Even more process shots of a poster I designed for the Melvins Lite @melvinsdotnet show at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. A CEMETERY!!!

Process:
So the other difficult part for me was drawing the muscles and tendons of the hand. Dude…my brain almost melted. I had to put the pencil down a few times and take a walk around the block. I guess it would have been much easier if I had some anatomy book that showed the hand in this pose. Drawing this stuff was kinda new to me and it was sometimes frustrating. Stupid growing pains grumblegrumblegrumble.

As much I dread working on the hands I was very happy with the end result. Every time I hafta draw the bones I try to do a better job than the last. If you look at how many times I’ve drawn the bones of the hand throughout my poster career you’ll see slight changes or evolution each time. I want to understand how each bone fits and functions with the others. Each time I get a little bit closer to understanding. Plus I’m too lazy to buy a skeleton. Sometimes I’m just retarded.

Every time I’m about to lay down the first line of ink I pick an area of no consequence…in case there are some cobwebs that need to work themselves out. It had been a month (cuz of conventions and travel and lots of sketching) since I had inked anything. So I pick a place to practice that will get covered up eventually.

I’m using a Windsor-Newton series 7 #1 brush and some Dr Martin’s hi-carb black star ink. When I first started inking with a brush I bought as many cheap brushes I could. The W&N’s are expensive and I couldn’t afford them. I suggest you do the same. It’s kinda like learning how to drive stick with a piece of shit car or a brand new sports car. I’d rather learn on the beater. Not that I know anything about driving. But I ruined a lot of cheap brushes as I was learning to use them. It didn’t hurt so much when I destroyed a $5 brush as it did when I demolished a $30 brush. Ya heard?

I had less time to ink this piece than I did with the Swans. So I kinda had to get it right the first time. It was a bit daunting but also a relief knowing that I couldn’t obsess over a certain area because the deadline was looming. When some artists are in this position they adapt and find more economic ways of problem solving. Try it. It fucking sucks but it’s also fucking awesome because you learn a lot. Let your style evolve.

If you peeped the photo reference I used for the Monster then you’ll see that he’s cropped a little high in the waist and tight in the arms. I drew beyond that as a “just in case”. In the past I’ve licensed my work for secondary markets and they would ask for a different crop of the art and I never could provide that because I had only drawn what was in the image space. Also if I need to resize the art or move it I was kinda screwed because I didn’t have any extra art to work with. So yeah. That’s part of my neurosis. I don’t like working on a piece after I’ve already finished it.

Ok the other photos were taken for friends when they would text me throughout the night asking about the progress. My response was a photo and “send booze or donuts.” I got neither. I need new friends.

Ok Ramblers I’m done rambling. I’ll post the rest tomorrow. I’m hungry.

My email has been blowing up about when the prints will go up on sale. I’m juggling some projects right now so the best way to find out is by signing up to my nerdsletter on my site. Wish I could tell you more about the other stuff but yeah I can’t.