The Junk Trunk

Away for a while

2011-12-11T22:21:00.003-06:00

Hey all,

Yes, I am still here :)

Ive been spending much more time over on DeviantArt lately and havent kept up with the blog very well. Look me up as Javi-80 if youre ever there.

This is something Im working on for a friend. You dont see a lot of traditional pieces from me but it's something I'm trying to do much more of.

Guns and Glam reboot

2011-04-05T23:26:00.002-05:00

I was dwelling on this one a bit too long and decided to move on. Turned out a bit different than originally intended. J

Sorry

2011-03-21T02:00:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys,

Been a while...

This is a work in progress.

J...

Glam and guns...

2010-05-12T01:49:00.000-05:00

Poppin' collars and poppin caps.
J...

Space Blazin'

2010-03-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

J...

Agent S...

2010-03-05T00:40:00.001-06:00

J...

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T00:22:00.002-06:00

I'm still here!

I'll be knocking out some zodiac sign illos for an upcoming project.

Hope most of you are still around and enjoyed the holidays!

Best,

Jav

Wonder Woman

2009-09-20T23:32:00.002-05:00

Continuing some hero sketches....
These were fun to play with, though I continue to get comments that people aren't too crazy about the lack of feet. well, just sketches anyway, but its nice to know what people gravitate to.
J...

It's a bird, it's a plane...

2009-09-14T23:46:00.001-05:00

...it's a bunch of sketches!

Abs...

2009-08-24T23:39:00.003-05:00

A drawing for my niece Abigail for the invitation of her 1st Bday.
J...

Look Ma', no digital!

2009-08-09T15:18:00.002-05:00

A sketch with brush pen and colored pencil...

San Diego Wrapup

2009-08-01T01:27:00.010-05:00

Hey all,
San Diego was a fun time as always. The one thing I never look forward to is coming back home after being around so many fans and so many wonderfully creative people. It's always an inspiration to say the least.
Every year I always kick myself in the arse for not getting out and looking around as much as I'd like and unfortunately this year was no different. One thing I need to definitely learn is how to manage booth time and at the same time get out there and meet other artists and just take in the whole Con experience. I always hate myself afterwords for not joining the masses. On the other hand, I'd like to think that all the people who stopped by to say "hi" appreciated the fact that I was actually there (my apologies to the select few that I actually missed).
A huge thanks to all the new people I met this year, those of you who keep coming back, those of you who made this possible and those of you who made it all worth while!
There'll be a lot coming up soon, hopefully including an online gallery store so stay tuned! Thank you all!
I promised myself to be more proactive with my posts so here are a few pics:

My sketchbook setup...

My print setup...

Me and Melissa. My girl who made everything so
much easier for me. Thank you!

Co-workers and neighbors. Dave Pryor(forground) and Bob Rissetto (background).
Super talented friends!
(left to right, Greg Scherrer, Tae Young Choi, Bruno Werneck).

Me and my main squeeze!

SDCC PRINTS! TABLE F4

2009-07-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a set of 3 new prints I'll have available in San Diego this year (along with the devil print posted previously.) The run will be limited to 25 prints of each sso get em while you can :)

Also, just out of curiosity, I'd love to know which of the three any of you out there might like best. Let me know!

Coffee... morning, noon and night...

nuff said!

J...

San Diego Comic Con 2009

2009-07-13T23:14:00.005-05:00

True believers:
Another year and SDCC is upon us.
Things will be a lot more laid back for me this year but I will be there.
I'll be in the Exhibitors section at table F4, same as last year.
I'll have a few new prints as well as copies of whats left of my 2 art books,
GLAM 1 and GLAM 2.
I'm hoping to actually get up and around a bit more this year
but either way its always fun. Cant wait to see everyone there.
There's gonna be some AMAZING stuff I'm sure.
Stop by if your around!
J...

Devilish Grin FINAL

2009-07-01T01:08:00.003-05:00

Made a few changes to finalize this one.... finally!

*Whew*
Had to make a lot of decisions on this one...
I wanted to try something little more risque with the BG colors, so i tried mixing some cools up top to transition the heat and make her pop a bit more. May still change some things :)
Also ended up rendering her out a bit more for more of a polished/ finished look.
Added a little blood drip too... thought it adds a bit of a sinister feel to it... switches the vibe up a bit.
Not something I'm necessarily used to but it is fun to get into it every once and a while.
J...

Devilish Grin Update 4

2009-06-17T02:15:00.002-05:00

So Ive abandoned the painting on her for a bit and started playing with some color styles and treatments on the background. A lot of options here but mostly I'm having fun trying some different and more daring combinations... something that working digitally is very good at :)
I'll eventually try to do some things to marry it all together and make sure that the focus remains front and center with the rose once that's rendered, but at this point I'm still not sure how it'll end up...
J...

Devilish Grin Update 3

2009-06-16T02:49:00.003-05:00

A few more changes as I continue to flesh this one out.
The hair changed once again :)
Though I'm not sure it's balancing out the piece quite how I would like.
I started rendering a bit more and I'm starting to play with some other brushes as well.
Still a ways to go on this one.
J

Devilish grin Update 2

2009-06-15T02:37:00.002-05:00

Continuing work on this one...
I made a drastic hair change here and its probably something I'll continue to play with throughout. Still not sure about the color scheme but I went ahead and started working out a rough background as well.
This will all change as I start to detail it and experiment with the color mood a bit.
J...

