Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to all and I hope all your Holiday Wishes are fulfilled!

Wesley, Star of LIB

Against most online polls, Wesley is the star of Lonely in Black. With much excitement, Mike-E and I have gotten on the track again to conclude the book/story we once started. I had to dust out my issues and re-introduce myself with the gentlemen and ladies of the LIB. But much like the winter coat in the closet, it was a little rough but everything fit perfectly.

Notes on the image: pen and ink, some washes and eventually computer glitter for some show!

Metal Matt!

I thought I would give the Metal Mulisha Skull another shot. This go around I went for a more eerie/clean/hypnotic take to it. Want it to be clean enough for a Tattoo. From what I heard today it might just be. Enjoy Metal Matt!

Street Art Productions

Oh what a night! I wanna start by thanking everyone at Street Art Productions and the Tree House for such a rad time last night. I was asked to share the stage with the very talented Joe Nunez and highlight some of the work we have done individually. I had a great time meeting new people and talking about the my work past, now and upcoming. As part of the Gallery show I was also asked to do some live art for the folks whom came down and I have to say the energy in the room was, in short, a rush! I will post images as soon as they become available, although I hear there are a bunch out there already.

About the piece above, it was a donation piece I did for Street Art Productions for the show. I wanted to capture the raw and street feel so I grabbed anything and everything available. Paint, ink, Spray paint, markers and pastels to name a few. Final Size 15"X20".

On a side note, I will be having a small window of time between shows and client work for commissions so if anyone is interested in having original art done, drop me a line at artedeandyperez at gmail dot com.

Visiting Wonderland, Again

Hey is that Alice? Yes, yes it is. I can easily say that aside from Goth Grrl, Alice is the other most requested lady I get asked for as a commission. Don't mind it at all. I always found the characters to be easily inventive and cannot be re-imagined wrong. Just ask Tim Burton. The piece measures 15"X20" and I went with the Prisma Markers for the soft, colorful look. HHHMMM, maybe next go around Alice can appear as a red head...

The Bride's Birthday

This was a commission piece that I was excited about doing. The task was to turn our friend into one of her favorite characters, The Bride of Frankenstein. So with a few dabs of ink, a bit of paint and white pencil highlights the bride was born. Doing commission work that is aimed at being a birthday present is pretty nerve wreaking but at the end when it is well received it makes the hours placed on the work worth while.

Happy Birthday Ashley!

Happy Halloween

And to finish off the pair, here is Sally. I knew eventually the day would come when I would be asked to create a real live Sally. Wished that I would have taken the "in works photos" but the deadline was short. Fortunately the paint took well to the skin and Sally was off to join Jack on the night's wacky adventures.
To all, Have a Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin King

Seemed only fitting that if I was going to carve a pumpkin this year, it would have to have Jack, the Pumpkin King! Knowing that I only had one shot at it I made sure to draft out a quick sketch and start going to town. Along the process I realized that the head may eventually become an obstacle so I changed the locations of the bats to help support the weight. With a few modifications and a bit of slicing and dicing it was complete. Jack, The Pumpkin King.

Metal!

A special request by "Metal" Matt.

Elephant

I almost forgot about the elephant... During the event last weekend I had a different request for the back of the sketchbook. My usual requests are anything from pin-up ladies to super heroes so to my surprise I was asked to do an elephant. Ask and you shall receive...

Chalk the Block II

Thought I knew what I was in for, I was wrong. I can honestly say that this lovely red head gave us a run for our money and I would not have had it any other way. After hours of skin grinding on unforgiving concrete and muscles being used as never before, it was over and I wanted more. This is one red head that we will never forget.

Thank you VERY much Mike-E for the assistance, Daisy and Matt for handling the merch and all of you who stopped by to share your kind words on the piece!

Chalk the Block

Just a quick note, I will be one of the artists participating in the Chalk the Block event located in downtown El Paso, Saturday the 19th from 10am to 6pm. I will be doing live art with pastels, along with other very talented artists. Mike-e will be joining me in this fantastic voyage and has the task of keeping me sane by assisting me with the creation. (see above for preliminary design)

For all interested parties, there will be a booth at the event that will be selling my merchandise. A VERY limited amount of Alice in Wonderland prints (see previous post) will be on hand. Keep an eye out for the ever lovely Daisy and tell her the blog says HI! PEACE!

