Michael Hoeweler

Worth Magazine Portraits

2011-10-14T09:59:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I was asked by Dean Sebring, the design director at Worth Magazine, if I'd be able to contribute portraits of a selection of people from their November 2011 issue's list, "The 100 Most Powerful People In Finance". I was more than thrilled to do the work, not only because Worth Magazine is a gorgeously designed publication, but also because the people they were featuring were people who've had an important influence on the world.

I worked with Dean and Valerie Sebring, the art director, and finished twelve portraits for the issue, including likeness' of people like Mary Callahan Erdoes, the CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase, Tim Cook, the new CEO at Apple, and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. I thought it'd be best to show you some images of the issue itself -- it's beautifully designed, right? I feel lucky to have been able to work with Worth, and have my work included in this issue.

They print the magazine on a matte paper -- when I was told this, I think I had a fit at my desk. I knew that these portraits would find a nice home on a textured surface, as they are completed on a textured surface themselves. Also, I was interviewed by the magazine as a featured contributor. That was a complete surprise, and I was quite honored. Go pick up a copy, or at least read the issue -- it's fantastic!

Florence Welch Illustration

2011-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sweeter Than Heaven, Hotter Than Hell, graphite.

I decided to dress Florence Welch from the band Florence + The Machine after I heard Frida Giannini, the creative director of Gucci, go on record to voice her fascination with Florence. Apparently, Florence was an inspiration behind the fall 2011 collection.

“I used one of Florence’s songs, ‘Hurricane Drunk,’ to set the mood for my Autumn/Winter women’s show, as she was truly an inspiration for this collection as a modern day icon with her cinematic allure and powerful presence.”

Neato, right? I really find Florence Welch to be a breath of fresh air. She’s incredibly kind, down-to-earth, and full of life, and has an incredibly strong and powerful voice. I hope I’ve captured that with this portrait.

Two Giant Eyeballs

2011-05-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been working a lot recently, and I've had the good fortune to have some slight variety in assignments. One company that I've been working with, Two Giant Eyeballs, gives a nice array of assignments, and it's been a pleasure working with the co-founders. Here are some icon images that I've done for them.

OUT Magazine Portrait's

2011-05-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more portraits from OUT Magazine. The art director, Nick Vogelson, is always fantastic to work with, and I'm happy to have been working with the magazine for almost two years now. My portrait work and drawing skills have definitely developed over time, and I can attribute a lot of my personal growth to the work I've done with OUT and their art department.

Good things happen over time.

Money Magazine

2011-05-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hi friends.

I recently finished a big slew of portraits for Money Magazine. These portraits were of professionals and experts in a number of fields, who were invited to contribute information and advice in their respective areas of expertise. Topics ranged from personal finance, to business, to career development, to real estate, and to a few others.

These were a fun group of portraits to work on, and I'm happy and excited to still be working with Money Magazine on following issues! These following portraits are a selection from the June issue and the July issue.

New Portraits!

2011-04-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was contacted this past month to do portraits of the co-founders of a new media research company, Two Giant Eyeballs. Shirley Velasquez and Stephanie Fairyington are amazing editors, reporters and fact-checkers, who are giving people who are publishing content, marketing products, producing documentaries, or pursuing other editorial endeavors an opportunity to have their facts set straight. Through fact-checking, legal editing, copy editing, interviewing and research, Shirley and Stephanie are giving people a way to publish correct material, without the potentially horrid exposure of mishap or haphazardous mistakes. This is a good opportunity to reverse the sometimes career-ending effects of incorrect exposure. I suggest you check them out, http://twogianteyeballs.com/!

Stephanie Fairyington works as the deputy research editor at Us Weekly and Shirley Velasquez works as an editor and writer at Elle Magazine.

As for their portraits, they wanted something a little more old-fashioned-book-illustration than my pen and ink wash portraits, but with a pop of color. I thought the finals were a nice tie-in with some of the pen-heavy work in my portfolio, and it's a technique that I hope hints at a new and different approach to my portrait work.

Ashley Granata Portrait

2011-03-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

In the late fall months of 2010, around the time I first started working with Nooka, I attended a PSFK conference with Nooka's owner, Matthew Waldman. While I was there, I took some vigorous notes on the future of the fashion industry and it's development in regards to sustainability, Eco-consciousness, and technological and social connectivity.

But for the most part, I drew portraits of the panelists. Here is my favorite, of Ashley Jeanne Granata, who spoke on behalf of the lovely site, Fashism. This lady was absolutely fantastic: vivacious, an amazing speaker, had interesting opinions, and looked amazing.

Exercise Illustrations for OUT Magazine

2011-02-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

The art department at OUT Magazine asked me to do a set of three exercise illustrations for their March issue. I love doing these guys, and I'll return to this post with more information on the assignment soon!

