State of the Union :: Post VI

I am definitely a different kind of Illustrator. I would say that I enjoy creating art that I am commissioned to produce. I love to illustrate anything and everything. I haven't quite figured out what my 'specific' niche is just yet, but I am still learning. I hope to continue sending my work to constant publications and slowly ease my way into the markets. I would also like to go back to Los Angeles or New York for a little while and create bodies of work for different exhibitions. For now, I will continue Illustrating for clients whether that be books, magazines, newspaper articles, etc.
My present work yes and no
ten images themes, techniques, subjects, formats
I am a bit confused as to what my portfolio is lacking. I do however know certain things that I would like create. I am hoping the discussion will help guide me along and tailor my work to a stronger grouping as a whole.
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State of the Union :: Post V

If I had to spend the rest of my life Illustrating one book? I don't think I could do that. I am much to impatient to do one thing for the rest of my life. Maybe I could illustrate a series. Perhaps like C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.

If I could apprentice for any two artists, dead or alive? I would totally pick Michaelangelo, and Da Vinchi. oh oh....I would love to work under Rembrandt as well.

If I were banned from the art world I would definitely go into archeology or be a botanist. I might even go into studying reptiles.

One Month and A Thousand Dollars
A Simple Childrens Book

Six Months and Ten Thousand Dollars

One Year and One Hundred Thousand Dollars

State of the Union :: Post IV

Lane Smith


Nathan Ota


Jim Auckland


Thomas Woodruff


Mark Ryden


James Jean


Jeff Soto


Greg Simkins


Camille Rose Garcia


Glenn Barr



Some Illustrators whose work I admire and whose careers I would possibly emulate.
Also is a list of some of their clients they work for.

{Camille Rose Garcia}
BLAB, Juxtapose, Los Angeles Times, Time Magazine, Glue Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, Nylon

{Greg Simkins}
Disney, Mattel, Upper Playground, Juxtapoz, To Die For, Vans, Converse, AFI, Saosin, Gym Class Heroes, Pennywise, STRANGEco, Ningyoushi, Kid Robot, Zero Friends, Epitaph, Dark Horse, Iron Fist and Pulse International.

{Mark Ryden}
Umbigo, Elegy, Cyber Zone, 200%, District, Helio, LA Weekly, DPI, LA Artland, Panik Magazine, Arte, Tear

{The Clayton Brothers}
Res Magazine, New York Times, Paper City, Various Group Exhibitions and Solo Exhibitions.
view link

{Nathan Ota}
Newspapers: Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union Tribune, Sacramento News & Review, LA Weekly, City Beat.
Magazines: Business Week, US News & World Report, Writers Guild of America West, Mix, Jazziz, Electronic Musician, Guitar Player, Music & Computers, Swing, Request, Keyboard, Movieline, Computer Life, Computer Gaming World, Stocks and Commodities, Financial Executive.

{Jim Auckland}
Warner Brothers, Walt Disney Studios and Columbia Pictures. He has created portrait collections of famous athletes for NFL Properties, The Upper Deck Company, The Franklin Mint, The Bradford Exchange and the NBA. His paintings are included in the collections of The Buffalo Bills, The National Football League, Hughes Aircraft Company, General Mills, and The United States Air Force.

{Jeff Soto}
ArtWeek, Hi Fructose, Giant Robot, Beasts!, Juxtapoz, American Illustration, Paper, Art Prostitute, Streetwear Today, Print, Communication Arts, Stop Smiling, ID Pure, Lifelounge, Cal Magazine, Romantik, Beautiful Decay, Langages de Rue, XFuns, and Lodown Magazine. Sony Music, Warner Bros., The Broken Wrist Project, Entertainment Weekly, The Village Voice, Esquire, City Pages, Tor Books, Morrow Snowboards, Nickelodeon magazine, Field and Stream, Spin, Toy2R, The Portland Mercury, Disney Adventures, Macskinz, Coors, Visa, F Communications, Wired, The Boston Phoenix, Juxtapoz, Critterbox toys, United Airlines/Fallon, Fast Company, Wired, and Outside Magazine.


{Lane Smith}
books published
His titles with Jon Scieszka have included the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man; The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs; Math Curse; and Science Verse. Lane's other high profile titles include Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky; The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders; Big Plans by Bob Shea; and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. In 1996 Lane served as Conceptual Designer on the Disney film version of James and the Giant Peach.

{Thomas Woodruff}
Art News, Art Talk, The New Yorker, New York Times, Art In America, Vogue, Harpers, Juxtapose, Art Papers

{James Jean}
DC/Vertigo Comics, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Records, Playboy, Nike, and Target.

