Ace Print: behind the scenes

Just a bit of behind the scenes look at the creation of the limited edition LIB print that will be available at the Albuquerque Comic Expo this weekend. Much as a lot of other works, it all starts with a doodle, then inks and ends with tones. For the final look at the print, join us at Facebook fan page.

Happy Holidays Revisited

Wow, I've heard "busy is good" although I would admit, I would rather be busy than not, but being busy sure makes the time go fast. Rather than rant on and on about time, I thought I would share the lady above (title: "BOOM"), a piece I recently did for a submission this past week. Much like the new Beastie Boys latest rad revisited track, I too revisited an idea that was making circles in the brain. It may look similar to the Happy Holidays image done recently, but I just keep seeing it differently. I took a few splashes of ink wash to it along with some hues and a sprinkle of halftones and I really felt I got it right this go round. I suppose the feeling is mutual among artist, hence the many remixes and re-imagines out there.

Saturday Morning Toons: Batman/Joker Beyond

Been missing a couple of these and the Mondays as well, but better late than never as they say. Batman Beyond and a beyond Joker from The Batman cartoon. Why the mash up? Because the person that suggested this Saturdays submission requested a Batman Beyond and I know he is a HUGE fan of this version of the Joker. Maybe its the Tim Burton inspired sleeves that does it for him, don't know.

Music Monday: Grieves and Budo

So this weeks suggested piece for MM is Grieves and Budo's Pack It Up. The suggestion not only stops at the tune but the piece must be influenced by the music video. I'll admit that I've never heard the music before so I took to the web and became a fan instantly. Thanks Erica for the suggestion, I definitely dug the beat.

Saturday Morning Toons: Zim

So this might not be from the days of future past per say but it should have been. Invader Zim full fills my need for over use of purple and sarcasm in my animation watching. Best part, since it is on Nick, I get to share it with the kiddos and not think twice about the humor Johnen has provided us. Some say this would be a WINNING situation. Yeah that was bad and over used, I know. As Zim would say: "This has nothing to do with jelly!" DOOM, DOOM!

Staple! Wrap-Up

I'm a little late on my Staple! wrap-up but hey it's not easy to put such a rad show into words. For all that have attended the show in the past or dropped by this last one, you know that the day(s) is filled with creative forces from all sides and evening with live art to boot. Great times to meet and catch up with friends and get a LOT of commissions out. Speaking of commissions, a special thanks to everyone who was patient with me during the wait. Due to the time frame I was only able to take a couple of pics at the show. Here we go...

Staple! was extra special this year because it also was the first event that Mike-E and I were able to debut the collected works of Lonely in Black Vol.1. Of course I had to take a photo of the first person to take get the book. Thanks Kali for the Support!



Some commissions that came my way as well. Not much to explain the requests are from one end to another. These are just a couple that I managed to take a quick photo of. Thanks Brain for letting me take a crack at the mash up this year.

Like to Thank all the Staple crew for letting us be a part of yet another great show, looking forward to next year!

Music Monday: Reznor

It was inevitable, anyone who knows me know me, knows that NIN is in my blood. Some people have tiger blood, I have blood made of nine inch nails. So of course this entry would in fact make itself here. I was on shuffle through the library and as the image notes, it has a bit of reptile, the slip album and some pigs marching from a head like a hole. The goggle look is from the closer video which also contributed the tone of the piece. The mystery is did I use coffee or Dr. Pepper for staining? I'm sure someone out there will figure it out. MARCH!

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Who Elmo Piggy

So there I was watching some saturday morning cartoons with my kids and a bowl of Lucky Charms on hand when I realized what on Charlie Sheens warlock world are we looking at. Thus started the rant about back in my days and I continued channeling grandparents around the world, questioning the lack of quality programing today unlike the shows back in my day. Volton is now replaced by Power Rangers and Masters of the Universe by Bikini Bottom. Okay, maybe Sponge Bob is alright after all they did have Pantera and David Bowie on the show. Where are you going with this you ask? In protest to today's standards I will start a new theme here to the blog, Saturday Morning Cartoons. My take on some favorites.

This morning I give to you a mash up commission that my friend Brian requested at the Staple Expo. A bit of Doctor Who, Ms. Piggy from the Muppets and Elmo from Sesame Street. If you have a favorite cartoon that you would like me to take a crack at send me the suggestion and I'll see about getting it drawn. 'Nuff ranting, my cereal is getting cold.

