The Art of Cory Mendenhall

Pearl

2012-02-11T23:29:00.000-08:00

This is a watercolor I'm working on, and just wanted to record the progress. When I first saw Pearl on Boardwalk Empire, I was smitten - there was something about her clothing, her hair, her dismal circumstances, and finally her sad, tragic end. I had to draw something up, and this was it. The nudity probably isn't necessary, but I feel is appropriate for her vocation, and how she's first seen in the Chicago room. So, more blood and color to come.

Revolver

2012-02-10T22:42:00.001-08:00

Just a quick drawing I did tonight.

Wolves of Hell

2012-02-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

I repainted my helmet. It's a little sloppy up close, but trying to do this with 1shot and a brush is no easy trick.

If It Howls Like a Wolf...

2012-02-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

This is the line drawing I started tonite, for an eventual watercolor. Black'd in the hair with watercolor pencil and then decided to watch some Boardwalk Empire. More to come.

Brrrrppppttthhhhhhh!!!

2012-01-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

This is just a small drawing I did tonight - a selfish, self-loathing, self-portrait of me on the motorbike. Marker on paper.

You Keep Your Head So Close to the Ground

2012-01-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Just a quick watercolor I did today to ease the day out.

Red Underthings

2012-01-21T17:25:00.000-08:00

Ink and watercolor.

I'm as Nowhere as I Can Be

2012-01-21T16:27:00.000-08:00

Set them apart from the prideful ignorance of their time. John Steinbeck. Ink and watercolor.

The Bearded Skull

2012-01-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Bearded Skull. Ink and watercolor.

When the Angels Sing

2012-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

Nothing in this photo is of my own making, but I figure posting something that inspires my art is still within the rules. My friend Seth and I went to the Long Beach Antique Market today - which is a huge, monthly, outdoor flea market-like setup with hundreds of antique vendors. It's an incredible sight - endless crazy and interesting things, sold by equally crazy and interesting people. I picked up a few motorcycle magazines from the '60s, and an old wooden Pepsi crate - but my favorite finds were these Mary and Jesus figures, that hang from the wall.

I'm not sure where or when it started, but I've had this strange fascination with religious art for years. It may have sparked when I was a kid living in Europe, and my military father would take us to huge cathedrals, adorned with stained glass windows and giant sculptures - or maybe the prominence of religious art within tattooing sparks the familiarity (my brother Dustin has been tattooing since I was about 16 or 17 yrs old, and is responsible for my exposure to many art styles). Growing up in the Mormon Faith, traditionally-Christian symbols like crosses, and even Christ or Mary figures aren't really seen or used (and generally frowned upon) - so there's almost a slight rebellious high when I even see such things... but more than that, there seems to be a certain beauty and serenity in a lot of religious art (which is the point, I guess), in these representations of people and subjects that so many around the world hold so dear, cry for, and die for. As an artist, I am always striving for beauty in what I do - i try and surround myself with beauty wherever I can find it. Having pieces like this aren't for me to profess any certain faith or ideal. They are simply beautiful. Classic. Full of mystery, pain and contradiction. And as long as I feel that way about religious art - it will be found nearby.

Blue Scales

2012-01-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

This is a watercolor I've been working on. It still needs some work, but I'm sick of it at the moment, so I thought I'd post it and get back to it another day.

Yer Cheat'n Heart

2012-01-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

After quite a while without getting any new work done, I went to Yer Cheat'n Heart Tattoo today in Hermosa Beach and had the owner, Johnny 2/3, do this eagle. I had taken in some reference eagles (some Sailor Jerry Collins, some of my own sketches) last week when I made the appointment and this is what he came up with. I really like how it turned out - nice clean, thick lines, bold shading, very few colors - just like I'd imagined it.

