Born Under a Bad Sign

The Smugness Gene

2012-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

I always think that people should share their opinions, and sometimes I may even say that having a strong opinion is a positive personality trait (as long as you don't opine that LMFAO makes good music, of course). However, there is a fine line between feeling strongly about your opinion, and trying to pass off your opinion as fact.

This general conclusion mirrors what I feel about Art. I feel like everyone should make it. And I feel that the artists should stand firmly by their points of view. Again though, these artists have to be careful that their art isn't interpreted to be something it is not. Like, oh I don't know, science.

Exhibit A:

Artist Stefani Bardin does the very unscientific thing of feeding a couple people different types of food and forcing them to take some camera pills down along for the ride. I was reading about this in the extremely well-respected and highly recognized journal of science "gizmodo.com" (which may be best known for buying stolen goods). Of course when I say I "read" the article, I mean I read it the American way of skimming and stopping as soon as I hit a multisyllabic word.

Anyway I (mostly) watched (some of) the video, and while the camera pill surely is a piece of advanced technology, the "study" Bardin ran has very little to do with science. As science, the whole thing is laughable, and as art, the whole thing is meh-able.

(Stefani Bardin eating whole grain foods)

One of the main reasons I'm turned off by this piece is it reeks of the "Artist's Smugness" gene that I so often try to squash in all the artists I meet. The only conclusions I draw from the piece is that Bardin is probably some sort of nose in the air snob who looks down on people who may be too poor to eat anything other than mac and cheese for dinner.

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Link to Gizmodo Article

Getting UP

2012-02-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

This trailer looks amazing.

Tony Quan, AKA "Tempt1" was one of the original graffiti artists in the early 1980's. After being diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease) in 2003 it seemed that his writing days were over. This trailer shows the technology and amazing people that were willing to help Tempt continue his art.

This isn't too different than what Chuck Close went through to keep making his artwork, however the technology involved here is on an entirely different level.

Keep Moving Forward!

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Ordinary people

2012-01-26T20:08:00.001-08:00

Update on a little guy

Art Gear Review! Countycomm Pocket Organizer

2012-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Heres the first ever "Art Gear Review"!

I take a look at the countycomm pocket organizer, which I use to carry several sketching materials wherever I go!

The Real Art Institute

2012-01-10T14:32:00.001-08:00

This is the Art Institute of Chicago. It holds many paintings. None of mine.

FOTY: 2011

2012-01-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson

This fight had everything: controversy, action, a great underdog story, and a title on the line.

I was painting this and realized that every boxing illustrator since Leroy Neiman has done their best to paint very similar to Leroy Neiman. I admit I used to do this also, but am still finding my own voice. It's easy to see why you would want to, his paintings perfectly express the movement and excitement of a boxing match. I'll be sure to make a post soon about Neiman and his work.

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5 things learned from Khan-Peterson.

Official Leroy Neiman Website:

Favorite fight of 2011

2012-01-05T18:00:00.001-08:00

This was my personal "2011 fight of the year"... Of course, I didn't get a chance to see the actual fight of the year.

I'm blocking this in with watercolors, just burnt Sienna and a water brush. Depending on how it turns out I'll finish it off with gouache or oils.
Keep moving forward!

What's in my bag!

2012-01-03T19:08:00.001-08:00

What's in my bag!, a photo by FastJorge on Flickr.

This is my contribution to the "Whats in your bag?" group on Flickr. You can see my sketching stuff on the bottom left inside my Countycomm pocket organizer! That thing has been great so far, i may do a review on it soon.

Keep Moving Forward!

Waiting

2012-01-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

(Waiting, 2011)

First post of the new year features a painting from last year! This was one of my favorites. I've been doing a good amount of cityscapes lately, really focusing on Chicago and what makes it unique to me. It would be easy to paint the Sears tower, or the famous skyline, but I feel it's small moments and spaces like this that really make this city unique.

Keep Moving Forward!

DIY Moleskine Sketchbook

2011-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a great link on how to create your own Moleskine-like sketchbook. I found this a couple years ago and have been using this technique to make custom sized sketchbooks since. These instructions are already great so there's no need for me to go over them again!

Big thanks to Michael Shannon for the thorough details!

