Charlie Griak's Illustration Blog

Billboard Illustration

2012-01-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is something from last summer that I can now officially post. It is a billboard for Truper tools through an ad agency in Mexico City. Because of the large print size it was created as vector art-- which was a fun challenge, especially in creating the clouds.

"Revolution" Book Cover

2011-08-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

One more book cover that is now out. Working with my favorite designer again, Lisa Pompilio.

"Sadie Walker is Stranded" Book Cover

2011-08-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Just saw that this book cover I illustrated is now available on Amazon for pre-orders. I had a great time working on this with designer Lisa Pompilio!

Thumbnails

2011-08-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

I've been working really hard lately on a number of fun projects but I won't be able to share the work for quite awhile. In the meantime, here are some rough thumbnails for a recent book project that was canceled...

Recent Storyboard Work

2011-07-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

More Sketchbook

2011-06-20T07:25:00.001-07:00

Today's Sketch

2011-06-17T07:31:00.001-07:00

NBA Playoffs Illustration

2011-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I created this illustration for the today's (Friday April 15th) Wall Street Journal. The article compares each team to a mode of transportation -- it was a fun assignment!

Book Cover Awards

2011-04-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just saw that two book covers I worked on with the awesome art directors at St. Martin's Press are nominated for this year's best cover at Spinetingler Magazine-- "Expiration Date" and "The Four Stages of Cruelty".

If you'd like to vote, here is a link to the contest:

http://www.spinetinglermag.com/2011/03/31/2011-spinetingler-award-best-cover-nominees/

Outdoor Life Bear Attack Illustrations

2011-03-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

These illustrations are in the April issue of Outdoor Life Magazine for an article about a bear attack in Alaska.

Some of the initial options I presented...

Recent Work for the Western Telecomm. Alliance

2011-03-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Always fun to work on something with a western/Indiana Jones theme...

More sketching with paint...

2011-02-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Process work-- Gouache sketches

2011-02-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

These sketches are from a job last fall that I thought I'd scan and post before I gave them away. They were done as little warm-ups-- 2.5 x 3.5 inch paintings that I try to finish in about 30-45 minutes. I kind of like the result because working this way keeps me from getting hung up on details and forces me to boil the pictures down to the essentials. There isn't much detail, but maybe the detail isn't necessary for a successful picture? I wish I had the courage to work this directly on a "finished" piece... hopefully someday I'll get there...

Web Site Redesign

2011-01-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Charlie Griak Illustration

I finally made the jump to a non-flash web site for my work (something a lot of people have recommended recently). It was a little bit of a learning curve for someone like me who doesn't know that much about coding, but I'm really happy with the results. After working with flash for years I am excited about how flexible a WordPress site is and how easy it will be to update with new work.

I also switched my blog so it lives within my overall site. But I will probably continue to post here as well...

"Healing" Book Cover Design

2010-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

This is a book cover that I designed for my friend David Elliott. I really believe in the uplifting message of David's work and I highly recommend getting a copy at Amazon or at his web site.

Graphic Design Storyboards - Ecolab

2010-11-16T06:50:00.000-08:00

Some storyboards from the summer done with a different approach then I've ever tried (or been asked to do). The boards were meant to reflect the look of the final video, which was an animated/graphic design video.

Always a good challenge to think in shape instead of line, it usually produces some interesting and unexpected results. Especially when you have a short deadline and no time to think...

SC Magazine Illustration "Social Media Revolution"

2010-11-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

Artic Expedition

2010-10-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

A piece from last summer that I never posted and just found while digging for some reference. Its oil and acrylic on board, that started with a purposely gaudy underlay of rainbow colors that I glazed again and again with bluish-white washes in order to give the ice a feeling of transparency and reflected light. A great suggestion from Andrea Wicklund.

