Prints Printed & Lessons Learned

What I love most about exploring a new art making medium is how quickly you learn and evolve your art making process. I’ve printed 3 new prints since my OK! post and I’ve learned something new and adjusted the way I work each time. Each new print I make is my new favorite one I’ve ever printed!

The Print: Bundle Up
The Lesson: I had some issues with ink drying in the screen last time. It created a bit of unwanted texture in the print so this time around I intentionally added a whole mess of texture. I also printed a smaller run than last time which forced me to really work on getting the alignment right. Only two of the prints turned out bad, much better than the 15+ that were crap last time.

The Print: The Hybearnation Experience
The Lesson: The colors in Bundle Up turned out fine, but they really weren’t what I envisioned when I designed the print. This time around I really focused on mixing inks to get exactly what I wanted. I’m really happy with how the colors turned out, but the overprinting didn’t have as much contrast as I would have liked. It takes a lot more extender than I thought it would.

The Print: Greased Up
The Lesson: This time around, I didn’t want to worry about color mixing or overprinting and instead I focused on just getting a nice clean print. I had some issues again last time with ink drying in the screen. The red went down perfectly, couldn’t be happier with it. The black was quite a different story. I think the black ink was way too think and thus was getting stuck in the screen. After thinning the ink quite a bit, it was better, but still not perfect. I wish I could say all of the texture in this piece is intentional. I know what to work on next time!

I’ve added all of these prints to my shop!

screen print work new Illustration

December 06, 2011
| 8 notes

Huge Shop Update

I’m finally making good on my first New Years’ Goal “Increase PRODUCTivity”. This week I added five new products to my shop! Check ‘em out won’t you? Every poster/print/button you buy will help me get to ICON 7 next year!

First up, a five color 18”x24” screen print—Forest Mist

Next a four color 18”x24” screen print—Rabbit Party!

And a 3 color, including glow in the dark!, 18”x24” screen print—Dearly Departed

Moving away from screen prints, a set of five 5”x7” giclee prints—5 by 5

Moving away from prints altogether—Buttons!

work news shop illustration screen print

October 25, 2011
| 16 notes
Overrun — My contribution to AIGA Colorado’s 4th Bordo Bello event. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go (and I didn’t even get to see the board beforehand). Fortunately, Jessica Grenier took a really great photo of my design so I can at least pretend I was there. You can check out all of the decks from the show (over 200!) on AIGA Colorado’s flickr page.

Overrun — My contribution to AIGA Colorado’s 4th Bordo Bello event. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go (and I didn’t even get to see the board beforehand). Fortunately, Jessica Grenier took a really great photo of my design so I can at least pretend I was there. You can check out all of the decks from the show (over 200!) on AIGA Colorado’s flickr page.

work art show illustration skateboard

October 06, 2011
| 10 notes
Bunnies, flowers, fireflies that leave smoke trails—ain’t nature grand! Why yes, it is. That’s why I’m creating a new series of work called Wonder Abounds. What you see above is the first of nine pieces. Just a taste, you know? Actually, it’s still a work in progress, so if you have any comments, hit me up on twitter @ocularinvasion. I plan on getting this screen printed with the gray being silver in the actual print.

Bunnies, flowers, fireflies that leave smoke trails—ain’t nature grand! Why yes, it is. That’s why I’m creating a new series of work called Wonder Abounds. What you see above is the first of nine pieces. Just a taste, you know?

Actually, it’s still a work in progress, so if you have any comments, hit me up on twitter @ocularinvasion. I plan on getting this screen printed with the gray being silver in the actual print.

work illustration pattern WIP

September 29, 2011
| 5 notes
I was invited to contribute to the latest issue of Revista Göoo. Allow me to present my illustration based on theme Illogical—I call it “Is It Safe?” Don’t let all them crooks steal your mind jewel! Yes, you read that correctly. I said mind jewel.

I was invited to contribute to the latest issue of Revista Göoo. Allow me to present my illustration based on theme Illogical—I call it “Is It Safe?” Don’t let all them crooks steal your mind jewel! Yes, you read that correctly. I said mind jewel.

work illustration

September 23, 2011
| 101 notes
It’s that time of year again—the time where I get extremely lazy because all of the year’s best video games come out. In a preemptive assault against my own impending torpescence (yes, I used a thesaurus), I started a new project!  Basically, I do one drawing everyday and post it up on http://anexquisitebeast.com/. The only rule is that each new drawing must continue from the last one, in effect, creating one massive sprawling drawing. I hope your scrolling finger is limber because it’s in for a workout!