Even though I still prefer spiral-bound sketchbooks for anything 8"x 10" or larger, this type of binding really is best for the small sketchbooks that you can carry with you everyday without any hassle. The great thing about binding them yourself is that you can use any type of paper you prefer, depending on what you'll be using the book for. You could even have multiple types of paper bound together in the same book in case you normally use pencil to sketch but sometimes also break out the watercolors, you wont be restricted by the materials!

A small sketchbook is always a good companion to the DIY watercolor tin!

Keep Moving Forward!

Santa Claus IS Real

2011-12-23T18:03:00.001-08:00

Santa Claus is real, folks. I know this because the Santa that we all know in this country was invented by Thomas Nast.

(Thomas Nast Self Portrait)

Santa Claus, as a concept, existed well before Nast. However, its Nast's version of him with the jolly white beard and red suit that still exists today!

(Thomas Nast's Santa Claus)

Creating one iconic character wasn't enough for Nast, so he also created Uncle Sam. Although its not the image of Uncle Sam that everyone is familiar with (That credit belongs to J.M. Flagg, Nast is responsible for the personification of the country as one man.

(Nast's Uncle Sam)

Again, because Nast wasn't satisfied, he went ahead and created the characters that now represent the democratic and republican political parties in the U.S.

(Nast's Democratic Donkey and Republican Elephant)

I figure this is just about any character designer's dream. Talk about inspiration!

Keep Moving Forward!

More about Thomas Nast

DIY watercolor travel tin

2011-12-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

Recently I've been looking for a good way to take some watercolors out and have them handy when i need to sketch. I tried a couple other methods, but landed on the super-versatile Altoids Tin.

I just took a couple of water bottle caps and trimmed them down to use as pans for the paints. This is important or else the paint will not adhere to the metal and chip off. The caps were just glued into place with some white elmer's glue and are sturdy enough. So far, so good!

un-done.

2011-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I start things and never finish them. This is one of those times. I'm not sure what exactly it is I want to happen here, so its tough to really "finish" it.

This can stay in the "maybe" file for a while until i decide to work on it or paint over it. Keep moving forward!

Messing around

2011-12-21T10:21:00.001-08:00

Some new stuff!

EDIT: I just realized this is a picture from just before the painting was finished. Its about 95% here, but not entirely done....

End of summer

2011-08-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Summer is ending, ruh roh!

Why not

2011-06-03T19:37:00.001-07:00

Hello all!

Dollface

2011-04-03T17:54:00.001-07:00

Dollface, a photo by FastJorge on Flickr.

new pic of old work

2011-03-31T18:41:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to upload this. I've been playing with mixing traditional and digital alot. This was one of the first where i did that...

Everlasting light

2011-03-24T11:18:00.001-07:00

Heres a sketch (wip) for concept art's character of the week thread. The design is for a post apocalypse paladin, but so far I'm just working out the pose and light source, hoping to start adding details soon! Keep moving forward!

You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet

2011-03-21T20:45:00.001-07:00

New Mayor

2011-02-22T20:40:00.000-08:00

Chicago just elected its first new mayor in decades.

(Rahm Emanuel)

Although I dont know much about everything he has planned for the city, its pretty exciting to see a new face and hopefully some fresh ideas. My hope is that he'll really strive to improve the CPS educational system. Keep Moving Forward!

Finish Him!

2011-02-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

I've been changing the subject matter in my paintings lately. I've sort of just been focusing on things that i've thought "looked cool" since I was a kid. To be honest, its been awesome! I've had a lot of fun painting these video game characters and trying out some new techniques while im at it. This painting is both traditional and digital. I'm never going to put down the brushes, but I feel like digital painting is something i really want to grow in and get better at. Its fun and new so it really motivates me to paint more, which is great! Anyway, back to the drawing board after this one....Keep Moving Forward!

New camera

2011-02-17T17:04:00.000-08:00

I need a new camera, its very very difficult to get good quality pictures of artwork. Example:

This is one of my favorite paintings, but i never had the chance to take a quality photo... tssk tssk, now i dont have the painting!

Dollface Finished!

