Captain America Skulloctopus

Back in 2009 I did this watercolor and pastel called Skulloctopus.

I had no real reason for doing so except that it was a cool and freaky creature.

Last night I saw Captain America and I noticed the emblem on the Red Skull villain was a skull with tentacles.

It only has 6 tentacles so it’s not a true octopus. It’s the Hydra emblem. Despite the name’s capitalization per Marvel’s official spelling the name is not an acronym but rather a reference to the mythical Lernaean Hydra. The organization’s motto references the myth of the Hydra, proclaiming that “if a head is cut off, two more will take its place” proclaiming their resilience and growing strength in the face of resistance. Reference from Wikipedia.

Well I got inspired and did some color adjustments and came up with this version and made up my own backstory.

Beware of the Skulloctopus of the small Coral Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This vile creature guards the Cosmic Cube of the Red Skull! No one can has found or gotten past this vile creature. This is only a rendition of what it would look like.

I'm not just an Illustrator

I do tons of Graphic Design!

I love typography whether it’s illustrated or a font. Laying out a page, picking photos, organizing chaos all appeal to me. Design and illustration go hand and hand. Both use the same principles of composition, line, weight, value, concept, color theory and more. It’s tough being good at both but some can actually pull it off. I’d like to know from you if I CAN pull it off. There are art schools and industry professionals that have differing opinions on if you should strictly specialize being an illustrator with a distinct style and be really great at that specialization and others say it’s OK to be a Graphic Designer that can draw and do illustrations for their designs. I have made a career out of being an Illustrator that can design. Being versatile and flexible with what ever the client needs has been my success. That includes illustration style and being able to design a cover or website with my art or even someone else’s work. Some use the word Illustrative Designer or Designutration or the more generic Graphic Artist. Call me what you want, but it’s what I can provide that makes the difference. It’s actions not words.

Most of you might know me as an Illustrator and I have been specializing in that for many years. However, I get requests and jobs to do Design based on my Illustration work. For example: Since I do both I get asked all the time to do illustrative logos. It’s a great marrying of the two disciplines and it’s fun for me. I have also designed, produced and maintained over 20 websites in my career. Some are shown in my portfolio. I know HTML, CSS, Dreamweaver and WordPress, UI design. I design book covers, packaging, sales sheets, brochures, marketing materials, corporate identity and much more. I have done a bit of Flash work as well. I’m not proficient in it yet, but currently I’m watching a TON of videos about Flash on Lynda.com and messing around in Flash CS5.

So here is a NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO that I just created. You will see my Illustrations incorporated into some of it, but that’s part of design. It can’t be just a bunch on color shapes and text. You gotta have images whether it’s photography or illustration.  If you can do a specialized task well and fit the design/concept, a company would rather keep all illustration and photography in-house or go with a full service design firm. I’m not boosting that I’m a full service design firm, but I can do a little bit of everything quite well and if I need an expert I know when to call one in.

Honestly, I am looking for that right freelance gig, part-time or even full-time job that can take advantage of my years of experience in both Illustration and Graphic Design. I do have a degree in Graphic Design and what I would consider a Masters in Illustration. Most jobs descriptions in my field I see want you to be able to do it all; design, illustration, photography, print, web, Flash, programing, etc. I know a lot about all of it. Why wouldn’t you hire me?

I would love to know what you think about all this and my Graphic Design portfolio. Be honest!

NEW Aqua Unit Patrol backgrounds!

Early this Spring I did several new Aqua Unit Patrol backgrounds. I got to use some pieces from other backgrounds I have done for the same show’s movie I did back in 2006. The show used to be called Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Now it’s been shortened to Aqua Unit Patrol for my some marketing reason or just to simply bring more attention to it. Who knows, but I think it’s working because they have many new episodes already out. Warning: The shows adult humor may offend your sensibilities or sense of humor, blah!! I’m not an avid watcher of any TV show, but their internet clips are quite hilarious.

The reason I post this now is the new show with these backgrounds are showing this Sunday night at 11:45 P.M. EST on Adult Swim. See if you can spot my work and let me know what you think. Most of the work was done in Adobe Illustrator then texture and touch ups were done in Photoshop.

Last Summer did the this School Intersection for The Intervention episode.

The rest are new backgrounds airing this Sunday, July 24th at 11:45 P.M. for the show “Last Dance for Napkin Lad”

I imagine the backgrounds will be shown for mere seconds so don’t blink while watching. You might miss them!

This is the flat version I gave them with all the buildings on separate layers. Then they animated it.

Make sure to check out the first airing of the show with these new backgrounds this Sunday, July 24th at 11:45 P.M. EST on Adult Swim.

If not, search for “Last Dance for Napkin Lad” on Adult Swim’s website.

More technical Illustrations

Just created a new portfolio of more technical illustrations I have done over the years.

All of it started in Adobe Illustrator and some ended up in Photoshop.

It’s not something to enter award shows with or hang on your wall, but it’s practical in many ways.

I think I excel at work like this. Making the complex communicate simply. Please contact me for any of your technical illustration projects.

Illustration Friday: Swept

My entry for the keyword “Swept” for this weeks Illustration Friday. It’s a book cover I did last year for Crispin and the Great Tree. Here is the cover I designed for it as well.

Earlier this year I won a Certificate of Merit for Crispin and the Great Tree cover art from the Society of Illustrator’s in Los Angeles, California, (SILA).

It was on display at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA from Jan 21-31st.

For the entry fee, hanging fee, print, frame and shipping it was over $303. To get it shipped back to me the Gallery said it would cost about $70. They put it up for sale for $150 and I could not stand to take another loss. Don’t get me wrong, I love this piece. It was just printed and framed to sell. Apparently, I’m not the only one in this same predicament. Ever since SILA has been accepting framed prints for gallery shows they get left with several “orphan works” from many different illustrators. This is of course not the same as the orphan works bill that was in Congress last year they are all just art that needs a home. The other day I talked with Alyce Heath, the Associations Manager of SILA. For the first time ever she offered me that she would keep the painting there and let everyone I know know about this framed piece that’s available at the Gallery Nucleus. So please make room in your home for this eye catching cover art. It would be a lovely addition to any boys bedroom or conversation piece for the living room.

The 12″ x 12″ hand signed, Artist Proof, double matted in a 18″ x 18″ frame is for sale for only $150 plus tax and shipping. Let me know if your interested. Contact me or the Gallery Nucleus for details. Shipping might be cheaper for you depending on where you live.