Doodle Movie

Scan My Conscience

I've had a lot of fun taking doodles of mine and using 'Image Ready' creating cheap little animated movies from them. They are kind of captivating. You just end up gazing at the art longer then you should really. What does it mean? Your guess is as good as mine on this one.

Reverend Blues.

Reverend Blues!

Tony Cortez isn't your normal pastor, he's also a blues musician as well. One good description of him and his music is described as such.

"For many people it’s a natural assumption that the blues is the devil’s music but this is not the case when it comes to Rev. Blues. The Rev. uses the blues as a way to communicate the gospel truth about sin and redemption. His music is not only entertaining but it also helps those who struggle with the daily burdens of life. The Reverend's music speaks about how we can over come life’s obstacles with a little bit of faith, hope and love."

In exchange for a cool custom blues tune for my podcast The Illustrative Designer I agreed to help him out with a logo design.

Listen to the music Tony produced here.

Pioneer Spirit

Daniel Boone was a man, a biiiiiiig man!

Schier Products has been pioneering and selling plumbing products since 1972. Many of their product lines have names like 'The Trapper' or 'Great Basin' and they wanted a logo that reflected that same heritage of pioneering spirit. To be specific they wanted a mountain man that could embody a strong persona moving forward.

I am happy with how this mark came out and as you can see I used the round off technique on my vector art to give it a more refined look.

Adobe Newsletter

Illustration Used on Adobe Newsletter.

Some may have noticed my artwork making an appearance on the recent Adobe Newsletter sent via email? The main image in the header graphic they used is art from one of my Keyboard Characters™ named 'Pet Monster'.

The agency I worked with on this and other assignments for Adobe such as the 'Go Forth & Create' poster really makes creating artwork a whole lot of fun.

I wish everyone a very merry Christmas!

Caving to Frill.

Top: Back T-Shirt Design, Bottom: Front Center Chest - Click to View Larger Image.

The whole design trend to use oranate turn of the century frills and motifs in design isn't anything new. I told my friend 'Shane' who is a master at this style "I refuse to take part in this 'Frill' trend." We'll I've caved. And yes I admit it's fun.

A retired LAPD officer and former SWAT team member hired me to create this t-shirt design for his company. He sells products to police and SWAT members. Those Dover books collecting dusk on my library shelf are finally being put to good use.

The terms used in this design are buzz words popular with SWAT:
- Operator: High Level SWAT
- Tango: Bad Guy and or Terrorist


Detail of Design Textures.

It's hard to appreciate this design at such a small posting size so this image shows how cool the textures look at 100%.

Glassy Goodness.

Look at that sheen. Ca-chow!

Here is a logo I did for server company. The mark is based on the fact they use a 'Multi-Core' system and playing off the 'C' in the name of the product.


Candy coated.

Also created this logo badge for a podcast friend of my Joseph Nilo who has a show called mac media cast.

Big Bocca

Big Mouth Character.

Here is recent logo job I did for an Italian Animation Firm called 'Big Bocca'. I guess that means 'Big Mouth'? They wanted a cat type of character so I thought this would lend itself for animation. The type you see is a hand lettered font I am slowly creating called 'Nimcompoop'. After about four years of not designing fonts (Fontographer died with OS9) I now have the itch again.

I am documenting my process on this so there will be a tutorial on IllustrationClass.com.

Start Mobile Art!

Start Mobile is a massive online gallery of art available for mobile devices of all types. Tons of great art ready to take up residence on your cell phone or PDA.

I went through my archive and picked a handful of art to use for this venture. Now if I can only figure out how to get it on my cell phone.


'Vonster'


'Tribal Tattoo'


'Robotica'


'Temporal Infestation'


'Sea Serpent'


'Owl'


'Happy Tree'


'Escape'


'Super Doodle'


'Deep Six'

Keyboard Characters™

'5 of the 10 characters in the set'

Keyboard-Characters™ are here! For the past year I've been working on an illustration product idea called Keyboard Characters™. They are a fun, unique and collectible way to enjoy art in your work environment.

There are a total of '10' characters in the set. The characters shown above are 'Evil Corporate Suit', 'Riled Rover', 'DZGN-BOT', 'Office Joker' and 'Pet Monster'. For more information on what exactly they are, how they work and how to order a set just visit www.Keyboard-Characters.com for the complete scoop.


