Scott Daly

Assembly Line Collectives: You Lucky Bastard Tour

2011-03-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was asked to participate in the You Lucky Bastard Tour, in Vancouver, Canada at the Assembly Lines Collections. It starts on April 15th from 7PM-11PM. Its at 88 West Pender St. on the 2nd floor. It's an amazing gallery and I'm hanging up next to some major talent! I'll have three pieces in it! If you are in the area definitely check it out!

For more info check out this link.

Los Feliz Figure Drawing

2010-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been attending the Los Feliz Figure Drawing Workshop in Los Feliz right off of Kingswell and Hillhurst. Here's the link. It's such a refreshing thing to do as I haven't drawn from life since I graduated CCS in the Spring! I was a bit rusty but got back into it pretty quickly! I really love drawing from the figure, its extremely relaxing and there are no deadlines! I plan on attending as much as I can. For those of you in Los Angeles that haven't been there yet, check it out. Here is some info from their website:

"We are hosting lifedrawing and painting workshops Monday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 10 pm. Both evenings are twenty-five minute poses for uninstructed drawing. We are located at 4451 Kingswell Ave, at the Northeast corner of Kingswell and Hillhurst in the heart of Los Feliz Village. There's a long driveway and we're all the way at the back, through a little courtyard to a burgundy door. The donation is fifteen dollars per session on a pay as you go basis."

Camping at the Malibu Creek State Park

2010-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post about this since Halloween. My newly married friends Molly (Jacques) Erickson and Cody Erikson, and myself went camping at the Malibu Creek State Park instead of the normal Halloween deal. Sorry Trick 'r Treaters. :) We had a great time camping under the stars, hiking through the mountains and taking plenty of pictures. Well Cody did anyways, I totally forgot my camera!

We only spent for two days but it was definitely a refreshing experience to be out in the woods again. I'm a Michigan boy through and through so I need woodsy fresh air once in awhile. I'm happy that I went on this last minute adventure because I love making good memories with my best buddies.

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 3D TRADING CARDS: TOPPS CARDS

2010-11-10T14:02:00.001-08:00

A few months back, I was contacted by Topps Cards to create 106 Empire Strikes Back sketch cards. Every morning I would start sketching 1 or 2 of these, while watching clips from my favorite Star Wars... that's right The Empire Strikes Back!

Seeing as though I've been a long time Star Wars fan I could turn down this opportunity to draw Storm Troopers, Star Destroyers, and the whole gang!

Topps Cards was also nice enough to send me a whole box of the trading cards! I will be auctioning these off very soon however I thought I would make a Pre Auction Sale to readers of this blog as well as Scoundrel Art Community Forum Members.

My Summer at Mattel and Matchbox

2010-09-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

Starting off I was a lazy/scared photographer this summer. Unfortunately I didn't take any of these pictures. I actually didn't know all the rules about photography and confidentiality at Mattel so I just passed on the whole thing. So instead I just ripped these from the web, much better right? :)

It's been a crazy couple of months. I graduated from the College for Creative Studies in Illustration. (Pictures will follow.) About three weeks after that I waived goodbye to all of my friends and family, flew out to Los Angeles, unpacked my bags, and designed toys all summer. That's right I worked at Mattel (Matchbox Division) designing toys! It was an amazing and eye opening experience!

Basically I worked in Matchbox Plastic Division, where I designed a varied of toys. Two of these toys will be released in Fall 2011. I was given permission to post my orthographic drawings and final EA models after February (after their release at Toy Fair 2011.) I'll keep you posted.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) I did concept work for the rest of the summer for a toy line in 2012! The unfortunate part is that I can't show anything. :/ The fortunate part is if I could it probably would not come out at all. So I'm both sad and grateful! It was a great experience non the less.

I lived in El Segundo, CA for the summer. Only 10 minutes from Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and all those other beaches. It was absolutely gorgeous and refreshing to go to the beach after work.