2011-02-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

Marlon Gobel's F/W 2011/2012 Collection

(Images of Marlon Gobel's collection courtesy of GQ)

New OUT Portrait

2011-02-04T20:41:00.001-08:00

Here is another Nick Vogelson art-directed portrait for OUT Magazine. This time, it's of contributer Ilya Marritz for an article entitled "Shadows and Fog", which discusses the suicide of the Rutger's student Tyler Clementi, the events leading up to his tragic passing, and state of bullying in American mass culture.

It was a pleasure to draw Ilya -- he has such a calm warmth to his expression, and I really wanted to feature that in the final. I hope you guys enjoy it too.

BIG UPDATE

2010-12-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

Working for OUT Magazine is a testament to collaboration, and my work with the art department continues. Here are some pieces that were included in the December/January OUT100 issue, which is on shelves now. Go grab a copy, I have 7 illustrations in this issue, and it features a list of the 100 most inspiring voices, advocates and allies of the Queer community to have graced the American cultural scene this past year.

Update + New Illustrations for OUT

2010-11-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

As you may know (if you read my last post) I've been MIA from the blog, and purposefully so. I needed time off from the responsibility, but I've also been working like a MADMAN for the past month. I've got some exciting things to show you -- however, I've been asked to not show images from these new projects until next spring. This is because I've been doing in-house fashion illustration for some fantastic designers and brands, and I have to wait until the collections have been presented to show the images. Don't worry, in due time!

But for now, I can show you a couple examples of my most recent work with OUT Magazine.

This is a portrait of the editor and founder of the cross-media phenomenon BastardLife, Neal Boulton.

These images accompanied a column article about the proper, neutral, and improper use of monograms on everyday objects. Bags and stationery are a must, cuffs and handkerchiefs are unnecessary but decorative, and towels and loafers are just WAY too tacky.

New Beginnings

2010-10-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

I was able to make it down to Baltimore this past weekend, and it was such a healthy and necessary way to start fall. I needed to see friends, see vast expanses of country and nature, and remember just why life is really worth living! These are a few of the photos I took on my adventures.

I'm getting pretty busy with my day-to-day life (a part of growing up?) and will continue to get even busier as this fall progresses. I have a few projects in the works that may or may not see the light of this blog. Also, I'm going to be delving into some personal artwork that may or may not see the light of this blog. This new project is going to be the healthiest thing I've done to my portfolio in a very long time, and I hope that I can develop it into something really great. Either way, life will continue.

So excuse me if I appear absent, I am only reassessing and returning to my life. Updates will come, see you soon.

Yves Saint Laurent Sketch

2010-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

A quick drawing in black and white and color from the Spring and Summer 2011 collection from YSL.

And of course I'm sold on this collection. Those big, poofy sleeves make we weak at the knees!

Fashion Month Sketches

2010-09-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

We are reaching the end of fashion month! The Paris shows have just begun while the Milan, London, and New York shows are now glimmering memories (soon to be gracing the wardrobes of the luxurious and changing the style trends of the everybody). I've been doing some sketches, just to mill through the plethora of FASHION with an eye for personal taste. I'd love to share a few with you.

The Prada show was a breath of fresh air, after all of the taxing, painfully and obviously trend-conscious collections that were being released. We get it. Fashion is about absolutes and buzz-words (just like American politics?), and after looking at A LOT of collections from this season, I get it too. Things come up like "30's to 70's time continuum", "minimal 90's", "80's volume", "60's inspired prints", "traditional Japanese influence", "hippie-chic", floral and the obvious color trends -- blue and orange, and a HELL of a lot of white.

I like how the Prada collection brought to mind Calvin Klein's previous fall collection, with the rounded shoulders and funnel sleeves. In contrast, the nipped waist and contour-following was delightful, and the entire collection was reminiscent of a day at a beach in 1960's Italy (film connotations included).

A detail from Calvin Klein Collection's show. You know how much I love minimalism. And this collection was just as beautiful as the last one, if not a little bit more current and not so futuristic. The straight up and down dress can be a bit boring, but these dresses were beautifully constructed and accented with just the perfect details to keep them interesting.

A look from Jil Sander's collection. First of all, you should probably check this collection out -- but apparently it's not easy for many people to appreciate it. I wasn't one of those people though, and I looked past the unpopular details ("It's so lumpy!!!) and saw this collection as a designer playing with volume, while restraining from making unwearable clothing.

Also, the collection was presented with a Busta Rhymes' song "Gimme Some Mo" as the soundtrack.

This wins points with me.

The Versace collection was pretty great, it incorporated Central American and Greek design motifs pretty seamlessly -- and it was entirely wearable. However, I could NOT get over these shoes! Look at how much fun they are!

More sketches to come, so stay tuned.

Sketchboooooks

2010-09-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Self explanatory.

Raf Simons Runway Study

2010-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is a look from Raf Simons spring and summer 2010 menswear collection, modeled by none other than Arthur Daniyarov. I love how Raf plays with masculinity and it's identifiers with this look: a men's work suit with highly exaggerated shoulders, pushed up sleeves with what appears to be a striped button up rolled up and over the jacket cuff, and placed beneath a sweater vest -- all neatly tucked into the classic straight leg trouser and leather dress shoes.

