Brandon Jones Art

Old Ruins

2012-01-31T22:42:00.001-08:00

A quick sketch of about 35 min.

Arthur's Safari

2012-01-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a Mural I did for my son Arthur's room. It was painted at around 8000 pixels wide at 150 dpi, and the end result was a 4'X12' vinyl wall print. It was a fun project that I hacked away at over a period of months, mostly because of the large size. Soon he will look much older than that toddler I painted him as.

SpearGirl

2012-01-25T23:02:00.001-08:00

Here is Speargirl!

Desketch

2012-01-16T23:14:00.001-08:00

Sketching before bed. About 1 hour.

Arn : Knights Templar 35 Min Study

2012-01-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Saturday Afternoon Studies

2012-01-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of studies I knocked out this afternoon. The first is a portrait photo study from a photo in the Atlantic In Focus section of the Atlantic online publication. The second is a study of the late afternoon lighting in my living room, which changed rapidly as the sun went down. I will have to try another later with the artificial light to get a bit more accurate and detailed.

Hammer

2011-12-19T23:47:00.001-08:00

A Quick Sketch before bed.

2011-12-02T14:09:00.001-08:00

Here is an illustration of one of our main baddies in Wasteland Empires. I have been lead artist on this project since it started almost a year ago. It is currently live on Facebook, check it out.
I tried working in an approximation of Jana Schirmer's workflow for rendering the image in Photoshop. Of course, her level of skill and talent seem almost unreachably distant at this point. It was terrific to see her demo at the Workshop, as well as hear Marko Djurdjevic discuss the team dynamics and pipeline at Six More Vodka.

Massive Black - WORKSHOP SF - 2011

2011-11-30T09:08:00.001-08:00

This year I had the opportunity to go to Massive Black's Workshop in San Francisco. It was something I had wanted to do for years now. It was very inspiring to watch some of the people whom I considered to be modern day masters of realism and fantasy art working their craft. I picked up a copy of Coro's Transient, which is a testament to his talk on making work for yourself, the importance of having a project you control entirely for the commercial artist.

There were several great demonstrations from Kekai, Wes Burt, Mathias Verhasselt, Nox, Kemp Remillard... the list goes on, it was definitely the best way to spend a few days to develop some of the artist in you. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to get inspired, surround themselves with the most passionate artists of our genre and time, learn a few technical tips, and get sage advice. Keep drawing!

Throughout the workshop, there were some terrific live models doing long poses (up to 4 hours!) and 2 minute gestures, head studies, action poses, nudes, costume, it was terrific.

2011-10-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Masha and I visited some of our favorite sites in San Francisco on Saturday. It was around 80 degrees in the city, and it was perfect for taking a minute to lay down in the grass at Alta Vista park. We ended up going from Clement street, to North beach, down Stockton to Union Square.

Burlingame Sketch

2011-10-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from La Crossiant, in Burlingame, Calvin and his sister Kate are some of the best examples of local business owners who always great you with a smile and make this town warm and friendly. Good place to take Arthur so he can nap and daddy can sketch.

Hawaii Sketches

2011-10-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Our family took a relaxing trip to Kailua, Oahu and I had a chance to do some watercolor sketches. It was my first time to the islands, and it was Arthur's first trip too. Masha has been there several times and was the one who located this wonderful town to stay in. Here, unlike on the Honolulu side, you can live in a small surf community and feel more like a local. Its a slow pace of life, with friendly people and delicious food. Our favorite pancakes were in Kailua, anyone who goes there must go to Boots and Kimo's and have the Macadamia nut pancake sauce. Mmmm!

Arthur sleeping at Boots and Kimos. The patio of our cottage (i-pad). Paradise Cove Resort.

Lanikai Beach

MCBH Kaneohe From Kailua Beach.

Admiral Nimitz

2011-10-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick study of Adrian Lamb's portrait of Admiral Chester Nimitz. Total time is around 25 minutes.

John Singer Sergeant Study

2011-09-21T23:31:00.001-07:00

A 1 hour study of a master painter.

