New Schedule

So, I have storyboarding and digital illustration, which I suppose I should be thankful for. I really want to take the digital class, but I am not convinced storyboarding will be a good fit. I have talked to Tom (Herzberg) and he thinks I'll do fine; I just don't want to be frustrated and restrained. No great portfolio pieces came out of this year.

I am super pumped for art history and art and activism, though. Both seem awesome and I think it will provide a new perspective on art for me.

There is a 3 hour break on tuesdays and thursdays, though and a 2 hour break mondays and wednesdays. I hate that, but Tom said I could paint and draw in his room if there's an open desk.

UTNE Editorial Illustration

This is a mock illustration for UTNE Magazine entitled, "The Dangers of Dairies."I based this concept on the idea of fusion; I wanted the interviewee, Gustavo, to fuse into the cow. According to the article, he was kicked by a cow and was deeply injured. Because he is an immigrant, he could not afford the best medical attention, and now the plate that the doctor secured in his skull is slipping. He experiences constant agony and is marred by the damage left by the cow. He says if he was legal, he would never spend another hour in the dairy.

I have had many challenges with this piece, (which is currently still incomplete) but am working them out as I go. I do prefer the black and white version best so I will continue to work with that copy.

Face Study

9x12 

Watercolor and Colored Pencil

New BC Ideas

Truckin' Along

New Ideas

Bill and Rahm

Unfinished (watercolor and colored pencil)

kinda goofy. first political cartoon and assignment focused on achieving likeness.

T-Shirt Idea

Just an idea. I would want the snake to look like it's wrapping around the body. 

Purchasing Art

After 3 years of developing my website, I have only just now set up PayPal on the damn thing.

So, you now have the capability to purchase directly from the site without needing to contact me at all (which, is actually something I don't like, but I guess that's how it goes). I have also lowered prices on most all my prints. They now mostly range from $20-$50. Tough times call for tough measures (how cliche, but true).

So! Peruse to your heart's content. Any piece that has a link as a price can be purchased. Otherwise it's sold or not for sale.

$40 per print

The Birds

So, I have now added my little crows. I have one more to render on the bottom, which is holding a lily. I am avoiding the body, because I am not fully satisfied with the form I already drew. I will be focusing on the lesser elements first. (flowers, birds, feathers)

Hour 21

Well, I added part of the body. Had to do it sometime...

Hour 26

Hour 28

Aries Ram Skull (Update)

So, I am about 11-12 hours in. I thought I would finally show a full view of what I have. It's still not much but it's something...

12 hours in

16 hours in

I have added a crow on the top right horn. I have a sketch of a flying crow at the bottom left. and I intend on adding another crow somewhere else....possibly sitting wings expanded on the top of the skull crown. maybe. maybe not. I have yet to draw in the flowers (roses or lilies)

Chuck Norris Can Suck It.

UGH! I hate this assignment:

Illustrate: Chuck Norris sleeps with a nightlight. Not because he's afraid of the dark , but because the dark is afraid of him.

I had such a cool idea of having Chuck coming out of the dark, his arms and feet disjointed from his body. Similar to the last piece I just finished, but with more limbs. But Rich wouldn't let me because he wanted me to use a background. So, I chose something diferrent. My piece is turning out quite horribly....

It's photo/drawing collage. I'll have to scan it to get rid of the the highlight...but yeah. Currently it's half-way done. I'm too miserable to do more.

Photographed:

Scanned:

And So It Begins.

As I said, I felt inspired to "go big or go home." So, now the piece I'm working on is 36" x 42" (3 x 3.5 ft). So it's pretty sizable and I need to either prop it up against the wall or work on the ground. 

I'm currently a little over 5 hours in and not much can be discerned yet, but I'll add a pic once I get more inked/shaded. 

It's Aries as a skull worn by a nude woman set in a charging position. I haven't decided what to do with the background yet--possibly hair flying, maybe wings, or perhaps a forest. I like all those ideas and I know how I want to render them (outline).


3 hours in...

5 hours in...

8 hours in...

Hi-Fructose: Caitlin Hackett

Ever since I've started reading Hi-Fructose mag, I've been totally inspired. I recently bought the 17th volume and inside was a female ink-artist whose style was similar to mine. I loved it!

Her name is Caitlin Hackett. She does absolutely STUNNING work such as: 

 

UH! I wanna do large inks like this.

2 Hour Color Study

This was just a quick color study for a commission I recently received. It's a nude figure in sheets using red and green. This study is in watercolor and colored pencil, but the final might just be watercolor based on the client's preference. I'll be using Sarah Pabis as a model when I focus on a particular pose.

New Painting (unfinished)

Blue and Rust Figure

Mixed Meduim on Clayboard

6x8 in

New painting of a female figure. It's watercolor, matte medium, and acrylic wash. I will most likely never finish it because I really don't care much for it. I needed to try something and went for it. And I'm happy I attempted what I wanted to do. My work is done here.

The Trump Tower

***
Well, I should be happy. Hell, I should be ecstatic! But instead I'm alone in my room seething about what will happen only hours from now.

