Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Horribly Green Queen of Diamonds Sketch

Here is the sketch of a Queen of Diamonds I've been working on. Its this horrible shade of green, because somebody got carried away in Photoshop (I'll see if I can't fix it one of these days, or even rescan it). I went with a kind of tattered looking card for the vintage/retro feel, and as you can see, she's one of those tatted up pinup models that are all the rage these days, kind of generic now. You see, the original concept was for fan art of a specific model, one of my "friends" on MySpace, but when I was looking through her album of fan art, I saw that someone had beaten me to it. So, I just went with a cute little pinup gal, no one in particular. I guess that's what I get for snoozing.

Oh, and just a heads up, posts might be a bit sporadic until the holiday season is over, but I'll try to get back on track for the new year.

Faber-Castel Pitt Oil Based Pencil (soft) on some yellow paper I found a *hundred years ago, when I was a janitor.

*not really, it just feels like that long ago.


Monday, December 1, 2008

New T-shirt Shop

Notice anything new on this blog? Check the sidebar and you'll notice I have a new T-shirt shop with Zazzle, and by golly, just in time for the holidays. The sidebar panel only shows 3 products per day, but you can my complete gallery here. Can you imagine the looks of joy and excitement on the kids faces come Christmas morning? In addition there are more new designs a-coming, so don't forget to check back. The only down side is that Zazzle has some age filters, so you may have to create an account to see all for my products.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Beacons: Unfinished Splash Page

Hey Kids, sorry for the missed posts, I've been busy with T-shirts lately, so haven't posted like I should, but I'm trying to beat the holiday deadline. Anyway, this is something from 2005, its the splash page for a graphic essay (an essay in comic book form) which I never finished. The title is Beacons, and it was to be about depression and hope, but I never got around to finishing it, although it may happen someday. Just for the record, the image in the bottom right corner, is actually a photograph that I took of the spiral stairway at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport Oregon. Hmm, the more I look at this, the more I would like to return to this project, although I would need to start over completely, if for no other reason than my skills have improved since I first started.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Devil 8-Ball

This is the design that sent me down the path of T-shirt designer. It has consistently been the best seller on my CafePress T-shirt shop, Evil Virgin Tees, and I plan to re-design it and offer it on my new shop I plan to open very soon with Zazzle, just in time for holiday shopping. Very exciting stuff here at the Vintage 66 Graphics camp, so stay tuned kids.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Almost Nakey Tattooed Girl

Well here she is in all her nearly naked glory, a cute little retro tattooed gal. Hmmm. Looks like she's getting ready for something, you're free to make up your own story if you like. From the almighty sketchbook.

Friday, November 14, 2008

More Big Thighs

Seeing a pattern here? Yeah, its another cute little gal with big thighs. I've gotten to the point where I don't even question my peccadilloes anymore, I just embrace them and go with it. From the almighty Sketchbook, darkened in Photoshop for the sake of visual clarity.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Skirt Girl With Big Thighs

Indeed, you don't get many of these to a pound. From the almighty sketchbook; pencil darkened in Photoshop for the sake of visual clarity.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Curvey Topless Girl

Been busy lately so I had to go back to the archives again. This is one I did sometime last year, it came out alright, although her breasts are a bit lopsided, I guess I could lie and say they really are lopsided, except this sin't a real person. What I did was take part of the pose from a photograph, and made up the rest. Markers & Copic Art Pens on Watercolor Paper.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Song of Ra: T-shirt design

This one, titled: the Song of Ra, was in my head for quite some time before I got it out, and incidentally its just one of several versions. I'm not sure what to do with it, perhaps a T-shirt design . . . Hmmm, now that I think of it, that would be great, although probably not the way it is now, there will most likely be refinements. Illustrator CS.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Devil Girl: Lady Luck

As I mentioned not too long ago, I have been focusing on T-shirt designs lately. This is one which is probably going to make the final cut, although there will probably be some modifications before it goes to print. It pretty much speaks for itself, just a gambling themed devil girl with a retro feel. Illustrator CS.