Devilish Grin Update 1

2009-06-11T00:59:00.003-05:00

I've blocked in her shapes and started adding some details in on the face.
I tend to stereotypically think red when I think devil, but I think I may try to stay away from that cliche as I move forward...
we'll see.
J...

Devilish grin...

2009-06-08T23:02:00.003-05:00

Here's a sketch for an illustration I'll be working on...
Thought I'd post this one in stages as I go.
J...

Indiana Jones Masterpieces

2009-05-28T00:44:00.004-05:00

In addition to Star Wars Galaxy I was asked to sketch up a few cards for Topps "Indiana Jones Masterpieces" series.
I did a lot more of these than the Star Wars ones (about 200).
As a result, these were meant to be quicker, less rendered sketches than the Star Wars cards.
Both series contain some really great art from some amazing artists.
These are the 6 I have currently in my possession, which are also available for purchase.
J...

Glam sketches

2009-05-14T12:39:00.001-05:00

Here's a look at a couple of sketches I did in my two sketchbooks, Glam Vol.1 and 2, for someone who recently purchased them.

J...

Ewoks and Jawas and Wookies oh my!

2009-05-13T00:52:00.007-05:00

Two posts in one month?! Somewhere in hell Satan and Hitler are having a snowball fight...
As promised here's a look at some more Star Wars sketch cards I did.
A slew of Ewoks and Jawas. Had fun playing with some different shapes here.
Also, my homie Jeremy Rumas has a new site and blog now too, talented guy... and it only took me a year to to link him up... killer stuff
J...

STAR WARS GALAXY 4 sketch cards

2009-05-05T12:45:00.004-05:00

Not too long ago I was asked by Topps to contribute to their "Artist Sketch Cards" collection.

They also have an exclusive deal with Target to distribute these "Target Red Cards".

I ended up doing a total of 100. 50 regular cards and 50 "RED" cards.

As a part of the deal I get to keep 6 cards.

I plan on either auctioning these off (perhaps on E-BAY) or just selling them to anyone who might be interested in them, just shoot me an e-mail me if youre interested.

I've already recieved some interesting offers so they may not be around for too long.

Here's a look at a few that I did...

I'll post some more soon.

I promise ;)

Jav

Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T15:55:00.003-06:00

A Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Thanks for sticking around and I apologize for the recent lack of posts...

I've been busy with a few projects and Ive recently moved. I'm expecting to pick things back up and share a lot more come 2009.

Thanks again to everyone!

Heres a few sketches...

J...

ThoughtFaucet Monthly

2008-10-08T00:47:00.005-05:00

Here's a piece I made for ThoughtFaucet.
The monthly topic was "James Bond pinup girl".
I went a little movie postery on it.

J...

Cintiq!

2008-09-17T03:59:00.008-05:00

Hey guys, Been a while, and Ive definitely been keeping busy.
My new Cintiq just arrived today!
I'm stoked! Heres some thangs I painted up tonight, just messin' around.
I cant wait to dig in and really start using this thing..
J...

Inside the mind of MisterMan...

2008-08-19T01:48:00.001-05:00

J...

GLAM VOL.2 IN STORE!

2008-08-14T22:32:00.005-05:00

Hey all,
I finally have Glam vol.2 available in the store section.
36 full color pages including a centerfold insert!
$15 plus a flat shipping rate of $2.

Here is a look at the centerfold image...

I cant seem to find my usb camera cable, but as soon as I do I'll post some pics from SDCC.
Lates,
J

Post SDCC storm/ GLAM vol.2

2008-08-08T01:18:00.006-05:00

Hey all!
A pretty hard storm hit Chicago and I've had no power for the last 4 days.
It's finally on and theres a lot on my plate.

Comic-con has come and gone, and again I'm left with plenty of inspiration. So many great talents with such wonderful work... its truly amazing. A lot of cool stand up guys as well. First off, thanks to everyone who made it out and said hi or picked up a copy of my new art book, Glam vol.2.
It always means a lot to me, and keeps my goin'...
I spent a hell of a lot more time behind the table this year, and feel awful that I didnt get to wander around or meet a lot of people that I would have liked to meet. Especially when i realize how much awesome art and great people i missed out on. I always feel bad leaving the table... I got so much enjoyment from just talking to interested folks from all walks of life that would happen to wander by.I'll be posting a few con pics and talk a bit about it soon.

I'll be adding GLAM vol2 to the "store" over on your right as well as conjuring up a few other things soon. So please hang in there, and thank you to those who are still stopping by!

J...

San Diego Comic Con 2008, Aisle 800, Booth F4

2008-07-18T01:08:00.009-05:00

July is here once again and so is the granddaddy of all cons...

I'll be there in the same area, AISLE 800- BOOTH F4, with copies of my new little art book "Glam vol.2". This one has a secret candy center!
I'll also be selling sets of prints and some remaining copies of "Glam vol.1".
This time around I'm surrounded by a lot of friends so it should be a lot more fun (if thats at all possible.) I cant wait to see what everyone has in store... and cant wait to meet some new faces.
A few of my peeps in the area will be:

Bruno Werneck
Bob Rissetto and Dave Pryor
Tae Young Choi
Tom Bryski, Bill Halliar, Melly Curphy and Bob Renzas
Felipe Smith and MBQ!

Whats even better is that I'm heading to San Francisco 5 days earlier with my girlfriend. We'll be cruisin' the coast, sippin' some wine, and may even bowl a game or two! It gonna be awesome! 5 days is not enough!
See everyone at Diego!

