November6

GRAFFITI MURALISTS VS. GMOS

BY: Marc Blazel


Tomorrow people all over California will not only be voting for who they want to be emperor, but also on a number of propositions for a wide range of laws. One that has provoked lots of heated debate is Prop 37, which is all about making the labeling of genetically modified foods mandatory. Street artists all over the state have been passionately fighting to get the bill passed and, with the help of the i am OTHER series Voice of Art, have created a set of videos to get their point across.

The most recent focuses on murals and their immediate visual impact on the community. Following artists Werc, Vyal One, Griffin One, Ernest Doty and Mear One as they create their pieces as well as highlighting the issue at hand; the documentaries are a fascinating watch for anyone even remotely interested in either art or politics. As a non-Californian (and non-American) my opinion has little to no value, but is it not natural to want to know what exactly you’re putting in your body? While this might be just a state wide thing for now, voting yes on Prop 37 is a step towards achieving transparency in the food industry and making the planet a healthier place.

Filed Under: Documentary, Inspiration, Process, Street, Video0 comments

October29

LES QUATRE CAVALIERS

BY: Marc Blazel


Stop everything you’re doing, Boulet‘s got a new process video. As insanely detailed and stylish as ever, the legendary Parisian illustrator treats us to 3 and bit hours of watercoloury goodness condensed into a much more manageable 3 minutes and 37 seconds, perfect for a creative afternoon pick me up. You’ll find the rest of Boulet’s timelapses over at his YouTube channel.

Filed Under: Illustration, Ink, Inspiration, Process, Video, Watercolor0 comments

October28

OFF BOOK – THE EFFECT OF COLOR

BY: Marc Blazel

Every second of every day we are bombarded with colors, from the shimmering blue of the sky to the black that consumes the world as you close your eyes, it’s easy to forget they are always there. As artists and designers it is our job to understand and use these colors to get our point across and create successful pieces of work. The most recent episode of PBS Arts’ excellent Off Book series deals with this very topic in a big and exciting way, looking at the effect that color (or lack thereof) has on human life. While there are parts that will seem familiar to anyone who’s ever taken an art class, the video offers something new for someone of every skill level, showing just how important it is to think about the colors we choose.

You can check out a list of all the works featured in the video here.

Filed Under: Art, Design, Documentary, Video0 comments

October20

INTERROGATING… AMANDA BECK

BY: Marc Blazel


Since collage was popularized in the early 1900′s, it has been embraced by all types of artists and designers. Even 100 years later in the era of digital imagery, there is still innovation coming from those working with just paper and glue. Amanda Beck is one such person who, since starting to use collage to create her Victorian inspired scenes, has not looked back. Witty and thought-provoking, Amanda uses the medium to explore the absurdity of the human mind. Taking an opportunity to delve inside her mind, I found a passionate artist who is just as interesting as the work she makes.

Undercover Robot: What made you decide to go with collage as your primary focus? What benefits does it have over other processes?

Amanda Beck: Well… honestly… It’s super tangible and tactile. I love process and I am not an “end result” kind of artist, I love to get my hands dirty. After I tinkered with assemblages and the like, I wanted to see if I could follow the same sort of process in 2D. I wanted to have the same cut and paste experience with paper, and it helped with immediacy. I know that is contradictory to what I said about results, but that is what process is… seeing your work grow and transform. I have nailed down the process to a few steps and I can get the show on the road with minimal time, which is good, because since I am raising a toddler I have so little of it.

UR: As a maker of collages it’s essential that you choose the right primary images for your work. What comes first, concept or materials?

AB: Concept, then materials… but the materials definitely dictate where each composition is going. I started doing these anthropomorphic drawings and paintings, then moved to collage. Actually, I did drawings, paintings and 3D assemblages… I have all these little creatures in three-dimensional formats sitting around. The collages were an offshoot, I think, of the assemblages.

UR: I definitely saw the connection between your 3D and 2D works. What is it about Victorian animal/human hybrids that interests you?

AB: Ambiguity, the inexplicable, bizarre juxtapositions, I am really drawn to those themes… I’m not sure why. I have always been a fan of the obscure and seemingly enigmatic; I keep a dream journal; I am obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and I use the Victorian/vintage images because they are familiar and foreign. I think that sums up most of the imagery that I use. I want people to look twice, and to not be able to take it in at first glance. Curiosity plays a role.

