Robert Hunt

Burn Baby, Burn!

2008-12-21T23:03:10+00:00

I was recently asked by Bryan Gray to make an illustration of John Newton for Liberty magazine.
Once a captain of a slave ship, John Newton underwent a religious conversion and became a leading voice for abolition and religious tolerance, notably during the Gordon Riots of 1780. He went on to compose music, including the famous hymn "Amazing Grace". With very little reference of Newton to go on, I found myself contemplating a very traditional solution until I decided to incorporate an allusion towards the London riots by burning the edges of the painting. I'm really not sure if this painting is any good (to be honest, I never am) , but it definitely got better once I set it on fire.

Society of Illustrators Food Drive

2008-12-10T22:43:58+00:00

If you are in or around NYC, please help the Society of Illustrators help some of the less fortunate this winter. Details below.

Origins of Movie Logos

2008-12-03T18:40:43+00:00

I was recently interviewed by Alex Santoso of Neatorama for an article on the origins of movie studio logos, regarding my illustrations for the Dreamworks studio. There is some interesting information there about the history of logos of several studios, including MGM, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Michael Deas' Miss Columbia logo . Someday I am going to do an extensive post here on the making of the Dreamworks logo, but for now, check it out here.

The OTHER Demo

2008-11-12T17:13:06+00:00

In a recent post of an acrylic demo i did for my class at CCA (Lord of the Fruit Flies) I mentioned that I had started in a different direction and abandoned it. Yesterday, against all logic, I decided to finish it up. Behold: CanBoy!

Dragon in Chains

2008-11-10T16:00:26+00:00

It is one of the great rewards of being an illustrator to be challenged and pushed in new directions. I enjoy taking on projects that give me a chance to do something different- so I was excited to get a call from Dave Stevenson at Random House, asking me if I thought I could paint a dragon. This particular creature lives chained to the bottom of the sea. Why not?
After drawing some thumbnails, I decided it would be a good idea to build some sort of reference model. This part of the project took on something of a life of it's own...

I built this model with plasticine roma and then coated it with a "sculpy" skin.

The finished model...

After I finished the model I did a drawing based on it. At this point I realized that I was going in a wrong direction. My drawing didn't really have the spirit I was looking for.

At this point I abandoned the model completely and did a new drawing without it.

The art director approved the drawing but asked me to chance the position of the hands and to add a tail so that they could sillouette it over a panel for the type.

Working with an art director like Dave is always a pleasure, because he gives you enough direction to steer the project away from pitfalls while giving the artist freedom to solve the problems their own way.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T18:26:48+00:00

Lord of the Fruit Flies

2008-10-29T19:11:52+00:00

John McCain's chosen running mate made her "policy address" recently, attacking funding for "fruit fly resaerch" while making a case for increased funding for Special Needs progams. To say nothing of the conflict with her running mate's "spending freeze" promise, this shows a stupefying level of scientific ignorance. "Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most studied organisims in biological research, particularly in genetics and developmental biology.Drosophila is being used as a genetic model for several human diseases including the neurodegenerative disorders Parkinson's, Huntington's, spinocerebellar ataxia and Alzheimer's disease. The fly is also being used to study mechanisms underlying aging and oxidative stress, immunity, diabetes, and cancer, as well as drug abuse." (wikpedia)

America must reclaim it's lead in science and reseearch. It would be a good start for our leaders to understand and accept value of knowledge and to cease the fetishization of ignorance.

This painting was done yesterday as a demonstration for my class at CCA. I don't use acrylics most of the time, but decided to try them for this. Research and development.

Reminder: Buzelli Mania in SF Tonight

2008-10-29T16:03:41+00:00

SooJin and Chris Buzelli will be giving a presentation at CCA SF tonight at 7:30 . Tivo the Obama Infomercial and be there!

The Human Body, illustrations by Cornelius DeWitt

2008-10-23T16:32:18+00:00

"The Human Body- What it is and How it Works" is a book I was given by my parents when I was 7. I spent hours and hours with this book throughout my childhood- it is among my most prized possesions to this day. Today I not only love this book for it's sentimental vlaue, but for the accomplishment it represents. This book contains over 200 of the most startingly beautiful, creative and complex illustrations I've ever seen. Looking at these pictures today (The book was published in 1959) I marvel at the accomplishment by the illustrator, Cornelius DeWitt.

I often think that the greatest thing an illustrator can achieve is to illustrate a book in a way that makes it relevant far beyond the time in which it is published. I offer this posting as a tribute to the greatness of the work of Mr. Cornelius DeWitt.

Illustrators are often asked "what would be your dream job? "- this is mine. But who could top this?

SooJin and Chris Buzelli at CCA NEXT Wednesday

2008-10-20T20:44:49+00:00

SooJin and Chris Buzelli, Art Director and Illustrator extraordinare, willl be making a presentation at CCA in San Francisco NEXT Wednesday evening Oct 29. All are welcome - John Hersey will be MC!

