I was born in San Francisco a few weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis. (I wasn't yet a month old and already in a world of trouble!) I was the second child of four kids and thought of by most of my family as the strange but quiet one. After a lackluster career in High School, I went off to Junior College and later enrolled in the Academy of Art College. There at the Academy, I earned a BFA degree in Illustration.
I'm currently an Adobe Certified Expert in Adobe Illustrator 10. Though since leaving school I've used many different graphic programs for the computer;. I've recently decided to focus on creating artwork in Illustrator. Vector based art allows for the widest range of final options and usage for my work. I can create artwork without worrying that it may be too big or too small for whatever print usage I may want to do with it later. Also the smaller file sizes vector art allows for easier transfer of my work over the Internet to vendors and clients.
Queen Snake
Description This image highlights some of the advantages and problems with the way I create illustrations compared to photography.
The main advantage illustration has over photography is how you have total control over the reality you create. With photography, no matter how well you know photoshop, you are still limited by what you can capture in the camera. (Mellissa was a great model to work with but I doubt that I could have convinced her to pose with two live snakes.)
The biggest disadvantage with illustration is that you have create everything! All of Mellissa's tattoos, all the blood, the snakes, everything has to be drawn one piece at a time. In Photography the camera does all the heavy lifting. In illustration, you do. I created separate files for different elements in order to focus better on details and save on processor power. I then paste each element when they are done into a master file for the file piece. All this take a lot of time and I'm lucky if I can get out two new pieces a month working this way.
But if I was working in traditional media, I would still have all these problems plus the added steps of waiting for the paint to dry and having to scan the image to place on the web. So I am working faster than I would if I was an oil painter. I guess if I want to do more I just have to wait until I get to the part where I can quit my day job and just spend my days making art. Hopefully it will be before I'm too old to enjoy it.
Application Illustrator
Labels Fantasy, Pop Art, Portraiture
Times Viewed 1552
Approved By Huan
26 March 2008 - 15:58
Comment From
Todd Macadangdang (toddm)
What an image! And great, great comments! That's what we like to see!
27 March 2008 - 13:07
Comment From
Russ Cox (SmilingOtis)
Great piece of illustration as well the pros and cons.
4 April 2008 - 17:24
Comment From
Junior Chacón (juniorfco)
