a kevin wada art blog

Rihanna

2012-02-01T11:32:00.001-08:00

So I've been sitting on this one for awhile for a few reasons. Ever since starting the X-fashion series I've been slowly moving away from the digital process little by little. I used to do pen and ink line/washes which were then colored and altered in the computer. With the X-men it's been all watercolor with minimal digital alteration. I really enjoy watercolor and wanted to see if I could use it more while maintaining my established "look."With Rihanna up here I wanted to see if I could marry watercolor and digital just a little bit more and maybe come up with something new and exciting but still me. There wasn't a lot of digital dressing added on to this piece, but I wanted to see if my style translated from my old way to my newer let's-add-watercolor-process. So I sat on this piece because I couldn't tell when it was "done,"since this process is still sort of new to me, and I had other things I wanted to work on/show you first. Either way, here she is, fresh out of her fire engine red hair and onto her chocolatey hazel locks. Let me know what you think!

Cloak and Dagger

2012-01-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all, sorry it's been awhile since I posted. Been busy and all which is a good thing. I couldn't wait to post this piece after I finished it. I've been wanting to do an illustration of Cloak and Dagger for awhile now, not because I know a lot about the characters, but because I really love their concept and design. Aspects of them are a bit dated (or a lot dated) but I dug the aesthetics. Enjoy!

ROUND 3: The Runway Continues...

2011-12-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

Round 3 is finally here and Max Wittert and I are excited to introduce men into our little X-girls series. I suppose a new name will have to be used from here on out. Or we could just keep calling them all X-girls. It was refreshing to branch out and start reimagining the men of the series as fashion illustrations. Hopefully you enjoy them too. Take a gander at Round 1 and Round 2. Oh, and see some sexy X-boys over at Max's blog.

Tingling

2011-11-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

Other than his two main squeezes, it never really occurred to me to tackle Spider-man. It's been a lot of blondes and redheads in my studio lately. This commission I was able to conceptualize with a bit more fashion freedom. I wanted that early 60's look, which was when these characters debuted, but also something a little modern and fresh. I wanted to play off their classic attire and make them really feel like different women.

Marvels

2011-11-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

These two were commissions I recently received for White Queen era Emma Frost, and Marvel Girl era Jean Grey. They were a lot of fun, though a lot of pressure as I would be sending off the originals which meant they had to be pristine and as I intended. No backup photoshop retouching at my disposal. Still, they were a lot of fun and I worked bigger than I normally do. Hope you enjoy, and Happy (early) Thanksgiving everyone!

alternate universes

2011-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

sketchbookiness.

X-girls: ROUND 2

2011-10-31T13:23:00.001-07:00

Max Wittert and I have finally released the second edition of our X-girls fashion extravaganza. You can see my first 4 here. We hope you guys are enjoying these because we're having a blast producing them. See just who made Max's lineup here.

Will the next set of ladies, hit it!

Callisto

Karma

Lilandra

Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat)

2011-10-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

detail

Website = HACKED! The scoundrel! But don't worry it will be back up and running sometime soon. In the meantime, I guess that means I have to keep this blog alive and well.

In the mood for more men illustration. Those X-girls are taking it out of me.

PRINTS PRINTS PRINTS

2011-10-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, real quick. I'm working on setting up an online store to add to my website, but until then I thought I'd post on here the remaining prints I have from APE.

In order pictured I have:

2 Bob Dylan prints - $20

8 Lost prints - $20

6 Poison Ivy prints - $25

4 Catwoman prints - $25

5 Harley Quinn prints - $25 (or all three for $70)

2 Helen Destroyer of Worlds prints - $20

6 Sigourney Weaver prints - $25

2 Alice in Wonderland prints - $25

All prints are on satin premium photo-paper, chroma-life archival ink and shipped priority!

Email k@kevinwada.com for availability.

2011-10-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

well it's about that time again. sketchbook to the rescue!

TWEET TWEET

2011-10-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you're on twitter, follow me there for update news and whatnot. I don't really know how twitter works, but I will die trying to use it well.

https://twitter.com/#!/kevinwada

it's been awhile

2011-10-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

don't want you to think i havent been working.

a taste of christmas yet to come.

APE-mania!

2011-10-03T17:42:00.001-07:00

So APE has come and gone and it went off better than I thought it would. Granted, my expectations were relatively low so take that how you will. Thank you so much to everyone for coming out and supporting not only Max and myself, but also the event as a whole. We really appreciated seeing you guys there and we hope you enjoyed it all. Making their debut at APE were not only my edition of the X-girls, but also the images above: my takes on Harley Quinn, Catwoman, Poison Ivy (the Gotham Vixens Series) and the X-men.

I had a blast creating these takes on the iconic DC and Marvel characters and look forward to doing interpretations of other franchises. (There are whispers that another installment of the X-girls is in the works between myself and Max Wittert. The whispers are mainly between he and myself.)

Below are some pictures from APE of Max and my table. We made it out largely unscathed, made from friends, had some laughs and enjoyed the heat in the Concourse.

APEsclusives

2011-09-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Max Wittert and I will be showing at APE this weekend at the Concourse in SF so come out and enjoy some pretty arts and fun crowds. Should be fun. Max will be selling his amazing Skinny Girls comic as well as his own eau de toilette. It's going to be hotfire. In addition to prints of my own work I'll be selling some geektastic images made just for APE.

