New Brushes, New Experiments

So do you remember this? I posted a couple of months ago about my failed attempts at making brushes and how the brushes ended up making some fun abstract art. Well, I have been working on some other things and ended making more brushes that I thought I could use to make more abstract vector illustrations. I have been in a really summery mood and used summery colors Here are some new lines:

Using Photos to Play With Texture

So this post is all about Photography and Texture. I call it Texture Play because it is all about experimenting and just seeing what happens when photos and textures are layered on top of each other. It's fun, colorful, and is kind of my journal. This is how I capture where I have been and what I have seen.

A Trip to the Art Institute of Chicago

Back in February, a friend from college and I went to the Art Institute of Chicago Museum. I haven't been there since freshman year in Fall 2007 and since then a Modern Art wing has been added on. I was in heaven! Here are some favorite cellphone snapshots from that day.

 You all know about my love for Alexander Calder right? I love his mobiles and went crazy over the above piece. Like almost hyperventilating.

 This is one of my favorite David Hockney paintings. It isn't a pool, but I love the color, the rendering of the leaves, the simplicity of the shadows. Hockney is so skilled at creating a realistic but painterly appearance in his work. Ahh! I geek out.

I love looking art and it was such a good trip. I enjoyed catching up with my friend and I feel energized from looking at the amazing art. The lines, the colors, the shapes. I love it!

Happy Accidents

Remember the post on brushes I made for to vector hair? Well the first 10 attempts to make the brush didn't turn out as expected. BUT the experiments made for some really fantastic looking abstract vector art. Check it out!

At this point, I was getting excited about the brushes that didn't work and the art they could make. So I wanted to go deeper, darker, harder, better, faster, stronger, Pollock-er.

 Except for this flower styled one. How cute is that? It's just dying to be a pinterest knock-off?

This is why I suggest making your own brushes and not buying them. Not only for educational purposes because in the end it really is all about the climb...or the journey...or some other dumb cliche.

Tim's Vermeer-A Must Watch

Hello everyone!

I recently went to see this awesome movie about the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. As some of you may know I love Dutch painters and the Dutch Baroque period. Some of my work is heavily influence by Dutch Baroque painter, Rachel Ruysch. Both Ruysch and Vermeer had such a strong grasp of lightness and darkness and how to balance the two.

Anyway, back to this movie, Tim's Vermeer. It's about this genius inventor who is on a journey to figure out how Vermeer painted such bright, luminescent paintings. He has often been referred to as the Painter of Light, long before that other guy whose work you can usually find on your grandma's couch pillows. Often people don't see movies about art because they think they are to long and boring but Tim's Vermeer was made by Pen and Teller. Yeah, the magicians and they are rarely boring.

Here watch the trailer:

Parts I loved:

• The addition of another favorite painter British born David Hockney. He is known for painting pools, art collectors, and for all around being totally B.A.
• Penn and Teller!!!
• The movie is excellently paced. They painting scenes are a little long but it is only to prove that he did actually do the painting.
• Tim's inventions. I totally want those skates and that jet pack.

So sorry for any spoilers but you should definitely check this movie out because it is really going to ruffle some feathers in the art world but it's entertaining enough to not be just for art people. 

Vector Tuts Community Challenge: Brittany Taylor

I love participating in Vector Tuts Community Challenges. It's always fun to see what people come up with. I also think it is the best place on the web for vector/digital illustration tutorials and they always have great discussions about art and illustration. How the Community Challenges work is that they give you a template to edit, draw on, and just experiment with. At the end, they publish all of the entries in a blog post. You still have until Feb. 17 to submit a paper doll design which I strongly encourage. Visit their post here to get the doll.

This is my second time participating and I have been watching the MTV show, Daria lately. The stance of the paper doll reminded me so much of Brittany from the show so I decided to do my first ever piece of fan art.

 I also did the cassette tape challenge awhile back. So go check out vector tuts. They are very newbie friendly.