Now I've moved up to Los Feliz and all my friends from CCS have seemed to follow so we live in a 2 block radius! I am so excited! I'll post up a few pictures of my apartment as everyone has been hassling me about it. Take care and I'm glad to be back illustrating again!

The Illustration Board

2010-02-26T14:11:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted by my buddy Ryan Schuster who has created a forum for illustrators to connect and get critiques. I've made an account and flipped through the artwork pages and forums. It looks as though this is going to be a useful resource! There are a lot of great illustrators already on there so come check it out!

Link: The Illustration Board

Society of Illustrator's Student Competition 2010!

2010-02-14T06:19:00.001-08:00

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Jules Vernes

I was pleasantly woken up on Friday morning to the news that I got into the Society of Illustrator's Student Competition 2010! I am extremely humbled and honored as there are a ton of amazing pieces in the show. Really I could not have done it without my family, friends, and teachers. They have been amazing supporters and I love them all.

If you happen to be in New York City between May 5th - 29th, the show will be at the Society of Illustrators.

Sketches

2010-01-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Etsy: War of the Worlds Prints

2010-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

I just created an Etsy account! Go to scottdaly.etsy.com. As the prints are finished I will release only 15 at a time! The price for this War of the Worlds Print is only $5.00 plus S/H! The price includes a clear slipcase and backing. Buyers have already expressed interest so these may not be around for awhile.

The Invisible Man

2009-12-27T11:56:00.000-08:00

Digital

Corktown Brewing Company Project

2009-12-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Antonie de la Mothe Cadillac Amber Ale finished label.

Antonie de la Mothe Cadillac illustration

Keith Kochajda was kind enough to let me in on his Corktown Brewing Company Project. As the Art Director he took his passion for illustration and design to create a brand of beer. His idea was to take local fictional and nonfictional characters of Detroit and put them on a variety of beers. Taking a number of illustrators, Keith directed us to create these characters and back stories. It was a wonderful project to work on.

Sabastian finished label and 4-pack Beer Carrier. Illustrated by Keith Kochajda.

I decided to illustrate Antonie de la Monthe Cadillac and this is my story that is on the label:

"Antonie de la Mothe Cadillac founded Le Détroit in July 26, 1701. After 1730 he has found himself stuck traveling through different time periods of Détroit. Most recently, he visited the present time of 2009 where he picked up a sensational Amber Ale at the Corktown Brewery Company. He has been glued to his seat ever since!"

Puppysitting: Illustrated by Dave Chow

2009-12-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

I had the fun opportunity of puppysitting my friend Morgan Marentic's Huskie/Pit Bull pup the other day! My friend and teacher Dave Chow drew me this illustration. Awesome Dave!

CGHUB.com Editor's Pick Award!

2009-12-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

CGHUB.com was kind enough to have add my Journey to the Center of the Earth to their Editor Picks today! I would like to thank everyone at CGHUB and those who have left me kind comments. I truly appreciate it. :)

I have found that CGHUB is an excellent source of inspiration and a great community for artists to correspond and make new connections. If you haven't made an account on there already, I highly suggest you do. The artwork their is absolutely inspiring and jaw dropping. I am very humble to be a part of this community.

Botobit is finally here!!

2009-12-05T07:12:00.001-08:00

It's finally here! The long awaited Botobit. Earlier this year I was asked to participate in this compilation of illustrators, by my good friend Wesley Eggebrecht. I had an early peek at the finished product and I was blown away by the quality of the work. The printing is absolutely beautiful and if you want a compilation of some extremely talented artists, I would pick this up. I am very humbled to be involved with such a crew. I know I can speak for all the artists involved by giving a huge thanks to Wesley and Ryan Eggebrecht for involving us in this project.

So pick it up! If you're in the Detroit area pick it up at the CCS bookstore, if not check out Savant. Remember it also makes a great Christmas present!