Including a joint project Max and I did together making some freaky fantastic X-men couture. You can see Max's addition on his blog, and mine are right below.

Dark Phoenix

Emma Frost

Mystique

Lady Deathstrike

2011-09-27T10:31:00.001-07:00

for the girls and the girly boys.

2011-09-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

pee stains and all.

2011-09-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

it's that broken girl who is always, like, posing, ya know?

2011-09-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

demure is not my name.

2011-09-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

too mant grandpa djs

2011-09-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

double whammy since i forgot yesterday...

2011-09-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

i used to make love to my sketchbook more.

2011-09-08T08:38:00.001-07:00

outline first.

2011-09-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

that nihonjin kinda scum

2011-09-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know...

2011-09-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

so old.

2011-09-04T07:16:00.001-07:00

Mr. Tambourine man

2011-09-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

A post a day till APE? Mebbe....

Sketchbooks are like time travel.

you never call anymore...

2011-08-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

Working on booties of new work. Round 4 of my fashion extravaganza with Max Wittert can be found here. He's pretty ridiculous and I can't wait to respond.

Max and I are currently gearing up for APE, the Alternative Press Expo, held in October. Early warning to come check us out as we'll be selling prints, postcards, paraphernalia, realness, and attitude. Here's a teaser of an image I'm currently working on:

Red eyes and glorious cleavage.

Dark City for Sale

2011-07-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Poster for sale 16"x24" on semi gloss paper. $65 plus shipping. If anyone is interested shoot me an email! :)

Round 3

2011-07-19T22:03:00.001-07:00

Better cut mah check. See round 2 from gorgeous Max Wittert here.

Makin' it Work

2011-07-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we all need some uncomplicated pretty. My friend, fellow illustrator Max Wittert, and I are embarking on a project together. We will be doing a call and response through fashion and creating a line together by evolving off each other's drawings. I'm up first with these two dolls. Wait till you see what Max has created....

Gaga CEO

2011-06-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

This was a piece I did for Wired about celebrity endorsements evolving in this new age to become more than just a face hawking a product. Companies are reaching out to celebrities to become advisors, creative directors, etc. They wanted me to choose a celebrity and put them in a boardroom type space and have half of the celebrity be dressed as a businessman (or woman) and the other half as an eccentric musician. Naturally, I had to go with the Gaga. I had misunderstood the AD at first and drawn a businessman on the other side of Gaga, whereas they were thinking more of the musician embodying the same entity instead of the split screen version I created. I traced over my original sketch, tinkered with the likeness and came up with the second image which they accepted.

The article can be found online here:

http://www.wired.com/magazine/tag/lady-gaga/

75th Postiversary

2011-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

This is a recent commission by Sir Eric Han for the delovely Gloria Yiu. It was a really hard piece to complete but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Very Justice's "Civilization." I think I'm most happy with the starry sky background, which I created with ink washes in a method very similar to how I normally work. It was really easy, but I think very effective.

Pee Ess

2011-06-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

New website is up. Simple beyond simple and cleaner. And NOT flash. A-woot.

www.kevinwada.com

Let's Get Domestic

2011-06-07T10:52:00.001-07:00

These were some pieces I did awhile back for Austin Monthly Home and good old fashion Austin Monthly. The first was an article highlighting five tips for the bride and five for the groom in preparation for their wedding. Things like suit fittings, facials, "grooming,"etc. The second piece was about finding the perfect home, and about how often times you buy what you think is a dream, but you end up having to do major overhauls. I wasn't able to find a good rhythm with these pieces and I think it shows. My newest challenge is finding ways to make my work-work really exciting not only for myself but for the viewer.

Helen, Destroyer of Worlds

2011-06-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Quick update. A friend of mine, Helen, and I swapped portraits to keep our art skills frosty. You can see the portrait she did of me at her blog, www.helenchau.blogspot.com. She asked me to "Kevin-ify" her, which meant something fantastical and slightly fashiony. I came up with this image and while I'm not quite sure what it means, I definitely think it makes her badass.

Weaver in Waiting

2011-05-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

I did this piece for Wired awhile ago and am just now posting it. I had a ton of fun working on this piece, as Aliens - and the whole franchise, really - is one of my all time favorites. They wanted me to go for a Dutch painting kind of feel, so I went for a family portrait type of angle. As a digital illustrator, I tried to get as close as I could to a dutch painting. Not the easiest thing in the world, but I hope there's a nice reconciliation between that style and my own style. I don't know how well I succeeded but they seemed happy with the final result. This was for a Q&A with Sigourney Weaver about her involvement in Aliens and Avatar, as well as her thoughts on sci-fi and extraterrestrials in general. Very silly image for a very silly article. Enjoy!

WELL!? WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME?!??

2011-04-24T21:55:00.001-07:00

I'll let B do the talkin'. Hate how blogger changes my colors, but...whaddya gonna do.

Men Are Dogs

2011-04-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

...Or wolves and cheetahs. Is the lady smugly bemoaning another advancement from a predatory man at a swanky bar? Or is she smirking at the drooling carnivores nipping at her no doubt very high heels?

