Cory Godbey

Cory seeks to tell stories with his work.
He also likes to draw monsters.
Din’s Purging Fire.  Din’s Fire from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the coolest thing. And to think of fire, something that’s terrifying, wild, and out of control but in this context it’s set into a gem and turned into a protective element, a force for good, is a powerful thought to me.* * * A quick piece I did for a friend. More or less another entry in my ‘bit and run’ series. At least in style, working method, and tone. bit and run Volume One bit and run Volume Two 

Din’s Purging Fire.  

Din’s Fire from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the coolest thing. And to think of fire, something that’s terrifying, wild, and out of control but in this context it’s set into a gem and turned into a protective element, a force for good, is a powerful thought to me.

* * *

A quick piece I did for a friend. More or less another entry in my ‘bit and run’ series.

At least in style, working method, and tone.

bit and run Volume One

bit and run Volume Two 

Digital Forest

I don’t often get to do editorial work or single, stand alone illustrations for magazines so when I do it feels like a treat. Here’s a look at a one such recent piece.

The AD referenced my Microsoft commercial as a direction he wanted to go which I was thrilled to hear, I also don’t get asked to work in that method too often either. 
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The art request must have been written with me in mind: a forest, at night, roots, interconnected tree limbs, animals, stars, fireflies, and a small group of figures admiring it all.
The three options.
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The refined thumbnail. B.
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I liked C. a lot because I would have gotten to do more trees but B. ended up being the best choice because I’d get to do larger, more involved figures (and trees) which is ultimately my favorite thing to do. I love organic shapes and human (or human-like) figures.

So this was approved and I moved on to making all the elements. Working along the lines of the Zune commercial meant working (mostly) all digitally and I started to put together the pieces.

Next I began making all of the elements. Keeping in mind the textured, digital silhouette style that the client wanted.
The figure silhouettes.
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Detail.
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Watercolored, knocked out and layered trees to play with.
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Arranging the forest.
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Most of the elements added.
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Playing with the colors.
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The final.
Above. Owl and squirrels are probably best friends.
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That’s me in the hat with the backpack.
Sort of. Not really. A little. Never mind.
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The finished spread.

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I don’t often get to do just single, one off illustrations so it’s always extra enjoyable when I’m asked. I enjoy pouring everything into one image.

I had a really great time on this one.

Menagerie

I’m terribly excited to show you the project I’ve been been working on for the past four months: my 2012 sketchbook, Menagerie.

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$15, color printing, 44 pages, soft cover, perfect bound. 6” x 9”

You can find it on my shop, here.

Here’s a video tour of the work, every spread of the book :


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Thank you for supporting my work! By picking up Menagerie you help to fund this and other personal projects like it. I can’t thank you enough for that.

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All books are signed. The first 50 I’m doing as a sort of “artist edition” and will have a signed sketch drawn on the title page.

Prepare yourself for two things tomorrow, Friday, June 1!  The release of my new 2012 sketchbook, Menagerie AND the accompanying video tour of the book with new music by my friend Ben Kammer! … Menagerie is a collection of drawings moving through three distinct ages arranged in “Parts” throughout the 44 page book.

Prepare yourself for two things tomorrow, Friday, June 1! 

The release of my new 2012 sketchbook, Menagerie AND the accompanying video tour of the book with new music by my friend Ben Kammer!

…

Menagerie is a collection of drawings moving through three distinct ages arranged in “Parts” throughout the 44 page book.

(Source: etsy.com)

#SFAL

Back home from @SFantasticAL, Spectrum Fantastic Art Live. 

My expectations were absurdly high. And I’m in no way exaggerating to say they were blown away, destroyed, absolutely devastated the first evening. It was, hands down, the best. 
I split a booth with Justin and we had the good fortune to spend some time with some of the most brilliant artists working today. It was humbling, inspiring, and exhilaratingly fun.
Unfortunately, we didn’t take too many pictures. Here’s a quick look at some of our time.
 

Erin caught some Instagram action.

I love doodling in books. For real. 
Gives me something to do at the booth.

Tragically, the only shot of the booth we got. Wahhh…

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Kansas City style.

The Spectrum awards!

Justin won a Silver!

Two of my large drawings from Menagerie sold!

Justin, Paul Bonner, and me. 
I’m not at all kidding: we were seriously talking about motorcycles.

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I loved SFAL. An inexpressible thanks to the Fenners. Without you guys, there’d be none of this. 
Thank you from the bottom of my fantasy loving, monster drawing heart.

(Source: lightnightrains.blogspot.com)

The Skye Thomas Experience

—Cory Godbey (Studio)

The Skye Thomas Experience.

I don’t even know what to say, you guys. I just got a theme song, an honest to goodness theme song written about me.

I’m doing an album cover. And the band wrote and recorded this song after I sent them the drawings. I am with out words.

“When he sits at an easel, he makes the canvas blush / With his brush of adamantium dipped in magic fairy dust.”

I’ll never have to write a bio ever again. Any student wanting to interview me will simply be directed to this song.


The Upstart Crow. A creative scholarship project. 

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For this animated short I used my digital stop-motion, paper cut-out method. Essentially, this means creating fully layered finished illustrations, nudging everything slightly, and taking a screen capture. If you do this enough times and string the images together, you get this handmade quality of movement that I find pretty appealing.

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Help my friend Micah pursue doctoral Shakespearean research!

He’s been offered a place for doctoral research in English and Shakespeare Studies (at Oxford, Cambridge, AND the Shakespeare Institute) and we are proud of him. 

But it’s expensive. A bunch of us got together and set this project in motion to help him. See how you can help! 

The Upstart Crow.

Ticket.  2008. The cover illustration of my first personal project.  Here is a video tour of the (now out of print) picture book. Since 2008 I’ve completed at least one major personal project (whether sketchbook, picture book, series, or show) a year. Ticket represents the first of such endeavors. 

Ticket. 

2008.

The cover illustration of my first personal project.  

Here is a video tour of the (now out of print) picture book.

Since 2008 I’ve completed at least one major personal project (whether sketchbook, picture book, series, or show) a year. Ticket represents the first of such endeavors. 

Gryphon drawing in progress. From “Menagerie” my upcoming sketchbook! May 2012.

Gryphon drawing in progress.

From “Menagerie” my upcoming sketchbook! May 2012.

A small side thing. Working on a short animated piece for a friend’s Shakespeare project.  This is the in-progress art for Titania and Bottom.

A small side thing. Working on a short animated piece for a friend’s Shakespeare project. 

This is the in-progress art for Titania and Bottom.

Wembley. One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

Wembley.

One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

Gobo. One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

Gobo.

One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

Boober. One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

Boober.

One of the Fraggle Rock character pieces I had to do in order to be approved by Henson and Archaia for these Fraggle comics.

The Mountain King. (2007)

The Mountain King.

(2007)