Yay for Plagiarism!

I received an email from a friend today saying that in a Worcester, MA newspaper they saw this:

..and when compared to this:

..it's safe to say that some artists have no scruples.

update: discussion opened on the subject at ConceptArt.org, HERE.
The 'artist' is a Graphics Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

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Lastly, an example of what IS and is NOT plagiarism, respectively (via Thomas Nast):

Critters, UNITE!

We are playing around with sketches and ideas for a local mural that will be born this summer, and it (of course) has spawned into new ideas, new characters, and a fun sketch. This is a collaboration between the studio (moonbot), ideas of Brandon Oldenburg, Bill Joyce, sketched by myself and painted by Adam Volker. This is not the actual mural image, but a part of the brainstorming process that may end up in it somewhere...

I can't wait to see where this goes...

Busy busy, fun fun

We've been burning the midnight oil, between work and outside projects, and it's very exciting. I'll be posting more soon, but for now here's a shot of the 1/5 finished mural we're doing at this great new bar about to open, called CITY BAR. Shreveport has some great gems, and we'll be sharing more here soon as we discover it (by 'we' I mean a great community I'm finding here where we are all excited about arts and exploring the great unique places here in town).

Next, check out my buddy's new blog -- Brian Haimes is a great fabricator, puppeteer, modeler, sculptor, animator, birdwatcher, handyman and amazing at nearly anything else he tries. His blog showcases mostly his personal projects and interests, and his work is jaw-dropping and cool.

Here's a cute pic of the talented Volkertron, taking a break late one night in between designing books and storyboarding, with my guitar and little baby amp:

SYNCOPATED

My good buddy Brendan is having a release party for his new edition to the SYNCOPATED anthology comic line. His and other artists' work and stories are included in this very cool collection, which he will have available this coming weekend for MoCCA. I'll be in NY for the festival (see two posts below), so I'll definitely be congratulating my buddy with a free beer... for me. Come join us!

TCAF & MoCCA

It's officially deep into convention season, and I've already gone to a few this year, including Orlando's MegaCon, New York Comic Con, and the Toronto Comic Art Festival, or "TCAF". This exhibition is my favorite of the year, and this year was no different.

comic artist "J.Bone" gets his 2nd caricature in as many years

t's bitter-sweet that I didn't have much free time to walk around and see what everyone had to offer or show, because there are so many talented artists there, but I was swamped with many loving friends and fans, so I was busy drawing and signing the entire show... but I did get to socialize during after-hours with some old and new friends. It was a blast, and I can't wait until next year.

Coming up in two weeks is the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) Festival. This one has a very similar 'independent' vibe, and it's a great time. It will be my first time hosting a table at the show, and I hope to see you stop by-- I'll be drawing caricatures and selling some new books, so if you're in New York City, check out the show on Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7.

Also featured at my Art Squared Publishing table is the author of FAMOUS CORPSES, Danielle Griffith. Danielle will be signing books that weekend, as well as selling original paintings. If you were lucky enough to get one in Toronto, you know how cool those little framed pieces are!

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New Artists, New Job, New fun...

I'm in Louisiana working at a new studio on a short CG film. Since the building is still being setup and pre-construction, it was suggested that I move over to another studio, where other artists are working on some big projects. Over here are two very cool, young, and sickly-talented artists, and it's really inspiring. I've added their links to the sidebar, over there ==>

Check out Adam Volker and Erin McGuire.

Spotlight: Arkady Roytman

Howdy, y'all. This is a drawing of my good friend Arkady Roytman. This is a quick sketch (no more than 5 minutes) done at a session of the New York Society of Illustrators bi-weekly "Jazz and Sketch Night". Twice per week, this great organization hosts a night of nude or semi-nude figure drawing, complete with a bar and live music. It's an incredibly fun time where you can practice honing your life-drawing skills (and I love to occasionally cheat and draw the other artists!)

Anyway, the live sketch night is usually moderated by Arkady. He's only hosting a part-time now, but he still attends at least once per week and is a big part of helping the Society run from week-to-week. Arkady is a great guy, and watching him paint is sweeter than the jazz in the air. His watercolors are both subtle and entergetic, capturing the pose with a loose and wonderful palette.

Arkady has two blogs: One is for personal work, including illustration, commissions, concept art, fantasy art, figure drawing and more. He is an amazingly rounded artist and inspires me with his life drawings like no one else.