LOST

2011-04-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is a personal piece I did for the Tigers. I've wanted to do a piece about one of my favorite television shows, ever, Lost, for quite some time now. It's a hard show to do justice to illustratively. I find the most compelling and interesting pieces I've seen about the show lack figures and characters, two things I enjoy drawing the most. So I wanted to create a piece utilizing the characters that was hopefully fun, interesting, and appropriate. I defaulted to the straight on, tight-in-likenesses, type of composition I tend to do a lot of. I wanted to play on the first season paranoia and intrigue that plagued the island and it's castaways. I've had this image in my mind a lot, of the survivors' heads poking up out of the jungle, their sideways glances throwing suspicion and curiosity around the composition. I can't say I absolutely love the way it came out, but I suppose it's good practice either way.

You Can Learn A Lot of Things From the Flowers

2011-03-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

So file this one under the "Friends as Inspiration" series. I formed this image around a photograph of a friend wearing a flower-helmet-wreath thing and I thought it was just killer. In this image here I've likened them to the singing flowers Alice encounters in Wonderland, and the rest just sort of fell into place. I'm really happy with the way this piece came out, as I put a lot of time and care into the initial drawing, and I feel it really paid off for the final image. It was a bitch and a half to color and took longer than I expected, but I'm trying to push myself to get more detailed and intricate.

The Couture LBD

2011-03-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Two versions for your viewing pleasure. Has it been a week since my last post? Damn. No? Ok well, I'll try to be better. I enjoyed both versions, with and without text, so here ya go. Thanks to Max Wittert to making me enjoy Georgia enough to use it in something.

The Little Black Dress

2011-02-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

So I finally got around to creating the intro image to what I hope will be a series (possibly weekly, if I'm feeling ambitious) on the little black dress. The LBD, as it is sometimes, SOMETIMES, very rarely called. Luckily I've been busy, which has made it hard to get this little idea started. Busy is good, but either way here we are beginning a little project for this blog. I think it needed some consistency here, something regular that people would know would be uploaded weekly. There are some other projects I've been waiting to post as well so let's get the bloggie blog busy!

Just a Tease

2011-01-27T12:09:00.001-08:00

Haven't updated in awhile, luckily I've been super busy. And busy means dolla dollas. Here's a tease of an image I plan on posting sometime soon. It's part of a series, but I don't want to lead with this image, so just to keep this blog alive in some fashion, I decided to post just a snippet of it.

Self indulgent? Maybe.

Maggie sez ah-menna-say...

2010-12-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, I finished a piece on Sir Bobby D. My friend, Eric and I were singing Subterranean Homesick Blues in the car awhile ago and as fast as that song is, we knew enough of the words to get nice patterns of lyrics right. Every now and then, in between the fumbling and the mumbling, we'd synchronize the right words. We'd bloogyblah our way through sections only to reconnect on the "look out kid"s and the "pumps don't work."

We thought it would be funny/fun to make an illustration addressing that fact. There are portions of that song everyone knows and usually end up singing in unison. And the rest? Well, that get's left up to interpretation.

Chanel Does Louis.V

2010-12-03T13:58:00.001-08:00

Still on a fashion high. Thought I'd have some fun with lap dogs and starlets affinity for the wee things. I was going for something fun, silly, but still dashing and stylish. You can't see it, but the collars of the dogs are the Chanel CCs and Louis Vuitton LV. It's not even a third read, more like a eighteenth read as you'll never be able to see it.

I hate how badly blogger compresses my images. I feel like they used to be a lot better at translating my images onto their network.

Smokey Eyes and Legs For Days

2010-11-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else find that blogger makes their colors duller when they're uploaded to this damn place? Maybe it's just my screen but I find that blogger makes my colors less vibrant and "happy." It's quite a nuisance.

Any way, this is continuing the series of fashion-y fun illustrations inspired by mis amigos. If you can tell who this one was supposed to be, you get points. HINT: He can be sassy, brassy, classy, and I love his lovely dancer's legs.

Using Friends as Inspiration

2010-11-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've got a nice little momentum going here, let's see if I can't try to upload weekly. Or...almost weekly at least. That would be nice wouldn't it?

So, when I said "fashion illustration" I meant something more along the lines of this. Something fun, stylish, fashiony, and fun. Instead of using models or model types in pretty settings, wearing pretty things, why not use my pretty friends to inspire me? My friend Sandy inspired this piece, and I found it hard to achieve a likeness after removing so much about her that makes her...her.

You take away the hair of someone and it automatically makes it harder to achieve an exact likeness. Take away familiar articles of clothing, give them different (and extreme) make up and they look different. If you know Sandy, hopefully this reads somewhat as her, but even if it doesn't, I am surprised at how quickly I was able to bang out this piece and still be happy with it, likeness achieved or not.

I guess inspiration is a swift mover.

(I don't know why, but it uploaded kind of rough :()

Too Much Project Runway and Mad Men Does This:

2010-11-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

The titles sums it up. I've been itching to flex my fashion illustration chops, and while these aren't really what I had in mind when thinking "fashion" and "illustration," I couldn't help but indulge myself a little. Mad Men is clearly a big influence, especially in the first line. If every woman could be a Joan...damn...

