Thursday, June 18, 2015

Red Panda FOREVER


I just finished up the mock-up for my next silkscreen print- Red Panda Forever! I'm going to make a limited edition of  50 two color, hand pulled, 11x14 on arches paper posters that will be available soon in my store section and on sale at any festivals I'm exhibiting at.

Red Pandas are ridiculously awesome and just plain ridiculous, obviously only an animal that has next to no natural predators could evolve like this animal- really, next to no predators- Snow leopards and Martens are about it. I was originally going to do something like my Samurai Chipmunk or Chainsaw Kitten poster with the Red Panda. The Cute and Dangerous series, but I just couldn't- So. Red Panda FOREVER!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Ol' Dip Pen Fun Times


I've never been great with a dip pen and nib, but like with everything that's related to what I do I like to be at the very least proficient with it as a tool- in the off chance someone will want something done only with that specific tool. That said, to maintain this I need to crank out a drawing or two every now and then. That's how this ugly creeper came to be. I used sepia and burnt umber inks with a Niko G model Manga Nib.  After discovering manga nibs, I can't imagine drawing with anything else. Western nibs are great for lettering- but I find that manga nibs are so much better for drawing.

I'll be doing a few more monsters so stay tuned and I will most likely water color them cause I haven't done than in a while either. 

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Robo Wiener Diazo printed


Let's start this story with several people laughing at me over the phone. I wanted to get my technical wiener dog illustration printed- not only printed- an old-school blue-print. I called several places in New York, that specifically had "Blueprint" in their names and none. NONE! make blue line prints. They all just make big photocopies from digital files when someone needs a schematic printed. There is nothing wrong with that- but there is nothing cool about it either. One place even told me to call them back if I found one so they could refer people who asked- after laughing at me. Another one advertised that they made them but when I called they confessed that their machine had broken down several years ago and they could not find anyone to fix it.

This bummed me out.

I drew this piece with the intent of having it be a blue line or Diazo print (the technical term for it). When I was in undergrad I had several Diazo prints made from drawing because it brings a particular life and texture to technical and mechanical drawings that no other form of printing captures. It makes blueprints really BLUEPRINTS!

So, as a person who owns a risograph duplicator (another antiquated method of printing that unlike Diazo, is having a revival) I went online and sought to buy one. As I searched it became very clear I had no idea how these machines work. Special paper? Ammonia? what the hell was I getting myself into? I'm still not totally positive how they work- but here's a better explanation than I can give: Wiki

Just so I wouldn't hate myself later- I searched "Diazo Printing" The third result was Soho Repographics. I called was transferred to Edward and found, Yes. They do blue line printing.

I went there today and found Edward in the basement along with a lot of printers of varying size and purpose. Tucked away in a corner was the Diazo Machine. Edward printed each copy sepaprately and walked me through the process explaining to me what could be done beyond what I was doing (plans have been hatched).

The machine was still a bit of a mystery to me, even as he explained what it was doing. It had exposure lights and tubes and a jug of ammonia attached to it- gurgling away as the machine printed. You had to feed the paper in once and then again before you got the finished print! It had fake wood panelling, which was both a bit odd and made me nostalgic for old TVs. He explained they used to have 4 machines, two of which were much larger than this one and they got rid of to make room for more modern equipment, and now had two that would print a maximum of 24x36.  Which was fine by me. My prints were half that. One machine was in operation and the other was being held until that one broke.

Was that it for Diazo printing? I hope not. I'll continue to make them. I hope other will too. In New York? Go find Edward in the basement of Soho Reprographics and make some prints! Tell hime the guy with weird dog drawing sent ya!

I'll be debuting this print at the Grand Street Comic Fest this weekend!

original pencils- see! blueline printing made it more awesome!





Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Grand Street Comics Fest!


I'll be exhibiting this weekend at the Grand Street Comic Festival this weekend! It's going to be awesome so please swing by and check it out! IT"S FREE! like you needed another reason other than the comics, prints, and good stuff that I and my compatriots will be bring to market! 

Above is a Red Panda Chibi.  An excerpt from my a new silkscreen print I've been working on, sadly it will not be done in time for this weekend.