NYC Blackout and Looting of '77

Woo! Last painting of the semester!  Done in gouache, in a different style than I normally work in.  This was for a project in Peter Emmerich's class in which we had to illustrate, through sequential imagery, an important event in NYC history.  The style of this piece was heavily influenced by color scripts done for several recent Pixar movies.

Checking off final projects, one, by one, by one....

Musical Mousies for Sal! One of my favorite finishes of the semester for sure.

My first gouache painting!  This is about one of my favorite days at the dog grooming salon where I work.  This Komondor mix came in an absolute mess (although I admit I exaggerated his size and dirtiness a bit in the picture), and people crowded around the window staring in awe during the six or so hours it took to even remotely tidy him up a bit.  One of the coolest, and smelliest, dogs I have ever seen in all of my days.  I really do love the big ol' mop.

My oil painting for Kam's rendering class, I'm really happy with it.  I still need to touch up the hands and a few other things, but its mostly done.

EDIT1/18/12: touched up! I still can't look at those sausage fingers without cringing. I'll take this as a learning experience to always get the best reference possible on the first photoshoot.

Something about waking up in the morning...?  I kind of forgot where I was going with this but I'm content with the finish either way.

Finish of my Decemberists poster for my mentor, Robert Mackenzie.  It was wonderful to receive his input throughout doing this assignment.  He is a phenomenal illustrator as well as a phenomenal teacher, and I am so humbled and glad that I got to meet him.  Check out his blog at http://robert-mackenzie.blogspot.com/

Art Deco NYC travel poster assignment

Some works in progress!

I'm back! I don't really have any finished pieces, but it's been a while since I've posted, so I'll atleast put up some works in progress.

These first two are the sketch and painting-in-progress for basically my favorite project this semester.  We were allowed to do literally ANYTHING, so after a few days of stressing out over this extravagant vague assignment, I decided to illustrate one of my favorite days at my job at the groomer's!  I'll explain more when I post the finish.

Here is a rough sketch for an assignment given to me by my mentor, Robert Mackenzie.  He is a phenomenal illustrator who I am humbled to be in communication with, and if you have not seen his work before, then I highly advise you check it out.

I lied, this one is actually a finish. This was an assignment to create a book cover for "Time and Again" by Jack Finney, about a man who got bored with drawing soap, so he took a snooze and decided to wake up in the 1880's.  

....okay there's more to it then that. But yeah, it's actually a fairly enjoyable book. Check it out I guess.

Here is a sketch for an assignment we had to make an art deco style travel poster for NYC.

 This is a painting of...well I guess it's pretty self explanatory.  I actually have a lot more done on this one, but this is what's on my computer right now, so this is what you get.  Too bad.  

Again, I have more done on the painting for this one, but the sketch is what I have at hand.  I started the finish in oil, and ended up changing the rooster's eye completely, so he doesn't look so determined and wise.  According to many sources, crowing roosters, or any roosters for that matter, are not ones to bare such determined expressions. who'd of thought it?

Last but not least, this is my concept for a project which requires us each to create a sequential piece about something significant that happened in NYC.  Mine is about the blackout and mass looting in the 70s. 

Well there you have it!  Sooooo, these pieces, as well as two others I've yet to start, are all due in 3 weeks, all while attending classes and working weekends.  In conclusion, life is freaking DANDY RIGHT NOW.  Seventh semester boys and girls, seventh semester.

Though times are though right now, winter break will be that much sweeter, and hopefully I'll have a handful of decent portfolio pieces by the end of December :)  Look forward to more updates with finishes soon!

Digital Painting class final projects

 I'm glad I had this class, because it really kicked me in the ass and forced me to make pictures on photoshop for the first time since like 11th grade.  

William Low is one of the best illustration professors at FIT, and I am so happy I got the chance to be his student and to hear [a fraction of] the endless wisdom he has to share.  He is one teacher I hope to stay in touch with long after I graduate.

Last Sonja projects EVER.

Freedom.  The scent of liquin will forever haunt my dreams.

...but yeah, cutting the bullshit, I actually kinda liked the outcomes of my Sonja projects this semester, except for the Time project, which I didn't post.  One day ten years from now, I will dig up my old crokey(still have no idea what that word actually is, let alone how it is spelled) drawings and smile.

The world's fastest turtles - WIP

Here is a sketch and a digital work in progress for a piece I may or may not use for a class assignment.   I have to admit, it feels great that I'm actually drawing again.  Chances are the laziness will kick back in before I know it, but I'll embrace it while it lasts.

Here is a sketch and a digital work in progress for a piece I may or may not use for a class assignment.   I have to admit, it feels great that I'm actually drawing again.  Chances are the laziness will kick back in before I know it, but I'll embrace it while it lasts :)

The King of Soul

 Almost forgot to upload this one.  Project for Difate's class.  This small oil painting is responsible for introducing me to the angelic dreamy voice that is Sam Cooke.

Jon's Sitar WIP

As done with the grisaille as I'm gonna get, so here is a mashed up combination of several bad photographs of my painting.
  I should probably start the color before spring break ends. Meh. The plaid was genuinely fun, and the background?  ehh I'll play it by ear.

Some drawings

HOLY CRAP I actually got shit done today.  It is more than halfway though spring break, so it's about time I got some of my projects started.  Now that I actually have my starting points, I'm getting fairly excited about actually making these pieces.

This gentleman will end up as a digital painting for William Low's class.  Thank you daddy for being a fabulous model!

And this one will somehow end up as Difate's reality trip project.  Still thinking of different ways to turn it into a surreal piece, hmmmm.

Blue Mandarin

Well I suppose its about time I actually ATTEMPT digital painting (no matter how shitty it starts) rather than staring at the works of my favorite artists online and not doing anything for myself.

For my first real exercise, I googled a picture of my favorite fish and experimented for a few hours. No; I am not happy with the result. Yes, I am satisfied with it considering that it is merely a starting point from which I hope to improve gradually.


The style of this piece was heavily influenced by one of my favorite artists on deviantart, .

She posted a color theory Flash presentation that is very helpful, and if you are having trouble with color, I highly recommend you check out that tutorial.

Imagined Spaces!

William Low's environment assignment for Digital Painting.  I had a freaking blast with this.  It was my first time experimenting with painting environments, or digital painting for that matter, and I love it.  I've been all over deviantart over the past few weeks scrolling mindlessly through WIPs and tutorials of my favorite artists on the site, and it has helped quite a bit.

Because of this whole thing, I'm considering getting a Cintiq....hmm, worth 2 grand or not? Probably.  Yes, probably.

Oh and my oil painting of my faaaaavorite brother is coming out well.  Its for Kam Mak's class, and once I am done with the b/w layer, I will move onto color.