How to Field-Dress a Moose

2008-09-04T20:20:09+00:00

Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin was described Tuesday by Fred Thompson as "the only candidate in the race who knows how to field dress a moose". What does this mean exactly? As a non-hunter, I looked into it- and as a public service, I thought it might be usefull to pass along what I learned, to provide insight into the character and experience of the nominee:
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"Your first priority is to cool down the carcass as quickly as possible.

Most available field dressing instructions or manuals are too vague for a first-time hunter. These detailed, basic instructions will guide you through the process of dressing and quartering your moose. These same instructions can be used for any game animal. A few comments at the end of the process description generalize the procedure with notes for smaller animals. Minimum tools are two sharp axes, and two sharp knives. A saw might be used should you have one, but is not necessary for field dressing.

First of all, think safety. Approach any downed animal with caution. There are several stories of excited hunters being too close when an animal though to be dead struggles to get up, injuring the hunter. Make your approach from the rear of the animal, ensuring it is dead. That done, TAG YOUR ANIMAL. In the excitment of the hunt, many forget this simple step. Legally, you must tag you animal immediately. Save yourself trouble and do this first.

Your first priority is to cool down the carcass as quickly as possible. Have your hunting pack available at all times during the hunt so that tools are readily at hand. Move the animal so that you have adequate working room, preferably in a slightly inclined orientation, head at the lower end.

Clear the working area for safety and convenience. Remember that a moose is large, running up to 1200 pounds or more for a bull. Take your time, do not become exhausted or overworked. Expect the process to take up to one hour for a novice. Experienced field dressers will still require at least a half hour to complete work. There is no need to rush. The time taken at this point in the hunt ensures your meat will be clean, and enjoyable. You will find the help of your hunting partners of real benefit.

Avoid using water in the process, which may contain soil or bacteria which could lead to spoiling you meat. A carcass cavity wiped of blood this way will seal the meat with a thin film of body fluids that dry quickly. Using water dilutes this fluid, and introduces unnecessary microbes and creates an environment for bacterial growth.

A Brief Step-By-Step Summary Of The Process:

   1. Clear Your Working Area
   2. Bleed The Animal
   3. Preparatory Skin Cuts, Throat to Anus
   4. Break the Breastbone
   5. Sever the Wind Pipe and Gullet from the Head
   6. Open the Abdomen to the Anus
   7. Split the Pelvic Bone
   8. Cut the Diaphragm from the Cavity Wall
   9. Free the Anus and Bladder
10. Roll Out The Abdominal Organs with Anus Attached
11. Remove the Neck and Chest Cavity Organs
12. Clean the Body Cavity
13. Prepare the Carcass for Cooling or Quartering

The Details of Field Dressing
Clear Your Working Area
Clean the immediate area around the animal so that you have room to move, and to roll out the entrails. Plan ahead, choosing the lowest ground around the animal for the entrails. Move the carcass if necessary. Also clear an area leading away from the carcass, in the direction you wish to move the animal away from the entrails for transportation or quartering. Place the animal on its back, spreading the rear legs using ropes or having your partners hold them apart. If you have several people, or additional rope, do the same with the front legs.

Bleed The Animal
A heart-lung shot usually provides adequate bleeding. However, to ensure bleeding, insert a sharp knife into the shallow cavity at the base of the throat and slice across the main blood vessels with a wide and deep, crosswise cut. This opens the jugular veins that run from the heart to the head. Since the animal is dead, blood flow is by gravity. Allow the blood to flow away from the animal, clearing the ground when necessary.

Preparatory Skin Cuts, Throat to Anus
Starting at the breastbone, just below the rib cage, use a sharp knife cutting the skin in a straight line to the neck and base of the jaw. Complete the process by cutting through the muscles to the bone of the ribcage and higher, exposing the windpipe and gullet.

Cut the skin from the base of the ribs downward over the middle of the belly, in a straight line, to the anus, taking care to cut around the genitals slightly. The genitals must be left on one hind quarter in Ontario, for sex identification. Once these cuts are done, prepare to eviscerate the animal.

Break the Breastbone
With the breastbone exposed, use two axes to cut through the breastbone. Use your sharpest axe as the cutting tool, the second as a hammer, driving the cutter from the base of the ribcage, up the middle of the breastbone, through the top ribs. As the cut enlarges, pull the front legs apart opening the chest cavity.

Sever the Wind Pipe and Gullet from the Head
With the chest cavity open, sever the windpipe and gullet as close to the head as possible, pulling it clear of the carcass, cutting where necessary. When free of the neck, lay in the chest cavity.

Open the Abdomen to the Anus
With the chest spread open, and the neck area clean, move to opening the abdomen. From the base of the ribcage, carefully cut through the abdominal muscles, exposing the stomach and intestines, without puncturing them. Have your partners spread the abdomen to open the area for easy work.

As you approach the pelvic area, take precautions to avoid cutting the bladder. Cut through the muscles to the pelvic bone, exposing it for the next procedure.

