Andrew R. Wright

Sayonara Blogger

2011-09-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed your company over the past 6 or so years Blogger but I must be moving on. Thanks!

New blog for sketchbook posts: http://andrewrwright.tumblr.com/

New website for illustration: http://andrewrwright.com/

Object of Affection blog: http://object-of-affection.tumblr.com/

OBJECTS

2011-04-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

For the past few months, in the studio, I have been working on a series of prints based on objects I consider to be well designed. This began with my admiration of product design. Both the function and aesthetic qualities.

I am finding more and more that an object functioning well does not necessarily mean it occupies space in an aesthetically pleasing way and vice-versa. My goal is to seek out things (for lack of a better word) that accomplish both ideas of form and function. The subjects range from a paper bag to furniture. Anything that, in my opinion, is designed well but also performs its intended task in a smooth manner.

Every Tuesday I will be releasing a new print in an edition of 5. All prints are available for purchase through the link in each post and the "shop" link at the top of the page. Here is the first print and the blog I will be releasing them on:

http://object-of-affection.tumblr.com/

The prints are also available for purchase($35) here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AndrewRWright

FACTOID

2010-12-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

My artist rep is doing a large poster promotion that includes small squares of art from each of his artists. We were all given a fact and were to create an image. My fact was "A giraffe can clean its ear with its tongue."

Gallery Nucleus

2010-12-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

I just finished this image for Gallery Nucleus' show "A Few of My Favorite Things" opening this Saturday. It is a 22x30 linoleum cut, printed in an edition of 5. One is framed, the rest unframed, and are available for purchase at Nucleus' online store.

This image is also still available and a few limited edition prints of this and this are as well.

WORK and EXPERIMENTS

2010-09-13T19:23:00.001-07:00

Three recent jobs for Field and Stream. It was fun doing the headline type as well.

EXPERIMENTS

SKETCHBOOK

2010-09-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

I'm headed to Chicago on Wednesday. It is going to be cool.

SKETCHBOOK

2010-07-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am now located in Richmond, VA. Here are some sketchbook pages.

THE ILLUSTRATION ACADEMY and TAD

2010-05-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Illustration Academy

llustration Academy Faculty Announced!

The full-time faculty and visiting artists for each location will be as listed below:

Kansas City
Faculty: John English, Mark English, Brent Watkinson, George Pratt
Visiting Artists: Gary Kelley, C.F. Payne, Anita Kunz, Jon Foster

Richmond
Faculty: Sterling Hundley, Doug Chayka, Josh George, Robert Meganck
Visiting Artists: Jon Foster, Anita Kunz, John English, Chris Payne, and Jason Manley!

PODS for TAD are being populated.

As time goes forward, the TAD Kick Off is growing near. June 17th is the Studio Kick Off of the
first TAD semester. Students from all around the country will converge in Kansas City for a three
week studio session. After that, some people stay in KC, and others will continue to Austin or
Richmond to start living the studio experience in their respective PODs. Studying online in the
Elluminate Educational Environment as well as taking part in a POD studio is the "hybrid" art
education experience that John English and Jason Manley have envisioned.

DRAWINGS, SKETCHBOOK, AWARDS (not in that particular order)

2010-04-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on over here. I received word that THIS PIECE was chosen for American Illustration 29. THIS PIECE was a runner-up for Creative Quarterly 19. THESE TWO PIECES were selected to be in The Illustrators Club of DC, MD, and VA and THIS ONE received a silver medal for the same show.

Below are some drawings for a current series I am working on based on the Northwest Coast Indian tribe the Kwakwaka'wakw.

And some more sketchbook pages:

SKETCHBOOK

2010-04-19T14:47:00.001-07:00

It is strange to me that what you think would be a minuscule detail can completely change the way you draw.

All of my previous sketchbooks have been in the landscape format. I never thought about it before but I was always able to rest my hand on the page when drawing, which in turn gave me more control. This new book is vertical (portrait?) oriented. I do not have the luxury of resting my hand on the page. This has taken a lot of control away from me. I like it. It is making me think different.

SKETCHBOOK

2010-04-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Just some more sketchbook experimentation.

SKETCHBOOK

2010-04-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Some recent sketchbook pages from Florida and RVA.

CURIOUSER and CURIOUSER

2010-02-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

These are two BIG images I just finished for Gallery Nucleus' Alice in Wonderland themed show "Curiouser and Curiouser". Each image is a 22" x 30" linoleum cut printed in an edition of 12. 24 all together.

There were a lot of firsts with these. They are the largest images I have printed and the largest edition printed on my press, just to name a couple. I tell you what, the press just earned it's keep with this project.

Thank you to Robyn and Ted for keeping me going through this project. I don't think I would have made it without them. That is not an exaggeration.

The photos are just shots of the process. I think they can give you an idea of the size.

RECENT, NOT-SO-RECENT, AND SKETCHBOOK

2010-02-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

The first three images are prints. The first of those is a poster for the beer Over Ale brewed by Half Acre (an awesome small Chicago establishment only underway for about 1.5 years). The second is a way old piece (last November) for Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. The third is a monotype of my hero Vuillard. The rest are recent sketchbook ramblings.

