Practice Penguin

I drew this as a bit of practice for a project I'm working on. Then I decided to color it and post it here!

Music Monday - Desert of Hiatus / Fences

(click to download)

I don't know anything about this. I really like the way it sounds though.

For Sale: Hollowed Out Robot

"Hollowed Out Robot" - 5" x 7" - $10

I never got around to selling this guy somehow. I'd like to sell it off cheap, a little bit of spring cleaning! BUY IT!

100 DINOSAURS - CLUES #44 & #45

 

 

These were the clues I drew for recent dinohunts. I think the first two I've posted over there, but the last one, with the tyrannosaurus rex eating the Keith Haring man hasn't been posted before. I never really understood the big deal about Keith Haring's art until I watched a documentary about him recently.

Happy 1st Birthday Kaiden!

I was sent these photos a while back so that I could see how the poster I did for Kaiden's first birthday turned out. It's fun to see everyone's well-wishes written all over this. Hopefully this is something that Kaiden will enjoy looking at for years to come.

Looks like someone had an awesome first birthday! Happy birthday lil guy!

I Love Scolari's Good Eats

Scolaris - 6" x 12" - NFS

If you come to visit me or my family, chances are 9 times out of 10 if we go out to eat, we are going to Scolari's. It's a small spot nearby with a killer menu, and the genius of it is that even though they have limited seating, they are partnered with the bar next door, so you can have your food brought to you over there! I usually get the special burger of the day. I've ordered things besides the burger before, and its always good, but it always leaves me wishing I had gotten a burger. I decided over Christmas break that I wanted to paint something for the owner, since not only has he's been busy with his new business, and he is also a new father of twins! Basically, he never sleeps. I felt like he needed to know his hard work was being appreciated by a random patron.

For Sale - "Where the Robots & Dinosaurs Are"

"Where the Robots & Dinosaurs Are" - 12" x 6" - $50

I painted this a while ago. I thought it was a fun twist on a childhood favorite. This was painted at the same time as my Three Little Pigs painting. What can I say, I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

Music Monday - The Pillowfights / Final Round

(click to download)

In the last two years my band Gnarboots has played at least a dozen shows with the Pillowfights, or maybe it just seems that way since there singer Dani is literally at every show ever. They played their final show December 17th, along with the Albert Square, who were also playing their last show. Gnarboots was asked to play (mainly because of this song, I think) but we unfortunately could not make it. I had a similar image to the one above in my head for a flyer, but someone made a flyer before I could. I noticed that there was no album cover for this release, so I hope they will accept this at their official album art.

Sock Drawer Robot

I found this drawing in my sock drawer yesterday. I have no idea how it got, among the old wallets, keychains, pocket knives and other brick-a-brack. My only guess is that past-me wanted to surprise present-me with a funny little robot drawing.

I scanned him and colored him in just for the heck of it:

Music Monday - The Weeknd / Echoes of Silence

(click to download)

For Sale - "You OK?"

"You OK?" - 10" x 10" - $35

I Drew This: Buffalo (x7)

 BuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffaloBuffalo are a female-fronted pop-punk band from Santa Cruz. My friend Elijah is the drummer, my friend Casey is the singer, my friend Alec is the guitarist... and even though I have seen them play twice, I've never met the bassist, because Adam filled in, both times! 

Elijah asked me to draw some art for his new band, and I sort of shrugged it off because homeboy is in a ton of bands. Then I heard them, and thought they were good, and I really like ridiculous band names.

SOLD - "Are you sure this is the right way?"

"Are you sure this is the right way?" - 10" x 10" -  $50 (SOLD)

Music Monday - The Caps / Live in the Windowless Room

(click to download)

Every time I listen to these dudes, I remember why I started playing music: to play whatever loud-ass music I want with my friends. These guys (all of whom are still teenagers) are super fun to watch live, and I would go to one of their shows than all of the crap bands that pack 21+ bars here in the bay.

All Ages 4 Life.

H.E.L.P!

Do you like punk rock?

Do you like robots?
Do you like my paintings?

Do you like babies? Specifically, my baby?

Do you have some extra cash that your grandma sent you for the holidays?

Check out the video below, and see if this something you would be interested in!

Destroy Nate Allen Kickstarter! Click to Donate!!

Music Monday - 100% / EP2

(click to download)

Happy 2012. Here's some new jams from 100% to start your year off right. I drew a logo for them a while ago, hopefully they'll make a sticker or a shirt out of it someday:

Three Little Pigs - SOLD

"Three Little Pigs" - 12" x 6" - SOLD

Commission: Velociraptor reading a book!

(I didn't used to sketch out my paintings. I've found that it makes the actual painting go a lot faster.)

(Snapped a quick photo before handing it off! paint)

This was a really quick commission I completed for my friend Jake in time for him to give it as a Christmas present for his girlfriend. I did this commission as a trade for some guitar effects pedals. If you're looking to have me do some commission work but you are short on cash, remember, we can always work out a trade!

He wanted a painting of a Velociraptor, which is his girlfriend's favorite dinosaur, reading a book. I got a little worried: Did I know my wife's favorite dinosaur? (It's the Brontosaurus, I guessed correctly).

What's your favorite dinosaur, and what would you like to see it doing? Leave me a comment, and I will draw the one I like the best!

I Drew This: Bobby Joe Ebola / Tornado Rider / Emily's Army Poster

I drew this up for a string of shows that Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children Macnuggits are playing with Tornado Rider and Emily's Army. I bet you didn't know this, but dinosaurs love ice cream.