J...

?

2008-06-10T03:26:00.001-05:00

Sir Kingsbury

Harpish

2008-04-04T02:41:00.002-05:00

old scribble...
J...

Scatterbrained UPDATE 4

2008-03-12T00:13:00.005-05:00

So here's the finished piece...
I ended up desaturating a few areas. I realized I really tend to drift around a lot, jumping from place to place. Although I don't normally like to use the "airbrush", I ended up using it a lot more in this one as I went on. It helped to soften certain areas. Generally I tried to get a soft tone with broad varying shades then used smaller brush strokes to cast heavier shadows and hilites here and there. I find in difficult to make certain calls over time because it feels like I dont know whats good anymore after I stare at it for too long.
At some point during the process I start to play around with textures. This is usually what makes me start changing some things. I might like what something does and it skews me in that direction. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse.
Thanks to Bruno again for some tips!
J...

Scatterbrained UPDATE3

2008-03-11T01:11:00.003-05:00

Here's a quick look at where I'm at so far....
As you can see I decided to go with a cloud back ground over the rock and water thing I had goin in the sketch... Thank to Bruno for hookin' it up with some sweeeeet P-Shop brushes. Thanks you Bruno for slowing down my machine!
There's still a little bit I want to "clean up" and still some painful decisions to make.
I will also play with a few "atmospheric choices." But I'm feelin' its almost time to move on.
J...

Scatterbrained UPDATE

2008-03-03T01:23:00.005-06:00

UPDATE:
That didnt take long... I already ended up making major changes to her hair and added some kind of hair bow thingy. As far as my actual coloring process, I'm a little all over the place... just feeling out what i think works. I do make sure to keep things pretty layered though. Sometimes I think Ive got too many layers...

I guess I instinctively tend to start painting detail in around the face. There's no rhyme or reason to where I start or what level of detail I work to. Since I feel that I run around aimlessly and uninspired at times it seems to keep me interested most. This is really rough and I'm sure that I'll end up pushing the contrast quite a bit as I move along, adding little things. And as always, who knows what the colors will be. I may even feel like dramatically changing her hair color or shape, who knows. I'm crazy like that. However, I'm liking the direction so far, so this is what I'm going with for now. I also seem to go really saturated with the colors off the bat. I may end up desaturating it a bit.
She's starting to look a little like my friend Jasmin. She was actually here this weekend from Dallas to celebrate our friend Sam's b-day! Drunken Karaoke was a good time! HAPPY BDAY SAM!
J...

Scatterbrained journey...

2008-02-29T22:13:00.011-06:00

I'll admit...
Generally my creative process seems to be a bit "scatterbrained" to say the least. Its not that I havent tried to be a bit more "organized" as I create, but Ive just found that when I just "let go", more or less, I tend to like what I'm doing a lot more. Being more guteral seems to feed the artistic urge I get. Lately, Ive been trying to do something a little different than the quick color splashes over lineart that have dominated nearly every post on this blog. I've recently decided to go with more of a painterly approach in Photoshop to my last few personal pieces, eliminating all line art. I ended up liking my last attempt (which is quite rare), so I thought it might be interesting to document a few of the steps as I create my next one. I'll consider this a learning process for myself... in hopes of creating things a little quicker perhaps.
I grabbed this rough sketch from my last sketchbook Glam, and decided to see if I can ruin it:

I started by cleaning up the sketch a little bit. Fixing proportions that I thought were off and pushing a few more shapes. Somewhat redrawing it. Making sure I'm happy with the structure before I paint. I also realized that with "painting" in mind I eliminated somethings that I would normally do with just a sketch or doodle, like the swirly little loops in her hair that just flow out when I sketch aimlessly.
Here's a look at both the fixed drawing and how it compares with the original sketch. Ill use the one on the right as more or less of a guide as I paint over the top:

I found out this is'nt the only time I make changes to my drawings. I try to limit them but constantly play with shapes and proportions while I'm blocking out color shapes. I try to stay away from anything too major though. It sucks to have to change the structure half way through the painting. That isn't very practicle. More often than not I have to just accept where it's going, even if I may not be fully happy. Learn... move on... and apply to the next one...
The process I'm taking here may be a direct result of working in Flash a lot. I've blocked out the shapes in solid colors, like I would a vector drawing, keeping parts of her body on seperate layers. You can see I've made even more changes to the look of the flower petal, stem and wings:

Chances are these arent what the final color will be. As a proceed I feel it out and usually have some sort of revelation, or something"clicks" and everything changes, Sometimes drastically.
Here's one with a slight background added:Now comes more of the fun part for me. Once I have everything relatively blocked out, I start more of a painterly approach over my shapes. Adding textures with different brushes and the magic of photoshop tricks. I'll add updates as I get it done.
J...

Still here...

2008-02-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Still here... but its not pretty.

Ive been real busy lately with quite a few things.
I thank everyone for still bothering to stop by evry once and a while.
A lot of things coming up soon, especially with SDCC right around the way!
stay tuned...
J...

HELLO 2008!

2007-12-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone!
I've been consumed by work lately and just wanted to pop in and let everyone know that I am still here...
This last year has had its ups and downs and now its time to start anew...
Hopefully 2008 will bring you all great new ideas, inspiration and success!

and what the heck, one more gal for the old year, ringin' in the new one!

My best to all, and thanks for all your words and support!

J...

Just a splash...

2007-10-23T00:54:00.000-05:00

...of color on a sketch.

