An Empire Reborn part II

Indio Lyrico

Here's a look at the next aspect involved in the art work for Indio Lyrico. In the layout you can see a large figure looming over the landscape, this is where Indio Lyrico will be portrayed as a lyrical warrior. The sketch only shows the pose and some basic key elements that were discussed, the rest has to be developed.

The warrior will have armour of some sort and other details and be in keeping with an indigenous feel and look and concept.

I came up with a design for the warrior mixing various aspects of North, Central and South American indian culture with a look tailored for Indio Lyrico. Using the decorative aspects of the curved blade in hand and headgear and staff, I incorporated this lyrical aspect of his character into each one.

A page from my sketch book.

These decorative details are very important, such as on the headphones making it feel part of the head dress and the face mouldings on the blade and staff, as well as the type of microphone used to be in keeping with this old world meets new look.

Now the drawing can begin. Starting with a sketch of the warriors pose I began adding the armour and details and making any corrections on the way. It was decided from the start that bold dark outlines were wanted.

I now start adding washes of colour and adding light and shade to the picture. I begin with skin tones and then start rendering the other aspects of the costume.

 
The next step now is to bring these two images of warrior and empires together.

An Empire Reborn part I

I wanted to share a little bit of work I've been doing recently for London based Bolivian rapper Indio Lyrico (myspace page). 

The concept is a mix of civilizations or cultures, London in ruins along side the ancient Aztec/Mayan pyramids. It's not meant to be anthropologically or geographically accurate, just a little bit of fantasy. I'll be showing you the full image very soon.

This is a bit different as its a combination of traditionally hand drawn work with digital painting and rendering. I wanted to show you a little bit of the process involved in the making of this image. The abilities you have for drawing or painting are transferred to the digital canvas using a digital brush as its basically the same. In this case I use a graphics tablet and pressure sensitive pen and software called Corel Painter. This program simulates all types of traditional art mediums and the possibilities are up to you and your ability in using them. A bit of getting used to is the eye-hand co-ordination. I prefer drawing traditionally on paper, so thats where I start.

This is the initial composition sketch to use as a guide to start from.

After thinking about perspective and proportions etc, the idea and layout develops a bit further, but its basically the same still.

Spatially it continues to take shape and become more defined... Also good visual references are a must. This is now the base for the entire picture.

I continue to draw and then add a bit of tone and scan it.

Once scanned I open it on my computer and continue to build it up and make adjustments by painting digitally. Adding light and shade and continuing to render the image with the digital brush. 

There you have it, a very quick and brief overlook at some of the process involved.

more to come soon. 

"November Rain" by Guns N' Roses

Well here we are, another drawing made using lyrics from a song. This time it's the glorious November Rain by the infamous Guns N' Roses.

This drawing has a simple composition but required a lot more planning as it contains a lot of words and not a lot of places to place these amazing lyrics without distracting from the feel I wanted it to have. Also some of the words were a tight squeeze. The challenge is knowing how to distribute the words and how to separate them so they hold there own when reading them or placing them in a specific area of the picture to add to the visual effect of the piece. A very important aspect for me is also trying to create depth or form with the words, not just putting them in in any way possible. Little things like around the girls hips, the words follow the contours of her body to show its round and not flat. The umbrella benefits from this also, having the words wrap around the sections and the words sizing varying according to the distance of each section to try and create some added depth. I added some quick colour to it also in the special version below.

The song appears on the 1991 album Use Your Illusion I.
An amazing song that is still loved by millions around the world. Axl Rose apparently had been working on this since 1983 trying to get it just right. An earlier version from 1986 can be heard here: (November Rain Demo 1986)

The lyrics and the video are based on a short story by Del James called Without You. The story is part of a collection called The Language Of Fear, which was brought back to market in 2008 after being out of print. The new version of the book contains an intro by Axl Rose, who wrote: "Del James has a personal knowledge of most of the situations he writes about, and has a love of the gutter from having been there." James contributed lyrics to 2 Guns N' Roses songs: The Garden and Yesterdays.

(^_^)

"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

Here's the drawing I've been working on this week. Another picture incorporating words or in this case lyrics from a song. Last week was Metallicas "ONE". Link

This one is inspired by the 1967 classic by Buffalo Springfield "FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH".
Buffalo Springfield was a North American rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Despite the band's short tenure and limited output it was one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. (Wikipedia)


A lot more complex than the last and taking a lot more time to complete, this drawing was a real challenge. I always liked this song since I first heard it as a child, it contains some incredibly well expressed lyrics that say a lot with just a few words. I've included below a short clip of the drawing from beginning to finished piece.