Music Monday: She & Him

So I totally missed last weeks and because of travel I missed yesterday as well but I wasn't going to let another week go by without an entry. Because of the shear awesomeness of Zooey's voice and how it complemented a road trip back from Austin, I decided to carry on the tunes of She & Him to the blog. Even though it was the only CD we had in the car and it played on repeat for 9 hours, it never got old. Okay maybe it got a bit insane from time to time, but it did set the mood for the scenery. Never seen the Zooey Deschanel on vocals? Then it is time to hit the google! About the piece, just a quick combination of sharpies to a brown paper bag is all.

Staple! LIB limted Edition Print

Yes I missed this weeks Music Monday but it was not intentional. With the Super Awesome Staple! Independent Media Expo right around the corner, I've been busy trying to get things together. One of many things is the Lonely In Black Limited Edition Print. How limited? Once they are gone, they're gone. Above is the before and after or as I like to call it the doodle and the bedazzled. This print will be available only at the show and measures 11X17 inches of goth!

Music Monday: Kurt Cobain

In relation to yesterday being Kurt Cobain's birthday, I thought today's addition would be a quick rendering of Nirvana's front man. A very raw pencil doodle I ravaged out on paper as "Very Ape" grunges on the blaster in the background. It has been a while since I just jammed a sketch and regardless of the final outcome, never looking back to obsess about it. The pencil pretty much just ran with this one. What inspired the look? Well some of my favorite photos I've seen of him has him standing in front of statues with angel wings and it always looked like he was wearing them as for the glasses, back as a teen I had a poster in which he sported the bug looking shades. The sweater much like the flannels were his brand and the flower idea brought to you by the very colorful Heart Shape box video. I'm telling you the pencil had its own ideas today...

Career Day Glitter Effect

A couple of quick Spidey head shot sketch cards for my kids career day. As my lovely children have described my work to their teachers, "daddy goes to work and draws all day". Their explanation of what a graphic artist does. None the less I thought a couple of giveaway sketch cards may add to the "cool factor" of being a professional artist "who draws all day".

Music Monday: Winehouse

Music Monday on a Tuesday. This late week addition is jazzed up by the rhythms of Ms. Winehouse. Problems aside, she can melody the tunes of the blues. The image is actually another B&W piece I dusted off because I wanted to throw some technology colors to it. Coming fresh from a full overload of Valentines pink I went with it and kept her in the classic B&W of the classic tune era. Yup, that is a whole lot of pink.

Lonely In Black: Letters from Darkness TP

What's this, WHAT'S THIS, its Wesley over there!!? YES, with much enthusiasm I reveal the first wave of the Lonely in Black: Letters From Darkness trade paperback copies that I just received in the mail. Can't begin to express the feeling in seeing and holding this collection. Reality sets in and it's still pretty rad. This collection includes all the issues of Lonely in Black plus a bear story that was printed in a very small run for a free comic book day years back. Oh also it has the art of Lonely in Black gallery in the back. Mike-E and I are extremely proud to share this with everyone, truly it was years in the making. Now the question that I've been getting all weekend long since the books arrival, when and were are these books going to be available? Beginning of March and the official first appearance will be at the Staple! Independent Media Expo. Soon after, it will be through this site, a few comic stores and at a couple of comic conventions. Look for the tab to appear in early March. Now, time to take on the next chapter!

Voltron: United and Drawn

So what am I up to lately? A little on this and a little on that. What I am anxious to share with you all is that late last year I whipped up an image of Voltron for an awesome hardcover book released this month called Voltron: United and Drawn, an artbook from the great folks at 5finity and Moonstone books, that pays tribute to both versions of the cartoon series. What was a great experience for me was knowing that as a kid I would draw the lions over and over after the cartoon was over and now to see the published book with my contribution, well its just plan rad! Where can you get a copy, its as simple as clicking over to voltron.com webstore.

