< ~ Experimentum Periculosum ~ >

NEW TUMBLR BLOG

2011-09-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I've decided to move my process blog over to Tumblr in order to make my life easier. I hope you all will join me over there.

Know-Nothing

2011-09-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Bad Advice For The Aspiring Illustrator

2011-09-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

I started drawing at a young age but then again, all children draw. I never really took the accolades to heart, due less to insecurities in my own drawings but more because I never looked at artists as having an inborn creative dexterity. Rather they were people who worked diligently at a skill that they found gratifying. And while the kind words were nice, it was disorienting having the wonders of my talent extolled by family and friends, while simultaneously being shamed for not similarly excelling at more ‘practical’ subjects. At 17, my options were not plentiful. A lacrosse scholarship was out of the question after playing in six junior varsity games and dropping almost every pass that came my way. I had no ability to commit to memory the rules of chemical bonding. And after eight scholastic quarters, I could barely slosh my way through trigonometry and pre-calculus.

There is only a handful of instances in our lives when we can look back and see ourselves standing at a crossroads. When a singular moment, though seemingly trivial at the time, conclusively alters your life. I vividly remember sitting at my kitchen table with my mother after school one day in September filling out my applications to Pratt Institute and Ringling College of Art & Design. When the form asked me to declare a major I deferred to my mother. She offered, “Well you love to draw so why don’t you put down Illustration?” And with a short check in a blue ball-point pen I decided my future right then and there.

After college I took a staff job at an animatics studio and continued to work in the field for the next six years. Initially, I was delighted to have a chance to work as a creative professional. New York is flush with illustrators and designers creating new visual languages that inform the rest of the world. But after years on the periphery while all this dynamic work was being created all around, the urge to contribute became overwhelming. I enrolled in the MFA Illustration program at the School of Visual Arts and for the next two years I reinvented myself all the while working full time. After graduation I continued to work my day job but after being exposed to so much possibility at SVA my position there began to feel incredibly stale. My need to remain financially secure with a moderately creative staff position was overtaken by a much more intense desire to work solely for myself on projects that spoke directly to my sensibilities. So with a small handful of clients and some money saved up, I took the jump.

The idea of generating my own income was and still is terrifying. But looking back on my first year as a business owner, I can honestly say that I am doing much better than I expected. By far this past year has been the most defining of my life – for the first time I feel a total responsibility for my success or failure. And if that requires getting up at 7 in the morning and working until 11 at night, then so be it. For the most part, I have spent the past twelve months working on a very diverse and engaging bunch of projects. There have been some very long hours and some absolutely insane deadlines but the freedom to bypass the traditional chain of command and go it alone with clients has been magnificent. As a result of this liberation, I have my fair share of sleepless nights. Waking up at three in the morning and not being able to go back to sleep because of ‘the fear’ which ranges from little things like “I don’t know InDesign well enough and I need to draw looser like so-and-so,” to grander, more abstract worries like “Have I made the right choice and where will I be in five years?” Yet, I try to remind myself that everything is exacerbated by the darkness and silence of night, and with the morning light I’m usually less plagued by these demons. In the daytime, I take a much more pragmatic perspective in regards to my career choices. When the responsibilities of the day are laid out in front of me I am able to shut out most of the discord in my head and hunker down on the work that is actually the key to generating a career worthy of pride and hopefully prestige. There are so many components to being a successful entrepreneur but getting tangled in the technical aspects of business leaves little time to generate the quality ‘product’ that is required of an artist-for-hire.

Creating art professionally puts one in a rather precarious position. Let alone the difficulty of commodifying one’s art, any dismissal of an artist’s work can be perceived as not only a disapproval of visual idiom but also a renunciation of the creator himself. It is akin to the viewer saying to an artist: “You have nothing to offer.” And since we are obviously such a temperamental and sensitive bunch, you would think that we’d all be better off taking our Series 7 tests and painting on weekends. The most favorite of existential subjects discussed over many a cheap beer amongst my fellow aspiring illustrators is how to find that balance between professional and personal satisfaction. How can I receive financial remuneration all the while staying true to what comes naturally to me? Perhaps the reason that balance remains so elusive to most in this field is because it is no small feat to create unique, multi-faceted work that belies no influence, while also being a marketing director, accountant and contributing member of the artistic social community.