"I have access to masculine power and privilege."

It's what you're really saying when you wear a suit, whether you know it or not. Raf just included a dash of football player to make it more obvious.

How does it look in color? Your thoughts?

Julia Nobis Portrait

2010-09-11T17:43:00.001-07:00

This is a portrait of the rising star model, Julia Nobis. Julia has walked quite recently for the likes of Calvin Klein, Chloé, Prada and other heavy hitters within the fashion industry. I think she's absolutely gorgeous, almost a vision of Botticelli's Venus, no?

Sneak Peak!!!

2010-09-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness!

I'm starting a SERIES. I'm doing model portraits! And not just any portrait of just any model. I'm doing portraits of models dubbed "rising stars"!!! So like, the beautiful new kids who get a lot of work for being sublime. My first portrait was of Arthur Daniyarov, and my next portrait is of Julia Nobis! She's BEAUTIFUL. Like, I'm almost positive that she's my muse.

This is just the beginning!

Robyn Illustration

2010-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is an illustration of Robyn, the esteemed Swedish pop star who's stealing the hearts of electronic-dance-hip-hop-pop-funstuff loving people worldwide. She's adorable, and is bringing a certain "light" to the seemingly brooding, Ladygagaful mainstream pop soundscape. Full of hope, Robyn's music is heart-warming, sexy, and fun to dance to. Also, she has an attitude and swagger that's hard not to be seduced by.

This piece was kind of difficult, and isn't a good representation of the work I want to be making. It's a little too plastic-covered for my current tastes, but was definitely a good experiment.

Website Update

2010-09-02T09:44:00.001-07:00

RUNWAY

I've collected the daily fashion illustrations that I've been doing into one section on my website (click RUNWAY). I think that those daily's taught me something really great -- working on a creative project every single day, and devoting time and effort into accomplishing creative tasks keeps your head in the game.

Sadly, I've succumb to the Busy Bee, and have been getting caught up in other creative projects/my own life. But I'm still working -- every day -- on new work, new images, planning, sketching, etc. I draw on the trains (I should do a sketchbook update, no?) and I draw at home. I'm always drawing now, quite refreshingly.

AND! I'm starting a few fancy illustrations that I'm excited to share with y'all.

More updates soon.

P.S. I know those daily fashion illustrations were fun, but I also got a tad bored -- studying runway photos is really fun, but my imagination started yelling at me.

Daily Number Seven

2010-08-28T15:42:00.001-07:00

I'm back a tad early! I think I'm going to try and update regularly starting on Monday. But for today, I'm posting something that was started this past week and only finished today.

This look is from Givenchy's spring 2009 haute couture collection. In reality, this satin sheath dress with partial wrap and cape is the loveliest shade of pastel turquoise.

Daily Fashion Illustrations on Pause

2010-08-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so obviously I'm bad at this daily illustration thing. They will be back up and running on Monday. Pinky swear.

Daily Number Six: Process

2010-08-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is a portrait of Arthur Daniyarov, a rising star in the male modeling world.. He has been favored recently by the likes of Raf Simons for Raf Simons and Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten, and many other menswear designers of note. He's quite gorgeous, and I think he makes the perfect beauty study. This piece was fun, even if it took a while to get to you. In the past few days I've been busy with other illustrations and career-oriented tasks and busy work. Not to mention that I've been fitting a healthy amount of social life in there too!

I've never really quite posted evidence of my process, and because this was a study, there wasn't too much preliminary work to be shown. I hope it's informative!

This was the preliminary sketch for the finished ink painting. I drew directly on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper, neatly sealed to the table with watercolor tape. I usually treat the hair with inks swiftly and less deliberately than the portrait, so the features are pretty finite and ready for deeper tones, whereas the hair is more or less contour and some directional lines.

This is the under-painting. From the preliminary, I added some darker tone and a fullness to the form with washes of varying shades. The water-thinned ink adds a rich, suppleness that the graphite can't compensate for, which is one of the reasons I may be moving away from graphite.

For the final, I added the darkest tones with pure sumi ink, without added water. I usually keep a few round brushes loaded with water on hand, so I can easily incorporate such deep tones. It can be terrifying, making such a finite decision, but that deep black adds a contrast that you just can't get with any other medium. And it reproduces SO well.

For very fine detail work, I finish with very minute pen work on top, as well as white designer's gouache to clean up and bring out the lightest highlights. I like this gouache because it scan's REALLY well, especially when you make sure to soften the edges of your stroke with water.

Daily Number Five

2010-08-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm a day behind in general now. That's one red slip. One demerit. 10 points from Gryffindor. I am ashamed. However, I will make it up by providing a double dose one day. One day.

This is a look from Givenchy's Spring 2009 collection. BLAST FROM THE PAST. Going way back now, to the days of satin jumpsuit's with tapered legs. And a golden bow. Doesn't Mariacarla Boscono just rock this? She's fantastic, I'm really in love with her. And if you don't already know about my love for Givenchy's creative director, Riccardo Tisci -- well, don't get me started.

