The Illust Are

Hello there

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:31:00 +0000

Firstly, I have moved my blogging experience over to Tumblr: http://thisisnigel.tumblr.com
Follow me over there won't you?
Also, I have an inspiration blog at http://nigelsanders.tumblr.com
It's fun, you'll like it.

Also, new website finished! Head on over to Http://www.NothingRhymesWithNigel.com and it should be live.
Gracias, Nigel.

New year, new times.

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:39:00 +0000

Will try to post more consistently, be it inspiration or work (hopefully work).
Finished this last night, tried to stay loose:

Big post

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:03:00 +0000

Still here, here's what I've been up to in the last couple months;

built a screenprinting lab:

first print, for the girlfriend, who saw the Hepburn canvases at Ikea and wanted one, this is better. Still working on the timing, but it's pretty much fully functional.

and finally finished off a painting, this one was a commission, pretty happy with it, mostly. There were some parts that really stumped me in terms of how to make it work, and totally would have benefitted with being in school and getting that teaching, but got through as I'm gonna have to. This will probably be the last all the way super-rendered painting for awhile, got some tricks up my sleeves ready for takeoff.

I'm not dead yet.

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:29:00 +0000

So I know I've been slack on posting here, but it's not for a lack on being busy, just it's been busy doing other things than artwork, unfortunately. Between a dayjob for most of the summer, moving into a new house, a new puppy, doing some fixes on my old house, working on some big things for the future, and some general laziness, my general output has diminished. But now things have calmed down, I should have a silkscreening lab built very soon, and maybe some big announcements about upcoming projects.

For now though, I busted out a entry for Shout Factory's Small Wonder fan art contest, mostly cause a friend put me up to it, but also because the winning artwork goes on the box, which would be cool. So here's mine (though I'm not exactly thrilled with it, felt good to be back in it though), an homage to the Metropolis poster, I need to work on getting my outlines back into the final:

Debacle and the itch not scratched

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:22:00 +0000

So this would be my mock-up for a print that may or may not ever happen. It's based on the book Dirty Havana Trilogy" by Pedro Juan Gutierrez and was intended for a friend's show, and even though I am working as a Printmaker, for reasons within my control but out my grasp I didn't think I would be able to produce it on time, or in the foreseeable future given my current home setup...or maybe not. I go in today to find that it may be possible. But this will probably be my last print for awhile, at least til some other factors are resolved.

In other art-making news, work and friends and obligations and situation changes have kept me on the sideline, but I've got a painting in progress and lots, nay many more than a lot gestating ideas. all in due time as they say. I'll be back when the skies clear.

mamasay, mamasah, mamakusa. (RIP Michael Jackson)

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:58:00 +0000

RIP MiJac.
Whatever your personal feelings on the man (and believe me I could say a few) He was an icon, a hell of an entertainer, and had a 20 year stretch when he couldn't be messed with in the music biz.

From "Liner Notes", my series of musician portraits which can be seen here

American Illustration 28

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:47:00 +0000

American Illustration 28 comes out in November, but they've already selected the images for the book and the web gallery, and Otis got it's representation in.

There's some 1,000 images available to preview (out of over 8 thousand submitted), so I didn't go through them all, but I paged through the thumbnails to see if I could recognize anyone and while I'm not sure if any Otis alums made the book, the web gallery did.

Recent grads Julian Callos, Jessica Cooper, Mylan Nguyen, and Nigel Sanders (hey that's me), along with sometime ago grad Calef Brown all got in on the web gallery side.

you can view all the images in the two galleries here: http://www.ai-ap.com/cfe/AIss/

also big up to Nathan, Bob, Daniel, JT and of course Jim for getting so many students in.

Thesis paintings, prints, etc etc

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:00:00 +0000

So here ya go, final images of work from this (school) year. Moving forward, moving forward, but I'm still pretty proud of these, and excited about getting going on new stuff.

Paintings

Prints

Book Images
I'm not going to post the entire book, but here are a couple scans of the pages from a book of musician portraits I created called "Liner Notes":

you can see all these, in all their glory (such as it is) at NothingRhymesWithNigel.com

Adventures in found stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:59:00 +0000

another painting preview, but also, an easel I found the other day. It's a little worse for wear (read: falling apart), but is sturdy enough and serviceable. I love my block. I found a tiny toy piano a year ago, and then a beat up acoustic guitar the year before that. it's like someone's leaving presents.