"2012 Time for Change" Screening

2010-10-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Please join Curious Pictures for a screening of 2012 Time for Change followed by a panel: Socially Conscious Media... Imagining the Evolution with:
Morgan Spurlock
Joseph Castelo
Asi Burak
Daniel Pinchbeck
Joao Amorim

Tuesday October 19th @ 7pm
AMC Loews Village 7
66 3rd Ave. @ 11 st.
New York, NY 10003

Tickets

Trailer

Sketchbook 10-11-10

2010-10-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Thought it was time to take a break from the marker sketches and work on something new in my sketchbook to push myself a bit.

Here are a couple of quick 15 minute gouache sketches.

Looking at a still frame from the movie "George Washington"...

Another from "2001: A Space Odyssey"...

And trying to recapture a walk home from memory...

Sketchbook 10-5-10

2010-10-05T09:13:00.001-07:00

Some sketches while looking at magazines and while watching "Man on Fire". Trying to see how simply I can state these sketches and working on designing my mark-making as much as possible.

ESPN The Magazine Illustration

2010-09-02T06:29:00.001-07:00

I just saw that this came out in the most recent ESPN The Magazine. I am really happy with how this turned out, especially because I see some elements that have been developing in my sketch books show up in a finished piece.

The thumbnail layout and idea phase...

And a couple of the elements I created with pencil and marker that I scanned and colored digitally...

Book Cover: "The 4 Stages of Cruelty"

2010-08-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Another fun book cover assignment from St. Martin's Press -- "The Four Stages of Cruelty" by Keith Hollihan.

Painted Sketch

2010-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

A little painting of our dog for my wife. Its always fun to get out the traditional media and play around...

Book Cover "The Kensei"

2010-07-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

I saw that this was available for pre-orders on Amazon so thought I'd post it. This was a fun assignment, its always great to have a chance to illustrate a vampire/ninja!

Sketchbook 7-1-10

2010-07-01T11:58:00.000-07:00

More experimenting with my markers sketches and digital color...

Sketchbook 6-23-10

2010-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sketchbook 6-07-10

2010-06-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

Sketchbook 5/20/10

2010-05-20T07:57:00.001-07:00

Outdoor Life Magazine- May

2010-05-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

This is the last of my three "This Happened to Me" Illustrations for Outdoor Life Magazine.

And here is the rough sketch done for approval before working on the final...

2010 Illustration Academy

2010-05-15T07:11:00.001-07:00

Friday, May 14, 2010
ILLUSTRATION ACADEMY 2010

Illustration Academy Faculty Announced!
The 2010 Illustration Academy is fast approaching there are still spots available at both locations
- for more information and to apply visit www.illustrationacademy.com.
Now you can APPLY ONLINE to The Illustration Academy! Go to the Application Page and see how!
Also, make deposits and payments online!
VLP Members receive a $495.00 discount!
The full-time faculty and visiting artists for each location will be as listed below:
Kansas City
Faculty: John English, Mark English, Brent Watkinson, George Pratt
Visiting Artists: Gary Kelley, C.F. Payne, Anita Kunz, Jon Foster
Richmond
Faculty: Sterling Hundley, Doug Chayka, Josh George, Robert Meganck
Visiting Artists: Jon Foster, Anita Kunz, John English, and more to be announced.

Football Sketch

2010-05-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

Mykonos Illustration

2010-05-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

An illustration that I have been playing around with whenever I have a free moment between jobs. I am running out of ideas to improve it so I think it might be done...

Factory Illustrations

2010-04-21T07:27:00.001-07:00

Some recent work for a State Street Corporation publication...

Outdoor Life Magazine Illustration 2

2010-03-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the next "This Happened to Me" comic for Outdoor Life Magazine. A pretty crazy story this month-- and a fun one to draw.

Feature Film Project

2010-03-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Along with my illustration work, I've also been working diligently to make a feature length movie for the last six months. It has always been my dream, and last fall I decided that I couldn't wait on it any longer. I just had to go out and make a movie.

The project has been steadily picking up momentum, and last Friday we were able to shoot the opening sequence as a test. I thought I'd post it because I was really pleased with the results. We are intending to complete the film by the end of 2010.