Daily Number Four

2010-08-21T11:24:00.001-07:00

I know, I'm a day late. I was ALMOST finished last night, but decided that for my sanity I needed to go and relax with a friend. Busy times, these are.

This one is A BOY. Yeah, boys are hard to draw, but I think I like this one. This look is from Dries Van Noten's fall 2010 menswear line. The collection holds some timely updates to classic looks and was reliably styled for the presentation. I love the layering of the gray scoop neck sweater with the similar navy sweater underneath.

Daily Number Three

2010-08-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Study after Calvin Klein Collection's fall 2010 collection. I love Francisco Costa's critically named "minimalist" approach to design. For me, it's his ability to play with natural contours, shapes and proportions through garment construction that's exciting. Check 'em out in person, they really are beautiful.

Daily Fashion Illustrations

2010-08-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Alright, I've decided to do a fashion illustration a day. Neat and arduous goal, yes? Each little darling takes between one and two hours, and I love doing them -- so why not start a fun and helpful exercise? Also, it helps me hone in on an approach I'm quickly falling in love with. This study is from Erin Fetherston's fall 2010 collection.

Another Lanvin Study

2010-08-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

If I love it so much, why shouldn't I just...keep studying it?
I like this one, it's a dainty little number from Lanvin's fall 2010 collection.

Finally

2010-08-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've been in a creative rut. Maybe it was eight years of striving for lofty artistic and creative goals, maybe it's been my childhood imagination slowly slipping away while the real world settles in -- I don't know yet. I'm trying to find out what's missing from my creative scheme. I think the answer has been hiding underneath my own nose. It's in my sketchbooks, it's in my external hard drive, it's on the interwebz.

When did I stop painting and drawing things that I loved without thinking about who would see them? Just creating for the sake of it, letting your brain vomit on a page.

I did that today for the first time in a very long time as a quick study (instead of inside of my sketchbook), and I'm kind of relieved. I might just do this every day.

The look is from Lanvin's fall 2010 collection. The hair is a bit wack. Also, shush, I know I'm obsessed with Lanvin, don't judge me.

TWITTER

2010-08-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

I got a twitter account. I'll probably just post information about new work, these old blog posts, and meandering thoughts on life. So if you'd like to follow, please do!

MICHAEL HOEWELER'S TWITTER

Portrait Tests!

2010-08-04T15:11:00.001-07:00

So testing different approaches to portrait work is fun. I'm progressing, trimming, editing, understanding, and learning about my working habits. It's great!

Lady Gaga Piece?

2010-07-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Kinda, this is my form of brainstorming. I'm going to start a series of illustrations that combine a few of my favorite things. Portraits, fashion illustrations, and those graphite driven atmospheres that were in the Gareth Pugh and Rodarte work that I had done this past spring.

Alas, this idea is very new, so narratively and conceptually speaking, I'm starting out dry. That's why Lady Gaga looks more like a vintage space glamazon in this image than a contemporary pop musician. It's brain vomit. But thankfully, I do my best work when I get the bad ideas out first. So excuse this, but I think it's kind of a pretty color sketch.

Sketchbooks In NYC

2010-07-20T19:43:00.001-07:00

This is one of the reasons I love being in this city. I can draw whatever I want, wherever I want to, and people don't mind. In fact, a lot of people are interested in what I'm drawing. If you ask for stories, you wont be let down!

BABS VS LARRY

2010-07-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

Finally! A post with an image to it.
This is a new illustration for the August issue of OUT magazine, that accompanied an article about Barbara Streisand's passion for design and lack of passion for activist and playwright Larry Kramer. It's a shift in color style, and it's in the right direction. Hopefully more assignments follow with color!

Still Alive

2010-06-23T14:54:00.001-07:00

I'm still here.
Graduated.
New website.
Moved to New York City.
And now, the adventure begins.
Updates coming soon.

NEW WEBSITE

2010-06-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

http://michaelhoeweler.com

It's easy to update, and I will definitely be updating constantly. I look forward to this one growing, I hope you like it!

Website Downtime -- New Website Preview

2010-05-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

So my old website is down for the time being. But I have a new website that will be going up soon -- the entire site is already complete, I'm just waiting on hosting and endless check ups. Here are some pictures!

Pocket Squares

2010-05-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

Do you know how to fold a pocket square? Well, now you do!

Rodarte Color Idea 2

2010-05-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

This is take two, with some more saturated colors. It's not as soft as before, a little darker too, but there is more color.

Rodarte Color Idea

2010-05-20T13:51:00.001-07:00

Thoughts? Opinions?

Rodarte Diptych

2010-05-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Post-graduation Michael reporting, with the final for my Rodarte diptych. These images include select outfits from Rodarte's fall 2010 collection, a beautiful suite of looks inspired by the sleepwalking maquiladora workers of Northern Mexico and the cruel fates that they've met in the recent past. These pieces are both an homage to the collection and a memorial to the victims who were payed respect by it.

