Art Swap part 2

I had the pleasure of swapping art with "design mastermind" Kevin Keele.

Kevin is another amazing artist I have the pleasure of working with. Not only can this guy paint draw like a level 40 Centaur-wizard, but is one of the most humble people I know. Thanks again Kevin.

Kevin drew me a pissed off cattle rancher(top) , in exchange for a spaceman with out a tan (bottom).

1st figure drawing in 6 months. I think I really miss it. I am back on the wagon.

Draw night swap

From now on, draw nights are going to be Draw night sketch swap. Virginia Critchfield is one of the most amazing artists I know. She has the most disciplined sketch books I have ever seen. So last night she brought illustration boards for those who wanted to sketch, paint, ink, what ever on and when you were finished you would swap with someone else.

So Last night Virginia and I started it off with the first Draw night swap. I painted her a topless alien witch thing, and she drew me a bad ass sketch of skull rock and the jolly-roger. (I don't know if that is what it really was but I teased her about it)

Thanks "V"

Walk through

The Butcher

Quick lunch thing.

Window studies

Painted from looking out my office window.

Stanley Kubrick

"Any time you take a chance you better be sure the rewards are worth the risk because they can put you away just as fast for a ten dollar heist as they can for a million dollar job."

-Kubrick

figure drawing 3/05/08

Here are some more life drawing studies.

David Lynch

“Absurdity is what I like most in life, and there's humor in struggling in ignorance. If you saw a man repeatedly running into a wall until he was a bloody pulp, after a while it would make you laugh because it becomes absurd.”
David Lynch

Woody Allen

It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens.
Woody Allen
Death

Brawler

Christmas music

This December had to be the hardest one for me ever. Thanks to a few good friends and there instruments, I was able to weather the storm. ( left to right: Me on mandolin, Jess Smiley on guitar, Andy Bean on banjo, and Jordan hicks on keys)

Klaus Nomi

If any one out there doesn't know Klaus Nomi, shame on you. He was sent from the future to show us all how it is done. He should have been a Mortal Combat character but instead saved the human race from the apocalypse.

Hazels "Wow" video

My daughters reflections entry this year. She wanted to do a how to cooking video. She shows you how to make "shrunkin pumkins".

Through the fire and the flames.

Dragonforce is coming to Salt Lake this Thursday and guess who has tickets? So I did this sketch in anticipation for the show.

Milos "Wow" Drawing

This is my little boy Milo's 1st grade reflections entry for school. The theme this year was "WOW".

Beast-man

I did this for the last Avalanche challenge. The topic was He-man character redesign. I always thought Beast-Man was a little weak. He needed to look more like a beast than a man.

1 of 48 still lifes

I just recently had to drop a painting class. In order to get an A I had to do 48 2 hour still life paintings in a semester. So here is one that I had finished.

Snow monster

Avalanche blog challenge.

Thats why they call me thumper

This is an old morning paint exercise that turned into a mess. It was the only thing I could find that I had been worked on in the last month, so I am posting it out of obedience to my blog.

Ballad Of A Lonely Man

It seems these days you can't hang unless you have a tattoo. As much as I love most tattoo art, I can't bring myself to get one. A friend of mine relates the new tattoo trend to the *Star belly sneetches*. Soon it will be the trend not to have one.

Z brush, you are my only friend.

Here is a Z-Brush "W.I.P" I did over the weekend. It is based off a head render Adam Ford did some time back. I feel like I am finally starting to get the look I want from Z-Brush. I am trying to avoid the lumpy bumpy monster-alien look, wich is a lot harder than it looks.

Longest day of the year study

Today is technically the longest day of the year. I was told it has something to do with the summer solstice or something like that. So to celebrate I participated in the daily lunch study today at work. We get an hour to paint a in either Photoshop or Painter a copy of a photo or another painting. Todays paint study was Khilkov by Repin.

