Here comes the bride.

I did this piece in my free time tonight. It's nice to take the time once in awhile and paint something just for fun. I haven't had a chance to do that lately. I call this piece "Bride of Traveler".
Many more updates soon!

back in action

Actually, I've been in action lately. I haven't had anything ready to post, though. I just finished this commission, and it may have been the most fun I've had working on a project in a long time. The patron wanted a portrait of his girlfriend, so he sent me some reference and let me do my thing...
I hope to get more commissions like this in the future!

just a sketch??

Thats' right. I think this is the longest i've gone without a post recently, and all I have to show for it so far is a quick sketch. I just wanted to have an image to go along with my words, so I drew this up really quick. I've actually been pretty busy working on multiple projects. When it rains it pours in my world, and it's raining a bit. I have a few shows coming up, some cool freelance stuff, and some commissions that I'm working on...not to mention the holiday season that is going to take up some time!

Anyhow, I have new works coming along very soon. Please stay tuned, and happy holidays!

-Ken

This should be cool.

I'm going to be in a pretty cool group show coming up. I'm trying to be a bit more selective on picking shows from now on, but this lineup was too good to pass up! I wish that I could be there for the opening...
These are the pieces that I'm sending up.
"Trails"

"The lesser of two evils"
My thanks goes out to Ryan De La Hoz of Double Punch, for including me in the show and being a cool guy and rad artist.

Kengarduno.com

It has a bit of a facelift if you haven't been there in awhile.

pigs fly

As promised, here are a few images of the shirt design that came out today from GK1988. The shirts are very limited. For the design, we were asked to take their logo and redesign it in our style. This is what I came up with.

Follow this link to take a look!
http://www.glamourkills.com/substore/gk1988

small gift

I painted this small piece as part of a gift for my girlfriend's birthday, which also happened to be Thanksgiving. I've been painting her something for her birthday for the past 8 years! The shirt that I mentioned below will be released in a few hours, so I'll post again then. Meet "Claudette".

tshirt fridays

I have a new tshirt design coming out this friday that is part of a partnership between gallery 1988, and Glamour Kills. This first line of shirts from GK1988 has a cool lineup of artists (Greg “Craola” Simkins, Alex Pardee, Lora Zombie, Brandi Milne, Ken Garduno and Jordan Buckley), and the shirts are very limited.

Check out gk1988.com for their release this friday.
I'll post the shirt as soon as I can.

-K

I am a passenger.

Actually, I haven't been a "passenger" on public transportation in Los Angeles for many years. I do, however, remember what it was like riding the RTD (precursor to MTA for you younger folks) in my high school/early college years. This piece for the latest issue of the LA Weekly is an homage to my early days of bus riding...


As always, my thanks goes out to Jason and Darrick at the weekly!

facelift and sketches.

I'm in the process of updating my website, so I haven't really had a chance to work on new pieces. I'll make sure to post when my updated website goes online. For now, I'm posting these random sketches that I've done this week.
This first sketch is a portrait sketch from a random online picture. I'm trying to work on likeness, and I was pretty happy with this sketch.
These next two will eventually make it to finished pieces...


AND...one more set that i just found. They are also soon to be finished pieces.

By the way, if anyone out there is on Instamatic, look me up under ken1028.
Thanks for checking in!

more.

I just got my twilight zone illustrations back, and I've added them to my etsy store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

keepin' up

I haven't posted in awhile because i've been busy working on a pretty great project. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like the project is going to work out, though. I'll probably post sketches and give you all some details later on. For tonight, I thought I'd make a piece to keep the blog running. "Crowned"
UPDATE: This piece was just added to my etsy store, along with some other new stuff. Take a look!
www.kengarduno.etsy.com

merge

I worked on this piece while I was catching up on a few episodes of Boardwalk Empire. It's a sketch that I drew up a few days ago. I wanted to mix a regular person from my world with one of the alien creatures I've been drawing lately. More to come! "Hybrid 1"

new print and zine

I just returned from the convention, and I thought I'd post a few pics of my new 4-color silkscreen print, and my new small "girl" zine. First, this is an image of my silkscreen. It's approximately 6"x8". I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I think it may be the first successful multi layered print that I've done. It was printed by my good friend and master printer, Danny Askar. If you ever need great quality prints, track him down. I call this silkscreen edition of 50 "happy endings".
This mini zine measures around 4"x 5" inches. It contains images of some of my favorite girl drawings from the past year.

I'll be adding these new products to my etsy store in the next couple days. my etsy store can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kengarduno
I have a limited amount of the zines left, so if you're interested, make sure you keep an eye on the etsy store in the next few days.

Sleep time!

APE

Sorry for the last minute notice, but I've been busy working on stuff since I got back from NY. I'll be up in SF for APE, splitting a table with good friends tom haubrick and emilio santoyo. Come by booth 522 and say hi if you plan on being there.

come to this...

I should mention this before it's too late. If you're in the area, this show will be worth checking out. My alma mater is having a show with a pretty cool artist roster, and I was asked to participate. It's this coming Wednesday.

