Dan Tabata – drawings & illustrations

Goodbye, Mousey

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Dan Tabata

Our little dog, Mousey (aka Mouse) brought joy to our family for almost nine years (April 10, 2011–February 15, 2020).

Mousey, I’m still not sure who got the better deal—you for taking over our home and hearts, or me for getting to draw inspiration from your strange dog-like ways! Goodbye, Mousey…I’ll miss you always.

[links below lead to pages on my websites: dantabata.com and thepawses.com]

Pet Adoption (2012)

Playing Ball (2012)

How Mouse Got His Name (2013)

Doggie Bag (2014)

Hero (2016) [click title or image to view two-page comic]

Pet Thoughts (2017)

Little Dog Waiting (2018)

Poppy Dog (2019)

Fresh Takes

Posted on April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 by Dan Tabata

Welcome the arrival of spring with fresh takes on my drawings! Bright white versions of five designs are now available in my Etsy shop.
Continue reading “Fresh Takes” →

New Art Prints

Posted on September 23, 2018September 27, 2018 by Dan Tabata

I’m stocking my Etsy shop for the upcoming holiday shopping season!
Continue reading “New Art Prints” →

8×10 Art Prints at Etsy

Posted on May 18, 2018May 19, 2018 by Dan Tabata

8×10 prints of Squirrel with an Acorn Hat are now available in my Etsy shop. Continue reading “8×10 Art Prints at Etsy” →

New Etsy Shop

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Dan Tabata

You can now purchase prints directly from me at my new Etsy shop. Ten of my favorite designs are available as 5×7 art prints. Please stop by and take a look!

Inktober 2017

Posted on October 31, 2017November 8, 2018 by Dan Tabata

2018 UPDATE
Visit the Inktober 2018 Drawings galley to see my drawings from 2018. Instead of strictly following the official prompt list, I did a combination of my own prompts and a few of the official ones! It was another fun October of ink drawing!

This year (2017), I participated in the Inktober ink drawing challenge.

Inktober was created by Jake Parker in 2009 as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. Participation in Inktober is simple: Draw something in ink, post it online, and repeat the process each day during October. Over the years, Inktober has grown from one artist’s personal challenge into a worldwide annual event that is enjoyed by thousands of artists! Continue reading “Inktober 2017” →

Urban Sketching the County Fair

Posted on August 5, 2017September 9, 2017 by Dan Tabata

Orange County Fair entrance — Welcome to the Orange County Fair!

Spent the day sketching at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California. Looked at the animals (including humans), ate junk food and watched a friend perform with a rock band. Continue reading “Urban Sketching the County Fair” →

Evolving Art

Posted on June 30, 2017September 9, 2017 by Dan Tabata

When we first see a drawing, we might imagine a flash of inspiration leading straight to the finished artwork. Many times that’s what happens, but not always.

One of my favorite drawings took a few years and several versions until the art finally matched up with my imagination. The fez fish began as a 2013 sketch book drawing that I scanned and colored in Photoshop. Continue reading “Evolving Art” →

How to Create a Vector Portrait with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Posted on February 27, 2017November 21, 2017 by Dan Tabata

This tutorial will walk you through the steps that I take to create vector portraits using Photoshop to prepare a source/guide image and Illustrator to draw the final artwork. Continue reading “How to Create a Vector Portrait with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop” →