Thesis sneak preview

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:03:00 +0000

no time at all, but since I'm close to done with everything, thought I'd throw up a small preview of some of the work I'm gonna have in my thesis show. Paintings, prints, and a book, oh my!

This is for a book of single line drawings through the history of music, it's big project I took in within the last month which I'm kind of regretting. But I'm liking the results.

Duke Ellington

One of the prints I'm doing. Long explanation, so not gonna bother, but they are all screenprinted, including the one below.

preview of actual thesis work...ROBOTS!!

couple weeks left.
thesis exhibition may 9th, Otis College.

life sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Some life drawing sketches. I started out pretty regular, pencil stuff which looks, though in my style, pretty ordinary, just capturing movement and form. I don't do the "Otis style", or correct drawing technique of getting the major shapes and then fill and refine, I outline and go. works for me, but it tends to be flat and more often than not disproportionate. From there I started doing live inking during longer poses:

I've started working on a single-line style for another class which I've started using in the life drawing, and I'm really enjoying the results. All of these are one single-line (I do pick the pen up sometimes to see where I'm at, and in some I've gone back and done fills not connected, but 99% are all connected lines.) I'm working on refining this into something I can use everyday.

I love this last set, it's like a quick visual story.

My apologies on the stitching, doesn't work that well on a crappy scanner. Think the wrong proportions actually work in these cases. more when I get some.

VD

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 04:41:00 +0000

Valentine's Day print.
yeah, I know, I'm cheesy.
Also will be using this, in a way, in a series of prints coming soon.
Happy Go Get Some Lovin day.

Well, hello there...

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 07:55:00 +0000

it's been a minute, Time to update I think. With school and everything I don't really have time to do a "normal" type post, but I figured I'd update with some things I haven't posted up here before, some recent prints and paintings and such, as well as a preview of coming work.

Related to this post, I did a couple more editorial portraits. I haven't done any since, but I've got some plans for new ones which should be rad.

They were a lot of fun (like a puzzle!) and totally worth checking larger.

Series of prints based on...something or other. really a series of fortunate accidents actually.

And I'm working on a robot series for my final semester, but I'm not trying to spoil it here, least not while everything isn't finalized. So here's a drawing that I'm not painting.

Based on George Bellows' "Dempsey and Firpo"

but then my teacher pointed out to me that Eric Joyner already did something similar:

Not knocking Joyner, whose stuff I really like, but Bellows' composition is so ridiculously good, it's a shame that Joyner's doesn't approximate the awesome angles of the original. I know it's not a straight cover, like mine would have been, but it just doesn't have the power the original does.

anyway, more when I can...

PSCombine

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:33:00 +0000

Been playing around with this program that got posted around PSCombine, basically it takes a folder of images and combines a couple of them in Photoshop, adds some filters or something, and spits out the result. It's basically using the automator feature, but randomizing the input and processing. It's pretty sweet letting it run for a bit. It doesn't combine more than two images, which is disappointing, and being random, it spits out some bum images, but there's some gems too. Only works for Windows though, CS3 or CS4, pity.

I basically took most of my reference photo folder and fed it through, fun results. Up above are some of the better ones. I put a full flickr set up here. Go have fun yourself if you can.

I'll have some of my own recent work up sooner or later, been out of town for xmas, back home tomorrow, woohoo!!

Mademoiselle Rose and more

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:14:00 +0000

We had an assignment to copy a master painting, I went with Delacroix's "Madamoiselle Rose". We had to do it the manner of the original painting, which for me meant a Grisille (sp?) underpainting of umber and white, then glazes of color on top. Pretty interesting process which allows for mistakes easier than just straight painting. It's a logn process though.

Also a 3-week pose painting, couldn't quite catch it right.

new print:

Phantom Menagerie was last night:

Pretty amazing turnout, and rad time was had by all i think. you can see more photos here

Phantom Menagerie @ Pehrspace Gallery, LA

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 07:08:00 +0000

gonna be in a show in a couple weeks at Pehrspace in LA, here's what I'm putting in:

face phase

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:52:00 +0000

It's the middle of the semester, so I don't have a lot of time for theory or comment on whatever's going on, and there is always SOMEthing going on, but it'll have to be as it is. What I can do I guess is post some pics of what's been going on. This is going to be a series of 5 before all's done this semester, we all hope, at least 3.