Split the Pelvic Bone
Starting at the top of the pelvis (closest to the abdomen), using the two axe method described above, split the pelvic bone, taking care to stay clear of the genitals. Avoid cutting the urinary tract, which could release urine, tainting the meat.

Cut the Diaphragm from the Cavity Wall
This procedure is one that requires patience and care. You must start at on side of the chest cavity near the base of the ribs cutting the diaphragm at the chest cavity wall. As you move deeper into the cavity, you may need help from a few hands to pull the organs to one side so that you have rooms to see and cut. Cut as far back along the cavity wall as is possible. Switch to the other side of the chest cavity, repeating the actions. Most likely, some of the diaphragm will remain attached. Leave the remainder for later.

Free the Anus and Bladder
The most important procedure is the separation of the anus from the carcass and the pelvic area. Extreme care must be taken not to cut the intestines and the urinary tract, which could taint the meat. At the opened pelvic bone, use a sharp knife to make cuts to free the large intestine and rectum from the pelvic area. Extra hands are helpful to pull the organs to one side or the other to clear the working area. Proceed until working in this area until the rectum meets the muscle tissue near the anus.

At the base of the tail, use a sharp knife to cut a circle the skin about one or two inches from the anus. Once completed, use the knife to cut through the muscle tissue to the inside of the pelvic bone, towards the top of the pelvic bone, to free the anus and rectum. At times, you may have to work both from the anus area and from the opening of the split pelvis to free the organs. Once free, pull and hold the anus, rectum and lower intestine free of the cavity

Roll Out The Abdominal Organs with Anus Attached
With the Anus and Rectum free and held clear, slightly roll the carcass to the lower ground, and allow the intestines and the stomach to fall to the prepared ground.

Remove the Neck and Chest Cavity Organs
Grasp the windpipe from the chest cavity, and pull the heart and lungs out toward the entrails on the ground. Cut the remaining tissue holding the diaphragm to the back of the chest wall freeing the organs from the carcass. Allow any blood to flow from the cavity. Roll the carcass to drain as much blood as possible.

Clean the Body Cavity
Now that the body cavity is clear of organs, use absorbent material to wipe it clean. This can be cloth rags you have prepared in your hunting pack, or clean grass, moss, or leaves at the site. Avoid using water in the process, which may contain soil or bacteria which could lead to spoiling you meat. A carcass cavity wiped of blood this way will seal the meat with a thin film of body fluids that dry quickly. Using water dilutes this fluid, and introduces unnecessary microbes and creates an environment for bacterial growth.

Prepare the Carcass for Cooling, Quartering, or Transport
Repeating the introductory note at the beginning, cooling the carcass is a first priority. Depending or the time available to you, and the weather conditions you may decide to move directly to transporting your animal whole, quartering, it for transport, or leaving it to cool some hours. Quartering and transport is covered later. Here, the focus is preparation for cooling, should you decide to leave the carcass for some hours.

The assumption is that the temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Should the temperature be higher, seriously consider transporting your meat to your camp or butchering facility for hanging and cooling immediately.

Depending on the size of the animal, cooling can present you with several problems. A large animal cools more slowly than a small animal, because the mass involved and the surface area of the animal. A rabbit cools in minutes, a moose, in hours.

Efficient cooling is a matter of air circulation, a transfer of heat from the surfaces of the carcass to the air, and away. Leaving the animal in a heap risks meat spoilage, in violation of most provincial and state game regulation. Attempt to provide as much air flow around and through the carcass as is humanly possible. The most effective strategy is hanging a quartered carcass, thereby increasing surface area and air circulation to a maximum.

The next best approach is hanging the entire animal. This may not be possible, depending on the help, materials and tools available at the field dressing site. Failing these first two methods, the next alternative is to provide free air circulation between the ground and the carcass, laying on its back, the body cavity open but protected from possible rain or snow.

Provide air circulation by placing the carcass (with a moose, rolling the carcass) on logs or some similar supporting material. Ensure free air circulation by providing several supports along the backbone area, so that the animal is indeed off the ground. Ensure it will not roll by tying off the legs to surrounding trees or other anchors. If direct sun, rain or snow is a high, probability protect the moose by placing a framework of spruce, balsam or pine boughs above the carcass, leaving at least six inches of free space for air travel.

At lower temperatures, if the next hours are not expected to be warmer and when snow is on the ground, it may not be necessary to lift the animal. Only after you have made provisions for cooling can you take some time to rest and celebrate in what can be called recreational celebration.

Additional Notes and Generalizations
A small field saw, such as the Browning Folding Saw might be used for splitting the pelvic bone and the breastbone.

For animals that are smaller than the moose, for example deer and bear, the breastbone and the pelvic bone might be able to be split with the knife alone. Any sharp quality hunting knife with a five to seven inch blade is adequate for moose, as well as smaller game.

Effective hunting axes are those with a sharp two and one-half pound head, with handles 24 to 26 inches in length.

Four 15 foot lengths of 3/8 inch ropes allow stabilizing and tying off the legs while field dressing or carrying quarters."