His other blog is just that: nude figure drawings. It's called "Nude of the Day." Arkady paints plenty of nude figures, and he offers these paintings fresh, daily. You can dig through hundreds of amazing paintings. Trust me, I've seen him create them... they are more beautiful in person, and you should consider investing in a nice original.

Lastly, Arkady has compiled a "best-of" book for his first year of daily nude sketches, which you can pick up pretty cheap! Why not swing over to his blog and get Arkady's book. I have one here at my house and I look at it frequently. Check it out and let Arkady know what you think of his work --

I think it's great.

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CARICATURE on the brain

There's a great two-minute video and short analysis posted over at Tom Richmond's blog. I hope Tom doesn't mind three more people reading his drivel (hyuk hyuk!), so check it out. VERY cool take on caricature and the human face...

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PS: I still have a couple weeks 'til the warehouse receives the bulk shipment of my new book, so preorder while you still can.

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NY comic con

On February 6, 7, and 8th I'll be hosting at the Art Squared Publishing / Joe Bluhm booth at the New York Comic Con at the Jacob Javitz center in Manhatten, at 11th Ave. & 34th St. You can find me near Alberto Ruiz and other publisher/illustrators at booth# 2341, on the aisle.

Anyone who brings me a can of sugar free RedBull gets a free quick-sketch caricature, and anyone buying two or more books will get a quick sketch as well! I'm debuting my new book, SKETCH INFECTUS (preorder now, to get an even more amazing gift) as well as carrying others that you may recognize. I'll be doing caricatures, hanging out, showing art and books and having a general good ruckus-like time, so stop by. There are a lot of great artists in this area, like Alberto (and I hear Shane Glines!!!), so swing on by the aisle of fun!

See you there!

Art Squared on Trendhunter Magazine

I was recently mentioned on TrendHunter Magazine's website as part of a micro-trend! TrendHunter is the "largest collection of cutting-edge ideas" as well as an online community of those noting interesting, hip trends. Along with BrandStudio Press, I was mentioned under a new topic of Do-It-Yourself Art Publishing. This is something that I did not pioneer, but rather learned from greats like Michel Gagne and Stephen Silver (among others).

Check it out, if for no other reason that you will find other very interesting reads and links.
I think you'll dig it...

Life Drawing

Last week I attended another life drawing session at the Society of Illustrators here in New York city. It's a great event, held twice weekly, featuring two models, a bar, snacks, live music, and great socialization (not to mention the practice).

Anyway, the models were very cool this time- very different builds and looks, different pose styles, and they were wearing great vaudevillian clown costumes. It was a neat opportunity to draw clothing, folds, and interesting shapes. It also inspired a new style of poses for them, which made it interesting for the artists. There were also some great new faces to draw at the event.

If you're in or near New York, you should drop by on a Tuesday or a Thursday. The Society is on East 63rd St. near Lexington Avenue, and I'd love to see you there.

You can also take a peek at my friend Arkady's "Nude of the Day" blog. He moderates the life drawing session and his impressionistic renderings are incredibly inspiring to see in-person!

I'll share some more of these sketches next week. Oh, and I've got some great news coming up on Friday morning, so check back!

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Sketch Infectus

Over the last seven years or so, I've been stashing scrap paper with doodles, keeping my sketchbooks hidden under the bed, and scanning artwork and forgetting about it. I decided that 2009 was the year that I dusted it all off and shared it with others. A good friend of mine recently said "...in a sketch you see the hand of the master..." --not that I consider myself a master-- but it is quite true that sketches inspire. The loose, confident secure mindset of trying to teach yourself something, all alone, in a book that you never intended to show off, is powerful and wonderful.

I realized for years that nearly every book I purchased and every inspiration I had, came from the sketches and sketchbooks of other artists. One of my good friends, Stephen Silver, has been a big inspiration and motivator for me over the last few years. How? His sketches. His doodles. His scratchy sketchbooks.

Well, after talking to many peers and inspiring artists, I've captured dozens of quotes and tips and supplied them along side a dense collection of drawings and doodles. This will most likely be the most art-heavy little book you've ever seen, and I think it looks pretty snazzy. You will be able to get it over at Art Squared Books.com, pre-orders coming up next week (with a special incentive for those who order early!).

Here are some previews. I'm really excited about this book, and I hope it continues to inspire someone out there, as much as other artists have (and continue to) inspire me:

* More to come soon...
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Happy New Year!

Howdy, y'all. I hope anyone reading this had a great time over the recent holidays. It's a great opportunity to pig out for nearly a month, gain some weight, slack a bit with your productivity, and have fun with family and friends. I did a bunch of ALL of that, and I'm back to the grind, drawing as much as I can. It feels good.