Below is a link to view the opening test sequence. The music is a placeholder for now but I will re-post once we create the actual soundtrack. Also, it may take a minute or so to load (its a 79 MB file) but I didn't want to show a small, compressed quick time and lose the imagery we worked so hard to capture...

http://www.charliegriak.com/film_test/opening03_23_10.html

There are definitely a lot of unknowns between here and the completion but I'm confident we can bring this vision to life.

Below are the some of the storyboards I made for the shoot...

Minnesota Monthly Illustration

2010-03-17T07:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my friend Robin Eley, I illustrated this month's cover of Minnesota Monthly.

The final product...

And the original sketch...

Outdoor Life Magazine Illustration

2010-03-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

This illustration was created for Outdoor Life Magazine's "This Happened To Me" feature. I'm scheduled to do this feature for the March, April and May issues.

Vector Leopard Illustration

2010-02-19T09:11:00.001-08:00

Just playing around here...

I love simple, graphic, poster-like illustrations and I'm always trying to improve and fine-tune my approach.

American Express Illustrations

2010-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

I spent a large part of last summer and fall creating these illustrations for an American Express web site. I was really excited to be selected for this project.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can share the link to the actual site, because the site was a promotion for card holders. If I find out differently I will post a link.

Because many of the elements were animated I had to create multiple version and states for most of the elements for the animators. Each element also had to be created in its entirety, so as one thing moved it wouldn't leave a blank area in the illustration.

Sketchbook

2010-02-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted any sketchbook work in awhile and I had these images all prepared for the VLP forum.

Just my usual value sketches, my way of practicing to keep my eye sharp...

Illo Minn: Volume 2 Illustration Show

2010-02-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to be a part of Illo Minn: Volume 2, a show featuring the work of twenty-eight Minnesota illustrators. Each illustrator will exhibit a printed illustration with original artwork and a one of a kind Munny doll. The illustrated Munny dolls will be sold in a silent auction during the exhibition reception. The show is being held at the CVA Gallery in St.Paul, MN.

Starts: February 18, 2010
Ends: March 6, 2010

Reception
Thursday, February 18, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Illustrator Panel Discussion
Thursday, February 25, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

CVA Gallery Location
The Gallery is located at 173 Western Avenue North in St. Paul (on the corner of Western and Selby avenues), and is open Wednesday through Saturday.

Gallery Hours
Wed & Fri — Noon - 6 p.m.
Thurs — Noon - 8 p.m.
Sat — Noon - 4 p.m.

I'm really looking forward to participating and hope to see some of you there.

Here is a shot of my Munny Doll...

America's Civil War Magazine Illustration

2009-12-08T23:35:00.000-08:00

This is a recent illustration I created for America's Civil War Magazine
Art Director: Marty Jones

This is the original acrylic ink wash illustration:

And after some digital manipulation thanks to some good feedback from the Visual Literacy Program:

And some of the process work...

Book Cover Illustration

2009-11-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

I created this book cover illustration for St. Martin's Press a little earlier this year, and just noticed that the book is now available on Amazon for pre-orders.

Below is some of the process work...

Santorini Poster

2009-11-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

Just having some fun with this one-- and finishing up the travel poster assignment from this summer's Illustration Academy. I got busy with a client project at the time and had to put this one on hold for a few months...

Ink Wash Illustrations

2009-11-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

Some more recent work-- these are going to be used in a book as chapter dividers.

Trading Card Characters

2009-10-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

I haven't had time to do a blog post in quite awhile so I thought I would put these up. They are from a job earlier this spring for a fantasy card game. They are a little different then most of my work, but were a really fun change of pace.

Character Sketches

2009-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

(click on image for larger view)

A quick job here between other deadlines (I had a half-day while waiting on some feedback early this week)-- some character sketches for a film pitch meeting. Experimenting with my usual marker sketches and some digital color and clean-up...

Outdoor Life Magazine Illustrations

2009-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

I created these 3 illustrations for the current issue of Outdoor Life Magazine. The art director was James Walsh.
(click on images for a larger view)

Full page...