2011-02-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is the finished painting of Dollface from Twisted Metal: Black. I'm really happy about how this one turned out. I didnt think i would like it as much as i do. It surprised me how quickly this went from start to finish, only took a few days from idea to final. SWEET! I really have no idea what i want to happen with the twisted metal paintings.... Time to find them a home i suppose...
Keep Moving Forward!

Update

2011-01-25T15:22:00.001-08:00

Going smooth, keep moving forward!

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Thumb nails

2011-01-24T19:36:00.001-08:00

A page of thumb nails for the next (last?) Of the twisted metal series...

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Blank canvas

2011-01-23T23:57:00.001-08:00

Something in this picture will get painted over.

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Post teaching

2011-01-14T19:41:00.001-08:00

As a parting gift, my high school students all signed a sketchbook for me, almost like a yearbook. It was a really awesome gift and I still look at it after about a month of being away from the classroom.
So the first sketch I made in it was a pretty appropriate image of how I feel now that I'm done teaching. I'm bored and confused, I've been lost lately without a classroom! Hopefully that will change soon!

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Allow me to introduce myself

2011-01-06T14:25:00.001-08:00

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grimm update

2010-12-24T21:10:00.001-08:00

Progress!

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Grimm

2010-12-17T21:20:00.001-08:00

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Terra Branford

2010-11-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well i just finished this painting up, i had alot of fun painting it. I've actually never heard of this character but it is Terra from Final Fantasy 6 on her mech called Magitek. I was excited to paint it and had a great time with the different texture of the metal in contrast with the skin and hair of the figure.

The most difficult thing about this painting was getting a good picture of it before i had to give it to the client! On to the next, Keep Moving Forward!

red hot

2010-11-15T20:01:00.001-08:00

I hate hate hate phone pictures... But this will do for now. I think this is just about wrapped up, on to the next!

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Where the River Goes

2010-11-10T19:10:00.001-08:00

Not too much free time lately to post/paint. Here is something i kicked up, portrait of Cyborg Ninja from Metal Gear Solid. I have been having a good time painting some things just because i like the way they look without overthinking all the conceptual aspects of it.

tease

2010-11-08T19:33:00.001-08:00

Detail

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sweet tooth pt2

2010-10-13T22:02:00.001-07:00

Really really digging this underpainting so far!

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a day at the races

2010-10-11T12:42:00.001-07:00

Trying a new underpainting technique. Painting the whole thing in quinacridone red, then going over it in pthalo green. Part of the Twisted Metal series I'm starting!

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Teaching Art

2010-09-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

(Ashley Wood probably had at least one art teacher inspire him)

I haven't been able to update much about new work because honestly I have not been making much new work. I'm into my 5th week of student teaching and it has been much better than expected. I can safely say that teaching art has been just as gratifying as making art is to me. I know alot of "artists" have challenged this notion. I suppose that "real artists" don't teach, or that if i'm a teacher at a school that there's no way i can call myself a real artist, that must be the assumption. I challenge any artist though to look back upon their own experiences and realize that there first has to be someone there to inspire a kid to pick up a brush or a pencil and try it out.

Another realization i've come across is that art is losing a lot of attention in schools. Math and science are important, i don't disagree, but a solid art class will teach students something more that isn't learned in other classes. I'm not just teaching facial proportions or how to work with clay. I'm teaching that there are no right answers except the one that you create for yourself. 1+1 doesnt always equal 2. Sorry. I suppose it may sound like i'm idealizing the practice of teaching art, but teaching has helped me realize how important art is to me and how important it is for students today to learn it.

concrete

2010-08-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

small easel. Inspired by teaching and video games. Woot.

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title

2010-08-17T22:18:00.001-07:00

video games are inspiring, I don't care what anybody says.

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sneak sneak

2010-08-12T21:28:00.001-07:00

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so much trouble

2010-08-12T20:10:00.001-07:00

lulz at Richard Herman punking the u of I students and staff...

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Trouble in River City

2010-06-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

this note was left on top of my artwork at the Illini Union Art Gallery in Champaign, it reads "we could do without most of anything by this J.B., thanks."
AWESOME. I understand that my art is controversial,and I'm glad to hear peoples opinions, negative or positive. It's the people who go out of there way to write these notes that this art is intended for, the ones who gladly choose ignorance and close-mindedness over intelligent consideration of others beliefs.
I'll be sure to update my thoughts on this soon, highlighting the specific art that was in this show.