Also check out the Solaris A1 x Savant = Online Artist Jam

"Solaris A1 x Savant have teamed up to present the first ever online live artist jam to promote the first ever Botobit book. This event will be powered by Colorillo giving every online viewer the ability to watch as Botobit artists work together to create an illustration live on your computer screen and YShout 5 allowing all views to chat while the masterpiece is being created.

"Sit back, grab your favorite treat and watch magic at work"9pm Eastern Time / http://solarisa1.savantwear.com"

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Page Layouts

2009-12-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World: U.F.O.s

2009-11-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

I love the aesthetics of these old videos. There's something about older film that make you believe it's much more authentic.

The Invisible Man Drawing

2009-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Here is another book cover for The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells. It is a classic that needs to be on more school's reading lists, perhaps that is just the science fiction lover speaking though. I will be posting the final soon. Thanks for all those that have been visiting the blog and making comments, they are very appreciated. :)

Super Furry Animals: It's Not the End of the World?

2009-11-22T09:25:00.001-08:00

Here's a video that Steve Stanchfield showed us, for those that haven't already seen it. Beautiful animation and design, I think it fits the song perfectly.

War of the Worlds

2009-11-18T09:50:00.001-08:00

War of the Worlds

Digital Paint

Illuxcon 2009

2009-11-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I took a long drive out to Altoona, PA. There I attended the 2nd Illuxcon. This was a place for collectors, artists, fans, and students to all get together and discuss the world of fantastic illustration. This particular convention displays the largest amount of fantastic originals. There were multiple lectures ranging from oil painting demonstrations to art director forums. It was an excellent place to learn, connect, and buy beautiful artwork! I plan on attending next year and would highly suggest to people who are interested in the world of fantastic illustration. Check out there website.

Also I would like to give a shout out to some artist friends that made the trip extra fun: Michael Hayes, Lucas Graciano, Ryan Schutter, and Scott Altmann.

Donato Giancola oil painting demonstration

Donato Giancola's palette and brushes

Donato Giancola portrait

Private Collection

Larger than life statue! Thomas Kuebler

Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World: Monsters of the Deep

2009-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

What is at the bottom of our oceans? This is a question that has plagued my mind ever since I watched The Abyss or Sphere when I was younger.

Final Drawing: War of the Worlds

2009-11-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

Final Drawing: Journey to the Center of the Earth

2009-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

I really try to figure out all of my problems during this stage. Obviously I made some changes to the final. :)

HOORAY!

2009-10-25T11:22:00.001-07:00

Recently I was Facebook stalking :) and I came across my buddy Brandi Keller's profile where she posted this. Previously I've been thinking of this very concept and thought that the diagram illustrated it perfectly. Thanks Brandi. And check out What Consumes Me by Bud Caddell, it's original source.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2009-10-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Digital

I have been working on a series of classic science fiction book covers. It's been a lot of fun visiting and revisiting these old classics that a lot of sci-fi is based off of. H.G. Wells and Jules Vernes have been my main concentration, seeing as though they have been coined "The Fathers of Science Fiction." My goal with these illustrations is to make a series geared towards kids ages 7-12.

Dean Cornwell Mural and Stroh's Beer Illustrations

2009-09-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Last week my friends and fellow illustrators/painters Joel Grothaus, Molly Jacques, and Cody Erickson went out to see the Detroit Athletic Club's art collection. They had a wide range from Golden Age of American Illustrators to 18th Century painters to Detroit Painters. It was a very impressive and the employees were way too kind to us.

We had a tour of the majority of the facility including our main attraction The Treaty of Lancaster which was installed in 1936. This piece depicts negotiations between the governor and commissioners of Virginia, Maryland and twenty-four Indian Chiefs of the Six

Nations of Indians. The Six Nations of Indians consisted of the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Tuscarora. These chiefs lost control of the land west of the Allegheny Mountains.

The mural was commissioned by the DAC and stretches across Club's Tap Room Bar.