Alice Part II

Many, MANY days ago (in February to be exact) I posted the inks of a piece Dave Olivarez Jr. and I were working on. Our lovely little take on Alice in Wonderland. He did the cat and I did the girl, background and colors. The future use of this image is yet to be determined but I am glad to say that it will be available as a limited print.

Wonder Woman IV

Here is one of the projects that I was working on that I am very privileged to be apart of. Every year an event called Wonder Woman Day is held to benefit Domestic Violence shelters and Crisis Line. Artist are invited to contribute pieces of work to raise money and this year I was accepted as a participant. For more information about the cause go to http://www.wonderwomanmuseum.com/WWDay4/WWDay4.html.

About the piece. It measures 15" X 20" and was made of ink and Prisma Markers. I roughed it out first and once I got the idea out, I went in with the colors. Like most artist would agree, you may have an initial idea of where you want to go but sometime along the way your brain and hand take control and changes are made. Hence the detail on the hair and the many stars on the background. One of the best parts about being an artist is the ability to let go...

Welcome to Earth

Been over a month since my last entry and against my best efforts could not get to posting. I assure all that there are projects in the works, many that I cannot mention until they are locked on. All of which I will post and share when all is final.

I do want to take the time now to congratulate John, Gabby and Charlie on their new addition to their family. We are very happy for you and wish you all the best. The image is customized Wee Wobble that I painted to capture the wonderful time that the momma had during her pregnancy.

MJ RIP

Where normally posting an image like this would be outdated I actually had trouble initially getting anything on paper because it really was a matter of what was appropriate. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a HUGE zombie fan and in part Michael Jackson had a BIG part in that development. Yes of course I am talking about a little song called Thriller. Growing up I had listened and enjoyed many MJ tracks but it was seeing the Thriller video and oddly enough seeing the undead come alive was very life changing for me. I would like to say, like most, that Night of the Living Dead was my first look to the undead but the truth was that it was Thriller. I was saddened to hear about Michael Jackson because despite his personal life, he had a musical talent that will never be duplicated. As much as I wanted to pay homage to Michael as his Thriller counterpart, it just didn't feel right, it seems like the wrong time. Keep dancing Michael, and thank you for the legacy you left behind. Rest in Peace.

It's A Celebration!

It's always a celebration when you have someone this special in your life.
Happy Birthday Babe!

Hit the Switch!

So there I was, watching Igor for the hundredth time with my kids when I got the urge to slap him done on paper. There is something about the way the animation was done and the use of colors that really draws me in every single time. Although my piece does not have the dynamic color that makes the characters pop, there is something said about making something dramatic with the grays. Almost too fitting to have a goth tone to a subject that lends himself to it. And yes to all whom say that the eyes make him look wired, I just simply could not live with myself to give an Igor big Bambi eyes.

Marv

Been super swamped with jobs here and there that it has been preventing regular updates to occur but worry not I have not abandoned the blog. Now on to the ugly mug that you see before you, Marv. Marv was actually shown to me for the first time by a brother of mine years back and it stuck with me so much that when I think of the original Sin City I automatically think of him. I had the great opportunity to hang with him recently and it just brought out the classic. Thanks Dan for showing me that not all comic heroes wear tights.

FOOD ONE

As everyone knows, I am a long time fan of Jim Mahfood AKA Food One and all the work that he has done in both comics and in the fine arts world. I really can't say enough about Jim other than he is one of those unique artist that creates from within and when you set him loose with no restrictions you get some amazing pieces. My first encounter with his stuff started with the Clerks books and carried on to the Grrl Scouts and the recent Drum Kick Comix. As the years went by and I crafted my art, I never thought I would meet him yet alone be an exhibitor at the same Austin con two years in a row. In talking with him and seeing him go at it on a sketch book I can honestly say he is so down to earth and so unfazed by his success. Truly an artist by definition. Check out his work at 40 oz comics.

In tribute to the entertaining book Food One gave us with Kick Drum Comix, I present to you Echo Chambers: Bombastic Avenging Disco Space Goddess! (Echo Chambers is a copyright of Jim Mahfood). Hope I did her justice Jim.

Lego Family

My son has now come to age were he is an official gamer. Oh how they grow up so fast! His current amusement comes in the form of Lego Star Wars which I have to admit that I too am hooked. Well I think it's safe to say that the game has become a family affair. In honor of this rebel alliance I decided to do a piece that ties two of my son's favorite things: his family and Lego Star Wars. Two versions, one which displays me having fun with markers and the other in digi color. It's always cool to see how much different it can be in different medias.

