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!!

see you in about a week?

i won't be posting to my blog for about a week, while i'm down at comic con. i thought i'd post a preview of a few things i'll have available at table F1. first, this is a piece that will be in our group zine "fauna vs. flora". the zine has work from some good friends, as well as a couple new friends. The artists included in the zine are Tom Haubrick, Travis Jackson (who also did a great cover for the zine), JAW cooper, lacy mccune, katherine brannok, and myself.a mini painting,
and a small 8 page zine that i put together by folding this painting. it's a limited edition of 38.


i hope this blog entry isn't too confusing. i'm too exhausted to go back and edit! see you all soon...

comic con...and a cool show tonight!!!!!

it's less than a week away... i'll be sharing the booth again with my good friends tom haubrick and eric davison. drop by our booth and say hi! our booth number is F1. if you've dropped by our booth before, we're at the same space.
i've got a bunch of stuff that i'm bringing down with me, so come check it out.

i'll post a bunch of new work soon.for now, i'll post this piece. it's for a show i'm in at WWA gallery in culver city. my piece is posted below the flier...

i should mention this...

i've been holding out on posting this until it was confirmed. this has to be one of the coolest things i've been asked to do. i was contacted by Shauta Marsh of the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art to take part in a group show put on by the museum. I'm really excited to be a part of this. I've copied the following text from the museums website:

The Private Collection of Ginger Gaylord in Mt Comfort Gallery
This show will bring to Indianapolis three of today’s top illustration based “pop surrealist” artists, Ken Garduno (http://www.kengarduno.com/), Angie Mason, (http://www.angiemason.com/), and Christopher Umana.
Ginger Gaylord is one of the pseudonyms a Chicago-based art collector uses when she purchases a piece of art. Gaylord prefers to use a pseudonym because she desires to keep the contents to her collection private. As Gaylord frequently says, “If people don’t know who you are or what you have, people won’t want to steal it.”
Gaylord has long had her pulse on who will take off as an artist being one of the first people to buy a Jackson Pollock and Robert Williams piece.
Curator, Shauta Marsh, met Gaylord in 2008 while working at International Tattoo Art Magazine on a piece about an artist Gaylord had recently collected.
When given the offer to curate the show, Marsh contacted Gaylord looking for artists with an illustration base. “I find illustration, narrative art most appealing,” says Marsh. “Most of us start as children with picture books, then graduate to chapter books. We make pictures in our head as we read. With these works of art, it works in reverse. I see a picture and develop a story in my head. On a well done piece of narrative art, it interacts with your mood or what is going on in your life so a different story emerges each time viewed.”
The artists in this show are a few of the most recent artists Gaylord has collected with an illustration focus. iMOCA is pleased to offer Indianapolis patrons the opportunity to own the work of these artists.

thanks, Shauta! i wish i could be there to thank you in person! check out indymoca.org for more info about the museum, and if you are by chance in the area, check out the show!

crazy for cult

the show is tonight, at 1988 gallery. i thought i'd post my piece for those of you who can't make it to the show tonight. i chose one of my favorite movies from one of my favorite directors...

thank you to all who read and comment my blog!

weekly dig

my piece "three love" is on the cover of the "weekly dig", an alternative weekly out of boston, MA. if you're in the area, pick one up. i've included the cover image below.

i'd like to thank tak toyoshima for the opportunity. i hope to visit boston someday!

extra

because i had some extra time yesterday, i decided to make another piece to donate to a show for a great cause that is coming up. "in darkness"

here is a link to the event in case anyone is interested:

http://streetgiant.com/2010/06/29/bp-cares-art-show-sexy-party/

just in case you can't make it to the show tonight...

these are my two other pieces for the laguna show posted below. the first one is "incident" and the second is "enhanced".