The J Stands for...Awesome!

Optional Backdrop

2012-02-10T22:55:00.000-08:00

I may or may not use this as a backdrop for a collaboration tee-design I'm working on. I drew it based on the dimensions and spacing of the linework my collaborator, looking from screen to paper. I'm not sure if they'll line up right, but I'm sure I can make it work.

More to come on this one soon.

Cheers,

Produce Puns #5: Eggplant

2012-02-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

Need I say more?

Cheers,

I Made a Tumblr

2012-02-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to making a tumblr for my Threadless and personal work (plus whatever else you do on tumblr. You can find the link here, and it is also located on the sidebar to the right. I'm going to try to update it as often as I can, but we'll see how that goes...

From Darkness Bursts Inspiration

2012-02-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

This one is for the 'Threadless Loves You' contest, a competition that's centered around you (whatever that might entail). This one is a metaphor for the inception of creativity, where it comes from. Often, a person can draw inspiration of creativity from a dark experience or wearing trial, what, at the time, might seem the last place you'd draw from. Many a time in my life have I put on paper what I'm going through, either in word or line, trying to find the reason it's happening or what its purpose will ultimately serve.

I initially went with a very toned down color palette for this one until I realized that this contest was supposed to reflect what I'm like (or, at least, what I enjoy in a tee design). I love designs that push the boundaries aesthetically: vibrant colors that bring an original vision to life.

I'm not sure if I achieved a high level of originality (or what I achieved with this one at all), but it's refreshing to try something different; to push yourself to create something that is outside the norm of what you usually do. Try it; I can tell you that you won't regret it.

I'll post a link to the scoring page as soon as this goes up.

Cheers,

Produce Puns #4: Cauliflower

2012-02-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Flowers almost always are tied to hippies somehow. I'm fairly sure it's their calling card (besides the even more obvious 'peace-sign'). This one, therefore, was a no-brainer.

Cheers,

Produce Puns #4: Fennel Bulb

2012-02-06T23:53:00.001-08:00

Not everyone knows what Venn diagram is. Find out what it is here. I asked some of my family and friends, and they'd either forgotten or hadn't come across it.

It's not a huge deal. I'm the one who needs to remember from the pun anyway.

Cheers,

Produce Puns #3: Turnip

2012-02-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

I was trying to think up a pun for Turnip using either the word 'turn' or 'nip'.

They my grandpa was like "What about 'Turn Hips'?"

This is what came of it.

Cheers,

WIP Logo

2012-02-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

This is an unfinished logo for the smoked-meats department of the store I work at. I'll update with another post once I finish it.

Produce Puns #2: Red Delicious/Jonagold

2012-02-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

Red Delicious, as in 'red' = 'read', which results in a smart, bookie-looking character. Jonagold: couldn't find a great pun for that one (I'm saving the 'gold' pun for Golden Delicious), but it kinda sounds like something a minstrel might be called.

Eeh.

Cheers,

Produce Puns #1: Parsnip/Rutabaga

2012-02-02T23:48:00.000-08:00

I'm making some cards at work to help me memorize produce UPC codes for work. I've memorized enough to remain somewhat functional while checking customers groceries, but I still don't know a good many of them, and I cause enough problems at work as it is. Be prepared to see MANY of these little doodles in the future.

I'm going to try to come up with as many puns for these as I can. Don't expect too much of me. The pun for this one is supposed to be Par (as in golf) for Parsnip and Root (as in Cheer!) for Rutabaga. I know it's not great, but it's what worked in the hour or so it took me to draw these fellas.

Who knows? Maybe I'll figure out a way to make some 'lettuce' off these drawings. GEDDIT?

Cheers,

Rotate-o-matic!

2012-02-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Another work sketch. Nothing profound or thought-provoking, but I found it to be very interesting when you turned this 'lovely mountain-forest scene' upside down. What does it look like to you?

Regular:

Reversed version:

Cheers,

Crossing Over: Beginning Stages

2012-01-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

These are the first stages of a collaboration I'm working on with a fellow Threadless-er. It's a rather complicated concept, but it will make sense in time. In the meantime, enjoy watching it unfold piece by piece.

I'm trying to develop a few different styles, and this is one of them.

It's quite fun to switch it up a bit once in a while (in my case for the first time).

Cheers,

The Woman

2012-01-28T23:10:00.000-08:00

Another sketchbook re-work.

Don't ask me what it means.

Cheers,

Shmowzow!

2012-01-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

This is a more realistic version of Finn and Jake from the show Adventure Time, courtesy my sketchbook. I added some splashes of their telltale bright colors just to detract from the seriousness of it all.

Cheers,

The Hunter of Souls

2012-01-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Another touch-up of a work sketch. All I had planned when I started this was to have a hunter of some kind with a wolf head for a hood and to have the guy standing in a stream. The rest just came about as I worked. Figured I'd throw in a scary-but-campy title just for fun. Ooogly boogly.

Cheers,

Portrait: Gotye

2012-01-24T23:25:00.000-08:00

This is a portrait of Australian singer/songwriter Gotye. I was trying to do something 'artistic' with this one at first (since his music is often times unconventional/artsy/fun) but decided against it; it detracted from the actual likeness.

This one (the linework anyway) was done in a very short span of time (about 10 minutes tops) with a fine-tip Sharpie marker (no pencil before). Some of my friends insisted that I try to pursue a bit more caricature-inspired style when I first began to develop my art, but I decided against it. This is a bit of a return to that type of style. I'll probably do more of these over the course of the upcoming year, for this was great practice for staying focused while having no go-backs (as is easy with pencilwork).

Cheers,

p.s. Here's a taste of what he sounds like, in case you've never heard his music.

Here, Birdie Birdie Birdie...

2012-01-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

Exotic, non-existent bird I drew at work.

That is all.

Cheers,

The IT Crowd

2012-01-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

This is a fan-art piece for the British sitcom, The IT Crowd, which is probably the funniest sitcom I've ever seen. It blows anything (current) from America out of the water: it is quite silly, but it's loads funnier than having to rely on fishing for jokes using stupid/crude/overused subject matter (which is what (most) American comedy has devolved to).

I'll probably post more fan-art pieces in the future. This one was oodles of fun.

Cheers,

All the Beautiful Things

2012-01-20T22:55:00.000-08:00

Quick one today: this is another portrait based off Eels lead singer, Mark Oliver Everett. It's also another rework of a sketchbook drawing (added color, background texture, etc).

Lyrics used © Mark Oliver Everett

Cheers,

Fear of the Outer Reaches

2012-01-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Posting two today to make up for yesterday.

I've just stumbled upon really messing around with blending modes in Photoshop, and oh man: are they fun! The people who have seen the original of this will likey enjoy seeing the finished product. I'll upload the original later.

This was supposed to be a 'ghost in space' type character, but some of my friends say it reminds them of the Space Kook baddie from Scooby Doo, found here.

Either way, it was super fun to do.

Cheers,

In Our Hands

2012-01-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

This is a retouched work doodle. In the original, it didn't have quite the 'glowy' effect I wanted it to have. This piece can take on the double meaning of 'its our job to make sure the planet doesn't dissolve into chaos (climate change, war, etc)), but it doesn't have to. You can just enjoy it for art.

Cheers,

Playin' the Deep Blues

2012-01-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

This was one that I did for 'Threadwars', a community challenge on Threadless where you battle against another artist (in a round with a common theme), design against design. The theme with this one was 'Aquatic'. This was my final round (as I went up against a well known and respected artist on Threadless), but it was all in good fun, and I really did enjoy making this one. All the details may seem like they took a while to pump out, but this went surprisingly fast (faster than usual anyway).

Who knows? I may redo this one in the future (since it was so much fun to do).

Cheers,

Peach Fuzz

2012-01-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

This is a collab between myself and Threadless personality Jake Friedman. I'm remaking his design, 'Peach Fuzz', which can be seen my clicking here.

My 'remake' of his design should go up for scoring, on Threadless, in a day or two. Be sure to vote for it below!

