Illustration by José Tagarro. Click image for 1076 x 1508 size.
Search This Blog
Popular Posts
-
Here's the story: an artist is fascinated by falling . He takes pictures of himself falling off different things: ladders, trees, buildi...
-
He's been around for a while. In 2002, for instance, he made the world a better place by putting flags on high-tension electricity lines...
-
The Tea Bag garden is a landscape made of stacked bags of garden soil. The bags, padded like a bench, are essentially soft plant containers...
-
If you want to know what Tim Crouch's An Oak Tree is about, and what it is like, first read his own description . You can also read the...
-
Truly great art has the strange effect of making us, the spectators, feel intelligent. - António Damasio , director of the department of neu...
-
Exactitudes (= exact attitudes), by photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek, is an exercise in style (or rather was, from ...
-
This house which is almost gone. Which still has the lines and weight of a house, yet could very well be called landscape. This house which ...
-
Just so you don't think I'm ignoring you - check out some great projects by Marc Kremers : As found , a site with images found on th...
-
In a comment in the Portuguese daily newspaper Público , my colleague Tiago Bartolomeu Costa commented on a controversial artistic residency...
-
Brick of Coke is part of the Experience the Experience project by Monochrom ( from the site : monochrom is an art-technology-philosophy gr...
Monday, 31 May 2010
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 36
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Friday, 28 May 2010
WHY WE OUGHTA...
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
We cannot go back
The picture - entitled (...) - is by Marek Wykowski. (Found by Gocha)
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Monday, 24 May 2010
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
POP GOES THE WARHOL
Thursday, 20 May 2010
DESIGN: DON'T LEAVE ANY IDEAS IN THE INKWELL
When I sit down and start to draw, I have an expectation that the first concept that comes out will be the "one," as I tend to see the pose in my mind's eye. Well, in some instances your first instinct is best, but you'll soon find out that you'll want to explore more. Don't fall in love with the first thing you do, and don't give up after five minutes either, thinking "I can't do this." On the contrary, push yourself and keep going. When people ask me how do you do that, I usually say "Go to the hardware store and buy a bucket of patience!"
Allow yourself to warm up, half-hour to an hour or so. Soon, you'll find you're on a roll, like a well-oiled machine. One idea begets another, you start to have "aha" moments, and ideas will link one to another. Design elements will start to come together. Don't stop. You'll know at a certain point, when you've reached a comfort level, and realize you've done all you can. You've left no ideas in the inkwell!
Now, look at everything you've come up with, as you'll have quite a variety. Sift through and pick the best ones, say the top five or so --- you also don't want to overwhelm your client with too many options.
Here as an example are some samples for a Zorro statue I did for Electric Tiki's Classic Heroes. An interesting little back story: At the time, Alex Toth was still alive, and we had become good friends. If you've never heard of Alex Toth, please look up his work! He's been coined the Artist's Artist, a master of design and storytelling. He's one of the all time comic, animation and design masters! You ever seen Space Ghost? That's Alex' design.
Well, Alex also illustrated the classic Zorro comics back in the '50s. Who better than him to ask about Zorro? I had told him about my Zorro project and asked him if he had any ideas for a statue. One day, while I was visiting at his home he showed me some sketches he had come up with. One stood out: Zorro simply standing over a roof top, elegant, calm and very Zorro-like. I slapped my forehead and realized, that's the one! So we decided to go with that pose --- it didn't hurt to say that the pose was inspired by an Alex Toth sketch, either! Once our Pop Sculpture book is out, we hope to share many more designs that didn't make the cut, so stay tuned and remember... "Don't leave any ideas in the ink well! " - Rubén Procopio
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 47a
Monday, 17 May 2010
When movement becomes dance
11 min, 16 mm film, B/W, no sound
Camera: Bill Rowley
Edit: Elaine Summers
Dir: Elaine Summers
Prod: Hans Breder, Iowa University
There are two things about this short fragment I love.
The first is the choreography of joy. The slow-motion allows us to better appreciate the flow of the common movement, the combining of the bodies, the contrast between them and everything that happens around them.
But there is something else. The dance becomes obvious at the end, when the movement continues beyond what we expected. Yet there is one earlier moment, one step of the girl coming from "our" side, which makes that clear. At a very precise point, she deviates from the way she has been running, her body bends like a bow and then moves sideways. That is when the simple vectors of meeting become something else - something more complex, less obvious. The bodies, now, create a space for our meeting to go beyond the embrace.
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Saturday, 15 May 2010
POP SCULPTURE: THE VIDEO GAME?
Hear more of Errol's music at Reverb Nation.
Japanese magazine, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 715 x 1000 size.
Friday, 14 May 2010
Magazine Cover, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 1087 x 1529 size.
TONY CIPRIANO: DUKE of DUST - PART 3
This piece was a hell of a lot of fun to finish up. I experimented with materials I don't normally use, like styrene & brass.
Both portraits were done in wax, as were the gloves, hair and boots. I carefully cut out a bunch of small rectangular shapes to add to his legs and arms. Tough to see in the images, but these little orange strips are textured. Even though the detailing of the arms will be completely obscured by his coat, I wanted to give this 100% and not cut corners. I cast a resin copy of his left hand, and added two different sets of playing cards. On the 'regular version', the hand will hold a single card. On the Sideshow Exclusive version, he will come with an extra hand, holding several splayed out cards which are being charged with his trademark kinetic energy. Both versions come with the interchangeable portraits. The little stripes on the 'classic' version's chest are also tiny strips of styrene for depth
I hope that this demo helps some of the youngins' out there. What I would not have given to have a book like this 20 years ago!!!!