Months ago my very close friend, Matt McTigue, offered me a chance to show my work at the Trump Tower downtown. His mother was hosting an event for abused and abandoned children, and she wanted to know if I could donate a piece for the fundraiser. Since I find fundraisers to be the most important and influential events, I immediately accepted.

Months ago I did not have a job or any other obligations whatsoever. I thought so little about needing to schedule around the event, or ensuring I'd be free, because I was free every single day of the weekend. No questions asked.

Months ago I had no idea I would never go to the event that I had banked on attending.

The event is tonight at 7pm. Where will I be? I'll be ushering guests around my beloved J. Alexander's restaurant. Meeting, greeting, seating 'til 10:30 tonight. I love working for my restaurant. I think the establishment is the most respectable place I have ever worked for. I think they are fair, considerate, and level-headed. So then why am I so mad?

I am disgusted with myself that I did not plan accordingly for tonight. It is my fault, and now I must suffer through this god-forsaken evening smiling and prancing around like I am nothing more than a vessel bringing hungry diners to their meals. I hate myself right now.

The Grey Man

11x17

Mixed Media

sketchbook

So, because of a friend (Matt K.) who is always online looking at cool artsy stuff, I found out about The Sketchbook Project hosted by Moleskine Journal. It's pretty cool. You send $45 to them and they mail you a blank 50 page moleskine for you to fill out by Jan 15th. When you send it back, they take it around the country and make a digital copy for online viewing. It's a great opportunity for a young, aspiring artist, like myself!

The theme I chose to illustrate is "Boys and Girls," which is kinda general, so I wanted to focus on one aspect of youth: nightmares. So, that's what my drawing will be of! Kids crying and monstery-nightmarish stuff.

in regards to the poll:

"Hiding"

"Octopus"

Bahaha!

Yes. This is a pear. I painted it in Photoshop! This was my first painting I've done, which must be apparent...but I had fun. It only took me AN HOUR AND A HALF! (That's sarcasm. This should have taken 30 mins.)

Oh well, Practice makes perfect.

I've Got My Eye on You

Just finished this...oh....um.....8 minutes ago.

Keeping Your Attention

How do I keep my viewers' attention? The average time span looking at art is 3 seconds. I want people spending at least half a minute admiring my work. But, why would they (you) if I don't give them (you) a reason?

My idea is this: Make art that requires the viewer to find the subject. In other words, hide my subject in a mess of "environment." If someone can't figure out what they are looking at right away, they will need to search/contemplate what is actually shown for, hopefully, longer than 3 seconds.

It is important to me that people enjoy my art. My work is NOT just for me, and I don't think any artist paints, sculpts, draws, or builds PURELY for their own enjoyment; they want to share their work with others. So, therefore I want to make work that I and other people can both appreciate.

Sure...there are topics I like to draw that lots of people don't like to look at, and I will continue to do those types of drawings because I can't help but draw them. I need to get it out of my system. BUT I consider those pieces as "practice" for the real work that is universally enjoyed and accepted. That's the work that truly makes me happy.

Call me a sell-out. Call me whatever you want. But it is human nature to want to please others, so dislike me for being human, not for my reasons for drawing.

Hidden Creature (Incomplete)

14 x17

Ink (Micron)

So this is my newest piece that I'm working on. I haven't shown anyone (for the exception of one person) since I've gotten this far. Most everyone at school only saw the eyes. I really like the way this piece is coming along, yet, I'm getting a little bored with it. I still have the whole left side to complete, which could by interesting....maybe I'll add another bird head or something. 

But, it has taken me 17 hours already. I'm expecting at least another 8...... so, 25 hours? On this piece? To be honest, that may sound like a lot, but I went through this pretty quickly. I've spent 5 days consistently working on it. 

I hope it turns out well in the end. Give me another 2 days at least to finish it up. 

Okay....i finished it.

Donation

Homage to Gustav Klimt

8x8 inch

Mixed media

T Shirts? Or shoes?

My dad and I had a long conversation about beginning to put my work on clothes. Would people buy a shirt with, say, my octopus on it for $15? That's a random number; I'd have to research prices on getting shirts printed, but it is an interesting idea.....

Maybe I should get a poll of what work people would like to carry around with them on their backs, or chests, or hats, what have you. what about shoes? What if I put a cool design on vans or keds or converse? I would do special requests: someone buys the shoe (white or a light shade of whatever color they prefer) and I ink them. I like that idea best, but I have NO idea what kind of time that would take me.......what sort of price do you put on that?

meh....i dont know. I guess I'll have to contemplate these ideas more.

Self Portrait with the letter S

Many Academy students may be familiar with this assignment: make a self-portrait using text. I decided to use the letter "S" and the "(" sign for the majority of my face. It was my first experience using Adobe Illustrator, and I really enjoyed it.

For Rich

Jaguar Colored

Jaguar

9x12

Ink (Micron and Sharpie)

This is the final I came up with. I am pleased with it, but not overwhelmingly. I think everything I dislike is within the first drawing stages, which were out of my control due to the limitations of the photograph. It is the best it can be at this point.