I've been drawn to more sepiatoned and monochromatic feels lately.

J...

Glam Gal 3

2007-10-17T19:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Gang... Heres another pinup... I was a little unsure of exactly what I wanted here and ended up struggling a bit with this one. As always, digital painting just gives you an endless amount of choices...

J...

Glamour girl 2

2007-09-25T22:58:00.000-05:00

A pin-up for tonight...

I've been trying to keep these relatively quick.
I still end up working it over way more than i feel i should.

J...

Lost In My Head Space

2007-09-20T01:25:00.000-05:00

a quick colored sketch for tonight...

Gettin' Glamorous...

2007-09-14T01:42:00.000-05:00

A little Pin-up for tonight...

I know its late, but I'll be dumping some San diego pics soon.

J...

Comic CONundrum

2007-09-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a while people... and again I thank you for sticking around.
So here's a new look for a change. I'm currently working on a big overhaul here. I have a lot of new people to link and too many to thank. I will also introduce multiple blogs of some personal work in the near future. I've also made my book GLAM available in the "STORE" to your right for just $10 plus shipping(hopefully it works).

If you know me, you know that I'm really not the type to use my blog to ramble on about things. I at least try to keep it all art related. However, my recent experiences at the San Diego Con this year has made me think about things on a different level. Enough at least to write a little about it.

To say the least, SDCC was once again an awesome event that evoked quite a few different feelings from me. I walked away form the experience inspired by so many great, talented people, and was able to share my art with others. You really do develop such a heightened appreciation for it all. Truly, I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to meet so many awesome folks this year.

After a month or so of letting it all sink in, and doing back to back cons for the first time ever, I began to question a bit of what it is that I do. A sort of "questioning ones self" as well as ones artistic integrity. A crossroads... art imitates life I suppose.

Over the coarse of time that I have had this blog, my thoughts, feelings and art have all undergone a sort of maturation process. As do people, art evolves, and I've always felt somewhat uncomfortable sharing that process with so many. But here it is... for all to see. A part of the process that i painfully accept... because I realize that something about art begs for it to be shared with others. As artists we paint pictures and write stories. We play music and perform on stage. Shaman of our time... and each of us with our own unique voice. A voice sometimes that we need to find, but one that I romantically believe, more often than not, finds you. Perhaps, an eternal quest...

Of all things uncertain and indescribable, I am sure of one thing... that I am fortunate to have the love and support that I do...

Here's to finding ourselves...
Thanks,
Javi

Wizard World Chicago Aug 9-12

2007-08-08T00:51:00.000-05:00

Warning:
The following is a quick shameless plug for Wizard World 2007.

I'll be at booth 3908 B with my good friend Bruno Werneck.
We'll be trying to unload a few more of our books and hopefully meet some of you who couldnt make it out to San Diego. If you're around, stop by! We'll be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Hello kiddies,
Right off the bat let me say that San Diego Comic Con was AWESOME!
It'll truly be a difficult thing to put it all into words. Especially since my throat hurts from some apparent bug that was going around... sux.
As soon as I get my camera back from my girlfriend I'll post a few pics and mention all the great people I met... I havent forgot yall!
Best,
J

GLAM... '07 sketchbook

2007-07-15T05:24:00.000-05:00

Holy crap it's gettin' so close...
San Diego is less than 2 weeks away and it should be fun!
Once again, please stop by table F5 if you plan on comin' out, I'd love to meetcha and shoot the shit...
Here are some sample pages from my new sketchbook "Glam" that i'll have at the con this year...Its a 5.5" x 8.5", 32 page, full color compilation of scribbles, conceptual work and illos done over the last year...
and yes, its all girls all the time...
Once I get back I'll set up on-line orders through Pay-Pal as i did for last years sketchbook...
I always come back so pumped and inspired from th con... I cant wait...
J...

San Diego Comic Con 2007 TABLE F5!

2007-07-06T04:30:00.000-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I'll be at the San Diego Comic Con again this year!
I'll be shaing TABLE F5 with my good friend and all around great guy, Bob Rissetto!
Also joining me will be my mani squeeze, so everything is bound to go a hell of a lot smoother the second time around! Everything is pretty much cemented except for one small detail...
I have no actual sketchbooks in my possession yet! You can see how that can make you a bit apprehensive...
I'm expecting my new sketchbook "Glam" to arrive from the printers in a few weeks, just in time for the San Diego Con... "Glam", is essentially a 32 page collection of sketches, scribbles and color works all sharing one common thread... they are all girls!... a small humble tribute to the greatest work of art in a way...

Big ups to my man Bruno Werneck for gettin' down and dirty and really making this sketchbook happen... A big source of help and inspiration throughout getting this thing together... my Jimminy Cricket!
His attention to detail is second to none...

My good friends and I all shared a table last year and it was an overwhelming blast to say the least! This year, however, we were all pretty much approved for our own individule exhibitor tables! Woo Hoo! If it's only half as fun as last year I'll be a happy camper. I had the oppertuntiy of meeting a lot of cool folks and expect to see them again, as well as meet a ton more!
So if you plan on attending the San Diego Comic Con this year, look out for all new sketchbooks this year from my fellow Chicago gang:

Bruno Werneck
Darryl Young
Bob Rissetto and Dave Pryor
Sam Aquino
Kevin Barber
Ryan summers

Joining the dispersed gang this year will also be Robin Mitchell,
artist and ex disney sculptor Jason Peltz
and I'm counting on the former "Canadian Strong Man Competition" runner-up Steve Lambe to show his ugly grill as well!
Stop by their respective blogs to find out whats cookin. I'll be posting more info as we get closer to D-Day...
So if youre gonna be in San Diego for the con, let me know and stop by table F5, I'd love to meet everyone!
It should be an awesome time and I can't wait...
now, all i need is those darn sketchbooks...

