Heroes and Villains SKETCHBOOK PROJECT

Green Lantern / graphite on paper / 2012

It's the last day of January and I succeeded by the skin of my teeth in completing two Superhero Projects to kick off 2012.  My Hero | My Villain was a very successful exhibit this past Saturday night at No Egrets Tattoo here in Clarksville.  After the riotous bedlam of this one night event, it was right back to the drawing table Sunday and Monday to finish up my Sketchbook Project for Brooklyn Art Library in New York.  The theme assigned to me was Heroes and Villains and the book had to be postmarked today for its inclusion.  I'm happy to say it is on its way in care of the good folks at the USPS.

With this new book of graphite illustrations, I now have three different volumes of my work included in Brooklyn Art Library's permanent collection.  Patrons can sit down and flip through literally thousands of sketchbooks from artists living at all corners of the globe.  My previous submissions were much more lowbrow where I went through and covered the books in a plethora of wild imagery with my trusty markers.  This year, I decided to take a more tradition route and do actual sketches with only pencil.  In my everyday illustration, I generally do preliminary sketches but don't build them up much, only using it as a guide for my inked linework.  Each of the 14 comic characters took about 2-3 hours each to get them where I wanted them using only the medium of a mechanical pencil. 

Thanos / graphite on paper / 2012

Daredevil / graphite on paper / 2012

The Heroes and Villains sketchbook will go on a World Tour before finding a permanent home on the shelves of the Brooklyn Art Library.  Cities hosting the tour include Chicago, Portland (Oregon AND Maine,) Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles.  The book will travel internationally also to Vancouver and Toronto in Canada, Melbourne in Austalia and London, England.  Click HERE for the official calendar to see where you can catch the tour LIVE and in person!  Can't make it in person?  Check out this video of the entire book!

The Joker (in the Eyes of Pop Surrealism)

BAM! POOF! BANG!  I'm movin' right along this month with my two superhero themed projects which will culminate at the end of the month with My Hero | My Villain (an art exhibit at No Egrets Tattoo) and The Sketchbook Project (which will tour the globe in a traveling interactive exhibit before being housed in The Brooklyn Art Library.)  Here's a second helping from The Sketchbook Project where my assigned theme is Heroes & Villains...

Graphite on Paper / 2012

Click HERE for yesterday's sneak peak of The Sketchbook Project with my Batman!

The Dark Knight (in a Straight Jacket)

I'm in superfanboy mode here at DREGstudios! this week with two comic-themed projects this month.  I'm knee deep in my comics and graphic novels scouring for ideas to fill up a sketchbook for Art House Co-op, who do some wonderful group projects collaborating artists from across the globe.  I've previously participated in two of their Sketchbook Projects, from the which my entries are housed in The Brooklyn Art Library with thousands of others artists' work open to public viewing.  Past Sketchbook Projects have gone on tour across the United States, Canada, and Europe before resting on the shelves of this one-of-a-kind library.

Click HERE for a post on my last Sketchbook Project!

For their 2012 World Tour Project, themes were given and I was assigned "Heroes and Villains."  Irony and laws of attraction always seem to align with the compulsion to create taking me by the seat of my pants.  I'm also slated to do an interactive installation at My Hero / My Villain at No Egrets Tattoo here in Clarksville (a one-night extravaganza on January 28th.)  Check out my New Year's Day HULK SMASH post for more!

As the next couple of weeks pass, I'll be giving you some previews of the work for these shows.  Today's sneak peek is special though because it will really be the only work which bridges both the My Hero / My Villain exhibit AND my Sketchbook Project.  Bats is always my favorite because he doesn't have any powers, he's just insane; this insanity being the inspiration behind my first sketch for my Heroes and Villains theme.  I'll also be doing a painting from this sketch for my interactive display at the end of the month!

Batman as the patient at Arkham? 

Hulk Smash on New Year's Day

Kablam!  I'm kicking off 2012 on the right foot today after a five hour painting session at The Wolfman's house where we were working on new eye goodies for My Hero / My Villain, our next art exhibit at No Egrets Tattoo Studio and curated by Joe Melanson.  This one night exhibit takes place Saturday, January 28th!  Check out the Facebook Event page and RSVP when you Click HERE!

Here's my Transformation of the Incredible Hulk which I pounded out today as my first piece which will be displayed!  

Check out the process pictures below from start to finish of the Big Green Nasty...

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