James O'Brien's Illustration Blog

James Whitmore in Them!

J. O'Brien — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:29:15 +0000

Earl Holliman

J. O'Brien — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:54:02 +0000

Earl Holliman in the Twilight Zone episode, Where is Everybody?

The Fear Merchants

J. O'Brien — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:02:52 +0000

Saturday sketching

J. O'Brien — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:55:31 +0000

Saturdays, I’m often at Black Dog in St. Paul. Although I like their music, occasionally, some of it is difficult to work to. And there was this guy tapping his foot. Anyway, sketched there a bit and then wandered over the Bulldog and sketched there (Faber-Castell artist pen).

Balls of Yorke

J. O'Brien — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:56:35 +0000

Sketchbook exchange

J. O'Brien — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:26:28 +0000

I’m exchanging sketchbooks with a few artists this year. This image is the first page of the book I’m exchanging with Aaron DeYoe, made with a brush pen, colorized in Photoshop.

Illo Minn Volume 2 panel

J. O'Brien — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 07:03:27 +0000

I attended the Illo Minn Volume 2 panel tonight, moderated by Andy Powell. Panel consisted of Nancy Carlson, Adam Turman, DC Ice, and Eric Hanson. This drawing of Andy and Eric looks very little like them.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

J. O'Brien — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:03:25 +0000

This is a quick sketch I did of the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk while waiting for my Döner at the Black Sea Restaurant. The source photo was from a small pamphlet published in 1981 by the Office of the Ambassador for Cultural Affairs for the Republic of Turkey at the UN in recognition of the Centennial of Atatürk’s birth. The cover painting is by Arthur Kampf (1927).

Munny doll

J. O'Brien — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:40:32 +0000

This is my Munny doll for the Illo Minn: Volume 2 exhibit opening this Thursday at the CVA gallery. Common thought is that you would paint one of these but I wanted to do something different. First I considered collaging on a digital print, same method I used for my Foot in the Door piece. Then I had this “brilliant” idea to apply sequins using straight pins with different colored tops. Took forever but is really sparkly, and my fingers are still numb. Next time it’s definitely gonna be paint.

Foot in the Door 4

J. O'Brien — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:03:41 +0000

This is my work for the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Foot in the Door exhibit. My daughter and I got in just in time, about a half hour before they closed off the entry point. We stood in line for about two and a half hours, weaving our way through the new Target Wing up to the second floor where they were receiving the work.

The process for this was similar to my Mail Me Art piece. I designed the image in Illustrator, printed it out on plain thin paper, used matte medium to adhere it onto a 12″ square canvas, and then painted over the background white areas with acrylic. For the green areas, I “painted” on color tissue paper using wheat starch, same process used by Eric Carle for his children’s book illustrations.