I apologize for the quality of the photos however our time was limited due to the amount of

artwork we were able to see. A huge thanks goes out to the staff of the Detroit Athletic Club for taking time out of their busy schedules to show us around.

These photos unfortunately lost a lot of color after being uploaded however if you'd like to download a zip file here is the website.

I am unable to give you any specifics on these illustrations below other than that they are advertisements from what I'm guessing the '40s and '50s. The company was Detroit's own Stroh's Brewey Company. It was established in 1850 by Bernhard Stroh emigrated from Germany after the German Revolution. He came from a family of brewers and wanted to continue their success in the U.S. Later, the company survived Prohibition by producing near bear, birch beer, soft drinks, malt, products, ice cream, and ice. The company returned to brewing beer after Prohibition ended in 1933. The company continued to expand and passed down to generations of Strohs. It was a large success, even purchasing several other brands, until the company was bought up in 2000 and broken apart.

The Time Machine Rework

2009-09-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

I reworked the Time Machine after some suggestions.

Self Portrait

2009-08-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

Just messing around with Photoshop and Painter. I originally didn't want to render this much but lesson learned. :) Getting a digital painterly look is tough.

Lady Agnew after Sargent

2009-08-17T18:21:00.001-07:00

Oil on Masonite

The Long Awaited North Carolina Post!

2009-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

I've put this post off for awhile but about a month ago Rich Nelson was nice enough to have some of us CCS students come down for his workshop. His family, the town, the participants, and himself were more than generous to us. My friends Joel Grothaus, Kaitlin Koch, Cody Erickson and myself took the 12 hour trip packed in Cody's car with little other then the essentials, paint supplies, and a tent. It was an amazing road trip down there. We saw a lot of beautiful landscapes and we were often tempted to jump out of the car to paint. By the time we got around Tryon, NC we were surrounded by beautiful mountains. We met with Rich and set up our tent for the week. We spent the remainder of the week painting still life, portraits, and landscapes. Rich shared so much knowledge with us and his positivity and kindness was extremely refreshing. I'm sure I can speak for all us by saying thank you to everyone on the trip, especially Rich Nelson and his family. North Carolina and all of its inhabitants will surely be missed by these Michiganders. Here are some photos from the trip in no particular order, thanks to Kaitlin.

Joel, Cody, myself, and Kaitlin in Asheville, NC

Catherine Vlastou after Sargent

2009-06-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ah summer. It's that time of year when you have to constantly fight of procrastination because of the beautiful weather outside. I've been keeping myself busy while still having fun though. I've been working on my inks lately and am planning out putting up a post soon. For now however I hope you enjoy a John Singer Sargent study.

Side Projects: Watson the Peacock

2009-04-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been doing an on going proejct for the mascot of the College for Creative Studies. I was commissioned by the CCS Student Life to do 20 some illustrations for Watson the Peacock. The work has been fun to say the least and it's been good practice to do fast spot illustrations.

Hand Sketches

2009-03-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

Hand sketches!

Head Sketches

2009-03-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here is some sketchbook work that I've been working on.

Detroit Zoo Poster

2009-03-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

I participated in a competition for the Detroit Zoo Poster recently. The deadline was tight but the participants created some amazing artwork. We'll see how the judging goes on Monday. My concept surrounded the nurturing of the next generation of animals.

Jean Joseph Marie Carries after John Singer Sargent

2009-03-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Digital 1 hour 30 minutes

Among the Sierra Nevada, California After Albert Bierstadt

2009-02-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

1 and 30 minutes, digital after Albert Bierstadt.

Only $8 Billion for a High Speed Railroad System?

2009-02-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

President Obama mentioned contruction of a high speed train system in a Indiana campaign speech last year. He said it would create more jobs and connect the population centers of America. I guess he is a man of his word. Just last week when he signed the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, spending $8 billion of the $787 billion on new high speed railroads. Above is a map of what it is thought to look like. My only question is, will $8 billion be enough? It costs $10 billion alone for a line between Los Angeles and San Fransico. How much of an impact will this actually make? Sure this past week he added funds to the summary of the budget sent to Congress. But that only adds $1 billion a year for 5 years. That is still only $13 billion. Seeing as though some say this is part of his so called legacy, I'm interested to see what President Obama will unfold in the next four years. As for now, I'm still bumming rides off of friends and departing from Detroit Metro Airport for long distance trips.