J...

Another Gal...

2007-06-06T01:25:00.000-05:00

color scribble for tonight...
J...

lovesmenot...

2007-06-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

a drawing for today...
would like to paint this one sometime...
J...

Scribblings...

2007-05-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

Here I started painting some more brush textures in there

and also killed a lot of the saturated color...

A lot of ways to go here...

STEP 3?
Well, Ive really lost track of specific steps at this point... It did'nt take very long.
I've begun painting in textures and lighting. Just trying to make things fun for myself.
I wanted to try a more "painterly" look for this guy...

Step 2:

Ive painted in some details...

Thought it would be a nice change of pace to perhaps post my steps for this guy...
Just wing it and see what happens. It may do me some good to step back every now and then and actually try to be cognicent of my working process.
Here I've blocked out major color shapes...
With a little room for interpretation as always. I find I correct way to much during the paining process. I guess thats what happens when you paint off of loose sketches...

For some reason, lately, I've had wrestling on the brain.
No doubt inspired by the fantastic work of Thorten Hasenkamm.
This guys paintings are just full of fun designs and kick assy painty goodness!

So this lil' scribble of someone I call Jonny Estrella has gotten the 'ol cogs movin'.
Just having fun with some shapes...
hmmmm...

Madusa Sketchums...

2007-05-02T03:49:00.000-05:00

A late color scribble I crapped out tonight...
Just havin' fun...
I may do some variations...
J...

Doodles

2007-04-27T02:39:00.000-05:00

Que paso people...
The mad dash to produce content for SDCC has begun!
So I just thought I'd post a couple of doodles from a little while back.
I painted and posted the middle gal a while back and might go back and do the other two at some point...

I'd also like to take a second and thank Stephen Levinson for the quick plug over at Channel Federator ... I appreciate the kind words from everyone, and as always hope to not dissappoint in the future!

Got a few new things cooking up and I hope to get something going real soon...
Ciao!
J...

Cougar...

2007-04-08T22:34:00.001-05:00

One more for the weekend...
Hope everyone had a happy Easter!
J...

Red Wine...

2007-04-07T01:07:00.000-05:00

One for tonight...
J...

Like clockwork....

2007-04-03T23:14:00.000-05:00

Finally, an update! Well, I'm off to a great year huh?...
First, the propers:
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, And Happy Birthday to a lot of people including myself....
It's been a while, and I'd like to thank those of who still manage to find their way back here... Needless to say, I've been swamped with work but, fear not, I have all the intentions of updating regularly now, as well as making some changes to the BLOG. A lot of links to add, a lot of shout outs to give, and no better time than the present to make things happen (Seeing as how a lot of people probably think I'm dead).
A lot going on and sooooo much still to do...
First off, I've recieved great news, my main man Bob and I have been approved for our table at the San Diego Comic Con! This will be the second straight year that we have a table and we're really looking forward to being a part of it all over again. The amount of inspiration and talent in that place is REDICULOUS! More INFO to come on all that as we get closer...

Untill next time, I'll just leave you with this quick doodle... hope ya like.

J...

Fall Back...

2006-11-09T00:21:00.000-06:00

HEAVENLY...

2006-10-26T03:18:00.000-05:00

Inspired by my girl...
It's late...
J...

The Last Tango...

2006-10-25T13:17:00.000-05:00

J...

Mornin Fog...

2006-10-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

Gettin' chillier here in Chicago...
J...

Brown Suga...

2006-09-29T03:25:00.000-05:00

J...

Saucy GOTH...

2006-09-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

# 3 in this scribbly series...
J...

DAME 2

2006-09-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

Yeah, thats bubblegum pink...
so what...

That Dame...

2006-09-22T01:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick one I actually drew digitaly for a change...
Trying to get comfy and stay loose...
There certainly were a ton of color options here, and after racking my brain decided that its most important to just finish the damn thing and move on ;)
J...

The Devil wears nada...

2006-09-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

Painted up a sketch I pooped out at SDCC...
Had some ideas of treating this piece like a title card of sorts...
I may come back to it later on and finish it up... But we all know how that goes.
My apologies to those who have seen this up at the DB and want to see some new stuff.
Soon... I swear...

J...

Outsider Art Club Week 1

2006-08-21T18:11:00.000-05:00

Heres my Outsider Art Club entry for Week 1...
"Zombies VS. Pirates"
I tried to keep this one generally loose and spontaneous.

In other news:
I'm currently in the process of updating this place! I've got a lot of shout outs and links to add... Including a "personal Inspirations!" list or "Guys that Rock!"
I'm way behind on keeping tabs, so its about time I get my shit together...
Also:
My small and humble "SHOP" is up and goin' to the right...
Thanks to all you who ordered a book (theyre on their way)!
Thanks to all you who even thought about ordering one too! I'm honored!!

Back shortly!

"AMALGAMATION..." now for sale!

2006-08-15T17:50:00.000-05:00

MY SKETCHBOOK "AMALGAMATION..." IS NOW FOR SALE!

Yup... so I finally got around to setting up my Paypal account...
and much thanks be to Bob Rissetto for helping out with this insanely simple process...