Music Monday: Bubbles

Okay so this week has a bit of a trail for the reasoning to the image for Music Monday. Hop on for the ride. A while back I did an art book which had a variety of images both in black and white and in color. The piece above was originally B&W. Well tonight I revived it with a splash of color to make it version 2.0. So the ride doesn't stop there, my original intentions was to have the image pop so I added bubbles and it was with color that I got closer to seeing the piece as I originally envisioned it. The connection to music was that back in the day, and admittedly now as well, a top favorite film of mine is a small indie film called Mallrats. Within the soundtrack is an unreleased track called Bubbles by Bush. So in conclusion to my essay, the girl above is listening to Bush's Bubbles track and has officially become this weeks Music Monday entry. How's that for random.

Music Monday: Radiohead

Why heavens Andy, why does that young lass have a head shaped of a radio. Well I'm glad you asked because today's piece comes from Radiohead. Been blasting In Rainbows as I art away and as a warm up, I jammed out this lady in my art memory book. Sadly some colors washed away in the scan, oh well.

Drac & Lilly

Dropping in for a couple of quick notes, been talking a bit about working on things that I can't really announce due to contractual obligations but one thing that I can mention is the long awaited Monster/Ladies collaboration art book David Olivarez Jr. and I are working on. We are fully driven to accomplish this book this year and are about half way through it. The love tale book will see the light of day at this years Frank N'Con. The image above is at stage two, capturing O' Drac and Lilly just loving each others company. Romance is Grand.

On a side bar, I want to thank everyone that came out to support the Art Social show last night, the super rad folks at Monsterland Tattoos and Sun City Tattoos for letting me play in a palette filled with talent and Lindy of Cat As Trophy fame for lending a hand in my participation.

Red

Above is a pic of the progression and finished version of a piece I created for the "Art Social" art show I'll be a part off this Saturday. Mainly used inks to give this ghostly lady some life. I wish I could say that I was in this place of blah and I reached to the darkest area of more blah to blast out the emotions of more blah blah but really I wanted to do a red piece. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a ghostly gal fashioning her mask in her red dress. Simple, right?

Info on the Monsterland Tattoo art show:
Art Social
12145 Montwood Suite B (next to rocca fitness)
Starts at 7:30
-Open bar
-Live painting
-Sun City Roller Girls
-Prints & T shirts for sale

for more info : 779-7282

Music Monday: 99 Luft (red) Ballons

This weeks addition to Music Monday comes from the very contagious 99 luftballoons track made worldly popular by Nena. Although as anybody that knows me would tell you, I have a very low tolerance for balloons so it is odd that I have such a gravitational pull to this song. Hey its catchy and I dare anyone to say that they don't even hum along to it as it fills their background sound. Oh and yes there are 99 red balloons in this image.

Nameless

Itching to get my hands on Erica Ambis's character for quite some time now. Hope I did it justice. Want to see what it looks like with a dab of glitter, click over to the facebook page and SMILE!

Music Mondays: The Distillers

So this weeks suggestion came from my ghettoblaster, which I may say has a soft spot for The Distillers. One thing I've learned from the past is not to challenge the blaster and with the setting at random it demanded it! The piece was inspired by the band's front lady Brody Dalle, who I'll say has the looks to charm and the attitude to boot. She could easily be the official poster child for GRRL Power. So with a stroke of some bold red and some influential pink, we have this weeks submission to Music Monday. Viva La Punk!

Music Mondays: Gorillaz

Music Mondays. What??! Yes, in an effort to post more and create more I decided to have a theme for Mondays in which I will create something that was inspired, linked to, influenced or anything by music. Might just have the music in the background and the piece flows or maybe a piece to tribute a band/artist that influenced me at the time. Possibilities are endless.

This week I went with the Gorillaz for no other than it feels good. Always liked the character portrayals of the band and the music is one end to the other from album to album and even song to song. In relation to what I am going to try to achieve with the "Music Mondays", I too will try and go from one extreme to another. Have a suggestion for Music Mondays? Head on over to the fan page @ Facebook and drop the suggestion. You never know, it might just make sense that week.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Out with the '10 and on to the '11, here is hoping that everyone has a good one! As many do, I've made a few resolutions this year and one of them was to create more art. It may have not seemed that way because I didn't post enough, but the reasons were combination's of both busy on deadlines or creating things that I could not speak about until its release date. All in all it was a good year and I got to meet a ton a rad folks. Will try to share more this year! WORD!

While out on location I snagged a couple of Prisma's, a Sharpie & random ink pens and jammed the New Years Jack on my poor dusty & neglected sketch book. What other way can we have fun this holiday season then with the Pumpkin King!