Mothers Day

I did this painting for my mom for mothers day. I will post another version as soon as I can get a better photo. The photo reference was taken when she was 24 in Virginia City Nevada while panning for gold. I guess this was the type of place my parents would go on dates when they were first married. I haven't done a portrait like this in a long time and it felt good to make mistakes and mix paint again. I made myself mix these color charts for practice.
The first chart is the UGLY pallet (Titanium white, Yellow Ochre, Terra Rosa, Ivory Black).
The next chart is the Primary pallet, or Impressionist pallet (Cadmium Yellow Light, Alizarin Crimson, Thalo Blue).
The last Chart was the Primary Pallet with Iron Oxide Red in place of Alizarin Crimson.
It looks like boring stuff but I really like making these charts and experimenting with color pallets.

Friday acrylic study

Older Drawings

I found these old drawings I did and thought what the heck.
1.Syd Vicious
2.Robert Crumb

Zappa-stache

Some one asked me once why my blog was titled "PowerMustache", when there wasn't any Power or Mustache to it at all. Truth is "Power mustache" is the name of a Vandals song, and I thought it sounded tough. But in order to set things right with the title I am going to post a little more power and a lot more mustache. So for my first in the mustache series is none other than the King of the mustache jungle, Frank "Disco boy" Zappa.

Disco boy! run to toilet and comb your hair.
Disco boy! pucker your lip, and check your shoulders,
cause some dandruff might be hiding there.

Friday morning drawing

This here is a woman dressed in an Arabic style of dancing garb (Belly dancer). It was an interesting study due to the many types of materials in her out fit. Her shirt was black velvet, and to any one who has tried to render velvet, it is like a dog and pony show.

Bust a Grumpy

This is another addition to my Friday paint sketching. I am going to see how long I can keep this up for. Hopefully it turns into something I do more than on the weekend. This was an acrylic on canvas. (2.5hr)

Deep Breaths (oil study)

I missed the Revelations worksop in Seatle. So in retaliation, or just an excuse to ditch everyone, I sat dow and painted for the first time in months. Rusty!! And of course I get a bad photo to go with it.

3hr

Fiddle Stix

Weekend sketch bingo

Some modern day pirates from around my parents house and a few blistered republican pony owners.

Da Boom King

Recently I have come across a show that has to be one of the funniest I have seen sense Ali-G. It's called Flight of the Conchords. Its about a 2 man band from New Zealand and their band manager. Now that already sounds funny, aye!

This is a portrait of the Boom King (Bret).

Milo's Pancake

This is my five year old's entry for the state reflections contest. The theme this year was "I can make a difference by". Milo wanted to make a difference by making raspberry pancakes. Enjoy.

Summer sketch'n

I did these every Saturday with a buddy of mine this summer. I never thought of posting them until now. Maybe now that it is 4 degrees I am wishing for warmer days.

Pony!!

This is a character I am working on with the help of Sam Nielson’s character design work shop here at work. He has developed a technique for creating and refining appeal when designing characters. By running your design through a series of “filters” you can make better design decisions for appeal. The workshop lasts for 5 weeks and we begin with a character that has to appeal to an audience ages 7-11. It also has to be a muskrat, squirrel or badger.

So here is my results from my original drawing, to week 4.

Another Thursday Figure Study

This is a color study from life I did a few weeks ago in oil. I miss the traditional stuff alot. (1.5 hr)

Leatherface

He never hesitated to throw a hippie on a meat hook.

Dengar the hunter

This was for a series of color workshops I did over the summer with Dave McClellan. I am so impressed with the amount of care the management staff at Avalanche have for the improvement of their artists. This painting had to do with analogous color. Monochrome with a hint of another color. I wanted to post this for the Avalanche Star wars challenge, but felt I wanted to work on it more. So instead I am posting it here months later.

Buffalo Undies

This was another post for the Avalanche challenge. It's not what I had in mind at first but due to sake of time and lack of posts I threw it up there anyway.

Drawing #2

This is a figure study that made it into the Society of Illustrators student scholarship competition. I just got it back from the show and wanted to post it. It isn't my favorite.

3rd grade picture

I figure when Sloth wasn't chained to the walls of his basment, he enjoyed as normal of a life as any other child droped on his head did. Goonies never say die.