Cheers,

Breaking of the Bat

2012-01-14T20:27:00.001-08:00

This is something I drew after the first official trailer for 'The Dark Knight Rises' debuted. It's revealed in the trailer that there will be a lot of physicality in the fighting (confirming what director Christopher Nolan had said on the matter) and that, at some point, Bruce Wayne will be brought to the point of being unmasked, a feat only possible if overpowered in a fight.

It's unclear as to whether or not the iconic 'breaking of the Bat' will be featured in the film (Bane breaking Wayne's back over his leg), but it certainly would add more depth to the story (a story which is shaping up to be deeper and more complex that both of Nolan's previous Caped Crusader films).

This art piece signifies the strong symbol of Batman (which, to most criminals means unrelenting justice) being broken and shown to be mortal after all. There are other fan-art pieces that have drawn on this same idea, but I figured I could put a bit of my own spin on it.

Cheers,

The Void

2012-01-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

I'm going to perfect this idea for a tee design (eventually). It's a metaphor about the effect 'the unknown' has on our subconscious/everyday-lives. The head part is meant to be less colored, but I did this on a lunch break at work a while ago and wanted to fill up the time with coloring. When this is reworked in the future, the monotone 'head' will signify the routine of the mundane, and the swirling, black-hole abyss, sucking in light and color, signifies how fear of 'the unknown' can lead to eventual structural implosion of the mind (this would have to do more with the mentally-unstable, but we see shadows of it every day in life (worry, worry, worry...)).

Cheers,

Borrowing Casualties

2012-01-12T23:42:00.000-08:00

I guess I'll be posting more from last year, because I've been running into some unexpected gatherings/get-togethers on my days off. I usually spend my free days working on art-pieces, but I've been hanging with friends/family recently.

It's weird but nice. But weird.

This one was a collaboration between a close friend and I: he had most of the concept, and I did all of the 'manual labor'. I tweaked it a bit since it was originally in my sketchbook: added a yellow background, changed the colors/sharpness a bit.

He, per my request, named the piece: its title is 'Borrowing Casualties', case you're interested.

Cheers,

Look Behind You!

2012-01-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

This is yet another safety from last year, which is disappointing because that means I've only got one left, and I had the day off today: plenty of time to finish a piece.

I almost got one done, but never in time to meet the deadline. I'm gonna have to up my game from now on.

Cheers,

The Portrait

2012-01-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

This is a two-parter since I missed posting yesterday. There's a poem that goes with this one anyway, so that can be make-up for yesterday. This is a self portrait of sorts: not directly representative in appearance, more metaphorical that anything.

The Portrait

Inside the cavity of the mind,

a wall; empty, and collecting time,

save for a solitary vision of mine;

captured.

A face: worn and stricken by strife,

with eyes that have seen more than should been seen in a life;

beacons of wisdom, keen as a knife...

yet...growing dull.

Color: bright and all around;

blue, the shade that floats above the ground,

commanding all to be joyful, proud:

never once peering to see within.

For why the facade of happiness,

when inside endless seas, never at rest:

aching, breaking, cold as death,

whose fingers are never far.

Still...the smallest conflagrations flick,

borne on wisps of frigid wind; thick,

like precious stronghold doors, which,

when locked, provide hope.

These: the smallest lights in crowded dark...

is there worth in searching for the distinctive mark

they leave upon even the blackest of hearts?

Perhaps.

Tell me: what is a man without, at least, a glimmer

of some bright promise, though made in Winter,

will cease his frame from becoming any thinner

than the lamppost that it is.

For inside every man there is flicker; a flame,

despite its size, can warm his core, however lame

it feels to his name: HIS core it will remain,

and his choice of what to make of it.

A verdict set; the face was and always will be mine,

whether young as child or cragged as the miser with his glass of wine,

bleary but coherent as the tower's chime,

sounding its purpose.

What will be forged with the seconds that remain intact

is a choice that lies with me, either at my worst or at my best,

it is still my choice at that.

I only pray I do not waste it.

Must-Dash!

2012-01-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

This is a concept from a friend. He's come to the conclusion that he's an idea person, and we came to an agreement that we'd start to collaborate on some of his ideas (he being the brain, I being the hands).

This was our first fleshed out idea:

It's a picture based on the mustaches but in the form of the pun 'Must-Dash'. His idea was of a mustache running, saying the phrase, in garb of sweatband, running-shoes, and shades. It quickly went places from there: he giving art direction, I complying on paper.

This is the result of our first brainstorm session. I thought it turned out quite well.

(More explanation to be updated.)

Initial sketch:

First draft:

Second draft:

Cheers,

Maiden's Hair

2012-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

This is another one from last year. I had plans to post a '2012' picture, but the simple sketch I set out to do turned into a full fledged design, so that'll make it's debut sometime next week.

This one was inspired by a nature-walk I took with a friend. I was intrigued by how much she was entranced by nature, but when actually stopped to take it in myself, I realized that her wonder/enjoyment of nature isn't really that unwarranted. There is so much beauty in nature: you just have to stop and look at it.

She introduced me to a specific type of fern known as 'Maidenhair'. You can view a sample of it here. What I particularly enjoyed was looking at the underside of the leaves. All the seedpods rest there, and with the sun shining down on top of the leaves, giving them an almost translucent effect...it's really quite something. I definitely recommend you try it sometime.

We discussed the possibility of an art piece arising from our conversation, and this is what came of it.

Cheers,

Architecture of a Dream

2012-01-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

I'm short on time tonight, so I'll post one from last year that never made it to the blog. I have a few more, and may do the same with those (post them on a night when I'm on a schedule).

This is an homage to Christopher Nolan's brilliant film, INCEPTION. If you haven't seen it yet...where have you been?

I designed for Threadless, and they picked it up for a limited, 1-week run on a shirt-line they call DTG (direct to garment). It's a different printing method, and while most DTG's I've purchased are a 'lesser' quality, the quality of mine I was very satisfied with.

Anyway, you can view the original design submission after the picture. You can find your way to the product page for there.

Cheers,

'Top 25 Threadless Scores of 2012' Logo

2012-01-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

My cool thing for today is a bit of a collaboration. It's the banner for the "Top 25 Scores of 2012" on Threadless, and it's a redone version of last year's. I made the template for 2011's top scoring tee (Budi Satria Kwan's brilliant design, "Just Like Honey" (view it here)). I also changed the numbers on the years and gave it my special design tweaks (small though they may be).

You can visit the blog by clicking here.

Cheers,

MAGIC MAN!!!!

2012-01-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

If you have never seen an episode of Adventure Time, stop whatever it is you're doing and go do so. I don't care how you have to get a hold of some. It's by far the most original, silly, awesome, quality cartoon show out there right now.

This is probably my favorite 'limited' character (he's only appeared in a couple episodes). His name is Magic Man, and (spoiler alert) he's a jerk. I love him for it, though.

To reiterate, GO WATCH ADVENTURE TIME. You will not regret it.

Character © Pendelton Ward

Here's a clip of Magic Man silliness:

Shmowzow!

The Ordinary Timing of Lilac Blood Dynamite

2012-01-03T23:16:00.000-08:00

This one is based from the face of Mark Oliver Everett, the lead singer of the band Eels, one of my favorites. I nearly went blind doing this one, so I hope it turned okay. I'd hate for the last art piece I ever did before going blind to be anything less than quality. The title is based off a myriad of songs from Hombre Lobo, my favorite Eels record to date.

I tried to go crazy with this one.

Hope it worked.

Cheers,

Travel Well, My Friend

2012-01-02T23:02:00.001-08:00

This one came about by me just wanting to do something fun and different. I've been working on line strength: some lines thicker and darker, some thin and detailed. This was my first attempt, and I must say I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

The phrase tattooed across the man's stomach is the best translation I could find of 'Travel Well, My Friend". This character, I guess, is meant to be a world traveler, tattooing himself every time he visits a new place. It was certainly fun to do.

Not promising that all the Project pieces will be this detailed or fleshed out (pun intended), but I'll certainly try.