It would be great to revitalize the fashion illustration industry. Gone are the days of Gibson girls and Vargas pinups. Once photography took over, no one thought to use artists to help launch fashion movements. If you're as into this idea as I am, let's do the damn thing.

Kudos if you catch the Mondrian shoes.

We Love Sketchbooks!

2010-09-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

There's something so fun and raw about the drawings done in a sketchbook I constantly wonder if this isn't the way I should be drawing. Is this my unadulterated, unaltered, unconscious, untampered way of drawing? Should I be trying to harness this look into my finished pieces? I love the spontaneity and style that I get out of my characters and lines in my sketchbook. When I take many of these things to finish I get too controlled and too worried about anatomy or perspective or perfection that I lose the loose and creative way I came to these ideas.

The first two images were sketches done for The Great Refusal, my thesis project; the first is character study for Charlie Sinclair. The rest are just fun doodles.

Honey Pie

2010-08-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

This next piece was for a short story by Haruki Murakami. It's called Honey Pie and it's part of his anthology, After the Quake. The story follows three friends - Takatsuki, Sayoko, and Jun - who go from college to adulthood with each other. As a trio they thrive and grow but when broken down, they get messy and function less smoothly. Of course, both guys fall for the girl, and the more successful, charming, and bold man (Takatsuki) gets her. It was a really sad story about unrequited love, courage, safety, and reliability.

I chose to focus on all that for my illustration, using body language to show these people's relationships to one another. Takatsuki is shown holding her hand, but he's turned away from her, representing his disinterest and lack of investment in her. Meanwhile, Sayoko and Jun stand side by side, almost touching - their wardrobe mimicking each others. Their hands are ever so subtly gesturing toward one another's.

Posters Galore

2010-08-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Two latest. One is a character I'm working on, the Great Dantalion, master hypnotist and mind reader (with his knock-out damsel, of course). The other piece is a piece I did for my sister. She needed a Lakers championship poster for her friends birthday, but I decided to depict the celtics instead.

Doc Who

2010-07-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

Here's a mock DVD cover I did on my own for the most recent season of Doctor Who, with newest lead actor, Matt Smith. This time I decided to include a little bit of my process for those few of you who are even interested.

The top image is a mockup of the front of the dvd cover. If I could change one thing, I would shift down the entire foreground figures so that they were better spaces below the title. Bad layout by me.

Then, there's the initial sketch. Not much changed from it to the finale except for the removal of most of the rinkydinks and doodads floating around the characters. Then, there's the layers I work in outside of the computer. I usually have a layer of just the linework that's done on vellum, and a layer of textures that are ink washes done on bristol board. The swooping brush strokes below those two is a separate scan that I used for the cosmic background.

Shake, Rattle, n' Roll

2010-06-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here are two different versions, plus a detail, of a poster assignment I had to do. I did Clue, one of my favorite cult classic films (maybe even films in general) and while I had a lot of fun doing it, I don't know if i love the way it came out. I played around with two different ideas, and the first one works a little bit better I think. Wish I could worked Tim Curry into it. Love that bastard.

Music is My Hot Hot Sex

2010-06-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

Pictured above:

Ms. Janelle Monae, funk voodoo goddess of my life in all her glory.

Lady Gaga, the epitome of too muchery. "Everything But The - "

Some more sketch pages. Enjoy!

My Newest Minions

2010-05-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Charlie Sinclair:

A recently reformed demon, Charlie Sinclair must feed on the souls of others for sustenance. Once a carefree rogue, consuming negligently at will, Charlie allowed his inner beast to overcome him, and accidentally killed his love, Aki Lenore. Not long after, Charlie changed his ways and limited his feeding to a life of vigilantism, only consuming the souls of those he deemed corrupt and unfit for their lives.

Ocho:

Young protégé to Charlie, and fellow demon in hiding, Ocho differs from his mentor in many ways. Where Charlie is cool and collected, Ocho is hot headed and ill tempered. Where Charlie seeks redemption for the sins he feels he’s committed, Ocho revels in his power and abilities. He now works with Charlie to unmask and destroy the unknown murderer of his own long lost love.

Aki Lenore:

Aki Lenore exists, now, only within the mind and heart of Charlie Sinclair. At one time, the two were lovers, and although Charlie accidentally killed her, Aki continues to come to him in his visions and daydreams. She guides him through hard times and helps keep his head level. Whether she is a ghostly specter haunting her old love, a figment of his imagination, or even Aki at all remains to be seen.

Joel “Chacho” Solis:

Joel Solis is the unofficial go to man for all trades considered sinful. An arrogant and snarky bottom feeder of sorts, Chacho, as he is better known by his peers, is somewhat of a crowned prince of the Seraphine underworld. He works as an informant for Charlie and Ocho, dealing them the dark and criminal targets they must eliminate.

Roman Sicard:

The Seraphine Police Department’s best detective is Roman Sicard. At one time a man passionate about his job guarding the streets of Seraphine, now as the lead officer on the case of “The Sin Eater,” Roman’s passion has turned into obsession. He tirelessly pursues the elusive vigilante serial killer of his city, a slave to his contract with the Mayor to catch the perpetrator once and for all.