(from http://www.twin-lakes-air.com)

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A Graduate Speaks

2008-05-27T16:16:19+00:00

My former student Ashley Benham, who graduated from CCA with a degree in illustration two weeks ago, wrote a letter regarding the Orphan Works bills before congress which was published in yesterday's New York Times.
Go Ashley!

(text of the letter is as follows, as the letter is now only available to subscribers to the NY Times online):

Re “Little Orphan Artworks,” by Lawrence Lessig (Op-Ed, May 20):

Two weeks ago, I graduated from college with a degree in illustration — a profession I have dreamed of pursuing my entire life, and one that would be ruined by the orphan works bills. Instead of hiring an artist or a photographer to create a unique image, the orphan works bills would allow a client to simply farm the Internet or other sources to find, and effectively steal, artwork.

In this situation the artist is denied both the payment he deserves for his hard work, as well as the ability to keep practicing his vocation while sustaining a living.

These bills would destroy not only the careers of many talented artists, but also the quality of the arts in our culture.

When it is easier to steal and reuse old ideas and artworks to the point of obsolescence, who will encourage the search for beauty and innovation?

Ashley Benham
San Francisco, May 21, 2008

Do something yourself!

TOAST?

2008-05-08T15:06:43+00:00

Do something about it.

Barbara Bradley 1927-2008

2008-05-04T00:10:46+00:00

Barbara Bradley, the beloved drawing teacher of generations of illustrators, passed away yesterday following a tragic automobile accident a day earlier. This terrible news comes on the one year anniversary of her being awarded the 2007 Distinguished Educator of the Arts award from the Society of Illustrators.

Today is an incomprehensibly sad day for the hundreds of former students she infused with a love of drawing over her fifty year teaching career, which she began after many years working at the Cooper Studios in New York. Many of her students have gone on to become noted illustrators and teachers themselves.

Lief Peng posted a beautiful, eloquent tribute to Barbara here.

Barbara sent a jpeg of the above painting to me just a week ago. She said "I'm still not doing enough painting but find it fun to do a few little things, especially as Birthday or thank you cards. Attached is what began as a rough but one I rather liked. Began in watercolor and switched to guauche. Daffodil Hill on a misty day in March. I like the intended-to-crop-but-didn't-edges best"

Cleaning Brushes: How To, Or Not

2008-04-19T17:34:44+00:00

I once read that paint brushes are the artist's little friends, a friendship which must be reciprocal for one's brushes to perform up to par. I admit that I really don't keep up my end of this friendship very well. Although I ask for a lot from my little friends, I tend to leave my used brushes sitting in jars and cans for months before I get around to cleaning them. Who has time? For those who only clean their brushes semi- annually, here are some tips on industrial grade artist's brush cleaning techniques. Disclaimer: It is much better to take care of your tools and wash your brushes every night. Don't try this at home kids!

Down to Alphaville

2008-04-03T20:08:29+00:00

A day in New York

Celluloid Heroes

2008-01-23T17:50:37+00:00

"Everybodys a dreamer and everybodys a star,
And everybodys in movies, it doesnt matter who you are.
There are stars in every city,
In every house and on every street,
And if you walk down hollywood boulevard
Their names are written in concrete...

"...You can see all the stars as you walk down hollywood boulevard,
Some that you recognise, some that youve hardly even heard of.
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame,
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.

Everybodys a dreamer and everybodys a star
And everybodys in show biz, it doesnt matter who you are.

And those who are successful,
Be always on your guard,
Success walks hand in hand with failure
Along hollywood boulevard."

-Ray Davies, Celluloid Heroes

First on Everest

2008-01-17T03:44:22+00:00

With so much attention paid this week to the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary, I thought it would be interesting to point out that he reached the summit of Mount Everest with another man. Tenzing Norgay, who had come within 800 feet of the summit the previous year, accompanied Hillary to the summit on May 29 1953. The two men made an lifelong pact to never reveal which of them stepped first on the peak. Neither broke the vow.

Hillary not only acknowledged his debt to Tenzing and the Sherpas, he spend much of the rest of his life working to improve their living conditions, building schools and medical clinics in remote sites in the high mountain villages.

I have always had a fascination with mountaineering, though I have never done it on any level. But I have always felt that the real hereos of these adventure stories are the Sherpa people for whom mountain climbing is a job fraught with danger.

Note: In 1978 Rienhold Messner made the first ascent of Everest without supplemeentary oxygen, and in 1980 reached the summit solo, the first (and as far as I know the only) climber ever to summit without Sherpa support.

Meet the Meerkats

2008-01-10T16:46:35+00:00

My daughter Victoria is studying the genetic code of meerkats in the Netherlands. Not being native to the low countries, their social behavior presents challenges to their hosts (in zoos) -meerkat colonies can only have one "alpha-male" at a time. Those males unlucky enough to be born into a colony with existing aplha become" rogue males", wandering about in a quest to stumble upon a colony with a need to replace recently deceased alpha- an opportunity that presents itself regularly in the wilds of the Kalahari- much less so in zoos. Somehow, I can't get the idea of a "rogue male meerkat" out of my head...