You see a lot of people with a lot of different tattoos - some of them mean something, some of them don't. Some are witty jokes, some are expressions of deeper emotions that people go through. The tattoo art I choose to put in my skin is a tough to explain. As an artist, there are certain styles that speak to me; certain lines, certain color schemes, and themes that just seem to flow correctly - same as when I make aesthetic decisions when drawing or painting. The traditional style I collect is no accident - sure, it's extremely popular, but that's ok. There's a reason for that. It represents an unparalleled history, rich in patriotism, individualism, bucking the norms, misbehaving, making your own decisions. Many of these ideals have faded with the growing popularity of tattoos themselves, but there's something warm, something endearing, something that smells of home, to have similar styles of tattoos as those who fought before me, who loved before me, who begat us all. For me, the traditional style seems inarguably appropriate - as an American boy, at this exact time in history.

The themes you see illustrated in traditional tattoo art are often heavy with heart, and I really like that. Themes that have teared at us all, as human - love, family, change, longing, and the ever present reminder that death is around the corner. So why a big eagle on my forearm? I could say it's meant to emote the strength and freedom commonly represented by eagles, or the independence, the finally taking charge of your own life, and the direction your compass points...and all these would be correct. But sometimes, it's not what you're saying, but how it's being said. And this tattoo looks like a tattoo. And that's why I love it.

Eve of Destruction

2012-01-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

This is a painting I did today, the first of 2012, with ink and watercolor. This evolved a lot as I was working on it, running into problems all over the place, correcting, improvising, and eventually ended up with this. I actually like how it turned out, and I think it'll be one of the first pages in the portfolio. I'm finding that the fewer colors I use in a certain piece, the more I like the end result. There seems to be a unity in the painting when I narrow the palette down to one small section of the rainbow, vs. using the whole thing.

Last Chance Tattoo

2011-12-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was going through all my art junk, and realized I hadn't had the tattoo equipment out and running in a little while, so I got it all out and decided I'd put it to use - for the last time in 2011.

With no volunteers around at the moment, I decided to have another go at my 'sketchbook' of a leg (one of the only places I can reach to practice on myself - not recommended!)... I just did a couple traditional style bones, with some red fading out in middle. I need more practice on my lines, and particularly on my fading/shading. I'd taken some tips from Dustin (my older brother, who owns Tuff Luck Tattoos in Illinois) and I like how it turned out.

Rose of No Man's Land

2011-12-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

I've been practicing painting some "Rose of No Man's Land" pieces (this was a popular tattoo design in the past, that WWI soldiers would often get to commemorate the nurses who saved them, or who they fell in love with, etc). This is kind of a rough draft, I've got another one I'm working on, on some watercolor board I picked up this week. I can't believe I've never painted on w/c board until now. This stuff is amazing - durable, doesn't curl when wet - I can see a lot of this stuff in my future.

See You in a Few

2011-12-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

Knocked this out, from sketch to paint, in about 4 hours today. Another addition to the tattoo art portfolio.

Rosasharn

2011-12-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

This is a piece I did a while back that I recently cleaned up. Done in ink and watercolor.(Rosasharn is a name I've always loved, from Rose of Sharon in the Grapes of Wrath. I don't know or really care what roses mean for everyone, or traditionally, but they always symbolize a purity for me, and in art, always seem to invoke a peaceful calm, like being home again, after an 80-some-odd-year journey through hell below).

Like a Thief in the Night

2011-12-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

Added an ominous biblical reference (and great song lyric), and a coffin onto a Sailor Jerry Collins classic. Ink and watercolor.

On the All-Night T.V. Repeat

2011-12-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is an oldie, but goodie. I drew it up last year, did some digital painting with it, and kinda forgot about it until I drug it back out today. I decided to put a little watercolor on it. Merry Christmas.

Home Wrecker

2011-12-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

This is a ink/watercolor thing I did a few weeks ago that I never got around to posting. Sooo, here it is. Merry Christmas!

Moto Veloce

2011-12-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

Fast motorcycle. Moto veloce. Ink/watercolor.

Scarf Tissue

2011-12-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick ink/watercolor illustration I did this afternoon.

Red Hornet

2011-12-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

After riding 150 miles today on my '74 Honda CB360, I thought I'd sketch out the only thing in my head right now. That's not supposed to look like me on there (good thing, because it definitely does not), but the motorbike is supposed to resemble my second love, the Hornet.

Red Heart

2011-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Took a break from the tattoo art tonight and did some painting. This was sketched out in pencil, inked with brushpen and then watercolored.

