Cartoon Portrait Commission

As I continue to focus on being known locally as an artist (so I have a nice home base.) various people have inquired about commissions. This one came from a teacher recently. I'm very happy with the result. 1/1 illustration created in Procreate.

 

Posted with Blogsy

IPad 3G Anniversary

A year ago today I ran home during my break to grab my 3G Apple iPad. I remember being extremely excited. It was like a second Christmas. My expectations were high and I didn't know what this device would be like. Unfortunately I couldn't try it out immediately because you have to sync it with iTunes. When I got home I set it up right away.

The experience was strangely familiar. I read so much on it I just knew what to do. I used an iPod Touch before too. I made a list of apps that I knew I had to download on day one. I was just a little obsessed. Although I wasn't going to admit that at the time. It feels like I've had it forever. That's how Apple operates I guess. Their products just worm their way into your life.

I can't complain though. The iPad is my constant companion. It's become my canvas, my journal and even my fitness coach so to speak. I've managed to fit this product into almost every aspect of my life. I browse the web, read the news, watch Netflix videos and play games on it. As a cartoonist though the art apps are what I love the most about my iPad.

That's the main reason I finally talked myself into being an earlier adopter. I had a lot of doubts initially. I got burned when I got the PSP Go when it came out. I wanted to only make smart decisions with new technology. I just had a good feeling about the iPad. When I started drawing on it I was almost terrified. I had to work up the nerve to try drawing on it. Things were rough.

I'd only used a tablet to draw once and things didn't go so well. "Did I really make the right choice?" I thought to myself. Eventually I got away from thinking about the technology. I just thought as an artist instead and broke down my process and applied it to the iPad. Sketchbook Pro was the very first art app I got.

The Blue Dragon and Euphony paintings were my two first successful iPad pieces. I just approached it like I was working on paper and I started to get the results I desired. The painting I did of Rose is most likely the most important piece of my current portfolio. It was a struggle but I learned so much about drawing and painting human features.

I find myself applying concepts and tricks I either discovered myself or learned from fellow artists like Kyle Lambert. I could go on for pages but I won't. The iPad has changed my life so much. I never thought I would be saying that a year later but it really is the best piece of tech I have ever bought. (Sorry PS3!)

Because of the way I can manipulate these art apps I find myself with new opportunities. My Create 96 and The Grove sponsored art show (Apple iPie: Slices Of iPad Art) was a big success for me. In May my Sade painting will be featured in a show for Sketchbook Pro users. I'm passing on iPad 2 because I really am content with what I have. Video mirroring will have to wait for me.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Lupe Fiasco "Lasers" Concept Series: I Don't Wanna Care Right Now

This particular track from Lasers was definitely one of the ones that irritated me. There is a sharp contrast between what Atlantic Records wanted and Lupe Fiasco's style as a rapper. It's painfully obvious that this is what the label forced him to do. Auto-Tune saturates this song. If you go back and listen to Shining Down (A track that was supposed to be on Lasers.) Lupe states that he doesn't agree with the way everyone jumped on Auto-Tune after T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West picked it up.

This song sounds like it's better suited for the Black Eyed Peas or Usher. Anyway I wanted to create a piece that symbolized Lupe's values and his labels expectations. I wanted to go with something more realistic than the previous piece but still abstract to a point.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Oprah iPad Portrait

My Mom told me a few weeks ago that Oprah's show was coming to an end soon and I should paint her. I had a lot of projects to tackle so I just let that one sit. Eventually I decided to just go for it. I realize Oprah is a huge iPad fan and has even partnered with Flipboard. I have a lot of respect for Oprah and what she's accomplished over her career. When I paint a celebrity I always make sure it's someone I admire. I never paint just anyone. A lot of thought was put into this painting and I'm very proud of the results. Brushes was the perfect app for such a project. I'm very happy I added a portrait like this to my Brushes portfolio. It's important to me that I share the wealth with all of my art apps.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Euphony Series: Chillin'

I had the idea for this Euphony piece for a few months but I think it made more sense to work on it on vacation. You could say this illustration is the spiritual successor to the original Euphony. I even went back to putting headphones on her. She is all about music after all. The location in the painting is inspired by The New Haven Green. The figure was hard to set up freehand so I added one point perspective to make things manageable. I'm very pleased with the results.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Lupe Fiasco "Lasers" Concept Series: Till I Get There

The idea for this just came to me out of the blue. Since Words I Never Said was so dark I felt it was only right that the next piece be whimsical. This painting was inspired by Monopoly. I just wanted to represent what happened to Lupe. His album was in limbo and no one thought it would see the light of day.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Euphony Series: Glamour

I did this one right before the show to pump up my art raffle at Apple iPie. I went for a Pulp Comics look for this one. My intention was to portray Euphony as a starlet from Old Hollywood.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Shrine Lanterns