'Monkey Boy' he's simply chimptastic!

Get a FREE '11th' character called 'Monkey Boy' when you order of two or more sets at one time. So click on over to www.Keyboard-Characters.com and go ape.

Infest Your Desk!

Paper Mate® Flair Pens Rule!

'My trusty tool.

I love my Paper Mate® Brand Red Flair Pen for doodling. I draw my art pretty quick and loose then go back in and beef up lines, add shading and detail until it comes to life. I never really give much thought to what I'll draw and today it turned out to be two freaky looking creatures. I've only drawn in actual sketch books a few times, I find it constricting. I prefer carrying around a small 4x6 notepad that I doodle and sketch on. I like being able to pull them out page by page and hang them up, cut them out etc.


This characters name is 'Giltoid'.

I've always wondered why I enjoy drawing wierd and ugly things more then pristine and beautiful things? Granted the former is easier I suppose but it does make me think. Why does 'Giltoid' look shocked? What are those things floating to the right of his head? Does he speak english? Is he a mutant or an alien life form? Is he actually a she? Ah the fun of doodling.


This art is titled 'Dead Ideas'.

In college I knew a fellow artist who refused to drink beer. It wasn't because of some moral high ground but rather one of inspiration. He didn't want to kill off brain cells. As he told me one day "If I drink I will kill off brain cells. One of those brain cells may be the idea that makes me a million dollars." I thought that was pretty creative of him actually. After I drew this art I was looking at it and asking myself "What does it mean?" Not that it has to mean anything but I was mainly trying to come up with a title for it so when I posted it here on my blog it would have a label. I decided upon 'Dead Ideas'.

Think about it. You'll never use all your ideas. The death rate is still one per person and one day when you pass from this horizontal hold more then likely there will be ideas you had that you never moved forward on, never shared with others and those will die with you.

So get busy! LOL

(I'll also be using these to create some brush texture painting tutorials with for IllustrationClass.com)

saelee oh tip

giant robot has saelee oh apples - "each apple is a unique piece done by Saelee with the white paper stitched onto the red. apples are about 4 x 4 inches." $50. available here. the works from the show at the bottom of the are all sold, and a nice selection of her work. 5 apples are available as i post this.

The Illustrative Designer Podcast

'Our iTunes Badge.'

The Illustrative Designer Podcast is now live. Our first episode is on iTunes and we have '3' more scheduled to hit ever couple of weeks. You can subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.

To support this new podcast I have developed a site so if for some reason you do not use iTunes or don't have access to that app all the time you can simply visit the site and listen to the podcast online. Visit the web site at: www.TheIlustrativeDesigner.com

It's taken me a while to work out all the technical bugs and I am still working on improving the optimization of the interviews since I record them over a phone line but if you listen to this with head phones it should be fine.

The first podcast features an interview with Bill Gardner the creator and founder of Logo Lounge. The end of each podcast will feature cool music sourced out by my friend and fellow designer John Nissen.

I hope you all enjoy and please leave some positive feedback at iTunes and be sure to visit the web site.

Von

thelab(sf)'s small multiples show

i am participating in thelab(sf)'s 10th annual small multiples show (post-postcard).


the show is an "open-invitational exhibition" and given that thelab is a good non-profit arts space, lots of local art school folks and kids like me, trying to find our way into exhibiting art, participate (costs $10). thelab provides each participant with a 5"h.6"w.11"d box, which they fill. the work must be priced between $1 and $30 (split between thelab and theartist). all work in the box must have the same price. the post-postcard idea invites artists to make small works - originals, multiples, whatever - that fit into thebox and thepricerange. the show is an open marketplace with hundreds of these boxes.

this show is a natural fit for one of my favorite cameras, the polaroid spectra.




i submitted 14 individual polaroids, framed in the polaroid film cartridges (reuse), with tape and an eyescrew.

priced $15 each (half to me).

i also created 7 polaroid constructions/diptychs. i made frames out of cardboard (reuse), tape, and wire. i am very happy with the results.



priced $30 each (half to me).

i learned a few things along the way.



view the slideshow of my submission. or, the photo set.

this is a great show to checkout in person. handy fortothe giftgiving. there is veryverymuch work, a variety of good work (original and multiples), all priced $30 and less.
2948 16th street @ capp (near mission)
opens thurs, nov. 30 (members preview from 5-6pm, opening reception 6-9)
runs friday (dec. 1) 1-8pm
sat/sun (dec. 2-3) 11am-6pm
free admission

Society of Illustrators Exhibit

'Hoo Do You Love'

Today I got some cool news. My owl illustration was accepted into the 49th Annual Society of Illustrators exhibition and publication. It was my first time submitting to the Society of Illustrators so I am pretty excited.