Hungry Horses M/C

2011-12-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

We were playing around with the outlaw biker name generator, and mine was Moose - of the Hungry Horses M/C. This back patch design naturally followed.

Head in the Clouds

2011-12-06T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is a new drawing I did tonight for my tattoo art portfolio. I'll be watercoloring it soon.

The Hornet

2011-12-05T21:23:00.001-08:00

Here's a pretty inaccurate sketch of my motorcycle, done with pencil and markers.

More to Love

2011-11-30T18:41:00.000-08:00

I came across a pin-up of Hilda, who was a chubbier version of the classic pin-ups, done in a Gil Elvgren style. I instantly caught the bug and had to try my hand at a more robust version of my typical girl drawings. So here it is. This will be getting watercolored soon.

Red Death

2011-11-29T21:08:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to painting this one tonite. Done with watercolor. Ya know, on occasion I'll play around with digital color (see previous post), but I swear, there is nothing like watching the watercolor fade perfectly, when you get that ideal balance of pigment and saturation, and the brushstroke is finally forgiving, and you end up with something like this. And the true aesthetics is something that digital will never be able to touch.

Leather and Hanky

2011-11-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is a line drawing I'm planning on painting later, but thought I'd post anyway. It's a little moto-girl-ish, with the boots and gloves... and after sketching a few unsatisfactory outfits, I figured she be best left undraped. Sorry Mom :)

Shipmate

2011-11-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Got home early this morning from Thanksgiving with my family (after 12 glorious hours of travel), and decided to unwind by doing a little painting. This is an updated take on a Sailor Jerry classic - done in ink, watercolor and watercolor pencils.

Blackwing Arts on Etsy!

2011-11-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

I also opened up a little shop on Etsy to sell original artwork and prints. So far, all I have listed are some originals, but I'm working on getting some prints made so I can sell them for a little less expensive (and more of them!).

Visit the shop HERE.

Blackwing Arts

2011-11-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

I'm conducting a little experiment - I set up a page on Zazzle to see if there's any sort of response to my artwork. I needed a name for the store/brand and settled on Blackwing Arts, paying some respects to the legendary pencil used by many great artists and illustrators of the past.

Here's the page: Blackwing Arts

Spread the word!

Confession

2011-11-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

In the months since I've gotten my motorcycle (a 1974 Honda CB360) I've learned a whole lot about how they work, what does what, etc - but in reality it's just a drop in the ocean. I'm reminded of this often as new issues are born weekly, as is the case with many 37-year-old pieces of machinery. So here's my drawn confession to the world: I don't know anything.

If I Stay It Will Be Bubble

2011-11-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

After spending much of the day looking at motorcycle helmet face shields, they were naturally on my mind. I came across a great photograph of (basically this drawing) a girl with a 3/4 helmet and bubble visor on the top of her head - and took a crack at it. This is the inked pencil drawing and the colored version.

Cross of Flowers

2011-11-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking and have about 6 inked drawings piled up that I need to watercolor. I eased my guilt a little by throwing some digital color on this one. For once, I really like how this woman's face turned out - and I owe it all to the late, great Andrew Loomis.

Suffer Long

2011-11-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

There is a train that's heading straight to heaven's gate, and on the way, child and man and woman wait, watch and wait, for redemption day.

This is another piece I started tonight. So far, just the inked line drawing - to get some watercolor later.

Fox Tail

2011-11-06T16:22:00.001-08:00

This is the first a series of paintings I'm going to do (for the eventual purpose of having prints made, and possibly tshirts/stickers, to sell on Etsy, etc). This is just the inked line work so far. I'll be painting it with watercolor and gouache later this week.

Moon Moon

2011-11-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is a sketch I was doing last night that kept going and going until eventually I liked it, cleaned it up and colored it digitally.

What a Triumph

2011-11-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ehhhh.

Barnstorming

2011-10-30T22:21:00.001-07:00

This is admittedly pretty terrible, but I've been wanting to learn to watercolor landscapes (to the point of buying a used copy of the Famous Artists School's handbook on the subject!) and this is my first try in years. And they weren't any better years ago, but with all the beautiful landscapes around southern/central Calif. (geez, northern Calif. too for that matter), I really want to be able to capture some of that. More (and hopefully better) to come.

