Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Work Doodles and Creating Productivity...




On a particularly slow lunch shift a few weeks ago I doodled these at work.

I got to thinking that I haven't really free sketched in a while. Part of this, I'm aware, is because I'm not surrounded by creative energy like I was in Columbus and at CCAD. I also realized I stopped carrying around a sketchbook. I constantly had one on me during high school and used it regularly and I had a small one I carried in my bag when I lived here in AZ a few years back but nothing really since. I've had a couple small moleskine journals but I mostly used them to jot down ideas that came to me or notes for future projects.
But, why?
Why did I stop using a sketchbook and/or creating are so steadily like I used to? An artist's block is merely another label for distractions. Things like jobs, significant others, the internet, and TV, families, responsibilities as well as laziness.
I need to get productive or at least get moving. I've been feeling kind of down since I've moved out here and I think a big part of it is the lack of art surrounding me.
I have no excuse not to create SOMETHING. Even if it's a simple sketch.
I've seen a group of artists do a sketch a day though their blogs last year and recently a friend just started to do something similar over the summer with drawing something everyday now through august.

I've decided I'm going to carry a sketchbook with me again.
I am also doing to draw/doodle something everyday and/or at least work on the progress of a bigger piece of art.
I will document and post here.
I feel like this will get me productive again and progress toward the progress video blogs I want to make.
On that note I'll leave you with a few art vlog/progress videos from a few artists I admire :)








Friday, May 7, 2010

Visual Art for the Ears.

I went to see my favorite band perform last night at a small venue just a few steps from my apartment here in Tempe. MONO is a instrumental rock/ post-rock band from Tokyo. They don't tour North America often so there was no way I was missing this.
I'm not a photographer and all I own is a small point and shoot camera but here are a few shots I took from the show that I liked.








I'm not one with much knowledge about must but, all this art for the ears got me thinking about all the art that is plastered on musicians' album covers.
I complied this visual list of sweet album covers and links to the artists [if available :/ ]
Ready, Set, Photo Spam!


Aaron Janinski


Mark Ryden


Julie Bell


Alex Pardee He also did The Used's 'In Love and Death' album.


Alex Grey has done a couple of Tool's album covers along with much of their merchandise.




Done by the author of one of my favorite graphic novels, Craig Thompson


Drawn by the band's lead, Gerard Way.


Sanna Annukka


Dan Mumford


Paul Romano


Esao Andrews


Will Sweeney


Marq Spusta




both of the above and all the art direction is by Alan Aldridge. He also did the Beatles Illustrated Lyrics




Takashi Murakami

And I'm sure there are many many more that I can't think of/find at the moment.

Also, since I'm mentioning music I'm going to plug the music review site/blog Klap 4 Music written and maintained by an acquaintance of mine, Rudy Klapper.

What are some of your favorite illustrated album covers? Please Share!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Sketch 4 Sketch

Zerofriends duo, Dave Correia and Alex Pardee set out on a US road tour about a month ago called Sketch4Sketch where the two artists traveled to different locations around the country asking you to trade them a drawing for a sketch from each of them. A brilliant idea, I think. Illustrators as touring rockstars? Oh yes.

Well I caught up with them here in Phoenix at Red Hot Robot.


The table of t-shirts and prints


The line of eager fans waiting to trade




Dave [left] and Alex[right] check out the art you trade them and chat it up while they draw.




I traded the boys a few things including the Pop Surrealism piece I did for ColorCon based off Alex Pardee's work, some buttons, a print of my Venus of TaTa and a Snack Monster print, Matinée Snack.
They loved the snack monster and their quick sketches for me were inspired by my junkfood eating creature.


Zerofriends crew member Sean told us stories while we waited. Stories about the true origins of Batman and how he used to cuddle his pet bunnies and pretend they were unicorns :D

Alex sketching something for me


Dave sketching a pumped up Snack Monster


And these are the result.

Snack Monster on Steroids! :O from Dave Correia


Alex Pardee's Giant Mutant Hot Dog Eating a Snack Monster!! Oh Noes!



Hooray for Traveling Artists and Art Trades!!



<3