The truth of the matter is that no illustrator is a master of all of these. It’s healthy to be inspired by the abilities of our heroes but we must be mindful not to get mired in social comparison. The illustrators that we admire most display a disproportionate amount of talent, vision and/or business savvy. The rarity of perfection looks quite imposing perched atop the mountain. Still, it is important for every artist to remember that his or her stories are worth telling. Particularly for those mere mortals who haven’t been blessed with genius it is essential to pick up the slack in other areas, ensuring that their trumpets resound from the valley below. For example, I know unequivocally that I will never be James Jean (if you are not familiar with him – DO NOT google him; save yourself a broken spirit), so where I lack his virtuosity I compensate with hard work, consistency and good decisions. As professional creatives, we need to simultaneously exist as practitioners of realism and as unabashed idealists in order to carve out a workplace for us to thrive.

And yet, though we have chosen a rather difficult and highly specialized field to work in, the rewards are infinitely plentiful. There is something intoxicating about having your work exist within a specific, albeit temporary, context and knowing that there are thousands of people out there interacting with it. The prevalence of tight deadlines prevents quiescence and the opportunity to work on many different kinds of projects over a short period of time. Unlike performing on stage, our art can exist solely on its own and it is up to us if we want to step forward and make our identities as creators known. The field of illustration is a warm and nurturing place to exist in, and the giants that hover high above the rest of us scrambling about below, remain approachable and benevolent. And while each of us tries to leave an individual imprint on illustration, the business continues to twist and morph. In many ways it is daunting, as the familiar model fades. But I truly feel that illustration is in the early stages of a renaissance, with a seemingly renewed interest in hand-created imagery reappearing for the first time in many years. With the expansion of digital media platforms, new avenues are ripe for illustrators to explore and exploit. Where magazines fold, interactive agencies are born. While editorial commissions stagnate, media companies create new opportunities for illustrators to help bring their visions to the masses.

Over a decade ago, a blasé decision set me down a path that I did not fully understand at the time. It was not until very recently that the realities and requirements of that decision came into my full view. In all honesty, I don’t have enough self-doubt or even sensibility within myself to walk away from this thing now.

2011-09-01T10:20:00.001-07:00

The Flaming Heart Show August 7-13 2011

2011-08-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

A painting of mine will be on display at The Art Bazaar (175 Seventh Avenue @ W.20th St) this Sunday August 7th through next Saturday August 13th alongside some fantastic other artists. All proceeds will go to benefit MarbleRoad and National Health Center Week.

Unused Intro for Tattoo Age

2011-08-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

This was a sample I did a while back for a possible intro to Chris Grosso's Tattoo Age on VBS from an original piece by Charlie at Read Street Tattoo Parlor.

David Brooks Painting 1600%

2011-08-01T16:07:00.001-07:00

Here's my first time lapse video of me doing a painting of the NY Times David Brooks for the illustration below.

Poor lighting? Check.
Lack of tripod? Check.
Weak editing skills? Check.
Funky, funky soundtrack? Check.

New Illustration for Businessweek

2011-07-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

A new one for an article about a ponzi scheme in Indianapolis in this weeks Bloomberg Businessweek.

Thanks to Robert Vargas.

A Barrage Of Opinion

2011-07-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

I read the op-ed pages alot. Not only for the fantastic spot illustrations but I like to get pre-digested opinions from real live intellectuals to help inform my own. The columnists who supply the perspectives run the gamut in political perspectives but always seem to be coming from rational and grouded places, never seeming to be overly-driven by political affiliation blustering red-hot hyperbole that pervades our televised news. Daily I try to immerse myself in the conflicting musings of Krugman, Friedman, Brooks and Co. in an attempt to remain progressively centered. It is pretty obvious that I am not a political scholar disguised as an illustrator such as the biting and articulate Steve Brodner but I do feel a responsibility to be fairly well-versed in my country's doings. But sometimes I wish that I could blindly pick a side and run with the rhetoric. Being centered and open to the perspectives of both sides is at times too disorienting for the political amateur.