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fail shop

2010-06-24T16:44:00.001-07:00

find the extra arm for ten points!!

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American fetish

2010-06-21T21:11:00.001-07:00

I don't think I ever shared these which is a surprise because I'm pretty proud of them. these are custom playing cards I made in order to deconstruct some fallacies of American culture. I'll post more soon, of the different illustrations and even showing my process on them. Keep moving forward!

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work in progress

2010-06-15T23:49:00.001-07:00

I've been working with some watercolors lately to stay in the groove and build up my portfolio. this is an illustration of the late Arturo Gatti. he was always one of my favorite boxers, exciting and likable.

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summer summer

2010-06-06T10:56:00.001-07:00

I've definitely been keeping busy these past few weeks, but ive still tried to keep painting through it. I've been using this time to test out both new materials and also new techniques.
hopefully ill post an update soon with a step by step is the last project I worked on. welp, keep moving forward!

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new phone

2010-06-04T12:23:00.003-07:00

I'm just testing some blogging apps from the Android market. I hope this encourages me to blog more.

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high fidelity

2010-04-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sketch for possible painting? I dont know, all i know is Chancellor Herman is already too funny looking to even know where to begin to caricature.

happy resurrection?

2010-04-04T12:46:00.001-07:00

It's too late

2010-04-02T12:59:00.001-07:00

its 1952

2010-03-24T10:54:00.001-07:00

And this train keeps rollin....

Keep Moving Forward!

i just want to be this guy

2010-03-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

airport fun

2010-03-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

I went to Mexico over the holidays to visit my family, luckily for us we got to spend several hours in the Zacatecas airport as our flight was delayed.That little boy really sums up how we all felt.

This is my little cousin from Matehuala, Mexico. If nothing else, I learned that sketching little kids is HARD. They never, EVER, sit still.

Inspiration

2010-02-17T13:06:00.001-08:00

I've been doing some work recently studying the work of Phil Hale. I hadn't really heard of him before a few weeks ago, but turns out he is AWESOME. I really dig the style of sci-fi/horror/realism that he brings to the table.

What i've found is that trying to emulate a different artist's style has made me really feel like i have no clue how to paint. I'm learning alot though, especially about the movement and tension in all of his figures. I haven't been able to find too much about him online, but i've picked up a few books and am looking for more.

Jorge's Journal

2010-01-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

i feel that old feeling coming on

2010-01-29T08:51:00.001-08:00

Target: audience

270

2010-01-12T02:06:00.000-08:00

ive been on break from school and apart from reworking some older paintings i havent been doing too much. What i have been doing though is working on a website, i basically had to learn how within a few days then get my site up and running. so heres the fruit of my labors of the past few weeks Jorgebustamanteart!

The Torch

2010-01-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a vacation to Mexico... i'll have some work up soon but in the meantime!

Target: Audience

2009-12-15T01:35:00.000-08:00

Here are the color study sketches i did for the "Target: Audience" Series. I'll have the final images of the paintings up soon. The piece didn't work quite like i wanted but im still not sure if it was because of the images or the way they were presented....

saunas and vampires

2009-12-13T17:11:00.001-08:00

deforming and reforming

2009-11-27T23:42:00.000-08:00

i love Francis Bacon.

I've had alot of people tell me that the way I paint reminds them slightly of Francis Bacon. Ever since i first saw his work i thought of it as an inspiration, but i never followed through on studying about him. This is the first part of a documentary about him. In this part he shows a sense of vulnerability that makes me more confident with my work, which i often am disappointed with. He shows that he wasn't actually that fond of alot of his paintings that are favorites of mine. He felt like he missed the mark he was aiming for, I think most artists are never satisfied with the outcome of work, but its nice to see it in this video by someone i admire. He also says some very refreshing things about the works of Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothko...

ring of fire

2009-11-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

Just do it.

gamblers roll

2009-11-09T20:43:00.001-08:00

No Siento Penas

2009-11-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Heres a sketch for the new paintings im working on, as well as a quick one from the last painting.