I Got Your Number

2011-10-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

This illustration is my take on a painting George Petty did for Esquire in 1939 - updated a little.

Young Love

2011-10-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Illustration piece for fun; explaining the mysterious duality of love. Sketched out and inked separately and compiled/colored digitally.

Saturday Sketch

2011-10-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Inked in person. Colored in computerland.

Horror Business

2011-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

This was sketched out, inked with markers and brushpens, then colored digitally.

Rocket to the Swoon

2011-10-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tonite's drawing/coloring practice.

October in the Railroad Earth

2011-10-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Did some more digital painting tonight, coloring a line drawing I did of Jack Kerouac. Not a great likeness, but close enough.

Blue Belle

2011-10-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here's some more digital/photoshop coloring practice, using the line art I drew (a couple posts ago). Starting to get the hang of it.

Scratch

2011-10-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

A quick sketch of the little pilot I'm TRYING to get right. Done w/ ink and brush.

Frank

2011-10-23T16:55:00.001-07:00

Frank and the Vampy lady done in Pencil, ink and some gouache wash.

Good Morning

2011-10-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Pencil and watercolor.

Blue Curl

2011-10-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

A little practice digitally coloring my hand-drawn line work. Her face is all sorts of wonky, and I really hate doing any kind of art on a computer, but every now and then I like to see if I could hang, if I had to. Not quite yet.

Little Red Riding Hood

2011-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Done in marker and watercolor.

Excuse the nudity, mom!

Won't Back Down

2011-10-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Kristen came home frustrated last night (as aspiring actresses sometimes do), so I drew this up to hopefully cheer her up a little and remind her that nothing's ever kept her down before, and now's no time to change that.

Down it Plopped into the Water

2011-10-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Some more sketching/watercoloring. The space pilot runs out of fuel and lands in the ocean, eventually attracting all sorts of creatures while she works on the ship. Orrr, something along those lines. Now where on earth can a tiny, blue cosmonaut find some space fuel?

Curious Stranger

2011-10-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Minutes passed without a sound,

these creatures sure were strange.

They just stared and hung around,

their expression never changed.

Just a scrap of something I've been working on. So far, just lots of sketches and a drafty story, but it's coming together. More to come.

Whistling Witch

2011-10-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is my submission for Sketch Theatre's October contest (the theme is Trick or Treat). I sketched it out in pencil, filled in the blacks with ink, and a little watercolor on the skin. Happy Halloween!

Rushing and Blushing

2011-10-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Been channeling some E.O. Hurst, in ink and watercolor.

Spacestronaut

2011-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

Kicking around some ideas with this little space traveller. More to come...

One Night with Nora

2011-10-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

Saw this girl on the cover (painted originally by Robert McGinnis) of an old pulp novel called 'One Night with Nora' and thought I'd take a crack at it. Sketched out and painted with watercolor and gouache, and I did all the blacks with ink and a brush. I think it's starting to hint at some concept of light and shadow, more so than most of my usual junk, giving it a little more form and substance (vs. flatness). I think I'll try and head down this road a little further in the future.

Under the Sea

2011-10-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Mermaids! Painted with gouache and watercolor.

Reading People

2011-09-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've been pouring over Andrew Loomis' Figure Drawing for All It's Worth, crumpling up papers, throwing pencils across the room and wallowing in defeat. I'm not sure there's anything harder than picking up a pencil, and rendering a realistic, proportional human figure on a piece of paper. Those who can are gods among men. Anyway, the top was done in marker and painted with gouache.

Colors

2011-09-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Brushpen and watercolor.

Practice Makes...About the Same

2011-09-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here's some painting I did this weekend - studying up on some of the greats, like Robert McGinnis and Ernest Chiriaka. It can be so frustrating, but I have hope, and believe at this rate, I'll have something decent to show by the time I'm 60 or so!

Vroom

2011-09-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

This is very similar to my American Wind post, but this month's Sketch Theatre contest subject is "Vrooom" and I couldn't resist. This was done in pencil, brushpen and prismacolor markers.