With so much social unrest going on just about everywhere, this song still holds its own. For many this song went on to symbolize worldwide turbulence and confrontational feelings arising from events during the 1960's. Even today it's lyrics are still relevant.

"For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield - Lyrics

There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

"ONE" by Metallica

Forgive my neglectfulness recently. My health not being what it should recently did not permit me to pay due attention to my blog, however this mutiny on board this vessel I call my body is at an end.

I give you my finished drawing using lyrics from Metallicas powerful song "ONE". I used the lyrics themselves to form the picture. It's amazing how powerful words can be and I didn't want to lose that, so I put them in. A limbless body with disconnected veins and arteries where his arms and legs once were, eyes and mouth sewn shut and ears no longer of any use. A lot of planning was involved in word placement and making everything fit. Most of the picture was completed in a single non stop 8 hour sitting which was exhausting!

Lyrics are from the song itself but also includes parts from the music video which includes footage from Dalton Trumbo's film Johnny Got His Gun (1971), telling the tale of a soldier whose body is severely damaged by a mortar shell. His arms, legs, eyes, mouth, nose and ears are gone and he is unable to see, speak, smell, or hear. His mind functions perfectly, however, leaving him trapped inside his own body.
But I also think it speaks to many people as a metaphor, expressing that inner scream we want to let rip when we feel unheard and powerless...

Fit as a Lemon

Keith Lemon & Deanne Berry

Just wanted to share with you all some work I did a few months back. I was asked to do some quick concept art for Keith Lemon's new fitness DVD "Keith Lemon's Fit", featuring the lovely Deanne Berry from the hit music video 'Call on me' by Eric Prydz. Very satisfying to see they followed the outfit I gave him in the sketch and polished off the titles I designed for it as specified in the brief. Had a good chat with the Director Paul Angunawela developing and discussing ideas, it also helps when your old friends. It was a pleasure working with him again and some of you may know that he contributed some writing to my Art Book last year.

I was pleasantly surprised to get the thumbs up from the man himself via a phone call. "Fanks alot Keif, nice one!".
Released on DVD through Lionsgate on November 22nd 2010.
Watch a brief video from your lifestyle guru... Mr Keith Lemon courtesy of Play.com.

Original video link here

Against Interpretation

"Against Interpretation" was the title of the 1st Visual arts exhibition of CASA Latin American Theatre Festival 2010, which has now come to an end. This ran alongside the selection of theater performances from El Salvador, Colombia, Argentina and Uruguay.

Against Interpretation was an exhibition that "eludes the disparity of contemporary Latin American culture to show unified works whose momentum is so rapid, whose address is so direct that the work can simply be…. It is showcasing exciting Latin American, London based artists", such as:

Carlos Martyn Burgos (El Salvador ) www.memakestuff.com

Marina Cobra (Brazil) www.marinacobra.com

Marcelo Duchen Rodriguez (Bolivia)

Ofelia Diaz, (Venezuela) www.ofeliadiaz.com

Juan Carlos Farah , (Peru) juancarlosfarah.com

John Angel Rodriguez (Colombia) www.angelroka.webs.com

Otto Schade (Chile) www.ottoschade.com

Curated by Nina Brazzo and Diana Aramayo

A powerful image by Chilean artist Otto Schade

A great piece by Colombian artist John Angel Rodriguez

On the opening night, curator Ninna Brazzo dedicated an amazing poem written by herself to all the artists participating. I wanted to share it here as I think it's beautifully written and expressed.

Against Interpretation

Nina Alexia Brazzo Curatorship dedication to the artists:

The Time Of Times Will Come

These are times of more medicines

But less healthiness

More conveniences

But less time

More knowledge

But less judgement

When there is much in the window

But nothing in the room

Surpass the idea of content

Rise above the perennial interpretation.

No more poisoned sensibilities

No more revenge of the intellect

No more article for use

To the loss of sharpness in our sensory experience

Is this you?

Is this me?

Is this humanity?

This is not a gesture of the mind situated in some timelessness realm of capabilities

Attain alertness

Dispel the separateness

We can be together

Joint because under the creator we are one

Within boundaries we find expansion

Fighting the nafs of the subconscious

Yearning to return back to our innocence

Direct yourself to me

Free yourself from the itch to interpret

Freedom. Happiness. Simplicity.

Cultivate inside and out

Elude the otherness of contemporary culture and

simply

Be.

clearing up...