What i Got

2009-10-28T18:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a few quick pictures of the painting i showed for my most recent critique. I struggled a bit with the location its hung, but it was too big to fit anywhere more ideal. Its at about 10 feet tall right now, and depending on if i add or remove panels, it could vary. I wish i could have lit it better for the pictures, but soon enough i'll have detail shots of some of the panels in order to see more detail. The motivation behind this piece was just a variety of ideas about immigration in this country and the melding of two cultures. I'll explain a bit more in later posts and show some of the process i went through to get to this composition...

Get what you deserve

2009-10-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

This blog will be coming out of hibernation, and here is just a few sketches I did for a new set of paintings im working on. I have more sketches to post as well as some pictures of the progress of my last painting. Also, a special treat for the days where i have no art to post, words of wisdom from my 1st grade journal:

por fin

2009-09-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the preview of the new painting. It somewhat slips into the realm of murals, which im really excited about. This will be about 12 feet tall in the end, displayed outside.

eggsalad

2009-09-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard on a new project. I'm not really sure how its going to end up but i had an idea and i ran with it. The next post should be full of pictures. This semester at school has been flying by but ive been learning alot. alot.

Who's Been Talkin'?

2009-07-31T02:18:00.001-07:00

Turn The Page

2009-07-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

During my time this summer with Hector Duarte I was lucky enough to be able to help him out with his latest mural. Its called "Unraveling Borders" and was on display in the National Museum of Mexican Art. One of the most interesting things about this mural to me was that he painted the entire thing during museum hours, when his audience was able to be there with him as he completed it. Seeing that really opened my eyes to how interested people are in art. I think people really appreciated the work more when they were able to hear his words on what it meant and they could see how passionate he was about his art. Here are a few pictures:

This idea of bringing the art directly to the audience has really interested me and i hope to work with that idea in the next few months.

I was only able to work with him part of the summer because he left to finish a mural he started in Mexico. I wasn't able to go with him but I was able to participate in it, as were some of my friends from Urbana. Here is a butterfly I painted that will be placed up in the streets of Caurio, Michoacan.

Here are some links that explain both of his works a bit more:

Unraveling Borders Video

Hectorduarte.com

Give It Up Or Turn It Loose

2009-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick spot illustration i did for Buzz Magazine. My friend Kate called me and let me know they needed an illustration done by the next day, and i was more than glad to do it. The article is about the Champaign Park District holding some sort of concert lunch type thing on fridays during the summer, or something....either way, i hope the illustration works with the article and enhances it...seeing as it was rather boring. welp...

Keep it loose.

There's Something On Your Mind

2009-06-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

More summer happenings! alright so another project i wanted to try out this summer is binding sketchbooks, this way i can choose the size and paper type and all that good stuff. here is the first one i made, it only took a few hours to bind the paper using coptic binding. Thats where i have to sew the different sections together along the spine. Notice "El Valiente" on the front, thats a card from a loteria game that my friend Andrea gave me, it fit too well on the cover.

Here is a quick sketch for the painting i just started:

And as for another project i'll be doing is finishing this diptict i didnt finish in the semester.

These two paintings are a dark cloud still hanging over me, i didnt finish them in time for my critique and was pretty embarrassed by it.

So heres to hoping i finish all these things this summer, and i'll have updates of new work as i go along! "Keep Moving Forward!"

Walk On

2009-05-31T23:31:00.001-07:00

hooray for summer! so now that im back at my parents house and away from school and my studio, i had to find a way to still make work. so somehow i finessed this corner of my room into a makeshift studio space. I can fit my easel and palette and some random other things i need to draw or paint.

So here is the first thing i painted this summer, im only two weeks in but i didnt want to take any time off from painting. I just did this little sketch of Bernie Madoff to keep painting. More or less it turned out how i wanted, im trying to push the colors to become a little bit more intense, but still subtle. Also i tried to use exaggeration and the paint handling to make this guy seem as bad as he actually is, to make the exterior match the interior....
Heres a quick shot of the painting i just started, this is about a half an hour into it. i'll have more shots as it progresses and more explanation then.

