12.21.2014

*<~Happy Happy, Merry Merry~>*

It's been a crazy, busy year that flew by...!  Job change, trouble with the law, and heart breaks included.  Glad I made it through 2014!

My mother requested a Christmas card with the theme of an angel.  Angels are so generic and common--[like I can judge, haha] but as an elitist [sarcasm], I like the high-ranking Archangels.  My first Christmas card was a pencil drawing of Gabriel.  I don't know if this one is badass enough to be Michael, so I'm going to say this is Raphael, known as a great healer who watches over travelers and lovers.  I love the characters and personalities people came up with lifetimes ago as morals, myths, legends, and prophecies.

This androgynous protector of hope looks up to the light and waves a banner of the past year as a milestone.  Onto the next!



10.21.2014

2K Games - Social Media Assets Designs

Did a test for 2K Games based on the games that are launching this October--banners and GIFs.







10.16.2014

American Horror Story: Costume Contest

A co-worker of mine recommended we all try designing for American Horror Story's fourth season, Freakshow.  Don't know if I did a good job following the 1952 Jupiter, Florida period and location, but I had fun mixing eras and had a blast looking at vintage postcards and flyers of circus and carnival folk.




9.24.2014

Daily Post #24: Carousel Girl

Practicing painting in black and white~

PS--Since I didn't start out with a sketch like I usually do, there is no "process" this time.  Painted on 4 layers total:  One for the horse, two for the girl, and one extra for miscellaneous holes.



9.22.2014

Daily Sketch #23: Cabana

Since Summer is sadly fading away, and it is now officially cooling down with Autumn, I thought I would do a warm, sunny spot under a cozy wooden outdoor seating area.  New colors are created by bounce light and sun filtering through the cabana coverings in this private corner.  We have a fresh jug of water with already melting ice and glasses prepared for a small party of three with a wedge of lemon for each.  Big elephant ear leaves linger over the edge of the seat, inviting us to an exotic place in our imagination, far from reminding us about the urban reality beyond the mustard walls...

Song:  "A Summer Song" - Chad and Jeremy


9.17.2014

Daily Sketch #22: Floyd Mayweather Jr.

There's been a lot of talk about Floyd Mayweather Jr.  AKA "Money" via the web, word of mouth, and even radio.  Undefeated for 47 fights and 26 of those wins were by KO, I wanted to practice drawing the a heavy rendering hand of Mayweather just prior to action.  The style is borrowed from an artist in the film and animation industry.  The blue background is for the cool pre-game state he's in.  He looks like a nice guy...before he steps into the ring, that is.

I think I'm going to have to do a faceoff with Mayweather vs. Manny Paquiao sketch in the future, since that will be an epic fight that we will never get to witness.

Focus is the key.




Process:



9.16.2014

Daily Sketch #21: Cage

Haven't done a self-portrait for a long time, so I figured I take the picture of myself taken on the last weekend of August at the Disneyland / Disney's California Adventure Ferris Wheel Ride with the sun setting against my face as reference. Life is really rocky right now--a trifecta of problems.  Haha, but who does have those?  Relationships, jobs, debt...the list goes on.

This sketch is dedicated to those who still have the fight in them and who know they will persevere forward in this mad concrete jungle we've evolved into.  Determination.  Courage.  Delivery.



Process:


9.12.2014

Daily Sketch #19: Ethnic Girl

Lame title, but it is what it is~

I thought it was really cool to see a fair, blonde little girl in tribal garb.  It's not what we usually see, and I love the mix of cultures or cultures I've never seen or experienced before.  Her pose tickles me with the slightly tilted head just barely perching on her tiny hands.  Was she ending a dance performance?  Was she just posing for the picture?  Even the blurry background behind her tells us we are not in North America.  Is it a golden deity statue?  A temple?  Earthy tones with a deep blue to contrast with her tri-toned hair [including white-grey dreadlocks!] and pale green eyes.  I loved everything about this, I just had to paint it~!


9.11.2014

Daily Sketch #18: Old Potter

Taking a break from the landscapes and practicing people again.  I've been drawing and painting a lot of old men--probably due to the recent passing of my grandfather.  May he finally rest in peace.  I will be doing a portrait of him in the near future, but for now, I want to exercise my sketching with other people's fathers and grandparents.  This is the first painting I've done in a single layer without much of the crtl Z combo--just a lot of painting over and erasing.  Reminded me of animation and art by William Kentridge.


9.10.2014

Daily Sketch #17: Growing Old is...

...not for the weak.  My father just came back from Brazil from my grandfather's passing.  Unfortunately, I was not able to visit and attend the two stressful weeks before the funeral.  For 18 years, my grandfather had lived with cancer.  I did this sketch of an old man, still fighting to lift weights and continuing his boxing training even in his older state while my grandfather was still alive, living off of an IV bag in the hospital.