Let's hear your thoughts.

Peter Pan Book Cover

2009-02-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

I'm probably going to go back into this one. I don't feel its quite finished.

Natural Bridge after Frederick Church

2009-02-25T22:30:00.001-08:00

Here's a digital master study I did from Frederick Church's Natural Bridge. It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I find myself very lucky to live about half a football field away from a few Church paintings. Quite amazing close up. Anyways it was nice to do some landscape painting. I'm still learning the rules and pushing the texture.

Portrait of Edouard and Marie-Loise Pailleron after John Singer Sargent

2009-02-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Well maybe just Edouard, I had to crop it because of time constraints. This was done all digital in about 1 hour. I'm pretty happy with it and this time I tried to soften the edges a bit more. Again Sargent was the master when it came to edges and well... painting in general. Perhaps next time I'll do some landscape studies from Frederick Church. Who knows I might just switch things up. :) And thanks for those who have left comments. They have been much appreciated.

Henry James after John Singer Sargent

2009-02-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another Sargent Digital Study. 45 minutes.

Peter Pan Book Cover Process

2009-02-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here is some process for a Peter Pan book cover. I eventually boosted up the saturation of Big Ben and added some nice violets in the clouds and clothing. I'll post the final soon. I really enjoyed doing this project even though architecture with oils is quite a challenge sometimes.

Mrs. Hugh Hammersley after John Singer Sargent

2009-02-21T23:34:00.001-08:00

John Singer Sargent's edges are a dream to paint, even digitally. It has been about 2 years since I've done a Sargent study so it felt pretty nice. I think I might continue doing these just to improve my digital painting. This took me 30 minutes on Photoshop.

Time Machine Book Cover Process

2009-02-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

I really love H.G. Wells books. He's the master of science fiction! I was reading The Island of Doctor Moreau while I was home for the holidays and as usual my pleasure reading was interrupted and I didn't get back too it. Next time I visit home I'll have to remember to bring it back to my apartment. Looking at it in retrospect that book was pretty far out there for the time it was written. I won't say too much, instead I just insist that you read it. If you do don't spoil the very end, as I said I'm still working on it.

Here's the link to the final painting.

Spaceport Process

2009-02-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece that I have been working on. This is the final drawing before I transfer it and also the color studies. I was thinking about a Spaceport surrounding Mars. Instead of landing on the planet and then lifting off, wasting tons of fuel, the transports would unload here and save fuel. The cargo would then be shot down to the planet through the tubes connecting to the port. Keep your eyes open for the final painting. I'm doing it in combo of acrylic and digital.

Happy Birthday Casey Wise!

2009-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Casey Wise! The Man, the Legend, the Wise turns one year older today. This was the man that taught me everything he could jam into my brain about perspective. Ah, yes the old Coca-Cola bottle with perfect ellipses assignment, the Vending Machine in two point perspective in great detail, or perhaps the church that I inevitably drew an asteroid flying at. Yes, difficult times in Casey's classes. Yet if I hadn't eaten my vegetables then I wouldn't be doing what I am today.

Casey often mentioned his love for Colorado and Plein Air painting. I'd like to think he'll someday retire out there. Perhaps him and I can meet together to paint and for a beer. Happy Birthday and Thanks Casey.

The Famous Artist's Painting Course

2009-02-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Famous Artist Course

I was fortunate enough to purchase three volumes of the Famous Artists Course from 1953. There is no doubt that I was extremely excited to find these; let alone win them on ebay. And all for a reasonable price of $58.00! These antiques are lessons from some of the most famous artists of the Golden Age of Illustration. With lessons ranging from oil to watercolor painting, compositional to pictorial design, and anatomy to animal drawing; I'm sure I'll be busy reviewing these treasures for years to come.