Please support the efforts of Tim, Zach and Ruben on this book. I know my copy will be dog eared in no time & always within reach . This is going to be the toy industry sculpting bible, folks. Don't miss it. Hell...buy 2. Study it. Caress it. Don't set your coffee mug on it! Read it under your covers with a flashlight.... If it does well, maybe we can talk them into Volume 2!!!! HOOOOO HA!
Cheers!
TC
Thursday, 13 May 2010
GILBERT and GEORGE DO POP SCULPTURE
Magazine Cover, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 698 x 999 size.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Japanese magazine, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 713 x 1000 size.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
FRANK
I remember walking from my parent’s house to the liquor store in town, It was only a couple of miles, but for a kid, it seemed like half way across the country. But the anticipation of buying the latest Creepy or Eerie magazine made the journey feel like an Atlantic crossing. If it had a Frazetta cover, I bought it. If not, it was an awfully long way home. His stuff hit you in the gut. There was no abstracting the impact. He created a world that was both frightening and enticing. And seductive. Definitely, seductive. Many years later, when statues began showing up of Frank’s work, I felt envy, jealousy and resentment. Why? I’d made no effort whatsoever to pursue the possibility. I was like the guy writing a song in his basement and being pissed off because he wasn’t nominated for a Grammy. I know, the irrational crap of a basement dweller, minus the basement. But, as luck would have it, sometime later, my friend, Arnie Fenner, presented me with the opportunity to do a Frazetta. It was Ghoul Queen. As far as I know, its the most linear rendition of Frazetta woman out there. A pen and ink, watercolor drawing that was clearly rendered, almost like a blueprint. As with most things, I was oblivious to the risk. I began the statue with enthusiasm and confidence and within a very short time found myself sinking into regret and doubt. I mean, what the hell? I knew Frank’s work! I grew up with him! I entered his world! Stymied, after hours of being smartly dressed in my hair shirt, I saw what I hadn’t been able to see before. Frank was a great designer… or more to the point, a great re-designer. He recreated humankind to conform to his image. A Frazetta woman could not and does not exist outside the world he created. But in that world, she’s very real. And to make sense of her three-dimensionally, I had to blind myself to my world and see Frank’s. He, inadvertently, taught me how to see. I never got to meet Frank. I had the chance but, selfishly, I wanted him to be the Frank of my imagination, and so passed on the opportunity. Honestly, I’m glad did and regret that didn’t. None the less, I knew him. And I’m eternally grateful for that relationship. Rest in peace, dear friend. Rest in peace.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Japanese magazine cover, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 714 x 1000 size.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
POP SCULPTURE: THE POSTER WITH THE MOST... ER
Japanese magazine, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 715 x 1000 size.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Japanese Beauty, 1930s
Scanned from Taschen's "Japanese Beauties". Click image for 715 x 1000 size.
Friday, 7 May 2010
TONY CIPRIANO: DUKE of DUST - PART 2
Sideshow had given me both of these projects around the same time, so it was great to be able to jump back and forth between them. It kept my eyes fresh. After a few days on one, I'd bounce onto the other piece. When I would go back to the first one, I'd see it with a fresh pair of eyeballs.
Ok...wrapping up the Surfer now. I gave them a 5th arm, cast the three portraits into hard toy wax, and finished up the cosmic dust trails. For the texture on the dust, (FIG.15/16) I mixed up some white Elmer's glue, and simply poured in some play sand form the kid's sandbox in the yard. Woooo!!! It dries clear and gives a nice effect. Sideshow cast the dust arms and base in clear, purplish resin so the effect is pretty cool. I also pulled up the dust trail to come off his foot. This gives added support to the key and hides the key slightly. When finishing a figure in Super Sculpey, I use a very rough grit sandpaper at first to knock down all the Dremel marks. Then progress to a finer grit. Then I use drywall sanding screen in a circular motion. Finally I use 3M brand sanding pads...and lastly, a fine steel wool with a little water. I find that Super Sculpey, when sanded properly, can give you as smooth a finish as any wax.
My Other Blogs
Archive
-
▼
2010
(453)
-
▼
May
(43)
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 35
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 36
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 38
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 - 41
- WHY WE OUGHTA...
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- We cannot go back
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- Gloria Swanson
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- Henry P. Raleigh (1880-1944) A Couple
- POP GOES THE WARHOL
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- DESIGN: DON'T LEAVE ANY IDEAS IN THE INKWELL
- Franz Sedlacek, Winterlandschaft, 1925
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- Ilustração, No. 120, Christmas, December 16 1930 -...
- Madge Evans, 1930's
- When movement becomes dance
- Jindřich Štyrský, Self-Love, 1934
- POP SCULPTURE: THE VIDEO GAME?
- Japanese magazine, 1930s
- Magazine Cover, 1930s
- TONY CIPRIANO: DUKE of DUST - PART 3
- GILBERT and GEORGE DO POP SCULPTURE
- Magazine Cover, 1930s
- Japanese magazine, 1930s
- FRANK
- Hazel Jones & Marion Cameron, 1922
- Japanese magazine cover, 1930s
- POP SCULPTURE: THE POSTER WITH THE MOST... ER
- Japanese magazine, 1930s
- Japanese Beauty, 1930s
- TONY CIPRIANO: DUKE of DUST - PART 2
- Tauentzien Street Team, Berlin 1920s
- Japanese ladies, 1930s
- Bride, groom and bird
- Suzanne Lalique, L'ami du Peuple, 1930
- Almanaque Bertrand, 1934 - A fine way to learn
- Marlene Dietrich, 1932
- Almanaque Bertrand, 1934 - Ridgewell
- Almanaque Bertrand, 1934 - It's easy to catch a liar
- Almanaque Bertrand, 1934 - Ridgewell, To be punish...
-
▼
May
(43)