Something of An End

2010-05-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's really nice to see this body of work completed and hanging in a show. It really is the end of a great part of my life, being a student at MICA. I'm going to miss it terribly.

New OUT Portrait

2010-04-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've been a busy boy lately. This is a portrait of the lovely author and gender theorist Kate Bornstein, done for OUT magazine's new American Classic section.

New Gilt Illo

2010-04-29T09:33:00.000-07:00

This one is probably one of my favorite illustrations that I've done for Gilt [MAN]ual. Just a simple set of drawings to show how different vent styles look.

Goofy Portrait Sketches

2010-04-12T12:44:00.001-07:00

American Illustration 29

2010-04-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

A month or two ago I applied to the American Illustration 29 competition. I submitted a portfolio of ten images, called it a night, and waited patiently. Today, I was very humbled, ecstatic, and honored to find out my Dropped Drawers piece was selected to be in the American Illustration 29 annual. I can't begin to describe this -- I'm just so happy and relieved to know that all of the hard work pays off. My heart is in this work, and I'm glad and humbled to know that it's appreciated!

Rodarte

2010-04-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a new piece with Rodarte's fall '10 collection. Here is a study I did today in preparation for it.

Updating Old Work

2010-03-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's pretty common for artists to revisit old work and update, especially when your on a rapid learning sprint. College is one of those sprints, and it seems that the more you learn about your interests and explore them, the better you get at finding your work to be it's outlet. This was a piece that I did, but didn't know how to resolve. It was a bit garish before, and more of an exercise in combining rendering with graphic shape. Add some stars, contrast, resolved color and you "might" have a finished piece.

New OUT Portrait

2010-03-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Alan Cummings is sort of amazing, and I can't wait to get this issue of OUT to read his contribution! This one was very fun, I hope y'all like it.

Nina Ricci and Versace Final

2010-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

I finally finished this one! I've been really reeling in the problems with long term pieces, and I'm ready to shake that habit. Faster and more expressive work is approaching the horizon, and I feel ready for the change. But I hope you enjoy this little fashion/lifestyle piece about fashion-forward aliens with a vendetta against the démodé ones.

New OUT Portraits

2010-02-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

Two new portraits for the March issue of OUT magazine. I'm working in a different technique then I used to, with sumi ink as well. I hope you like them!

Nina Ricci and Versace

2010-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

So I'm working on a new piece with looks from Nina Ricci's fall '09 women's collection and Versace's fall '10 menswear collection. I'm also working in a narrative context, (a gang of nasty space-fashion kids are picking a fight with you, watch yo' back). I have a few prelims that I'm working on, trying to see what kind of feel I can get. They in no way represent the level of finish the finals will have, as the finals will neither feel cartoons or comic books. But I say GO FOR IT when your doing prelims, amp up the tude! Let me know which is your favorite?

P.S. The last piece has some concept art I googled as a background layer. That was just to get an idea of what a space city would look like in the image -- trust me, it wont be in the final and neither will it even have a resemblance to it.

Eisley Cover Silver Spring

2010-02-12T08:08:00.001-08:00

I don't do this often on this blog, as I usually keep it to my work. But occasionally I find something that I really want to share, and this is one of those occasions. Eisley is a band that I've appreciated for some time, and I usually listen to their music while I work. They recently revealed that they had split from Warner Bros. Records and had become an entirely independent act. In the same post on their blog, Trolleywood, they released a video of a one-take performance of the Stevie Nicks penned, Fleetwood Mac original "Silver Spring". I can't get over this performance -- it's poignant and beautiful, and I feel excited enough to spread it around. I hope you enjoy it!

You can find the video for download here.

Elie Saab

2010-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

This week has been a lot of fun, working so hard really begins to pay off, especially when you have fun and remain conscious of what the task at hand is. This a piece with a proposed promotional use for Elie Saab's fall 2009 ready-to-wear collection.

Gareth Pugh: Part 2

2010-01-26T17:12:00.001-08:00

Here is part two of my series using Gareth Pugh's spring summer 2010 collection. I'm diggin' this direction, I hope you like it!

Gareth Pugh: Part 1

2010-01-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the first piece of my new two piece fashion campaign! The image has a projected marketing/promotional use for Gareth Pugh's 2010 spring summer collection. I wanted to see how I translated his collection into an illustration, as an image of practical use (specifically for a showroom wall). I took specific looks from the collection and set them into a narrative, hoping to exemplify the look and feel of Pugh's collection. I like it, even if there might be further edits in the future.

Check out the collection at Style.com!

Haiti Relief Benefit Print Sale

2010-01-19T07:58:00.001-08:00

Click Haiti Relief Benefit Print Sale for the jump.

This is literally the coolest organized benefit for Haiti I've seen yet. Organized by a friend, artist, photographer, and hearby and thus forth relief activist extraordinaire, Rafael Soldi, the benefit gives you the chance to buy prints from an amazing line up of photographers. You get a print, the people of Haiti get the resources they need. This is definitely the most thoughtful approach to disaster relief I've heard of yet.