The Famous Artists School was founded in 1948 in Westport, Connecticut. The idea was to take 12 of the most famous artists of the time and create courses that anyone could take. This was during the time of the Golden Age of Illustration and famous aritsts would receive $50,000 a year roughly equivalent to $425,000. There is no doubt they were rock stars of their day.

The course was first conceived by Albert Dorne while having a conversation with Norman Rockwell. The famous artists were Norman Rockwell, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Ben Stahl, Harold von Schmidt, Al Parker, Austin Briggs, Jon Whitcomb, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Jon Atherton and Albert Dorne. After the user bought the first lessons for $300, they would complete assignments after a section and sent it in to the Famous Artists School. A professional would critique their work and send it back to them with a typed letter and a short biography of the artist. I was fortunate enough to also receive an old Famous Artists Painting Course Portfolio and original two critiques that I plan on posting in a future post.

Happy Valentine's Day from Watson the Peacock

2009-02-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

Happy V-Day everyone! Here is an illustration I did for the College for Creative Studies. I hope everyone enjoys some coconut chocolates, a Scooby-Doo Valentine Card or some chalk flavored hearts. Love each other people, love each other.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

2009-02-09T09:40:00.000-08:00

A bookcover for the Time Machine by H.G. Wells. Oil on illustration board. Process work will follow.

The Roommate Conflict

2009-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

Oil on board

New Website!

2009-02-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

My new website is up! Come check it out!

St. Christopher

2009-02-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is the painting I promised a while ago. This piece is a portrait of a modern day St. Christopher. Let me know what you think.

A Cute Couple

2009-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Aren't we just a cute couple? I did my portrait this summer but changed up the background after some feedback. The cute looking girl is my girlfriend. I did this portrait and still have to frame it for her folks. :) It will get done sometime Ani. Anyways I had fun with her's especially because I tried to stay loose like Malcolm Liepke. I love thick and loose paint.

Self-Portrait

2009-01-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a self portrait that I did last summer. Let me know what you think because there is always time to go back into it. I figure every summer I can do one of these and by the time I'm 120 years young I'll make a flip-book.

Looking at it now I look a little ticked. Perhaps because of the lack of real air conditioning on those hot Ann Arbor, MI nights. Its great to live in a state where there is a body of water within 3 miles of any direction you are facing where ever you are in the state. However the bad thing is it get kind of humid. But I still love the place. :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2008-12-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

It’s been great this last week I’ve just kicked back, watched some great documentaries, hung out with my family and my girlfriend’s family. It has been a real recharge. I am however getting pretty antsy. I’ve been sketching away in my new sketchbook practicing my anatomy. I thought with Christmas coming along here’s a gift from me to you all. It’s actually just a link I found to George Bridgman’s Constructive Anatomy and thought I’d pass it along.

Study

2008-12-23T14:44:00.001-08:00

3 hour study

Study

2008-12-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

3 hour study

Roger "Tommy" Scott Painting

2008-12-23T14:40:00.001-08:00

This painting is a piece about my fellow artist and friend Roger “Tommy” Scott. In this piece I wanted to display his dejection over the summer months while living in an ugly side of Dallas, TX.

Study

2008-12-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

3 hour study

Portrait Studies

2008-12-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

3 hour study

60 minute study

Here are some portrait studies I’ve done recently.

Jacque Fresco's Venus Project

2008-12-23T14:32:00.001-08:00

Perhaps I am secretly a futurist at heart but when I saw the Venus Project I was at awe. I started off by admiring the designs of Jacque Fresco but then realized that there was much more to it than futuristic housing, cities, transportation, etc. His ideas are to change our culture. He has a dream of a world without war, pollution, and crime. He calls for a resource based economy where all natural resources are shared without monetary trade or bartering. All national boundaries would no longer exist and we would live in a society that is shaped by our surrounding environment. We would live with the Earth, not against it. I will admit this sounds like an impossible utopia but ideas have to start somewhere. Every good idea started off as a dream. Let me know what you think.