Monday, November 3, 2008

The Profile Project

This was my submission for the 2008 Myspace Profile Project, I don't know that it was officially sanctioned by the MS folks, but my friend Salana put this project together. The idea was that interested artists would all sign up, and then we would each be assigned another participant's profile. We would then do a portrait of our assigned artist, based solely on their artistic style. A really cool idea, and the artist I was assigned was a gal from Spain. Her entire page is in Spanish, and since I don't know much of the language, it forced me to rely only on her art. It was a lot of fun to do, but sadly it didn't pan out as we had hoped, since many of the participants had to drop out out the last minute. I told Salana not to feel bad, and that trying to get all those creatives from all over the world organized and on deadline, would be very much like herding cats. In other words, nigh on impossible, because as most would agree, creatives thrive on "organized" chaos. Nevertheless, I now have a new portfolio piece that I'm quite pleased with. Illustrator CS

*Update: My gosh looks like I need to resize the full size image, it is huge. I'll do it soon.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

StaggerSkull: A Couple of Older T-shirt Designs

As I mentioned the other day, I've been a bit busy, so a couple more from the archives. These are variations on a T-shirt design called StaggerSkull, which I did . . . Hmmm. I'm not quite sure when, but it has been a while. All done in Illustrator (skull from Go Media vector pack).

The standard version in Red.


The ladies version (suggested by my friend, Precious).

Monday, October 27, 2008

Busy With New T-shirt Designs

As of late I've been busy on new T-shirt designs for an online T-shirt shop I will be opening soon, so I dug into the archives and found this one I did of a topless, big hipped gal with a tattoo. Prismacolor markers & Ink on pastel paper.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Murder of Crows: Real Band or Not?

Not! Nope, these are not real bands, nor does the venue exist, oh but imagine if they did. When I was a server, my fellow pubsters and I would often make up band names to keep things lighthearted while the pub went into absolute bedlam. I still make up band names from time to time, and the result is that I often find myself with a head full of fake band names, which leaves precious little room for important things, such as obsolete cocktail recipes (ever heard of a Bronx?) and ribald limericks. What to do? The obvious answer was to create this promotional flyer, if for no other reason, than to make a little more room in my brain for important nonsense. All done in Illustrator CS.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Stubby Lighthouse

This one captures all the rustic, dilapidated charm of the beach trips to the Oregon Coast I remember as a kid. It evokes the smell of damp smoke (from both bonfires and fireplaces) in the salty air, which is one of my fondest childhood memories. Pretty short for a lighthouse, but I'm quite pleased with it just the same. Hmmm. I might just have to revisit this one. Walnut ink & brush and pen on watercolor paper.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Three Lopsided Skulls

More pre-Halloween fun. Yes, they really are a bit lopsided, but this is after all, only a sketch. Besides, it gives them more character, and furthermore, I'm rather pleased with it. Hmmm. That sounds a little defensive doesn't it? Nevertheless, someday you might find a refined version of this on a T-shirt. Walnut ink & brush and pen on watercolor paper.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Polka Dot Panties

Here's a little pinup sketch featuring polka dot panties. Walnut ink & brush, and pen on watercolor paper.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Lovesick Clam

Here is a cute little clam all lovesick and silly. Went to the beach a few weeks ago with my girl, Ace, so I've kind of been on a beach kick lately. Kind of reminiscent of the billboards I used to see along Highways 18 and 101 on the beach trips of my youth. Colored pencil on the back side of pastel paper, less tooth that way.


Monday, October 13, 2008

Skull & Chain

Lots of stuff going on here, so I'll be a man of few words for awhile, but by golly kids sure looks like its that time of year again. Halloween is only a few weeks away, so here is a skully sketch (with a floating wonky chain) to put you in the mood. Walnut ink (really made from walnut shells) & brush, pen, China White pencil on watercolor paper.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Hot New Blog Coming Soon!



Hey Kids! I'm just here to tell you about my hot new blog coming soon. Actually its more of a web page disguised as a blog, or maybe its a blog disguised as a web page, its just be too soon to tell. Anyway, if you're looking for my T-shirts, or custom services such as art, T-shirt design or cartoons (and more) this will be the place. Technically it is there now, but I haven't even posted on it yet, so there is really no point in linking to it. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

-Cheers.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Yet Another New Logo

I really do like my previous logo, but I don't think it represented me and my style completely. It was strong, and very retro, but for me and my style, just a bit too clean. I think that's one of the curses of being a creative, you're just never satisfied with your own work for very long, a little over a month in this case.

