Playboy: Light, Sweet & Crude

I'm not an avid reader of Playboy Magazine (or patron of any kind) but I'll be picking up an issue this month. This month is their annual Collegiate issue and somehow I managed to land an illustration in it.

Every year they have a annual College Fiction Writing Contest, and over a year ago, I submitted an image to illustrate the winning story. Well, it took a while, but the story has finally been published, and my illustration was named a Runner-up! "Light, Sweet, Crude" by Purdue graduate Christopher Arnold is about a young, hotshot, Houston-based, oil trader from humble oil drilling roots. The story deals with his rocky relationship with his father and shady (at best) oil trading practices that lead him to international scandal. It's actually a really great story and doesn't feature any scantily clad women at all!

Congratulations to Christopher Arnold (writer) and Mike Marsicano (illustrator) for winning and getting their story/illustration published!

Past the irony of the publication, I'm super excited to have this as my first published editorial piece! Now, I suppose I have to go out and actually buy an issue...

I Love Running, Inside and Out

I almost feel like I should wait until Halloween to post this. I've had a couple friends tell me I'm pretty gross, but I just think they're fun. Oh well.

I just finished drawing these guys and gals. I've been thinking about what goes on inside the body as we run. There's a lot happening at once. Each system is working independently and together to propel us forward.

These drawings are sort of a first step. Here each system is working correctly, but we all know that is not always the case. Stomach aches, cramps, shortness of breath, shin splints, stress fractures; the list of possible injuries and complications goes on and on. The next step is to represent all of that. Should be fun. Stay tuned!

Not sure if I like them on white or black though. What do you think?

Sweet Street Anatomy

I'm a little bit of a science nerd. In high school I excelled in my science classes, and Biology was my favorite. If art school hadn't worked out, the plan was to go into med school, no lie.

As a runner (especially as such an injury prone one), I'm very conscious of they way my body works as it seems every season I hurt a different ligament, tendon, muscle, bone as a result of my body's inability to properly metabolize iron, calcium, vitamin X, Y, or Z.

This all shows through in my art. My art is about the body; athletic, injured, writhing, active, or even stagnant body. I find the body infinitely beautiful and intriguing inside and out. To make my art I'm always looking for reference. I've got quite a few anatomy books and if I had a dollar for every Google Search I've done on organs or otherwise, I wouldn't need to make art.

Every once and a while, I find a really great gem of a site. Sites I bookmark and return to over and over again. One of these sites is StreetAnatomy.com. It seems these folks seem to share my obsession with the body and regularly share some really great findings of organs, bones, and otherwise in pop culture, sub culture and anywhere else they can find it. They've been a great inspiration.

The other day, I sent them an email letting them know how great I think their blog is. In return I received a sweet message back and was super excited to find myself posted on their site. I'm just so excited I can't contain it.

Boy I'm glad I became an artist and am not helping someone with an awkward rash right now.

Kanye West

Can you say Ass-Glasses? Maybe it should just be glASSes? I don't know. For those of you that follow Pop Culture, I'm sure you know how Kanye West was a total jerk to Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last week. (For those of you who don't, Kanye interrupted Taylor during her acceptance speech and said she didn't deserve the award, seen here.)

Everyone keeps making jokes about it, so it's been on my mind. This idea came to my head, and I just couldn't resist. Kanye really didn't seem like someone I wanted to spend a week drawing, so this is just a page from my sketchbook. Enjoy!

CeleBritney

It's Britney B*tch! I'm a huge fan of Pop Music. I admit it. There's nothing like it to get my energy flowing. There's no way I would have gotten my college (or grad) diploma without its special brand of simple beats and repetitive lyrics.

In honor of Pop Music, I give you the Princess of Pop herself, Miss Britney Spears. Girl is a hot mess, but she can't be ignored. And I can't get enough. There's no one I'd rather shake my booty to in the studio working or in the club workin' it.

Here's to you Britney Spears and Pop Music.