For my Birthday, Rose and I went up to Shrine at Foxwoods. I love Asian Fusion Food. After we finished dinner I decided I wanted to paint some of the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It's funny but I would never be able to do something like this traditionally. What am I supposed to do whip out the oils and go? The manager would go crazy. That's just another perk of iPainting. I did this one in ArtRage.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Skyzoo Series: The Burn Notice

This is the second painting in my Skyzoo Series. I named it after one of the songs on his colab album with Illmind: Live From The Tape Deck. Naming this one The Burn Notice turned out to be a good move since in the reference photo he's been lit in red. I did this one in Brushes.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

T-shirt design: New Chibi Reaper

I did this one at work a few days before my art show. I used absolutely no reference aside from the shirt I was wearing. I just like how this new Chibi Reaper is looser than the original. The lines are bolder too.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Rachel The Wolverine

This was a fun little piece that Rose asked me to do for her friend, Rachel. I really wanted to go with turning her into X-23 but I guess there was an inside joke that she was Wolverine. I figured I would continue to test out Procreate for this too. It sounds strange but I don't think I fell in love with it until the very end. It's funny what my process is like sometimes.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Lupe Fiasco "Lasers" Concept Series: Letting Go

This is an ArtRage painting for the first cut off of Lasers by Lupe Fiasco. The imagery was extremely important to this piece. I wanted to convey a powerful message of a man literally letting go and falling into the abyss. There are several other messages in this piece too but what fun would it be if I gave away everything?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Lupe Fiasco Series: Lasers

I just want to make it clear that Lupe Fiasco is definitely one of my favorite rappers. That said save for a few tracks I was a little disappointed with Lasers. I followed Lupe's label situation and all the fan protests too. I was excited when Atlantic Records was pressured to release the album. Unfortunately what we got was a dumbed down Lupe Fiasco album.

From what I understand Atlantic forced him into a situation where he had to dumb down his lyrics and make his songs poppier. It shows on the album that his creativity was stifled. Songs like Superstar and Paris, Tokyo are poppy but the lyricism and creativity are still amazing. Lupe can make popular music but still remain true to his fans.

The pop songs on Lasers don't do his talents justice. I just wish Lupe hadn't given in. I feel like it's a slap in the face to all of the fans that appreciate him complex wordplay and storytelling. I just feel like both parties are at fault. That led me to start this new series to voice my opinion on what this album should've been like and what happened instead.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Paraffin

I got Procreate for iPad (Yes, the name is very lame.) yesterday and I couldn't think of anything to draw. After finishing a very labor intensive portrait I didn't want to use anymore photo reference. Rose suggested I draw her Paraffin kitchen doll. I mostly did it from memory but I couldn't help but glance at the model she made out of clay. Overall I had fun taking on this little experiment.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Chef Euphony

Euphony has become the unofficial mascot for my iPad artwork and I want to brand her that way. She will be prominently featured during my gallery show as well. I figured it would be a good idea to introduce her to the general public with this piece of promotional art. I wanted to take on a classic comic book style and turn it into a period piece. Euphony is a sixties housewife with warm apple pie and an iPad center.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Half Eaten Pie

This is the second illustration to promote my Apple iPie Gallery show. It's called Half Eaten Pie for obvious reasons and features an iPad in the pie plate. if you look closely at the screen you can see the date for the show too. I painted this one in ArtRage. My girlfriend, Rose handled all of the information that was later inserted onto the image. I will be posting more promotional art this week.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Student Name tags

I've had this project for a minute but it's finally seeing the light of day. I wanted to reward the class I work with a Troup School for working hard on the CMT. I came up with new name tags for them. Getting them printed was an obstacle but it was worth it. They loved them. The name tags were made using Sketchbook and ArtRage.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Apps I Use: Foliobook

A while ago I was in the market for a good portfolio app. I wanted something professional for showing people my art. The native photo app is fine but I wanted something classier. Foliobook is the one I picked. It just has a slick interface and let's you have multiple sections. I don't need to carry around multiple portfolios anymore so this works just fine.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Thoughts Of Spring II

I started this painting while giving an ArtRage demo at a gallery show Downtown. I figured I would finish it and add something to my Spring series. I started using reference but worked from memory to finish it. This piece is definitely more abstract than the last and I think I like it that way.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)

Featured Illustration: Thoughts Of Spring

I started this illustration when I was stuck on Sade. Winter was quickly approaching and I was already thinking of Spring. Then I just got to a point when I was uninterested in finishing it. Other projects and inspirations came. My Butterfly sat in my Sketchbook Pro portfolio. As Spring got closer and the weather got warmer I got inspired to finally go in on this one. Thankfully I did the groundwork months ago. Finishing it wasn't too bad. I can't wait until Spring.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad (Anubis)