We take advantage of how slow older people are, but in reality, they are the most experienced out of all of us.  They've lived an entire lifetime that we'll never truly know about except from their stories pulled from their fading [but glorified] memories.  I appreciate older folk, even if they have become bitter and cynical, because at one point, they too, were once happy and very much in love with their careers, spouses, children, and life itself.

Stay strong.  Eat Healthy.  Live long.



9.09.2014

Daily Sketch #16: Brazil

My father was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  My grandfather raised his children there and that is where he passed away and is buried.  This image reminded me of a memorial.  Was a nice quick drawing then painting under the lines.

Song:  "Girl from Ipanema" Justin Imperiale Remix - Ezel / Tamara Wellons


9.08.2014

Daily Sketch #15: Urban Landscapes - Spain

Mixing line art with fast coloring--want to get better at drawing accurately, and pinning the big blocks of color before I get too noodling with the details.

Song:  "Snake Charmer" - Ottmar Liebert

"Home is where the heart is."


9.05.2014

Daily Sketch #14: Urban Landscapes - Italy

Ok, I think I just need to spend time in this country!  Florence streets look beautiful no matter what time of day.  Huge architecture masterpieces housing other glorious works of art surrounding the alleyways and small cafes...  Dreamy sigh~

A quicker sketch today--rougher edges and shorter lines.  Song:  "Sarah Smiles" - Panic! At The Disco


9.04.2014

Daily Sketch #13: Urban Landscapes - France

Been recycling the romantic cities because I suppose those are the places I really want to go, and probably need in my life right now.  Picked soft pinks, purple lines, and a yellow wash for a light undertone.  I need to go back to the Eiffel Tower on a day without the overcast sky.

Song:  "Sally's Song" performed by Fiona Apple.


9.03.2014

Daily Sketch #12: Urban Landscapes - Italy

Another Italy one--more revolving around the culture.  Loved the moped, the flags, and subtle lighting [most of the street was in shadow].  In my previous sketches, I only had the environment; this time, I included the people.  Since Pizza was the theme, the colors went from grey to green lines, and red-orange shading.  Red and green peppers, red onions, red tomato sauce...  Oh, and the Italian flag, too!



9.02.2014

Daily Sketch #11: Urban Landscape - Czech Republic

I visited Prague and Ponesice with a CalArts group of 17 in 2011.  Take a look at my Tumblr photos HERE!


8.29.2014

Daily Sketch #10: Urban Landscape - Central Europe

I'm afraid, I'm not sure where in Europe this quick painting is referenced from, but I wanted to really play up the shadows and light in the narrow alleyway.


8.28.2014

Daily Sketch #9: Urban Landscape - Italy

Once again, local side streets of non-touristy parts of a popular country.  Would love to visit Tuscany, Italy~  Wine countryside!  ...although, I guess this sketch is more of the urban side.


8.27.2014

Daily Sketch #8: Urban Landscape - Morocco

Love Arabic calligraphy.  Each word is like an individual piece of art.  Yes to decorative ink!


8.26.2014

Daily Sketch #7: Urban Landscape - France

I've been to Paris, France once with my family.  Visited all the touristy parts, but what I would really like to do is explore local neighborhoods and visit the small towns in the South, strolling on cobblestones eating pastries without drooling too much while watching their laundry publicly drying in the soft sunny breeze.


8.25.2014

Daily Sketch #6: Urban Landscape - Japan


I haven't taken a proper vacation AKA travelled abroad in one and a half to two years...!  Time is whooshing by, and I can't keep up...  So, I draw.  This is the closest I can get to wanting to see new places around the world~  Practice is a plus+!


8.05.2014

Daily Sketch #5: Social Paranoia

It's been a while since I drew something, and I DON'T want to lose it!  I've been anti-social media for the longest time.  Until this day, all I have on FB is an artist page.  No followings in any account.  It is good for corporate promotions, but I hate how reliable our world is with Internet these days.  Makes me miss Manual and [non-electric] Analog hardcore.

Anyway, this post is dedicated to all the times we've stalked other people or have been the victims of stalking on Social Media.  Bloodshot eyes, pale skin from lack of sunlight, and growing white strands of hair, all due to infinite hours on mobile devices and desktops checking the latest update.

Take a look at the logo list below and see if that doesn't look ridonkulous...  Sure, the colors are pretty, the logos are clean and clear, but why are there SO MANY OF THEM??  Don't even get me started on Apps!  Yes, yes, pros and cons to all of it--everything in moderation--but I think we're pushing past Moderate!