For just $10 (plus $2 shipping) you can have my first ever 6" by 9", 50 page, perfect bound sketchbook! It includes color works as well and a lil "flip book" corner! Not to mention a redeemable IOU, if you're ever in Chicago ;)

Just click on the "Buy Now" button underneath the cover of my book over to the right.
Ive only got a few left (what i didnt sell at the Con or give to friends).
If you've e-mailed me already I'll get back in contact with you, or just click over at the "Store". And thanks you for the interest!

Jav...

Con Aftermath...

2006-07-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

Wow...
It's been 5 days since the SDCC and I'm still exhausted... What a fantastic time though! It was sooo inspiring to be around so many awesome artists and to see so much amazing work! I got the chance to meet some big inspirations (John Navarez, greatest guy ever) and a bunch of old friends too (Steve Lambe, Miah Alcorn, Robin Mitchell). My creative batteries are completely recharged!
It was the first time I was out there at a table, and despite not recieving one out of the two tables we reserved, everything couldnt have gone better! I'm so happy that i decided to get my book together, "Amalgamation", to sell out there. I couldnt be any happier at how well recieved it was... I really had no expectations coming in and was thrilled to unload nearly 100 of them! Thanks sooo much to anyone and everyone that picked one up!
The single most important step in all this was, first and foremost, the creation of this blog. And I truly owe it all to Steve Lambe! Steve, youre an awesome guy and you really pushed me to show my stuff more, even though I'd constantly shoot ya down...(and still will) I owe ya a bunch! Thanks for turning me on to it!
So, over the next few days I will try to set up a Pay Pal button and attempt to get rid of the rest of these at $10 a pop to whoever is interested... If you are interested just shoot me an e-mail and I will keep tabs, or wait for the "store" to pop up... copies are limited however.
Time to get to work for next year! *** I need sleep***
JAV

San Diego Comic Con 2006 vol.2

2006-07-12T23:04:00.000-05:00

Fantastic news!! A group of good friends and I are all approved for a table in San Diego and my first book ever should be arriving tomorrow!(knock on wood) I'll be recieving my books and some prints in hopes of unloading them at the Con...
Hopefully, if all goes well and enough people show interest, I'll sell a second run online...
just shoot me an e-mail if ur interested...
If we're tight, dont worry, youve got one already...

Im also in cahoots with my main man Bruno... We'll be picking up some postcards we got printed this weekend, in an attempt at shamelessly selfpromoting ourselves... here it is...

These we'll throw around for free and hope that some stick...

I gotta take a sec BTW to thank Bruno a ton for his help these last few weeks! Ive leaned on him heavily and really value his opinion and help... ya hear that foo! i said thanks! Hes been letting me have it lately... And thanks to Bob who went through everything first with his book... whew...

So here's a list of my peeps at the table next week:

http://brunowerneck.blogspot.com/
http://bobrissetto.blogspot.com/
http://www.diddlescartoonwunderland.blogspot.com/
http://lambey.blogspot.com/
http://samanthaaquino.blogspot.com/
http://animalqwacker.blogspot.com/
http://www.alcornstudios.blogspot.com/...and a few more amigos without blogs will also be there!
More on Diego at least one more time before we fly out...
I'm getting excited...
Jav

Been a while...

2006-06-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

Yes it has been...
And I only hope that people have still been stopping by to check up on me anyway.
Ive been MIA for quite a bit, but the good news is that I have reason to believe that everything is all set for San Diego 2006!
At least with the table...
I'm now on a frantic quest to get some stuff out before then...
Hopefully, I'll squeeze in a few more posts by then.
Here's a 'lil diddy I colored up real quick just cuz...
Hopefully more to come on Diego...
Jav

San Diego Comic Con 2006

2006-03-29T20:50:00.000-06:00

Thanks again for all the awesome words and feedback on my last post! All your words wre really inspiring!
Ok... So these posts actually have nothing to do with San Diego...
But I probably wont be posting for a while cause I'll be super busy preping myself for the San Diego Comic Con this summer.
I'm actually excited this time around cause a few friends and I are actually gonna have a couple of tables there and hopefully I'll get a book together by then to show...
It might also be an awesome oppertunity to meet a bunch of you bloggers out there! So if you plan on being around the Con in July let me know and I'll hit you up for a drink!
Anyway should be awesome! I'll deffinately mention more Diego in weeks to come...
In the mean time, these are just some little doodles...

This one is another take on that last post... not much different really, but I think she's got a little more Brigitte Nielsen in her face...
whatever...

Why doesnt your sister cook the friggin' lion... She doesnt do shit around here!?!

2006-03-08T18:43:00.000-06:00

Pencil, Flash, Photoshop

For some unexplainable reason Ive been on a barbarian kick as of late.
This was a sketch I kinda liked and decided to color up...
This is my Red Sonja inspired image...
The original sketch also had a guy in it, which I may decide to go back and color.
I liked her design a lot better than his though.
I think I tend to rely on Flash during the cleanup process a bit too much.
I should deffinately get in the habit of really nailing down the final sketch instead of leaving some decisions for the cleanup stage. Its a bad habit of mine.
I dont know what would be worse...
Being the poor guy at the opposite end of this lunge?
or being her husband?
Look at that mouth!?
Poor guy...

GO SHORTY... It's your BIRF-DAY...

