It's like George Strait and Joy Division Had a Baby.

Did a shirt for Homegrown Skate Shop in Ithaca, NY. The owner, Andrew, had seen my dead cowboy image and wanted something along those lines. We still went through some other options but in the end decided upon the cowboy and his horse on their last ride. By the way, we're not trying to suggest anything about the shop with this theme. We just thought it looked badass. There's also a sketch in here you my recognize because it has been shown on here before in a fully fleshed out state. Sometimes a rejected sketch is too good to let go.

      

Once I had done all the inking, I felt like I still wanted more out of the image, and that thing I wanted more of was CLOUDS!! I love drawing clouds, and what brooding western scene isn't complete without some gigantic, majestic clouds? I sketched a ton of different types of clouds and they all sucked. I was starting to think it was hopeless, and then I saw it; Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album cover. BOOM!  I sat back in my chair, elated, thinking to myself, "That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna draw some clouds that look something like that album cover!" I knew I wanted the first round printed on black shirts anyways, so it was settled.

Does the Unknown Pleasures influence come through? Or does it just seem far fetched?

To top this post off I've included the colored illustration that is going to be used on the next round of shirts. Maybe for fall? Stay tuned for info.

NYC's Gritty Children of Film

Travis Bickle gonna blow you away with some Gimme! Coffee. I altered the quote slightly, so don't jump on my case if you notice it's not verbatim to what he says in the film.

all of these characters/movies played a role in my fascination and subsequent move to NYC. While they're all portraying negative sides of the city, I couldn't help but be drawn into the world that would create them. Plus it was only 5 hours away from where I was comfortably viewing them on my mom's t.v! I'm not sad that when I moved here, these worlds didn't exist, because who really wants to be worrying about getting eaten by a C.H.U.D. all the time? Just day to day life here is stressful enough. But, I think the energy and creativity of the city that spawned them is what I really came for anyways. 

However, I can say some of that alienation and loneliness of Travis Bickle's world is still around. I think the popularity of OKCupid is proof enough of that.

The Progress of Steez

All colored. Just a few more steps to go and it'll be on a shirt. And a koozie?

Gettin' There

Next up is to add some minor color.

Face to Faces

Workin on a piece of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. These are some of the sketches for the bigger piece.

Sneak peek:

The History of Future Folk

I did these a-frame drawings for some guys I know to help promote their new film The History of Future Folk. I've had the fortune of seeing it once already and it's a super fun movie. If you are a fan of A) science fiction. B) love. C) bluegrass music, then you should check out some information below.

Who: You and your friends
What: A movie
Where: Cinema Village
When: May 31st
Why: You really tryin' to go out to a bar in the East Village on a Friday?
How: Get on the subway, your bike, razor scooter, horse, hovercraft, etc. and get your ass to 22 East 12th Street

You are TERMINATED.

These 3 pieces were going to used in this collaborative project where all these illustrators would do a few spoof sideshow posters and then they'd be arranged on the wallets like a giant wall advertising a coming sideshow. But, I think my excitement for the project became public knowledge, which inevitably caused it's termination. It's hard when a project you really want to work out and spend a lot of time on ends up getting tossed out. It's happened a few times and It'll always be something that bothers me for a few days after I get the news.

I originally only had to do the black and white versions because the art directors were going to be taking care of the color and designing a specific border to be used on all the illustrations, but I decided to color them all myself so the project wouldn't feel unfinished to me. Enjoy the two versions and the thumbnail sketches.

Fear of Space

I've posted a similar picture before on this blog of an astronauts insides oozing out into space and my header is pretty much the same thing, just without the other astronaut shooting him in the head, and I think this one above is sort of the final installment in a pretty basic trilogy. As a kid, I used to have this intense fear that earth's gravitational pull would collapse, or just stop working, or just do whatever it would have to do so that there would be no more gravity, and I'd float out to space and that would be the end of me. Sorry, but Science class after 7th grade became a chore so sounding like I know what I'm talking about, or even seeming remotely intelligent on this subject is not gonna happen. I also saw Total Recall at an impressionable age, so those two things convinced me that there's no oxygen in space and people just explode without their space gear. 

Here's right before I started laying down the color.

Detail shot.

A Straggler

This one was also in that second batch of fake bands. Forgot to include the poor guy. Enjoy!

Fake Bands: Part 2

Sticky Mats

 Creature of Nature

 The second round of fake band illustrations. I Had 2 ideas for Creature of Nature and was originally going to do the evolution of killing version, but it just became really boring to keep on drawing it. Like 8th grade math homework boring. But, here it is anyways.

That Part Where You Actually Attempt to Promote Yourself

I've been trying some ways to get my work organized into a zine/fold out newsprint flyer/book type portfolio thingamajig format lately. I'm one of THOSE PEOPLE that like the idea of giving something tangible to people for them to keep and enjoy, or hopefully enjoy, and not just use as target practice for darts. I'm not totally sold on this approach because I sent it away to be made, but I think due to the medium in which I work and all the color separation printing and technical aspects I know nothing about, it makes more sense right now.

The Crossroads

I've always had a fascination with the history of blues music and even more so, the tale of Robert Johnson going to the crossroads (highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, MS) and selling his soul to the devil in order to be a great blues musician. There's just something about Satan and music that go very well together.

Fake Bands: Part 1

 I've been collecting a list of band names over time and I've started to illustrate them recently. I'm slowly working on them in my spare time so they'll trickle in when I get the chance. I hope no one comes across these and is actually in a band with one of these names. It's been kind of fun making up fake back stories and imagining what they might sound like.

I liked Blood Wave, but I did a second version because I felt like it looked too much like the thing these guys have going and I don't want to step on their toes since I love what they do.

 Below is the second version, which I ended up liking even more than the first. It all works out.

 Junkie leaves.

And I did this little drawing of Harvey Keitel. Older face attached to a movie reference from his younger days.