Studio Pictures!

2008-12-23T14:29:00.001-08:00

For some reason I have always loved looking at people’s studios. Just their work space gets me inspired and excited. Anyways my beautiful girlfriend, Ani Alexanian, took some photographs the other night while she so patiently waited for me to finish my work. We had a date but she was kind enough to wait around for me. This is what she came up with.

Alright I lied

2008-12-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

I know.. I know the last post said I was going to have my final self portrait up. Alright I lied. It’s finished I just have to find a better camera than my 2 megapixel iPhone. Anyways here is another project I’m working on for Head Drawing and Portraiture Painting. I ended up scrapping my old composition and restarting from scratch yesterday. Hopefully I won’t receive to much hell tomorrow. I figured I’d rather make something good than mediocre. Anyways here is my charcoal. I’m currently on the second layer of painting right now. Man I need a new camera. Perhaps Christmas? Mom, Dad, wealth Wall Streeters that are taking away our hard earned tax money? Oh wait we’re probably going to have to take out another loan to China. Speaking of politics looky here…..

OBAMA IN DETROIT!

In other news I saw Barack Obama today for the third time. And Joe Biden and Michelle Obama for the first! They spoke in front of the Detroit Public Library and DIA. The Secret Service came to my apartment building and yelled at us for having our windows open. I was one that left his window up… yikes! I’m a part of history, we managed to delay the rally. :/ Oh dear. Don’t worry Obama, I’m sure the thousands of people there are still going to vote for you. And we’ll see if I’m one of them come November 4th… who am I kidding?

Self Portrait Process

2008-12-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a self portrait that I have been working on and off all summer. I will show you the final in my next post. I began to experiment with different mediums such as Linseed Oil and Neo Megilp. Both are amazing! I’m trying to get the fluidity that Malcolm Liepke does in his pieces. However I do not want to wait a month for the paint to dry to the touch. He apparently uses poppy oil, clove oil, and linseed oil according to this interview.

The first picture is a burnt umber wash and an accurate drawing underneath. After that I started with the eyes and nailed them. I felt like I was moving in the right direction so I continued on. THe next day I blocked in the shapes and fix any drawing errors I could find. I tried to keep a fresh eye by taking frequent 5 minute breaks at this point. I put it away for about a week or two and then decided to change my shirt (I end up changing it again.) I really wanted to take my time with this piece. In the last picture I probably have about 5-6 layers of glazes.

Also recently I’ve discovered some new painters, if you haven’t already heard of them: Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Andres Zorn, and Joaquin Sorolla. My buddy Rob Rey suggested most of these and a bunch more but I can only take so much inspiration before I have to get to painting myself. Whenever I go into the Detroit Institute of the Arts I end up staying for about an hour before I get antsy and want to start painting. I’ve definitely taken full advantage of my free membership. The rest I will share with you in a later post.

Comic-Con 2008

2008-12-23T14:17:00.000-08:00

(Pictures John Howe, Superman, Stormtrooper and Boba Feta)

Comic-con was a blast! I met so many new people and artists that I could never have anywhere else. I was lucky enough to put my portfolio in front of some important faces in the art community. I received priceless advice and now I know how to develop MY portfolio. I’m happy to say I know the direction that I’m heading now and I know what I have to do in these next two years.