Zoe and Rosalynn:

While the underworld of Seraphine calls them “The Twins,” the origins of Zoe and Rosalynn are shrouded in mystery. Serene and otherworldly, the Twins are often called upon because of their uncanny ability to see glimpses of the future - though they each see different flashes that are alternate versions of future events- and only one is the correct timeline.

Solomon Thorn:

Mayor Thorn is known to his city as a strong and independent leader. But to everyone that knows him he has unreadable eyes, and unpredictable responses. Up for re-election, Thorn must utilize the abilities of both the Twins and Detective Sicard to help keep his image pristine. Mysterious and cunning, entrancing and manipulative, the motive for Thorn’s quest for power in Seraphine is yet to be seen.

4 months in the making:

2010-05-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

The city of Seraphine is a world of grays. Nothing is black and white. The places and people are hardly ever what they seem. The beauty and splendor of the grand skyline and the energy and frantic pace of the streets belie a world where evil must be controlled, and it is - by the highest bidder. A hotspot for the supernatural and corrupt, Seraphine operates as a booming metropolis, and an underworld market for death dealing of every kind. Charlie Sinclair and Ocho are collectively known to the everyday public as “The Sin Eater,” a crime lord hunting serial killer being pursued by Seraphine’s finest, Detective Roman Sicard. To the underworld they call home they are a demonic duo of hit men, working to somehow rid the city of the evil they call their brethren.

Sketchbook Series

2010-04-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

I constantly am trying to reconcile what I feel is my inherent instinctual style and mark making - with what comes out (perhaps forced) for finished pieces. Slowly but surely the way I am naturally inclined to draw is pushing over into my overall voice. I've really been having a blast drawing exactly what I want to draw in my sketchbook and I've been pleased with the results.

A Preview

2010-03-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

My current crop of characters. Color is a bit off, it's actually much more vibrant.

The Rest of Vis J

2010-03-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

Visual Journalism!

2009-12-03T00:48:00.000-08:00

These are two pieces for Visual Journalism. I went to Dolores Park for the top piece, and the North Beach Columbus Day Parade for the second. Both were done with gouache, watercolor, pens, and love. I really enjoy breaking out the traditional mediums after working digitally all the time. Let me know what you think, and enjoy! More are on the way. Finally scanned them all.

Voodoo Girl and Disordered

2009-11-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

Two new pieces! The first one was an illustration for a Tim Burton poem titled "Voodoo Girl." It's basically about a girl with pins in her heart and 5 zombie guards, and how she can't get close to anyone lest the pins dig deeper into her heart.

The second piece was for my television class. We had to come up with a show and pitch like a studio head. To fancy up our presentation, I created a poster for our fake show and even went so far as to cast actual actors in the roles. The show "Disordered" is basically about a daughter busted for a DUI. When her parents stage an intervention on her, the therapist they enlist to help ends up prescribing them all group therapy sessions to deal with their obvious disfunctionality.

I had a blast with both pieces, but am still struggling to find my voice with my work. I've received a critique that some of my works are too reminiscent of other's styles, so I really am trying to come up with a vocabulary in my art that is unique to me. Hopefully, it will come in some moment of clarity. I will keep you posted.

Falling for Squares

2009-11-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-03-04T01:31:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

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.

A Girl Named Chuck

2009-01-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

Camille Esparza:

She is the love of my life in many ways. While sex might not be an option, I know our babies would be terribly hot. Camille is beyond words, as I've never met someone quite like her. She gets me without an explanation. I know her isms, I know when she's upset, and I know when she's happy. She lavishes me with attention and love, and I can only hope to reciprocate in some form. I hope she knows how much I love her, distance and all.

While the likeness isn't quite on in this daisies inspired portrait, hopefully her over-bearing sensuality comes across. She's beautiful on many levels, but I do find it hard to capture her just right. I'm not sure why, you'd think being so familiar with someone would make it easier to draw them, but in this case, I suppose it doesn't.

I hope this doesn't look as unsaturated as it does on my computer...eff....

CHUCK!!!

The End of Fall

2008-12-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

These are 3 of my finals for my Heroes and Anti-Heroes course, my Illustration 4, and Editorial Illus. classes, respectively. To be honest, I dont really like any of them. I was so burnt out by the time finals came, I really had no passion, creativity, or effort left inside of me. So each of these are really not at all what I intended to create, but they are nevertheless what I completed.

The Heroes and Anti-Heroes project was created from me wanting to make a statement about children and their heroes, coupled with an idea about hope, and how it only really exists if turmoil exists. It ended up looking more like a "feed the children" ad, and I borderline hate it.

The Illus.4 one was an assignment where we had to create an illustration while either utilizing pop-ups, trompe l'oiell (sp?) or some other form of 3-d trickery to enhance the image. For my final I created a sliding pop up; the kind where you pull the tab and the image changes. It's hard to explain, and it was a bitch to make, and I'm happy it's over.

The last piece was for Editorial, and we had to create a vision of how we wanted 2020 to look. I hate doing architecture, so I really wish I had created something where I didnt have to illustrate it. I'm not big on the colors, or the ideas I put into this piece, but I am also very happy that it is over :)

So there you go, enjoy the winter break! WEEEE!

