New animal woodcuts

How to Draw a Realistic Face

jmindlin.tumblr.com

How to Draw PoPE Face

jmindlin.tumblr.com

Will Eisner as an Idolization

Will Eisner has always been a big inspiration for me. I am by no means a Disney nut but the linework that exists in Will's illustrations were brilliant touches of ink and brush. I've never had more respect for anybody else's linework. Not only that part of his career but combining it with his work on the comic strip "The Spirit" seals the deal. Inventor of the splash panel, these illustrative thin the line between realistic rendering and graphic understanding. To really tell a narrative and have characters that live more than the others.

To discuss a difference between my work and his it would have to be in trusting my more expressionistic lines. Will's work all has a flow... lines flow into lines to build a whole and it is all handled very elegantly. My process begins in a far more chaotic manner in which I work to put on paper the chaotic design developing in my noggin. My work is an appreciator of his, but in no way do I feel follows the same creative process.

http://www.willeisner.com/

Interview with Ryan Little of Able Projects.

Able Projects is a design to build firm located at the old Mockbee building in the Brighton area. Along side Ali Calis, Ryan has worked toward using their shared knowledge in screen printing as well as degrees in graphic design and fine arts to build a company capable of affecting the community in a positive nature. They have been "able" to get many commission over the past years displaying that this is more than just a screen printing studio. They have built several experiential installations based out of their graphic illustrative styles that have captivated crowds at local Cincinnati events. Their creativity combined with efficiency makes them capable of adapting to many different artistic expressions.

When asked about how long he'd been working toward this he responded, "just as long as i've been working on my dreads.. thirteen years. "

also when asked why he feels he has had his success so far he commented on how his nature is based out of respect for tradition. He has taken the time to learn how to do it the right way so he is able to express with confidence. This seems like an important attitude to have as a working artist in today's world.

Make sure to keep an eye out for Able PJ's in your area, and check out their past work: www.ableprojects.com

and thank you again to Ryan Little for his time

Visiting Brazee Street Studios

Brazee Street Studios (http://www.brazeestreetstudios.com/) is a great venue that has individual studios for artists as well as community and gallery space for visitors and artists to meet. The gallery is very effective at supporting local Cincinnati artists with space and resources for their work to strive. Sandra Gross led a tour around the amazing facility allowing us to see commission work in progress as well as all the capabilities the buildings had to offer. They have many community programs in play to teach art, this was another key focus for Brazee as they also discuss their development of an artist network.

Thanks to Sandra for all her enthusiasm and the amazing tour. Be sure to look at their website and see all Brazee has to offer.

Jason Franz: Class Visit about his work at Manifest Gallery as well as shipping and handling art.

In my Practical Practices course at DAAP, we were given the pleasure of having Jason Franz the Curator/Art Director at Manifest Gallery (http://www.manifestgallery.org/index.html)  in Cincinnati. He is a realistic figure artist himself with years of experience in various aspects of the art world. His focus on shipping art was very insightful as he displayed many tips for how to safely package artwork as well as make it easy for the gallery to access. Having cleanly packaged work is important for one's professional reflection as well makes the process easier and safer for the work to be installed properly. Using packaging tape tags, including instructions, as well as NOT USING PACKAGING POPCORN we vital pieces of information he was able to suggest. This perspective was two sided due to his time as a gallery director/Artist. Seeing both sides gives him a good perspective on how to exist in the professional world.

Be sure to look into his work and always consider how your work exists without you next to it.

Also be sure to check out his work, http://www.jasonfranz.com/

Thesis update

Details shots of different conflicted aspects of my thesis work as of now. Slow and steady

Thesis progress

Been making some heavy strides in my compositional Elements. Slowly developing the character traits defining the aesthetics. I've also started to combine acrylic pains with highly saturated, darker tones inks to make a more fluid paint for smooth linework. You can see it mostly in the blue used on te yellow wolf.

Thesis Progress

Thesis Progress:

      In hope of finding a way to blend my larger illustrative work into a more installation and 3-dimensional vibe, my thesis advisers suggested creating small machettes of potential compositions. It definitely helped me see the potential for my illustrations in real space but the works still felt too controlled by their environment and lack luster in comparison to the theatrical pieces I imagine. So, I built a 42"x72"x66" box out of black finished paneling and aluminum brackets. This has really given me a clean canvas for my hand to express line-work and start to bring to a head my grand composition.

    Referencing Da Vinci's "Last Supper" and incorporating my unique animal personifications, I'm working toward putting some of my characters in a "Last Supper" setting. Not trapped to the template put forth by Da Vinci's great work, but allowing for artistic expression to exist in a similar way I feel "The Weird Crew" has done with theirs. Im using a lion to represent the head of the table, I feel this draws from Aslan from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. I never really connected to church life or a studying of biblical beliefs but I easily comprehended Lewis's connections between Jesus Christ and Aslan. I also see lions in a personal light as a dormant figure capable of great things. My father's name is Daniel and the story of "Daniel and the lion's Den" always visually connected a masculine father figure to the animal.

My illustrative idols

the-weird-crew.tumblr.com/

The Weird Crew is collective German based spray paint illustrators. Their styles are all different but the group is astounding at finding common grounds through color and subject matter. The work are a new expression of size and charisma. My wall murals are still very small as i learn how to develop strong compositions at this size. My work feel a lot of the time a precursor to what im seeing here. Another difference between what I feel my work does is it feels more in touch directly with the needs of the community, not as much just the imagery i want to paint. Muraling can have a strong impact on the area around it and i believe that should be strongly considered. 

"Leonardo Da Weird" and a trademark Nychos dissecting skull

The Wanderer

Lots of little symbolisms surround this character that I plan to include in my developing narrative as an allegorical representation of time, perception, and fate.

Artist statement

Personality and charisma are projections of our character. My work visually addresses how character is expressed, and how those expressions alter our perceptions of identity. Ultimately, I work to blend the line between our animalistic and civilized natures.