CTN EXPO

Hey! Come and join me at the CTN EXPO (Creative Talent Network) It's a great gathering of artists from the animation, visual development and Illustration Arts. It's at the Burbank Marriott all weekend. Join us for some inspiration!

Life Drawings

Hey everyone, I just thought I'd let you know that I'll be teaching again at LA Academy of Figurative Art starting January 26-March15, 2012. So sign up now! I'll be teaching life drawing from the inside out!

Go Ape!

I've been trying to paint a lot more these days, 'cause I really miss it. Gouache and watercolor are the quickest mediums for me to jam with, because they're so spontaneous. I like the speed, and the happy accidents that give the work a freshness you can't get any other way.

Dr. Pretorius

I've really been trying to improve as a painter lately, so that means practice, practice, practice. I just finished a painting of Elsa Lanchester from the Bride of Frankenstein this last weekend (more on that later).I did it for the "October Shadows" art show being put on by Creature Features that's going to happening Oct. 1st. Stay tuned for details. I really love Universal Classic monsters, so painting images from them are a pure joy. Here's a little study of Dr. Pretorius from Bride of Frankenstein.

Chimpanzees

I just saw "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" and really enjoyed it. It's not without it's flaws, but overall very entertaining. I loved especially the "prison break" movie it became when Caesar was jailed! I was inspired to draw some Chimps for fun. Hail Caesar!

The Burbank Leader

Hi Everybody, I just had a little article done on me by the local paper The Burbank Leader. Check it out! They also have the story printed on actual paper. Get yours now, or see the story online http://www.burbankleader.com/entertainment/tn-blr-simpsons-animator-draws-from-his-heart-20110729,0,3255610.story

San Diego Comicon 2011

Yep, it's that time again, for the madness to take hold! Once again, into the breach! I've got a NEW sketchbook once again for sale this year a Comicon. I'll be at the Red Eye Art table at row D4. I'll also be selling my previous other two books as well, so if you missed out, I'll have them. See you on the other side!

The Terracotta Warrior Part 3

Here is the final stage in the creation of the Terracotta Warrior sculpture for the Martial Arts History Museum. I created the straps for the Warrior's bronze armor out of little foam strips and hot glued them on, as well as sticking in all of the little rivets, which were just brass fasteners for scripts. The primer coat was a mix of grey latex interior paint mixed with Hotwire Foam Factories' Foam Coat and a little bit of their Grit texturizer to protect and seal it. I then airbrushed and sponged on several layers of acrylic paint to achieve the aged terra-cotta clay look, and there you have it! All in all, it took 2 1/2 weeks from start to finish. I never worked in this medium before, and never at this scale, but I really had a blast doing it, and can't wait to do more! If you want, you can see this sculpture in person at the Martial Arts History Museum, 2319 W. Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, Ca.

Terracotta Warrior Part 2

Here's more in-progress shots of the sculpture. After using the Hotwire tools to remove the larger planes, I then turned to power sanders and sandpaper to continue refining the form.

The Terracotta Warrior

Sorry I've been away so long everyone, but I've been pretty busy with some interesting projects lately. Sifu Michael Matsuda, a friend of me and my wife is opening The Martial Arts History Museum in Burbank, whose Grand Opening is going to be on June25th, asked me to create a sculpture of a Terracotta Warrior for display. What? Of course I agreed! (I've never done anything like this before). I was just about to go on hiatus from the Simpsons for a few weeks, so that gave me a little time to work on it, although two weeks was pushing it in terms of getting it done! Here is a series of "making of-" shots I took as I was creating it. ( I LOVE "making of-" shots, don't you?) This'll be the first in series of pics on making this. The whole thing is carved out of EPS foam (Extruded Poly Styrene) with HotWire Foam Factory tools, power sanders, and elbow grease. Enjoy.

New Sketchbook

I just finished another sketchbook yesterday, and bought one of those Moleskine sketchbooks. I broke it in last night at life drawing at the studio, drawing one of the most amazing models, Joe Gatt. Drawn in cheap ballpoint pen.

Squirruls

Squirrulls. 'Nuff said.

Frazetta Tribute

Hi Everybody, sorry I've been away for a while, but the holiday season always has me up to my eyeballs with stuff to do, and it leaves me little time to update my blog. The first entry for this new year is a piece I just did for my Comic Club's self-published Fanzine back in Hawaii. The theme is a tribute to Frank Frazetta, and I decided to pay tribute to those old men's magazine illustrations he did. Those ink drawings are just amazing!