{Glenn Barr}
Mad, DC Comics, Paradox Press, Ren and Stimpy Show, Bjork's I miss you, Woody Woodpecker, Juxtapoz, Erotica and Film Threat Magazine.

Ten Magazines I could work for
• Cooks Illustrated
• Res Magazine
• Art Papers
• Rolling Stone
• New York Times
• Panik Magazine
• Juxtapoz
• No Tears Magazine
• Paper City Magazine
• Time Magazine
• New Yorker

{Dream Jobs}
Random House
Harper Collins Punlishing
Golden Books
Disney
Warner Brothers
Nickelodeon
Colombia Pictures
Sony Music
Target
Entertainment Weekly

This is a small selection of some of my all time favorite dream jobs. They have always had artwork published that I feel I could be a part of producing as well. We all have dreams, why not go for them?

Solo and Group Exhibitions later in the future.

• If I had to form a magazine that focused on the likely hood of my survival.....well then I would probably be covering the entertainment industry. This I mean I would be constantly having articles about celebrities, hotspots, films, music. etc. This would encompass the film and music industry because no matter what Americans love escapism and forms of alternate reality. They love to feel as if they are a part of the popular culture. The look and feel of the magazine would not be quite as goddy but would evoke a bit of a mainstream design.

State of the Union :: Post III

• My creative process would be one that is done very methodically. I begin with writing down the thoughts relating to the concept I am trying to achieve. Next, I usually begin looking at reference images and art to help inspire me. I begin taking into consideration all of my research and developing thumbnails. After sketching, I take my clearest ones and try to refine the composition and figure out the best way to execute my concept. After my thumbnail has been selected I usually like to work on woodpanel or illustration board and paint my piece with acrylics. This method is typically my most favorite.
I feel that my process could be more efficient if I planned ahead with more thumbnails and references. Usually I get 'writer's block' and can't develop certain ideas as far as I would like to. I could also pull on collected images that I have gathered previously in anticipation for just such a project. Being so critical I know I could always do better. Something that I strive for as an Illustrator is perfection. A goal that will never be fully achieved but still is my target.

• I admire professional film director, Steven Speilberg's creative processes for a number reasons. He is a very prolific person, with a very imaginative mind. He will never run out of ideas because he allows the story as well as the actors to inspire him for creative and unexpected results that veer from any mechanical methodology. He is in other words prepared to allow others on a day to day basis to inspire him with creativity. His creative process includes writing ideas down to something workable on paper, discussing the work detailed by taking those ideas to action sequences and finally taking that to film.

State of The Union :: Post II

• What would be my favorite piece? I have to say that my recent favorite piece would be a political satire that I made of THE CEO of the Memphis Zoo. I depicted him as the grinch stealing the trees of Overton Park. I took this into a series of die cuts and assembled it in a shadow box. I had a lot of fun with this piece. I normally work only two dimensionally. The work is two dimensional but the idea of making work in a series of layers in three dimensional form was something that I would love to continue in a series of works.
• I really haven't ever been told what piece people like the most. Recently I haven't been given much input on that.
• The piece that suprised me the most was an interactive adult censored children's book I made. I didn't think that the piece would come together as it did, but at the end everyone loved it. AND it functioned well.

• My five doodles sketches.

State of the Union :: Post I

• My favorite media to work in is acrylic. I like to work in Oils, Watercolor, Pastels, Dry Media such as Charcoal, Conte, etc.
• I am not a particular fan of working in Chalk Pastels because it tends to be too messy.
• I would like to work in Gauche. I think that could be a fun medium to experiment with.
• Three classes that have influenced my illustration are Digital Imaging, Interactive Media, and Communication Studio IV. Digital Imaging and Interactive Media have helped push my concepts and execution of work in a different way of Illustrating. I was able to experiment with creating work Digitally and even using ways of incorporating the user in the pieces. Comm. Studio IV was with Cecil Kim in Los Angeles which really helped me to push my painting skills even further without the purist method. I am very much inspired to create the same style of work in process but instead using the computer as a medium.
• The work of my peers has helped with the way I think and also allowing me to step back and see my work from another angle. I believe my peers have helped influence my thoughts and processes to be less narrow and widen the range of work that I create.
• I love pop music, techno, and soft classic. Also, depending on the mood I am in I can really listen to anything.
• I love to sing, and Act. I love running, Yoga, dancing. etc
Something I like that I don't think anyone else does is Disney Films.
• The three pieces I would love to own would be the Nike of Samothrace, Monet's Waterlilies, and The Mona Lisa.