ballpoint is sick.

i did a psylocke sketch in fred's sketchbook.
lately we've been heavy into the superheroes, (specifically batman and x-men); forget the indie comic shtuff.



anyway, i challenge anyone sheridan, (or otherwise) to some superhero sketch posts. if you're serious, we can do this.

but seriously, on the whole alternative graphic novel thing: go pick up GILDED LILIES by Jillian Tamaki.

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treasures on the web that make you smile.

i was surfing some pages and linking into links and linking their links' links and at one point i came upon david choe's site. i found this little gem on his menu page, his icon for the site's photo section.


(look carefully)

well, it makes you feel good to know that a working painter out there knows about you- that the work you do is not all in vain. i mean, i'm pretty much famous now, thanks to david choe.

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batman is my hero.

i have been working on the backgrounds to the surreal work, but i have not had my camera around.

but, in other news, i got my alter ego project back from three weeks ago- so i scanned it and now i'm posting.
the project begins with a photocopy of an old yearbook photo, from there we have to create a story around this visual "clue".
this assignment was the depiction of the character as their fictional and non-fictional heroes.

gotham goodall.

16x20", acrylic, and graphite on paper mounted on wood.

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i saw harvey and showed him my steve buscemi portrait and upon further inspection, realized that there were some finishing touches i had to take are of. i will post the finished painting once i make those final changes.

in the meantime, i am also starting a surreal painting project that will last approximately three weeks. this is the sketch i have for the first painting. i'm feeling real excited to start painting.

thank you, rousseau.

i'll post up the painting(s) in its different stages toward completion.

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a magical afternoon.

an elephant and a lion cub came to sheridan today for the purposes of some life drawing. it was open to all arts students.
there were a lot of people there from other departments just marvelling and making a big deal out of the event. it was somewhat enchanting. if it weren't for the people constantly walking up to the elephant and petting it, blocking the view of the drawers- i would even say that the afternoon was perfect.

i did maybe six or seven pages, here are but a few sketches,
(ballpoint and ink on stonehenge):







i stuck to the elephant because i might be commiting to a long-term project involving one in the coming year. forgive me for the roughness, the elephant moved a lot.

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persuading myself to sleep.

this is a painting i did toward the end of august. it was inspired by an article i read in The Walrus about a hallucinogenic in south america. i finally got to scan it in, thanks to the giant scanner at sheridan.

once, i loved.

i just finished the other spread for blair's narrative class tuesday and will begin working on a portrait of steve buscemi for friday. i think tomorrow will be a good day, despite the cold.

a bunch of us have been in the studio from 6/7pm to 2/3am or so for the last two weeks; after that, sometimes we get something to eat. our sleeping schedules are real messed up. i'm at my most nocturnal, which means..

i'm that much closer to becoming batman. yess.

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working with graphite is like working with a person you've known all your life, but have neglected for so long.
maybe graphite can forgive me for forgetting...



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2B or not 4B.

ello, ello.

last night i completed the spread for blair's visual narrative assignment. the children's story is somewhat inspired by a short story by haruki murakami, (who, by the way, was up for the nobel literature prize recently). the original was supposed to be tabloid-sized, but i messed up; so for the final i had to do quite a bit of cropping. this is the original scan, untouched:

of inclination.

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open to suggestion

i am working on a website that i'm really pushing to have done for mid-november at the latest.
it will be very simple as it just needs to get the point across. i've opted for no flash.

as some of you may know, i'm not too keen with this digital stuff- including what is involved in purchasing a domain name and server, (is that even what you need?). more importantly, what company should i go with? i don't necessarily have a fixed budget, but i'm not looking to spend hundreds of dollars here. i know a few of you guys do have sites, so any kind of suggestion/advice/warning would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

wish me luck!

info ills is fun.

after making one out of two information illustration finals, i decided i would have some fun with my second one.
earlier this semester i was complaining that this class does not lend itself to portfolio-worthy work, but alas- it is what you make it, right? so on the denim: community project, i did skinny jean communities. i won't post the final information illustration because it's just sad, but here are the drawings that went into the second final:

oh! so skinny!

* i made up divo, i think he's the cutest.

postcards for clemente

here are the postcards i'm staying up to complete for clemente.
it's a part of my visual narrative class tuesday afternoons.








i didn't put them in any particular order as i felt the sequence should be interchangeable.
they are mixed media on wood with some digital corrections.

newness

ok, i've done it. i've jumped on the blogging bandwagon.
i thought this would be a good way to put up new work and spark some conversation. i'd really appreciate honest comments as i'm trying to grow as a painter/illustrator. though compliments are always nice, believe me when i say- i love contructive criticism and that is most welcome.

so welcome to fills the ills, i'm kinda excited.