Artist, Tristan Henry-Wilson @ jamuse

The Black Cat, final

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:47:15 GMT

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The Black Cat
14 x 18
oil on panel
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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It's been a while since you've seen a finish oil painting from me. This is actually the first completed "illustration" of this year. I've been spreading myself around on private commissions and stuff. I'm really happy with this one and I'd like to submit it Communication Art's Illustration Annual and use it for the next post card.

Though this is the revamp on an older illustration the look back is actually a big step forward for me. Concept concept concept! I'd rather be know for being clever then someone who can paint a pretty girl.

I've been e-mailing a few illustrators i really respect for advice and a crit of my portfolio. I'm ironically happy to hear a lot of them are too busy to talk right now but they'll get back to me. I love hearing about illustrators that are busy illustrating.

I heard back from one of the greats in the buisness today Tim O'Brien. I don't think he'd mind me posting part of what he wrote:

Hi Tristan,
Ah, what to do with realism? I think that's the main question, or, that's what I would ask.
I started around the time my old friend Jerry Lofaro did and back then realism was in vogue. I found myself not satisfied with only doing book covers so I tried for editorial work. It worked out. That was not the answer though. I need work from every place; book covers, editorial, and advertising and institutional stuff.
Together it's a career.
I saw your stuff before but I don't know how. I probably noticed it and clicked a link that made me look. Really solid stuff. The figures of people (women) in environments such as chairs, couches is attractive but hard to use to get work. The music related stuff is quite nice and it's that sort of rendering that will make clients take notice. I'm only going by what I saw in a few minutes. It appears you can paint anything. I teach illustration a few places and one thing I tell my students is to not have too many paintings of 'roommates doing stuff'. You are smart to 'assign' yourself real world assignments. Make sure the things you do decide to paint are not too student oriented. Relationship topics, recognizable portraits like Sarah Silverman are great as are paintings of people who are out of their 20s.

If you would like, keep me in the loop. I would be happy to help out.

His remark about not painting my peers and aiming for older subjects and subject matter was a real eye opener. The encouragement just gets me excited to illustrate and conceptualize again!

Finally, anyone interested in prints of this image?

We are the youth in debt thumbnails

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:10:27 GMT

Jerry LoFaro is a traditional airbrush illustrator turned "all digital" in 02 from New Hampshire. When i was in high school in NH i had the chance to be apart of the "Art All-State" in NH. You compete to be selected then spent the weekend with working artist. I spent the two years i participated with Jerry and he introduced me Spectrum.

I found him via Jamuse.com and we've been e-mailing. He's invited me to his studio and I think that's JUST what i need. I haven't been able to hang out with any painters much less illustrators in forever!

I asked him for a crit of my portfolio and this was his run down after he told me he was impressed with my work.

A little tough through email, but here goes...

The paintings of the woman are nice, but are more reflective of a fine
art than illustration portfolio.

In Rainbows is conceptually interesting, but lacking in dynamics &
excitement.
Same as with Spoon.

Sarah would benefit from a dark background & punchier highlights.

Your strongest piece from an emotional & engaging aspect is the Space
Race.
Nice burst of color with floating candy. Could use more drama & dynamic
composition,
but this is very promising. The understanding comes with working hard
at your craft.

I like your sketch of the train with wings - that's something that
could be developed.

Assign yourself a bookcover from a contemporary author...

Music is important to you - create a cd coverhttp://www.jamuse.com/poster for a band you
love...

Real world? You need to do a piece about what it's like to start
adulthood 80k in debt...
that's a concept that would resonate across the board!

It's hard not to agree with him. I wouldn't say he's from the "old school" but old enough. It's not like i was high on my horse but his critique really put my portfolio into perspective.

I'm glad that it didn't bum me out. In fact it made me excited! I feel like i've got some more direction instead of "add some more guys."

I feel like i really need to go back to my conceptual roots as an illustrator. My strongest qualities as an idea solver was my synergisms as one professor called it. The morphing of two objects or concepts together to make a point. I think i can ease my work into that without abandoning my love of showing the figurehttp://www.jamuse.com/expression.

I'm always asking myself as a realistic painterhttp://www.jamuse.com/illustrator "what makes you stand out more than just photographyhttp://www.jamuse.com/photoshop."

So that brings us up to date. I fell in love with the Youth in Debt idea and i don't know why i hadn't thought of it before. Here are some thumbs.

..
"We Are the Youth...In Debt"
thumbnail sketches
oil on panel

The concept is three young adults standinghttp://www.jamuse.com/floating in glass money symbols filled with green liquid. The foremost is a young male with fist to the glass. I'd really like to capture his expression of dread as he stairs intensely. His liquid level about chest high.

The second symbol has a young female with a designer purse with her head just barely above the liquid.

The final is a silhouette of a young adult in cap and gown, liquid completely filling their symbol.

as far as compositions I'm leaning toward #5.

whatcha think?

cheers!