Photoshop saturates my life

2008-12-07T22:21:00.001-08:00

I always hate when I upload images here, and at least on my screen, they come out less saturated than they do in Photoshop. It's aggravating. That's the tricky thing about digital work. It looks different on different computer screens, and printing is a bitch.

Anyway, the first piece was for Editorial and it was on an article about the New Millenium. Obviously, it was an old article. Mainly the piece addressed the dying of our planet, and it was printed during a time when global warming wasn't as widely known, or even recognized.

The second piece is very similar to the first, but it's based on extinction. More specifically, man's hand in extinction.

For these pieces i went with simpler color schemes and an increase in texture. Experimentation, I guess.

Enjoy.

Three is a Crowd

2008-11-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the color on the first one. It was done in watercolor and had to be scanned in, and unfortunately I was hasty, and did a bad scan. The first one was a page on an article about the realities of dinosaur cloning. I decided to create a world where dinos were common place, and thought how funny it would be to see little pudgy pigeon dinos. Equally as opportunistic, equally as stupid.

The second piece works in conjunction with the character designs posted earlier of Charlie, Aki, and Ocho. I had to place at least two of them in an environment. I was originally going to include panels of Ocho in another scene, but I ran out of time.

The last piece is a portrait of out-of-the-Nazi-closet author, Gunter Grass.

Condescending Rice

2008-11-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

A piece dont for my editorial class. It was an interview in a magazine we had to create an image for. The interview was about the war in the Middle East, along with all the worries, anxieties, and issues to be had with it. They mentioned Condelleezza Rice and they also mentioned this notion that all the nations in the Middle East need to sit down together with America and come up with a final word. This was born from that.

Character Designs for Tu

2008-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

These were for an assignment for one of my classes where we had to come up with characters, their personalities, and a story to surround them. I did these with watercolor and scanned them, and I hate how scanned work looks. Trust me that the real ones look better than these crappy scans.

I call them Aki Lenore, Charlie Sinclair, and Ocho, respectively.

Fairy Abuse and Bubble Prophylactics

2008-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

The first is a piece for Editorial Illus. We had to twist a fairy tale to fit into an PSA against child abuse. I chose The Boy Who Cried Wolf. It's "subtle" as my teacher would say, as to its references to the original story, but it worked he thought.

The second piece was for a short love story in the New Yorker. It's about a guy who starts dating a girl who is neurotic and OCD and hates germs. She goes so far as to have sex with full body condoms and makes her new beau go through a series of physicals and medical exams and tests. She eventually leaves him when she finds out he's a shoe salesmen, and touches unclean feet. :)

Sneak Attack

2008-10-10T19:07:00.001-07:00

The Current Condition

2008-10-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Double whammy ya'll.

Movie poster in a film noir/russian propaganda style, and political poster for Illus. 4 and Editorial respectively.

Swallowing Things Can Be Fun

2008-09-16T18:56:00.001-07:00

This is my first Editorial Illustration assignment of the year. The task was to create a plausible skeleton for an everyday object. I chose an electric fan. Putting the skeleton in a context was unnecessary, our teacher simply expected us to render a skeleton. I decided to put a concept to my skeleton. The original idea was to have an illustration of a doctor's hand holding an x-ray of the skeleton up to one of those light boxes. Later I changed it to make it into an actual x-ray, and even printed it on transparency paper.

On That Midnight Train

2008-09-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

So this was a sketch a did in a bid to try and differentiate people's faces. I think it's fine to have a style, but it's also good to make people distinguishable, and I definitely think it's something I have a problem with sometimes. So here is a group of people that I'm trying to pull into a full on piece, but I'm finding it's hard arranging these characters in an interesting way.

If you recognize who these people even are (they are my own take on established characters) then you get two "cool" points.

double whammy tonight!

2008-07-22T01:43:00.000-07:00

Eric Han - demanding bitch

Sam Hua

2008-07-21T18:58:00.003-07:00

once again...

2008-07-10T04:26:00.000-07:00

Raymond Maloles

Jeremy Cheng - My Essential

2008-07-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

...it looks to be a much hyped movie.

KAIRO!

2008-06-23T16:18:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, I like to add e's to the ends of everything and anything I write. It's fune.

These are watercolors I did while stewing in Japan for two weeks. Not a lot of work done for a two week stay, but Japan had a nasty habit of distracting me. The colors are vibrant and the pieces are whimsical and silly, all things that were inspired by Japan. It's just so crazy and colorful there, and yet there is a calmer gentler side to it all. The fashions inspired me, the people inspired me, the landscapes, the buildings, the crazy pop culture. I loved it all.

Old stuff to sink your teef into

2008-06-05T17:30:00.001-07:00

Well I haven't updated since school ended, so I thought I'd bring about some old old stuff I found while snooping through my old sketchbook. The first three images were from a very superhero comicy phase I went through last summer. The first image was done with cheap sharpies and cheap highlighters because they were the only markers I could come across and my sketchbook was in dire need of color, as some commented.

