Set of teenager characters

Here is some random grayscale teenager characters I recently illustrated for a school book project. It's challenging enough to stick to the thin line between realistic and caricature style. Not to mention keeping that up in different characters.

Sketches of the Top Dog character

One of my very recent works was to illustrate a schoolbook of English language. For the book I needed to design a dog character called the Top Dog. I just ran into the very very first sketches of the Top Dog when I was cleaning up my desk. It was a bit awkward to see again how stiff and clumsy the character was in the start.


... now I'm happy, that back then I had some time to be unhappy with it...


Trying to achieve street credibility with the pose. It's funny how far one can lean back and still look quite natural. Even though the pose is apparently resisting gravitational force. I also tried a pair of teeth, but obviously didn't see them work. Too cruel for teenagers, maybe.


Not so surpricingly the character is also a skateboarder. That if something calls for a dynamic pose. That spray can wasn't allowed... "I'm a vandal dog". A marker pen wasn't that dangerous.


The finished character can be checked out on my illustration portfolio (set 1, set 2).

Swedish ice hockey team U20 world champion 2012, and a new villain

I do follow ice hockey every now and then. Ice hockey U20 world championship tournament 2012 that ended couple of days ago in Canada, was such an occasion. At some point of the tournament it all seemed quite promising for the Finnish team, but in the end our boys got to come home empty handed, without medals... thanks to Canadian and Swedish teams that turned out to be too much.

Swedish team ended up taking the gold medal, which really was about time for them, because their previous gold was 31 years ago. Which is pretty long time for such a strong ice hockey country. Congratulations for the world championship Sweden!!! You really earned it.

The gold was not a lucky shot for Sweden, because Swedish team took it with such a confident and showy style. First before the semi-final against Finland they announced in a Swedish paper (have a look) that they are going to break Finns like a hockey stick ("Så KNÄCKER vi Finland")... And that's what happened. Then before the final against the Russians they announced in the same paper (have a look) that they are going to break the Russians like a wooden doll ("Så krossar vi Ryssland")... And that's what happened.

So, in addition to Swedish hockey gold the world may celebrate also a birth of a new villain. Out of this Swedish hockey bluster will arise a frightful KNÄCKER-BOY. All the hockey sticks of the world, wooden dolls, good guys and the superheroes of the universe you should shiver in fear, because the KNÄCKER-BOY is here.



The KNÄCKER-BOY sneaks in the darkest corners of ice hockey arenas lurking for the next catch. And when we least expect it, it will pop out and KNÄCKER (break) showing no mercy.

Don't ever tell me I didn't warn you!