Forward

2008-01-08T16:55:46+00:00

New Visions

2007-12-22T02:18:56+00:00

In this post I want to introduce the Drawger audience to three new voices in art with which I have had the good fortune to be associated.
The first is my former student Jennifer Poon. Jennifer graduated from CCA in 2000, and was a student in my first class there. Since then she has developed an incredible technical ability which she has used to create an intense personal and powerful body of work.

Another former student , and a more recent graduate on a very different path is Jasper Wong.

Although I am never sure what to make of Jasper's work, I think you will be seeing more of it in the future. Brace yourself...

Last but by no means least is N8 Van Dyke. N8 was never my student, or anyone's, for that matter. I was introduced to Nate (even then N8) 10 years ago when he was a sophomore in high school. He had a pile of incredible sketch books, immense talent and a desire to do only one thing,: draw pictures. My small role in N8's success was to provide some guidance early on...some of which he followed. He's gone from the local county fair cartoon contest to Scion cars, Converse shoes and many places in between...and always on his own terms...

I plan to share the work of several more new young artists and outstanding former students in the coming year. Happy Holidays!

When in Rome...

2007-12-12T18:13:44+00:00

Recently I was commissioned to make murals of Roman Gladiator Basketball for Caesar's Palace in Windsor Ontario.
The largest is 35 feet wide. The original paintings are smaller-the largest is about 7 feet wide, in two pieces- printed digitally at full size and installed by mounting on the walls on site. (interesting note: the final files printed at 200 DPI-at 35 feet x 7 feet- ... That's a BIG file!)
I had to do this project in about 2 intensive weeks-it had to be installed by the opening of the NBA season.

technical note: these are oil paintings. Some final tweaks were made digitally. I shot the paintings in sections with a digital camera.

The Falling Dollar

2007-12-03T16:41:08+00:00

The weakening dollar relative to the Euro was the subject of this painting. I actually did this piece in 2005 for Der Spiegel-the LAST time the dollar was falling. A breaking news story intervened, and by the next week the dollar had begun to recover and my cover art was shelved. Now that the dollar is falling again, (and in a more serious manner) the cover was resurected and ran last week. Hopefully, the use of this cover represents the nadir of the monetary crisis!
Working with Stefan Kiefer, the Der Spiegel Cover art Director, is always a great pleasure, this was no exeption.

Bonds on Bonds

2007-11-16T17:11:13+00:00

1986 :Barry Bonds, listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, breaks into the majors as a 21-year-old rookie with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hits 16 home runs and drives in 48 runs in 113 games.

2000 :
Bond’s personal trainer Greg Anderson introduces Bonds to Victor Conte, a self-taught scientist who boasts he can propel athletes to peak performance through a personalized regimen of nutritional supplements.

2001 Bonds, now listed at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, hits a season-record 73 home runs and wins his fourth National League MVP award, also a record. Bonds also amasses season records for total walks (177) and slugging percentage (.863).

------

in April 2002, Bonds was interviewed by Bob Costas:

Costas: "For the record, have you ever used steroids?"

Bonds: "No."

Costas: "Would you ever consider using them under any circumstances?"

Bonds: "No. I don't have to. I mean, I'm a good enough ballplayer as it is. I don't need to be any better. I can't get any better at this age."

-------------

I drew this picture of Barry Bonds just before going to Game 4 of the 2002 world series, in which the Giants came within one game of winning it all. It was a great day. It seems a little less great now.

Phil Frank 1943-2007

2007-09-15T01:45:42+00:00

"Phil Frank, whose cartoons graced the pages of The Chronicle and other newspapers for more than 30 years, died Wednesday night only a few days after he announced his retirement because of illness.

Frank, a longtime resident of Sausalito, was 64 and had suffered from a brain tumor for months.

His alter ego was a newspaper reporter and sometime park ranger named Farley, the central character in his Farley comic strip, which he once described as "really a horizontal column, documenting the life and times of the characters in the Bay Area." It was the only local comic strip in the country." -SF Chronicle

I became friends with Phil in the last few years. He was a great guy, one of those few truly special people you might be lucky enough to meet in your life. He was beloved in the Bay Area by those who read his strip and by all those who knew him.

Figure Sketches

2007-08-01T19:57:44+00:00

Here's a few quick figure sketches-

Technical note: done with oil, charcoal, pastel, crayon and whatever else is laying around-on whatever is laying around...

Eve

2007-07-23T17:27:55+00:00

I've been doing an ongoing series of illustrations, "Women of the Bible" for Women of Spirit Magazine. Eve is an interesting challenge, as she is a character who embodies fundamental conflicts of the human condition...
Brian Gray was the Art Director.

Sexy Beast

2007-07-02T15:45:38+00:00

Last week Dave Bamundo asked me to draw a portrait of Ben Kingsley for the Wall Street Journal. I really enjoy these type of assignments, and this particular subject has such a great face...the only question I had to ask was how much "glower" Sir Ben should emit...