Gilt Groupe Illo

2010-01-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here's another one for Gilt [MAN]ual. This accompanied a blog about appropriate sleeve length and shirt cuff visibility. I like this new streamlined and clean approach to the illustrations for their blog, and the image design is akin to their site's design aesthetic. Go graphite!

New Gilt Piece

2010-01-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

A productive break it has been! Five test portraits, two new pieces for Gilt Groupe, and my website is almost finished. I'm just waiting to get my hosting information so that I can put it up! But I have a few more days before I go back to Baltimore, and I'm excited to finish some more work before then. This piece is for Gilt Man's Ralph Lauren Black Label sale. Pick up some classy men's clothes if you have a chance!

Newest Veronica Study

2010-01-06T13:12:00.001-08:00

This one is definitely my favorite.

Veronica Lake

2010-01-01T16:10:00.001-08:00

These are tests of different techniques. I'm curious.

Nothing Is Ever Finished

2009-12-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

So I took today out to create the basic design of my website, and also to edit some of my work. I came across a piece I had done in the spring that desperately needed help and reworked it -- and it couldn't have come at a better time. I created this piece in anticipation of the Terry Gilliam film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which hit US theaters two days ago. I picked a look that I thought visually and conceptually correlated with the film, specifically one of Gareth Pugh's designs from 2006. I had fun with this one, I hope it tickles your fancy!

Sneak Peak

2009-12-16T22:49:00.001-08:00

Some exciting things are happening in my creative world. Soon enough I will be able to share them with you! Here is a sneak peak of a piece I'm working on at the moment.

Life

2009-11-17T06:58:00.000-08:00

Life isn't easy and neither is getting the wind beneath your wings. That's why it's good to have friends who you can run away with.

Gilt Groupe

2009-11-16T13:07:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been doing some illustrations for the online luxury fashion store, Gilt Groupe. I do illustrations for Gilt [MAN]ual, the blog for the men's section of Gilt. I'm excited to be doing these illustrations for them, and I'm more than thrilled to see which direction they take me in. I love drawing clothing and fabrics, so it makes this experience even more rewarding then it already is. This is one of the images, speaking to looks that include crew neck shirts.

JUST HAVE FUN

2009-11-10T15:49:00.001-08:00

This is another erotic piece that I just finished, describing a fun and romantic situation. I think it's cute!

New Piece

2009-10-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Woo, two posts within two weeks! I'm feeling good. This is a new erotic piece about the freedom of sexual expression, I hope you like it.

Dropped Drawers

2009-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of updates, I've been pretty busy on a lot of projects, most of which aren't in final or print stages, so they shouldn't be released yet. But they will come soon enough! For now, here is an image I made of a sexy lifeguard pullin' up his Speedo.

New Still Life Illustration

2009-09-22T07:11:00.000-07:00

This guy is in the October issue of Out. He was a lot of fun, as is most of the work that I do in pencil.

Spot Illustrations for Out Magazine

2009-08-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of interning for Out Magazine's art department this summer and the amazing opportunity to complete some illustrations for Out's September issue, which hits stores in the next few weeks. All in all I have seven spot illustrations, four portraits and three still life's, in the issue. I'm very happy and humbled to have been offered such an opportunity and I'm going to miss Out and the amazing people that I had the chance to work with!

La Roux

2009-08-01T00:29:00.000-07:00

I did a portrait of the musician La Roux this summer. I'm trying to find my footing in digital color, and I think I like the approach I've established. In the next few weeks I will post some images of some work I'm going to have in print soon, as well as more sketches from this summer.

Zoo Day

2009-07-24T09:02:00.001-07:00

Spread from a fun day at the zoo. I need to get back there next Wednesday morning, this was too much fun.

DRAWER

2009-07-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Remember that two sketchbook goal? Not gonna happen. It was a good goal, and I will have one sketchbook finished by the end of the summer, but I don't have THAT much time. This is also a symptom of being a slow draftsman, which I have to get over, I need to quicken the pace a bit! Another thing I have to get over is my obsession with drawing portraits, people, and animals. I need to do settings, buildings, the train, the bus, and the spaces that people exist in. It's sort of essential.

Well, indulgences aside, I've been going to the Natural History Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to draw, and I've been having a blast. Here are some sketchy selections.

Sketch Sketch Sketch

2009-06-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

One of the goals I've set for myself over this summer is to complete two sketchbooks while in New York. I've never been big on sketchbooks, but most of the advice I've been given in order to become a more successful draftsman and illustrator is to draw all of the time. Begrudgingly, I started a new sketchbook in May. To my surprise, I've been loving it, and I'm pretty thirsty for it. I have a lot more sketching to do, but I've done a lot since being here.

P.S. New York is amazing! My internship with Out Magazine is absolutely invaluable, and the hands on experience with design is nothing but appreciated. Not to mention that I'm learning a lot about the publication development and meeting/getting to know wonderful people all the while.

Fashion Never

2009-06-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post this -- it was for my fashion illustration class. We had to do posters for plays about a vice and it's matching virtue. I was given lust and chastity, and decided to play with counter cultures.