Illustration in ink, gouache and digital composite.

My first stab at layout and in a while. Alot of fun.

Life Is A Job

2011-07-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

С ДНЁМ РОЖДЕНИЯ

2011-07-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

A gouache painting of the lady who keeps the crumbs off my shirt. Happy Birthday, comrade!

Sparks In The White Night Sky

2011-07-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

Love is like this city - deep and flowing, with endless corners and shadowed crannies to get lost in.

Magic

2011-06-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Tyler at Gypsé Eyes zine hit me up to do an image for the upcoming Magic Issue. The mag itself is printed in b&w but I just had to do a full color version as well.

Based out of Brooklyn, Gypsé Eyes is a limited run art publication connecting love, sex and design. Great work by this lot.

Summer Snow In Moscow

2011-06-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

The day that me and V arrived in Moscow was a mild and dry one. We dropped off our bags at her grandparents apartment with a 14th floor view of the city and headed out for a cruise along the Moscow River. On our way there I couldn't help but notice this white fluff gently floating in the air over the entire city. From what I read this only happens a couple of days a year when the seeds of European willow ripen and blanket the city. All along the ground the fuzz scuttles about gathering into bunches - which I'm told is actually very helpful when sweeping up the street due to it's ability to snag any other detritus.

It only lasted a couple of days before the first rain came but it was beautiful while it lasted.

Carne Magazine #10

2011-06-21T03:38:00.000-07:00

You can find an 8-page feature of my work in this month's issue of Carne Magazine which is available online for free. Carlo does a great service for new & emerging artists with his image-only magazine. Much appreciation!

New Elvis Paintings for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

2011-06-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

It was 'round the clock work to get this batch out before the trip to Russia but thanks to Ellen at Late Night and a fairly streamlined process it went off without a hitch.

Midtown - Looking East From My Block

2011-05-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Unused TimeOut NY cover

2011-05-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

I was asked to create a cover alongside several other illustrators for TimeOut NY's Date Issue which features 100 single New Yorker profiles to be conceivably snatched up by someone in their readership. In the end they editors went in another direction but the initial idea was to convey "single in the city".

Being single in NYC can be tough. The city is chock full of good looking and interesting people who are either taken by someone else or unavailable for one reason or another. I immediately acquainted this to trying to hail a cab in Manhattan which, other than time shared with a quality partner, is just what a New Yorker wants to find on a bustling Friday night.

We've all been there: endlessly you see a taxi turn onto your street six blocks away and as it gets closer you see that it's either off duty or taken. Finally you see that one open taxi and as it gets within hailing distance somebody else snatches it up.

So that's what I saw this date issue as - your lucky night. One of those random pink taxi cabs that you see around town looking available and inviting (with a prospective date inside) as other prospective but unavailable cabs blow by. For the ad space on the cab roof I put a placard flush with roses - the standard flower for date night. The light atop the cab, unlike the others, flashes available.

A nice idea that maybe was a little too subtle for the cover. Oh well, I'll get them next time.

New Illustration For ESPN Magazine

2011-05-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

ESPN's Kenny Mayne interviews 6 oft-penalized professional athletes. Thanks to Lou Vega for another sweet gig!

New Illustration For Spin

2011-05-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was psyched when Devin from Spin buzzed me to do an illustration for the Reviews section. Spin was a favorite of mine as a teen and after sending Devin my stuff for the past couple of years I finally got a call from him. The album to be featured was Toronto's hard-core show-stoppers Fucked Up's new album "David Comes To Life". This band is nuts live and it was agreed that the illustration should feature them in the frantic environment of the stage.