 Logos:

PS--Anyone see the lovely irony of my logo at the top right corner of the drawing?  Sigh, just proves that we can't escape personal branding...  There's my contribution to society!

7.08.2014

Eve in the Garden of Eden

Painting + Photo Manipulation of Eve in the Garden of Eden ready to take a bite out of Original Sin.  Always liked that fruit / apple metaphor.  The piece is pretty lateral with only has two layers of depth, but the snake has some dimension [was my favorite part to work on].  Take look at its slithery tongue just barely touching Eve's fingertip as it eggs her temptation on with its hisses.  I tried to shy away from being cliche...not sure how that worked out.  I also didn't want Eve to be associated with any specific race, so kept her ambiguous.

I've always wanted to do an Eden piece with two parts for male and female, but wasn't inspired enough until I heard the lyrics of Wine Red by The Hush Sound:

Who shot that arrow in your throat?
Who missed the crimson apple?
And there's discord in the Garden tonight...

The rest of the lyrics can be found HERE.  "Don't bite the apple, Eve!"  



For fun--these are the images I used:


7.07.2014

The Birth of Man

Ash, dust, bone, breath--and even human rib [yes, that's a supposedly real human rib, not one cleaned off a cow's].  All these items are described in the passage below.  Since Adam was created first, he gets the older look, versus Eve's luscious environment.  Kind of reminds me of a museum piece featured on a banner.  Also wanted something a little harder than a delicate religious painting like The Creation of Adam by Italian Renaissance Man, Michelangelo.

From trusty ol' Wiki:  "In an older Jahwist or Jahwist-Elohist sources (tenth-ninth centuries BC) in Genesis 2:4b, also known as the "subordinating (of woman) account," Yahweh fashions a man (Heb. adam, "man" or "mankind") from dust (Heb. adamah) and blows the breath of life into his nostrils."

Really?  Then why is it called "The Fall of MAN?"  Adam was created first, so he should have known better than to have listened to Eve over God~  Ah, the first family already messed it up for humanity...

PS--I admit these two Adam and Eve pieces are based on modern models.  Just think of it as contemporary interpretations of the beginning of time.  Mind-blowing!  Serpents were around in mythology before dinosaurs!



These are the photos I used for reference:

6.16.2014

AVIATION: DARE TO FLY

As promised~  Vintage Amelia Earhart, born end of July.  The red scarf is homage to Snoopy when he faces off with the Red Baron~  :]



6.13.2014

AVIATION: Fleet of Fighters

Fear of Falling?  For Old Folks?  No, FOF can stand for a lot of things, but my Dad is the one who inspired this logo.  It's Father's Day this weekend, so this is my tribute to him.  As a Flight Fanatic, he has taken me to the Museum of Flight [I'm talking about the Seattle one with the Boeing planes that abbreviates their wheelchairs with FOF, not to be confused with the Dallas Frontiers of Flight museum, nor the Florida Fantasy of Flight museum].  In addition to the handful of museums I've been to, I've also stepped in quite a few airports [domestic and international] and local hangers [some of which had art galleries like the Art Los Angeles Contemporary].  It's not exactly like Top Gun, but the aerial world is a totally different experience~

I will be doing a vintage female version of Aviation in remembrance of beloved Amelia Earhart.  For now, check out the Blue Angels Fleet Week schedule across the United States--July 4th is coming soon!


6.12.2014

STEAMPUNK: Steamy Cognition

Ahhh, my inner geek had to be released after the previous post!  I love the Adventure genre, so there's a flowing logic from the Indiana Jones post to this one~

Who doesn't love this definition?

ad·ven·ture
[ad-ven-cher]
noun
1.  an exciting or very unusual experience.
2.  participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit ofadventure.
3.  a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertainoutcome.
4.  a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.
5.  Obsolete.
            a.  peril; danger; risk.
            b.  chance; fortune; luck.

For this theme, I liked the face of the clock so much, I kept the hat as a small detail.  :]

Also, I've noticed that uploading images to Blogger turns out a lot lighter, no matter how much I try to darken the images in Photoshop...  Hmm...


6.11.2014

NAUTICAL: LEAGUE EXPLORATION

There were so many maritime items, sea-themes, and terminology while I was researching references.  This was a hard one to narrow down!  Started with a classic sailor hat, and then went vintage a la Jules Verne.  I'm glad I went old-school~





6.06.2014

ADVENTURE: Expedition to the Unknown

Felt like doing a themed logo-type symbol--there may be a small series of these to come.  Good ol' PSD practice.



6.02.2014

Earth Day 2014

Photo manipulations of visual daily reminders we need to keep in mind...

4.01.2014

JAC Graphic Design

A compilation of the freelance graphic design I've done over the last years: