B-day

For a recent B-day.

College Times

These were done way back in the day (2002-2003). I saw an artist who used a similar technique and thought it was interesting, so I gave it a try. These are 11x17, prisma color pencils on black matte board. I can't believe how much bigger I used to draw everything, although at the time I considered 11x17 to be small. Later on in college I realized that if I worked small, I would still figure out many problems in my work, but the montra of the fine art department was always "bigger is better" But we now know that it isn't the size of the boat, but the motion in the ocean right... ...right!?

Baby back, baby back, baby back...

So here are some more ideations for a couple of BBQ sauce lables...I looked at it as another opportunity to draw my favorite subject...women.

Enjoy

humming bird progress

Here is some progress of a piece I am messing with. It is a little off balance yet, perhaps another bird would help. Fun times. I found out today that I am 27...then my brother reminded me that I am actually 28...I can't believe that. Time is going by too fast.

Some more old stuff...

Here are some attempts at my drawing instructors and founders of Studio 2nd Street Ron and Vanessa Lemen. Still not really happy with them...sometimes my characture turns into more of a beasticature...this has happened many times before...especially when working form memory like these. Sometimes I just go with it, but sometimes I don't.

These sketches were done sometime before I was overcome with a mysterious medical condition. Still don't know what's wrong...it's almost been a year now...crazy how time goes. Doctors have ruled out pretty much every major thing (heart, lungs, nervous system)...everything is normal, yet I still feel messed with. I haven't been able to laugh without feeling like I was going to pass out for such a long time.

Needless to say, I didn't finish the drawings...so I figured that I would post them anyway in their unfinished state. Its just one of those things where you leave a drawing and situation so long you lose some of the feeling of it that drives you through...I hope I can remember that again someday and finish these off.

More humming birds and flowers...

This is a work in progress, still feels a little empty, but I am happy with it so far. Not sure what I am going to do with it in order to finish it...a back drop perhaps, maybe some colors? We'll see.

Elvuuuuus!

Taking another break from my "old sketches" stint. This was one of a bunch of studies done to prepare for a finished illustration for a bbq logo design. The other designs were based off of a Marilyn Monroe, and a J-Lo looking character. The client wanted a way simpler style in the end...something I am not really used to doing...but it was an interesting challenge, and I managed to compromise.

Chicks in Bikinis

This was an experiment with colored pencils in a monochrome fashion. The chick with the dark hair has small body syndrome, but oh well. I did this in the middle of a spontanious coke party...and I don't mean the classic kind. Considering that I am as strait-edge as possible...I felt pretty out of place...so I turned to my sketchbook. I guess I need to be more open to people despite our differences. Later on that night, our cat got into a bit of it...I slept in the living room, but that night...I didn't sleep at all because the cat was bouncing off the walls. Good times though...good times.

Nightmare on E Street

This was a sketch done at a cafe called the E Street Cafe...less than a block away from the school I went to in California (Studio 2nd Street). Every once and a while, there would be a live musical performance...and one night, a bunch of us went there to draw and listen. The atmosphere was chill, and these guys were pretty descent, although they were not really my kind of music, and I have a hard time recalling what they sounded like. There really isn't anything like that where I am living now...you have to go into the cities. None the less, it was a fun challenge to try and draw them while they were performing.

2007

These are a selection of figures done in 2007, influenced by various pinup artists.

More from 2007

Damn...2007 must have been a soul-searching year or something...wish I had that energy still :D

These are yet another page of studies. I think they were influenced by artist Joe Bluhm. After looking at his art, I always ask myself if I am exaggerating enough...the answer is always no. Nothing wrong with that, just how I like to interpret things. But I still admire an artist who can do that...especially live. As Crispin Glover's charcter George Mcfly would say, "I'm affraid I'm just not very good at...confrontations."

2007 flashback...and a recent event

So here is a bowl of vegetables I prepared yesterday, and was about to eat...'till I noticed something odd about them...do you see?

More Pen Studies...

Taking a break for a second from the "Blast from the Past" series...here are some studies...took about 3 hours each. The face on the top left is about the size of a nickle...so it lost a little likeness there.