Cheers,

The 'Something Cool Every Day for 1 Year' Project

2012-01-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

I've been really lax about getting material out there into the world and it has to stop...and by stop, I guess I mean 'start back up again'. There were many people on Threadless who did this last year and have done this for however many years before that, so I figured 'Hey. Why not me?'

So, from this, January 1, I'm going to try with my utmost ability to create 'something cool' every day for a year.

Guidelines:

- Post something new every day

- If a day is skipped, or I was not near a scanner/computer for a few days/week, the next post should include the amount of days missed

- Cool Things can be almost anything that can be uploaded to the internet: photos, poems, songs, art-pieces, sketches, etc

I will be creating a Tumblr for this (and my future art projects), and a link to that should appear in a future post (and eventually on the link sidebar to the right).

For the first cool thing, I decided to create a logo to signify that the piece of 'art' in question belongs to this project. It's not actually that creative or cool, but it, in a way, signifies the hurtles and obstacles I'll need to overcome to meet this goal (for I know this WILL be difficult).

In my defense (for the lack of creativity), I had the worst headache of my entire life (so far) last night, December 31, which makes me want all the more to leave 2011 to the wind.

I WILL see you tomorrow, and, hopefully, all 366 days this leap year.

I hope this song doesn't become the theme to 2012, although I do love it so.

Here we go.

Refrains from The Deep

2011-11-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

I'll update with an explanation later. I'm tight for time right now.

Template:

Cheers,

Freakshow

2011-11-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Again, this is out of sequence. I really should update the blog more often (I've got about 3 or 4 pictures backlogged).

This one was for the Threadless Loves 'Your Favorite Tee' competition: a contest in which the objective is to design a t-shirt you'd wear 7 days in a row...with a grand prize, if deemed the winner, of $10,000. That's a loddadough, people.

So...for this one, I tried to fit everything I like in a tee...onto a tee. I like tees that have a large print/good joke/design that makes people look at it for more than a fleeting glance. I tried to capture that with this one. Not sure if I succeeded, and I doubt this will win the contest, but...you never know. It was fun to do anyway.

Hope you like it.

Template:

Cheers,

The Gift of Knowledge

2011-10-07T19:15:00.000-07:00

Again, this is out of sequence in the order I've been putting out work, but I had to get this one in before the others. It's for a Threadless challenge called 'The Perfect Gift': the challenge is to design something around that phrase. I kinda went outside the box a bit with this one, but I guess that's good, right?

I had this idea sketched out a while ago (before this contest was announced). It had been floating around in my sketch folder for a few weeks, not going anywhere. There were many different versions (lots of erasing and reworks) and nothing seemed to work right. It didn't have any direction until I read the words 'The Perfect Gift'. What is the greatest gift you can give to anyone, something that your child or your friends or even a stranger could all enjoy and benefit from?
That's when it hit me: knowledge. It might be a little bit out of the box (in terms of a gift), but I believe the best gift you can give to someone is information that will help them in the long run. Whether it's educating your child about the Facts of Life, or comparing notes you took in a college course with your study group, or telling a stranger on the bus what time it is, knowledge of information is what we all need and can use in everyday application.

I'm going to try to keep updates as frequent as I can. Thanks for bearing with me.

Templates:

Vote for it soon here!

Cheers,

Neither Can Live While the Other Survives

2011-10-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the huge gap in between posts. I've kinda fallen out of touch with posting work. I've had quite a few new ones I've finished but that I haven't posted here. I promise to post them soon.

I've been working on this one for a couple months now, and it's finally ready to be released. This is a collaboration between myself and Victor Maury (aka Moulin Bleu). You can check out his Threadless work here. He came to me with this idea and the initial linework and asked me to do the color work for it.

I'm really happy with the result. It took a while to get the finished product (probably longer than any other piece I've ever worked one.

Vic and I are trying to get some promotion tools rolling, so this won't go up for scoring on Threadless for another week or so. I'll post a link here to where you can score it once it's approved.

Hope this was worth the wait. I'll have more updates soon.

Harry (front print):

Voldemort (back print):

Templates:

Vote for it here:

Expecto Patronum.

Daily Sketch #1

2011-08-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do 1 pen sketch per day (for as long a period of time as I can). I've found I need to challenge myself in my art more: I'm getting stuck drawing the same sorts of things, so...I'll be trying to draw different things: different angles, different subject matter, etc.

Most of these will probably be work sketches (on my break), and will therefore be pretty rudimentary (and not very touched up). With this first one, I've decided to 'doll-up' a little bit, as a starting-point treat (I guess). I'm going to try to post these as often as I can, along with other works that I finish (either personal or for Threadless). I've got a few backed up that I haven't posted yet, so expect some more in the near, near future (hopefully).

This one doesn't really have any origin. It's partially based off of a friend, and, as I said before, was done on a 10-minute break at work.

Stay tuned!

Cheers,

There's Always a Siren...

2011-07-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is one that I've had 'finished' for awhile but hadn't yet posted. I worked quite a bit on it, messing around with colors, lighting, and composition. It's pretty self explanatory, but it was different subject matter than what I usually do (aside from them being 'people'), and it was challenging (but fun) to work on it.

Can you guess the reference in the title?

Shirt/Hoodie Templates:

Vote for it here!

Blub, blub, blub.

Wherever the Road May Take Me

2011-06-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

This was an idea I had at the beginning of the Travel III contest when Threadless first announced it. I didn't know how it would look, I didn't know how I would color it, and I most certainly didn't know if it'd ever come to fruition. The only part of the idea I had was to draw the world's most hardcore backpacker...and all the equipment that he takes with him. This one definitely went through a lot of changes in the couple of days I took to draw it, but I'm pleased with the end result, and, luckily, I was able to finish it in time (with a week before deadline).

I haven't been drawing as frequently. I'm going to try to change that. Hope this one was worth the wait.

Details:

Shirt template:

Come back soon to give it your score!

Cheers,

Cold Air Balloon

2011-05-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

This is a collaboration between myself and fellow artist Jonah Block (a.k.a. biotwist on Threadless). It was a great experience to work with someone else's idea: it gave me a bit of a break from my mind...which can be a bit of a ball and chain sometimes. We'll see how it does. I initially started out with 8 colors (more of less), but, with Johan's help, knocked it down to 3-5, depending on what you define as an 'individual' color.

I'm not sure which I prefer better: I liked using more colors, but the simpler version seems to work better on a shirt. I'll let you be the judge.

Less Color:

More Color:

Shirt templates:

Brrr...I'm ready for summer.

Original Design Submission:

Big, Big News

2011-05-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know if all of you who follow this blog have heard, but one of my designs was chosen on Threadless.com and is now avaliable for sale! You can get the shirt, of 'Been There...', right here.

Original design submission:

Also, if you'd like, I just enabled my work for sale on Society 6, an awesome place to find one-of-a-kind art prints and more.

You can get an art print of 'Been There...' here.

Have a great day.

The Wilson's Antique Vase

2011-04-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

I tried putting this one on a shirt, but I don't think it looked quite right. Maybe sometime in the future...maybe. It was supposed to be for a "Characters" challenge, but I didn't know how many people would get what was going on by just looking at it.

It's supposed to embody this upper-class, rich, mind-mannered family who purchase an antique vase, not knowing that it is actually cursed to devour anyone who tries to claim ownership of it. This is just the scene were they all get (vigorously) eaten.

A bit of a silly concept, I know, but...oh, well.

Cheers,

The Big Picture

2011-04-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

This one came out of just doodling around. I wanted to do something with picture frames, so I started on that. I thought there should be some people admiring the art, so in they went. Then...I got stuck. I couldn't think of what to put in the frames. What would captivate people of all ages? What would be of valuable importance to everyone?

And then it came to me: everyone is interested in the grand scheme of things, how their life began, what will come about, and how it will end. We are all interested in 'The Big Picture' of our lives: the learning, the yearning, the heartbreak, the triumphs. Thus, I decided to connect all of the pictures together, because, in some bizarre way or another, we are all connected.

It was great fun trying to artistically portray a galaxy/supernova/heavenly body. I had great fun with this one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Details:

Templates:

Cheers,

Original Design Submission:

Just Another Fantasy Story

2011-04-09T02:17:00.000-07:00

No story...just a 'fantasy-type' picture. Enjoy.