We are the youth in debt thumbnails

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:09:37 GMT
Jerry LoFaro is a traditional airbrush illustrator turned "all digital" in 02 from New Hampshire. When i was in high school in NH i had the chance to be apart of the "Art All-State" in NH. You compete to be selected then spent the weekend with working artist. I spent the two years i participated with Jerry and he introduced me Spectrum.

I found him via Jamuse.com and we've been e-mailing. He's invited me to his studio and I think that's JUST what i need. I haven't been able to hang out with any painters much less illustrators in forever!

I asked him for a crit of my portfolio and this was his run down after he told me he was impressed with my work.

A little tough through email, but here goes...

The paintings of the woman are nice, but are more reflective of a fine
art than illustration portfolio.

In Rainbows is conceptually interesting, but lacking in dynamics &
excitement.
Same as with Spoon.

Sarah would benefit from a dark background & punchier highlights.

Your strongest piece from an emotional & engaging aspect is the Space
Race.
Nice burst of color with floating candy. Could use more drama & dynamic
composition,
but this is very promising. The understanding comes with working hard
at your craft.

I like your sketch of the train with wings - that's something that
could be developed.

Assign yourself a bookcover from a contemporary author...

Music is important to you - create a cd coverhttp://www.jamuse.com/poster for a band you
love...

Real world? You need to do a piece about what it's like to start
adulthood 80k in debt...
that's a concept that would resonate across the board!

It's hard not to agree with him. I wouldn't say he's from the "old school" but old enough. It's not like i was high on my horse but his critique really put my portfolio into perspective.

I'm glad that it didn't bum me out. In fact it made me excited! I feel like i've got some more direction instead of "add some more guys."

I feel like i really need to go back to my conceptual roots as an illustrator. My strongest qualities as an idea solver was my synergisms as one professor called it. The morphing of two objects or concepts together to make a point. I think i can ease my work into that without abandoning my love of showing the figurehttp://www.jamuse.com/expression.

I'm always asking myself as a realistic painterhttp://www.jamuse.com/illustrator "what makes you stand out more than just photographyhttp://www.jamuse.com/photoshop."

So that brings us up to date. I fell in love with the Youth in Debt idea and i don't know why i hadn't thought of it before. Here are some thumbs.

..
"We Are the Youth...In Debt"
thumbnail sketches
oil on panel

The concept is three young adults standinghttp://www.jamuse.com/floating in glass money symbols filled with green liquid. The foremost is a young male with fist to the glass. I'd really like to capture his expression of dread as he stairs intensely. His liquid level about chest high.

The second symbol has a young female with a designer purse with her head just barely above the liquid.

The final is a silhouette of a young adult in cap and gown, liquid completely filling their symbol.

as far as compositions I'm leaning toward #5.

whatcha think?

cheers!

Spectrum Submission

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:02:59 GMT
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Ok let's try this again. I've been submitting to Spectrum's annual since 2002 and each year no dice!

Here's hoping my niece has more appeal to the judges than entries past.

two new prints and a sketch

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:39:54 GMT
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Naomi

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Courtney

Two new prints available

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Vinyl
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

New Prints Available

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:24:15 GMT
Prints are now available through inPRNT for you last minute holiday shoppers. Treat yourself or someone you care for to something nice and AFFORDABLE to display.

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We're Like Crystal

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Good Times For A Change

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Dawn

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A Taste of the Space Race

More prints will be available soon. If there's an oil painting you'd like to see as an available print please let me know.

cheers!

Er1c

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:00:59 GMT
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er1c
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

Becareful what you ask for

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:09:06 GMT
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sheenamay
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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Evil Cactus
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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vive.la.libertine
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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Cesar
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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I Say Death
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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Batcavity
ballpoint pen on white Strathmore sketchbook paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

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LovelyGrasshopper
ballpoint pen and gouache on paper
available for purchase
find more illustration at thewhiteleaf.com

I started the BME portrait calendar at the beginning of this year but it fell through as per lack of participants. I love iam.bmezine.com and still wanted to do something for the people. Sooooo i said that i'll sketch anyone that comments from not to Jan for free. they can purchase the sketch for cost of shipping and donation if they want but they don't have to.

So far i have about 200 participants. I'm sure that seems like a lot to them but in reality i could pull that off in few days. It's more fun practice and with no deadline on my part i can put a little more fun experimentation into the sketches. It's a fun break from the work.

My next sketchbook will almost certainly be white strathmore. it loves my pen! I get far less splotches, it's softer and more absorbent than the recycled paper.

I'm finally starting to produce that super smooth shading I've always wanted with the ballpoint. I have to thank the paper. I love it! If it were a heavier weight it would be perfect. it's 60lbs.

If you're wondering why the drawings are so funky it's because they created several photos sorta Picasso'd together. it's fun; i like it.