Warming Hut - San Francisco

2011-09-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Warming Hut in San Francisco is one of my favorite places on earth. Today was an example of what I love most about it. Thousands of visitors were enjoying the park with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the city itself in the opposite direction. A rare day like this, must have been 80 degrees with a nice breeze blowing, brought out every type of person to exercise, stroll, walk their dogs, go on a date, play with the kids, fish on the pier, we saw any activity you could think of.

Luckily I had my watercolor kit and a handbook sketchpad to try to quickly sketch the brilliant colors of the day. There were no clouds at all, the sky just looks washed out because I didn't have a big enough brush to lay down a proper blue sky. It was very relaxing.

Water Color Landscapes of Burlingame

2011-08-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Summer in Burlingame has been a terrific improvement for outdoor activities from summers in San Francisco. To be sure, SF summers have a charm that I will never reject, and if you have some nice layers of clothing, a walk through Golden Gate park or the Presidio in the fog is a wonderful experience. But for pure, warm sunny strolls with Arthur and Masha, there is something great about the fresh air in Burlingame. The afternoons cool down gradually, and occasionally you still get a taste of the marine layer coming in over the ridge along highway 35. It is ideal for doing some plein air paintings in watercolor as your paint dries swiftly and the gentle breeze keeps you from overheating. This town has the quaint comfort of "small town America" but is situated on the bay and surrounded by natural beauty from shoreline to shoreline of the greater peninsula.

Ronin - DeNiro

2011-08-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Quick study done from a still on Netflix. Too bad he came out a bit wonky.

Arthur Never Stops Moving

2011-08-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Took a couple minutes to try and capture this guy while he is awake. Man, he is shifty!

Legion of Honor Museum July 24

2011-08-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Met up with Tu and Emery for some sketching at one of my favorite museums.

Costume Design for a tough girl

2011-08-13T11:56:00.001-07:00

Working out some costume sketches.

A Team

2011-08-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is a Team. I was trying to make a team that would look good for a game with 4 characters representing soldier classes. Assault, demolitions, sniper, and a gunner. Cliche, yes, but a good exercise. Had this in a WIP state for so long, just decided to post it now.

Aunt Pat and Uncle Neil

2011-08-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Some sketches I did up with the family.

Crowdstar Figure Drawing 4Aug2011

2011-08-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent model again this Thursday. That helpful hula hoop is perfect for measuring distance and seeing negative shapes between the figure and the perimeter of the circle. Looks very much like an illustration framing device in these drawings.

Mesrine Sketch

2011-08-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

Another 10 min sketch. Going for color and composition. Man time goes by so fast.

Arn Knights Templar

2011-07-26T23:33:00.001-07:00

Another 10 min color sketch.

10 MIn Sketch

2011-07-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

From the movie Arn: Knights Templar. Great cinematography in this film.

Thumbnails

2011-07-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Part of a class I am taking to create some thumbs for a character design. Also working out this Tribal Chieftan I have been thinking about.

Pirate Commando

2011-04-05T02:10:00.001-07:00

Needed to draw some people just for fun. Been busy with work and baby, so I had to take some time this evening to get some art out.

Speed Paint

2011-03-23T21:05:00.001-07:00

Just knocking out a photo study. Life has been a whirlwind with the birth of my son Arthur. So much joy and happiness and excitement. Here is a 30 minute speed paint, finding 30 minutes is itself a challenge now, but a fun one.

Figure Drawing from Early December

2011-01-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

Another great session at Crowdstar with a wonderful model from the famed Bay Area Models Guild

Loss

2010-12-12T15:24:00.001-08:00

Here is a piece I have been working on as a personal assignment in my The Art Department Composition Class.

Dr Sketchy SF

2010-11-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

Fun night down at 111 Minna with Dr Sketchy's and Sketch Tuesday where several artists created art and sold it immediately before spending there earnings at the bar for some great entertainment!

Figure Drawing at Crowdstar Nov 4th

2010-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Crowdstar, we had an excellent model last Thursday from the Bay Area Models Guild.
All of our models are members, but I mention it to spread the word about a sort of competition to submit any artwork done from a BAMG member since 1946. This is the longest running guild of its kind in the United States and helps create the Renaissance of art that has happened in the San Francisco Bay Area since World War II. Your submission could be featured in the book they are compiling. Even if you don't get selected, you $5 fee will go toward supporting this excellent cause. Others who are submitting are Bay Area fine artists from all backgrounds, including my favorite company, Industrial Light & Magic, as well as Pixar, and perhaps Crowdstar! The deadline is December 31st, 2010.