I'm working on a new podcast that I've been thinking about for nearly 6 months. This one is completely new and exciting; I'm illustrating the vibe of a band that I've discovered (they're getting a bit more popular by now, you may know their work), with a focus on illustrating more accurately the characters created in a the lyrics to my favorite of their songs. It's a point I'm making on illustration, how cartoons can follow the "feel" of a group, a song, a story, an article, or anything else. Illustration is more than just putting a pretty picture to the cover of a magazine so people will buy it. I see it as an equal partnership of text and visual. Sound and sight. Editorial and humor. A good illustration suppliments a story or song, and does not retell it. There is a lot of redundant illustration, meaning the story says what the picture says, and not in a clever way.

This is just one facet of illustration, one theory. I know that good illustration also grabs your eye and will "sell" the reader of say, for example, a magazine. It needs to say enough so you get an idea and a smile or a feeling that makes you compelled to read more... but anyway, I'm just typing too much now.

For today, I'm throwing at you some sketches that I did last night (podcast spoiler?). I'm into drawing cars, much like Ken Knafou - and caricaturing them a bit. I like to extremely exaggerate, but I have found that it is easy to lose the ability to quickly get structure down on the page, in a convincing way. These drawings were for practice, just to keep my hand moving and to keep my brain limber in this respect. I'd hate to get rusty, and sketching is so important to help curb that rut.

Most of these are drawn from a classic car book that I own (Barnes & Noble Bargain Books section is GOLD), just trying to get a little exaggeration and a lot of essence down, while focusing on structure. I'm using what I call a blue "animator's" pencil (Staedtler Non-Photo Blue) and inking/shading with a .01 cm Prismacolor Fine-Liner pen and 10% cool gray Prismacolor Marker. I find these tools to be great for quick sketching. You can learn to commit to your lines quickly, knowing you can't erase the marker, yet you can lightly sketch with the gray marker or blue pencil before inking. Using the gray marker also gives you a chance to shade, layer and put washes down, experimenting again without the pressure of having to produce "finished" art. This is, again, why sketching is so vital. You build your skills without having the deadlines and stress of quality.

My buddy Jeremy said it best; "A sketchbook is a place where you are allowed to suck although you strive not to." This is so vital to an artist, and I really encourage everyone to sketch, doodle and practice. These sketches can definitely be improved, and I am seeing what I need to work on as I do more... That's why I'll be publishing my sketchbook collection this February, with quotes from amazing artists all throughout the book.

Anyway, I hope you dig these (each car sketch is 4-6" wide). I'll have more posts and another digital art podcast coming in the next few days.

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Life Drawing Weakness

I was visiting the Society of Illustrators this past week with my friend Arkady, for the bi-weekly "sketch & jazz" night, for figure drawing. Even though one of the models was great, I was distracted by what I am always drawn to: FACES. I am inspired by the quick doodles of Canadian artist Seo Kim. Frequently she posts sketches on her blog from life drawing sessions, where she strays a bit and sketches the other artists. This can look a bit creepy to a bunch of strangers (I got a few weird looks), but it was really fun to test out a quick and cartoony observational sketch. I was clearly influenced by her work, and it was really a fun exercise.

Next time I'll have to draw the models some more. I had plenty of nude sketches of those girls, but they are a bit weaker than these cartoon faces. That's another reason I must go every week... to improve where I feel like I'm lacking in my craft. That's what it's all about! Maybe I'll see you there?

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NCN Convention ART

For those of you who may not know, the NCN is an organization (or "network") of artists who love, practice, and promote the art of caricature. Each year there is a convention and competition over the course of a week, where nearly 200 artists gather to attend workshops, seminars, classes, meet old and new friends, draw, paint, sculpt, and compete for awards or sheer pleasure. It is like nothing else you will ever experience, and I highly recommend anyone even mildly into portraits and/or caricatures, illustration, figurative work, character design, etc... to haul over to caricature.org and sign up. The 17th convention began a few weeks ago in Raleigh, NC. Over 200 people attended, and it was a blast.

This year I finally had a chance to relax a little bit, but still had a lot to do. All professionals that register for the convention are given a wall space, a sort of gallery, to exhibit the work they do over this week. When I finally got the chance to do some drawings, here is what I came up with:

I have to give great credit to Buffalo/San Diego artist Brian Oakes for doing some stellar work, as did many artists. Brian was among my biggest inspirations this year, and his work was hilarious, fun, editorial and original. He inspired the final drawing I did, which happened to be of him (at the very top, "sad eyes").

