Illustration Friday - Monster

Inked Version


Here is my half finished entry for "Monster". Nothin more scary than a redneck zombie! I'll have the finished piece up very soon! Comments are welcome! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Illustration Friday - Feet

These are my Hobbit like feet....enjoy! (Ink & digital)

Well, it's been several weeks since I've participated in Illustration Friday, Many things have happened since my last post. I've moved from a giant apartment to a tiny apartment (and managed somehow to get all of my stuff into it), done some freelance work (thanks to my website), ruined 2 computers (that I've been nursing along for awile), and managed to be generally stressed out for like a month straight. Now that things have slowed down & I can for the most part think straight. I plan on trying to participate alot more, but I'm also trying desperatly to find the money for self promotion, so I can get some self promo post cards printed that will hopefully bring me a couple of freelance illustration jobs.

Illustration Friday - Simple

I'm not sure how exactly to relate this to the topic "simple" but I think it fits somehow. I didn't have any ideas for several days until the image of a small leafy plant at the center of a frame came to mind.

On a side note, I may be taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks because I'm in the process of packing and moving to a new apartment. So until I get reconnected to the interweb I'll see ya around.

Illustration Friday - Chair

This is one of the dining room STEFAN chairs from IKEA that we have. I love them because they are sturdy, lightweight, and believe it or not pretty comfy to sit on. Plus they were well priced at $20 each, which was surprising because nice chairs are usually really expensive. I used to live pretty close to an IKEA when I lived in Pittsburgh, and it was nice because you could get half decent looking furniture for your college apartment and still have money for beer & art supplies.

Illustration Friday - Glamour

Original Inked art

I felt like drawing some flowy blowing hair. Just so happens to fit the topic very well. Enjoy!

E is for Electricity 2 (COLOR REDONE)

I wasn't particularly happy with the results on the coloring for this piece for Illustration Friday a couple weeks ago, so i messed around with the colors till I thought it was an improvement. I'm happier with this one.

Illustration Friday - Cats (or in this case CAT)

This is my Cat Chloe. The topic of Illustration Friday was a perfect excuse to try something different and draw my favorite four legged friend. I did this using Prismacolor pencils on green paper. Comments are welcome!

On a side note I'm amazed at how many people are participating in Illustration Friday now. I actually remember when I could check out almost everyones work and when I'd post I could acutally be in the first 200 or 300. Now I'm in the 700's. Penelope Dullaghan has really created something everyone can enjoy. Check it out www.illustrationfriday.com

Illustration Friday- E is For (Electricity)

I'm not really sure why this came to mind when I found out the topic. It represents the idea that there are other resources for energy in the world, and we need to persue them before we run out of natural resources like oil. I'm not sure if the idea fits the illustration exactly but I gave it a shot. Let me know what you think!

Illustration Friday - Sea (Stella)

UPDATE: Color Version done with watercolor dyes.


Here’s the unfinished B&W. Color coming soon!

So my inspiration for this week came to me from a song called “Stella was a diver and she was always down”. by the band Interpol. From their first album “Turn on the bright lights” (which is a pretty great album). Comments are welcome and always appreciated.

I've been tagged!!

Well, I put the challenge out there to be tagged, and it was answered by Carla at http://anonyrrie.blogspot.com I’m not really sure how many people I’m supposed to tag back (maybe someone could tell me) But here goes. 20 things you may or may not know about me.

1. I lived in Pittsburgh for awhile and went to school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
2. Before I went to College I wanted to be a film director. (I changed my mind)
3. I have far too many Star Wars related items (toys)
4. I’m slightly Obsessive Compulsive (in college my roomates would mess with me and re-arrange things. It drove me nuts, and they got a good laugh)
5. I can’t cook, but I can grill.
6. I question authority regularly.
7. I get paid as a graphic designer, but I think about being a full time illustrator constantly.
8. I’m underpaid and overworked (yay)
9. Sometimes I make up stupid songs and sing to my cat.
10. I love the movie Anchorman (it makes me laugh hysterically every time I see it)
11. People have told me I remind them of George Costanza from Senfield. I like to think I look more like a combination of Keifer Southerland and Bruce Willis. (this always gets me a laugh from my girlfriend)
12. I’ve never seen the ocean. (although I’m told I was there when I was an infant)
13. Snakes and spiders scare me
14. People are always surprised when they find out I have tattoos.
15. I am constantly listening to, and keeping an ear out for new music (currently I am listening to Minus the Bear, and I’m rediscovering Deftones)
16. I love to play sports but can’t stand to watch them on tv.
17. I like to take my car out and drive way to fast
18. my apartment is haunted by an old man in a bellhop suit, and a little black dog (weird stuff often happens and my sister swears to have seen both ghosts several times)
19. My apartment used to be a hand carved horse drawn hearse company. The part I live in was the storage area for the finished hearses & is big enough to ride bikes, rollerskate, play pool, or have really big parties in.
20. Past jobs I’ve had include.....A Janitor, a grocery bagger, a cemetary groundskeeper, a bicycle assembler, a computer sales person, and currently a graphic designer.

Illustration Friday - Flavor (Flava Flav)

And here is the original Line art.

Yeah Boyyy! It’s Flava Flav! He's so crazy! It’s been several weeks since I’ve participated in Illustration Friday & I gotta say I missed it alot. I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Let me know what you think of my illustration!!!

