IF: Crunch

This is immediately what I thought of for "Crunch." It seems I am late, as usual, but I hope is illustration is worth wait. Thanks for stopping and, as always, comment are always welcome.

"Crunchy" 8.5 x 12 Pencil & Pen with digital texture and color.

If: Entangled

This is what came to mind when I thought of "Entangled." I couldn't help but think of the "entangle" spell from D & D. On another level, Subconsciously, I think I may have been channeling my feelings about having a child in remission from Leukemia; the uncertainty, the dread and the hope reaching out into the future. I only thought about this in hindsight of the images completion.

"Entangled" Pencil, Digital Collage and Color. 6 x 6 inches.

IF: Music II or Entangled

This is the new picture I wanted to do for IF. This is what came to mind for the prompt of "music." I could work for "Entangle" or "Envelope" too. I love to be entangled in the feeling and energy of live music.

"One good thing about music,
when it hits you,
you feel no pain."

Bob-

Pencil Illustration, Photo Montage texture (Photoshop), 6 x 10 inches.

IF: Music

This is a piece I did in 2007 when I was posterizing some of my favorite musicians. This Miles Davis was plotted (cut) in vinyl and applied in 5 individually applied layers. The substrate (or backing) is wood panel sandwiched between two aluminum sheets. It is capped (framed) by black plastic siding. It weighs close to 10 pounds and is 10 x 24.


I appreciate the help of AJ Hancock of Apex Signs for his help in making this piece happen.




(Detail)



I made a whole series of musicians in this vain but It cost to much to produce them versus how much people would pay to buy them. I always wonder how starving artist afford art supplies.

Chades: Choose Your Own Drawing Adventure

The caption is as follows:

"Once there was a pink kitten who made a deal with the devil so he could avenge the death of his parents."

I was thinking of an anti-super hero in the vein of Spawn.

Visit Austin's site to see more Pink Kittens.

I was going to draw a background and a grand battle ensuing but low and behold times was again a factor to consider.

Book Writing

So I have a new adventure I have been pursuing. I recently started writing books with my 3 year-old son Griffin. My mother was a school teacher and it was her idea. We usually find a picture, ask Griffin questions about the picture and he fills in the blanks, which make the story. It is very fun and I highly recommend trying it sometime.

Yesterday I asked him if he would prefer writing a story based on drawings I made, or write a story and have me draw pictures based on what he wrote. He wanted me to draw pictures based on what he wrote. We both like robots so I asked him if he would like to write a story about robots. He agreed and this is how it went:




Me: What is the robots name?

Griffin: The robots name is Rent-Bob.








Me: What does the robot do?

Griffin: He is a fisherman.


Me: How does he catch the fish?

Griffin: He uses a fishing pole.

Me: What kind of fish does he catch?

Griffin: He catches pink fish.



Me: Where does he fish?

Griffin: He fishes in a book.


















Here is a picture of the Author to go along with the back cover of the book.







To be honest, since I heard about Griffin's diagnoses, I have been less than inspired to draw. Maybe this will be the spark to get me back on the drawing wagon, so to speak. If any of you, out there in the blogging world, would be inspired to illustrate a short Griffin story, let me know and I will send you a story that you can illustrate too. It can be loose, it can be sloppy, and it can be awesome in it's simplicity.

I will admit, I have been playing with this character design for a few weeks now. There is a story I have been writing with my sister that will have a robot character in it. This was a good excuse to practice using the robot in scenes and different poses.

I used drawing paper, pencil (with no eraser), and crayon. Crayon is an interesting media but can be frustrating when working at a small scale; this book is about 4.5 inches x 4.5 inches. Next time I try my hand using crayons I will do so at a larger scale.

T-shirt ACC Stormwater

Stop standing there idle, help those animals express their frustration.

7/20/09 Update of original art to make all parties happy.




Here is a job I recently finished. It is for the Athens/Clarke County Stormwater department. They needed a t-shirt for their new hot-line. It was requested to illustrate the design to look like a graphic novel. This is my attempt. Tell me what you think.

This is a 5 color screen-print on a light blue t-shirt. I added an updated version July 17th so you can take a look at the half-tones.

Griffin Day 5k: T-shirt

I have not posted in a long time and for a good reason. My 3 year-old son was diagnosed with Leukemia ALL on May 20th. We are blessed to see our son, Griffin, responding well to the treatments on a medical level. This type of Leukemia has 80-90% cure which is great. That said, he has not been himself and he is currently in a lot of pain.

We were in the hospital for over a week and I have been transitioning back into work. The only free time I have is when I sit with Griffin to comfort him. I cannot draw while I do this but I can read, and I have read four books since this whole thing started: The Shack, The Wizard of Oz, The Sun Also Rises and Dune. I will probably not get into posting often for awhile: this also means I will not be visiting my favorite bloggers very ofter either. I have not forgotten all of you.

The t-shirt designs, above, are for a benefit for my son. A friend of ours had the bright idea of putting on a 5k run to benefit Griffin and our family. We are making a day out it with a raffle, potluck, and music in the evening. These shirts will be given to the runners and will be available for purchase by the general public. If you are able to be in the Athens, GA. area July 18th please come by: Let me know in your comments and I will get you more information. If you like the shirt and you want to get one/support us please let me know.

About the design: Griffin's favorite color is purple, hence the purple shirt. I wanted to graphically show cancer cells (red crabs) intermingled with white blood cells (yellow rounded stars) and have the cancer cells disappear across the design. It's all very symbolic and hopeful. To top it off, who does not like looking at a picture of my son Griffin.