Hit man

This is a piece I did a week ago for the Avalanche art chalenge. The topic was hit man. It was realy fun seeing what was done by the other artist. I hope I can start posting regularly again.

Coffee house blue

I total feel like I have been so busy, with nothing to show for it. I went to a book store coffee place. You know these places. They look like a good place to draw, but when you get there every one knows you are drawing them and you become the creepy
guy in the corner checking every one out. Than looking down all fast when they catch you.

Red hearts, green clovers...and purple horse shoes.

So I start working up in Salt Lake with magic art leprechauns that get all their work done, and than go home and blog. How do they do it? These guys up at Avalanche are having trampoline sleep overs with out me, I know it. So as much as I wish I could post the hours of work I have been doing, chances are a swat teem of Mickey mouse cadets would take my children from me in the night, and key my dodge stratus. So I will post an oldie. A 3D oldie.

Field Study Field Trip day 3

We found the Half Life 2 reference. On day 3 we traveled to Spring City where we hung out at Brandon's grandpas property. If I only had a gravity gun, and a few zombies. This place had the coolest textures ever. Very surreal.

Field Study Field Trip

Day one of summer semester field painting 101. Park and ride to Cache Valley.

(from left to right: Meg Dinnell, Perry Stewart, Rob James, Brandon Gonzales)


Rob is holding his to the left of mine.

We were lucky enough to stay the night in the home of one of Perry's former USU students, Mike Malm. It was awesome to have him accompany us on our first day out.


I have traveled to Cache Valley many of times before, but never appreciated how beautiful it was until now. Gods country.

Darth Nader

Never piss a hippie off, because they will just send the green lord of the sith. If you thought listening to Cheney was going to be rough, I went to UVSC to see what the big deal was with this whole "alternative commencement" for BYU graduation. I was surrounded by a swarm of pissed off hippies, and had to listen to Ralph Nader try and sell his book for 2 hours. If it were me graduating that day, I would have stomached the VP for 15 minutes than have to take that 2 hour kidney pounding.

Spring fashion

Big hats and flowers. What else do you need really?

1st texture pass

This is the first texture pass and surface extraction. I need to re do the uv layout I think. So all this might be a waste of time untill I decide.

Don't get a big head

Move over Z-brush, here comes a mud-box pie.

I recently have come across Mudbox and have found it to be one of the mos powerful tools in detailing and texturing high-res models. It won't take the place of Z-brush for now but I will be using it along side it to strengthen my work flow.

This big head is to remind me never to get one.

Where will you put it?

In the wake of all the hype that Dick Cheney is coming to BYU and speaking at graduation, I did a non related drawing of a boy and his pet.

I liked the drawing but the color needs a lot of work. I will probably never fix it either. Shame.

1st Zbrush detail pass

I haven't had a lot of time to do much for this guy because of finals at school, but today I spent a few hours detailing the surface and forming some texture to this lifeless head. I will hopefully get to the surface sampling soon.

Low poly 3D head

I have been doing some 3D again. It has been a while and I am feeling way rusty. I like doing 2D stuff more but needed to try a go at this again.

This is the base low poly head without textures, lights and no fancy render. I will try and do that stuff later.

Last weeks baby steps

Here is my first acrylic painting attempt. I love it. I have put off using it for so long due to all the horror stories, but found it was a lot more forgiving than I had anticipated. It felt more like digital painting for some reason. I am not sure I want to be replacing it for oils any time, but I am going to do more of it this next week.

And another draped figure study from Monday.

Thursday night figure drawing

My blog is sort of turning into an all out figure drawing grave yard. I haven't had a whole lot of time to do much of any thing else, and I'm enjoying learning more every day. I don't care to post only stuff that will get me a ribbon, so I am making my blog a sort of daily progress journal.

wednesday figure drawing

This is another 2hr. draped figure study. I know more time wouldn't make any difrence, and to be honest I am getting lazy.

Another figure post

I fave been doing an extensive amount of figure drawing these past couple of months and am finally figuring a few things out. Not of course with out the help of a one Dave Malan. His help has been fantastic. Thanks Dave.

