This is my first in a series of digital paintings that explores colors and their relationships.
I’ve always loved color but never really delved into it as much as I should. This project gives me the chance to explore color and look for relationships that work.
Why digital? It’s cheap. I don’t have to go out and buy paints and brushes whenever I’m low on paint or brushes wear out.
With that said, I still paint traditionally as well. Just not as much as I would like and not at the scale I want (i.e. big). There’s also the question of storage. Not sure where I’d keep all my canvases. We don’t have much storage space at home and I can’t afford to rent storage space at this time.
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Untitled 01
I’ve always loved graffiti but never did much of it. Back in 1984 when break dancing was big I used to draw for all my classmates (6th grade?). I would illustrate people in all sorts of break dancing moves, along with graffiti as background or do their names in graffiti.
But my focus was still animation so I eventually left graffiti behind.
Now that animation is no longer the focus and I can create freely, graffiti has caught my interest again. It’s fun and yet another avenue of exploration for me.
My interest was peaked after watching the documentaries Exit Thru the Gift Shop, Beautiful Losers, and Bomb It.
As much as print and digital design have been an influence on me, I’ve been wanting to do more hand made/organic work. I guess after years of creating so much work that’s crisp, structured, and clean, I want to break away and color outside the lines. Although there’s something to structure and clean lines that I still love. Hence the type over the work.
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Here’s a scan of some recent doodles from one of my many sketchbooks.
The quick sketch of the Mexican dude was done while watching The Three Amigos, during the “My Little Buttercup” scene at the bar.
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Digital painting using Illustrator, Painter X, and Photoshop (in that order).
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Here’s an old book I got from the Salvation Army that I use as a sketchbook of sorts. It’s mostly used for painting and experimentation—a book for catharsis really. Something that is very much needed.
I stole borrowed got the idea for the “altered book” from my friend Katie Levy.
Media: Acrylic, India ink, gesso. [The blue painter's tape is there to create somewhat of a hard edge for the gesso and India ink below it.]
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