The Evolution of Lord John

2007-06-25T14:42:24+00:00

I recently was asked to illustrate three book covers for the Lord John series by Diane Gabaldon. The stories are 18th century mysteries set in London. I was asked to depict the protagonist, Lord John Grey, in portraits that would convey three distinct moods. Art director Yook Louie explained that the challenge would be to convey the mood and period of the stories by depicting Lord John while only showing his eyes.

My first idea was to create Lord John out of my head, without reference. Although I liked this direction, the client felt the covers needed to seem more classical, and so I changed direction for the next sketches

The next sketch was to do sketches to show the client for approval. I am finding more and more that it makes sense to paint my sketches rather than to draw them in pencil, as it is harder for clients these days to make the bridge between a pencil sketch and a final. And more and more often, I work out all the technical painting problems in the sketch, and the finish art takes very little time. And sometimes the sketch winds up being the finished art...

In the end, the decision was to only focus on the eyes, which would be in a panel across the cover. Although it was a little disapointing to not be able to show the entire portrait, it is probably more powerful psychologically this way...

Cornell Graduation

2007-05-30T17:20:15+00:00

Overcome with parental pride, as a follow up to my earlier post on our daughter Victoria, here are a couple of photos from this weekend, when she graduated from Cornell University.

Migrant Worker

2007-05-16T21:43:40+00:00

Here's a poster I recently finished for the National Labor Federation calendar. I have worked on this project a few times over the years and wanted to try something a bit different. The poster was to deal with the ssues surrounding migrant workers in America, and their legal problems.I would up with a mixed media assemblage- I made the barbed wire myself and stretched it over the painting, when I began to feel unsatisfied with the painted wires...

Marco Pantani

2007-05-09T18:33:06+00:00

Dale Stephanos' article on Ivan Basso inspired me to post this piece from a few years ago, when I had the good luck to travel in a press car with the Tour de France, doing a series of illustrations for Bicycling magazine. Here's a portrait of Marco Pantani, genius climber and tragic figure of Italian cycling. Pantani was soon to become embroiled in his own doping scandal, leading to his discredit and untimely death from an overdose of cocaine. When I painted his picture he was still on top of his world, a profession which today seems to be systemically tainted by the use of drugs. He was a pioneer in more ways than one.

Barbara Bradley

2007-05-04T14:42:56+00:00

Tonight at the Society of Illustrators, Barbara Bradley will receive the 2007 Distinguished Educator of the Arts award.

Selected by a nationwide jury of over 75 illustrators, art directors and educators for this award, Bradley joins a prestigious list of past recipients. Among them: Alvin J. Pimsler 1997, Alan E. Cober 1998, Murray Tinkelman 1999, Marshall Arisman and Phillip Hays 2000, Tom Allen and Barron Storey 2001, David Passalacqua 2002, Ben Eisenstat, David Macaulay and Howard Pyle 2004, Rudy Gutierrez 2005.

Barbara has been teaching drawing at the Academy of Art in San Francisco since 1958. Prior to that she had worked at Cooper Studios in New York. She has influenced hundreds of students over the years and today many professional illustrators today will acknowledge Barbara as a primary force behind their careers. She taught drawing as a tool for expression to be learned without ego, and her message has resonated with hundreds of students.

Among Barbara's former students are Kazu Sano, Francis Livingston, Chuck Pyle, Terryl Whitlatch, Eric Joyner, Tim Bower and myself. The list could go on and on.

I thank Barbara for all the knowledge she passed to me, and I try to repay by passing it on to others. I wish I could be in New York tonight to see her receive this truly well deserved recognition. Congratulations Barbara!

Back to the Land

2007-04-04T23:14:30+00:00

I hated painting on location in art school. Nowadays I really love to do it (as long as I can work out of view of passers-by). I don't do these kind of paintings for any particular reason except as fun- I don't try to sell them, I don't put them up in my house or galleries, they just sort of pile up when I get the time to do them. Since it's spring, I thought I'd share some of these paintings here on Drawger.

Technical note: they are all around 24x 30 or so in size, painted in oil on linen on a french easel in one shot, usually a couple of hours.

Frank

2007-03-14T21:02:04+00:00

Since a wave of bunnies seem to be overrunning Drawger, I thought I'd contribute my own favorite bunny, Frank, which I painted after seeing "Donnie Darko".

Meet Victoria

2007-03-13T14:51:33+00:00

Victoria Hunt was born the same day we moved from the city to small-town San Anselmo. Through the years she has taken time out of her remarkably busy life to model for a number of projects… a mini-documentary of growing up, a process that happens much too fast….

we had an idea for a children's book about a child who grows up in a dream...

They really do grow up too fast...
This May Victoria will graduate from Cornell University (in 3 years) with a long list of accomplishments distinctions.
This week she was awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship by the European Union-a "free ride" scholarship for the EU sponsored Master's program in genetics and management of zoo fauna in Europe. Congratulations to Victoria Hunt...The nest will never really be empty, but it's hard to see them grow up...

