I had to paint the Tres Honey Boys after listening to The Adventure Zone bonus episode. If you have no idea what any of this means then there’s never been a better time to donate.
Honey Heist
Animals
I really want to try and find time to draw and paint more this year. Here are a few attempts so far. Feeling very rusty, need to keep practicing.
Playstation
The last time I posted anything on this site was right before my second child was born. Coincidence? It feels like not much time has passed, and yet I’ve aged at least 30 years.
Here are some illustrations I made for a cover story on Polygon about the career of Ken Kutaragi. These were art directed by Matt Leone.
This was the first freelance job I’d taken on in a while (see aforementioned child) and was really challenging yet fun to put together. The controller grips were by far the hardest part of the whole thing. Getting just the right shape and angle, and then getting that to connect to the controller body was a lot of work, and re-work. I also had to make 18 portraits to represent all of the people interviewed for the article, and so I came up with the idea of making them look like early, 3D graphic, video game characters. I was really happy with the way they came out.
He-Man
I wanted to learn Blender's sculpting tools, so I made a He-Man. It turns out Blender's sculpting tools are very good.
Music
I have been playing around with animation in Blender. I really enjoy making things in 3D, it's so much fun.
Smart Guns
An illustration for a Fast Company magazine article about new technologies for improving the safety of guns in the home. It can be found in the February 2016 issue.
Here are some early sketches that I didn't end up using:
NYU X NES
I made a poster for a lecture being given at the NYU Game Center by Masayuki Uemura, the designer of the Famicom, and later, the Nintendo Entertainment System.
My original plan was to render all of the NES circuits and components that would normally appear inside the system, but unfortunately, between the giant RF shielding plate and upside-down circuitboard the NES is kind of boring to look at under the hood (not to disparage its technical wizardry, of which it had plenty, it just doesn't make for a nice illustration). So I then decided to put exploded views of the main accessories inside there. Those circuits inside the cartridge and controller are accurate, hand-traced representations of their real world counterparts, but I did leave a few components out to make for a nicer composition. I also added in a question block because of course that should go in there, right?
This is my first poster fully rendered in 3D and boy-oh-boy did I learn a bunch while making it. So I guess I need to make a Sega Master System next?
Made with Blender, Illustrator and Photoshop. Art directed by Charles Pratt at NYU (@charlesjpratt)
Hello Spaceboy
Just a little astronaut I modeled. Inspired by this illustration from a while ago...
Character Flaws - Series 2
iam8bit is turning 10! To celebrate they're throwing a huge show, and I made some new Character Flaws prints for it. You'll be able to get them at the gallery from June 18th until July 5th, or online (Worldwide shipping available).
333-DDD!!!
I just realized that the last time I posted anything was 2014. Back then we only had six Fast & Furious movies, and look at us now, we've come so far.
So what have I been up to? I've been digging deep into 3D modeling. I'd been in a bit of a funk with illustration lately, and this was the perfect cure. Once I got past the initial learning curve (I've been using Blender) it's incredibly fun. Being able to view an illustration from a different angle and set up different lighting schemes is fantastic.
I've put some renders of my early creations below.
Oh Henry!
A print I made for the Gallery 1988 'Crazy 4 Cult' show based on Eraserhead, David Lynch's dystopian nightmare documenting the fear of fatherhood, genetically engineered chickens, and a singing woman who lives in a radiator.
If you dig cult movies, as well as artwork inspired by said movies, the show is open now until December 28th at Gallery 1988 West in LA. This 11 x 17" print is available as a very limited edition of 25 at the gallery or online.
Return of the Lawnmower Man
I made this poster for the 'Sequel' show at iam8bit. The Lawnmower Man is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. When I was a kid the idea of virtual reality seemed like just about the coolest thing ever. Anyone who tried early VR however knows, it was actually pretty garbage (just like Lawnmower Man 2). But with the recent VR revival, the time is right for a proper sequel.
My idea for the movie is based around the release of a mysterious VR MMO, but as players get deeper into the game, they start to experience weird visions and they realize that while they've been playing, their bodies have been taking on a life of their own. It would be way more horror than sci-fi and it would definitely win all of the academy awards.
You can buy the print along with a bunch of other cool posters here.
NYU Game Center Master Class
A poster for the NYU Game Center Master Class featuring Stone Librande, the 'one-page design document' super-whiz.
Super Time Force
Hey you! Do you like having things on your walls? Then go and buy this Super Time Force print that I made by drawing into my computer. It's available here and is guaranteed to make your house a happenin' party spot.
You can also buy individual prints of each character if that's your jam.
Then go ahead and buy Super Time Force. It's the best.
Assault on Venom
I was pretty excited to be asked to produce a piece for the Comics vs. Games 3D show taking place at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. Playing Star Fox on the SNES with it's built in SuperFX chip was pretty mind blowing back in the day. It was one of the first 3D games I played, so it seemed fitting for this show.
I love old-school anaglyph 3D, so a whole gallery of comic and videogame themed artwork in shades of red and cyan sounds like a little slice of heaven. There will even be a VRcade where you can try out some sweet VR games made just for the show.
If you're going to TCAF don't miss this event. You can RSVP here.
A Boy & His Brandon
Here's a picture I painted of Brandon Boyer kicking it with Noby-Noby Boy for the book put together by Cory Schmitz and Nathan Vella. This brings my tally of Brandon portraits up to 2, which, if my math is correct, puts me a quarter of the way to a free footlong sub.
The Never Ending Story
I made this illustration, for an article in the April issue of Fast Company Magazine, about the impending Playstation 4 release of Final Fantasy XIV.
Art directed by Julia Knetzer.
Murders & Executions
A new illustration for the Required Reading show at Gallery1988 West in LA. The show is full of artwork based on classic and cult literature. I wanted to base my piece on Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho since, for better or worse, it's one of the most impactful books I've ever read. I'm not easily rattled by fiction, but I read it again to prepare for the show, and it's still a difficult read. Between the endless descriptions of what designer brands everyone is wearing, the products in Patrick Bateman's apartment, and the chapter-long interludes about the history and discography of his favorite bands, are some of the most brutal descriptions of torture and murder imaginable.
The print is a hand-numbered edition of 40. The show is open until Dec 22nd, so if you're in the area you should check it out to see lots of great art. If you're not in the area, or just lazy, you can always buy a print online.
Jim Guthrie Mega Holiday Sale Extravaganza!
I drew this promo picture for Jim Guthrie's massive holiday sale. You can go grab yourself a bargain right the heck now!
Space? SPACE?! SPAAAAAAAAAACE!
I made another print for my wife's birthday this year, as an accompaniment to the previous print I made her.
(My wife is an aerospace engineer, which is why they're all space themed)