THE ATTACK

 I only had half a day to complete this from drawing to screen print so i just started drawing on tracing paper with a micron (haven't used one of those in  while...) and had several other layers of tracing paper with ink washes for the diferent colors in the print

Overall I think I like the original drawing on tracing paper best.

this guy is my favorite.

I made about 7 of them because I dint set up any registration marks. I had to eyeball every pull and made sure it fit. The last layer was the black line work screen, and I wouldn't know if I got all the colors printed in the right place till I screen printed the line work. I can say with confidence that every print is VERY different from the next. :)
  below is screen printed only. 5 color screen print.

for the rest of them I applied watercolor washes                                        

For my first screen print of the year I'm pretty ok with it. My inspiration for this piece was the movie, Mongol, Godzilla, Shadow of the Colossus, Contra,   and Josh Cochran's Zombies vs Unicorns. I was asked what the narrative was and that got out of control in the best way possible. I have a few left if anyone is interested in purchasing them.



***strong possibilty that I was also subconsciously inspired by fellow illustrator  Cam Floyd's ATTACK . his is way better though.***

Nick Coward and the Last Battle- CD release!

Nick Coward and The Last Battle had their CD release show last week at The Camel in Richmond VA. I designed/illustrated the album art and hand lettered the type. It was a very long but very rewarding process and seeing them play again was the cherry on top. The final printed cover was much darker than the original colors, but I was totally ok with that.

 It came in a sleeve like a record would.

It was a great show, I'm really close with the bands that played before them and there was lots of friends in attendance. Heres their mypace: http://www.myspace.com/nickcoward

They wanted something based off of the midevel era woodcuts; simple, almost naive. Their lyrics are full of mythology, metaphors and epic narratives so I had a TON of ideas and just gave them a slough of ideas and thumbnails and they decided on the idea that is seen here. So I went with it.
Any time I started planning out anything, placement of the figures, the type, what was going to be in the picture, I would get super frustrated, so I just started drawing at the bottom with a 6B pencil and worked my way up the page and it turned out pretty ok!

Self Portrait

I dont remember the last time I did one... but I'm really digging this direction.

getting closer

yesterday morning over coffee.

Ink and watercolor in a new sketchbook made by M! Thanks M!

+ worry not mortals, the current banner is merely a placeholder for a better more effective one+

+update+ banner replaced. rejoice. +

Gift for a friend/ Current update.

I mailed a sketchbook to a friend and decided to do a small painting (around 5x7") along with it also. She's an incredible draftsman and artist. Check her out. Much props.

I just remembered I showed a preview of the painting in a previous post. 

I realized I really love giving my work away. Anytime someone says they like something, in my head I always reply, "do you want it?" But for now, where I am, one of the most helpful things has been able to constantly pull out some old/recent pieces and learn from those; what I did well,(very little)  what I didn't, (alot) what I need to improve on (everything). Its based on  something I read in The Art Spirit by Robert Henri. By far one of my favorite books and one I recommend constantly.  

I have a few more things in progress/finished that I just need to take some time to properly photograph and edit. Currently I am also a full time Graphic Design student, this being my second major, my first being Communication Arts, VCU's Illustration course, which I finished this past spring. I didn't graduate, but I walked with my buddies that I had learned and grew with the past 3 years.

Plan to see a little bit more of everything on my blog; illustration, photography, maybe some design based stuff too. I'm excited to make this a little more personal and enjoyable for myself and hopefully for everyone and anyone who stops by. Thanks for following, I appreciate it greatly. 

If your interested and have twitter, I post some in progress  and studio shots on twitter and some stuff that I might not post on my blog  +http://twitter.com/WilliamGodwin+

Here's currently what's on my drafting table, a gift/birthday present for another friend. Really excited about this piece. It's taking a loooong time and I can't wait to share.

That's all for now, thanks! Later!

Painting around Richmond

Crossroads. 8x8" graphite and watercolor
Coin Laundry. 5x13" dip pen and watercolor
Rumors. 8x8" graphite, watercolor and acrylic

Bunny Hop.  7x 11" graphite
Crossroads. 8x8" Graphite and Watercolor

This is some work from my last semester in Communication Arts @ VCU. This work was all drawn from life, and painted from life, from photos and from memory. All locations were locally owned and operated shops in Richmond and was also an exersize in getting the life and whatever that's in my sketchbook into my work. I can feel it starting to get there. 

In the end I settled on a size, 8x8" which made it easy to carry around, and on  300 lb Watercolor paper for durability. I hated squares when I started doing these, but now there my favorite. I found that they frame and feel better than something that is almost a square like 3x4 or 8x10. to me at least. Lemme know what you think. thanks!

****UPDATED POST BELOW- PLEASE READ AT THE BOTTOM AND RESPOND IF YOU'D LIKE, THANKS!****

Sufjan Stevens

This is a portrait of Sufian Stevens, done this summer at the Illustration Academy. 

His music being primarily "folk" I thought that having it in cut paper would give it that folky feel. Many of his songs are about the American landscape and certain cities and states. I placed  him in this "American landscape"( I tried). I made him like a giant, which is kind of a metaphor to the big sound of his music, and his pose, somewhat childlike because of his shy nature. Almost like the landscape is his playground for his music and experimentation.

It was fun and different from what I have done before, but there is something about this piece that I hope to keep in my work. 

I cut so many different types and shapes of everything that I could have made 4 of these pictures by the end of the week, haha.

Every piece was painted, cut out and stuck on. An enjoyable, but much longer process than I thought, but enjoyable nonetheless. Let me know what you think, comments, crits, etc. thanks!

Chewie!

Hey everyone, I'm finally getting settled in my new place in Richmond, VA, and had some time to finish this portrait of everyones favorite wookie, Chewbacca; It was an exercise in combining ink and watercolor. I was just working on the head, but thought I should take it as far as I could as a finished piece.

More coming soon as far as some new studio shots, pieces from the Academy, sketches, etc.

Thanks for stopping by!

yesterdays sketch

Feels good to be back in the sketchbook. Started a new one, made by Kunst and Papier, found at New York Central Art Supply. 6"x 8.25". Gettin back in the flow...

In the Sketchbook

 This is a small portion of recent stuff, It's become harder to share sketchook stuff... Maybe because it's become very personal to me... most of which I haven't shared :)