So, I jumped back to the drawing board (computer actually) and came up with this one. Its intentionally lopsided a bit, I imagine you could say: more playful. Recently I went to the Oregon Coast with my Girl, Ace, which very well may have inspired me on this new approach. It better brings to mind images of the Historic 101, Route 66, and the Super 99 Highways. I'm really pleased with the retro color scheme too, and someday I think it will look great printed on a T-shirt. This one is a keeper. If you're wondering about the font, it is Square Meal Hearty from the folks at Font Diner.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Pot Roast Guy: Ice Cream Stripes

This is one of my humorous illustrations done in my neo-retro style. Sometimes things are really funny at 4 am, and as I recall that is where this one originated. I wouldn't really call it a cartoon, but the idea was that he would be saying something along the lines of: Oh my stars! My pot roast! When I got the illustration done though, I decided to let it stand on its own, but I still like the name: Pot Roast Guy. So, here he is with a nice striped vintage background reminiscent of Neapolitan ice cream, well except for the teal stripe. He does look quite startled, kind of like the universal look on someone's face who has been walked in on, while they were sitting on the toilet. I'm just saying.

Friday, October 3, 2008

SplitSkull: Spade T-shirt Design

What we have here kids is a one color T-shirt design. I don't know if this one will ever actually go to print or not. I t doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the design, its just that I think I'll be going in a different direction for my first round of T-shirt designs (more in the humorous neo-retro vein). The skull came from the Go Media Vector Pack # 5 (I think), everything else was me. The original version was red and black, and I may just go back to that, but this represents the image quite well.

Speaking of T-shirts, I've been looking into starting an Etsy store, and it looks like a go, so as soon as that's finalized, I'll be updating that info here.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Lots of New Stuff to Come


Well kids it has been quite a while since my last post, but I have been as busy as the proverbial bee trying to get things lined up and so forth. I probably started this blog a little early, and really should have had all this stuff done first. Nevertheless, we have a new month, and I'm hoping to post regularly now.

This is one of my newest illustrations called: Coffee Doofus. This is an example of my neo-retro cartoon style. Some implied scatology, but not overly crude; when you drink to much coffee, it can make you have to go all of a sudden. Still, it seems harmless enough, and somewhat amusing. I'm quite pleased with it overall. Inked and colored in Illustrator.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Woo-Hoo! A Brand New Logo


Well, I'm still scrambling around like an Australian gopher, trying to get everything organized and running smoothly. In other words, touching up some portfolio stuff, building the almighty web site, trying to get PayPal to not be a pain in my ass, just business stuff. In the meantime, here is the almost world premier of my new company logo, I actually did a pre-premier last night on Myspace. Surprisingly, my girlfriend, Ace, was the only one who noticed, but she thought it was pretty nifty. I truly love the red, black and cream retro color combination, in fact, I think it my favorite. Another favorite element is the font, Starburst Lanes (available from Font Diner, if you're interested). It is technically what you might call a "bowling font" yet I find it very versatile. As for the geometric shapes, well they are all Googie influnced, reminescent of the great signs for motels, drive-ins and coffee shops that you might have seen along Route 66 or the Super 99 Highway, back in the day.

Okay, as you can see I'm still not on a regular posting schedule, but I should be soon, so until then, cheers!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

24 Years and Counting

I don't count this post as an official blog post, just some shameless boasting. It's August 27th 2008, that means it has been 24 years since I have done any illegal drugs. I've pretty much quit drinking as well, maybe once every 4-6 months. I was well into my 30's before I trusted myself with alcohol again, and indeed I haven't been to the point of intoxication for those same 24 years. Just to be clear it isn't like it was a major drug problem, mostly dope and the occasional dalliance with cocaine, but even at the age of 18 I could see where things were headed, so I quit. My theory is that there are two kinds of people when it comes to mild recreational drugs, those that can handle it, and those who can't, and I am definitely in the latter category. Just imagine what a mess I would be if I had continued. Man Alive! Now, if I could just kick the cigarettes, I'd be set.