On another note of what i'm doing with myself this summer: lucky for me i get to work with an actual artist working out of Chicago. His name is Hector Duarte, a muralist out of the Pilsen neighborhood. Ive been acting as his studio assistant, and so far its been pretty great. I've only been there a few days but already ive learned a lot about the business side of the art world, the part that school never teaches us. its fun so far and im excited to have at least a few more weeks to work with him.

more posts soon about more paintings and projects i'll be doing this summer!

"Keep on walking, til you find your way back home..."

I apologize.

2009-05-08T01:11:00.001-07:00

more soon though, i promise.

Effect and Cause

2009-04-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

This is just a few more pictures of the piece mentioned a few posts back. Read more about it HERE

Switchblade 327

2009-04-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest painting ive been working on. it turned out well for the most part, it was definitely fun to do! For whatever reason I got interested in the myspace pages of some random kids. These are some kids from the neighborhood in Chicago where my family used to live. In some ways this was just an extension of a past work where i wondered what choices we make affect the outcomes of our lives. On top of that though, i also wondered about the commodity fetish that all these ghetto kids seem to have. The love of money, of object, they give more power to the way they portray themselves rather than who they really are. Its a culture where representation is worshipped.

There's different ways of thinking about this, but considering the ultra masculine way that Mexican-American men seem to feel they need to portray themselves, it seems to become an extension of Machismo. Its a Freudian way to think about it: I have more things and my things are better therefore i must have a bigger penis than you, and by that must be more manly (note the throbbing veiny fingers).

Speaking of myspace, heres the original picture that was the the reference/inspiration for the painting. These kids mask themselves and throw up their signs because thats where their identity lies, at least for them. However, it is this representation that they hold in such high regard that actually in some ways mutilates their identity. They become a grotesque image of what they were.

Here is the original sketch i made to figure out how i would change the lighting and exaggerate the fingers and some of the head. From this time and the painting somethings changed and became more grotesque. Somewhere between this sketch and the painting, i was sitting in class and got bored so i sketched out exactly how gross i wanted the hands and fingers. I'd love to have those sketches to post but i'm pretty sure i drew them on the back of a homework assignment that i then turned in.

The Great Gig in the Sky

2009-03-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few paintings out of the last series i did. These are the only ones i ended up liking out of about 15 or so paintings....I also painted small for the first time ever, no bigger than 7x9 inches...

What i was trying to work on with this series was picking and choosing what moments we think affect the outcomes of our lives. What experiences that we go through as a child really affect who we become as adults? how come two seemingly similar people can make incredibly different choices in life? All i really wondered about was nature vs. nurture, if empiricism is true or whether our lives are pre-determined...really what got me thinking about this was looking back at so many kids i once called friends because we had so much in common are turning out so fucked up. Drugs.. suicide... its strange to see some people who i once thought were so similar to me making decisions that i would never even dream of making...well anyway, problem with a series of multiple paintings is that no matter what you can never have enough.. 16 paintings didnt cut it, so i guess this could be an ongoing project that i just add to whenever i feel necessary, slowly building up as many small moments as i can to make several cohesive lives exist. Also, Keep Moving Forward!!

Juicy

2009-02-24T23:10:00.001-08:00

This is where i live. Its a 12 by 8 foot section of studio space that i spend all of my time in. In the pics you can see the set up i have, theres old paintings lying around, and on the wall you can see a little preview of what im working on now.

Here is a little preview of the paintings im doing, minus the joker poster. Most are unfinished and will be (hopefully) be done by monday morning. i have about 7 on the wall right now...

and this many more to do by monday. I figure its about another 7 small paintings. This is the smallest ive ever painted which does help get them done faster, however since ive only been painting pretty big so far, all the brushes i have are suited best for large paintings...the one or two small brushes i do have are kind of falling apart. This is kind of exciting because it means me and dick blick are going to be good friends in the near future.

Keep Moving Forward!

You cant stay at the party forever.

2009-02-24T22:51:00.001-08:00

Ok, lots to catch up on here. First off here's a new illustration for Buzz. I had to keep this one quick and dirty, i didnt have much time between classes to do this one. I hope it still gets the point across. I didnt get a chance to read the article first but i got the lowdown- a movie battle between The Jonas Brothers and Street Fighter:Legend of Chun Li. Let me say that i love street fighter and that i had no idea this movie was coming out. From the trailer i saw it looks like it might be pretty sweet, but definitely not better than the Jean-Claude Van Damme version....

