Freelance illustrator James O’Brien’s blog

Here is a version without the text. This donkey-ear concept was of course inspired by Pinocchio’s trip to Pleasure Island with Lampwick.

Tags: brush pen, celebrity, face, lettering, Mel Gibson, Pinocchio, portrait

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the contrast between the pink and the dark blue so I reduced the palette to a simpler monochromatic light blue and dark blue. Above is the two-color version with separations below.

Tags: brush pen, celebrity, face, lettering, Mel Gibson, portrait, screenprint

Fused the ears to the head a bit more, added the hairshirt texture to the background, not sure if this is finished yet, designing it for a three-color screen print.

Tags: brush pen, celebrity, face, lettering, Mel Gibson, portrait, screenprint

In-progress, looking a bit like a baseball card. It’s a rebus, a pictogram. Not sure if this is too strong of a statement. The likeness seemed to fade a bit when the donkey ears were added. The hairshirt is to suggest some humility, sympathy.

Tags: brush pen, celebrity, face, lettering, Mel Gibson, portrait

I’m working on a Mel Gibson portrait, this is an initial sketch. I haven’t yet decided what the message will be, somewhere between fool and ass, a combination of both maybe, a feeling of sadness, caught within his own emotional limitations, a tragic, sympathetic figure.

Tags: brush pen, celebrity, face, Mel Gibson, portrait

Above is the final Cyclestache illustration. The background bicycles looked like they were going to be too busy so I changed the pattern to wheels with curls of hair suggesting wings, flying wheels.

The first session in the print studio went well. I printed the yellow background and the pink skin color. The next session though I messed up when I left a ruler under the paper (a positioning method I was using) which caused the orange ink to darken at the edge of where the ruler sat (see the arrows in the bottom image below). After three prints, I realized what was happening and tried to fix it, but ended up getting ink on the bottom of the screen, just a number of mess-ups with the third ink. The fourth ink started out well but my pulling technique needs more practice, ink again gathered under the screen (I think I pull too much ink). Later I realized the yellow and pink were too dark anyway, so a failed print, but hopefully a good learning experience.

For theexhibit then, I made a banner print, larger than what the screen print would have been which was good, and on Epson Fine Art paper, a sharp image on a soft cloth-like paper. I printed a few extras to sell at the exhibit.

Below are some process images from the screenprinting sessions.

Tags: brush pen, cycling, decorative, face, mustache, portrait, screenprint, victorian

Above is the cycle-stache illustration with the completed wheel/mustache. Still need to finish the background bicycles, floating wheels for now. May add some additional line work here and there. Didn’t get to print this week but hopefully can get the first two colors printed this weekend, then finish up on Monday.

Tags: brush pen, cycling, decorative, face, mustache, portrait, screenprint, victorian

So I’ve worked through my cycling angst and have moved on to a new friendlier illustration for the Local/Euro exhibit. Here is the process so far, still some things to resolve like the mustache, the background, and some additional line work here and there. But I’m hoping to begin printing this tomorrow.

The idea for this one is a combining of the mustache with bicycle wheels. The rider has multiple mustaches, each twirled into a wheel. In the background, where the wheels are now, will be a pattern of bicycles.

The basis for this portrait is an 1895 photo of Paul R. Clauss, a famous rubgy footballer from Scotland, reference found here.

Below is the line drawing from the photo reference, with additional mustaches, eyebrows, and eyes.

Below is the photo-sketch, combining the reference photo with the thumbnail sketch.

Below is the rough thumbnail concept sketch.

Tags: brush pen, cycling, decorative, face, mustache, portrait, screenprint, victorian

This week, I printed a second edition of the cycling print with lighter ink, and may print a third with type and a simplified design, more line than texture, or I may move on to something else.

Tags: beard, brush pen, cycling, decorative, face, monster, portrait, screenprint

Day 2 in the Printshop, successful print session but I’m not satisfied with the color, too dark overall. The scale of the texture feels a bit big to me as well so I may reprint this smaller or redesign the image with a smaller scaled texture, or it could just be the color contrast.

I decided to pull the print with two hands rather than use the one-armed-bandit, felt much more comfortable, more control although it’s easier to get messy with the ink, and the angle of the squeegee can vary if you don’t pay attention to what you’re doing. The one-armed-bandit made me feel a little removed from the process, too automated.

Below is the final print followed by some process images.

Tags: beard, brush pen, cycling, decorative, face, monster, portrait, screenprint