Anyway, in celebration of my 24 years of sobriety, here is another little something from the archives called: The Sad Bastard.

-Cheers.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Jumped the Gun

Well kids, it would seem that I've jumped the gun a bit here. I've been crazy busy with a wide variety of projects, that I really should have done before I started this ol' blog, and that is why I haven't posted much lately. Actually, now that I think about it, I was having tremendous problems with my blog on "another blogging service" (it rhymes with PypeTad). So although I am much happier here at blogger, I am still quite a bit behind in some things. Nevertheless, I will be returning soon with a regular posting schedule, and just to keep you in the loop, there are some really cool things coming down the road, so stop by again.

In the meantime, here is a little something from the archives (meaning my old blog). Its a self promo prototype I did a while back, which I never really used, but at some point, I may revisit this theme, and do a variation on it.

If you're wondering, its marker and ink on either 2 ply bristol or marker paper, I don't remember, of course, when you get to be my age that's to be expected.

-Cheers.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The Dreaded Sketchbook: Douche Bag

Here is a little blast from the past entitled: The Douche Bag. I did this one sometime last year, shortly after a seemingly simple trip to the coffee shop ended in a great deal of irritation for me. An idiot woman pulled her car out of a parking lot and cut me off, which set me off in the first place, because I do not suffer fools gladly. Surprisingly, she was not on a cell phone, however she was talking to her passenger, she never did see me. As luck would have it she was on her way to the very same coffee shop, and of course, since she had cut me off, she was also ahead of me in line. When it is her turn to order, maybe you can see this coming, she had absolutely no idea what she wanted. Seriously! It was as though she had never in her life been to a Starbucks (I'd seen her in this very Starbucks on previous occasions, so I knew that was not the case). Therefore, the little barista gal had to explain all the various nuances for nearly every item on the drink menu to find something this pinhead would drink. Then, (because on days like this there is always a then) this moron douchebag decided she needed something from the pastry case. Lather, rinse, repeat. By the time it was my turn to order, I was seething, and believe it or not, the coffee had expired, and they dumped it down the drain.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Pencil Slut


I've come to the realization that I'm becoming a bit of a pencil slut. I seem to be bouncing from one favorite pencil to another, much like the town trollop on payday. No sooner do I find one I love, than a new one comes sashaying along, enticing me with unimagined charms, and smooth lines. Shortly thereafter the old love will be sitting in a corner of my pencil drawer, forlorn and abandoned, tossed aside like yesterday's cheese.

Before you consider me too much of a freak, let me back up a bit here. Many years ago, I caught part of a show on PBS about ants, and I noticed one of the ant experts was in the field with his sketchbook, using a mechanical pencil to great effect. So, I thought to myself: hmm, maybe I should give that a try. I don't recall what kind of pencils I had been using up until then, but I was soon hooked on mechanical pencils, using them almost exclusively. I never really thought about it very much, and then somewhere along the line I started adding a standard #2 pencil to the mix, I have no clue as to why that seemed like a good idea; if you haven't tried this, it works about as well as a lawnmower with one wheel missing, although not as dangerous. Nevertheless, somehow I failed to notice just how much I was struggling with my drawings and I couldn't figure out why, although I probably just assumed that I was a crap artist. At some point a few years ago I rediscovered colored pencils, specifically using them on colored pastel paper, although I've found that using the back side, which has less tooth, works better for colored pencils. I found myself struggling less, and enjoying the drawing process more, yet I still didn't make the pencil quality connection.

Fast forward to a few months ago, when I discovered Derwent Sketching Pencils, and it clicked: yes, Bob-O, there is a reason they make special drawing pencils, because they work. Thin lines, thick lines, shading, man alive! these Derwents had it all, and I was in love, or so I thought. Of course, this was before I discovered the almighty Derwent Drawing Pencil. It isn't graphite, but seems to be some kind of charcoal-colored pencil hybrid.I asked at the art store, but nobody could tell me definitively what exactly is in them. Not that it really matters to me, because they just plain rock! They're dark like charcoal, but without the dust, and oh so smooth, like drawing with liquid velvet. Okay, perhaps that's a bit too poetic, actually I would say its more like drawing with a skinny black lipstick. However, as wonderful as they are, already I'm finding faults, nothing major, just a bit too smeary, and they become dull too quickly. So while I'm smitten for now, but I know its only temporary.