Initially, I wanted the lead singer/savage Damian to be clutching his baby like I had seen in so many pictures but that got shot down. Also the raging expressions didn't really match up with the bands love vibe so I had to cheer their mugs up a bit.

The turnaround was pretty quick but Devin, as expected was fantastic with his direction.

Big Apple Muff

2011-05-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

The best of the worst!

2011-05-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

One from the archives - Kiss Alive, Almost 65.

The light in Rieti

2011-05-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

How seldom I do full-on paintings nowadays. But when I do it sure feels good.

After Osama Bin Laden...

2011-05-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

After reading Nicholas D. Kristof's illustration-less Times op-ed, I decided to give it one.

Frank Sinatra Has A Cold

2011-05-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

Wildstreet T-shirt

2011-04-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun t-shirt I did for New York masters of sleaze rock Wildstreet.

March Madness Food Fight

2011-04-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hi there! One of my new favorite blogs The Daily Meal did an awesome article entitled March Madness Food Fight which pits the biggest players in the food biz against each other. A bracket broken up by TV personalities, industry players, chefs and food media matches up respective contemporaries to duke it out for the final title.

I don't know about you but I loved the idea of Michael White fighting off David Chang. And anything was better than the sludgy photoshop illustrations they had on the page.

Stone Deaf in the USA

2011-03-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Man, oh man Obama's in a tough spot. He's gotta deal with the tea party raging about federal spending cuts. The GOP is complaining about health care reform. Liberals are screaming about him extending the Bush tax cuts. And after this weeks confusing speech on Libya, Obama's approval rating is hitting a new low. It would seem that President Obama isn't listening to anyone.

The Decision

2011-03-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a short film for John Frieda Hair Color starring Katie Holmes. The remarkably nice guys at Dorian Orange had me come in to work on the storyboards for a script written by Bradley Young.

Peep my boards here.

Out of the shadows

2011-03-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where this one came from. Perhaps it's the bulk of watercolor paper that I have inventoried right now or that it's been raining for a full day. Either way - this was a pleasant surprise. Must see where this goes...

Infighting

2011-03-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed my first year working freelance immensely. The music selection has been perfect everyday and the coffee catered exclusively from Amy's Bread on 9th avenue is always fresh. Still, there are times I miss the daily interactions and banter with the people you spend your work time with. Working in the advertising field with insane deadlines and constant pressure always seems to attract an extremely colorful and friendly cast of characters/nutcases. And in the late nights, deep into OT, when the client has pretty much done a 180 - it's that cast of characters that get you through.

But the one thing I do not miss is the inadvertent tunnel vision that people working on insane and endless projects can get. Such undertakings require multiple gears to move simultaneously, propelling the entire machine forward. But when the hours get late and the conference calls keep on being scheduled people crave that chunk of time in which they can hunker down and bang out their portion of the project. Sometimes this craving is so great that communication gets overlooked. People forget that they are of the same stripe and are working together to one common goal - to nail this job! When this happens it's like pulling the rug out from underneath yourself.

I recently noticed this happening within the crew I was working alongside on a recent job and it made me appreciate this past year working solo. At times I miss the office absurdity and energy but I must say that I really have a good working relationship with me. No static at all.

here is the final version.

Japan wakes up this morning...

2011-03-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

Tsuyoi, Nippon ga!

Tuesday Experiment Continued

2011-03-08T18:18:00.001-08:00

Monday experiment

2011-03-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

Higgins brown waterproof, Parker quink with a little Dr. Phil's bleedproof white.

TimeOut NY

2011-02-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

From sketch to finish a new illustration I did for TimeOut NY about earning extra cash in NYC.

What happens to the Velvet Elvis' after the show?

2011-02-18T04:06:00.000-08:00

I always thought they were shredded & snorted by Tracy Morgan.

It's a simple question, really....

2011-02-08T09:53:00.001-08:00

From the archive - RFC preshift 2003

2011-01-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

monday morning figs

2011-01-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

From Point A to Point Z

2011-01-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's surprising the distance an illustration can travel between the last ink brushmark...