Details:

Shirt Template:

Cheers,

Rare Collector's Item

2011-04-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what to call this one, so the title (of both the picture and the post) may be subject to change. This one was for a challenge on Threadless to come up with a design inspired by 'Noir'. I've loved Noir for as long as I can remember, and wanted to pay tribute to it in my own unique way. A friend got me a Christmas present last yeah that got me in the mood for this one: a hard to find copy of Frank Miller's masterpiece, "Batman: Year One". It is truly a work of art. Together with David Mazzucchelli's perfect visual style and Frank Miller's perfect writing tone, it's a great human story that fits perfectly into the Batman universe. I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to The Caped Crusader, so pardon my obvious biased praise.

With the design, I figured a 'retro, collector's-dream-find' comic feel would fit nicely. It didn't turn out too bad, I think. Enjoy.

Details:

Shirt template:

Happy Findings.

Minstrels Get All the Fair Maidens

2011-03-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is just a play on the old phrase "Musicians Get All the Girls". I don't know: I thought it'd make a good picture if set back in medieval times. I think it turned out okay.

Details:

Cheers,

The Night Crooner

2011-03-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

I've seen this done before. I know it's not new...but it was fun to do it anyway. It didn't turn out exactly how I saw it in my head, but that's okay. Maybe you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

Some details:

Shirt template:

Cheers,

Group of Friends

2011-03-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

This was one that someone commissioned me to do back at the beginning of December 2010 and that I only recently finished. It's interesting to look back and see how my style has changed in the space of only a few months. I think submitting designs to Threadless (with the boundary of only 8 colors max) has taught me a lot.

Select (shirt) patterns found through Google Images

(I did not create indicated patterns).

Cheers,

Been There...

2011-02-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

I had this idea one day (way back in December), and thought "Hey, that might make a good picture." I'm not sure if I succeeded, but I'm thoroughly proud with how it turned out.

The idea had to do with an archeologist uncovering a most peculiar find in an ancient cave, left there as an homage to gods that had been so gracious as to visit the civilization personally: a mural, half painting, half carving, depicting the gods and their most magnificent chariot. Can you guess who they are? Granted, this particular history doesn't fit with the actual Back to the Future universe, but, say, if they made an animated TV show, this is likely somewhere the writers would take the characters.

Maybe you'll get it, maybe you won't, but I greatly enjoyed doing this one, and hey, I got to pay homage to two of my favorite icons from the 80's: Back to the Future and Indiana Jones (the archeologist morphed into him (as I thought he would while drawing it)).

Enjoy.

Details:

Templates:

Cheers,

Strawberry's Swing

2011-02-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

This will probably be my last iteration of this concept (for a while anyway), so I thought I'd do it up right. This one is, again, inspired by Coldplay's "Strawberry Swing", as you may have guessed just looking at it. A bit of a strange concept, but I enjoyed doing it. Maybe you'll enjoy looking at it. Who knows?

Details:

Templates:

Cheers,

The Chrome Colossus and The Fiery Fox

2011-02-15T23:34:00.001-08:00

Now you too can bear witness to the epic (and those of you who know me know that I use the word "epic" sparingly) struggle between "The Chrome Colossus" and "The Fiery Fox".

If you didn't get the wordplay, here's what's up: I wanted to do a picture to embody the ever petty argument between whether Firefox of Google Chrome is better. It's been like this ever since Chrome came out, and I'd like to settle the score (at least from my viewpoint). I, as do many of my friends, prefer Google Chrome. I've had some bad experiences with Firefox not doing what I wanted it to, and Chrome hasn't (months after it's implementation) let me down once. Another thing I like about it is the openness of the taskbar. There's much more room to surf: I don't like a lot of options hovering at the top of the screen. I'm a simple guy, so maybe that's why I like Chrome: it's easy to understand and isn't cluttered up. Is that a good enough explanation?

Whichever side of the fence you sit on, I hope you enjoy the picture. Pick whichever side you want to win in the pic: I don't care in the slightest.

Details:

Shirt Template:

Cheers,

Lady of Troubled Waters

2011-02-10T14:03:00.001-08:00

This one had no unique genesis: I wasn't planning on this one for awhile...I just started doodling, and this is what came out of it. I suppose she's a sort of 'Guardian' of the bipolar sea, and the skulls, then, represent souls lost to the unforgiving waters. Feel free to make up your own story to go along with it...I don't mind.

Enjoy.

Details:

Shirt template:

Safe sailing.

Bond...Savings Bond

2011-02-01T22:01:00.001-08:00

What a silly pun.

Cheers,

The Troll Under the Bridge

2011-01-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

Internet Trolling: it's happened to all of us.

I just wish I knew where this guy lived.

I'd be tempted to give him a piece of my mind.

Wallpaper (for those of you who asked for it)

Details:

Shirt Template:

Cheers,

Father Nature

2011-01-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Pretty much exactly what it sounds like.

Gray Option:

Details:

Templates:

Template photos © Threadless.com

Cheers,

Naturally Occurring Hadouken

2011-01-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

A silly tribute to Street Fighter...in a very abstract sorta way.

Comparison between opacity of details:

Cheers,

Poo Tee Weet?

2011-01-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year! Happy 2011 everyone! It seems so weird to be in a new year already. My folks always said that time flies by so quick, that they were my age yesterday. I'm finally starting to appreciate those words of wisdom fully.

I've been wanting to pay homage to the book "Slaughterhouse Five" for a long time. It's one of my favorites, but I could never come up with a composition that fully captured what I loved about it. I tried drawing the main characters over and over, but it never came out the way I wanted it to. So...

I decided to take a new approach. The famous last line of the book had always intrigued me, so I thought I'd make that my base. Next, I tried to think of a main event of the book. Since Vonnegut wrote it as an anti-war novel, I decided to incorporate the bombing of Dresden into the background. The author uses great words to describe how war causes so much loss (I won't disclose them...go read the book), and I wanted to draw something in that vein as well.

School's starting up again, so I'm not sure how frequent the posts will be from this point on (until the end of March anyway...I get my AA then. Yes!). I'll try to do at least one a week: that's my new goal.

Enjoy this new blessed year.

Some details:

Cheers,

Dwight K. Shrew

2010-12-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

Admittedly not the best pun.

You kinda have to be familiar with 'The Office' to get the joke.

Cheers,

Insect Argyle

2010-12-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

Exactly what it sounds like.

Cheers,

Renaissance

2010-12-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Back on track.

As a Phoenix is reborn from the ashes, so we too must sometimes pioneer a renaissance in times of adversity.

This is a tribute to everyone who's had to start over, make something good out of a bad situation, or has changed their life for the better.

Merry Christmas Eve.

Window of the World

2010-12-19T23:19:00.001-08:00

Again, out of sequence. This one was a remake of someone else's design on Threadless, as part of a community-based contest entitled, surprise surprise, Remake. It was really fun to do: different in terms of trying to rework someone else's actual piece while adding your own twist.

You can see the original picture here.

More up soon.

Cheers,

The Dance with Death

2010-12-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

These new ones I'll be posting are slightly out of sequence from the order they came into existence. You wouldn't know that, but now...well...you do.

This one was inspired by the old phrase "Dance with Death". I took it to be something literal (an actual 'dance'). While I was describing to my buddy how I was going to draw it, he said "You know...this reminds me of a poem by Oscar Wilde called 'The Harlot's House'". I'd never read it before, but after reading it, I must agree: it is very reminiscent of the poem.

Here's a link to the poetry for all of you who are as lazy as I am.

More to come soon.

Cheers,

Hang in There, Hogarth

2010-11-27T22:18:00.001-08:00

A long overdue tribute to one of the greatest films of my generation. And if you don't know the subject material, I suggest you get on that...RIGHT AWAY.