I Want Your Skull!

'Skully' Click art to view larger image.

I enjoy participating in collaborative art projects. So when my fellow art buddy 'Rob Schwager' emailed me about a project called 'I Want Your Skull!' I knew I had to submit something.

Skulls remember are number '4' on my 'Top Ten Favorite Themes' list from a previous post I made, so it was a no-brainer.

NYC - Urban Burn

This past week was my first time to visit New York City. Man alive is that one huge place. I was overwhelmed by how massive it is and how many people dwell within it's limits. All the cliches I've heard over the years are true. At one point it was sensory overload and much like Disney World I didn't come close to seeing and doing everything a visitor could. I am sure I'll be back again soon and I plan on visiting more key spots.

I did manage to find my way into the 'Late Show' with David Letterman so that was a whole lot of fun.

My visit inspired a doodle and that combined with a photo I took led to the following low-tech animation which I am calling 'Urban Burn'. I hope you enjoy the art.


'Urban Burn' Inspired by Time Square 10pm.

paul wackers at eleanor harwood gallery

paul wacker's show at eleanor harwood is called "another side of this life."


i blogged it on fecal face. wanna read?

The Folder of Lost Ideas

'Wacky Logo Concepts.

Before I show a client anything the work first has to move me. If I am not invested in it and don't really care for it then I shouldn't present it to a client. So I make it a habit of working until I reach a point where I feel confident abou the work I will be presenting. That way when a client doesn't like something I am OK with it. This project was like that.

A branding company by the name of 'Brand X Creative' asked me to assist in creating logo concepts for a new project QuickSilver (The surf and clothing company) was starting up called 'Kommunity Project'. I read through a brief and it contained all the standard marketing speak for what they wanted to accomplish etc.

One thing was clear they wanted something different then what has been done and that is what I tried to focus in on.

Some of the creative direction given me:

- Low Brow
- Wack Tech (Not really sure what this is? They didn't either.)
- Illustrative
- Iconic
- Conceptual
- 1 or 2 Colors
- None Corporate
- Don't use the letter 'K'

Well here is what I did. None of which were picked in whole. They did like my type treatment on the fourth one down and ended up integrating that into the final mark they used. Kind of a squirrelly creative project for me on this one but I personally really liked number 1,3 and 4 myself.

These marks will end up in my 'Folder of Lost Ideas'.

maria forde at little tree

maria forde's solo show at little tree gallery


includes 32 paintings - one from each year of her life so far.


love the smiles. i blogged it on fecal face. wanna read?

david choe at anno domini

"frice," david choe's solo show at anno domini, in downtown san jose, opened last friday night.


the show includes
--this work on black velvet, which choe uses to complete the image


--this sweet detailed illustration

choe is a bit pervy.

--this collaboration with mr. cartoon (air brush and oil paint on paper), which is both amazing and too pin up girl for me.


--his twins



these ladies may be familiar. choe painted them on one of the doors next to 5024 on fillmore in sf's lower haight.


before that, he painted them next to, and above, gr2 in la (still up in sept. 06)


the show also includes photocopy enlargements, one-offs, 1000% sized images from his sketch book.



these were huge (as big as 7feetx3feet); many had additional hand shading; priced between $40 and $150. looks to me like his gift of opportunity for local fans. mostly sold at the opening (i think), but not all.

they gave him the whole gallery. this was mostly good.

and somewhat random


my photo set and slideshow have more photos of the work. unfortunately, my flash didn't agree with all of the work.

gallery ad also posted the show, with prices, here. i think david choe is really talented. somewhat volatile. somewhat juvenile. there is a good chance that he will have an interesting career. right now, he can, and likely does, support himself doing graphic design work. his also makes t-shirts and participates in some corporate art programs. i hope this doesn't kill his gallery work. in any event, this is a good show for choe's work. he has a solo show at jonathan levine in january 2007.

check out the show - which runs through nov. 25, 2006 - in person.
anno domini
366 so. first street, san jose, ca