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Filed Under: Featured, Figures, Fine Art, Interview, Process, Showcase3 comments

October11

JACOB VAN LOON – SINGAPORE, MICHIGAN

BY: Marc Blazel


Long time no see. It seems we are back, possibly with a vengeance. The past month we’ve been hard at work on a bunch of super secret exciting projects that will be unveiled very soon, so keep those eyes peeled. For now however I will leave you with this process video by Jacob Van Loon, a painter whose work often dances between fine art and design.

Strong lines create boxes filled with splashes of colour and texture in ‘Singapore, Michigan’, a piece inspired by a ghost town near Chicago. Watching Jacob fill in each little space with watercolour really lets you appreciate the finished article, a painting which manages to be simultaneously chaotic and structured, echoing both the fire that destroyed the town and the lumber industry that had previously kept it alive. Be sure to check out Jacob’s process blog for more on this unique artist.

Filed Under: Art, Fine Art, Paint, Process, Video, Watercolor0 comments

September8

KC GREEN SKETCHBOOKS

BY: Vidiot


The great KC Green of Gun show fame, walking us through a few of his sketchbooks.

Filed Under: Art, Illustration, Ink, Sketches0 comments

September5

AFU CHAN

BY: Amon

Rarely do we run across an illustrator who has such a good grasp of expression without resorting to incredible facial distortion (not that that’s bad; in fact, I love it). But Afu Chan manages to create real and believable expressions that we can read instantly without being incredibly comical or absurd. At the same time, he also keeps us interested with very dynamic movement of the figures and highly saturated, high brightness colors that he uses remarkably boldly.

He also does the covers and concept designs for the comic Spera, which features art that is both flat and without an abundance of effect, inviting us in with simple shapes and hues, and leaving us interested in the work itself, free of gimmicks and tricks.

You can find his deviantArt and tumblr here.

Filed Under: Art, Comic, Illustration0 comments

August24

THUNDERPAW

BY: Vidiot

Thunderpaw: In The Ashes of Fire Mountain is like no other comic I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It’s as simple as that. The comic itself is about two best friends, Bruno and Ollie, who are lost and trying to survive the ever crumbling world around them. But on top of the story, one of its major draws is the fact that each panel is expertly animated. It’s not so much a motion comic as it is an animated epic playing out in the confines of comic panels. Though it has just started, having only 5 pages up as of now, It’s enough to have me hooked. Creator/writer/artist/animator Jen has put together a comic that is not only great looking, but it almost assaults the senses (in a good way) with its bright colors and constantly moving animated panels. This is definitely a comic you’re going to want to keep your eyes on. I see big things here. Big animated things.

Filed Under: Animation, Art, Comic, Digital, Featured, Illustration, Sketches, Web Comic1 comments

August23

EDWARD KINSELLA III

BY: Guezadilla

Edward Kinsella III creates pieces that are haunting in a way, there’s a softness surrounded by bold negative space. The combination of hard and soft, texture and smoothness, brings this St Louis illustrator’s piece a definite beauty. The portraits of man or woman, skull or animal, feel sculpted out of the paper and are almost delicate. Kinsella is one of the many talented illustrators to come out of Ringling School or Arts and Design, and definitely has honed his talent further after a couple summers of Illustration Academy. Kinsella even shows some of his process and workspace on his tumblr, that helps put into perspective how small, or large, his pieces are. Kinsella is definitely an Illustrator worth enjoying.

Filed Under: Art, Drawing, Illustration, Sketches0 comments

August22

SOULPANCAKE – ART ATTACK

BY: Marc Blazel

For the past few weeks the folks at SoulPancake have been inviting different visual artists to show their workings, in time-lapse form. This week on Art Attack (no, it’s got nothing to do with Neil Buchanan) it was the turn of painter Andrew Hem, who took on the theme of “heroes” and created a beautiful gouache piece while on camera. SoulPancake uses these pieces to bring up big questions for it’s community to discuss and hopefully inspire others to put their own artistic spin on the topic at hand. With excellent production and a great choice of artists, this is one series I’ll definitely be checking up on. Check out Becky Dreistadt‘s take on “curiosity” below.

Filed Under: Art, Inspiration, Paint, Process, Video1 comments

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