Ok now a still life i did in painting class with Laurie Hogin, super-woman/painter/awesome artist. Its pretty intimidating to paint in front of this woman, she knows her stuff backwards and forwards. After all is said and done though she is kick-ass, google her.

And just for kicks here is an old self-portrait i did for life drawing class a few months ago. I dont think i ever even took a picture of it, so here is a bad one.

Welp, back to work! keep moving forward~!

valentines illustration

2009-02-10T18:20:00.001-08:00

For Buzz magazine! The article was about things to do in the Champaign-Urbana area when you're single on valentine's day...... on a side note, "don't let them take you down...leave a better world than you found"

Prosperity Blues

2009-02-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

Well last night i sent in my submission for the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, by way of the National Cartoonists Society. Now that its off in the mail, all i can do is wait. And waiting is by far the hardest part. Worse than obsessing over getting the work done and printed, harder than writing the perfect artist's statement. That probably has alot to do with the fact that most artists are control freaks. We tweak and nudge our work until its exactly what we pictured...well anyway here are a few of the pieces i submitted for it, lets all keep our fingers crossed now..

"Welcome to Illinois"

"Wind-up Toy"

"How to become an American Citizen"

"Wild Swing"

Speaking of scholarships however, today at the closing reception of my class' gallery showing i found out that i am one of a few people who won a scholarship to further our study of art. Its a not a major amount, its meant mainly to help with material costs, but everything helps in my situation. Now i might be able to be the proud owner of a decent set of brushes and maybe a roll of canvas...well anyway i hope today was a good omen for the result of the NCS scholarship...anyway, Keep Moving Forward!

Hello there, old friend.

2009-02-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well well well well.... this blog is hibernating but i promise i am not! i've been working on this scholarship for the national cartoonist's society foundation. Aside from the artwork, one of the main points on the application is what i have done with cartooning so far and what i'd like to do with cartooning in the future. I can't really say i've done anything extensive with cartooning so far, but for some reason i'm just as drawn to it(unintentional pun there) as i am to painting or any other "fine" art. Its a beautiful, raw, gritty artform for me and i'd like to keep it that way. Because ink is so graphic and blunt, i feel that sometimes the message in the cartoon needs to reflect that. A cartoon for me can be blatant and obvious and not need to apologize about it. Theres no need to mask the meaning of a work. In the future, i'd love to see my work be a reflection of the thoughts of many.... i cant say i know who those "many" are quite yet, especially because i dont like being grouped into any sort of stereotype...

watercolor thursday!

2009-01-22T17:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some super-fun watercolors i did over winter break. I still feel like im experimenting with the stuff, trying to get the right colors down as well as the opacity. I really like working with it and hope to pull some of what i learn into my studio work.

Illustration Nuevo!

2009-01-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

sketching: more fun than a twig in mud.

2009-01-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

I've been doing some quick watercolor studies of things lately, turns out i really like it. Where i would normally just draw in graphite or ink in the sketchbook, this is a quick way to try and wrap my mind around how color works in a fast way. I got this block of Canson cold-press watercolor paper not too long ago and am really starting to love it.

Sometimes(usually) a sketch doesnt turn out the way i'd like it to, and when i dont feel like completely re-drawing it i like to write notes next to the drawing telling myself what i dont like about them. As you can see with the portrait i got pretty far along into it before i realized i didnt like it, and with the hand sketch i couldnt have put more than a few strokes down before figuring that its going to turn out extremely awkward.

Another hand. Also, I have a set of miniature playing cards and i dont know what i can do with them yet...

blago-jangles

2008-12-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

here's a caricature sketch i did of good ol' Gov. Blagojevich. Despite some obvious caricatur-able features he was pretty hard to get down right. i couldnt get his chipmunk-ness down right....YAY FOR MAKING UP WORDS TO DESCRIBE PEOPLE!

old sketches

2008-12-17T21:18:00.001-08:00

This is a small sketch, ive been working with watercolor lately and i really like it. I'm going to push myself to do at least a few of these types of sketches a week. This one is pretty small, only a few inches tall.