This year Instead of just one resolution, I'm going to try several.

• Paint more often
• Draw in my sketchbook more often
• spend more time outside
• rent more movies
• discover a lot more music
• See every movie that looks good in the theatre
• Go to more art museums & galleries
• Network with more artists & illustrators
• Eat healthier
• Exercise
• Stop procrastinating
• Get a new job
• Win the lottery
• Sleep in
• Take a vacation from...everything!
• Go for walks
• Find more inspiration around me
• Smile more
• Scowl less
• Make the best of every situation
• Make more friends
• Drink more beer (I like beer but don't drink it enough)
• Take my girlfriend on more dates
• Move somewhere cool
• Make lots of money
• Swear less (damn it)

Oh yeah is anyone ever going to tag me with that 20 questions thing? Or am I going to have to be lame and do it on my own?

Christmas Portrait

Well, here it is. It's a portrait of my friend Sam's grandparents Pat & Jim. I've finished it just in time for christmas. I'm planning on starting Illustration Friday up again very soon so keep an eye out for new illustrations. I hope that everyone has a great holiday season. Take care.

Update: Carpe Diem

You may or may not have noticed the lack of posts in the last couple weeks. With the holidays so close and several other projects on the burner. I had to give Illustration Friday a short break, although I hope to start it up again shortly. Here is one of the projects I've been working on. It's my new tattoo design that I'm having inked on my right arm tomorrow afternoon. This will be my 6th tattoo (all of which are easily hidden under a t-shirt, I hope to have upper sleeves completed in the next couple years) Carpe Diem is the Latin term for "seize The Day" which basically means to make the most of every day of your life. (if you've seen Dead Poets Society you know what I'm talking about, if not I Highly recommend the movie) The other project is a commissioned portrait of a coworkers grandparents. I will post a pic of it when it's finished in a few days.

Illustration Friday - Small (The Smallest Christmas Tree)

Okay, so I can finally admit it. I'm now in the holiday spirit. My girlfriend and I put up our Christmas tree last night and as soon as we were finished I felt like I was prepared for the weeks of holiday music and shopping that I have ahead of me. I've always been alot more excited about giving gifts rather than receiving them. And although I don't follow the religious aspects of Christmas. I try to make it a time where I bring happiness and joy to people. Okay, enough of my corny nonsense. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Illustration Friday - Free (Falling)

I guess by calling this "Free Falling" it fits into the category of "Free" for this week. It's been a busy stressful couple of weeks for me designing ads at work in preparation of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. Usually I will have an idea or an inkling of what I want to do, but this week when I finally had the time to sit down and draw I had no clue where to start. So I decided just to do some free sketching and draw whatever came to mind. And this falling bird/angel woman was one of the things that appeared. I'm really pretty happy with how this turned out, since last week I threw my entry together half assed and It shows. As always your comments for this week are more than welcome!

Illustration Friday - Strength

Well Today is my 26th birthday and I'm starting to feel old. I know, I've got alot ahead of me and all that crap, but it still feels like I'm ancient. I guess that it's because I'm not as optomistic as I once was, Things that once held unimaginable wonder are everyday routines now. It would be so great if I could just go back and be a kid again, and rough house for awhile with childhood pals who've moved far away by now. It would be great if I was as optomistic as my Illustration Friday subject and could lift all these lame adult problems above me like that car. Oh well, I'll just take every day as they come. And do my best to keep a good attitude (and I tell ya, sometimes that can be a challenge). Let me know what you think of my entry this week. I really appreciate all of the comments on my work recently, thanks.

Midweek art - Screaming Siren

I have been working on this idea for a week or so and I just finished it this morning. The idea came from the previous weeks Illustration Friday topic “broken” which I wasn’t particulary happy with my entry that week. I like this one much better. Let me know what you think.

Illustration Friday - Night

Here is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. It's later than I would have liked, but it's finished non the less. I almost didn't have time to finish it due to other projects, but I felt compelled to work extra late nights this week, so as not to break my streak of work (I'm proud to say I haven't missed a week of Illustration Friday yet). So let me know what you think of it. As I've been doing for several weeks, I used Ink and digital color. Thanks for checking out my art blog. Later.

Illustration Friday - Broken

My entry this week illustrates that specific feeling when you've just had enough. That moment when something clicks and you do something drastic, like blow up at a coworker or boss, or just plain walk out. For me, I've had enough of my current job. More and more often I feel like my job as a newspaper graphic designer (a no respect job if there ever was one) is going to drive me crazy. The combination of stress, ridiculously tight deadlines, and mismanagement culminates into a tornado of pressure. For those who are interested I will share my master plan....I would like to find a decently respectable full time graphic design position in an urban area, so that I will be closer to more possible clients for my little side project...Freelance Illustration. Then eventually I will have so many happy clients of my illustrations that I won't need to deal with office politics any more, and I can quit design to start a lucrative full time career as a Freelance Illustrator. Ta Da! And there you have it. As always let me know what you think. I really appreciate the support!

Midweek art - Flame Punk

I had one of my rare bouts of inspiration last week and quickly drew a sketch on some scrap paper, my idea grew into this. Apparently he has some superpowers involving fire. This is ink with digital color. Enjoy!