Benbow Inn

2010-10-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple sketches I did up at the Benbow Inn. My wife and I went up there this weekend to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. It is a wonderful spot for anyone near Northern California, off the 101 about 3.5 hours North of San Francisco. It is a historic building which has the look and feel of an Old English Inn. The food is fantastic and the views of the surrounding Redwood Forests and Eel River are breathtaking.

Some Vignettes and a WIP Comp of Chaos

2010-09-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have been learning terrific concepts in The Art Department class I am taking in composition. Here are some vignettes where I am trying to work the ideas of shape design, tonal pattern, overlap, and general composition out. Then I started a personal project as an abstract design, using alchemy as a base, then have been trying to sketch it up into a mythical battle scene.

Painting I am working on, and a Quick Richard Schmid study

2010-09-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Found this link to free digital versions of Illustration Magazine. It has terrific American Illustrators, all the pages, full resolution for free!

Motosketch

2010-08-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

We had a terrific model who did 3 costume changes. She posed all over the nice Custom Harley and was dressed in period costume of the 1920s. Each month I look forward toward Darnel putting this event together.

VilleFranche Sure Mer

2010-08-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

Just remembered to post up these Plein-Aire paintings I did off the balcony where I was staying in Villefranche on vacation. That was quite a relaxing scene to take in, and cruise ships would often visit the deep harbor to drop tourists bound for Nice.

Poster Design for TAD

2010-08-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Added some definition to the character and the text for the title as well as hilighted the city in the background, letting it live in the dark space in the center.

Gladiator Sketch

2010-07-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am on vacation in France and attending a TAD class at the same time. Went to the Musee D' Orsay for the second time and did a sketch of a portion of Jeromes' great sculpture of the Gladiator scene.

Cuddly Lady Sketch

2010-06-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Took out a sketch I did a while back and tried some rendering techniques from Brad Rigney's tutorial "Hostile Takeover". This is still definitely more of a sketch, but I may turn it into a more tightly finished piece.

Avatar 10 min speed paints

2010-06-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

Taking a cue from one of my favorite artists, Daryl Mandryk, I made some 10 minute speed paintings, pausing one of my favorite movies, Avatar. This is a great way to study composition, lighting and color keys, and gesture while not lingering on any details too long.

May motosketch

2010-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at another wonderful Motosketch. Thanks Darnel, for organizing these wonderful events, every 3rd Sunday at the Tosca Cafe in North Beach, San Francisco!

Palace of Fine Arts

2010-05-05T08:48:00.001-07:00

Here is a piece I have been messing around with for a while. Spent a good amount of time trying to get the right composition, and resisted the urge to make another dramatic, low light sunset image. Trying some full daylight out.

Swords woman study

2010-03-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a study of a cast model which I found on Character Designs gallery of Monsters. Just under 2 hours.

Self Portrait

2010-03-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

Did one in color, moved the little mirror. Brilliant sun coming up this morning made the lighting very spring like, plus Masha's Freesias helped as well.

Archery

2010-03-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

Color update

35 min sketch from imagination. trying to get into a scene more than just a character.

Self Portrait

2010-03-05T07:59:00.001-08:00

Well, when I went to do another self portrait this morning, I looked at my Wednesday post with horror. I almost wanted to delete it, but then realized that there is only going forward and it motivated me to do a series of these. I also learned that one of the challenges to doing a self portrait is being a good model, my head continues to shift toward the screen I am painting on, and tilt up, elongating and narrowing the proportions. Now I know what Masha goes through when I try to get her to sit still for a sketch, it goes against every impulse to fidget around. hopefully I can do enough of these to get a consistent likeness. And find some other models....

