Happy Birthday Ron Howard! March 1st!

Fats Domino Sketch

On the NCN forum Jan Op De Beeck started a "Sketch a Day" thread or "threads" I should say. Every Day is of course some one's birthday, so Jan has been posting birthday's of "famous" people and then that person is sketched by whoever feels like joining in. I'm in the middle of a large and somewhat complicated painting for GOLF magazine as well as a few other projects, so my personal sketching time is dwindling a bit. I still try to find time here and there to squeeze in a sketch or two a day if I can manage it. So last night I peaked in on the NCN forum and saw that it is Fats Domino's birthday on Feb 26th! So last night while watching a strange movie with my wife, I did this quick sketch. Happy birthday Fats!

Obama, and another one day turn around!

I got the call late last Thursday night to do this job for The Weekly Standard. I woke up early Friday morning, did my sketching and then spent all day painting until 5:00 p.m. when it was due. As an artist, there are things about these quick jobs that can quickly become stumbling blocks . . . . but I'm finding that it is so important to "edit and simplify" my technique. Thank you Tom for your wisdom in this. There are some things about this piece that bother me, for example, it would have been nice to have had more time to develop the truck and pose of Obama, but for one day, I feel good about the way it turned out. I had a great time again, exploring Obama's face. Each time I draw and paint him I make it a goal of mine to push and explore a bit more and try to come up with something new and fun. With these short deadlines, it's a fun challenge to see what I can do and I look forward to the next time I get to draw and paint Obama!




This is just a quick sketch I did of Mr. Joe Lieberman for a Birthday sketch "thing" that Jan Op De Beeck started on the NCN forum. A fun face to sketch for sure!

T-Pain for KING Magazine

This was the fourth painting that I did for KING magazine, and just like Kanye and Jim Jones, I didn't know who T-Pain was or anything about him for that matter. For this illustration, the a.d. wanted something futuristic and space-like. Being that this is a full page illustration, I would have liked to have had more time to develop this idea and explore T-Pain's character a little more. But again, for the time given, I'm happy with it. After finishing the Jim Jones, Kanye, and Wire paintings, I had four days left to complete this T-Pain painting.



One of the sketches done in prep for the final painting.

The Wire for KING Magazine

This is another painting I did for the same issue of KING Magazine. I really enjoyed working on this piece. It was a little challenging because in order to finish the four paintings within the time frame given, I had to work on all four of them at the same time. I worked on the Kanye and Jim Jones at once and then gave myself three days to finish The Wire painting, all while working on the last and final painting of T-Pain. This Wire painting will print on the bottom half of a page and will print a bit small in comparison to the size I painted it. Another challenge with the time given was painting three people together in a car at night . . . and to make them feel as if they're all in the same place at the same time. It was also important to capture the feel of an urban night scene while not seeing any of the city in the background. It was a fun challenge to tackle in only three days. I would have liked a little more time for detail, especially on the car, but for the time given, I'm happy with the end result.





Some of the sketches done in prep for the painting.

Jim Jones for KING Magazine

Here's another silhouette spot illustration for KING magazine. Like the Kanye West, this Jim Jones painting was done as a 1/4 page spot. I painted the Kanye and Jim Jones in four to five days, that's including sketching and all the goings on of working a job. I really enjoyed the look of Jim's mouth, looked a bit greasy, sort of slimy, so I tried to capture that feeling a bit.

Jim Jones is a very successful business man, but in the "business world" people are confused how he became so successful . . . . . I don't know anything about him, or Kanye for that matter, but I was told that he's pretty much horrible at everything he does. So the a.d. wanted me to portray him as a bum of sorts wearing a business suit.


These are some of the sketches that I did in prep for the painting.

Kanye West for KING Magazine

In December I did four paintings for KING Magazine. The issue is finally published and in book stores now, so I can finally share what I did for them. For now, here is Kanye West.

Ramanjit Raman Sketch.

Pencil sketch of Ramanjit Raman, a caricaturist from India.

Gordy, waiting for the Bus!

This is a preview of what's to come with my work in the future. I'm slowly working and developing my work in a "fine art" sort of way, painting large with oils and acrylics. Some will be exaggerated to an extent and others just stylized, but painted traditionally. I hope to have a show here in Chicago, one in New York and another in L.A., I'll be sure to share the info here once the shows are set in stone.

This is a practice painting, or "sketch painting", from this I will do a large oil. I'll be sure to share the process here.

Chris Martin Watercolor

Painted for fun.

Iggy Pop

There's actually more to this sketch, but it's still in development. I plan to do an acrylic or oil of this.

UNDER THE BUS!

Cover I painted this week for The Weekly Standard. Whew! This was a challenge, 6 people, a bus, 6 sets of hands . . . . a lot to paint in two days. I did my sketching and research on Wednesday and painted a little Wednesday night and then spent all day Thursday and Friday painting. Of course there are things about it that I would have liked to have spent more time with, but for the time given, I'm pleased with the end result. I had a lot of fun with the expressions on this one!

Robert Bauer

Acrylic of Robert Bauer is finished!

DARWIN . . . ScRiBbLe . . .

This is a very loose and quick sketch that I did last night while watching some T.V. with my wife. It was fun because I decided to do the entire sketch all in scribbles. I kept my hand and grip loose . . . . I just moved my hand around rarely lifting it off the surface. Sometimes when I sketch and watch T.V. at the same time I get into a sort of "trance", I'm not sure where the "time" has gone or what I was doing? The sketch seems to just "draw itself!"

I wanted to take this time to just say how important I feel it is as artists to draw and sketch every day. it doesn't matter what kind of artist you are or hope to be, becoming a better artist takes work, time and energy. You need to draw and sketch on a daily basis, "it won't happen on its own".

Friends of mine that have become successful in the "art" or "illustration" world don't waste time playing video games or socializing, they spend most of their time working on jobs and when they're not doing that they're sketching in sketch books, or working on new techniques on their painting, trying out new palettes and so forth . . . "it won't happen on it's own".

Somethings to try if you're wanting to improve your work as an artist.

1. Give yourself assignments. For example I must do at least one or two sketches a day, and at least one or two finished drawings or paintings a month.

2. Draw or paint from life. I believe it's important to get out of your house and experience the world and draw, paint, loosen up a bit . . . it's therapeutic! For me, I try to get out at least once a week and sketch in a cafe or restaurant, "smell" the Chicago air, and "hear" the sounds of the city. I also love to get out and do oil sketches, or plein air.

Remember, "it won't happen on it's own".