Transitioning

2009-05-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm in New York, and love abounds
and yet
I miss this house.

and I miss this.

and I miss my family very much.
But I love too much about this life to pass up it's opportunities to love and meet new people, places, and experiences.
I just wish I realized that more often!

Finally Finals Final

2009-05-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm still alive. Miraculously having survived finals, I return to the internet ether with images from my concepts finals. The focus of these portraits is on specific masculine identities and their variations that compose the larger hegemonic masculine identity. I mean, I painted portraits of boys being boys. Take what you will, they would be for editorial purposes, if such an article were ever published!

"The Sensitively Not Sensitive Metrosexual"

"The Womanizing Mega-Hunk Lumberjack"

"The Really Successful Boss-Man-Boss"

Marriage Experiment

2009-04-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
So I've had this dilemma for a while now. What medium and technique should I use in my work? I don't have a clue! But I'm playing Sherlock Holmes and I'm "getting to the bottom of this". And, voila! The first experiment in this pseudo-painting, pseuda-drawing, pseudo-photoshop almagamation is complete. Lets see where this work goes from here, though.

Updated Work

2009-04-09T06:52:00.001-07:00

Some things fell through in my life, and some images came out of the work done before then, so I think I can share now. I was waiting to put these up, but I feel it's okay now that I have nothing to worry about (I'm sorry, that was really cryptic.) These are two images I posted last semester that I altered.

Updated Gopenhagen Interpretation

2009-03-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

I just wasn't satisfied with a boring drawing and even worse -- rushed photoshop work. I like this one 'better', but I wish my drawing was larger so that I could have really fleshed it out. But c'est la vie! I like what I came out with!

Housewife Bullshit

2009-03-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

ALERT. THIS IS A STYLISTIC FLUKE.
I have never done an illustration like this in my life. I was given a piece of "1950's ephemera" and was told to build off of it. I got a Vogue ad about how to look beautiful for your husband and your boss. So, my I try and use the so-called 'trite' subject of feminism and make a piece about the sad fate of a depressed houeswife from the 1950's. To get a feel for it, I looked at a lot of W. David Shaw, for illustrations from that era with a lifestyle feel to them. I'm glad I tried this piece out -- I learned a lot!

The Copenhagen Interpretation

2009-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

In response to quantum mechanics, specifically the Copenhagen Interpretation, comes this illustration.
I'm working with some stylistic ideas, tendencies, and likings that I hope will coalesce nicely soon.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

2009-02-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

As an assignment, I and two other students were given a designer and told to narratively illustrate their clothes on figures, in a setting, for a magazine spread. I was assigned as the concept leader, and my team picked the Spring 2009 RTW collection for Marc by Marc Jacobs, and chose three concepts to help us create our image -- mischief, urban roller skaters, and a Central Park Zoo safari. We split up the work accordingly, and developed a time line for turn around processes in order to complete the assignment in a timely manner. I drew the figures and apparel, and I'm pretty satisfied with their outcomes. There are some general detailed problems with them, but over-all, I'm pleasantly surprised with what I did!

ULTRA PRODUCTIVE MODE

2009-02-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot lately, namely making tons of images. As such, I will be doing more work oriented posts this semester. Yay, right? These images are from a series I did for my fashion illustration course, using designs from Elie Saab's Fall 2008 Haute Couture line. I thought that they fit very nicely on beautiful women roaming the hazy, midsummer fields surrounding Versaille palace, c. 1780.

Gouache and Watercolor on Arches Watercolor, 140 lb Hot Press
These pieces were fun (if you couldn't tell, I really like flowers and hair).

More Fun

2009-01-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Break is almost over! I'm not too sad though, life isn't always all that when your not doing much. So here comes another quick illustration! The drawing is from a Heidi Slimane photo.

A boy can dream.

2009-01-14T20:24:00.001-08:00

Look at those slacks -- they are precious. Thank you DV Man International for telling me that the Dior Homme house crafts these beautiful wool stretch trousers.

Twins

2009-01-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

God I love this woman.

A head-shot of my mother from the 70's and a photo of me, courtesy of Elle Perez.

The Break

2009-01-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's winter break for MICA, and I have been pretty lax on the posts, for which I apologize. But I have not stopped making images. This is just a doodle I did in my sketchbook with some color. Hope you enjoy it, it was fun.

Conceptual Response to Music

2008-12-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

The concept, colors, composition, and subject matter of this image all stem from my visceral and stream of conscious response to the song Tears From The Compound Eye by Boards of Canada.

Illustration Concepts Final

2008-12-13T21:08:00.000-08:00

This piece is a proposed editorial illustration for an article in Attitude magazine's October 08' issue named "Is Gaydar Destroying Your Relationships?".

Propaganda Final Campaign

2008-12-11T20:00:00.001-08:00

Woo, it's a been a while. I'm pushing through the breadth of finals to the finish line -- now is the time to reveal some major projects that I'v been working on. These pieces are more "finished and refined" than anything I've done before. Not surprisingly, however, is that these pieces are very simple. The idea is that if I start making cohesive "simple" images, I will work my way up to even better complex images. It's all about starting small. So eh, I'm gettin' there.

