Eat Your Art Out: Live Painting

"Untitled" / 28 x 48" / acrylic on canvas

This beast-tastic explosion was my live art contribution to Eat Your Art Out 6, this past Saturday. I rocked it in a solid, 3-hour session of paint-slinging, people-chatting, and beer-spilling action.

Kudos to my fellow live artists: Jim Mahfood, Andy Howell & Matthew Powell. And many thanks to Jane Dope & friends, The Angel City Derby Girls, and everyone else who helped make this year's event such a blast!

"... telling me I need a girl who's as sweet as a dove, for the first time in my life, I see I need love."
- Dave C.

"Original Energy"

"Original Energy" / 18 x 24"
watercolor, acrylic & ink on canvas

Here's another new piece for 2013. This one was inspired by a few lines from the Walt Whitman poem, "Song of Myself."

"Bust a Travis Bickle when I feel that I'm getting pushed. Don't step to me, cause you're gonna get mushed."

- King Gum Crosland

COMBO ATTACK: 25 Years of Street Fighter

Martial arts video game fans... are you ready to get your guts kicked out!?

I was fortunate to have the culture connoisseurs at I AM 8 BIT invite me to create a new piece for Combo Attack: 25 Years of Street Fighter. This jaw-socking group exhibition collects the work of over 50 artists from around the world, each giving their unique take on this epic, international video game franchise.

My contribution is the drawing above, "Last Night a 'Hadouken!' Saved My Life."

The opening reception kicks off tonight at 7pm, at the I AM 8 BIT Gallery / 2147 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. For more info, visit: www.iam8bt.com/the-gallery/combo-attack

"Dare you face the kick? Dare you face the biggest karate kung-fu blockbuster of them all?!?"

- King Gum Crosland

New Drawings, At Last!

It's been far too long since I last posted! Between the day job, freelance and catching up on commissions, making time to scan and share my work online has become quite a challenge. But the show must go on!

 

The above drawings are actually pencil on paper, save for "Underdog A.D."-- the sinister looking dog in the space helmet. This selection is from the 2009 - 2010 era. I unearthed them, while sorting & storing years worth of sketchbooks, from the late 90's all the way to now.


And I'll have more art to share, soon. As I said, I'm catching up on an outrageous backlog of commissioned drawings. I'm also trying to wrap up some comic book commitments that I've been sleeping on. And, lastly, I have been working on the final 10 pieces of Alphabet Attack! Series 3.


Whew! So you can look forward to seeing more of that work pour out, as it's completed.


"When I watched G.I. Joe, I used to root for Cobra. Used to watch Scarface and root for Sosa, and laugh myself to tears every time the movie's over."
- King Gum

"Crouch"

I actually started this piece during a symposium at Tr!ckster, back in July. Then I worked on it bit by bit, over a month or so. I finally put the kibosh on her today, after fidgeting with the blade a bunch. It's funny... I didn't realize back when I started this, but her pose is totally a study for the "Original Energy" drawing I posted recently. Guess I've got a real thing for crouching female warrior creatures!


The piece measures 9" x 12" and is made of watercolors, gouache & ink on paper. Whoo-paint!


"The brains talk, but the will to live is dead. And prayer can't travel so far, these days."
- Dave

"Original Energy"

This here's a preliminary drawing for a new painting I'm working on. It's based on a brief passage from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself." The piece is watercolors, gouache and ink on paper, approx 9" x 12". The finished painting will be 18" x 24" on canvas.

"Oo-oo-oh! French Fries... with pepper!"
- King Gum

The Letter B is Done. The Letter C has begun!

Alphabet Attack! Series 3 is thundering right along! This week, I wrapped up "Bigot Brutality" and started working on "Coral Carnivore." Visit the blog too see these works in their entirety! www.alphabetattack.blogspot.com


"It was at that time, I swear I lost my mind. Started makin' plans to kill my own kind."
- Dave

Alphabet Attack! Series 3 - Week One

Alphabet Attack! Series 3 has begun! What started off as a daily fan art blog has transformed into an in depth, weekly process blog. See how the first of 26 illustrations, "Almost Anonymous," is progressing so far, at www.alphabetattack.blogspot.com.


"Well the Bible says it's wrong. I'm just left singing this sad song."
- King Gum Crosland

From Pencils to "POP, POP!"

I've been doing my best to document my process, lately. Partially for posterity, and partially to analyze the work as I'm churning it out. Above, you can see some of the jumps from the pencil drawing stage, to the painting and, finally, to the finished piece.

There are lots of decisions made along the way in these color drawings. Some of them are very technical. But there's also a lot of instinct involved. Personally, I'm always trying to find that balance between utilizing learned skills, and letting the beast loose on the canvas.

"Chase these clouds away! I hate this sunless Saturday!"
- Dave