Illustration Month

I'm starting up Illustration Month. After hearing a friend talk about NaNoWriMo, I was intrigued by the concept, but would much rather illustrate a novel than write one.

From the Blog:

Inspired by NaNoWriMo and the 24-Hour Comic Marathon, Illustration Month runs from January 1st to January 31st, 2010.

The Premise: To illustrate, using the media of your choice, a novel, continuing news story, or any piece of literature in the span of one month.

The Process: You can draw, paint, photograph, print, sculpt, sew, or digitally create your images. Sculpt with clay, draw with ink, flamework with glass, or photograph with a DSLR or a point-and-shoot.

The Presentation: Document your work for yourself and post it on the blog if you’d like to share your images.

I'm really excited about this. Check out the Facebook page, too.

Video:

Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart

I Have an Etsy Now.

I have set up my Etsy shop at last.

I'm going to celebrate with Ninjasonik.

Video:

Art School Girls - Ninjasonik

BRUUUUUUUCE!

Recently I went to the Art Institute of Chicago and got a chance to see some of the famous work of Neon/Video/Sculpture artist Bruce Nauman. I was floored by the amount of neon letter work he has done over the years. After having studied different techniques of neon bending, I have an enormous appreciation for anyone who can create numerous uniformed letters out of glass.

I had heard of his neon work before, but not his video or sculpture. I was actually frustrated trying to watch his clown video piece, although he accurately conveyed the mood he had intended with that piece.

His neon, however, is presented in an easy-to-read manner, with an overwhelming attention to detail and craft. He was featured on the wonderful PBS program Art:21, which explores the work, lives, and processes of modern-day artists.

Bruce Nauman's work is intense, both visually and emotionally, and his technique is inspiring to neon students all over, and this neon bender is no exception.

Songs:

Life In Technicolor - Coldplay

That's Life - Frank Sinatra

Human - The Killers

Death - White Lies

Modern Nature - Sondre Lerche

Hey Snow White...

I tend to go a little line-heavy when I draw, almost to the point where shadows overtake the drawing, and values become hard to read. So, I drew a reminder for myself.


Songs:

Hey Snow White - The New Pornographers

Uptight (Everything's Alright) - Stevie Wonder

It's Alright - Huey Lewis and the News

The Kids are Alright - The Who

Frozen.

Illustration Friday! Frozen.

Songs:

(Baby It's So) Cold - The Apples in Stereo (HypeMachine)

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out - Bruce Springsteen

Cold Roses - Ryan Adams

Baby It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin

Dante's Inferno. The Movie.

Recently I mentioned Sandow Birk. He recreated Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy with images and wrote/produced a film adaptation of the Inferno. I saw a screening of it back at Alfred, and was thoroughly impressed. Its the story of Dante's journey through the various circles of Hell, told with hand drawn puppets. The artistry is very detailed, using numerous puppets with different expressions for each character. I really like his style of drawing (gotta love line work), and the painstaking effort to set the story in the present. Check it out.

Songs:

La Damnation of Faust - Hector Berlioz

Requiem for O.M.M.2 - of Montreal

Requiem: Rex Tremendae - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Two Lost Souls - Gwen Verdon and Tab Hunter (From Damn Yankees, song starts at 3:15)

Bonus! Two Lost Souls - The Muppets: Sweetums and Robin (From Damn Yankees)

Draw Me Lines, Draw Me Sweet Little Lines

I recently discovered Micron Pens. They have absurdly tiny points, this one being a 005 pen. Great for detailed, Sandow Birk-esque drawings, although the pen didn't last too long (about a week and a half from usage and pressure).

Here are more of my Illustrations by Request Series... seahorses and shetland ponies.

Songs/Videos to Match:

Tell Me Lies - Fleetwood Mac

Bestia - Hello Seahorse

My Rifle, My Pony, and Me - Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson

The General Specific - Band of Horses

Dig a Pony - The Beatles