...to the last Ctl S in Photoshop.

Let's Get This Party Started

2011-01-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

The NY Post reported that President Obama's youngest daughter had a special moment with visiting President of China Hu Jintao. I'm surprised an image like this didn't accompany the article.

3rd Ward

2011-01-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

3rd ward did a nice little feature on my figure sketchbook from last weeks Drink & Draw.

I recommend attending the next one Feb 4th which will have ten models both costumed and nekkid. See y'all thurrrr.

Don't Lose Control

2011-01-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

The great George Adams.

New Velvet Elvis Paintings on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

2011-01-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

Always a fun gig when working with Late Night. But applying acrylic to velvet can be slightly maddening.

Wed Night Drink & Draw

2011-01-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

The sketch sessions at 3rd Ward in Brooklyn are a blast and most appropriate in these economic times. 15 bucks gets you 3 hours of figure drawing and all the PBR you can drink. The guy running the show's got a decent ipod to boot.

Drawing Is Thinking

2011-01-13T18:38:00.001-08:00

I got up early this morning to go see Milton Glaser speak at SVA Theater on W 23rd Street. He spoke for an hour, dropping his standard insightful gems & epiphanies on a theater full of adoring typophiles young and old. Afterwards they opened the room up to Q&A from the audience. I don't know if it's that MG's intellect surfs a wave too gnarly for us paddling behind or if it's just the failing ears of an 81 year old man but he addressed most of questioneers with a crusty response. Honestly, I was really surprised at the lack of interesting queries posed to the man. A few years ago he came to speak to my MFA Illustration class and I asked him a rather wandering and poorly articulated question to which he responded in that same tone. So needless to say I felt compelled to give him something worthy his consideration and, let's be honest, to redeem myself...with myself.

I asked him - being a man of great coherence and eloquence, does an artist's inability to articulate why he creates what he does somehow cheapen his art?*

*It took me two attempts to successfully pose the question. Sonuvabitch!

MG said that explaining the Why is pointless. It's impossible to truly know why we do the things we do. All of our actions in art as in life are manifestations of things we've picked up along the way. And we are best not to worry too much about extrapolating the arithmetic behind them and put the energy into injecting our own unique beauty into the things we already find appealing.

Well said.

Flying Triptych

2010-12-23T13:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Grampa Dom.

2010-12-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

Manhattan Blowout, 1960

2010-12-16T07:58:00.001-08:00

This ink drawing on gessoed fabriano sitting around for months and months - always in the way on top of my scanner or in a stack of fresh sheets. Despite the cool decor and the strange subject - I suppose I put off finishing it due to a general lack of interest. Something about it just puts me to sleep.

But the other day I was sitting at my desk just after a job shipped and the corner was peeking out at me - making me feel guilty. So I scanned her in with heavy eyelids...

Hit her with the flat color. Bored...

And let's not forget the scanned textures and shading. I'm practically nodding off here...

There! She's done. Now go away Ink Drawing of 1960's Underwear Lady & Her Cat Caught Off-Guard By The Eastern Wall of Her Upper-Floor Manhattan Apartment Being Suddenly Blown Out on Gessoed 300 Lb Cold Press Fabriano Paper and never bother me again!

Cappucino, Frappucino, Mochacino, Al Pacino

2010-12-10T13:23:00.001-08:00

Central Park West @ 81st Street

2010-12-09T17:57:00.001-08:00

Phish T-Shirt

2010-12-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

ESPN Magazine

2010-12-09T06:21:00.000-08:00

New illustrations for ESPN magazine of Grant Hill and Alex Rodriguez. Very quick turnaround but a very easy job from sketch to finish. Thanks Lou.

First sketches...

Original inks - notice the dope helmet I initially gave A-Rod. Too bad it didn't make the cut.

And when all is said and done...

Rock Band 3

2010-11-09T09:18:00.001-08:00

Dig the new cinematic for Rock Band 3 that I did the storyboards to.