Splatter

What started out a very safe and normal day of doodling, ended with a splatter. Actually a series of splatters. I was there really not finding my place on the sketchbook and as normal it was a very routine, something is coming out of the pencil and away it goes. Once I thought I was done I new I needed something, something outside the norm. So with the trusty brush on hand and a few splashes, I had an end result that you see. Some may say that I made it dirty, what did I do. Others may say it is BAM! there. All in all it was something I felt I needed to do, as some artist may say "Expression". So for today I say try something new.

You Little Monster

To my surprise recently, it was brought to my attention by my daughter, that she had yet to read or be read Where the Wild Things Are which I thought was a mandatory read for young children in school. Or at least I think it should be. Also finding out that it is a book that had caught her attention because it is on a bookshelf in her class but has not been read to her just added the fuel for me to present her with the classic. I remember reading the book over and over as a child and thinking how cool it would be not only to be around monsters but to be their king. Silly I know. Thanks to my little girl, I was able to relive a fun time from my past and now the book is on her list of favorites. Needless to say the piece you see is the end result. I hear there is a movie in the works...

Zombie Attack!

Let me start off by saying that the best way to start a conversation is to throw the word Zombie out there. Confused? Try it and you will see how it easily turns any quiet silence into a lasting impression. In my case it was easy because I dig Zombies and it just so happens that the gentlemen whom I started the conversation was decked out in zombie gear. I met Martin Whitmore at the Staple! show last March and although he had my attention for looking like the undead, I was pleasantly surprised to know that he was an exhibitor that was plugging a story that combines the best of both worlds, zombies and strippers. Haven't you ever wondered how strippers would survive a zombie attack? Well think no longer because Martin has the answer on his web comic Tasty Flesh. Please be warned that there are mature tones to the comic and it is not for younger or easily offended audiences. Thanks Martin for giving me a zombie break at the show!

LIB Podcast

Yes I added an older piece, yes it is one of Lonely in Black and yes I am ready to answer why... Because it is time. Time to bring the past in to the present once again. In our last trip to Austin we had a large amount of "Will there be more LIB stories?" The answer yes. I don't think Mike-e and I can ever turn our backs on the Wesley and the cast. We have been absent but never did we abandon our book or its contents. Which leads us to the Podcast.

We were interviewed by the ever cool League of Extremely Ordinary Gentlemen at Spill.com earlier this month and we were asked about LIB. It was definitely a charge to bring our book back to the spotlight. The interview starts about 20 minutes in but I do recommend listening to all the interviews within the podcast. The League is definitely an entertaining bunch to listen to. Thanks guys for letting us be part of your podcast and as for Lonely in Black keep an eye out, there has been some pages spotted out there. Oh and about the drawing, it was created for a super cool fan who really dug the book.

Oh Crazy

Hello all, it has been a few busy days but I am back. This lovely lady was one of the images that was in the "Music" book I had on hand at Staple. My whole intention was to make it a very bright soft piece. Most people think of crazy as a dark place so I wanted to do the opposite. Why is it that when you see crazy people you rarely see them not smiling... I ponder.

Picture Perfect Smile!

Not much I can say about this other than "in the works". Oh and no those are not octopus arms on the sides, just an attempt to frame the portrait. Very excited about the project and will reveal more as time comes.

THUNDER!

In the category of "80's characters that Dave has drawn and I colored his work without asking first" is this Lion-O piece done a few years back. It is one of those, "Hey look what I found in the attic." I know it is not a new piece by definition but it is new to the world. Much like the recent Ninja Turtles piece I posted earlier, this was a drawing that Dave drew and I just had to add colors to it. As like the turtles, I was glad to see that he took to my colors. So far, so good. Maybe I should get a hold of a Skeletor from Dave....

Munny Z

WOW, I can honestly say that this was months in the making... and it was finally done in one night. A friend of mine gave me a Munny as a gift from her fantastic New York voyage and it has been sitting there since late last year. It wasn't lack of time it was fear. I did the mistake of looking up Munny art on the web and what I found blew me away. At that point I thought there was nothing to the creative extreme that I could produce. Months later the planets aligned, there was zombie in the brain and brushes on hand and I went to town. The End.

Punk!

"just you and me punk rock GIRL!" Oh The Dead Milkmen always a playlist favorite. If memory serves me right I believe the request was made after he saw the one in the art book I had. Luckily he isn't an Avril fan either and was pleased with the final product.

Grease?