SKETCHBOOK

2010-01-14T20:48:00.001-08:00

I have been loosening up with my approach to drawing in this current sketchbook. In past books I was very worried about the accuracy of a line describing an object. Now I find myself reacting to lines as they are laid down, which in my opinion, is resulting in a more interesting drawing.

AIRSHIP

2009-12-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is one I just finished up for the Gallery Nucleus in LA. The show is themed Airships of Yesteryear. Check out the lineup here.

FIRST PRINTS

2009-11-15T17:27:00.001-08:00

Here are the first prints I pulled from the new press. These were all done from Leonard Baskin sculptures.
Each print I was experimenting with the amount of wetness for the paper, the press pressure, amount of ink, and the combination of blankets. The last one (the face) is the closest, so far. More to come.

EVELYN

2009-11-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of my time this past week has been dedicated to promotion. These are the never ending envelopes, which I have been printing by hand.

BUUUTT, this little gal came into my life today! I call her Evelyn and she is all that is awesome. Its a Takach 24x36 tabletop etching press. I am stoked that I can actually print a full sheet without having to use a damn rolling pin (although Pam has been good to me). T-Flow, Robyn, and myself will be printing all night tonight.

If your wondering why all my equipment is referred to as a woman, I have no idea. Sounds good I guess.

2009-11-07T19:18:00.001-08:00

I did some of these pages while helping the gentlemen of the Illustration Academy promote the Visual Literacy Program this weekend. Along with Robyn and Ted, Jason Chan was in attendance. It was great spending time with everyone and catching up.

2009-11-05T17:22:00.001-08:00

Who is this?

2009-10-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Some recent sketchbook activity

WEBSITE UPDATE

2009-10-23T18:05:00.001-07:00

AndrewRWright.com

2009-10-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

This was for a trade I did with Trey for this.
Much more to come...

STILL ALIVE

2009-09-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am still here producing...
A teaser:

PEER PRESSURE

2009-07-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

Through peer pressure from Ted I shall post this. I did this a while ago for Adirondack Life. This is a story about a guy fishing on the Chazy River. One of his memories dealt with trying to get a fish with lots of teeth into the boat without a net. His solution was taking his jacket off, wrap it around his left hand, and try to corner the fish. Needless to say the fish got away.

...and the final layout.

GIBSON GIRL

2009-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

A quick one I threw together for this place. From what I recall this is the fastest I have done a lino cut from start (drawing) to finish (the actually scanning of it).

DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS DUDE IS?

2009-07-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Any of your thoughts would be great.

YOU SOLD MY DEAD BIRD TO A BLIND KID?

2009-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Guess the movie that is from and win a prize...

SKETCHBOOK RAMBLES

2009-07-09T13:06:00.001-07:00

FIRST PAGE IN NEW SKETCHBOOK

2009-06-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

I promise a more formal post here very soon. Here is something to hold you over till then.

New Bees Knees Card Take 2

2009-06-18T02:17:00.001-07:00

Oh blog. How I have missed thee.

Having my last few business cards soaked in a torrential down-poor has forced me to create a new one. I posted a version sometime ago but took it down as I was not happy with it (I appreciate the feedback that everyone gave). It was poorly designed and poorly thought out. This is the new version.

Jamie and Kenny had mentioned having one side dedicated to an image. Sorry guys but I am going to respectfully disagree. In my opinion a business card is not the place to display art. Postcards do a much better job of that.
A successful business card (in my opinion) is information displayed in a very easy, accessible way that can be read quickly and efficiently. Once images get put into that equation, a competition begins between that and the information. If an art director pins it up on a board, I want them to see contact info from across a room. If there is an image, most likely the important contact info will be lost. But, if there is well designed, easy to read contact info you are more likely to get results. Also, usually my business cards are sent with postcards or given to someone in person. If given in person, I hope to have made an impression with my portfolio. If the portfolio was not present, I hope to have made an impression with my personality (as sparkling as it is...). Seriously though, good first impressions can go a long way.

So with those ideas in mind I came out with this. I did not want a look that was so specific that I could not use it if my work changes in quality (I hope it does), but still reflected the type of work I do (Adam pointed out). I also stuck to the idea of stream lining my promotional materials, which Jamie pointed out and I had been doing with everything else, just not the previous business card idea.

With all that jazz being said, here it is. Front on top. Back on bottom.

FIELD AND STREAM

2009-04-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pieces I completed for Field and Stream a while back. You may remember the process post I did here. The article is here.

ROCKWELL RECORD COVER

2009-03-25T08:50:00.001-07:00

While perusing through a local record shop I found this gem. Not only is it a great record (Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper live), but it features an awesome Rockwell painting I have never seen before. Having been reproduced in 1968 I am sure that the print version looks nothing like the original. That being said, it still looks pretty damn cool!
I am currently working on a couple assignments that should be finished by the end of the month. I will put the process up when I get a chance.