Self Portrait

2010-03-03T08:42:00.001-08:00

35 Min Sketch this morning.

HOLI fundraiser

2010-02-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

This blog is really an art place, but this event yesterday in Dolores Park was so fun, I just wanted to post a picture. Thats me and my wife Masha. This was to celebrate spring the Holi way, and raise money for the friend's of El Shadai foster home in Uganda. Thanks to everyone who came, we raised $2,200 which will go to the completion of the Orphanage and educational fees for more than 40 children.

Link to El Shadai on Facebook Causes.

MotoSketch

2010-02-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

Last night was a good time at the Tosca cafe in North Beach. We had an excellent model, a full house of sketchers, DJ, and a custom bike. Here are some 20 minute sketches that I was able to do on that rainy Sunday evening.

Whip It Revisited

2010-02-15T18:45:00.001-08:00

There were some anatomy fixes that were bothering me, as well as some changes to the costume design to make it clearer and easier to read. Also I spent more time rendering the surfaces to give it that added pop to the foreground character, sharpening some areas which needed defining.

Not perfect but I learned some lessons about getting ahead of myself without resolving the anatomy early on.

Transit Fee Hikes Create Apocalypse

2010-02-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

Here is an environment rough paint that started as a sketch 2 days ago on the 38 Geary, while listening to the recording which proposes yet another fee hike. Somehow this image was a response to that, I suppose I disagree with the proposal. This is a disused transit line left to decay.

Whip It

2010-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

A Concept from imagination I have been working out. Lately I have been doing many studies of anatomy to improve my people. I still have a long way to go, but I see some improvement.

Iraqi Swing

2010-02-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

This is a personal piece based on a memory from my tour in Mosul, Iraq back in 2004-2005. Violence is so commonplace that these girls kept playing on their makeshift swing during fire fight with militants. The swing was made of electrical wires tied to an overhang, and the girls were playing directly in the line of fire, and made no attempt to flee as the fire fight took place.

I tried a few different styles to try and catch the right mood, Critiques welcome.

Low Tech

2010-01-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Going for the 80's version of hi tech in this concept portrait.

Study from Avatar

2010-01-23T19:25:00.001-08:00

Perhaps I like this movie a little, too much. Hey, how often is there a movie that looks this good? Another study, about 2 hours.

Colonel

2010-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

Photo Study

A couple studies

2010-01-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

Just working on proportions from a couple photo sources.

Ice Mining

2010-01-04T22:14:00.001-08:00

An environment in which men are seeking a valuable material from underneath a glass-like Ice world. They use super heating laser torches to prime the surface for drilling and extraction. Yes, I started this the day after watching Avatar, though it is a very different world, the concept is the same.

She Samurai

2009-12-20T21:12:00.000-08:00

Finally getting some of my Muni Bus sketches into paint.

Dive

2009-11-30T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is a personal project I have been working on for the last couple weeks in spare time. It started as a dream, that turned into some sketches and finally to this composition. It was a lot of fun, and makes me want to do a couple more in this theme.

Morning Sunrise Sketch

2009-11-08T10:20:00.001-08:00

I had at one time considered doing a sunrise sketch per day when I first moved to this apartment. I did two consecutive, then this third one is falling somewhere around 9 months later. I do love the colors and how quickly it all changes while you try to capture it.

Metamorphica

2009-11-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

This was an outstanding event put on by Bad Unkl Sista. They are a Butoh troupe who among other performances, gave us an inspiring drawing/ painting/ photo workshop set to ultra hip music spun by our hosts husband, a talented DJ.

The mood was playful, and yet there was a seriousness involved because all of us were working in a medium, dance, visual arts, music... etc.. that we all care so deeply about. And we were sharing these talents with each other.

Loads of fun, and food for future paintings.

Pirate from African Coast

2009-11-01T22:22:00.001-08:00

There were so many pirate stories in the news this year it seemed a good place to start.

The Clearing

2009-11-01T21:35:00.001-08:00

Here is an image that popped in my head while reading "Dreams of my father" by Barrack Obama. It is a strange place to get an inspiration such as this perhaps, but it was a specific dream he described while in Kenya.

Underpass

2009-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is an environment concept I did after one too many commutes up I-280 on the way back into San Francisco at sunset. I just wanted to make a massive overpass system that looks to be decaying slightly, with people eking out a living along its foundation.