2 page spread...

Quarter page spot...

They were created as vector illustrations, below you can see some of my process.

Here are 2 of the pencils...

And some of the thumbnails ideas...

And some of the embarrassing reference shots-- I seem to always find a way to use a hockey stick and a cowboy hat in whatever illustration I do lately.

Illustration Academy 2009

2009-07-15T04:49:00.000-07:00

The illustration Academy 2009 is almost finished and once again it went by much too quickly. This is my second year in attendance and I can honestly say that this program, the instructors, and the students have changed my life. I believe this is the best program of its kind on the planet.

I worked on a freelance project for most of this year's academy, so I wasn't always able to do the assignments but just being in the presence of so many great artists has once again reshaped my thinking and pushed me to work harder than I ever thought I could.

Both years that I have been in attendance, I have been amazed at the quality of students and their dedication to their art. And rather than being an environment of competition, the mood here has always been that of cooperation and mutual respect.

Sometimes everyone pushes themselves a bit too hard and this is what the place looks like after we stay up all night to finish a project in time for the weekly critique...

The faculty is equally as dedicated. The full-time and visiting faculty are some of the most talented, generous, kind, inspirational and intelligent people I have ever had the good fortune to be around.

A great example of the kind of people who run this program comes to my mind from earlier this year. I was working on a project and talking about it with George Pratt. It was at about 11 pm and we were all pretty tired out from the day. He had a book he wanted me to see that might help me with my project, but he didn't have with him. So about an hour later, at midnight--on a day that began for all of us at 9 am or earlier-- he shows up with the book. He had driven home, found it and came back at that late hour without giving it a second thought. He could have easily waited until the next day or later that week, or later on the program, but he didn't-- he wanted to help me out and was excited to share with me what he had. And I can guarantee that every student here has a similar story about George or one of the faculty from the last seven weeks.

This also makes me think about something that happened last summer. It was the last day of the program and we were all preparing to go into the final critique. Everyone was pretty burned out and ready for some sleep-- I know I was. I walked into the faculty office to ask a question and some of the faculty members were sitting around talking. I expected that they would be talking about where to get lunch, or what they were doing later that night, but instead they were discussing one of the student's projects and how they could help her improve it. Minutes before the final critique, after 7 tireless weeks of helping us on days that lasted from 9 am to midnight almost 7 days a week, there they were still trying to help one of us just a little more. It chokes me up to think about it.

Below are a few links to learn more about the program. It goes without saying that I highly recommend this program for anyone who loves image making. This program has made a gigantic positive impact on my life and career.

www.illustrationacademy.com

www.visualliteracyprogram.com

Academy Update

2009-07-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Chris Payne and Robert Meganck's assignment-- more to come soon....

Illustration Academy Part 1

2009-06-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

I've been having a blast at the Illustration Academy this summer. This is my second year in attendance and it has been just as exciting and inspirational as last year. Here is Anita Kunz' conceptual portrait assignment-- I went with Stanley Kubrick.

And a few of the figure drawings from our Tuesday and Thursday night classes. More to come soon...

National Geographic Magazine Illustrations

2009-05-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

I created these illustrations for the current issue of National Geographic Magazine. Rather than traditionally created botanical illustrations they wanted realistic, very clean, vector graphics to go along with the overall look of the 2 page spread. I was very excited at the opportunity to do this work, as National Geographic is definitely on my list of dream clients.

Sketchbook 5/21/09

2009-05-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

Some more excerpts from my sketchbook. Just trying to have some fun and not be so concerned with the results. It keeps me sane to balance the work I labor over with some that is just done to explore.

I noticed something about using the copic gray markers that has been in the back of my mind for awhile. I was always wearing out the # 4, 5, 6, and 7 before any others, so I thought I'd test my suspicion with a full grayscale (below). It turns out that the markers at both ends of the scale are really close in value-- in some I can't see any difference at all. I kind of felt this subconsciously, but it helps me to bring that type of "beneath-the-surface" feeling into concrete understanding (mainly so I don't forget it).