Why I like Twitter

I used to be really opposed to Twitter. I didn't see the point of blurting out every stupid idea that popped into my head. However, I've changed my tune in the last couple of months. First off, its a great way to figure out where all the rad food trucks in the bay area are posted up at any given time. Second, it's pretty rad to be able to drop a line to one of your favorite musicians. Lastly, it comes in handy when you forget to document art that you just sold!
I posted this tweet during the Alameda Holiday Fair:

A couple of days later, I received an email from the nice person who bought the paintings! Along with some picture of the paintings:

As it turns out, they also won the painting that I had entered into the raffle, "Extra Parts?!"

Looks like it found a good home!

Twitter is also a good way to find out when I am going to post new clues for the dinosaur painting scavenger hunt I've been doing. If you don't already follow me over there, or if you were like me and didn't see the point of Twitter, maybe now you could give it a second chance.

Music Monday - Freddy Ruppert / Sickling EP

(click to download)

This is what I will be listening to this week while I draw. These are instrumental recordings by Freddy Ruppert, of This Song Is A Mess But So Am I and Former Ghosts. I grew up listening to a lot of the same electronic/industrial music that influenced these songs, so while being brand new songs to me, they wind up also being nostalgic.

I Painted This: Robot Unicorn

Robot Unicorn - 10" x 10" - SOLD

This was a recent commission. I was asked, "Could you paint a Robot Unicorn?" I could, and I did!

ARRRRH! AVAST!!

(click to enlarge)

I completed this commission recently for the 1st birthday of a little boy who has a pirate themed bedroom. I'm guessing that the birthday party will be pirate themed as well!
One of my favorite books growing up was the Peter Pan book I had that was put out by Disney and Golden Books. I loved the illustrations, which I felt like you could actually step into even though they were relatively simple. I used that as the basis for what I was trying to achieve with these illustrations.
My favorite illustration from this project is the clubhouse surrounded by water. I wanted something that mirrored the lost boys clubhouse from Peter Pan, without being exactly the same:

Sorry, you are not a winner. Please try again.

"Extra Parts?!" - 10" x 10" - NFS

When I participated in the Alameda Holiday Fair last week, the vendors were asked to donate something to the raffle. I wasn't sure which painting I wanted to put into the raffle, so I just painted this while I was at the event! I took a picture of it while the paint was drying and hustled it off to the area where all the prizes were staged. Goodbye, little robot!
So, if you like this painting, sorry. Someone who attended wound up taking this painting home that day. You can't win unless you show up!

(I am available to paint commissions though, and I could even have it done in time for a christmas gift! interested? Send me an email - xadamdx@gmail.com)

Music Monday - Big Kids / Phone Home

(click to download)

I posted the first album from Big Kids a while ago, and now I'm posting this one. I think these guys are the perfect soundtrack to doing anything in Oakland. Riding your bike, drinking coffee, making art out of trash, smoking crack... all things people do in Oakland, right? If you like the first album, you'll dig this one too.

Your Friday Awesome: I QUIT!

I have had really bland office jobs for the past ten years. I wound up in this line of work because when I would be home from tour with my band, I would do temp work. In Oakland, that meant working at a Kaiser office doing data entry, so my resume was full of office experience. When band-life slowed down, I found myself working full time in office jobs that held no interest for me.

This week, I say goodbye to that chapter of my life. I have quit my full time office job in San Francisco to be a stay-at-home dad, and to focus on being an artist. It's a little scary to be stepping away from a steady paycheck, but I have a bunch of money squirreled away in savings, I have reduced my spending to almost nothing, and I'm working like a madman to secure commissions. All while making sure my son is fed, changed and well rested. Oh, and I'm trying to keep the house picked up. Busy busy!

So, I'd like to officially announce that I am available to do illustration work, layouts for you next release, poster design or a painting you'd like to give someone for Christmas! Send me your commission requests!

I'll be posting some of the completed commissions I have done recently, along with some other pieces that I need to sell. 

Also, It's my son is six months old today! He is getting so big!

EVENTS!!!

Tomorrow I will be selling zines, paintings, and prints at the East Bay Zinefest, put on by the Rock Paper Scissors Collective.  If you missed the SF Zinefest this year, this would be a good chance to come check out some art (and music, if you feel like sticking around for the late part of this.) I will be there from 12-4pm. 

Next week:

I'll be performing at this with GNARBOOTS. Wanna get up close and personal? Come to this.

The very next day, I will be selling my art at this:

I'm planning on having hand-painted christmas ornaments to sell at this show! We will see how that turns out. I'll be busy painting, drawing and illustrating all next week.

Hope to see some of you at these events!

Music Monday - Leer / EP

(click to download)

I hope that someday when my son starts a band with his friends, it sounds like this.

SOLD - "OH NO!"

"Oh No!" - 8" x 8" - $40

Music Monday - Loma Prieta / Life/Less

(click to download)

During the '89 Loma Prieta earthquake, I was in front of my parents house in Gilroy, decorating for Halloween. When the ground started shaking, I immediately hit the deck. I realized I was directly under the front window of the house, which thankfully didn't shatter. I could hear everything falling out of the cabinets inside, and worried that the brick facade on the front of the house was going to fall down on me. When the whole thing was over, nearly every chimney on the block had been knocked down.

This album pretty much sounds like that earthquake.

Flyer - 12.12.2011

Here's the next flyer in the adventure of Bertie (that's the name of the robot). It's part of a series of flyers I am doing for the band Destroy Nate Allen. Nate said I should make my signature bigger, so I made it bigger on this one.

Music Monday - Comadre / Mixtape #5

(click to download)

This was originally released to raise donations to send over to Japan to help with their whole earthquake/tsunami situation, but it's now available for free.