2006-02-24T11:34:00.000-06:00

Just past lunch, and no complaints...
I just had to take the time and post these great sketchums done by my booooyyyyyyyssssss!!!
The Talentanadian Canadian Steve Lambe hooked it up wit a sweet "Hip-Hop Jav".
Best of all I actually got the original!!! Thats right done in actual penicil and marker... remember pencil? Heellzz yeah... Drop Steve a line and he'll tell ya it's based off of Hoffman's series of "The Non-Sensical Rapper" illos.
Anyways, Steve said he hates this one. All the good ones always hate their own work... so I'm postin' it... Sucka!

And my guy Bob, never a slob, Flash animation's version of Ty Cobb, F#@*K wit 'em and you might get robbed, over at Taco Spatula, drew me up in this second one...
Shout out to Bob, by the way, who got some props from John K.!!! Now in Blog form...

Thanks dudes! You're the breastesests!!

Can't wait for this weekend. My girlie girls got a surprise for me! BOOOOYAAAAA!!

Sexy School Girls Rock!!!!!

2006-02-14T01:49:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted some sexy girlies, so here goes...
Sammys recent post (and a new brain child of mine) got me in the mood to mess with a few of these scribbles...
What can I say, I'm a sucker for a metal mouth...
I'd like to say Valentines day inspired these, but that would be a complete and total lie.
To be honest I dont think very much of the "Hallmark Holiday", and I'm grateful that my girlfriend's the same way...
Besides, the day we met just happens to be the day right after Valentines day and I like to think that's way more important...
We celebrate eachother every day...
Isnt that right babe!?

The Traveler...

2006-01-30T21:34:00.000-06:00

Heres one I sketched and colored up last night...
Could still play around with it and make some different choices, but this is what I'm going with for now.
Some folks asked me if I work trditional or digital...
To be honest, I wish I really could paint. All my stuff is digital unless stated otherwise.
I'm gonna make it a point to actually try painting really soon though. Just for the hell of it.
I was never, ever, ever, ever the type to self promote(it just makes me feel like a jackass), but heres a few questions I answered for The Character Design Blog Portfolio Review a while back...
Scroll down to the bottom and look for "Javier Guzman" (that would be me)
Hopefully I'll put a hell of a lot more stuff out in the coming months...
Check yall out!

Sci-Fi Concept

2006-01-23T19:36:00.000-06:00

Heres a quick color concept of a lil sketch i did...
Just wanted to get some color into it.
I find that exploring the look and feel of my sketches often times help me to solidify and develope my ideas...

First post... bad start....

2006-01-23T12:25:00.000-06:00

First off, Happy New Year everyone.
Well, I'm off to a horrible start for '06 as far as the blog goes.
Hopefully I'll make up for lost posts soon enough.
I'm afraid that I may have lost the few people that actually check out my blog.
I have a few things in the works right now, so I havent had much time to post.
With that being said, all I have here are crappy little sketches i did while waiting at the hospital a few days ago...
Hopefully, this wont become a habit.
Thanks yall, for being patient and still coming back.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

2005-12-13T01:50:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

The 12 Days of Christmas are here!

I gotta say, Christmas is my favorite time of year.

Food, Family and Fun!

There's something to be said for the crisp, chilled air of a wintery night, or being all snuggled up at home with a loved one sippin' on a hot coffee (that's right, I'm lookin' right atcha babe!).

Here's my card for all you who frequent this Blog.

And for those who I see on a regular basis, well, now ya know what my card looks like this year.

I rushed to get it out tonite because I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post again before Christmas.

Thanks again to everyone for all the kind words, support, and endless inspiration.

Since getting this thing started in September I have been soooo much more productive, and I owe it all to you guys! Especially you Steve-O! Thanks for spreading the love!

Best Wishes to you and yours and God Bless!

Not quite Rockin' to my oldies...

2005-12-06T15:47:00.000-06:00

Wow! Its been a while.....
Ive been working on a personal project recently, and boy has it been taking up all my time!
Dont want to post anything for that right now, but hopefully I will soon (if all goes right).
Here's an oldie I dug up just to post something for now. I shoulda done it sooner I suppose. I'd hate to lose the 4 people that regularly visit this place!
I guess I'll be posting older works for the next few weeks or so. So I apologize in advance for what you may see on this blog in the near future.
Well, Im off to no sleep. Deadlines looming...
and boy am I struggling...
Adios,
Jav

Rough Models

2005-11-14T02:27:00.000-06:00

These are by no means final. I'm still playing with his shapes ... Hes a variation of the Sept. 19th post...

I'm awful at environmental sketches and compositions... Here's a shot at a pretty simple uhh..ummm, well, shot.

Not thrilled about the pofile...
Hopefully it'll work itself out.

I might of gotten a little outta control on the neck

of some of these. Just wanted to keep them loose.

Character development/ Color concepts

2005-11-08T03:30:00.000-06:00

A look into just how indecisive I am. A rough sketch and some color to play with technique and mood... The differences are very subtle. Some differences in intesity of color mostly. I just like some things from each one...
I need to stop screwing around and just draw...

Do a lil diddy if ya...

2005-11-03T19:47:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last post! I'm off to a horrible December! Sorry to disapoint my mom and my girlfriend.... uhhh... I mean all my fans, yeah, my fans. In my defense I have been sketching though, even though I'm not getting any better. Heres a lil sketch I sorta dug and wanted to hit with some color...
Flash and Photoshop yall...

Halloween Spirit....

