Bill Murray (Color Pencil Demo)
I have been teaching Illustration this Summer at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. This is a color pencil demo I recently did in class of Bill Murray. It is Prismacolor pencil on tinted matboard.
The Internet Presidency?
- Art Director: Gina Tomko at Digital Directions
This illustration assignment came coutesy of Gina Tomko at Digital Directions magazine.
At the time of this illustration, there was a lot of confusion about Obama’s blackberry and whether or not he would be able to keep it after assuming the presidency. I was finished with the assignment and almost had to start over and eliminate the offending technology!
…yes, that is my powerbook, and no those aren’t my hands—they are one of my students at the Art Institute.
Here is a tearsheet:
- Education Week Tearsheet
Doth anyone read anymore?
Art Director: Benjamen Purvis at the Las Vegas Weekly
Quite often when I get an assignment, the concept is already hatched. So when you are asked to come up with a concept as well as to execute the final illustration (while it can feel like more pressure) it conveys a level of confidence in your work. I enjoy doing conceptual work thoroughly, so this was a treat.
For this spot the problem was, “A new study by some big name group shows that Americans aren’t reading as much as they used to.” So I offered some thumbnail concept solutions.
Book Monkey
Art Director: Benjamen Purvis for the Las Vegas Weekly
This was a pretty straightforward request—a chimpanzee thoughtfully reading a book. The only hitch was to leave plenty of space for typography.
Illustration Academy in San Francisco
Me with C.F. Payne
The Illustration Academy held a week long continuing education workshop in San Francisco in March that I attended.
I still reflect on the week-long program—it was that great.
I met and studied under industry leaders such as C.F. Payne and Mark English, Gary Kelley, and Anita Kunz.
Gary Kelley, Mark English, Sterling Hundley, Andrea Wicklund, John English, Anita Kunz, and Brent Watkinson
“The days began at 9:00 AM with studio time, lectures, slide presentations, demonstrations, or figure drawing scheduled until 9:00 PM. Students remained in the studios and worked until after midnight on the assignments. All of the instructors listed were in attendance for the full week, except for Geroge Pratt, who was with us for about a day and a half.
Also during this busy week, the students conceptualized, researched, and completed an assignment given the first day by the faculty. The week ended with a final critique of the completed works. One week in length, this Illustration Academy was shorter, but every bit as intense as the seven week program.”
I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to watch them work and ask questions about anything and everything related to a career in illustration.
Anchor Steam on Sutter
Anchor Steam on Sutter
This was my illustration assignment that I completed during the Illustration Academy workshop at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. It was supposed summarize any feeling we had for the City during our stay, a visual snapshot if you will.
Las Vegas personalities
- Art Director: Beth Schwarz for Luxury Las Vegas Magazine
Luxury Las Vegas profiled four Las Vegas personalities and had me illustrate each one’s portrait.
Pictured are Governor Kenny Guinn, President of UNLV Carol Harter, Sheriff Bill Young, and Richard “Dick” Morgan dean of UNLV’s Boyd School of Law.
Tina Fey (Color Pencil)
Tina Fey (unfinished)
The medium is prismacolor pencil on tinted paper. It is unfinished, but what is done took about and hour and a half.
Dave Chappelle (oils)
Dave Chappelle
Another in-class demonstration I did in February of 2007 for my Illustration students at the Art Institute of Las Vegas.
This Dave Chappelle painting demonstration is built for speed.
It utilizes some techniques that were made famous by legendary illustrators Bart Forbes, Bernie Fuchs and others.
Illustration magazine
illo magazine archive
For fans of illustration, check out the publication put together by Dan Zimmer.
Why not buy a subscription and help make this beautiful magazine a well-deserved success?
Illustration Academy
The Illustration Academy is held in Richmond Virginia (it used to be held in Independence Missouri) and brings students together with some of the best professional illustrators working today. Worth every penny if you are serious about illustration.