For all of those that were unable to attend I’ll give it to you in a nutshell. I originally did not know what to expect other than pure utter chaos. When I got there it was like a kid in a candy store. I had to take a deep breath and remind myself not to get too excited. I was shocked with the amount of artists that were there. All of them were more than happy to speak with you, they gave great advice on portfolios and the business of art, and some wanted you to email them your work as it developed. I spoke with artists such as Ashley Wood, Justin Sweet, Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, John Howe, Shelly Wan, Stephan Martinière (art director/concept artist), Scott Robertson, JC Shuster, Pascal Campion, Craig Elliot, Jon Foster, Jeff Watts, Joe Bluhm, Bobby Chiu, Irene Gallo (art director), and many many more. Everywhere you turned there was an opportunity to meet someone new, network, hand out your business card, and get noticed in the crowd. I found that if you mentioned to the artists/art directors that you were a student illustrator they were more than happy to give you advice on the industry, even excited to sometimes.

The reason I went on this trip, personally, was not to necessarily to get a job but learn what niches/opportunities there were for me. Once I found that out I could taylor my portfolio in the next two years. I was blown away with what was being done. There is so much opportunity out there but only for those that want to work for it. I learned where I stand and what I have to do. It was a great chance to compare my portfolio and see what works and what doesn’t. I was extremely happy to go and I hope to attend next year. If it were up to me, I would have the entire Illustration Department go and experience it.

Jon Foster Workshop

2008-12-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

Photos by Forest Zachman

I was lucky enough to attend the Jon Foster Workshop at the Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA! Jon Foster taught us all of his tricks and secrets. I felt extremely lucky to attend. He covered composition, value, reference, and gave two demonstrations.

The first day he gave us a slideshow of his current work that he has done for Star Wars to Buffy to Anne Franks concept design. After which, he showed us a technique he uses when stuck or needs a more exciting composition. Basically he looks away from the page while sketching and uses a graphite or prisma stick to create random marks on the page. After which he looks for things in the marks to make a new and interesting composition. Jon gave us the assignment of nine thumbnails for a Moby DIck book cover along with Sparknotes. I went out to lunch with Chris. He was gracious enough to lug me around Encinitas and give me a tour. Chris works at Rockstar Games as a 2D Texture Artist and he is amazing at it.

During the second day Jon gave us an oil sketch demonstration. He told us that it was important not to turn painting into a finish medium only. Often he just sketches in oil for fun. Some examples are actually in his book Revolutions: The Art of Jon Foster. In reality Jon gave us three demos in one but would finish halfway and scrub it out. I don’t think he realized it but it was torture watching those beautiful sketches disappear. They are only to remain in the attendees’ memories and those that got a snapshot while they lasted. Jon showed us different techniques he uses, one was scratching in form with a business card. After his performance he critiqued our thumbnails and gave us a ton of advice.

Some of the other artists took me for some Hawaiian Food. Asa Uemon, Patrick Ballesteros, Dzu Nguyen, and a cute LA artist named Stevie Lewis I owe you guys/girl a special thanks for taking me along with you. It was delicious food something I could definitely get use to.

On the third day we changed the workshop location to the new building of the Watts Atelier. Jon began with a digital demonstration which lasted the entire morning. It was a Jon Foster version of Beaker. He blew right through it using his Wacom Intuos 2 6×8 (I believe), Photoshop CS, and Corel Painter 10. He showed us his tips on masking, brushes, color balance, etc. After which he showed us the correct way to shoot reference. He said to spend at least one hour shooting the pictures. That did not include setup of lights and model. He suggested getting multiple shots and sewing them together to make it a better picture. That pretty much ended the workshop.

I had a great time hanging out with Jon Foster and meeting everyone. I learned a ton and I hope to stay in contact with those that I met. Who knows maybe one day after I graduate I’ll take a few classes at Watts Atelier!

Studies

2008-12-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

I’ve been keeping myself busy with some studies this summer. I’m really trying to push myself on things I need work on especially the lower limbs and hands. Conceptart.org has a reference links, click here.

Peter Pan Sketches

2008-12-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ever since I started working at the YMCA for some reason I haven’t been able to stop drawing Peter Pan. Perhaps its because all the kids are always asking for him and even after they refer to the Disney version and ask, “Where’s the green hat?” I have to assure them that every artist has a different idea of what Peter Pan might look like.