I never wash my hat

I don't know what this is. Today in my Prehistoric life class I drew this and sense I haven't posted anything for almost a week I threw on a quick value, and screwed up his ear.

Figure drawing 3/15/07

This is another Thursday night figure study. Perry Stewart was there today, and was kinda frightening. His drawing puts mine to shame. So I took my drawing, sat it under florescent lights, took my 1.3 mega-pixel camera out and took a glamor shot of it. Freak, can I ever get a descent photo ever? So until I can get good photos taken this is the last figure drawing I'll post.

My avatar is born

After all good suggestions, I finally have a colored avatar. No mater what I do, or how short my hair is, I always have bed head.

Avatar Ideas

These are the final two contestants in my "Avatar Battle Royal". Two man enter, one man leave. I need help to decide, so I posted evil vs good (I am too much of a wuss to be evil and I am too much of a pansy to be good). Let the games begin.

Last weeks random sketches

These are just a combination of a few sketch book pages from last week. I want to post more finished stuff, but I get bored so fast with a painting that I constantly start new ones from random sketchbook drawings. That is the beauty of sketch books. You don't have to have anything finished. Just move on to the next.

Friday Painting

Another digital life painting. I think I am starting to like the results of my digital paintings to much Ithink it is hurting my real oil painting results. Oh well.

March figure drawings

I am trying to take advantage of being stuck at school all day by figure drawing every chance I can. I love to draw from life. It has started to become very therapeutic for me. I am afraid to post these, but at least i'm posting.

Quick find

Nothing to get exited about.

Silhouette drawings

I know the whole drawing from silhouette to fully developed charecters is kind of a hollywood gimmic right now, but it realy helps in trying to find a realy unique look to your charecter that you would never have got without. I realy like the final result on every one I have done so far.

church sketch

layout color test

last year I had taken a drawing for animation class with Shawn Sullivan. He was an animator for Disney for the last 12 years who moved back to Utah after Disney cut their 2D department. He tought our class alot about animation that I would have never known other wise. The one thing that I was so amazed with about his work were his layouts. What an amazing layout artist. He showed how important it is to get a quick color read in early layout design. So here are a few that I have worked on this weekend for my animation short.

Enviornment comps

These are a few enviornment composition studies I did useing photoshop. I like the ruffer look that a hard brush in photoshop gives. I also tried for the first time to bring in outside textures to give it a diferent look than If I were to try to paint it in from scratch.

Morning Dump

A Few loose leaf sketches.

Friday life painting

For the month of January I was able to help the guys out over at Wahoo studios. They are a bunch of realy nice guys and are doing some way fun stuff over there. They hooked me up with a Macbook Pro after I left, and now I take it and my trusty Wacom tablet every where. So last Friday I used it to do my first tablet life painting in Painter 9.

Mr. Bennet

I went to BYU for a guest artist workshop. I forget the womens name, but I came home all angry at my self. She had amazing painting control. So today I popped in Pride and Prejudice, paused it on the great Donald Sutherland, and painted. I have never done this before, but I love movie lighting and think it would be a great way to do studies. So here is my Donald study in oil on canvas. Also I can never get a good digital photo, so sorry.(5hr)

Whats a blog

I cant belive what a slacker I am. I am going to try to post new stuff weekly. I figure to break from my long lasting old blog entries, I have to type a bunch of stuff to seperate old from new. So now am writing about how after the long break I have a much better grasp on where I want to go as a student artist and say how much I need to learn from my blogging brothers.
So no more being nice. I am after hard hiting crits. Kisses.

Thses are some asignments from this summer. I figure I will show all the unfinished stuff, and hopefully I can finish new stuff.






this was a painting I did last semester. It hasnt any meaning but I still cant eat raw fish.

This summer I bougt the New Super Mario brothers for my nintendo DS and my kids have been playing it every day. It has been so fun playing it with them. So to finish off the summer I decided to draw Milo (my son) this pictur of little mario holding the new Super Mushroom, spoof.

Monkey design I did for UVSC senior project

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Sketch book

Sketch boook page

This was a composition study.

My Hulk redesign....Too angry?