve.
Release Date!!
Chronicle has given me a Release Date! The book: From Here To There: A Book of Mazes to Wander and Explore, will be on sale Feb. 28! I know that is FOREVER from now. The advance copies will be going out sooner, early January. That's so specialty stores can see it and know that it is cool enough to put on their shelves. This is also when INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE with fat Twitter accounts get their copies too. If you have tons of social media followers and want to hold this book before anyone else, drop me a line!
Spaceport Shipyard Update
Inking the big spaceport maze. I don't add color until the black is done. I've noted some things that will need to be addressed.
Currently I do all my "inking" on the computer. This is were I have to decide on the thickness of the black line. Typically, the thickness of the line depends on the detail of the maze. I thought this piece was super detailed, but once placed on a 18"x12" page, I realized the maze was not as detailed as I thought!
This shows the black layer over the original drawing, which is how I usually work. I've pointed out areas that will need attention before I'm done.
Keith Haring Mural
The Keith Haring mural at Grace House in NYC. NPR did a piece on it a few days ago.
Daughter and friend hanging out on steps in front of mural.
Path Notation
Although the mazes are often free-form and doodle-like, I need to keep track of the paths. Here is an example of my notations tracking paths alongside the final pencil drawing. Arrows are typically the "hero" path that will lead to the end. O's are paths open on both ends that I will eventually attach to a hero or false path. Letters or numbers refer to a specific fork, usually close to the start, so I know where to reconnect looping false paths or eventual solution paths.
Left: Path notations help keep track of the maze. Right: Final maze layout with notations still visible.
Brutalism
Concrete overhanging blocks. This should be fun to color.
Detail sketch and partially lined.
Richard Serra
This Richard Serra sculpture was installed for the 1985-86 Carnegie International in Pittsburgh. I was an art school undergrad at the time. Serra is one of my faves. Every time I've been to the International, it's been great.
Carnegie, Richard Serra, 1985. The sculpture on the right is Henry Moore. Photo: William Real
Carnegie, Richard Serra, 1985. Photo: Aidan Wakely-Mulroney
Neat Plant
This very cool weed sprung up in the yard. Let's take a picture for later!
"A note must be made upon the drawing of the turn-over of the leaf. The old draughtsman followed the rule in the accompanying diagram. They broke the nearer outline into two, one overlapping the other as it were, leaving a small passage between them as if the leaf were very thick. This is a very valuable convention and practically indispensable to the decorator."
Richard G. Hatton, A Handbook of Plant and Floral Ornament (Dover, 1960), 40. Republication of The Craftsman's Plant-Book, 1909.
Shipyard Details
I'm working on a larger maze with lots of spaceships. here is a detail.
Translations
I chose to use START and END signs because arrows don't work well when the destinations are not along the perimeter. My publisher asked me to make the END box wider to allow for translation into other languages. That is so cool. I will post a translated version as soon as available!
Original START; original END; new END with larger box; blank box to allow for translation.
Guidelines!
Laying down guidelines for this large garden maze. Usually I let the perspective kind of wander, but I wanted to try something with a little more discipline. I hope it won't feel too uptight when done.
Reigning in the chaos with guidelines!
Welcome
I draw mazes. I draw other stuff too, but the mazes are what I do for relaxation and meditation. I have been making them forever. For me, they are a sweet spot between puzzle creation and doodling. Sometimes I explore specific themes, other times design ideas or concepts.
I actually have so many completed, there will be a book available early 2017. More on that later.
Here I will document the creation process of my newer work, the final stages of publication, inspirations, and ideas.