This One's for Randy Enos

2007-02-08T17:41:37+00:00

Tasha

2007-01-30T02:46:11+00:00

ALL this talk about music and drums insipred me to post this. Over the winter break when my son Will was home from college he and his bandmates asked me to make a painting for their band. Note the "Bowie" tribute dialated eye.
"Mailman" was recorded in my studio at night...I can't imagine what the neighbors thought was happening...
check out "mailman" on the band's myspace page...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=88419021

The St. John's Bible

2007-01-14T20:46:08+00:00

A while ago I saw an article about this project in Smithsonian, and today saw an interview with Donald Jackson, who is the illustrator, calligrapher and "artistic director". St. John's University in Minnesota commissioned this handwritten, illuminated Bible, the first in more than 500 years to be written by hand.

From NPR: "The St. John's Bible incorporates modern themes, images and technology of the 21st century. It takes between eight and 10 hours to write and illuminate a single page. So far, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Gospels, Acts and Psalms are complete. A goal of the project, according to a fact sheet, is to produce "a work of art [that] will ignite the spiritual imagination of believers throughout the world."

As Jackson said in the interview today, "it takes a special kind of courage to invest millions of dollars or more in something that doesn't exist yet."

It's a kind of amazing, massive and fascinating project from an artistic point of view. You can buy a limited edition copy for $115,000.

In Honor of Sargent

2007-01-12T16:21:44+00:00

As pointed out earlier, today is John Singer Sargent's birthday. In honor of the event, here is my study /copy of Lady Agnew. Its a good way to learn...Sargent learned by copying Velasquez.

Nikolai Fechin

2007-01-03T19:01:52+00:00

Fechin was famous for being a fanatic about his materials, and did almost all his drawings on a special type of rice paper he could only get from one source- his local Chinese laundry. Thinking of Fechin's rice paper, I did this painting of him on a shopping bag.

Godfather of Soul

2006-12-25T18:03:07+00:00

I learned about the death of James Brown today from Tim's earlier post. With thanks and a tip of the hat to Tim, I am posting my own tribute painting to JB as well, painted last year for a poster for a local Soul Review show.

Of the Year

2006-12-22T21:54:57+00:00

Paging Dr. Freud!

2006-12-05T02:21:40+00:00

Painting demo for class at CCA. Some days, you just need a shrink.

Casino Almost

2006-12-04T18:16:39+00:00

Not long ago there was a proposal to build a casino not too far from where I live, near Sears point in Sonoma county. I had driven by the site many times-I thought it was quite beautiful- and decided that I should do something to at least memorialize the location...this is one of the paintings I did of the site. The plans for the casino have now shifted to another location.

Arthur and Lucia Mathews

2006-11-27T02:44:52+00:00

Edel's Kiki Smith post inspired me to suggest the following: Over the weekend I went with a couple of artist friends to see the Lucia and Arthur Mathews retrospective at the Oakland Museum-they were California tonalist paiters and furniture/frame makers,... I'm still picking myself up off the floor. I highly recommend this show if you are in the bay area.

Dierks Bently

2006-11-21T02:22:09+00:00

This is a portrait of Dierks Bentley, a country music star, done recently for Dave Baumundo at the Wall Street Journal. It was a pleasure to work with Dave. The big challenge for these spots (aside from the turnover time) is the format being vertical in the extreme...keeps it interesting.

Preliminary Art Show: Come See!!

2006-11-17T21:52:17+00:00

If you havent checked out the "Preliminary Art" show at the bottom of the page, please take a look- and thanks to the many Drawgers who have entered. There are currently 56 pieces, and counting. Still accepting entries!

Stanley Metzloff

2006-11-11T17:25:01+00:00

I just learned from Irene Gallo's site that SI Hall of Fame illustrator Stanley Metzloff passed away this week. I had known very little about him except aside from his underwater paintings in S.I. annuals, until reading an article last week on David Apatoff's site "Illustration Art" about his incredible paintings of Greek history.
From Apatoff's article:
Meltzoff wrote about surviving in the years when the bottom dropped out of the illustration market:
My wife was ill, my children needed college money and I was almost 60 years old. I stood on the corner of 56th and Lexington Avenue in the rain with a soggy portfolio in my hands and improvised a sad little song about defeat, flat feet and flat broke while I tried to think of something to do.
Meltzoff responded to adversity with great artistic potency. He single handedly created a new market for paintings of seascapes and gamefish, which enabled him to combine his expertise in diving with his passion for art.

We have lost a great illustrator .

To read an inspiring and moving tribute to Mr. Metzloff, visit
www.illustrationart.blogspot.com
Stanley Metzloff''s website :
http://www.stanleymeltzoff.com/

Eyes Wide Open

2006-11-09T17:52:23+00:00

In 1993 I was asked to illustrate the British Petroleum annual Report. They had seen some documentary paintings I had done which were in CA magazine. The idea was that I would go out onto an oil drilling platform in the North Sea and illustrate the daily life there. It was very exciting and I made plans to go to London in November.