Drafty

2011-09-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Seriously, who rides a motorcycle naked? This was done in watercolor and brushpen. The bottom shows the stages from pencil sketch, to inked lines, to watercolor.

1961

2011-09-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do a stylized, tattoo-art version of Yuri Gagarin, the first man to journey into outer space, on April 12, 1961. It didn't turn out as great as I hoped, but I kinda like it anyway. Done in pencil, marker, gouache and watercolor.

Tan Lines

2011-09-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is one I've been wanting to do for awhile - from a special photograph :) It's a great example of light and shadow, and I tried to work that in with the gouache.

Sketchy

2011-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Just a sketch. Pencil and brushpen.

Labor Day Labor

2011-09-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't painted in ages it feels like, so today I dusted off the gouache palette and knocked this out. It was drawn in pencil and brushpen, then painted w/ gouache.

Songs of Distant Earth

2011-08-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is the first draft for August's contest over at Sketch Theatre. The theme is Warrior. But I chose to draw a space girl instead. Whatever. :)

American Wind

2011-07-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

Me and the Hornet. Done in pencil and prismacolor markers.

This Just In

2011-07-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is a cartoon I did for my teacher from the Defense Information School (where I became a bona-fide Coast Guard journalist). She is in the Navy and asked me to do this for some kind of publication they do. It's self-explanatory, commenting on how tight-lipped military personnel can be when it comes to media relations.

Super Power Suit

2011-07-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is some work I did for Ana Thorsson, to use as part of her graphic resume' she's putting together. It was drawn out and inked, then colored in photoshop. Bottom photo is the line work, b&w and final color to show the progression.

Sticks and Stones

2011-06-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been obsessed with pinstriping and sign lettering. I'm amazed that there are artists out there who can do this kind of thing with a brush. This is my latest practice sheet - Other than one ruled line, it was done freehand with brushpens. I'm working my way up to doing this with 1shot and a striping brush.

Stars and Stripes

2011-05-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is my 2nd pinstriping, not counting the practice on cardboard slabs and magazine pages. This is the chain guard on my very distressed '64 Schwinn Typhoon. I'm sure as I slowly get better, I'll end up taking this off and re-doing it. But for now, it's ready to roll for Kristen and I's Memorial Day bicycle ride down the beach.

Pinstripe Rum

2011-05-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Bought a can of red 1-Shot and a Mack brush a while back, thinking I'd be the next Ed Roth or Von Dutch. I finally cracked open the can, dipped the brush and quickly discovered how insanely difficult it is to pinstripe. Tattooing is even easier. But this was fun, and looks better than the Capt Morgan label, so there will definitely be more to come.

"For I am the evilest sonsabitch in the Valley"

2011-05-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

More practice with gouache. This is pencil, marker and black/grey gouache.

Beach Bash

2011-05-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is a poster/flier I did today to help out Prentice Danner (prenticedanner.com), a friend of mine in Houston, for a benefit he and his friends down there are a part of. The bottom photo is the inked sketch of the girl, who was then imported into photoshop, where the rest of the layout and color was done.

Hanky

2011-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

More gouache painting.

Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price

2011-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is some more painting practice, based on a John Fernie illustration from some 1950's-era Cosmopolitan article. I need some better skin-toned gouache - these poor people look like they fell asleep in a tanning bed.

Frost

2011-05-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Emma Frost was done in inkbrush, markers and a little gouache for the skintone (which didn't show up in the photograph transfer).

Oh My Gouache

2011-05-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

I bought some gouache paints yesterday (being inspired by Paolo Rivera's comic book cover paintings done in gouache) and these are my first cracks at the medium. I gotta say, I'm embarrassed it's taken me so long to "discover" these paints - I'm loving the look, the feel, and the matte finish - definitely more to come.

Top is Dr. Manhattan and the bottom is just a random, generic female study.

Year One

2011-05-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

I finished up reading Batman: Year One (the graphic novel) last night and thought I'd conjure up my own version of this classic dude. For some reason, my batman ended up with some sort of wolverine/edward scissorhands. But anyway, the bottom photos is the pencil sketch, inked with prismacolor brushpens. The others were colored in photoshop.