First one is about halfway done, and it's a crappy photo of it. there's a lot more fine line work going on. Will be oil glazed and tightened.

second one is closer, I think another set of glazes and it's good. There's some process for it after as well.

and if you can't tell how they are, I haven't done my job right, obviously they are Warhol and Che, i know i know, go ahead give me shit for using such recognizable portraits, but these are setup for relatively less recognizable/iconic people. All are oil on mylar, screenprint as well.

Weekly Linkage (double shot!) 10/04-17

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 05:11:00 +0000

Links for 2008-10-17 [del.icio.us]

Link - Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT - Feed (1 subs)

Links for 2008-10-11 [del.icio.us]

The Unfinished Alphabet
Vandling.co.uk - "A contemporary grotesque ornamental typeface inspired by 'The Unfinished Body' - a quote taken from Mikhail Bakhtin in 'Rabelais and his world'."
Barron Storey
the be(a)st

Link - Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT - Feed (1 subs)

Links for 2008-10-10 [del.icio.us]

STEPHEN KRONINGER
former illustrator for the Progressive Magazine
Conor Harrington - Artist - Online portfolio.

Link - Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT - Feed (1 subs)

Links for 2008-10-04 [del.icio.us]

Improbable Research
Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize
MAKE: Blog: Metal plates send messages to airport x-ray screeners
BAGnewsNotes: Finally Taking His Turn, Mac Suffers Palin Too
The Book Design Review
I Don't: A Contrarian History of Marriage
Grady Mcferrin, Art and Illustration
James Jean releases new art book, retires from Fables » Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog
Old Creepy Ads | Weirdomatic
Octophant
i should not be!!
artpad.org - Jaime Jones

Link - Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT - Feed (1 subs)

Weekly Linkage 9/28-10/04

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:41:00 +0000

Links for 2008-09-30 [del.icio.us]

Unique - Strange: Homer Simpson Alone In His Journey ( 60 Pictures )
How Sarah Palin embodies the Christian right archetype of the Sexy Puritan. - By Tom Perrotta - Slate Magazine
snurkbeddengoed.nl
printed cardboard bedding
Phillip Toledano - America the Gift Shop
Fermi problem - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
guesstimatical averages

Links for 2008-09-28 [del.icio.us]

How could the economic crisis affect art? | Art and design | guardian.co.uk
3quarksdaily
Useless Guesstimatical Calculations

Quick update

noreply@blogger.com (Nigel) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 06:35:00 +0000

Just wanted to post some (crappy) pics of some recent life paintings from class. enjoy.

What the Illust reads (updated)

noreply@blogger.com (The Illust Are) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:38:00 +0000

Some art & design related blogs I've run across recently and have started keeping tab on:

-Grain Edit: "Grain edit is focused on classic design work from the 1950s-1970s and contemporary designers that draw inspiration from that time period.Site content includes interviews, articles, designers’ libraries as well as examples of rare design annuals, type specimens, Ephemera, posters and vintage kids books from our bookshelves." Awesome aweome stuff.

Very Smal Array: I'm not quite sure what exactly is going on here, I just added it today, but some really interesting and well-designed inforgraphics and mapping posts. Just real elegant stuff. plus they have a mock t-shirt that says "Nostalgia sells", which is awesome beyond belef. (least i think it's mock, I would actually buy it).

The Big Picture: This is one of those if you don't already know, you're behind the times. The Boston Globe's (almost) daily web posts featuring large, high-res photos all on a subject of the day, culled form whatever source is available. Excellent reference if nothing else.

Photoshop Disasters: In the same vein as above, this is one you need to know about, it's sort of exploded (a la StuffWhitePeopleLike), but a must-read for anyone involved in any sort of photoshop work.

236 video: Get Your War On: Get Your War On in animated form, some actually decent translation from 2D clip art to moving animation.

BAGnewsNotes: I have no idea where the name comes from (too lazy to look if they've posted it somewhere on the blog), but I love this blog, it might be my new favorite, at least during this election series. Breaks down visual politics, and how the media portrays candidates, and how the candidates protray themselves. Maybe a little bit too analytical for my tastes, too much semiotics, but overall high quality.

Art Blog by Bob: "A passionate art history amateur with an MA in English Literature " Looks like he's been running his blog for a little over a year and a half, if he's an art history amateur, then I am a complete novice (and I am no slouch if I do say so myself). Learned about quite a few artists from going through his archives, and he does some really informative writeups and gives good examples. In the same vein as Lines and Colors, get your history on.

I'll be adding these to the blogroll as time allows.