Week 22: The Blackest Marker

Yes, it's an Adobe Illustrator drawing about markers.

  

About a year ago, I was ready to hang it all up and go work on an oil rig.  Art had left me a broken, stressed out, and cash strapped man.  

Try as I might to live a normal life, I got sucked back in. With the support of my pals, and especially Jim Giar, I've committed myself fully to this nonsense in the past year, and I am having the time of my life.  

So this one is more autobiographical than most.

Or it's a "NO FEAR" design for art dorks, one or the other.

Week 21: Queen Of The RBMC

It's often said that without Erin Schechtman, the Rust Belt Monster Collective would fall into darkness. I can assure you that without Erin's heart and flower sensibilities, you'd be visiting a very different blog.  Let's all thank her for keeping us in line.

This is my attempt at using my Dr. Sketchy style at home. It's a quicker way for me to draw, plus I can drink beer while I do it, so you'll probably see more of it in the coming weeks. 

Wk 23: Red Hot Momma!

"The only thing hotter than her curves... is her flame thrower."  At least that's what I hear in the little Grindhouse that is my mind.  Wanted to hit that classic blacksploitation pose with some kind of twist.  I think I was leaning towards a machine gun first and then the pyromaniac in me thought flame thrower.  Hmmm, an inner monologue that sounds like the Grindhouse narrator coupled with a need to burn things?  I might have to do some deep self analysis.

As always, see WIP stuff over at my blog: www.NeedYourDisease.com 

Week 23: Seventies Exploitation

Everything was better in the seventies.

Cars were tougher, music was louder, hot pants were everywhere, and the movie posters were totally bitchin.

This week the RBMC tackles the 70's Exploitation genre!  Loving homages of sometimes ridiculous movies by sometimes ridiculous artists.  

So strap in, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show!

I'm a Spy Smasher

I like old stuff.  In this case I like my own old stuff and I like real old stuff.  In this case Republic Pictures and Wiz Comics' (now DC's) Spy Smasher.  I was introduced to this guy some years back by my friend's Dad who was way into Mr. Smasher when he was a boy and who wouldn't be?!?  He's kind of a Batman with a gun and no parent issues.  Just a friendly neighborhood Millionaire with a flying sub, some flight goggles and a want to help Uncle Sam in the fight against the Axis!  He also occasionally hung out with Captain Marvel which is always a plus.  You can get the old serials on DVD and they are well worth it.  

The piece was one of my first attempts of going more figurative with vector.  Up till that point I did more product illustrations than anything with the program and wanted to see what I could do with something that had less regular forms. 

Week 22: My Meow-spiration

I work in a lot of different mediums, but there two muses I can't do without: a hot cup of tea and my enormous ragdoll cat Mika.

This image was painted at the first official meeting of the Cleveland Drink and Draw Social Club (!) with watercolor and Faber-Castell pitt pens. It was then transformed digitally while daydreaming about screenprints. I will update this post soon with a link to the original.

****UPDATE****

1. Click here to see the original artwork on the CLEVELAND DRINK AND DRAW blog!
2. To be honest... sometimes I cheat on the tea with coffee. Or wine.

Tim W20: Amalgamation Boy!

Honestly, I had way more trouble conceptualizing this challenge then I should have had, mainly because  I was overwhelmed by the possibilities. Until, one day I was sitting at a friends house, and saw his son was running around wearing a mishmash of superhero costumes and...pow, artistic epiphany moment, "Amalgamation Boy: the Ultimate Superhero" was born!

Click here to see the Black and White line art on my personal blog.

Drink And Draw Social Club comes to Cleveland!

The Rust Belt Monster Collective is very proud to bring the Drink and Draw Social Club to Cleveland.  In an effort to both strengthen Cleveland's art presence and foster communication between local artists, we have decided to hold a monthly gathering for all of us.  Cleveland area artists are welcome to meet up with us tonight at the Tremont Taphouse for a night of beer and sketching.  No cover charge, no judgments.  Just step up to the bar, buy yourself a drink, and start drawing.  And please feel free to introduce yourself.  The entire Collective will be there and are looking forward to mingling and seeing what everyone is working on.  

Also, look for further meetings as we intend to do this every month.  How do you know when they'll be?  Well, you can follow the Cleveland Drink and Draw Social Club on Facebook, Twitter, or at the official Blog.

Special thanks to the original Drink and Draw Social Club for allowing us to create the Cleveland Chapter.  What a great idea and opportunity for artists.

Cleveland Drink And Draw Social Club #1
June 21, 2012  from 7-11 p.m.
Tremont Taphouse
2572 Scranton Rd
Cleveland, Ohio 44113-4315

Links:
Official Blog
Official Twitter
Official Facebook

Tim W22: My Mitts

My art tools, my hands. If I don't have a pencil, I use a pen, if I don't have a pen I use a paintbrush, if I don't have a paintbrush I use... well you get the picture. So the only constant that remains are my hands,   but I guess if I didn't have my hands I could use my teeth... so maybe I should have drawn my brain (getting it to model might have been a challenge).

WEEK 20:Batman Smash!

Been a while since I've posted, and been a while since I've inked by hand. Let's fix that today. 

This started at our unofficial Drink And Draw Social Club launch when I drew an overly beefy Batman, also I was having a bad week and drawing The Hulk will always fix that. 

The Hulk is the artists prozac. 

There's a couple of process shots over on my blog, if ya nasty.

BAYarts Live Draw!

Last Saturday, a (rustbelt) collective of (art) monsters descended on a sleepy little art festival at BAYarts, and for the next 7 hours preceded to lay waste to 12 feet of pristine white canvas (masonite)! 