It’s that time of year again—the time where I get extremely lazy because all of the year’s best video games come out. In a preemptive assault against my own impending torpescence (yes, I used a thesaurus), I started a new project!  Basically, I do one drawing everyday and post it up on http://anexquisitebeast.com/. The only rule is that each new drawing must continue from the last one, in effect, creating one massive sprawling drawing. I hope your scrolling finger is limber because it’s in for a workout!

news project work illustration daily

September 19, 2011
| 9 notes
If you’re in Las Vegas at Interbike, you can check out this poster in real life, the rest of you will have to settle for this jpeg. “But wait”, you say. “There must be some other way?”, you continue. Ravenously enthusiastic I reply with a resoundingly powerful, “YES!” All you bike enthusiasts and road rash victims can purchase posters in my online shop once Interbike has wrapped on Friday!

If you’re in Las Vegas at Interbike, you can check out this poster in real life, the rest of you will have to settle for this jpeg. “But wait”, you say. “There must be some other way?”, you continue. Ravenously enthusiastic I reply with a resoundingly powerful, “YES!”

All you bike enthusiasts and road rash victims can purchase posters in my online shop once Interbike has wrapped on Friday!

illustration work poster ARTCRANK news

September 15, 2011
| 74 notes

Uplift Art Show

Uplift’s first art show was apparently quite the success last Saturday—they raised $1500 for charity! The theme of the show was hope and prosperity. Above are my two contributions.

art show work

September 07, 2011
The Rider — my submission to Beast Every Week My blog is woefully not up to date. So so many things happening lately, it’s kinda hard for me to keep my head on straight.

The Rider — my submission to Beast Every Week

My blog is woefully not up to date. So so many things happening lately, it’s kinda hard for me to keep my head on straight.

work illustration contribution

August 31, 2011
| 40 notes
For those of you who couldn’t make it to the show, here’s my piece from What If… Judging by the other pieces I’ve seen popping up around the internet, it would have been a really amazing show to go to. Check out pieces by Micah Lidberg, Will Bryant, David Hyuck, Julia Heglund, Little Friends of Printmaking (the cosmic cat piece), and that’s only a few of the 50 participating artists!

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the show, here’s my piece from What If…

Judging by the other pieces I’ve seen popping up around the internet, it would have been a really amazing show to go to. Check out pieces by Micah Lidberg, Will Bryant, David Hyuck, Julia Heglund, Little Friends of Printmaking (the cosmic cat piece), and that’s only a few of the 50 participating artists!

work news

August 22, 2011
| 5 notes
My illostribute to Ernesto Garcia Cabral. Here’s the original. For those not familiar with illostribute.com, it’s a website started by Toby Thane Neighbors, who is an incredible illustrator in his own right, in order to pay homage to illustrators of the past through interpretations of their work.

My illostribute to Ernesto Garcia Cabral. Here’s the original.

For those not familiar with illostribute.com, it’s a website started by Toby Thane Neighbors, who is an incredible illustrator in his own right, in order to pay homage to illustrators of the past through interpretations of their work.

work illustration illostribute Ernesto Garcia Cabral

August 08, 2011
| 1 note
Under Control Now you can compare it to the sketch! As you can see, I stick pretty closely to my sketches. I like to separate the creation of the idea and the creation of the actual piece. When I sit down to my computer, my tools, that’s when the labor begins. It’s hard for me to go back to the creative part of the process. My brain is much more detached and open when I’m as far away from machines as possible—usually this means having a beer and dinner, bouncing around ideas with my wife.

Under Control

Now you can compare it to the sketch! As you can see, I stick pretty closely to my sketches. I like to separate the creation of the idea and the creation of the actual piece. When I sit down to my computer, my tools, that’s when the labor begins. It’s hard for me to go back to the creative part of the process. My brain is much more detached and open when I’m as far away from machines as possible—usually this means having a beer and dinner, bouncing around ideas with my wife.

work illustration space astronaut

July 29, 2011
| 2 notes
My piece for Character Totem Home-Coming! View it bigger on flickr

My piece for Character Totem Home-Coming!

View it bigger on flickr

work illustation characters

July 22, 2011
| 2 notes