BLACK AND WHITE AND GREY ALL OVER.

Here are some black and white (and grey all over) illustrations I recently did for my oldest pal, Jason Hudson. Jason is a talented photographer, a gifted word arranger, and all around pro company. The drawing on top is based on Hot Knife by Fiona Apple (a song from one of his blog mixes). Good song. In 1996 Jason and I were definitely singing along to Tidal together. I bet it sounded great, and not melodramatic at all. The other drawings come from a set of 30 Rules For Your 30's. The boy tells it as he sees it/knows things. Recommended reading!

Jason and I became friends in grade 9 when I sat next to him in music class. We both played the alto sax (and would continue to play the alto sax until we graduated). We ate french fries together, obsessed about The X-Files together, babysat together, drank too many ill advised sugary alcoholic beverages at our first parties together, killed time in London together, eventually moved to Toronto together, and so on. Now that I've destroyed any illusion of childhood cool, it should also be noted that nobody has more embarrassing photos of me going through every questionable fashion phase than Jason. But the opposite is also true - I definitely have evidence that Jason went through a blonde hair phase in high school. I tried to go through a blond hair phase too, but my attempt to dye my hair blonde in Jason's bathroom resulted in my hair falling out. What a nightmare (damn you, Blondissima!). I subsequently went to my high school prom with a wig on.

It's a real treat to have an old friend like that in your life, someone who really knows what you were about when you were a kid. And to end up in a place where you can contribute to their work in a complimentary way? Fun stuff.

Here are some alternate ideas/versions too (below). From my endless folders of second options. I kinda love looking at the alternates. The guys that didn't quite hit it in the right spot, or the guys there wasn't room for, but that where all part of the process/journey to the finish line. Big ups to poster_01_version3, IDEA_02, drawing_black-and-white.jpeg, etc (my file management skills could definitely use some work).