Forever Blue

2011-04-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to come up with something for Sketchoholic's "Super Sexy" drawing contest and fumbled some rough sketches into this girl. She's not quite what I had in mind, but I like her enough to keep her around. Roughed out in pencil, inked w/ brushpen and then digitized in Illustrator.

That Old Familiar Sting

2011-04-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

I worked on one of Adam's old tattoos yesterday. It's good to start getting some more practice aside from my own leg. Adam wanted to wait with the coloring of the rose, until we can see how it looks all healed up.

From Hell They Came II

2011-04-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here's another pairing of beauty and beast - if you're gonna eat brains anyway, why not go after the cutest girl in town? Drawn in pencil, inked w/ brushpen (the girl and zombies were drawn separate, then layered into the window space in photoshop).

From Hell They Came

2011-04-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is just for fun, and didn't really turn out anything like I'd hoped, but it has robots from outer space and a scantily-clad girl, so it can't be all bad. Done in pencil and brushpen, the colored one was done hastily in photoshop.

Girly Sketches

2011-04-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

These are some girly sketches I did today - still trying to place the features of the face consistently, and get the proportions of the figure down. It's driving me crazy, it's fairly simple to do from a straight-on view point, but once you get the body moving and the face at different angles, it's downright frustrating.

Eckel Girl

2011-04-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a great tattoo artist's blog (eckel -http://eckeltattoo.blogspot.com/) and was very inspired by his artwork. This is a girl done in similar style, with pencil and brushpen.

Roth-Style for Tony

2011-04-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a card I made for Kristen's cousin Tony, for his 40th Birthday. Him and his wife invited everyone up to Solvang, Calif. for his party. They reserved the big back room of Sort This Out Cellars, a great little wine place - and had a rockabilly duo playing Social Distortion/Mike Ness and Johnny Cash songs on a guitar and stand-up bass. Everyone had an exceptional time!

Vixen

2011-04-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

This is my first submission for the monthly sketch contest at sketchtheatre.com. The subject for all participants is "Vixen". This was done in pencil and brushpen.

Bobber Girl

2011-04-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

This was sketched out in pencil, inked with brushpen and then imported into photoshop for the color. I wanted more practice painting digitally (and continually like it less and less) and thought this would be a fun one to do. I will probably end up watercoloring the original drawing and see which one I like better.

New Shorts

2011-04-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is Kristen in her new shorts. Done in brushpen and prismacolor pencils.

Sunday

2011-03-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Bardot

2011-03-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Seeing so many great, old photos of Elizabeth Taylor all over the news and facebook yesterday got me googling old, glamorous photos of pretty much everyone and I stumbled across some Brigette Bardot and had to get scribbling. The bottom photo is the inked line drawing, done with brushpen. The top is after I butchered the whole thing in Photoshop.

Diamonds

2011-03-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is my latest painting I did Sunday - Sketched out and inked (bottom photo), then colored with prismacolor pencils and watercolors. I'm trying to find the right balance, the watercolors themselves are too light, and the pencils come out too grainy, so it's tough to get the dark dark shadows I need with the colors themselves. The blacks are fine, but when I need those deep blues and reds, what can I do? Back to the drawing board...

Scepters and Dead Birds

2011-03-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

These are some newer watercolors I've been working on. They're all done pretty much the same way - the concept is sketched out in pencil (many, many times) and then outlined with sharpies and prismacolor markers and then watercolored. Some of the detailed, smaller colors are done with prismacolor colored pencils. The camera really washes these out, but whatever.

Card Shark

2011-02-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

This is a design I have for my cards. I didn't want them to say 'Artist' or 'Tattoos' or 'Photography' or anything specific, since I run into situations where I'd like a card for all of the above. The main reason for these is to drop them by Tattoo shops when I start making the rounds.

I basically just layered some different art that I had onto a blank layer (of the card dimensions) and played with the opacity.

Sharks and Dynamite

2011-02-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

These are some watercolors I've been working on for my portfolio. Most of these are done the same way: on watercolor paper I sketch everything out in pencil, ink the outlines with marker, erase the pencil, then fill and shade with watercolors and detail some smaller areas with colored pencils.