ROCK BAND 3 - OPENING CINEMATIC from Jon Hassell on Vimeo.

Thanks to Rama and Jon over at Digital Kitchen.

Extra! Extra! Area Brother Designs Wedding Announcement

2010-11-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Because I'm such a wonderful brother, I took the liberty of designing Jess & Justin's save the date magnet. There will be no wedding gift.

Lost at E Minor

2010-11-07T13:59:00.000-08:00

A nice little write-up about Beautiful Catastrophe on one of my personal favorite blogs
Lost at E Minor.

Cuomo

2010-11-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

From the heart of Medina to the head of Fort Greene...

2010-11-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Just finished my latest promo about the love/hate relationship all of us have with living in NYC. It's nine illustrations depicting the daily insanities that we subject ourselves to year in and year out. Simultaneously, it doubles as a sort of trophy case in which we keep our earned stripes. I'm printing these up via Lulu on a limited basis and will be sending them out to stir up some goodies for 2011. Below is the wraparound cover for the book.

You can see a few more samples of the images at my website.

"E.B. White said that the greatest and truest New York is that of the person who comes to settle here in quest of something. Seldom is there a moment that I do not marvel at the beauty and energy of this metropolis. There is a magnetism in the rattle and hum emitted by this cold and rigid grid. Her lure reaches far and wide, indiscriminately pulling outlanders close and casting her cloak around them for several days at a time until inevitably the funk creeps in and they retreat to their relatively tranquil
origins.

Throughout history, many luminaries have reflected on New York City through lenses of marvel, humor and revulsion. It is a paradox, eliciting myriad reactions from wonder to disdain. Undoubtedly, the omnipresent and ceaseless static of The City can drive one to seek sanctuary far away from the chatter, the characters, the crush. And yet, persevering through the sensory onslaught yields that sense of pride, that warm and chewy nougat center of a New Yorker.

There are times when I suddenly snap awake - temporarily free of my steadfast adoration - to notice the sorrow and crookedness of my surroundings. Transiently I perceive this city as an outsider and it is only then that I question the choice to live my life at fever pitch, constantly pushing and pulling, hastily ascending and descending staircases, that may ultimately lead nowhere.

However, this inquiry is fleeting. A familiar warmth washes over me, charging me with vigor and purpose. And just in time, too. Because the drycleaner's closes in ten minutes and I just remembered that the uptown train at 14th street is running local today."

2010-10-26T05:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesday Night Figs

2010-10-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

2010-10-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

Jacko Tonight

2010-09-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

TimeOut New York Sex Issue

2010-09-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have three full illustrations in this week's TimeOut NYC. These were fairly explicit tales of lust in the big city.

Apologies to any of my aunt's who may read them.

Saturday Afternoon at The Cloisters

2010-09-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Puccini's "Tosca"

2010-09-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Bobi got her father an amazing book on Opera's masterworks. The pictures alone were stunning and I had to own a copy for myself. Since I've had it I've been dying to do a mock poster for an opera. So seizing on this little break in work - I did one for Tosca.

Drew it out quick in my sketchbook and decided to just use the pencil instead of inking over it.

Then clip & tipped* some old images to create a rug with an early-19th century feel. Rug aficionados - please refrain from blowing up my comment section.

Digi-digi...

I wanted so badly for the text to lay over Scarpia's body in shadow to mimic Tosca herself standing over him. But I didn't initially plan for that when drawing out the composition so I had to improvise.

*a nod to one Mr. Chris Stubbs for an invaluable term to add to my lexicon.

Cordoba House

2010-09-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Rough Year

2010-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Spider Lady

2010-08-08T14:28:00.001-07:00

Calendar Portrait Warm-up

2010-08-06T14:19:00.001-07:00

New Velvet Elvis' on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

2010-08-03T09:17:00.001-07:00

Real Housewives Ballroom Background

2010-07-08T20:21:00.001-07:00

2010-07-01T07:54:00.001-07:00

Adrian Of Death 2

2010-06-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Gilgongo July 17th at Arlene's Grocery

2010-06-23T17:16:00.001-07:00

Roma, Rieti & Firenze

2010-06-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Portrait Of V

2010-06-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Adrian Of Death 1

2010-05-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

Velvet Elvis on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

2010-05-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Recently completed a bunch of Velvet Elvis paintings for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC. Not my usual style but a super fun gig nonetheless. Thanks to Anna for the reference.