Now dear reader, from the relative safety of your computer monitor, feast your eyes on the awesome arty mayhem that ensued!

For more photos follow us on Facebook!

Wk 22: my EYE!

Yup it's my eye.  Sure I use them both but I find my left eye more photogenic. As I try to write why my eyes are important drawing tools I am overtaken by a supreme feeling of, "well, DUH!"  Because of this I won't inflict it on any of you.

The entire illustration is vector from start to finish and a good excuse to play with an engravers style. Enjoy!

Week 22: Draw Your Art Tools

Cute Maker Modeling courtesy of Mika T. Cat

We here at Rust Belt ask a lot of our tools. They get beaten up, overused, and ultimately destroyed in the quest for good art. I, for one, am known in some circles as "Erin Schechtman: Murderer of Paintbrushes." It's not something I'm proud of. This week, we of the RMBC are giving back to the art supply community as we honor our fallen mark makers.

So draw those art tools! Real, Robotic, or Imagined. Stay tuned to see our tributes.

Wk 21: Beware His Tentacles

The only thing more difficult to escape than his gaze is Randolph Crider's determined tentacles.  In the short time that I've known Randy, I've been impressed with the scale of his drawings and how everything looks like it deserves to be framed by text and printed as a poster.  I personally shy away from scenery.  I'm not sure if its a fear of perspective or an overall laziness, but I tend to focus on the subject and get all abstract with my BG's.  Randy seems to delight in bendy buildings, sporadic bubbles, and the occasional tentacle have added a nice little catchphrase to his work.  I like to pretend that every tentacle is Randy saying, "I'll be back."

I'm pretty happy with this one.  I've probably only painted one other person and this one turned out way better.  I'm finding it much easier to work by doing the black and white value drawing first, but don't feel that I've quite mastered the overlay of color.  Regardless, it was nice to digitally paint again.

Sketched in Sketchbook Pro and Painted in Photoshop using the Cintiq.

See WIP stuff at my personal blog:  Need Your Disease   

Tim W15: Samurai Skatie!

Hey, look, my Roller Derby Queen from week 15! So, I'm playing catch up here, (even late for catch up week) but better late (really late) then never right...guys...hello, is this thing on.

Self-Depreciating Artist joke #137: If you can't make it good, make it big, if you can't make it big, make it red, and it you can't make red, make it yellow.

...and as you can see, yellow it is!

For my hipster-ish looking photo (instagram nerd) of the original line work click here!

Wk 21: Yub Nub

No one ever said it had to be real animals and we sure did take down some Stormtroopers that day.

Week 20: Mathamatical!

.... yeah, I'm not quite sure where this one came from either. Finn and Jake meet the Cosmic Owl or something? Yeah, lets go with that. Cool.

Week 20: Hide Your Buildings!

I think its safe to say there is no greater threat to our nation then the combined forces of King Kong and Godzilla.  These two behemoths have terrified and delighted both man and child for generations.  But what if the very radiation that formed Godzilla caused him to merge with his greatest adversary?  I'll tell you what: it would create the most devastating creature known to man.  The wily jungle creature, with his brute strength and charisma, would only compliment the fire breathing and low center of gravity of the giant lizard.  I shudder just thinking of it.

All in all.  It was kind of a quicky this week.  You think I would take better advantage of the extra week, but procrastination is a cruel mistress.  I tried to mix and match features to the point where you could tell it was a combination of both.  I might throw some color on it if I get the chance, but I'm already excited to move on to the next topic.

Look what I dug up

I was going through my work folder on my computer and came across this little bit o' goofiness.  Nearly forgot I did this mash up of Thundarr the Barbarian and Babar.  Enjoy!

Now for something completely different

Yes...a non topic post...A piece I did for a benefit. I now return you to your regularly scheduled post.

WEEK 21: Animorphs

Ever wonder what Mr. Crider looked like as a sexy, playful dolphin...or Ben Hale as a giant cute, cuddly bear? I know I have...well at least Ben as a bear. (The thought of Crider as a sexy dolphin makes me feel uneasy and causes me to drink.) 
Well this week you get your chance. That's right kiddies join us and tune in as we take on transforming members of the RBMC into animorphs. If you've been living in a cave...iceberg....eagles nest (just humor me..okay?) the definition of an Animorph is humans that have been "granted powers or abilities to 'morph' or become other animals." 
So there you have it...tune in.

Wk20: Cowboy Wizard Spaceman

A No1

pencil on vellum digital dolor

This, Ladies and Gentlemen is A-No1 Old School Grandmaster Dungeon Wizard.  Such a large name for such a man of action!  He inhabits the worlds we only get glimpses of on the sides of vans and 70's 80's album covers.  A lawless world of dragons, monsters, aliens, robots and marauding barbarians that can only be tamed by a such a man, NAY a LEGEND!

This fella came from a sketch started at an amazing dinner, deep in the mountains of West Virginia where I ate various meats out of a pineapple with my good friend Lee Chandler. The idea of this guys originated in Lee but I like to think such a character forced his way into his mind and made Lee spread it to mine.  Now he shall infect YOU!  enjoy!

Tim, My 1st NON-TOPIC POST!

So, here at Rust Belt central, we have decided to start putting up some "Non-Topic" posts to spice up our weekly offerrings to the art gods. This drawing started its life at the first meeting of Cleveland's Drink & Draw Social Club (if you missed it, well that sucks for you ...it was pretty awesome), and when I scanned it I decided to photoshop some halftones in there for the hell of it , and maybe someday , if you're lucky (code really meaning: me not being lazy) I'll get a round to coloring this bad boy!

As always check back soon for more goodness, and future Drink and Draws

-Tim

Week 19: For Mr. Sendak

I will miss you sir. Thanks for everything.