2005-10-26T03:19:00.000-05:00

brush pen and the magic of photoshop...
In honor of Halloween, heres one inspired by my dawgs at Chewbone... heh, that worked out well.
Figured I'd theme one for once...
Just a quick lunchtime thang... Deffinately gotta get the hang of crankin these out... nice loose excercise. I tend to think too much during these.

I'm looking forward to looking and acting stupid with my girlfriend and her son Isaiah!

Big shout out to 'saiah by the way for recieving Student of the Week honors!

Way to go Bud!!

Happy Halloween yall!

The Mafiosos...

2005-10-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since Ive posted anything,
so here's an oldie...
Did these about a year or so ago.

oodles 'o doodles

2005-10-17T00:22:00.000-05:00

Heres a few doodles I made while consuming a lot of coffee... hunched over a tiny table in the childrens section of a local Barnes and Nobles this weekend.
I'm 6' 4" and can contribute this to my back problems ;)
Pencil, brush pen, and marker...

Sick of these yet?

2005-10-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

Jeez, I just realized I hadnt posted anything in over a week!
I've kinda been struggling to tell the truth. But at least Ive knocked out a bit of the actual story. Story is important.
This is another version of the same character from the last few posts. I'm trying to find an approach that i like but at the same time it's got to be practicle. Otherwise I dont see myself finishing this short story...
This approach seems a little more practicle to me and involves really lose color and minimal textures. I'd probably need to iron out a few things still, but at least the self color lines werent as big a pain as i thought they would be. Big ups to my peeps at work for trying to find a practicle way to color rough linework quickly. Thats you Kevin Baraber! Yes THE Kevin Barber of Disney fame!( You tried Bruno!).
No channels in photoshop, just quickmask goodness.
Oh yeah, I guess I should try to knock out some multiple angles at some point for these characters...
Once I figure out which design and approach I hate the least. He, he...

Rawhide Redux...

2005-10-06T00:33:00.000-05:00

Artwork © 2005-2006 Javier Guzman

Heres one more version of the previous character....
This one resembles more of a witch than a wildwest bounty hunter i think, but i had fun nonetheless...
I did this one in flash to try and achieve a different style (no lineart) and textured it in photoshop ( ala Steve Lambe. Take that loser!)
But his brushes kick much more ass... he's got it on lock!
Go Canada!

Rawhide Final Concepts...

2005-10-04T16:22:00.000-05:00

Here they are...
Two variations to finalize the whole process...
the one on the left is pretty straight forward where as the lighting on the right, i think, seems to be a bit more situational... I always run into problems during this process, because usually its tough for me to make up my mind (or I get a bit carried away).
Thanks to Bruno Werneck for giving me the idea to post both of these!
Luckily I was able to only waste 1 day during this process. Thats a step up for me ;)

P.S. Sorry, Quality is a bit low.

Rawhide Tres...

2005-10-04T00:49:00.000-05:00

Heres a loose first pass at flat color...
before any shading, tones, hilites or textures....
Color usually changes for me drastically from here as the process continues...
With this approach I guess I just usually try to keep things loose...

Rawhide part Deux...

2005-10-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

Heres a clean up of the previously posted rough....
as you can see my guns suck.... gotta work on that....
it's a bad habit but I also do small revisions and touchups as I color...

Rawhide...

2005-10-03T14:50:00.000-05:00

Anotha' rough western character concept.... Not crazy about the quality and the wrinkled paper, but I like some things here, so I think i might realize this one to color....
I might just post the steps I take for the hell of it....
Stay tuned kiddies...
Artwork © 2005-2006 Javier Guzman

Rough Color Skeeeeaaaaaatch!

2005-09-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

I just realized, my last 3 posts have been all 5 days apart...
thats wierd. I Gotta post more often....Anyhoo, heres one to make up for being so slooooowwww....
Lates!

Pages 'O Crap

2005-09-29T23:02:00.000-05:00

In my spare time I like to waste trees...

Color Tests...

2005-09-24T02:05:00.000-05:00

One of my biggest downfalls concerning my personal work is that I could never see a project completely through to the end.... I always find myself inspired by so much thats around me that I usually end up jumping from idea to idea... With that in mind here are some character concepts and rough color experiments for a character in a childerens book that I plan on Illustrating. I wont say too much about it since its still in its early stages, and its author may want me to keep it under wraps for now.

Style Concepts

2005-09-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

Here are a few character and style concepts.
I dont think I'm thinking outside the box too much here, but i had fun nonetheless.
As an approach for the finalized look of the story I have a feeling I'm gonna have to go much more simple and straight forward though.
Perhaps something a bit looser like the group 'o girlies...

Girls, Girls, Girls

2005-09-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

Dontcha' just love 'em?
Hear are a couple of sketches of a few damsels....
I'm trying to get comfortable and searching for a style or look for a short story thats in the works. Just havin fun with some shapes and situations...
Setting is the wild west...

Come on in! Don't bother takin' off your shoes the place is a mess...

2005-09-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

Sup people, or uh.... person (if I'm lucky enough to get even one person to look at this stuff.)
So this is my very first post in all its glory... uh, yeah...
It's been a long time comin' and I'm happy to say that my site still does'nt exist! Wait, did I say happy? Well, anyway, I'm fortunate enough to have a few friends to motivate me and introduce me to the blog universe!
I'm Jav by the way, and hopefully this will be a way to get off my arse and get crackin' on some personal projects. Or at least post some doodles...
So come along as I waste both of our time that neither of us will be able to get back...

Really had no idea what to post, so....

This was a lil design i did a month or so ago...