Cheers,

Literature Comes Alive

2010-11-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

This one has been a long time coming (and after looking at it, you'll know why). The idea behind this one (because, of course, you need some clarification) is of words coming to life when we read them. Some stories are so beautifully written that the words seem to jump off the page. In this picture, I wanted to convey what that would be like if a child was reading. Often times, a child has a different perspective on life or will take certain words a different way than, say, older people. In that sense, the way the picture is colored comes into play. Some of the areas are clearer than others. Some areas have a messy but somehow enchanting quality. In this way, I wanted to try to capture those moments of awe and wonder I had reading as a child. To this day, I find children's books (not many, but a select few) better than books written for adults. Maybe it's because the authors never really grew up and want to preserve that childlike quality. Maybe it's because I haven't grown up completely.

Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy this one. As always, you can take it however you want to: this could just be a cool picture to you (if indeed you DO think it's cool). I just thought I'd share the deeper meaning behind it.

And here's how it would go on a tee:

Cheers,

Nobody Touches Grandma

2010-11-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

Oh, look. Red Riding Hood...

I tried to do something different with the silhouette of the trees (instead of detailing the trees I used them as negative space.) I'll let you decide the story behind this one.

Cheers,

Oscar the Groucho

2010-11-08T13:36:00.001-08:00

Again, another pretty self explanatory one. I know this idea's been done before (having found this out by scouring the Internet after this one was done), but I still had fun doing it.

Cheers (literally),

Hair Fit for a Queen

2010-11-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

In a weird way, this one is self explanatory. I'll let you decide what was going through my head.

Final score: 2.76/5 (second highest)

Enjoy,

Welcome Aboard the H. P. Lovecraft

2010-10-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

This one is an (offhand) homage to H. P. Lovecraft (and an awesome coincidence that I'm posting it on Halloween). I was sitting one day, thinking of what an "H. P. Lovecraft" would look like, and this picture is the result. I tried to include as many 'monstery' things as I could. Not too much else to say. I know the colors might be weird, but this is what I envisioned. Hope you like it.

Final score: 2.37/5

Happy Late Halloween.

Lon Tregacy

2010-10-16T00:33:00.000-07:00

This was a design challenge for Threadless, and just by looking at the picture, you can guess what it's about. Tron Legacy: I can't wait. From the way that Disney has set up the plot and effects from the trailers, this movie is going to be amazing, especially in 3D, especially in IMAX 3D. That's all I really have to say about this one: it speaks for itself. The design process was experimental (as is often the case with my new pictures), but...well...I'll let you just look at it and shut up now.

Final score: 2.23/5

Cheers,

The (self-proclaimed) Pope

2010-10-05T15:47:00.001-07:00

First off, I mean no disrespect by this. I don't have anything against the Pope or Catholicism. This was just an idea that popped into my head. Well, actually, it came from one of my buddies at work. See, he was doing trash at the end of the day and had the garbage bags he hadn't done yet wrapped over his neck, like a robe/sash. So I said something like "Hey, you're like...the bag-man Pope." Then I thought, "That would make a good picture." We debated on what the final product should look like: he suggested I try to recreate the 'Pope-mobile' from a bum's perspective: shopping cart with plastic covering instead of raised backseat with bulletproof glass. You can find a picture of what I'm talking about here.

I ended up scrapping that idea. It seemed like it would take too long, so I opted for what I'm best at: drawing people. This is the end result. Hope you guys like it, and, again, I mean no disrespect by this.

Cheers,

You're Getting Warmer!

2010-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Global warming/climate change is always a relevant issue, whether it is actually happening at the rate the media says it is or not. Taking it in a less seriously light could help spread awareness: a tee with a message, however 'non-serious' it is. The idea was to have the planets be at a party, playing a party game, perhaps Marco Polo/Hotter, Colder.
The Earth is moving closer to the Sun, hence the title. This will probably go over people's heads without a speech bubble coming from the Sun, saying: "You're Getting Warmer!" But we'll see.

This only took about an hour and a half collectively from start to finish, fairly quick. I didn't do a lot of effects because it is for a t-shirt. Hope you like it.

Final score: 2.51/5

Cheers,

September 29, 2010: Arcade Fire, Live

2010-09-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post about the concert last night: it...was spectacular. I've never seen a show so well put together. Arcade Fire is truly one of the best acts in the biz and definitely one of the best acts in the world. They really do have universal appeal: I saw grandparents in their 60's, kids as young as 15, all nationalities...they are truly a band that transcends boundaries (both socially and musically).

The show was at Key Arena in Seattle (about 3 blocks from the Space Neddle), and it was packed (all the seats available anyway). I would guess about 2500 were there in total for the start of the main act (AF).

Amazing lights show, awesome screen graphics, talented musicians (they can play all of each others' instruments (and did for some songs))...it was great. More than great. Amazing.

I'll have the Arcade Fire "Bands" tribute up by the end of October. They are currently my favorite band.

BTW, here's what they played:

Set:

1. Ready to Start

2. Month of May

3. Keep the Car Running

4. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)

5. No Cars Go

6. Haiti

7. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

8. Modern Man

9. Rococo

10. The Suburbs

11. Ocean of Noise

12. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

13. We Used to Wait

14. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

15. Rebellion (Lies)

Encore:

16. Intervention

17. Wake Up

Most amazing show I've ever been to. I'll try to post soon.

Cheers,

From France with Affection

2010-09-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Okay. This one is probably the closest I've ever gotten to perfect translation (from brain-to-page anyway.) Everything I wanted in the picture came through exactly how I wanted it to. The only thing different from the original idea is that I used less colors than I wanted to, but I think the minimalism of color actually helped it: it kept the focus of the picture more on the art rather than the use of color.

The background picture was a real push too: I sat down and decided I was going to do a detailed line drawing. Forget proportions or whether the perspective was just right or what...it is just background after all. I finished it in about 90 minutes and depleted quite a bit of ink from my pen. It's probably been the most intensive drawing session I've ever been through: I was working fast and laying down lines constantly of that hour and a half. My hand is still a little stiff. Here's the entire picture:

Like I said, the perspective is a bit screwy, and the architecture is a bit flimsy looking, but again, it's just the back-piece. It's always fun to see a picture take form: that's another thing I have trouble with, seeing the final product I mean. When I draw something, it's often easy to see the problems with a picture, the first stages, and how it might take a miracle to make it look good. I can truly say with this one that it was not like that. I blazed through it, keeping my mind set on that final stage. It was very satisfying to know that I did have it in me after all. I suppose surprising yourself is a good thing (unless it's flipping the light on in the bathroom seeing yourself in the the mirror and screaming like a little girl about a serial killer in the house.) It, uhh, happened to a friend of mine...

The woman is inspired by Ellen Barkin. Her beauty just seems like it would fit in that 60's era quite well (bob-cut hair, apple cheeks, beautiful eyes, etc.) Maybe I have a misinformed picture of the 60's in my head: maybe I'm trying to focus on the part that was untarnished, the upper-class fashion part. I don't know.

Well, not sure when I'll have another one up. I've got one inked and ready to color, but I don't have a free day until the weekend, so we'll see. I'm going to see Arcade Fire in concert tomorrow, and that should be amazing. It's so hard to find good music any more (not too hard, but mainstream is so annoying sometimes). I'll probably have a 'Showcase of Bands' seg up for AF soon. I'm super exited to see them live.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good rest of your (work) week.

Final score: 2.07/5 (so much for the scores getting better each time I try. Oh, well.)

I also did a shirt with the 'Franceplosion' by itself: the final score on that one was 2.78/5 (highest so far).

Bonne nuit,

Mustache of Doom

2010-09-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

The theme this month for Threadless is Movember. Movember, you ask? Well, a link to their site can be found here. If you're too lazy to go there, here's the short of it: all November long, men (hopefully no women) across the world grow a mustache in support of mens health. Since not many people can grow an effective mustache, it's more of a conversation starter ("Dude, what is that thing on your lip?"). It's a word-of-mouth type cause: not many people know about it, but hopefully that will change. Any cause that uses facial hair to raise money for men's health research is fine with me.

With this one, I tried to come up with something that no one else would. This popped into my head one day, and I thought I'd experiment. It turned out okay, I think.

