Art Samurai

I just want to let everyone know about a new website that I have been lucky enough to help work on, ArtSamurai.net.  It's a live workshop that is affordable to artists who would like to learn from  comic book pro—Tom Nguyen. I know he is a good teacher. Why is that? Because, he taught me quite a bit! I may not be a pro comic book artist or a big name in art but I have been fortunate enough to make a living the past 13 years as an artist! In Spring of '98 Tom started teaching me how to do caricatures. I was hired in May '99 by Tom Richmond and I worked at ValleyFair and at the Mall of America.

Tom is a great teacher. I appreciate his patience with me and how he wants to help aspiring artists!

I wish something like this was around when I was in junior high so I didn't have to be a server at Embers, a warehouse worker at Burlington Coat Factory and Media Tech. Services, a pizza delivery driver at Domino's Pizza, a cookie maker at Ms. Field's, a busboy - cook- and "Bumper the Clown" at Circus Pizza, Hardee's employee, McDonald's employee, telemarketer at Stanley Steemer, and...that is not even half the list of jobs I had! Doing art is the only thing I have been able to be consistent with.

Whether you want to be a comic book artist or enjoy doing some other kinds of art, I am sure that you will benefit from Art Samurai. I thank Tom Nguyen for teaching me and Tom Richmond for teaching me and taking a chance with me!

In the future, ArtSamurai.net will have more art instructors and video-on-demand. For now it is a week-to-week workshop that will generally be $20 for two hours. I think it's a good deal considering it could be a live changing move to becoming a professional artist. 

Tom Nguyen

ArtSamurai.net

http://www.facebook.com/ArtSamuraiNet

https://twitter.com/ArtSamuraiNet

Gift Caricatures

Here are a couple recent gift caricatures I have done. 

DR. OZ caricature

Giraffe and Monkey

Here's a 'warm-up' sketch. I worked on here and there just for fun and practice.

I did a cartoon giraffe and monkey before for my nephew's room.
Giraffe and Monkey <---Link

Maybe this is them grown up. I guess the monkey got his tail clipped off. 

That's maybe why he became a bad-ass!

Metal Bear

Just a sketch of a bear listening to some metal.

Gift Caricatures

Here are some gift caricatures I did for a few corporate clients!

Quick iPad sketches

Here are a few really quick sketches done in Sketchbook Pro on my iPad while waiting for my flight at the airport.. The crazy thing about these two is that they both got up and walked away before I was totally finished with them. Out of 50 or so people I was able to choose to draw, these two were the only to get up and walk away. I was sneaky too! Meh...

Commission caricature

This was done for a nice business woman at General Mills.

Quick sketch

Here's a quick sketch of an interesting guy I saw leaving the gym.

Stylist/Teacher Caricature

Here's a recent caricature of a stylist/teacher who deserved a 'thank you.'

NE Dance Logo

Final logo

Options based on feedback

First concepts done without any direction from client. A starting place.

Here's a logo I design for Ritz Theater/Ballet of the Dolls in Minneapolis.

I was told to make it look like it belonged with other materials they use and that was basically all the direction I got in the beginning. From feedback on the initial concepts I develop a few more variations. After getting some more feedback from the client I finished it up in Illustrator and gave two options.

http://www.ritzdolls.com/

Gift Caricature

Here's a gift caricature for a wonderful lady that works for a wonderful company.

Gift Caricature

Here's a quick gift caricature for a guy who works for Mars!

Emotions - art for SDC PPT Presentations

More Elvis-s

Here's six men dressed as Vegas Elvis for some folks at General Mills.

Corporate Caricature Work

Here's some caricature work I did for some nice people at Target.

They each are pushing a cart with the various brands they work with.

Women caricatures

Some art for salon trainers presentations...

DSC spot illos

Here's a couple spot illustrations for Michael Cole (SalonDev.com not the WWE commentator) to use in his presentations when working with DSC's. Sales consultants. Not the most exciting stuff in the world but what is pretty cool (to me) is that the top four people can be swapped around and the chair and station are separate pieces.

Elvis, Elvii

Here's some caricatures of some gentlemen as Mr. Elvis Presley. 

A grouping of Elvis-es...Elvis's...er...Elvii??

Scrapped!

Here's a commissioned caricature for a lawyer guy. I am not going to share the final art because...

there isn't going to be a finished one! I didn't get good reference to draw from but managed to get a good likeness. I included a number of gags that were asked for. Just not what the client envisioned. I am envisioning next time a client similar to this one needs to pay at least half up front. My bad. Good drawing practice...meh.

Quick sketchin'

Here's a quick sketch I did. I didn't really have anything in mind. 

Make up your own story for it.

Gift Caricature

This is a special gift caricature I did for my friend JoAnn.

DSC Drivin' Illustration

Here's an illustrated map that is representing how a DSC may drive to many salons in one day and have multiple visits to some. For the rest of us it can represent 'pre-internet' and 'pre-cellphone' days when to price compare you drive around town and axe them!

Go Figure Sunday

Here are from April 1st, 2012. Surprising, not a lot of finger drawing in here.

Go Finger Sunday

I was maintaining a good regular habit of going to a figure drawing group on Sundays. I have missed the last two. Darn freelance work and family get togethers!

I did practice some 'finger' drawing though. This model made me uncomfortable when it was pointing right at me. Then it would like, wink at me...just strange.

GM Caricature

This is a gift caricature for a guy that works for the folks at General Mills.

If he is waving and holding a cup of tea...then who has got the steering wheel?!

GM Newsletter Illos

Here's a couple illustrations I did for General Mills for an internal newsletter.

The humor is pretty darn funny!!! (If you work at General Mills :P )

Sketchbook

Here's some sketches I did when at the airport for a little while.

Trainer Caricatures

It's a bit of the same around here. More caricatures in this style. Yea...Yealrighty-then!