Not to take anything way from the copic markers -- I think they are great -- but you may not need to buy the full scale to do solid value studies.

"Fever"- Now Available on iTunes

2009-04-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased to announce that "Fever", my short animated film, is now available for purchase on the iTunes music store through Shorts International.

Visit your iTunes store to purchase:
US
UK
Canada
Germany

Markers

2009-04-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

These little marker values studies have become almost a regular nightly practice for me in the last few months. I feel like this exercise, and the oil painting, has made a positive impact of some of my recent illustration work. I can't post them yet, but I recently completed a couple of fun jobs-- one for National Geographic Magazine and one for Outdoor Life Magazine. I will post more about them sometime in May once they are on the news stands.

Oil Painting Class

2009-04-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've been taking an oil painting class at night this spring-- that is, when other deadlines aren't too pressing-- and thought I would post one of my pieces.

Indiana Jones Illustration

2009-03-31T06:57:00.000-07:00

I created this banner for the 2008 year-end party for Hewlett-Packard held in Los Angeles. My job was to create a 21 foot long piece of artwork depicting various employees of the company as if they were in an Indiana Jones movie. For the party, they had also created a movie in which they employees were super-imposed over the actual footage from the films. I didn't see the entire film, but the clips I did see were really amazing. My banner was sort of the movie poster for the event.

For something this big, it made the most sense to me to create a clean line drawing, scan and convert it all to vectors, and then work in Adobe Illustrator for the coloring and rendering. It was a really fun job and I was happy to see that the employees enjoyed it!

More Marker Sketches

2009-03-20T12:49:00.001-07:00

Value Sketching

2009-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

More sketching-- concentrating on recognizing values.

Sketchbook

2009-02-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

More sketches here with grayscale markers...

Hockey Illustration

2009-02-19T08:20:00.000-08:00

Taking another of my little sketches to a finish. I just had to do this one because I really liked the overall pattern-- I have been a little obsessed lately with these sports compositions. Every free moment I've had in between my real jobs, this is what I have been playing with. There is something really fun about working with the obvious bold colors of a uniform-- it easy to see it as abstract shape I guess.

Anyway, this is another vector piece. I'm just not ready to give up on vector artwork, even though I fear there is a bias against it being real "art". There is something I am after with it that feels like it is starting to happen. I believe something will show up if I keep trying--and belief can be a dangerous thing.

I am also taking an oil painting class right now which couldn't be any more of a polar opposite approach (at least how I see it) than working with vectors. I alluded to this before, but I have this idea that if I make my mind work in two radically different ways (one very analytical/mathematical and one more intuitive/emotional) that I will overwhelm it and force it to expand into something better-- maybe something that can think both ways simultaneously.

...oh, and the pencil from this piece. My justification of vector art being something more than just tracing photographs...

And some more sketches...

2009-02-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

This time moving on to gouache for a few. Just trying to work really quickly and really small(about 3x3) as a way of learning more about value, and pattern and how to mix color. I'm always surprised at how little line is necessary for the image to "read" if the values are arranged with some planning. I'm also having fun trying to draw these without caring about the end result. It is very hard for me to let go of the need for good results (and even harder for me to post these for others to see) but really enjoyable when things go well.

More Experiments...

2009-02-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Some more sketches that I've been doing lately while looking at magazines. Still concentrating on value and shape, and hoping to create an interesting abstract pattern...

And one I decided to finish as vector art...

I have a strange need to justify any digital artwork I do by showing the hand-drawn aspect of the creation. I'm not sure why I hold this bias, but I'm usually not a fan of vector art that is merely a traced photograph. I'm clearly looking at reference here, but trying to let the drawing process redesign it into something more interesting. Hopefully I've maintained some of the energy of a drawing in the above digital piece, but somehow I always like my sloppy thumbnails the best (probably because I don't care how they turn out). I'm always trying to bridge that gap. I wish my vector work could somehow have some of the randomness of the above thumbnails. Someday I hope to crack that code...

Below are some of the steps I take before starting on the computer to create vector artwork.