And back to the sketches. I really had a lot of allowance on this one, no real request more of a surprise me. Started drawing away and I new I wanted to go totally blonde since most of the request were of dark haired ladies. Interesting enough, my wife made a comparison to Sandy from Grease. All accidental I can assure everyone.

TNMT

Okay I thought maybe there can be a break with the convention sketches and show some recent work. What you are seeing is an original piece from Dave Olivarez Jr. of the Turtles. So what did I do? The colors. I had gotten a hold of the original and he asked me to add the logo on the back ground and um I kind of added color too. Luckily he liked what I had done. What started off as me just having fun adding the old cartoon/basic color with shadow touch ended up being a piece that took me back to cartoons and cereal. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® are registered trademarks of Mirage Studios USA. Based on characters and comic books created by Peter A. Laird and Kevin B. Eastman.

Medusa

Not that I ever get tired of illustrating various versions of Goth Grrl or Alice but it is nice to get something totally new and unexpected. In this case I was asked for Medusa. I think the challenge was to get the snakes just right. She may be on the prettier side but hey if you new she looked like the one in Clash of the Titans, would you even bother looking?

Music in the Brain

One of the earlier quick sketches requested at the convention. The original thought when doing the sketch was to continue the work that was in the art book already and it never hurts to add Goth Grrl into the mix.

Scarlet

Here is another lovely lady requested as a quick sketch at Staple!. I think there is a handful more of quick sketches left and then I promise to move on to the newer images that I have been working on. Rumor has it that the finale of Lonely in Black right is around the corner!

First at show

Oh Alice! This quick "Alice Andy Interpretation" sketch was actually the first request I had at the show. When the individual was asked what the piece should be, they looked over at the print I was selling at the show and responded, "her". Ask and it shall be done. Although in closer observation it kind of looks like Alice played by Goth Grrl from Lonely In Black...

Say Cheese!

Here is a quick sketch I did for a Staple! attendee this past Saturday. When asked what he would like drawn on the back of the art book, he took a moment to think and said what about me! A smile later it was done. Had fun with this one, I couldn't stop smiling the while time, it was contagious.

James & Heather

Year after year we are pleasantly surprised to see James and Heather at Staple! and I have to say that you could not meet nicer people out there. They have always been loyal supporters of Lonely in Black and really anything that we have done to date. I had always said that if I only had one person out there pick up my stuff and enjoy it, it would all be worth doing it again. In this case, two people! Shows like Staple! give us creators and artist opportunities to meet interesting people and in rare occasions make good friends. See you next year!

Look Out! Sock Monster!

Back from Staple and I must say that it was an awesome experience as always. Unlike previous years this one was a little different because I even did the after party and participated on the live art show. I will definitely be updating the blog regularly with all the sketches I did at the show for some really nice folks.

Also I wanted to take the time to tell you all about this cool Kat in the photo. His name is Neil Brideau. I had the privilege of sharing a table with Neil at Staple!. Really nice guy and talented as well. I was actually eye balling one of his books that had a very interesting character on it and I could not resist adding my style to it. Neil is actually holding up the piece I did in honor of his "A Sock-Monster Collection" book. Hope I did your characters some justice Neil. Check out his work when you get a chance at http://www.fromthewell.info/.

Alice Two

Never, ever do I get tired of illustrating Alice. Never the same thing twice. When recently the opportunity came to do a joint piece with Dave Olivarez, Mad Illustrator Extraordinary, of course I had to jump on it. I for one can not wait to see the final piece. And to think, this piece has a buyer already and it is still not done. There may be prints do to demand and interest. More to come.

Labor of Arte

Hello! Super excited and thrilled to finally say here is the book. I have been working on this little flavor of music for a while now and I can't wait to release it to the masses come Staple!. This will be the first, of many, "Arte" books that I will be releasing with my signature scribbles. The little number you are seeing is a very limited edition book of artwork that I did as a tribute to music and women. For those able to get a copy, simply enjoy the flow.

Wolf!

Here is another image that Dave Olivarez and I are working on. I thought I would show the raw version of the piece. Ladies were done by me and the wolf was done by Mr. Dave himself.

Frank

As mentioned before, been busy getting ready for the Staple! show next week and have been trying to balance a few things here and there. I included a behind the scene look at a collaboration with Mr. Olivarez. It's always a blast to work on pieces with other artist especially when there is mad talent to absorb from. I will post the work as it gets in the mid-way point and the finished. Tag Dave your it.