The next image is of superhero Andy, and superhero flame girl, who I tend to draw often. The proportions and anatomy are off, but I feel like she's a good start to a dynamic shot. The third image is a Batman roll call kind of image that I did in pen. It might have been done entirely in pen, which I always love doing, but I might be lying. The last image is of people I had seen and observed in an airport (through sunglasses) while I waited 4 hours in layover for a flight home from Berkeley. It was terrible, but I survived. And hey, I got some cool looking people in my sketchbook out of it. Enjoy:)

the new Criterion Collection:)

2008-05-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well this is my final for my Illustration class. Zippo. The last one of the year. Obviously, the task was to recreate a dvd cover. We could choose from Gosford Park, Spinal Tap, Chinatown, Logan's Run, The Usual Suspects, and Yojimbo. It wasn't required to add in the text for the title, but I wanted to do my own version with the title to get the full effect, and because I was going for the very art deco, movie posters of the 30s and 40s aesthetic. Hope you like.

I hope to be giving myself assignments throughout the summer. So hopefully I'll keep that up. Remind me to if you ever see me forget. Ugh.

updation bonanza!

2008-05-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

This is my final for my figure drawing class. The assignment was to craft a story, create some characters, and do a three panel narrative. In reality it was supposed to be one image per panel, but I decided to do a comic book style thing instead. Each panel has a main image surrounded by smaller vignettes that act as borders and "fillers" as to the rest of the story. I saw a dvd ad for Bonnie and Clyde, and that was the basic inspiration. Enjoy amigos.

F is for Fatty

2008-04-13T02:01:00.000-07:00

This latest project was a faux addition to this book series called Animalia. In it, the letters of the alphabet are illustrated through alliterative sayings that are usually focused on a particular type of animal. Of course, the animal, and most of the things in the image, begin with the letter that are trying to illustrate. I guess that was a very duh sentence, but I love to drive points home:)

I chose the letter F and the saying went something like: Five Furry Felines in Fedoras with Falcons Free-falling over France while Fetching Fish. I really enjoyed this project and I LOVE the way the tiger on the left came out. I had trouble figuring out how to convey that they were falling over France, and I used the clouds to help push that idea. If you can tell how, then you are a geography whiz, and automatically get 1 point. Enjoy:)

The Old Stud and the Mast

2008-03-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

This was a piece for a book cover assignment. I chose The Old Man and the Sea. He came out a lot more sturdy than I had intended, my teacher felt he was too good looking. I kind of agree. In the story it mentions how his shirt was patched up, much like the mast he used to propel his ship. I decided to let that be the main concept of the illustration.

I went back to watercolor for this piece, and it needs more polish. I just was growing tired of digital work and wanted something a bit more real. The fact that I had to either scan or photograph the image is why it's not quite as crisp as other images. Enjoy.

Powerhouses and Hottie Portmans

2008-03-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here are my latest pieces. The first was done for an assignment in which we had to illustrate one of two opinion pieces. One was about Komodo dragon's ability to reproduce a-sexually, and the other was about Democratic leaders called Super Delegates. Needless to say, 80 percent of the class chose the Komodo piece. I went for the Super Delegates piece, choosing to portray them literally as their title suggests. Tongue and cheeky.

It was a fairly easy to make as I wanted to create that old school comic book look. I used simple colors, simple shades, and allowed the halftone to do most of the work.

The second piece was a Portrait project, our last one. It was also to be used to make promotional cards for ourselves which we actually ended up mailing to 10 different art directors of our own choices. I decided to do Natalie Portman for mine, cause if you know me, you know how much I love that bitch. The final is very different from the initial sketch but I enjoy the final so much more. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Periscope Cellar

2008-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

This magically dark little piece was done for an Illustration assignment for a wine label. The only restrictions were that it had to be in a square format, and that it had to be nautical. For some reason I came up with this rather dark image of an anchor plunging into the ocean, only to find itself surrounded by floating people. Whether these people are dead or drowning is open to interpretation, but I just wanted an image that was dreamy and dark.

I'm very happy with the final product. I think its beautiful and haunting, which was all I really wanted for this assignment. Whether or not it fits the mood of a wine bottle, well, that's kinda up to you. My favorite figure is the female in the dress. She came out the most light and airy (watery?).

The first two smaller images are how the image originally was colored, and a darker, bluer one. The bottom larger one was the final compromise. A not so dark, greener one.

The Attack of the Portraits

2008-02-21T23:52:00.000-08:00

The first piece was for an assignment where we had to create a portrait of Wangari Maathai. She's a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Africa. It was a supposed cover piece, which mean we had to leave space for text.

The other piece is for an album cover. I chose Catpower, and without her signature hair, the likeness is thrown off.

Both are portraits, both aren't incredibly exact. But I'm really happy with the Catpower one. It was supposed to be incredibly Alphonse Mucha-esque and I enjoyed doing it.

Riki Pretty

2008-02-21T23:41:00.000-08:00

These were two pieces for a Digital Illustration class. The assignment was to create a character, and place him or her into 3 photo environments. Then we had to take one of those images and re-do it, either completely with paint or completely digitally.

Ira Glass Editorial Illustration

2008-02-11T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did for my Illustration class. I wasn't crazy about the final outcome, but it got a good critique so that makes up for my small disappointment with it. Once again, I inked this and then scanned it in and then colored it in Painter.

I've slowly become more and more frustrated with Painter the more I realize my shortcomings in utilizing the software. I really need to find some good tutorials or something to teach me how to use it. I would love to master the digital watercolor brushes but I just can't wrap my head around them. Add on to that all of the options you can tweak in the brush creator and there are far too many choices for my little mind to grasp.