LA Weekly

I was asked a few weeks ago to illustrate a section of the latest LA Weekly for their "Best of 2010" issue. I had a great time with this assignment. I had to do some 1970's reference research, since that was the decade I was chosen to illustrate. I just got back from New York last night, and I picked up the issue on the way home from the airport. It looks great, thanks to the skills of Darrick Rainey of the weekly.

First, a couple of rejected sketches:


This first image is the full page section opener. The type was changed in the final printed version, but I don't have an image of that. I think it was a great decision by Darrick. The new digitally added type has much more of a 1970's vibe than my hand painted type.

These next three images are the spots that are peppered in throughout the section. Pick up the issue if you get a chance. The other artists he used are really cool too!





Lastly, on a unrelated subject, I wanted to post a page from my sketchbook. I rarely sketch in a sketchbook anymore, but I had 6 hours of free time on the airplane from NY to LA. It's pretty much the only sketch I've done in the last seven days, so I thought I'd share.


Until next time...

sexy time

I got a chance to finish one of my sketches on one of my previous posts as a commission. I'm pretty happy with the turnout. The final piece is around 14"x 18".

illostribute.com

i've been asked to contribute to a cool new illustration blog called illostribute.com. it was put together by toby neighbors (hepcatink.com). his idea for the site is to pay tribute to illustrators past by creating original works inspired by their works. unfortunately, i was too late to pay tribute to jc leyendecker on the first blog post, but i'm happy i had a chance to make a piece inspired by the works of norman saunders. saunders' did many pulp book covers, so i had a great time creating this piece. i'm not sure where "death hand man" came from, but it seemed fitting for this illustration. check out illostribute.com when you get a chance. the norman saunders should be up in the next week or so...


i'm headed to new york on october 1-7. it will be my fourth trip to ny. i'll be roaming around the city, so if you have any suggestions on cool things to do while i'm there, let me know!

a little something...

I don't want to go too long without posting, and since I can't post what I'm working on yet, I thought I'd post some recent sketches that I've done. I'm pretty sure all 3 will make it to a final illustration. I'm thinking of using "the savage" for a future silkscreen, and "space gangs" as a possible tshirt design. Nothing is confirmed with these plans.

Thank you for the nice comments on previous posts. I haven't had a chance to respond on each post, but comments are always appreciated.

strange title

this piece is the result of sketching frustration. i was unhappy with everything that i was sketching today until this piece finally came through. i'm not sure how the title of the piece came to me this time, but as soon as i finished it, the first words that came to mind were "birthday party".

LA weekly

This is my latest illustration for today's LA Weekly. I'm really starting to have a good time working in color. Many thanks go out to Jason Jones at the weekly."Stereoscopic"

pacsun

i realized that i haven't posted anything about my latest tshirt design. the design is not new, but it's one of my personal favorites. the shirt will be available at PACSUN in the next few days. check your local pacsun for availability! the shirt comes with a button with another of my favorite images. i've posted a pic below of my shirt design modeled by my good friend eric davison.
i also posted a piece i just finished tonight...

i have some artwork coming back to me soon, so it's time to make space again. if anyone is interested, email me at kengarduno@yahoo.com and i'll send you some images along with a special discounted price list as soon as i get the available works back.

ginger

i've been working in color pretty often lately. it's a nice break from doing the darker pieces that i've been working on in the last few years. i don't plan on abandoning those mostly gray works, but it's always good to keep exploring!

"spell-caster"

i've added this piece, as well as "being" from the post below to my etsy store...
kengarduno.etsy.com

kachina

i've loved kachina dolls as far back as i remember. i remember my grandmother had a few displayed that somehow have been stuck in my mind ever since i was a kid. i was recently watching a show that mentioned something about a possibility of a connection between kachina dolls and travelers from other planets. that thought has been running in my mind ever since. i'm sure this will be the first of many...hopefully at some point i'll make my own version of kachina dolls. "being"

it seems like awhile...

it's probably only a week, but it seems like a long time since i've last posted. i needed a little break after comic con, but now it's back to work! i was asked by a very nice art patron to do a commission similar to a previous painting i did. i wanted to switch it up a bit, and i'm happy that he asked for a colorized version. i'm always happiest with the results of a commission when i'm asked to "do my thing", and that was the case for this piece, which i've titled "the morning after".

very long post

comic con was a blast! it was great meeting so many cool new people, and indulging in some of the best mexican food that california has to offer.i've posted my remaining images from the group zine that i mentioned in the previous post. i'll post a pic of the cover as soon as i get a chance, as well as make the remaining copies available to those interested. the greyscale images below are from the zine, and the color portraits are mini paintings that i had available for sale.








i have some prints leftover from the following 4 images. the prints are archival on hahnnamuhle fine art paper. the first two are approximately 8.5"x11", $20 (+$5 shipping in the us, $8 international). i'll send along a copy of my limited edition zine with an order of either of these first two prints...



these next prints are on 4"x6" hahnamuhle fine art paper postcards, $10(with same shipping rates as above).



contact me through email if you're interested in any of these prints.my email is kengarduno@yahoo.com.
i've also added the remaining original paintings from the convention to my etsy store. i have a link to my etsy store on the right in my links...

thanks for reading this ridiculously long post!!