Onwards and Upwards

Onward and Upward, the phrase of the day... 

( mostly excited about the inking [nib]. the color job is still in the works [photoshop] )

-Og

Pretty chateaus all in a row...

Today i went to visit the chateau of Cheverny. There i took a stroll through the magical gardens and woods and came upon this incredible tree. It is my favorite tree at Cherverny.

Pretty chateaus all in a row, where do your gardens grow?

-Og

two pairs of eyes

What started as a doodle of one scribbled out eye from my special friend, I transformed it into this.

-Og

girl in the water

I drew this in pencil from a cool French poster i was given yesterday. The figure is pretty similar, the rest is a bit different. well, in particular my interpretation of the water and her hair. I'm going to ink it next, so thought i would document the penciled stage first.

-Og

rat skullz

just a doodle from what i think was a rat skull...i forgot. it might have been a squirrel type rodent too. but it was small and full of minuscule details and i couldn't put it down.

-Og

Gimme mo' Smile

I asked my friend what he wanted from Paris. He replied, "The Mona Lisa." "Alright," I thought. "I'll give you the Mona Lisa."

...

Poor miss Mona Lisa caged behind plexi-glass so thick,

i bet she can barely breath,

but she's just barely forcing that smile for all those damn cameras and spectators.

after all, a lady must always keep appearances.

Though in this day and age, it has really become a major effort to keep one's mouth shut...

Let 'er out!

And I bring you the Mona Lisa!

-Og

note: background is The Shire vs. Mordor

Young Fire Thrower

This illustration was inspired by my experiences of Bastille Day in Paris:

arabic children running through the streets throwing

fireworks of various medium to larger sizes all over the place

all over the streets and the squares

disturbing the lady i'm staying with's peace, along with many

in the neighborhood's.

it's pouring rain, i'm standing out on the balcony

watching and loving it.

The following day, i went to see the disco themed out of this world

fireworks at the Eiffel Tower celebration.

The two combined effects left this impression in my mind.

I have attached the original and my tweaked, more animated

version of how it really all was in my head.

And i quote:

Throw fireworks not bombs. And maybe one day they will

throw flowers and not rocks

because they won't be so angry

because they won't have anything to be so angry about

because maybe if we all do our part and stand together

against injustice maybe

just maybe...

-Og

Mouah!

My friend Eva's assignment #2 for me. Completed. She once drew a cool backpacker character. I just loved it. So she suggested I draw his friend. It may have turned into a semi-selfportait, slash commentary on being a traveler in general.

-Og

Just an Arm in a String

My friend Eva told me to draw a person underground with a string attached to a bell on a tree above ground. This is what happened:

there once was a lad

attached to his arm

was very sad

but caused no harm

a bell attached to a string

he made no more effort

the sound would ding

a wanderer's journey was not short

caused the birds to sing

the bell hung from a tree

above ground where one could see

alive under ground

made no sound

should he be found

save for the bell attached to his arm by a string.

-Og

First Smell of Revolt

second round of Che influenced drawings. like i said, i'm back on board. oh, and these should really be viewed side by side. But bah!, technicalities.

-Og

Just Peachy in Paris

My friend Peachy and I made a pact before I left for Paris. I will draw a drawing, and then i will send it to her. Then she will add to it, and send it back to me, then i will add to it, and then she, etc. I am assuming we are going to have to attach paper to paper eventually. But for now, let the games begin!

-Og

Ps. i should add that this image was inspired by a cool poster in the apartment i'm staying at.

Burning Down The House

My inactivity has gone on for too long. I did warn that I do this periodically. After three nights of watching Che Guevara documentaries, there should at least be a few recognizable influences in the next few pieces to come. This one is the first. Maybe Talking Heads has a little bit to do with it too.

-Og

Amazon Warrior Princesses

My apologies, it has been a while, but May was such a busy time. So, voila, my last inkings. I inked the blue lines of another artist. I used the same nib pen that i've been using. Soon, I am going to create my own warriors and ink them too.

Enjoy! And let the Summertime begin!

-Og

Just Another Day...

Here's a one page comic i had to do recently. It's from a short script i wrote a few months ago. Enjoy!

-Og

Lost Boy

From the opening in the tree, which was actually the opening to their home, the Lost Boys did come to and fro. Though they loved the secrecy and shelter of underground, outside is where they came to play. They were always in tune with the other animals in the forest and with them they would spend each day. This one day was no different than any other, as this particular Lost Boy emerged...

Photo reference combined with owl study. Inked with nib.
Cheers!

-Og

Doodles

To hold you over for the time being, before some good stuff comes up. Just some doodling. ridiculoso!

