Mermaid Sisters!

Hi all, Mark here!
Today's illustration is for the previous theme, 'Mermaids'.

I love mermaids, so I drew two cute mermaid sisters (a pouty goth and a happy nerd).  They are best friends despite their different personalities.
The art for this was inspired by the Paper Mario video game series.

All jokes aside, this is a perfect representation of the two types of women I'm attracted to

2015! Year of the Wooden Sheep

Hi all, Mark here!
Today I'm coming at you with a post I missed for the theme "Happy New Year!"

My drawing today celebrates the start of 2015-- in the Chinese Horoscope, 2015 is the Year of the Wooden Sheep (hence the leaf in my pic).  My character design was inspired by the art of the 'Paper Mario' series.  (Nintendo characters are and have always been my biggest influence, artistically)

Happy (belated) New Year!

Leeloo's Multi Pass

Hi all, Mark here!
This week's theme is the 90's movie "The Fifth Element".

The film features a "Multi Pass", which is like a combo passport, credit card & ID.  I did a cute version of the Multi Pass used by Leeloo, since my impulse to cute-ify things can't ever be ignored.  Sorry, not sorry.

Leeloo doesn't really act like this in the film, but I wanted to draw a chibi Milla Jovovich, dammit

Also, I originally did line-work for a more realistic version of Leeloo, featured below.

Chibi Ghostbusters Logo!

Hi all, Mark here!
The theme this week is Ghostbusters!

Of all the movie's positives qualities-- great casting, stunning special effects, sharp humor-- I  think I like the Ghostbusters logo most of all.  It's so simple, sleek, and creative, I just knew I wanted to take a stab at it.  Enjoy my chibi, super iconic take on this classic!

Halloween Monster Sneak Peek!

Hi all, Mark here!
I have a love-hate relationship with Halloween.  Basically, I hate how much I love it.

This week's theme is Classic Halloween, so I decided to do a fun group shot of the main Halloween monsters.  This piece can't be revealed in full right now, as it is part of a local art show on the 17th!  Instead, today I'm coming at you with a special sneak peek.  The full piece will be posted after the show goes live!

Bullying Awareness-- Nightcrawler Edition!

Hi all, Mark here!

I'm a huge Nightcrawler fan, so for Bullying Awareness month, I drew Nightcrawler comforting a young boy.  Nightcrawler is arguably one of the compassionate X-Men, and despite his outcast status, he always treats others with kindness.  Growing up, I was a very awkward and very nerdy kid, so I know that bullying is a serious issue-- but it doesn't have to be.  Be a hero and do your part to prevent bullying!  A little kindness towards others goes a long way.

Stop by Carol & John's comic shop to get this sticker (and 6 additional stickers) to raise awareness for Bullying Awareness Month. 

I AM GROOT!

Hi all, Mark here!
This week I'm playing catch up for last week's challenge, "Guardians of the Galaxy"!
"Guardians" is a damn fine flick, full of exciting, memorable characters.
For the challenge I drew the kind-hearted, tree-like Groot!

(Tree Bark texture from Photo Vaco)

Adorable Japan

Hi all, Mark here!
The theme this week is Japan-- I take a lot of inspiration from their culture, so this was a fun challenge!

A few years ago I designed these kimono cuties, and this week I decided it would be fun to make a traditional Japanese environment for them.

(I have a big soft spot for anthropomorphic characters.)

Who is your favorite kimono girl?  Mine's the swan.

Bonus Art!  Here are two buttons I designed that Japan-inspired.  

(Kero mean "ribbit" in Japanese, and the creature on the right is a tanuki!)

Batman: Chibi Edition

Hi all, Mark here.
To celebrate Batman's 75th anniversary I did what I do best-- make cute character art.  The name of today's game is chibi style-- big heads and small bodies.

This piece will be part of a Batman gallery show at Carol & John's Comics in Lakewood, Ohio this Saturday!  Come check out tons of awesome art and mingle with the Scribble Nerds (as well as other local artists).

Alice In Wonderland-- Chibi Edition

Hi all, Mark here!
Today I'm catching up on last week's theme, Alice in Wonderland.  I had so much fun I created two pieces!  (a banner & a mini scene illustration)


If you didn't already know, I love cute art, I love toys, and I love to make cute art that looks like toys.  I refer to this particular style as "chibi", which is a Japanese term that generally means "small and cute".

(If you want more cute art, please check out my website!)
Also, my pickle art for the pickle challenge will be posted soon!

Little Rocketeer

Cliff is a cutie...so I thought I'd draw him all teeny-tiny and huggably cute! Enjoy.

Intro Post! Mark Laubenthal, Illustrator & Super Nerd

Hi all, Mark here.
Today's post is a quick "about me" and showcases some of my art!

I'm a digital illustrator who works in vector art, and I pay the bills by working freelance on children's products like coloring books, stickers and craft kits.  I also work on game-app projects occasionally as well.  The main thing I am known for in my work is my use of cute, quirky characters and a childlike sense of wonder.  I consider myself someone who really understands the concept of "cute" very well, and as such, my work is also often characterized by a "toy-like" feel.

As far as my personality/personal interests go, I'm a proud nerd, a hopeless romantic, a lover of all things cute, obsessed with toys and toy design, a huge fan of pop culture, and to top it all off, I also love to bake (almost exclusively cookies, because COOKIES).  I'm also super inspired by animals.

Here are a few of my pieces:

You can find me at the following:

Portfolio Website: marklaubenthal.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MarkLaubenthal

I also blog dessert recipes and art projects for:
The Darling Apartment

BMO! "Who wants to play VIDEO GAMES?"

Hi all, Mark here.
This week's subject was one that I hold especially dear-- the animated series "Adventure Time!"
Originally I wanted to do an illustration of the lovely but neurotic Princess Bubblegum, but since I was a little crunched for time, I decided to instead draw the super-cute, super-quirky video game character, BMO.

If there's a cuter video game character on television, I have yet to see 'em; seriously, BMO's crazy adorable.
Enjoy!

Ninja Turtles Challenge! Raphael Edition

Hi all, Mark here!
This week's challenge was in honor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th anniversary.  Since I was a bit "obsessed" with this franchise as a young boy, today's drawing was a fun trip down memory lane.

I drew Raphael from the original animated series, sharing pizza with his adorable one-episode love interest, Mona Lisa, who was a lizard girl.  Regardless of if fans considered her ridiculous, Mona was fun and memorable, and sported a cute character design to boot.

On to the art-- Turtle power!

Star Wars May the 4th Challenge!

Hi all,
Mark here!
Today's post features is all about the Star Wars challenge, and features two characters I really like-- C3P-O and R2D2!  I drew this piece in what I call my "chibi" style, and the background was inspired by the desert scene with the two of them.