The theme is Indiana Jones type lore. With the statue, I wanted to convey that he was in agony (having people tread on his 'stache all day long), hence the strained expression and tear carvings coming from his eyes.

I don't have too much more to add about this one, just that I hope you enjoy.

Final score: 2.27/5

Cheers,

Montgomery Burns

2010-09-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

The last couple of posts have had a more 'serious' tone to them, so I think it's time to lighten it up. This is, again, another design for Threadless. I probably said this before, but I'll say it again: a lot (if not all) of my posts, for a while, will be designs for t-shirts. I know I can do it: I know I can get chosen. Doesn't matter if I have to come up with 79 designs first. I'm not going to give up...at least not until I have to do design 80. *crickets chirping*

This one has to do with "The Simpsons". Some of the people I know (mostly my family) don't like The Simpsons, but I think a big part of that might be that it's kind of a 'generational thing', 'generational' meaning they might think the humor a bit 'low-brow' or 'silly'; 'generational' also like 'The Twist' was to my grandparents and what leg warmers were to my parents. You can fill in the blanks from there.

From the title of this post, you can guess what it entails. It's a little unconventional, but, as I stated a few posts ago, unconventional is good. Go ahead. Quote me.

I tried to make the man look like a 'realistic' version of Smithers, to give it a more "Simpsons-y" vibe. It might take you a second to see it, and yes, it could be said that this isn't the best pun I've come up with, but...just give me this. I don't have much else. *again, crickets chirping*

Whether or not you like The Simpsons or not, I hope you enjoy the picture. And for those you who don't know The Simpsons that well, here's what I'm getting at: for a picture of Montgomery Burns, click here.

Final score: 2.22/5

Doh!

You Know When It's Love

2010-09-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

This is my latest entry for Threadless. I've always like the era of the 50's, and love is almost the best subject for a picture (don't deny it), so...no brainer? We all had that girl/boy that we had a crush on when we were young, that boy girl/boy we could never quite talk to without feeling awkward. I know childhood crushes rarely go anywhere, but I know a few people who had childhood sweethearts from a very young age, and they've been married 30+ years. In this day and age, they deserve a round of applause/applesauce.

I always try to incorporate a bit of humor in my work. Although the message of this one is "you know when it's love", love can be fun. It doesn't need to be serious ALL the time. When people become committed a significant other, it seems (and this is purely from observation) that after they get married and have kids, it's all about making it in the long run, making it work so to speak.

That is so...sad. If/when I ever/do marry, I vow to never leave a moment dull. Women seem to get bored easily, anyway (again, purely observation). I guess the most appropriate question to ask would be "why would you settle with a person that would 'get old' to you after a while?" Indeed, humans are strange animals. You'd think that functional vocal chords and emotions would make it easier. If only we lived in such a world.

Hope you like this one. I loved switching it up a bit with this one. I'm working on another one as we speak, so I should be able to get that out before school starts up again. After that, I can't promise regular posts. Oh, well.

Final score: 2.41/5

Cheers,

Fallen Legend

2010-08-31T00:38:00.000-07:00

Here's another Threadless entry. This picture of A. A. Milne's characters signifies something, but it doesn't need to be taken that way. If you look at this picture, and it gives you a laugh, that's alright with me. But I do have some behind-the-scenes to say about it.

It started out this way: I was just trying for a laugh. I thought this idea would bring a smile to someone's face somewhere, a parody if you will. But it evolved, as so many of my ideas seem to do. I found that this idea wasn't random: it's a metaphor. I loved the characters from the Hundred-Acre-Wood ever since I was a boy, and still enjoy the books and films from time to time. But that is my past...it was who I used to be. This picture signifies putting something to rest (a pastime, a memory, a grudge), something that, although you enjoy it, isn't really that important.

I have a hard time letting go. When something upsets me, I let it fester inside me until I explode. It could be because a great many things upset me. It could be that I put my trust in things and people that are bound to let me down. I don't quite know yet...but life is okay. It's steadfast enough to let you live most of the time, but also unpredictable enough to keep you asking why. The ride is fun, even though it is so difficult.

By putting something to rest that isn't essential, I'm teaching myself not to fall so easily, to look both ways before stepping into something I don't fully understand, to think before I act. It's a hard process...I let myself down every day.

But there are things that keep me going...they are far and few between, but they are there nonetheless.

Perhaps the words that best describe me are the lyrics to Keane's "He Used to Be a Lovely Boy." The words describe my situation perfectly: I need to stop following things that let me down, find a place that I can be safe from my past failings.

If you care to hear the actual song (and it is amazing), it's #99 on the playlist below (as of this post). I know that my ramblings might not make sense to any of you out there, but if you get one thing out of it, make it this: it's okay to make mistakes...but don't let them weigh you down. There is always a way out...you just need to take enough time to find it.

Final score: 2.40/5 (the scores are getting better every time I submit...hoorah?)

Cheers,

MEGAPOST #1

2010-08-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'll ever do this again (or at least not for a while), but here's a mega post. I've been busy lately, with work and other projects. For the past month, I've been slaving away trying to come up with interesting designs for Threadless.com. I recently discovered the site, and there is a link to it to the right of the page (follow the link to learn about prizes/payment/etc.) . Sorry I haven't posted these before now: like I said, I've been busy. But here they are, and I hope you enjoy.

#1. Reversal: the idea was to reverse how things are done. Instead of bombs raining down, destroying a landscape, I thought it would be interesting to have rain acting like bombs, restoring the landscape. Overall, people loved the design, but thought it a bit too busy for the eye. Final Score: 1.94/5

#2. Charles Schultz vs. M. C. Escher: Threadless has contests every few weeks or so, and the theme for this one was to pay homage to comics. I've always loved Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, and so decided to put a twist on the classic shirt that Charlie always seems to be wearing. Final Score: 2.02/5

#3. A Simple Seed: this was for another contest. The theme: MAXTOPIA, which is a combination of nature and technology. With this one, I drew a seed that was filled with tech, with sprouts in the shape of micro-chip workings. Final Score: 2.06/5

#4. I Pity the Fool Who Isn't Honest: This was a mashup of Mr. T's angsty style and Abraham Lincoln's demeanor. I wouldn't want to mess with him...would you. Unfortunately, this one wasn't getting enough votes, and the votes that did come in weren't good enough. Scoring ended early, after just one day. Final Score: 1.82/5

#5. Thought Transportation: This was a throwback to "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" but also a slap in the face to the phrase "Train of Thought". I'm tired of hearing that one way of thoughts to travel...why not a zeppelin of thought...or a camel of thought? Let your thoughts travel inventively...just...anything but a train. Final Score: 1.94/5

#6. Refined Caveman's Request: this idea popped into my head the other day. I'm not sure what I should title it. I used a font that says it's commercial free, but I'm not going to risk it. I emailed the creator of the font to see if I can use it. If not, I'll use another one. For now, enjoy the picture. Final score: 2.18/5

Model Photos Courtesy via Threadless.com

I suppose that's enough to keep you satisfied for now. I'll try to get more on soon. I'm working on projects for people that aren't getting done, and I'm feeling awful about it. Accordingly, I'm going to spend time working on those too and so may not post again for a while. Hope these were worth the wait.

Cheers,

"I Wish I'd Stayed...Too."

2010-08-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!

The world forgetting, by the world forgot.

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

- Alexander Pope

I just recently watched Eternal Sunshine again. I forgot how quirky and dysfunctional it was. That may be why I like it...I don't know. I can never forget the scene where it boils down to a choice that was made, a choice that was the beginning of the end, and, when contemplating a do-over, there's this line..."I wish I'd stayed...too." That's where this one is taking place: I thought about including that quote in the picture, but, as almost always, I messed around in Photoshop enough to make the picture take on a different feel than originally intended.

I don't necessarily recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: if you like conventional movies, you won't like it. I've grown so tired of conventional movies: same plot, same ending. Yes...unconventional is much more rewarding, when actual thought is put into a film, when the money is second thought and creativity is the main goal. Yes...unconventional is good.