Meanwhile, my friend, who is a visual effects artist for Industrial Light and Magic, had been having phone conversations with Stanley Kubrick about a secret film project he was planning. It was a story set in the far distant future, and Kubrick wanted to know if the technology used in Jurassic Park could be used for a sweeping helicopter shot which would show New York City submerged with just the tops of the skyscrapers above the surface. It was decided that my friend would travel to Kubricks home for one day for a meeting. The trip was limited to one day to minimize jetlag.

At Kubrick’s home outside London, the technical problems presented by the film were discussed. One of the obstacles was that the interaction of deep-ocean waves on horizontal surfaces was not well documented. Kubrick suggested that sets could be built over existing oil rigs in the ocean. My friend told Kubrick that this might not be necessary but that he had a friend who was going to be on an oil platform in a few days, who could shoot some reference photos of wave interaction.

When my friend left Kubrick’s home to go back to London, Kubrick offered him his copy of Time Out, in case he wanted to see any films before returning to San Francisco.

The next night my friend and his family were at my house for Thanksgiving dinner. I was leaving for London the next morning to go to the North Sea to do the annual report and with a secret mission to try to photograph wave interaction for Stanley Kubrick. And in my suitcase was Kubrick’s own copy of Time Out.

As it happened, BP’s insurance company never cleared me to go on the helicopter to the platform, and I spent what was a fabulous week in London strolling around waiting for the appeal. I never got onto the oil platform and had to do the paintings from photos shot by a BP photographer. Stanley Kubrick never made A.I.. I often wonder what it might have been like if he had made it instead of Eyes Wide Shut.
I still have his very own copy of Time Out.

Hail Caesar

2006-11-01T20:12:09+00:00

I made this little painting as a sort of Memento Morte, which I hope serves as a fitting transition from Halloween and the upcoming election, and as an illustration for the following poem by Shelly on the subject of the fleeting nature of power....

	   Ozymandias.

I MET a Traveler from an antique land,
Who said, "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read,
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is OZYMANDIAS, King of Kings."
Look on my works ye Mighty, and despair!
No thing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that Colossal Wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Another one for Randall Enos

2006-10-29T20:46:08+00:00

One of my mostt treasured books is "40 illustrators and How They Work", By Ernest Watson, published in 1945. It is filled with fascinating interviews and insights into the lives of these illustrators, some of whose work seems to have lived on, Some who might fall into the category of "forgotten" illustrator. Certainly one of the former category, Robert Riggs work stands out in the 1945 context as it still does today...I have often thought that some of his work would be right at home in current illustration annuals...here are a few pictures from this book....

Preliminary Drawings

2006-10-28T21:31:27+00:00

I try to avoid complaining about ways the business has changed, because change is inevitable. Most of the work I do is for book covers...I have noticed that in the last few years more and more art directors are asking for color comps-virtually finishes-as preliminary art instead of drawings.
While I try to resist showing color sketches when I can, I do think the black and white preliminary sketch is becoming a rarity. I thought I might show a few of my own here, with the hope that some other Drawgerites might do the same.

I started a Drawger show for Preliminary art, I hope that some Drawgerites put up some work!

Bruce Lee

2006-10-27T19:00:36+00:00

On the subject of style, I recently saw a documentary on Bruce Lee, who said "The best style is no style and all styles." It makes a certain amount of sense to me...

Seasonal contribution

2006-10-27T15:23:18+00:00

I usually do a halloween painting as part of my 20 minute project...here are a couple from the past.....

My Little Side Project

2006-10-25T20:14:53+00:00

I always felt that my work lacked a consistent, identifiable style. For years I modified the techniques I used to fit the illustration problem at hand. A few years ago I began a project for myself to try to discover my own "personal style"...I try to do a painting for myself everyday, with the constraint that I use a timer and force myself to stop painting after 20 minutes. I havent followed any guidelines or persued any specific themes, but focused on trying to make a picture simply with the minimum of "technique" , the idea being that this might eventually lead to the evolution of a "style".
The results have been a revealation, at least to me. So far I have done about 500 of these paintings, and I am just now beginning to see how to merge what I am learning with what I did in the past...I thought I would share a little of my project with my fellow Drawgerites...

Mission Accomplished

2006-09-08T17:07:26+00:00

Little Bobby

2006-09-06T16:26:01+00:00

The alternative Beautiful Baby...

Paintings of Texel Island

2006-09-05T19:13:15+00:00

Here are some fast paintings of Texel Island in the Netherlands. Our daughter had an internship there studying seagulls over the summer, Lynn and I were able to visit for a week. It's a beautiful and unique environment, primarily a wildlife refuge for migratory birds.

Beautiful baby reject

2006-08-03T18:02:05+00:00

Getting it together...

2006-07-05T16:33:45+00:00

This is a work in progress, I am just getting started on this, please check back soon...

Thanks
Robert