Jeremy Townsend is another incredible artist whose work is always commenting on the individual (sometimes TOO much... but that's what's great about it). He sees everything and is not afraid to throw it back into your face. Jeremy is a big fella, and has a loud mouth and personality. He's one of my best friends, and I've seen many drawings of him that are so great, it's not easy to figure out how to do something new. I've drawn him once or twice before, but completed only one finished caricature of his face. When I saw him standing from across the room, he made this face... it's the only time he's vulnerable and not "on". He grabs his big beard and tugs it down with his teeeeeeensy little mouth agape, his eyes darting around. He's either contemplating an art supply to go snatch from someone, or getting an idea for a new drawing/thinking of who to take a photo of next. This happens so rarely, but it's a big part of his expression and body language. I tried to figure out how to express to the viewer that he is vulnerable in this one moment... stumped... and thought the ambiguity of the baby was fitting.

Blah blah blah... I know, I'm going on and on about Jeremy and why I did this. Well, to be honest it's the only piece I was VERY excited about, and it's something different from my usual arsenal of styles or techniques. I am a true believer that we are NEVER a master, and always a student (in many ways). As soon as I fall back on old party tricks, I fail as an artist and fail myself. This was a fun painting and I enjoyed the simplicity of the messy, light acrylic paint. When it comes to my own work at this convention, I feel I learned more from creating this piece than I did from all the other ones I did, combined. This is important to me, and I feel it should be to all artists. You should never stop growing, learning and being passionate about all aspects of your work... this keeps you vibrant, excited and fresh.

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dropping a DEUCE

WARNING: The following post and link contain material that may be offensive to those without a twisted sense of humor. My lingo pales in comparison to the content HERE, so please proceed with caution.

So almost a year ago some twisted freaks decided to make the best of what would normally be a sad and trying situation. My buddy Len decided to take up a new hobby of "not walkin" and then cried about it. After crying like a little baby girl, he thought maybe he'd have a pity party thrown in his honor. But to his surprise, everyone got drunk, sang awesome songs, watched animation, made artwork, and partied for a whole weekend in a haunted hotel during a cold winter. Holy crap.

So now Len is still a giant baby-girl and wants to sob some more. By sobbing I mean hemmoraging blood, and by hemmoraging blood I mean party like a freak. This was the best time I had last year and I just decided it's not worth missing, so I'm all paid & registered and ready for CRIPPLE CON 2. (not an 'average' art convention)

Best part is, it's really cheap, you get to stay in a haunted hotel in Kansas City, look at awesome art, and party with awesome artists while you create your own twisted images (see below image: my most "accurate" drawing last year). I sincerely have nothing to do with organizing this, and have nothing to benefit, financially... I just have some awesome friends that I have not seen in about a year, and this party is a hell of a time. I really mean it.

So check it out and if you have a stomach and a solid pair, I'll see you in KC in mid-January. One thing worth noting is that they have great gift bags when you show up, but you can't really get one unless you register before December 1st. They have a lot to prep and it would be great to sign up soon. It's easy and if you don't want to risk your check the mail, you can literally pay the measly $45 in seconds, here.

It's really a great time, I promise you that.

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Famous Corpses

From the talented Jan Op De Beeck comes a true 'celebrity epitaph roast'. This book is like nothing else you've seen and will have you instantly smiling and laughing. Cartoon illustrations by Emi Sato and written by Danielle Griffith, this book is the ultimate "What did they just say?!" read, skewering recently deceased famous people from around the world.

(animation by Brian Haimes, production by Joe Bluhm)

This book will be available in mid-November from the folks over at Art Squared Publishing, with a pre-sale special only at the National Caricaturist Network convention (NCN) in Raleigh, NC from November 3rd through the 7th. Anyone is welcome to attend the NCN convention, but if you can't make it, simply log your email at Art2Books.com to receive notice when the site is live and when the books are on sale.

Art Squared Publishing will also be carrying Blubber Lubber by Dan Hay and REJECTS (by yours truly), among other titles. These will also be available at the NCN convention, so drop by!

