Illustration Friday: Phobia

My drawings have grown too predictable lately. I wanted to experiment this time by getting back that spontaneity that my artwork has been lacking. I was inspired by vegetarians and what they must be thinking when they see carnivores gorging down a slab of meat.

I painted it in color but it turned out way too gory then expected. The meat just turned out a beat red and it wasn't funny anymore, just gross! So I desaturized the color a tad in Photoshop and got the effect and humor I was looking for. Enjoy. Doesn't it just want you to go out and slam down a big juicy 10-ounce? Yummy. Mmmm Mmmm Good!

San Francisco Sketch Crawl XI: Sausalito

What do you get when you have 85 sketchers get together for the day? Sketchcrawl XI. This one broke records! Fellow artist Don Kipatrick III and I met the other crawlers in the town of Sausalito. We didn't take the ferry because we each live across the bay. The weather was perfect with plenty to draw.

Here's my painting of "Hotel Sausalito" on the corner of Bridgeway Road and El Portal Ave. I sat on concrete steps accross the street from the hotel as every once in a while, a bus would stop in front of me. Tourists and bus patrons would stop and observe what I was painting. They blocked my view on occasion and I had to stop. Eventually, they would hop on their bus or be on their way. The talent of the artists that day was so incredible! Proud to be part of this sketching group, here's what we sketched for the day: Click here for the San Francisco Sketch Crawl XI.

A great day had by all.

Illustration Friday: Change 2

I've already submitted something for "change" this week but I also sketched this and thought of submitting it. This is how I feel sometimes when I paint. If everything just isn't going just right for me one day, I sketch my heart out and I feel great again. Isn't that what art is all about or what it's supposed to do? To all my peeps, thanks for clicking on my blog again. See you next week!

Sketch: Bldg on Main Street in Walnut Creek

Waiting for the annual "Walnut Festival Parade" down Main Street (in Walnut Creek, CA), I drew this popular building in my sketchbook. I'm getting ready for the Sketchcrawl next week where a group of artists get together and sketch plein-air. We meet every 3 months. I'm out of practice because I don't draw outdoors too often. I've learned it teaches me to observe better, therefore better art! I like the end result because what I learn I take onto the next outdoor drawing.

Illustration Friday: Change

Okay all you fellow hard working artists: it's time we pushed yourselves from that computer screen or easel and get to the local gym! I know because I'm one included! If not to the gym, how about a stroll on the beach to enjoy the healthy sun. This painting is dedicated to all us big guys/gals who need a little bit of motivation. Let's help this "little guy" inside of all of us just busting to get out. Seriously though, this is how I feel on my 30 minute treadmill every weekday (except Friday). I hope it's working. Have a good workout from me! :).

Illustration Friday: Farm

Here's my take on this week's word "Farm". I tried to think up as many farm animals possible but there were just too many letters and words, so I had to use an ear of corn and a mouse to join the chorus. Oh well, the more the merrier! Have a happy Friday everyone.

Illustration Friday: Safe

Here's my submission for this week's IF word: Safe. The image is motivated from those magazine ads where some unfortunate person is saying he/she has his life insurance policy paid up just before some freak accident is about to happen. Feel free to give me a better caption if you can think of one. Thanks.