Sketch Book 01-25-09

2009-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Sketches with pencil and gray markers, trying to focus on value and shape instead of line...

Climbing

2009-01-24T10:44:00.001-08:00

Just trying to get this out of my system-- and follow the advice again of not caring so much about the final result but just paint and see what happens.

Pencil Drawings

2009-01-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

A quick post here while I am burning a bunch of back-up discs. These are the pencil drawing set-ups for a current job I am on. They are part of a 1 page "comic-book" style ad. I will post the finals once they are ready.

Odds and Ends from 2008

2009-01-06T13:20:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

First of all, thank you everyone for your comments on my last post. It really gives me a boost to hear all of your feedback. Being a freelancer can get kind of lonely sometimes, so I can't tell you how great it is to here kind words from other artists. So thanks!

I haven't been able to post much recently-- I've been working on a longer term project for an ad agency that unfortunately I'm not allowed to post just yet. In the few free moments I've had over the last month or so I've been up to my usual experiments with some side pieces. I tried to take a few really opposite approaches simultaneously to see if I could push myself into something new-- and managed to drive myself a little crazy at the same time.

The first picture here is an in-progress painting in oils and acrylics. I feel like it is not quite done but not sure why... so in case I completely butcher it as I go forward from here (like I have in my other 3 attempts to do this same piece!) I thought I should scan it. This is a left-over project from the Academy this past summer. My friend and fellow artist, Jeff Love, was the model for this assignment- but I ended up doing a different composition at the time. Sorry Jeff, if I made you look a bit evil here-- its not a personal commentary at all.

The next piece was partially a product of just being really frustrated. While in the process of failing at the above piece a few times I thought I better go back to basics. So I gave myself the first assignment from the Illustration Academy hoping it would break me out of my rut. I did the piece in Adobe Illustrator working only in flat local colors.

And finally, here is a link to my updated web site-- I thought it would be good to start the year with a slightly different look and get some more current pieces onto my site.

Thanks for taking a look-- I wish you all a great 2009!

Upcoming Issue of America's Civil War Magazine

2008-11-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

I just finished these illustrations for an upcoming issue of America's Civil War Magazine and the art director was kind enough to let me show them right away-- the issue won't be on newsstands until January 2009. The story comes from a Union soldier's diary and was extremely fun to illustrate.

For those of you interested in the process, the finals were executed with acrylic ink and gouache on Strathmore illustration board.

Below are the pencil sketches...

The quick value studies done with markers...

And some of the initial thumbnails (I made them very small here so the text is unreadable-- I don't want to ruin the story)...

And some of the embarrassing reference photos that I shot and gathered with the help of my wife (and my dog). It was really important to me to research everything thoroughly because I wanted the illustration to feel very authentic and believable. What you see here is just a tiny fraction of the research. And believe it or not, these are the least embarrassing of the reference photos...

Batman Illustration 2

2008-10-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

A second version of the previous post, this time created by painting oil washes over a fixed acrylic/gouache base.

Batman

2008-10-09T13:00:00.001-07:00

I've always dreamed of being hired to do a Batman cover so I decided I would give myself that assignment as I continue my experiments with gouache/acrylic.

Here is what I came up with. It is painted with gouache/acrylic in grayscale and then colored in Photoshop. I am also going to finish it in color traditionally but wanted to scan it in and do a quick color overlay in case I destroy it as I add colors. I'll post that as well when I am done.

The grayscale painting...

And the build up... starting with a thumbnail, then a tighter sketch after taking some photo reference, and then a value and color study.

Web Site Illustrations 3

2008-10-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is the third collage in a current project I am working on. The illustrations will be used as backgrounds on a web site that is scheduled to launch on November 1st-- I will post a link once everything is set to go.

Painting again...

2008-10-01T08:25:00.001-07:00

Click on the images for a larger view.