-Og

The Archress

Here is my first official fan art. This is a questionable statement as I have created my own rendition of Catwoman. However, in my mind, that wasn't the same thing. So, to what you wonder? Why to the Hunger Games of course! I know, I know, but I read the series and I was fully obsessed. Well, I suppose, I still am. Seeing as this ink piece occurred. Here are the pieces that I drew and then compiled to create blue lines that I inked with that same nib. I'm glad to get it out of my system once and for all.

-Og

P.S. If you want to see the image larger, and this goes for all posted images, you can right-click on the image to make it open in another window. From there, if you have a mac anyway (though it's probably the same idea on any computer) you can press the command button plus the plus sign button to make it enlarge. Good luck!

The dancers

This ink drawing is the product of two of my photographs, plus some made-up stuff. I have provided the process work for it. Beginning with a tight pencil drawing, then using tracing paper to create the lettering that I then colored in with markers, then printing out blue lines which I inked the final drawing on (I used that same large nib I mentioned earlier, still need to figure out what it is!). Lastly, I added the text using Photoshop, and voila!

Oh! and the quote is by T.S. Eliot:
Teach us to care and teach us to not care. Teach us to sit still.

I dunno, it's up for interpretation...

-Og

Latest Inkings (deux)

Here are some of my latest practice inks. The pirate one is not my drawing, I inked the blue line of someone else' work. For all of them, I used a combination of the #2 Raphael brush, and this great new nib my professor gave me...and I'm not sure what it's called, but it's a large solid nib, and I think it might be from Chile. I'll be checking on that soon and keep ya'll posted. Alright. Enjoy!

-Og

Elizabeth McGrath

I first discovered this artist by chance, rummaging around the sci-fi graphic novel area of the bookstore when I came upon a strange book. It was a story book and the story was told in the form of page after page of elaborately decorated yet dark in content dioramas. Inside was an array of made-up and yet almost recognizable very alive creatures interpreting the story for its reader. The experience stuck in my head for some time, and foolishly I hadnt written down the name of the book or the author. Then, a few years ago, by chance I was reconnected. Ah the funny ways of facebook. Through a recently made friend of a friend, a tagged photo came up, and in the background I noticed the familiar art that I had spotted a while ago. I had hopes of re-finding it again. And voila! a friend of a friend was friends with the artist herself, and I dug deeper until I found her website and now I am even on the mailing list of important upcoming events. I know!

Anyhow, the root of this whole ballad is aimed at sharing what I find to be one of the most innovative current artists in America right now. It combines a plethora of mediums and styles in a very concise unique way. Using a dark yet comical undertow, her work expresses contemporary concerns with an old fashioned edge.

Well that's what I think anyway.
-Og

Latest Inkings

Here are some inking exercises. The top one is of my dearest sister when we were in Brazil for Carnival, and the other is a driftwood scene that I sketched while chillin' on the Truro beach. These were done with a #2 Raphael brush.
Enjoy!
-Og

The Little Girl and her Squirrel

I'm not sure why but I feel compelled to post this on here. Just short of a year ago from today, I put together a children's book called The Little Girl and her Squirrel. The book is complete minus the actual printing it out part and turning it into a solid, hold-it-in your hands, real book. So I suppose I'm posting this to force myself to finally handle that. I must say I feel good about it and look forward to seeing it fully completed. I've debated binding it myself, but for some reason feel compelled to find a more efficient way of printing it out professionally. The issue at hand has been the costs since of course I have more elaborate plans for it than I should... Anyhow, this is the inside title page and your sneak peak at what's to come. Voila!

-Og

The Killing Moon

The above is page one and two of my six page comic called The Killing Moon. In case you don't remember, this is the comic that I recently completed for the Game Over Anthology, that will be published in time for the summer. I would love to post all six pages but that would just spoil the surprise of the book. And if any of you helped contribute to our Kickstarter campaign, I would like to say thank you, and that you should know that we reached far and above our goal! Now we can have a high quality book to bedazzle you with!

I suppose I should give you a quick summary of this comic, The Killing Moon. It begins with man landing on the moon for the first time. Little did we know that there were in fact beings, a.k.a. Moonwalkers, already living on the moon, and they are pissed at the nerve of some outsiders coming and staking their moon. Because of their small size, it takes the next twenty years to plan and construct their revenge, so that the story ends in 1982, the project at last ready to go. Look out Earthlings! Maybe next time don't be so eager to claim what is not yours...

It is quite the absurd comic, enjoy!
-Og

Cat Lady!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, I'm back! I went on a refreshing trip to New Mexico and now I'm back to work. The above are some sneak peaks at one of my most recent comics. It is my own take on Catwoman, but I call mine Cat Lady...why not?! I have always been a huge fan of the idea of Catwoman but she has never actually performed entirely up to my standards for her...eventually she always shows some out of place girly weakness. So I have created one that won't, ha!

These are a work in progress which I will gladly share once I'm through. Hasta Pronto!
-Og