Cosmic Dust

I just received my brand new Pogo Sketch stylus for my iPad 2 and
decided to give it a whirl drawing in Procreate. It works beautifully
with the app and allows me to obtain a level of detail I would never
be able to achieve trying to see through my clumsy fingers. I can't
wait to practice with it some more to see how far I can push my art
with the iPad.

Lament

I was sitting on the couch doodling on my iPad and this is what came
out. Dunno why but my thoughts always turn melancholy late at
night...

A Few Recent Projects

Icarus

I have always loved Greek mythology, and there are a few stories that really speak to me. Gavin was telling me about his favorite Greek myth, the story of Icarus, because it related so much to his life, and the symbology of the myth struck a deep chord in me. I feel like it is applicable to so many people in today's world and I just had to draw a concept for it.

He is the son of Daedalus, imprisoned in a tower by King Minos's greed, and who is able to escape by his father's invention of wax wings. Then, overwhelmed by his freedom and ignoring his father's warnings, tries to reach the heavens, causing his wings to melt from getting too close to the sun and plummeting him to his death.

I hope to paint this and a series of 3 or 4 other Greek mythology scenes in oil over the next few months and see what I can do with them. I feel excitement at tackling such a classical theme and trying new things with materials to bring a modern twist to them. Let me know what you think, and if there are any Greek myths that you relate to as well that you feel would be a good addition to the series.

See ya!

Curls

I have never liked my hair: it's crazy, unmanageable, wavy in some places, curly in others, and downright impossible to style. If you think it looks okay now, well you should see it when I wake up in the morning! I have always been jealous of those who can just get out of the shower, shake their heads, and tackle the world looking like they just walked off the cover of GQ. It simply isn't fair.
For those of you who know me, I currently work as a bartender whose job it is to serve, entertain, and relate to the nightlife of my hometown. It is also an unsaid part of the job description that I'm supposed to be attractive and such, and actually, the better I look the more money I make. And for a guy who is as self-conscious as I am, it can be pretty stressful worrying about how I look. Therefore, I have developed the unfortunate habit of grabbing a straightener and yanking on my hair for like twenty minutes trying to get all those damn waves and curls to behave themselves.
Now, it is true that whenever I have been in a hurry and don't have time to waste with all that business, I just go to work looking like whatever. And actually, what completely boggles my mind, is that people compliment me on my hair and all its disorderly curliness. Most times, I just smile and laugh and call them crazy, but I can't help but think that the repetition of this event may actually prove its validity. And what's even stranger, is the question of why it is so hard for me to accept that my hair might just be as great naturally, or perhaps even better, than when I slave over it trying to get it to be something that it's not. Maybe true beauty is just accepting what things are in their natural state regardless of the flaws you perceive to exist, and learning to embrace what is naturally there? No matter how difficult or painful it may be to do so.

These are just a few things I have been pondering over lately

2010 Demo Reel

Demo Reel from gunslingers19 on Vimeo.

Here is new polished demo reel for 2010!!! All work aside from the music is done by me =)

Longhorn Beatles

Here's a nice project I did for one of my old Half Price Books coworkers :) His dad's two favorite things are the longhorns and the beatles, so he wanted to give him something for Christmas that combined the two. So here it is, and Merry Christmas everyone!

Only a few sets left!

If anyone is still interested in Christmas cards, I only have 1 set of the Christmas stars left and have sold out of the Fireplace card. Just email me if you'd like a set or two and I'll respond with the payment information. Once again, I'm selling them in sets of 10 for $15 and you can see the images larger here: http://tinyurl.com/35jprfl. Hurry though, because they're going fast!! =)

Christmas Cards!!!!

Here are the Christmas card designs for the year! I'm selling them in packs of 10 for $15. If you would like to buy some, just send me a message at raymond.penajr@gmail.com with your choice and the address you'd like them sent to, and I'll send you the payment info. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Time!

Here is a new template for some Christmas cards. Let me know if you would like one, and where it should be sent to. I'll be ordering about them pretty soon so let me know fast! Also considering selling packs of ten cards each in case you want more than one...but haven't decided on pricing yet. Also, I might do one or two more card designs before it's said and done with, so I'll keep ya updated!

On another note, I might be working with my cooworker Gavin to actual create this Christmas tree as a sculpture piece out of iron and copper, which should prove to be a fun and exciting project! WoOt!!!!!

Jaded

This is my personification of the state of being "jaded." To me, this state is a prison created by your own mind. It blinds you to the potential of good in your life and keeps you bound to a wall of cynicism and pessimism. I show this with the figure cloaked in a hood and trapped inside a decaying room, organically designed and lit with low key lighting to bolster the sense of a dank subconscious space.

Photoshop CS5

So I just got the new Adobe Design Premium CS5 and decided to try out some of the new features in Photoshop. More specifically, the Mixer brush. It's pretty cool how it can simulate real paint: you can adjust the amount of bristles, the thickness, the length, and whether or not the brush is dry or wet. The colors even mix themselves on the canvas as you paint!! I'm really kind of excited to see what I can do with my normal Photoshop texture brushes in combination with the mixer brush. I highly recommend giving it a try =)

Finished Tree Painting

Here is the final Tree sculpture-painting and some close up of details. Gonna do some thinking to figure out the pricing on this baby. Anyone interested in purchasing it?

Concept for a new painting: "Sapped"

I got the idea for this painting last night at 5am while eating with some of my co-workers after work. It's based on my emotional reaction to some events that have transpired over the last week and the perpetual drain I continue to feel while out in the night life constantly. I often feel like such an oddball around people these days with my intense emotional consciousness and deep rooted sense of loyalty and integrity. I don't understand how people can be in a relationship with one person yet play around with others and still consider themselves loyal and in love with their significant other. These concepts totally throw me off balance and as whacked out as it sounds I almost feel like I'm socially retarded. And it's not like it's based on one or two experiences...it's as if the entire world has accepted a flippant and flighty lifestyle of shallow lusts and half-ass promises of endearment. Am I alone in feeling this and doomed to be sapped away by the manipulative predators in the world? I sure hope not.

Lost

Things change. Can't try to live in the past when the world has moved on. So just let it go.

Concept for a tree painting

Here's a concept for a tree painting I want to do. Since my phoenix painting I really have become interested in texture and using different materials placed on the canvas and painted over with oil. For this one I'm actually thinking of stripping bark off of trees and placing it on the actual trunk and then painting over it for some cool textures. What do you think?

Pain

Logos?

I did some logo designs for the game: 1 for the game overall, and two depicting symbols for the two different factions. The tree icon represents the Gaeans, forces of nature, and the one on the right represents Da Vinci's Acolytes, the insane zealots of technology. The designs were highly influenced by another style...maybe too much. I suppose if you can guess it then they probably need to be retouched a bit =P What do you think?

Winter

"I run off where the drifts get deeper. Sleeping beauty, she trips me with a frown. I hear a voice, 'You must learn to stand up for yourself, because I can't always be around."

"Winter"
-Tori Amos

Quick Concept Sketch?

Sooo, after researching some examples of concept art, I decided to try my hand at one of those quick color sketches. It's not terrible, and it took me a little over an hour an a half? But it's my first one so it can only get better, right?