I have been really busy with a few digital illustration projects lately (which is great) but have been able to follow through on a personal commitment to continue my painting/traditional media education that began at the Illustration Academy this summer by working on personal paintings at nights and on weekends. I think this one is finally finished-- but I always question whether there is more to do. Mainly, I think I get to a point where I can't think of anything to do that will make much of an impact-- aside from completely starting over.

I am still wrestling and struggling with the best way to work with acrylic and gouache and at times it can be very frustrating. Having not worked with much traditional media before this summer I know that I still have a ton of learning ahead of me in order to get where I want to be. But finishing a painting is by far the most rewarding feeling I have experienced in making art-- and I am very excited and determined to continue down this path.

I read this quote in "Artist to Artist" and it made me think of how I was feeling while working on this painting. I'm guessing that other artists can relate...

"Finishing a painting demands a heart of steel: everything requires a decision, and I find difficulties where I least expect them... It is at such moments that one fully realizes one's own weaknesses." -Eugene Delacroix

Web Site Illustration Revision

2008-09-22T07:13:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick revision that I made to a piece from a few weeks back. The client wanted a version of this collage without the text box in the center. So we decided to add another musician to fill that area. It was a minor adjustment but I like the way it turned out. I have been trying to achieve a certain look for awhile now and I feel like this portion of the illustration is a step in the right direction for me.

Web Site Illustrations 2

2008-09-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the next page from the job I am currently working on...
(click on images for the full size view)

and a few details...

..and my initial sketches. As you can see, we (the web developer and myself) weren't sure on direction until the first sketch was done. After seeing it we felt like it was a little too different from the previous illustration. So we went back to the idea of a "collage feel" and I'm really happy we did. I think the results are much better.

Web Site Designs

2008-09-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration I just completed for a web developer. I'm covering up the name of the site for now, but its sounds like all of this will be live in a few months.

(click on image for a larger view)

And here are a few details...

Three Musketeers Poster

2008-08-27T19:10:00.001-07:00

I just finished this illustration for the Seattle Repertory Theatre. It was a really fun job and gave me a chance to use all the great lessons from the Illustration Academy. The main trick on this one was trying to figure out a design that worked as both a tall vertical poster and a horizontal outdoor board and bus board. Because of the size of the outdoor board we started with a digital vector version (which is what is being used so far in the ads), but what you see here is acrylic and gouache on board-- and some of the process work. Hopefully the painted version will be a part of the campaign as well.

Illustration Academy 3

2008-07-13T22:06:00.001-07:00

Illustration Academy 2

2008-07-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

Illustration Academy

2008-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of the Illustration Academy right now and have to say that it is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done in my life. The instruction here is absolutely fantastic and its very exciting to be around so many talented artists and teachers. It was a little scary to take time away from work to devote myself to improving my skills for the summer but I'm so happy I made this decision.

This is one of the assignments. I am depicting the 2004 Orange Revolution of Ukraine. Trying to work with acrylic paint for the first time is very tough but it is starting to make sense to me. I still need to clean it up a bit in Photoshop-- the scan is a bit blurry-- but it was an outstanding learning experience that was hopefully make my digital work better down the road.

Quick Sketch

2008-05-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

A quick photo shop sketch while looking at a magazine ad done as a warm-up today. I kind of like it... I've been trying to experiment with the idea of using as little info as possible to capture the picture.

Night Club

2008-05-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Originally this was a storyboard frame that I did for a client a few weeks back that I really wanted to turn into a final piece. I did this all as vector art like my last few posts. It is an approach that has been interesting me lately.

Movie Poster

2008-05-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

This is a section of a poster I created for Juggernaut Pictures, an upstart production company in LA that I have been working with quite a bit this year in various capacities. I had to crop the image to hide the title of the movie for now-- but hopefully I will be able to post more about this project soon.

Trojan Pigs

2008-04-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Finished this up a few weeks back for a really fun group at Colangelo in Darien, CT. The Screaming Machine is an animated ride that Trojan will be traveling with around the country. The Art Director designed the architecture and I was responsible for the main visual and banners.

