Falling for Squares

The first piece was done for an op-ed article discussing the importance of introducing a better education system into Afghanistan. The argument was that a more literate, better educated society will better defy propaganda, and that a new school system is essentially more cost effective than making weapons. I decided a powerful image would be arming children with school items instead of weapons, and doing the whole piece in a style reminiscent of russian propaganda posters.

The second piece was intended for a children's encyclopedia detailing a range of emotions. I got the emotion "trust" which I don't really find to be an emotion. I struggled with it. How do you illustrate trust? Eventually we landed on an image of a child learning how to ride a bike, trusting his father not to let go of the handle bars. Unfortunately, my choice to highlight the child by throwing the father into darkness creates a rather unsettling image. "Stranger Danger", I call this one.

Enjoy.

Cosmopolitan

This is a piece where I got to choose a cocktail drink for a calendar series. I really had this urge to draw pretty people, "glittering assholes," if you will. So, I settled on the cosmopolitan as my drink because I felt the drink came with certain connotations. So much of a drink is about who buys it, and a very distinct audience favors the cosmopolitan.

The general idea was set, but to find an intriguing composition, I decided to compose the piece around the shape of a martini glass with pink cosmo filling. If you can see it, aces. If you can't. it's not of major importance to the piece, more just a way for me to creatively set the image.

enjoy!

The Recession and Frankenstein

Two monsters! The first assignment was based on an article about the recession. It was basically setup like a faux interview with the Recession, personified as an elderly, gaunt, down and out man, who I chose to look like a washed up, has-been rockstar with stunner shades and old sailor tattoos (with fun meanings).

The second one was for a reprint of Frankenstein, and we had to design the cover. I wanted to create something moody and fun, something that illustrates the tension between Frankenstein and his monster. The duality of it all and the fact that only one of them could survive.

I haven't really been to happy with the work I've been creating so far. I really want to try to up my drawing skills and attention to detail so that I can push my coloring flatter, and still have the image seem dynamic. Hopefully for the next assignment I can achieve a look that is still natural to me, but is something more attuned to what I am trying to accomplish.

Enjoy.

Summer Has Come and Gone

These were two paintings I did in watercolour and acrylic respectively. They were done over the summer in a need to break away from constantly doing digital projects. I'm looking for ways to incorporate more traditional mediums into my digital pieces. The first was a portrait of my recently departed grandfather, and the second was me being inspired by the artist Felix Mas. He's amazing.

These two were sketches I did for small CCA forum illustration contests. The first was to come up with twin characters, and the second was for a viking.

It's not a "rahft", it's a raft.

These are my latest assignments, both from Survival Illustration. The first one is an editorial piece from Forbes and it's about CEOs and Execs feeling inadequate in a changing and increasingly web based business world. The second piece was an assignment where I had to create a "map" of sorts so I decided to map out my most common ailments, and how I interpret how they feel. It's kinda unfinished in some spots I just noticed. Oh well, enjoy.

Caricatures Attack!!!

Here is a piece I did for Survival Illustration.  We had to do a caricature of one of the illustration teachers, and they were assigned at random.  I got a painting and drawing teacher named Mark Eanes who is infamous for his intensity, and his propensity for loving brown paper bags.  He requires 6 hours of out of class work, and, as I mentioned, tons and tons of bags.  I've never had him myself, but have heard that he produces great results from his students.

I tried to capture his look and intensity with his all-knowing-glasses-lowered stare.  I also exaggerated his love of the brown paper bags, choosing to sit him amongst a sea of brown paper bag renderings.

Character Design 101

So this ugly heap is full of character designs I had to do for my Illustration Tools classed dubbed, Survival.  We had 5 short fairy tales that we had to create character designs for.  It was a long and grueling process to get to finish, including multiple revisions and an all nighter to make sure I completed these on time.

The tan booger looking thing was from a tale about a dumpling who falls on the kitchen floor, contemplating his insignificance in life and his sure death.  The frog goes with the couple at the very bottom.  It's a story about a plumber, his princess, and an advice giving frog.  The girl and guy with their own respective pages is from a story about a couple sitting on a bench, dissatisfied with their looks, their lives, and their relationship.  The victorian looking homeless woman is from a story about a woman who will not leave the shoe she lives in, in my case, the boot on her foot.

Enjoy.