NYC round 3

2009-02-14T16:01:00.000-08:00

Returned from NYC on Sunday. The editorial show was great! Oliver and Ted's pieces looked great in the show. It was equally as great to catch up with them over the weekend.
I also had the chance to meet one of my heroes Joe Ciardiello. About a year ago I spoke with him over the phone and was surprised he remembered me. It is cool to know that artists who I look up to are so personable.

These are some some drawings I did at the Neue Gallery on the corner of 86th and 5th. They have a ton of Schiele and Klimt drawings and paintings. It was spectacular to say the least.

Current

2009-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple reference shots that I am using for some projects I am working on. There are about 50 different shots of each of the scenes you see here. Out of all those shots, these are the two that work best for what I am doing.

Also, this is the process I go through with tracing paper. Sometimes I scan the drawing, tweak it in PS, and then draw over that. The purist in me does not like it, but hey, it is just another way of looking at the drawing (just like flipping it upside down or looking at it in the mirror does). Because the finish for this image will be linoleum cut, I try to work towards a purely line drawing. In the beginning value is used to get general relationships but later left out.

Website

2009-01-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

UPDATE

Sketchbook

2009-01-23T09:12:00.001-08:00

I really love the effect that gesso and certain types of acrylic give when painted over inks, pen, and other types of non-waterproof mediums. I have been experimenting a lot, as of late, in my sketchbook with this approach and hope to work it more into my finished work.

Myself, Robyn, and Mr. Dominguez will be attending the editorial show in February. I look forward to seeing some awesome work!

The Way I Work

2009-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from a brief trip to NYC. While there I met up with friends from Ringling and the Academy to hit up the James Jean show! It was fantastic to say the least. It was soooo much more than I expected. His use of color, value, layering, edges, etc. really blew me away. I am still looking at the Toymaker in my mind. In person it glows with life.
I also hit up The Met for the first time. We only had time to see one section so the majority of us chose the American Painting wing. You can not beat "Madame X". The Degas were amazing (as expected) as well as the Vuillard's. I am still mulling over the so many "light bulb" moments that occurred at The Met and Jean show.
Feeling rejuvenated, I will make the post I promised to make oo so long ago.
This is a brief look at how I start my process of image making. There is a lot more that goes into the final but these are the ones I take to get to that point.

To start, I usually pull out my sketchbook to get the juices flowing. Most of the time the drawings have nothing to do with the project at hand. It is just a way for me to loosen up. Throughout the whole process I do this. It keeps me from getting bored with an image.

After reading over the manuscript multiple times, I do some research, looking up facts, places, reference, words, while doing thumbnails along the way. My thumbs are just glimpses of ideas not meant to be understood by anyone but me. A rough value plan is worked out as well in the thumbnail stage. This tends to save me a lot of time.

After I feel I have three strong ideas I shoot reference for each. Most people do not do this (I think). The reason I do is because the ideas that I end up picking are ones that I want to bring to finish. So even if the AD only picks one I will most likely complete the other two. (In this case I only had to shoot reference for one image. The other two involved landscapes and wildlife, which you will see.)

From the reference I do rough drawings on tracing paper then scan them in to PS and compile them into a composition.

Once a composition is to a point that I like, a more detailed value plan is laid out. These are the sketches that I send to the AD for review.

Hopefully the AD likes an idea and sends me to final. Sometimes revisions are needed though. In this case the AD preferred two of them.
From this point on the steps I take can vary. It all depends on the type of finish that is wanted. If it is a pen&ink or monotype, I will jump right into the final with out further work on the drawing. These two process are more of an intuitive thing for me so to do any more of a refined drawing can hurt the finish. If the final is to be a linoleum cut, then a more refined drawing is complete and transferred onto linoleum, cut, and printed respectively.
In this case, a monotype look was wanted for both images. These particular images have yet to be printed, so out of respect to the magazine I will not show you the full images.

I hope all is well with everyone and the New Year is treating you just fine!

New Look and Mission Statement...

2008-12-19T04:37:00.000-08:00

This blog will now be dedicated to process and sketchbook. I have a few projects that I just finished and will soon have the preliminary work scanned. Until then please bare with me!

Happy Holidays!!

I Am in the Process

2008-11-04T00:08:00.000-08:00

Yo.
So I am in the process of trying to update this place once a week. Bare with me please folks. I appreciate the patients!

A sketchbook page...

...and some roughs for a job I just finished for Adirondack Life about moonlighting. The AD chose the first image. Out of courtesy to the mag I will not be posting the final image anytime soon (it will be in the January/February issue).

I hope all is well with everyone. I will be in the City next week. Let me know if anyone would like to meet up.

REF

2008-10-10T21:06:00.001-07:00

Just some reference for a gig I'm working on. Sometimes I like to pose for all my reference (and sometimes I am forced to). I usually can get it done a lot faster than if I have a model. I know exactly what pose I am looking for, thus am able to get into position a lot faster. Anyways I should have the final done in the next couple weeks (if the roughs get approved that is).