Caricature Convention

I mentioned something in the previous post that I feel I need to thoroughly cover: if you haven't heard about this, or aren't sure what it's all about, I invite you to check out the National Caricaturist Network (NCN), as well as the annual convention. This year it's held in Raleigh, NC at the Brownstone Inn from November 2nd (opening reception in the evening) through November 7th (awards banquet held in evening). This will be my 6th consecutive convention, and I can't believe that it's been so long. I can't imagine missing one, and if you go you'll see why.

A quick rundown of what happens, what it's about, and what you will get out of it: First, it is a convention full of rookies, veterans, novices, experts, live entertainers, studio illustrators, fine artists, caricaturists, portrait artists, cartoonists, sculptors, and wacky people from all spectrums of the art world, as well as all corners of the planet Earth.

The 5 days are kicked off with an icebreaker reception, at which old and new attendees can mingle and get comfortable over some drinks and snacks. In the morning, you'll experience a seminar. In the afternoon another. These seminars run all week. Some are workshops and some are speeches. Some are presentations to watch and ask questions, and some are hands-on small classes where someone like Jan Op De Beeck or Court Jones (specifically, this year) will offer one-on-one help and instruction in their field of expertise. These seminars run all week, at least two per day, and are optional for each attendee.

On top of this, there are good-spirited competitions. The culmination of the week is the awards banquet, where dozens of awards are presented at the final banquet. Throughout the week there is optional fun competitions. Some are as simple as a direct likeness competition or speed draw-off, and others are as open as you'd like, where each artist has the chance to hang their masterpieces and sketches on their designated wall space, to create a larger-than-life gallery filling the giant ballroom with unique caricatures, portraits, sketches, sculptures and stuff you just can't describe. It's amazing to see the room fill up throughout the week.

On top of portfolio, studio piece, and entertainment competitions, there are awards based on the work you do that week. The element of live and studio work collide, when each artist diligently or casually (up to you!) take up your pens/brushes/etc to create likenesses of those in the room. There is plenty of time for fun and creating all week long, and the inspiration is like nothing else you will find.

For what you get, this is one of the cheapest retreats you can find, and you will not be lonely in your passion for caricature, portraits, sketching, sculpting, painting or any sort of art that you desire. You will also make life-long friends and be able to find some amazing books and souvenirs to take home. The convenience of an art store on-site and some great legal advice, as well as benefits in the industry make this trip even that much more valuable. Pick the brains of those that you admire, as they are there as your equal, creating, teaching and having fun as well.

Those attending this year and giving presentations include: Jan Op De Beeck, Tom Richmond, Jason Seiler, Court Jones, Stephen Silver, and myself. The honorary Keynote speaker in attendance this year is Ismael Roldan, and he will generously share his career with a slideshow presentation and interactive talk, as well as mingling and being a part of the events and community. This is an amazing opportunity to learn, practice, have fun and be inspired, and I sincerely recommend anyone interested at all to try it out! You have so much to gain and nothing to lose.

Feel free to contact me for any help getting registered or any questions you may have at all. The NCN offers a glossy magazine style quarterly newsletter (amazing quality and articles, I might add!), and an online forum, as well as web-based directory listings for all members. The community is great and networking has paid for my membership and convention dues 10x over, and it will be the same for you, if you have the passion.

I'll be mentioning this more in the coming weeks, but the deadline to save money with reservations and the discounted convention fee is coming up soon. Check it out, and I hope to see you there!

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Comic Con

I'm back from Comic Con International (San Diego) and it was crazy. The show gets busier every year, and this was no exception. A sold out crowd was present, sweaty, and crazy-excited. I sold lots of books and did plenty of commissions. Even though it's a lot of work and quite tiring, I get to see so many good friends and meet so many great artists, fans and colleagues. I can't wait for next year.

I was quite inspired by a lot of the comic-book-art-nerdry, as well as all the great artwork at the show, so I recorded a new digital painting. This next one is more of a sketch and fun process, but I've been listening to the feedback and requests and will try to deliver. So quite soon I'll finish editing and post the new Digital Painting Podcast.

Check back soon!
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New Book for Comic Con!

If you or a friend are attending the SOLD OUT Comic-Con in San Diego this week or weekend, you will love the new stuff I've got at my booth, table B-2.

Here is the first look at Blubber Lubber, a new book featuring the observant and unique people-sketching of Dan Hay. Dan is an artist in Florida whose drawings of interesting strangers are dynamic and hilarious. This book is just over 6" tall, thick and sturdy, and will be priced at a special rate for Comic-Con visitors. It will be available, with other books, this fall at ArtSquaredBooks.com.

I'll be doing commissions and will have other books and new artwork at the show, so stop by!
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