Update: To purchase t-shirts and/or register for the 5k go to

http://griffin5k.blogspot.com

Eric Clapton

Recently I was humbled to be to have the opportunity to designs a concert t-shirt for Eric Clapton. This kind of opportunity does not come up very often and frankly, I honored just be able to take part. Clapton is a music legend, and in my opinion, he is be admired for staying relevant and rocking for so many years.

I have been doing some freelance design for a screen-printing company for which I used to work full-time. Pretty much all the t-shirt designs seen on my blog are from work I have done for this company. When I got the call that we would be submitting designs to Clapton's management I was ecstatic. The only direction they gave was not use Clapton's face or an image of a guitar. So here is the best of what I came up with in a two day dead-line.

Sound Cloud: The concept was to combine psychedelic art with modern design.
Rasta Clapton: The idea here was to capitalize on one of Clapton's best known hits; his remake of the Bob Marley classic "I Shot the Sheriff."
Clapton Monument: He is so monumental in the history of rock that I thought it only fitting.

I am still waiting on what Clapton's people think. In the interim, please let me know your thoughts. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

IF Poise: T-shirt Submissions

In these recently created designs, and the designs from the previous two post, I have been trying to create compositions with a great degree of poise.

Poise from Webster's- 1: a stably balanced state : equilibrium poise between widely divergent impulses — F. R. Leavis>2 a: easy self-possessed assurance of manner : gracious tact in coping or handling.

"Odd Bird"

"Type-Writer"

"Super 80's"

"Tape Vomit"

"The End" based on the real ending of The Watchmen.

I have not been posting lately because I have been fervently working on some t-shirt designs. These, along with the previous two posts, are some of the submissions I have made to a start-up company called "Transmission." I am very excited about the prospects of this company.

Please let me know what you think about the designs: Would you were them? Which is your favorite? Do any of them rub you the wrong way? Do they have poise?

IF: Intricate

Here is an intricate way to hurt the environment.

Created for a new t-shirt line my friend is starting. More news later.

IF: Breezy

ChaDes: Super Villain

The Ice Raptor
Ice Raptor is part of the WOE, which is a group of super villains dedicated to destroying all Super Heroes. This group was created by Austin Maddison: Check his site for more WOE action.

Ice Raptor Origin:
Doug Vansant was a live in land lord of a San Francisco East Bay Slum were no one wanted to live. Unknown to him, there was an unscrupulous genetic engineer that was in hiding living in the apartment above his own. Adjacent to the genetic engineers apartment resided a low life that operated a Meth Lab. One day when loud noises where coming from the apartment above Doug's, he went to investigate the clanking. As he was reprimanding the engineer he happened to see some odd equipment: viles of liquid, large eggs, petrified bones, and computers. A minute later there was a giant explosion. The apartment was leveled but from the ashes rose Doug transformed into a hideous beast. Mysteriously during the explosion the chemicals of the methamphetamine meshed with the DNA of both Doug and a Velociraptor. What resulted was a half-Raptor-half-man creature with Amphetamines infused into it's DNA.

Powers:
Never sleeps, moves incredibly fast, super strength, works well with a team, poisonous saliva (equivalent to injecting 1000 cc. of uncut Meth), razor sharp claws and teeth, and ability to stay focused for extended periods of time.

Weakness:
Will do anything for a cigarette, prone to vacuuming at 3 A.M., twitchy (can't stay still, which is bad for hunting), tends to jump the gun, always paranoid, Kleptomaniac leanings and other bizarre phobias. Doug was an amoral Slum lord; I will leave these weaknesses to your imagination.

Apparently I was a bit late with this. Check out Everitt Downing's and Emma Coat's characters too.

More T-shirt Art

Content Edited (9/17/09)

In other news, the first design from the previous post is going to be printed. It will be printed on a natural colored shirt with browns, red, and oranges(see below). I am overjoyed to have a shirt chosen by Dan for his solo tour.

T-shirt Art February

Content Edited (9/17/09)

I was recently commissioned to do some t-shirt art for a couple of bands. I was really excited to do some art for Dan Auerbach, of "The Black Keys," who is putting out a solo album. The "Keys" are awesome, and from what I have heard, Dan's album "Keep It Hid"sounds like it will be great too. I did one creative 70's feeling design (top), another based on 60's Jazz Art and Ohioan pride (center), seen in previous "Keys" apparel, and a more Head Shot approach (bottom).


This design is for a Country rocker I had not heard of named "Jonathan Singleton." I was told to take inspiration from Bob Seger t-shirts/posters. I found a photo of "Singleton" live that worked well. "Singleton" is touring with Eric Church and I will have a design of his that I will show in my next post. IF and MAD will have to wait.

I hope the musicians dig my ideas. If you get a chance, please let me know what you think.

There will be much "celebration" and jubilation when designs go to print.

IF: Flawed

Despite their many flaws, they were still the best of friends.

OK, I must admit this was under the influence of the "Frog and Toad" book series. I have been reading "Frog and Toad" books to my son lately.

IF: Pale

Pale= Pail=Bucket; same thing.

I know, I know, a day late. Better late than never.

T-shirts design for January

I have not posted for a while and I am glad to say that I finally have something to show for it. I was recently commissioned by a previous employer to create some t-shirt designs for the band Widespread Panic. I was told to be influenced by Grateful Dead art. I was also told that we were going to try and use a printing technique were the ink is thin and washed out; hence the slightly faded colors in the designs. The following illustrations and designs are the best ideas that I came up with.






People who have previously been to my blog may recognize the last design. It was a design I did for Iron and Wine that was rejected. I thought it was strong, so I updated it and put Widespread's name in there.

I would be delighted to know which one is your favorite.