Cheers,

Famous People Who Are Actually Kinda Cool # 5

2010-07-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

If you don't know who this is, I'm sorry. Go look him up. Just in case Late Night television doesn't work out, Conan could always keep touring his act around the globe. He might even make more money doing that that just letting the networks foist him around every which way. If he does decide to tour again, here's an idea for a tour poster. You saw it here first: all copyrights belong to me, but I'll gladly let them use this concept if they ask. I hope they do ask.

Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and, if life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.

A Showcase of Bands # 5

2010-07-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

No matter what they do, Yeah Yeah Yeahs never seen to get old to me. It could be Karen O's angst-y, crazy nature...it could be that Karen scored Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are" movie (and did a spectacular job I might add)...but it's probably because they sound...REAL. There's no auto-tune, there's no polished riffs: just plain music. I haven't actually followed them for that long (somewhere in between the releases of "Show Your Bones" and "It's Blitz"), but I've quickly picked up the slack. I hope to hear much more music from them in the future. And who knows...I may have some future Karen O inspired pictures in the future.

I'll try to have some more up soon.

Wait...they don't love you like I love you...

"Yo, Aid-wee-ann"

2010-07-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

I guess that this one was a bit of an update on an older picture too, but that's ok: it happens. This was, yet again, another one from work that was made using only pen. It's getting easier and easier to visualize where I want to go with the picture AND actually translating what's in my head without the use of pencil and, more importantly, erasers. It's not perfect: the proportions could be a bit off, but I'm happy with it. It's only the third big picture I've done without pencil that I can remember (well, that's probably not entirely accurate, but you get the picture), so the process is moving along swimmingly. I might not post again for a week or so (I'll be house sitting, working, and trying to hang out with a bunch of friends before they go either back to mounds of homework OR away to school many miles away (the nearest college is probably 2 hours drive away.) We'll see though. I've surprised myself before, but I suppose looking into the mirror early in the morning doesn't count.

Cheers,

Revisiting the Past

2010-07-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

I've always had this picture in my head, of how I'd like my life to be when I get older, when I've finally landed a career doing something that supplies enough money to fund my life. It's kinda stupid and will probably never happen, but it's nice to have dreams in mind to work toward.

I'd like to pursue music or art, but neither pays well unless you hit it big.

I'd like to live in the city for awhile, to see what it's like...I've always lived in a small town and have enjoyed going to the a big city.

I'd like to get in great physical shape, a road that I'm on but that will take a while.

I'd like, as you know from previous posts, to be able to grow a beard: if not that, at least some 5'o'clock shadow for cryin' out loud.

And...I'd like to find someone who appreciates me for who I am as a person, someone who'll respect and love me for me, not for what I can do, or, more importantly, what I can do for them. It seems like all my friendships are based around those things. And I'd like to change that, but, again, that's unlikely to happen.

I redrew the picture to see if my perception of my hopes and dreams would change at all, but not much has. I lost a lot of the random things: I've grown up and experienced a lot since the last picture: grown more...serious...about many things. And maybe, just maybe, in a few years, I'll update it again. Who knows? It's nice sometimes...to revisit the past...to see what's changed, but what's even more rewarding is to see that even after bumps, bruises, and backstabs...you can still stay true to yourself. I only hope I can retain that for the rest of my [insert adjective here] life.

P.S. If you look hard enough at the beacon on top of the Space Needle, you'll notice it's a different shape. Have a guess at what it is.

2008

2010

Background Image Courtesy via Google Images

Cheers,

Sad Robot Face

2010-07-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is an idea I have for a children's book. If all goes well, I'll have the illustrations done by the end of the summer, and maybe I can find some way to publish it. It won't be as colorful as the picture: this is just a tease for the upcoming project. I hope that someday I could do stuff like this for a living, but at the same time, I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I enjoy it and all, but it's got its costs. Drawing requires a lot of thinking about what to do next. I don't have an employer, so I constantly have to come up with ideas, and my brain has a complex for that sort of thing: I've got good ideas, but they fall apart quickly because I don't have the resources or the time to follow through on a lot of the ideas. That frustrates me more than anything: I just wish someone other than my family and friends would appreciate my hard work sometimes, but that might come through someday. And sometimes...I wish someone would appreciate me for me, not what I can do, because it feels like that's all I've ever been known for among people: what I can do. I guess I should quit moping now. Just know why there's gaps sometimes between posts. Here's the picture:

Cheers,

Abolishing Sugarcoated Vampires

2010-06-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Time to address this "Twilight" thing. I don't care if you like it or not, but I'm going to share my views and experiences on the matter. I read the first three. And to me, the plot didn't move forward at all. So I didn't bother to read the forth. And then this whole thing exploded where I live. You see, I'm from Port Angeles, and Forks is about a good 2 hour drive from where I'm based. So the majority of tourists now that come to my town are Twilight fans. I appreciate the flow of people: it might get this po-dunk town on the map...I'm just disappointed about the way it's getting the attention. I will say this though: when choosing Forks as a location for her books, Stephanie Meyer must have been selecting from a long list of locations. I see it this way: she closes her eyes, points to a random spot on the list, and thus Forks was chosen. But perhaps the thing I'm disappointed about is her description of Port Angeles (followed closely by her lack of writing skill...don't deny it...she uses about 100 descriptive words throughout the entire book...that's one per 1 1/2 pages). She obviously didn't visit these places before she wrote the book, because everything is off in a big way: the town, the locals, everything.

But I'm not here to judge you. I don't care it you like the books/movies. I'm just letting you know that I don't. I tried, oh, how I tried, but...it just didn't work out. And when this whole Twi-craze blows over, I'll be able to get a good nights rest.

By the way, I saw these people under a street lamp the other day driving home from work. It looked as though they'd just been dropped from they're jobs. I hope they find work somewhere, though I don't think it's likely.

Cheers,

Blark and Wit

2010-06-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

I've been into the whole "black and white" thing lately. I don't know why: it could be that coloring a picture takes a long time for me since I don't have the professional grade programs that most artists do. Just expect many more monochrome pictures in the future. This was just a random one that I sat down and drew. There isn't any meaning behind this one, just a lazy afternoon piece. It turned out a bit more complicated that was first intended, but to color it too would have taken me a few more hours than it did, so I'm grateful. Let me know what you think of it, by commenting here or on Facebook (the official group is located to the right.)

Dancer templates, wallpaper pattern, and floor tiling Courtesy via Google Images

Cheers,

"It's All In Your Head..."

2010-06-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

There was recently a video game that came out called "Alan Wake" (trailer here, info here), with the teaser that it was going to be something new: a "psychological thriller game". I'll let you find what it's about, but the themes borrow heavily from horror/thriller greats like Steven King. And one new mechanic that hasn't been in any other game so far is using light as a weapon. Again, you'll need to follow the link to read about the plot, but I found the notion to be very intriguing and was inspired by the early trailers that came out for the game. One of the ways of using light in the game is a flare (which provides a short, safe haven for Alan when he encounters multiple enemies or obstacles as you play through the game). Just watch the trailer (and even look at more on YouTube for commentary about it). This is a good one here. It looks really interesting to me, but it might not be to you.

On a side note, this was another one that I drew at work using only pen. Alan and the background faces I drew: the rest was Photoshop. More up soon.

Cheers,

A Barrage from the Past 17

2010-06-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

As I've done before, I took an older one and put some make up on it. Once upon a time, I liked Pirates of the Caribbean a lot, but they screwed the story over so much that it's just a novelty to me now (except the first one...that one will always be good.) Maybe they can redeem the franchise with the new one coming out in a few years. Anyway, one character I did enjoy from the last two was Davey Jones. His motion capture is done by the immensely talented Bill Nighy, and the performances he did with the character were great.

Here's the version I did around the time the second or third came out (I can't remember which), in 2007:

And here's the updated version (2010):

Cheers,

"I'm Just Passing Through..."

