Sweet Lion
Goldfish Glow
"Tacoma" UWT Poster
Ani D Album Art
Blossom Dancers Traffic Box Wrap
ArtNow // Walmart Installation
Oh, the Places You'll Go Baby J Invites
Tidal Wave
Fear and Loathing
Ravenhead
Tulip Festival 2023
Dia de los Muertos I
Dia de los Muertos II
Dia de los Muertos III
Día de los Muertos Series
Timeframe: 3 weeks
Client: Private Commission
Roles: Illustration
Tools: Adobe photoshop, Procreate, Pen & Ink
Background: Inspired and craving to learn more about Día de los Muertos, the Mexican tradition of honoring and celebrating the dead is entrenched deeply in the culture of its people. La Catrina is about living your true self and it’s also about not pretending to be someone you are not.
Problem: Día de los Muertos is not Halloween, although they are around the same time, what it means is it is centered around choosing to celebrate the life and memories the person created while they were with them instead of indulging in the fact that they are gone forever.
Solution: Dynamic, celebratory illustrations, rich in color transforming the living into La Catrina. I wanted to make beautiful pieces that inspire people to learn more and know that no matter what you look like and where you come from we all end up as skeletons.
Process
When an idea for a series comes to me I start off with research. I look at traditional folklore, history, and culture around the subject. For this series I was lucky enough to have friends that participate so I got to interview them about their experiences growing up and making alters, remembering their loved ones, and their family experiences. I start pulling imagery, textures, quotes, feelings, that stick out to me and develop tonal territories within a moodboard for me to come back and reference.
My illustrations are supposed to be multiple pieces within themselves. I love working with textures to build up form. It is important for me to be able to incorporate analog marks into my illustrations. I have a library of watercolor and ink marks I’ve made and scanned into the computer to incorporate within my illustrations. These types of marks are difficult to achieve digitally and bring some life and unique qualities to my work. After my initial sketch phase I try to fit them into areas where I can use them for shading or in a spot to draw attention.
I build my illustrations in layers, first I start with an initial sketch for proportions, I build up form with crosshatching or sometimes I go for a smooth traditional graphite piece. When it is time to incorporate color I build my color palate to choose from first. If I need to adjust a specific color I can do it globally when the time comes. I begin in Procreate most of the time and then bring it into Photoshop for final touches, and cleanup.
As I grow as an illustrator, I realize the importance of my pieces being dynamic and multifuntional. I build up the scene in individual layers to be able to customize for more variety. I build analog layers by making stains with watercolors or ink textures and then scan them in to give digital pieces more texture. With this series I challenged myself to have the models wear the makeup and I’m especially proud of the transformation I’ve accomplished within this series.
I really loved working this piece from start to finish. My favorite thing about it was how I challenged myself with layering textures. For this series I combine making analog stains with watercolors and incorporating them into digital pieces and it just breathes so much life and drama into the pieces. I’m in love with the process.
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Free Download with the Promise to Vote
Timeframe: 6 hours
Client: Available for Free Download with Promise to Vote
Roles: Illustration
Tools: Adobe photoshop, Procreate, Pen & Ink
Background: When Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed I was a mess. I felt so much turmoil, misinformation, chaos, fear of the unknown… I wanted to do something. The best thing for me to do is to express myself with art and design. I wanted to inspire people to get out and vote, this was my gift to them for doing so.
Problem: I wanted to make an impact somehow. I wanted to show RBG respect, and memorialize her. I wanted people to get out and vote. How might I inspire people to get out and exercise their democratic right? How might I inspire people to create a piece or messaging of their own?
Solution: Create a strong memorial piece of RBG. Inspire people to vote by making the piece available for free download. Make social posts shareable and encourage people to share the message to get out and vote.