Kid Cudi

2010-04-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

Nightmares EP cover

2010-04-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

Three versions of text and layout for the cover.

Nathan Lane

2010-04-11T15:40:00.001-07:00

Strand

2010-03-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Design submission for the new Strand Bookstore totebag.

Nightmare

2010-03-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

2010-03-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Mariano Rivera

Patti Smith

Andre Leon Talley

2010-03-06T08:32:00.001-08:00

Michael Musto

Charles Rangel

Back To Brazil

2010-03-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Gael Greene

I remember when The Times sent Grampa to Brazil and told him to take Mary along with him. She was always so proud of that.
3/3/10

The Ballad of Artie Lange

2010-02-27T16:25:00.001-08:00

New York Pretty

2010-02-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

Been meaning to do this for a while - a caricature of a New Yorker every working day of the week. Here are the first three.

David Paterson

Andrew Cuomo

Bernard Kerik

US Census Commercial

2010-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Got to spend a few weeks last month working with Bryce and the guys and gals over at Digital Kitchen on a spot for the 2010 US Censcus. The stop-animation was colored both digitally and by hand to give it a more realistic feeling. But that meant prepping, priming and painting about a hundred individual panels at a Bushwick studio space. (I was conveniently indisposed during the spray-fixing and mounting.) A really fun time.

It was also a chance to hang out with fellow SVA alumn and old studio buddy Soo Jin.

Census "Living Mural" Case Study DK from Bryce Wymer on Vimeo.

And after all that work - here is the final spot.

Census "Living Mural" DK from Bryce Wymer on Vimeo.

Another face in the crowd...

2010-02-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

I think what scares people the most about terrorism is the fact that the disaster comes from within the peaceful masses. It's an unassuming yet destructive force that materializes out of the throngs of passerby's and claims it's victims with zero differentiation between guilty and innocent. At least that's what petrifies me the most.

Russian Terrier

2009-12-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

First entry in the new book.

For V.

2009-12-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

December Untitled

2009-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

This idea has been appearing beneath my eyelids for two weeks or so. It was time to put it to bed finally.

Sketched it out with some unattractive reference of myself and did the painting in straight Higgins Waterproof Brown in a day.

Grizzly Mac

2009-11-24T14:01:00.000-08:00

This summer my hero, Michael McDonald was featured singing lead vocals on the b-side of Grizzly Bear's single for "While You Wait For The Others". It doesn't make any sense but GODDAMN that man is the coolest!

The Amazin' Mess

2009-11-24T09:11:00.001-08:00

Sycamore Review

2009-11-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Illustration for a shorty story entitled "Green," by Patricia Engel to be published in the Sycamore Review's Winter Issue in January.

Toxie's Back!

2009-10-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

This here work of filth is for Troma Entertainment's upcoming masterpiece "The Toxic Twins: The Toxic Avenger Part V". Thanks to Matt from Troma Team Video...and Harmon Hall!

Hanukkah Gone Metal

2009-10-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

Got hooked up with New York City's own Gods Of Fire through Eric from Major League Dreidel to do a wraparound cover for their fall release Hanukkah Gone Metal out soon. A real treat to paint a suped-up version of Judas Maccabeus in all his kosher glory taking the temple.

Playboy October 2009

2009-10-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Check me out in this month's Playboy Magazine on newstands now!

And now for something completely stolen...

2009-08-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

I recently found a coffee table book on Monty Python at a street sale in Brooklyn for 8 bucks and since have been totally immersed in Terry Gilliam's artwork and imagery. This flyer was absolutely necessary so I can move on with my life already!