2010-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm proud of myself, and it's likely the first time. I started this one at work, on break, and didn't use any pencil. I've been listening to a lot of Thrice: look 'em up if you don't know who they are. The lyrical content is amazing, and the music varies enough to keep me coming back for more (their music can be anything from headbangingly heavy to slow and melodic to strange and experimental...I love it). The lead singer, Dustin Kensrue, has a great voice (one which I wish I could mimic), and his visual aesthetic is strong and enjoyable to flesh out. He has accomplished beard growing abilities, and wears flannel effectively, both of which I wish I could pull off (maybe one day). This one's kind of a step away from what I normally do. It was hard for me not to use color, but I felt it would be better as monochrome as possible. I'm learning how to incorporate new things into my work each time I sit down to finish a new picture, and it's great to try new things (like when I first had decent sushi...man, that stuff is delicious). Working more hours during the summer makes me even more tired than usual (plus staying up late and having more time to get out and do stuff with people too), but I'll another one up in a few days. Hope you like this one. I do.

P.S. Here's some Thrice for you to listen to. These are my favorites from them (as of right now):

Cheers,

Hurt

2010-06-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

This one's about connections. It's a harsh image of kindred spirits, but it's very emotional as well. It's Trent Reznor: the man behind Nine Inch Nails (and his new band How to Destroy Angels) and the big man himself: Johnny Cash. Both had amazing things going for them, and both got into hard drugs and slipped into depression. It took going down to the bottom for both to see they'd thrown everything away. Cash found his way before he died: he's singing with the angels now. Trent...he's still looking, trying to figure out what to call his own. I hope he finds it someday, I really do. The other thing they have in common is that they both did a song, but the order is off. You'd imagine that Trent loved Cash's work and covered one of his songs. But, if you've paid attention to either of the artists' careers, you'll know it was the exact opposite. Trent wrote a song, and it really spoke to Cash I suppose. Just give the song a listen, and you'll understand. You can see the original version (well, it's live, but it's decent) here. Cash's cover is here, but what's more, Reznor's thoughts on Cash's cover here.

As always, more to come. Thanks for staying tuned. It means a lot.

Cheers.

"Don't You Wanna Just Curve Away?"

2010-06-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is another one with a deeper meaning: not one that I'll indulge too much about it's actual origin, but I'll explain the picture a bit. The road below represents a crossroads in life: making a choice or taking a certain direction...a place of great importance. The sun in the background could be a sunrise or sunset. If sunset: doors closing or the end of a chapter in life. If sunrise: a new beginning after a hard patch. And the swing...the swing is a place of refuge, somewhere to escape from the world's disappointments and just...be free. It's red for a reason: you can probably figure it out if you think hard enough.

It was fun to experiment a bit with this one (textures and brushes and whatnot). Pictures never really turn out how you want them to in your head, but this was pretty close. School is finally done for the summer, and I have a bit more free time on my hands. I'm going to try to do at least 2 a week from now on during the summer. Expect more soon.

Background Image Courtesy via Google Images

Cheers.

A Barrage from the Past 16

2010-06-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is another one from a sketchbook, in a segment I called "Vintage Vinyls": I designed about 3 or 4 fake album covers for non-existent bands/performers. This one would most likely be on the Alt-Rock side of the spectrum (perhaps an unintentional reference to Tool's song "Schism"). It didn't look like this in the sketchbook (obviously), but I wanted to add a few things to it anyway. I'll try to have more up soon.

Cheers.

"Time is a Thief With a Loaded Gun..."

2010-05-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it's been a long time since the last post (wow, just under a month). I've been super busy with school, and because I've decided to focus on said school, I'm passing all of my classes, all with 2.0 or higher (I know that's not much, but that's saying something when you're talking about me.) An excuse to sit down and do a picture was that for a critical thinking English class I'm taking, there's a creative final project due, something that you make (picture, poem, sculpture, etc) and then an analysis paper on what inspired you to do it this way.

I actually finished this one about a week ago, but had both a vital test and presentation due for my math class (on which I got an 87% and 97% , respectively). Now that all the 'main projects' are done, I can devote more time to drawing again (though lifting weights has become a fascination to me as of late...it really is true when weight lifters say that it's addicting).

Anyway, the theme of my English class is American Literature that has to do with time travel (and perhaps the best book that's been covered is 'Slaughterhouse Five' by Kurt Vonnegut.) So, the theme of the 'creative project' had to do with time (passage of it, time-travel, etc).

Here's a quick explanation of what's in the picture: the eye represents life, our experiences, our failures, our triumphs. When we view life as the means to an ends (the end being death, thus the skull in the pupil and the person's clothes turning monochrome while looking into the eye), we tend to lose sight of all the amazing events happening around us (the colorful backdrop of 'tick-tock'). We need to instead focus on the task laid out before us (one day at a time, thus the eye focusing on the man), and this almost always, at least with some of the more important aspects of life, requires taking a chance (the flipping of a coin into the eye). Making a choice or taking a chance will effect the rest of your life (thus the ripples from the coin distorting the clock inlaid into the eye). All we can do is to make sure our decisions are the best ones and will effect our lives for the best.

It was actually quite liberating to take my art seriously (I mean REALLY seriously) for once, trying to create metaphors out of imagery. Expect to see more of these in the months/years to come. I don't know when the next picture(s) will be up: I still have a few more weeks of school to go before summer, and at least two more papers and two more tests to complete. But who knows: maybe I'll cram a lot of work into one day and have time left over to doodle up a little something (I've got 3 big pictures/projects in the works as of this moment, one to be finished before school's end). So stay tuned: there will be more soon...I just don't know when. And, as always, hope this one was worth the long wait.

By the way, the skull in the pupil was an accidental reference to the M. C. Escher picture foundhere. I thought of it, put it in my picture, then stumbled upon Escher's picture will trying to explain to my grandma what "tessellations" are, using Google Images. Go figure, huh?

Cheers.

A Barrage from the Past 15

2010-04-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

I don't feel like writing much today. This is an old one from a sketchbook: the segment was called "Ode to Random People", and there are about four more like this, so expect some more when I don't feel up to cranking out a new one.

Cheers,

Famous People Who Are Actually Kinda Cool #4

2010-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many times I'll say this, but just for reiteration's sake, I'll say it again: a lot of the subject matter that I draw is inspired by conversations and events in my life, as was this one. I had a conversation with a friend about the newest Billy Talent album, III, and this is what came up. This famous person is a bit more obscure: many of you may not know who it is. But if you've seen this person before, you'll know who it is immediately. Today's famous person is lead guitar fr0, sorry for, Billy Talent, Ian D'Sa. I'm not sure which is better: his insane guitar skill or his awesome hair. Look him up in Google Images to get the full effect. As for hearing his distinctive and awesome style of playing, scroll down to the bottom of this page and find a Billy Talent song. He really is a master at his art.

I'll try to post soon(er). I've still got a lot on my plate (as usual), but we'll see.

Cheers,

Controversy

2010-04-21T15:56:00.001-07:00

The subject matter of today's post (as well as the picture for some of you) has/will caused/cause much controversy among parents and critics alike: are we supposed to spank our children as a form of punishment? First of all, for those of you who have unresolved issues, let me try to put things into terms you understand. Spanking a child, in the right context, is not abuse, but you wouldn't know that unless you've been spanked in your lifetime. The process, as was done in my life, should go like this: after the child has done something wrong or inappropriate, the parent needs to take the child aside, and tell the child what he/she has done wrong. They should then tell the child that they love them, but that that (love) doesn't change the fact that what they've done is wrong. Then, after it's been explained why they're getting the spanking, administer the spanking. Afterward, reaffirm with the child the reason for the spanking and that you love them even though they do what they aren't supposed to sometimes. If the child understands why the use of spanking is being administered, they'll know what will bring it about and, hopefully, will shy away from 'wrong' behavior.

That being said, you'll know what the true context for spanking is: the picture, however, may not live up to the actual way in which discipline should be administered. There are parents out there that, as soon as the child does something 'wrong', will take the child over their knee so fast, the kid won't know what to do. The picture today, then, is a representation of that: kids that need a little more reminding of not to do naughty things. Bear in mind that it's just a picture: actually, the idea is not my own. You can find the original picture here, the work of a group of friends I'm sure feel the same way I do about spanking, that it's okay to do in the right context...or they were just messing around. Probably a mix of both.

Cheers.