* Just for the record, the above illustration was done in ink, and colored in Photoshop.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Still No Official Grand Opening . . .but

Yeah I know, I still haven't done the Official Grand Opening posting yet, and truth be told, I may just skip that damned thing and jump straight into the real blogging. So, the plan is that starting next week I'll be shooting for regular posts on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. I have some great ideas on deck, and if you'd like a little hint about the first one, well I've got two words for you: Pencil Slut. Now doesn't that sound enticing. Anyway, be sure and stop by next week to see how the new plan pans out. In the meantime, here is a picture of how my friend, Pea, would look if she were a fish (which she isn't). Have a great weekend.
-Cheers.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Dork-Fest 2008

Hey kids, check it out in celebration of International Dork Appreciation Day, I'm posting a visual feast of dorkiness.

Enjoy!


A somewhat dorky anxious guy.

Just a quick sketch of the rare hipster dork.

uh . . . yeah, pretty much self explanatory.

The magnificent art dork in all his splendor.







Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Coffee Shop Girl

Now here's one I did quite some time ago. I was sitting in a Starbucks one evening, when this lovely young woman came in. She just naturally struck this great pose while she was waiting to be helped (there were actually people ahead of her in line, but I didn't put them in). Anyway, I recorded it in my trusty sketchbook, and then nearly a year later as I recall, I did this digital version. More of a practice piece than an actual illustration.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Route 66 Girl

Sorry kids, I've been a little busy, and somewhat scatterbrained as of late. A while back I was working on this really cool illustration of a cute little hitchhiker gal with a desert background, kind of a Route 66 feel to it. Well, fortunately I saved the girl as a separate file, because shortly after that, my computer took an enormous poop. The nearly completed illustration was lost for ever, as was my desire to create it (or re-create it). So after I got the computer fixed, I came up with this version. This was actually published last year in an online magazine called Off Beat Pulp (issue #1). Now that I think of it, my "All Aces" pinup girl was published in the same issue as well.

Okay, cheers for now, and I'll try to keep up on posting a little better. Oh, and I will be doing the grand opening/official introduction post soon, also.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Topless Hula Girl


Hey Kids, this is just a quick sketch (from quite a while back) of a topless tattooed hula girl. Overall, I'm rather pleased with the results. maybe I should start coloring my sketches in Photoshop. Maybe I'll do that one of these days, and we'll revisit her. I don't know why, but I've been in a Tiki mood as of late, must be the Summer.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Redhead in a Sun Dress (minus the dress)


I know what you're thinking: Jeeze Bob-O, you forgot the sun dress! Well, you're absolutely right . . . in a way, in actuality its more like I abandoned the sun dress. You see, I have this thing for sun dresses, not really a fetish min you, but more of an obsession. Anyway, I had this great idea for a sketch of a cute little redhead in a sun dress, but as things progressed, and I was so happy with her lovely curves, I just couldn't cover them up. Nevertheless, here she is: a quite naked little cutie in all her curvy glory.

-Cheers.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Just a little more testing

I'm just testing the scheduled post feature, so this will be coming down soon, unless I forget, which I guess is to be expected at my age.

Vintage 66 Logo Black & Cream

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

All Aces

This one is actually from last year, but it is one of my favorites. Just a cute little gal with no pants and a bunch of aces

Come Hither

This sketch is one of my girlfriend's favorites. Oh, and for professional reasons, I should clarify, this is not a sketch of her.

Daisy and Her Glorious Bare Bottom

Well golly, here's Miz Daisy and her glorious bottom, this is the uncensored version, by the way.

Testing

Don't be alarmed I'm only testing a few things out. The grand opening will be coming soon. In the meantime its my company logo.



Vintage 66 Logo Color