Illustration Friday: Fail

2008-04-13T12:58:00.001-07:00

No rhyme nor reason to this...just following the advice of a friend that I should draw at times and not be concerned with the quality of the result, and not care whether I fail or succeed.

New Drawing

2008-04-04T07:22:00.001-07:00

Managed to fit this one in yesterday while waiting to hear back about a project... starting with a pencil sketch and then painting it in Photoshop.

Poster Section

2008-04-03T08:49:00.001-07:00

This is a small section of a larger poster I am working on in between jobs. So far this is the only part of it that I feel is working. Just haven't been able to bring the rest together. I've been struggling with the fine line between being expressive and just making a big mess!

More Sketching

2008-03-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

More sketching while looking at a fashion magazine. Starting with pencil and then moving into Photoshop again.

Self Promo

2008-03-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is my page from the 2008 Directory of Illustration.

Jaromir Jagr

2008-03-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

More goofing around here, sketching while looking at Sports Illustrated...starting with pen and paper and then moving into Photoshop.

Sketches from 03/09/08

2008-03-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

Just playing around here, sketching while looking at a fashion magazine...

New Vector Artwork

2008-03-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

Microsoft comic book cover

2008-02-28T13:00:00.001-08:00

(click on image for a larger view)
Here is something I finished up a few months ago for DDB Seattle and Microsoft. I've doctored this version up a little bit from what the actual piece looked like because I wanted to try a few things out for fun.

Charterville Poster

2008-02-15T13:11:00.001-08:00

(click on the images for a larger view)

I recently completed this illustration job for Charter Cable through VaughWedeen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Everything was created as vector art to allow for large scale printouts, which is always a fun challenge. Working with somewhat more restrictive tools (like Adobe Illustrator) usually forces me to think in clean, simplified terms and I am often happy with the end result.

I vaguely remember hearing a story about a European filmmaker (Jean Renoir, I believe) whose Hollywood produced films never reached the artistic standards he had set with his earlier, lower-budget, European films. He said the problem was that he had access to almost unlimited resources while in Hollywood and didn't have to solve as many visual problems as he had in Europe. If he needed 100 horses for a shot, he got them. Early in his career he would have had to make 4 horses look like a 100 horses on screen, and in doing so he created more compelling visuals.

Not sure if I have that story exactly right, but its something I like to think about. I think it is good to view limitations and rules as an opportunity for creativity rather than an obstacle.

2008 Honda Session Poster

2008-02-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the final poster that I illustrated for the 2008 Honda Session which is taking place this coming weekend (Feb 8-10).

And a second poster that I completed for my portfolio...

...and below are the 6 rough layouts that I created during the initial phase of the job as the ad agency was trying to narrow down a direction for the poster. I always really enjoy working on the initial rough drawings in a job.

Microsoft: "Dangerous Descent"

2008-01-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

Click here to view "Dangerous Descent", the second of two animated web movies that I worked on last year for Microsoft. Both movies were created in collaboration with DDB Seattle for Microsoft's "Get Genuine" anti-piracy campaign. I worked closely with Art Director Troy Brock, to storyboard, illustrate, and direct the limited animation style for these projects.

You can also view the first movie, Suspicious Cargo, by clicking here .

Daniel Day-Lewis

2008-01-21T19:35:00.001-08:00

I was so inspired by "There Will Be Blood" that I had to do a sketch of Daniel Day-Lewis. His performance is truly amazing.

Medium: Graphite, Tria Markers, Photoshop
(Click on the image to see at the full size.)

Honda Sesssion Poster

2008-01-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

This is a poster that I was commissioned to create for the 2008 Honda Session in Vail, CO. This poster wasn't the chosen layout but I decided to finish it anyway because I liked the design. I will post the final poster once the event kicks off in about a month.

Coors Work

2008-01-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

This is a job I worked on last spring for Coors through The Integer Group in Denver. I was just given the okay to post it now that it is in circulation. It was a really fun project to work on and I enjoyed collaborating with their team to pull this off. Everything (except the bottles) was created as vector artwork, which was a real challenge, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Mark

2007-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00