But anyway. Enjoy.

2008-01-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

Pictured above are two versions of my latest Illustration 3 assignment. The top one is obviously the finish and the bottom one is the line version. The assignment was to create a composition based on an anthropomorphic or familiar entity that we felt best described some aspect of ourselves. I chose the fox, for its quietness and thoughtfulness and also because I simply find them to be beautiful and fascinating creatures.

I started with the concept of me carving a fox out of wood with a knife (like old school status yo) and the shavings would cascade down and form a fox like spirit at my feet. However after much deliberation I opted for this close view, much more intimate, my teacher felt.

I drew the initial drawing on bristol board smooth press and inked it with some black ink and a nib pen. I scanned the drawing into Photoshop along with a background that I physically painted with acrylic paint. I then had to seperate the line work from the white background and I changed it to a dark rusty brown color instead of the original black. I thought it would give it a much richer look and be much more interesting.

I pieced the two together and colored the drawing in Corel Painter using the oil pastels. I had originally wanted to use digital watercolor but found the process for making it look right too time constraining. Overall I am very happy with the outcome and I love the clean lines I was able to create with the pen and ink. Thoughts?

MANGANDY!

2007-12-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Well if you can guess who the subject of thise piece is you get 20 points. I did this in Painter, and really enjoyed crafting this. Scanned a pencil drawing I had done into Painter, and then tried looking for a tutorial online on how to seperate linework in Painter. All I could find were tutorials in Photoshop, and since I'm not incredibly well versed in either program, I had to find an alternate way of handling my problem.

I ended up simply changing the properties of the layer. What kind of layer I made it into, I'm not quite sure. It was colored with the chalk brushes and I really had a blast creating the shine and shadows. I kinda wish I had put him in a more dynamic pose, but I'm thoroughly happy with the way he came out. I also wish his neck was smaller.

I was trying to go for a more "anime" look for this piece, which I'm not quite sure I accomplished. I'm not a big fan of the anime asthetic for the most part, although there are quite a few I really enjoy. I feel this guy came out somewhat more comic booky, maybe a nice marriage of anime and American comic styles? I also kinda get that whole 90s Capcom Street Fighter vibe, which I dig.

Well, either way. Enjoy!:)

National Geographic Eyes

2007-12-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

So I haven't updated in near a month, much to the chagrin, I'm sure, of the 5 people who click their merry ways onto this blog (happy holidays, by the way). I really had nothing to post, so I went rummaging through my old crap to find something. And I found this, something I started on Painter with my tablet.

It's old, unfinished, and was really just a warm up thing to get familiar with Painter. As you can tell, I obviously didn't dig too hard into this. The potential of Painter is immense, and perhaps now that I am on break I will break it in a bit more thoroughly. It was afterall an AMAZING gift from my very special boy, who also happened to inspire me to give this chica the look she has here.

She was originally very bald, and very simple. Even more so than now.

Anyway, I hope to upload my final for my Illustration class soon. I know you are all salivating, waiting for it. That was sarcasm. I wonder, if this whole blog isn't just a whole way to blow my own ego? Do I really love the sound of my voice that much? Or the sound of my typing, rather. Either way it is what it is. Enjoy. Spread it around like WILDFIRE! RUFUS!

IT WORKS! IT WORKS!!!

2007-11-21T12:52:00.001-08:00

So I finally figured out how to make my pictures clickable. Which makes me giddy. Really giddy. So I was asked what the purpose of this blog was, and I hesitated. What is the point of this blog really? Hmmmm. I'd like to hope there's more a point than it being a personal journal. I'd like for it to REALLY have a purpose. :P

So I decided that I would use this blog as a way of conveying my creative process and hopefully share and learn about tricks, skills, and methods to creating art.

So for this piece, the assignment was called "Deconstruction, Destruction, Decomposition." I knew I wanted to use watercolor to create this piece. I love how watercolor is very expressive and light, and you can use it in sketchy and rough ways. To me that fed into this "deconstructed" look that I was going for. I wanted to be able to see every stroke and every underlying pencil mark.

The end result was that up there, and while it's not exactly what I intended to create, I experienced something that every artist comes across once in awhile. I had come to a place in the painting where I could either push it further and make it really expressive and wild, or I could leave it in this safer, more refined state that I absolutely loved. So do I risk pushing my painting further, and probably more clearly illustrate the purpose of the title? Or do I keep the piece where it is, and where I like it?

When to know that your piece is actually finished is a hard question. But I eventually decided to leave it as it was. I would rather risk not fully interpreting the prompt than to risk completely destroying my vision. Either way I love the way this piece came out. It was a first time for me really utilizing watercolors, and I look forward to doing so again.

Problems Already...

2007-11-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

So I have a problem. I fully intend to post pictures on this blog. Lots of them. And upon my first post I have come across this problem:

When I post images, they are small, and they stay small, and are unclickable.

What I would like are images that can be clicked on and one will be able to view them at a larger size. I have no clue how to do this, and so I searched this site for help but they have no help. So I figure I'd give it a shot and ask the world at large for help.

So, anyone out there. How do I make clickable images that can be view larger upon....clicking them. :)