Albert King sketch. I love blues music. Albert King is amazing. This was a quick sketch i did while listening to some of his music.

First real illustration....sort of

2008-12-16T16:58:00.001-08:00

This is my first illustration that is (hopefully) going to be published. Its for Buzz magazine in Champaign-Urbana. Its a small magazine and hopefully this illustration gets me a spot to illustrate regularly. The idea is a showdown between the several movies that all have Christmas day releases. I didnt have much time for it, nor the luxury of my studio at school, so i made do with what i had. I think it turned out ok but i wish i would have had more time for the preliminary work.

Oh boy,

2008-12-14T15:50:00.003-08:00

Its been a while so heres just a few things i did last week plus a better picture of that old caricature. Last week was rough i had just a few days or less for every project i had. The painting of the workers is nothing but a glorified block-in at the moment, given that i had just 2-3 nights to work on it....the self-portrait was another experiment, its my first real attempt at using watercolors but some technical difficulties forced me to revert back to good ol' charcoal and graphite to finish it off.... I like the way it turned out but still needs work....i'll be home for a month so its going to be hard to get images of the sketches and things i'll be doing with no scanner or decent camera....i hope i can use this next month or so to get alot of experimental work out of the way, including the animation i want to do...lets hope for the best!

Self-portrait 20"x 26"

John Mccain Caricature 18"x24"

The workers, assembly line 3'x 4'6"

john mccain caricatura

2008-11-04T13:16:00.001-08:00

I can't say this is completely done... the background still needs working, as does the poster of Maverick from top gun hanging in the back... stay tuned for drawings of the animation im going to be working on!

OPTIMISM

2008-10-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

love it.

Fake it 'til you make it.

2008-10-17T16:24:00.001-07:00

Heres my first attempt at telling some more personal stories that i found important at one point or another... I'm much younger than my siblings, this doesnt prove that i was an accident but thats a different story. Anyway my two older brothers, who are only one year apart, went to the army at around the same time. Needless to say this was real hard on my mom, who had spent the past few decades making sure her kids were always safe regardless of the situation. Anyway i hope the pictures speak for themselves....

Times they are a changin.

2008-10-17T16:17:00.001-07:00

Some Life Drawing whatnot. This is my second time taking this class because i want to get better....Keep moving forward!

studio work!

2008-09-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

painting for class and a pastel drawing i did for fun!

Angel of Mercy...

2008-09-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

"I worked in that building for ten years, but this was before you were born...I used to spend 12 hours in there every day, right there on the third floor." A train passed overhead and seemed to stop time while i looked at the building. The red bricks on it were turning black, the windows had already been boarded up. It was a small building, maybe 5 stories, and the construction fence around it was keeping it contained, keeping the dilapidation from making it to the rest of the downtown Chicago buildings.
"What did you do there?"
"I made ties. I sewed"
The feeling crept up on me again. not anger, not frustration... My muscles got tense and wouldn't respond...i took two breaths before i remembered i was driving...

Going down slow...

2008-09-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'm told that if i want to tell good stories through pictures i should start writing more. My professors tell me to think of really important moments in my life and tell those stories, to make things more personal. thats terrifying, even though those are the stories i want to tell, i feel strange having the world see that so openly, but whatevs, thats the life of an artist i suppose...

(i was going to write something deep and personal about how my parents mean alot to me...but instead i called them because i havent talked to them in a while...so now i dont have time to write!)

Here's a picture of my two favorite family members! =)

All over again....

2008-09-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

14 hour days motherfucking suck!! As does this picture...better one coming soon.

Thats what i'll do...

2008-09-20T14:33:00.001-07:00

I've got my eyes on this monster internship for this summer, if i get it it would definitely be one of, if not the, coolest thing thats ever happened to me. I know this particular internship is near impossible to get, but i dont see why it wont be me that gets it. The only thing stopping me is myself right now. I know what i have to do if i want to get it, but everyone knows what they should do to get where they want, nobody ever actually does it.

work work work woerkwefs

2008-09-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

ه يخىف نىخص صاشف ه ؤمهؤنثي لاعف فاهس هس فثققهلامث شىي ه ؤشىفث ةشنث هف لخ شصشغززززز