About these pieces - like I stated in the previous post, this series is directed at the Baltimore Queer community and their lack of community, diversity and acceptance of the larger Queer culture. These stickers, if created, would be smacked all over the Queer neighborhood and even the rest of the city. I'm trying to tackle this issue with a combination of gay icon's and text that would leave the viewer with a question or idea that would start the cogs turning in their minds and hopefully among their friends, too.

2008-11-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

This is, of course, Judy Garland. Guest stars in my other pieces will remain secret until I release this series here. Think of this as your teaser! It's for an assignment for Propaganda to tackle the issue of the hetero-normative assimilation of the LGBT community in Baltimore. This specific sticker is part of a seven piece campaign for the issue, and I'm not even sure if this is the final. I have three stencil-pieces, three stickers, and one poster for this campaign*. We shall see where this series goes.

*Subject to change, seeing as t-shirts might be fun to make for this assignment too.

Political Caricatures

2008-11-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you like these, I had so much fun doing them. This Propaganda class is really helping me try out new things, like these caricatures. More later, however. A lot of work is being done, it's just not being scanned or color corrected.

New Music Is Good

2008-11-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

So I've been reaching out, trying to bring some new things into my life. Music is always a good start, and I've been getting a lot of it (thanks Dan). First and foremost, there is José González.

This man is an indie-folk musician from Sweden -- why is he not Aryan you ask? It's because he's of Argentine descent! His music is soft and lush, focused on his voice and acoustic guitar. His cover of fellow Swede's The Knife's "Heartbeats" is breathtaking!
Other artists include Vetiver, Bat For Lashes, and Animal Collective -- as a Baltimore resident I SHOULD have listened to Animal Collective's music before, but I had not. All in all, I'm branching out, trying to discover new musicians. Most of my favorite musicians have just finished promoting, selling, touring, and living an album. As such, I probably wont be hearing from them anytime soon, so now is the time to soak up what I can of music I am not familiar with. Pretty refreshing.

Minganji and Gitenga Masquerade

2008-11-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

So I'm researching African mask and masquerade for an exhibition proposal for my African Art Forms. I found this image while researching different dances. It's of the Pende peoples minganji and gitenga costumes worn by masqueraders. They remind me of Björk's costume for her Volta promo shoot.

This outfit was knit by the Icelandic Love Corporation, and it seems as if they based the design for her costume on the Pende dance costumes. It's neat to see African life and dance influence other peoples art work, however orientalist it may be.

My Propaganda Campaign

2008-10-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

So for midterms we have to do a minimum of five illustrations in a set for a "visual campaign" to compliment the election. We had to choose to either promote or make fun of a president/vice president candidate. I chose to make fun of McCain and Palin from a feminist stand point, giving the viewer the context to see their gendered flaws. Plus, these were just fun images to make.

Gold Digger

2008-10-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is a piece designed around the concept of taking a catch-phrase or word that is uncommon or slang and giving it visual life. I chose the phrase "Gold-Digger". The catch to the assignment, however, was to choose an artist that you admired and work from their stylistic view point. How fitting -- I fall in love with Richard Gray and I get this assignment. The separate components and processes came together nicely for this piece, and I'm satisfied with the final.

Politically Conscious

2008-10-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

These are two more pieces from my Propaganda class at MICA. The assignment was to take two politically oriented statements said by those around you and make opinionated illustrations based on those statements. The first illustration, meant to be sold as a magnet, refers to the claims thrown by Obama supporters and campaign affiliates that Sarah Palin gave her daughter the choice of having an abortion. They criticized the statement Palin made, that she was "proud of the decision my daughter made to keep her child". The second illustration, meant to be sold as a bumper sticker, actually alludes to the McCain and Palin campaign slogan, "The Real Mavericks". To give you some context, the dictionary definition of a maverick is a "rebel or non-conformist".

BJÖRK IS BACK

2008-10-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Volta wasn't the most successful venture into commercial music for this songstress. Like a tween in puberty, Volta represented a growing period for Björk. She was trying out new stylistic approaches of song craft, collaborating with people from all over the world, and thinking big by kicking the worlds ass with an 18 - month world tour. But as an album, Volta fell flat. Seemingly unfinished, chaotic without a clear purpose, and a little too safe in arrangement composition, Volta didn't live up to the high expectations left with her more adventurous, stylistically sound, and compositionally experimental albums Medúlla and Drawing Restraint 9.

But here, we see Björk traveling down a new path. Limited chord progression and key change, unique sonic atmosphere, chilling vocals, and fantastic drum beats (even more exciting and strange then the drum work on Volta, which was pretty excellent). This Björk reads a little less orientalist and formulaic and a little more challenging and developed. Hopefully this a precursor to Björk's future work.

The single for "Nattura" will be released on October 20th from One Little Indian.