A Quick Talk with Comics Legend Tony DeZuniga

Tony DeZuniga is a comics legend who has been working in the industry since the age of 16 or in 1957 if you prefer. In the 60’s and 70’s he moved back and forth between the Philippines (his native country) and New York City working for both Marvel and DC Comics. That means he’s forgotten more about comics than you or I will probably ever learn. Later on he worked as a conceptual designer in video games and now in retirement he does commissioned paintings and teaches art. In 2010 he’s still at the top of his artistic game and it’s a big year for him with the upcoming release of the Jonah Hex movie.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

My first work was that House of Mystery, it’s about a Pharaoh and his son, Joe Orlando wanted to try me if my work is as good as my portfolio because he was impressed when I show him my portfolio.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I was just self taught with the help of Filipino comic illustrators like Coching and Redondo and a few more that’s ahead of me. Always try to ask and make room for improvement. And you have to memorize your anatomy, that’s very important.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

Actually I use everything, and try to be good with everything. But I think pencil is my forte. I started doing fine arts too and I love acrylic and gouache.

Favorite brand of ink:

I am using this sable pen brushes, they’re expensive but I love it they’re so think and so smooth to use.

Type of paper:

I like the vellum kind , the one with tooth, I’m a pencil person so I want something that sticks on the paper.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

I love the works of Hal Foster and Alex Raymond, they’re my inspiration growing up and starting as an artist and I know I’m not alone, a lot of artist feels the same.

Tony DeZuniga Art Exhibit Opening

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job? Could you provide a quick overview of your process?

Doing a commission is very tricky, I wish all customers would tell you that “do whatever you want , as long as I get my character” but the thing doing commissions are, they’re paying you so they want certain things, certain poses, with another character, they want an evil witch…etc. But customer is always right…

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

I love jazz music and Frank Sinatra, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme and Michael Bubble.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I love a Joe Kubert spread he gave me long time ago; a picture of me and Bill Gaines in the 70’s; a San Julian pencil and Maroto colored illustration with lots of appreciation and story behind it.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

I don’t really read novels but I love watching movies. I love the Avatar movie. I used to be a conceptual designer of SEGA and how I miss that job.

Current and upcoming projects?

My upcoming project is the Graphic Novel of Jonah Hex. The movie is coming out in June 16, 2010 and Paul Levitz, DC President wrote us a letter that they will give me a credit on the movie and we were invited at the red carpet.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Just keep on trying, and most important is you have to have your own style, all new artists wanted to be like Jim Lee or Todd Macfarlane, no you have to develop your own style to get there and of course you have to be really good and sometimes….luck.

Read more about Tony at alanguilan.com

Video Interview with TONY DeZUNIGA

Wesley Allsbrook; An Interview with an Accomplished Illustrator

by Jason Thibault

Wesley Allsbrook is a very skilled illustrator who has worked with magazines, newspapers and in the comics medium. She studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and became a freelance artist after graduation.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

I always drew. I wasn’t always good with it, but I cannot remember ever not wanting to draw. I used it, at first, to see the things that I imagined, and to make a better world for myself. Later, I drew photo real copies of the models in the Coldwater Creek catalog to impress people in middle school. There was another girl who could really throw down, Molly Carlson. North Chatham wasn’t big enough for the both of us.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

I got my very first jobs from my professor’s wife while still in school. In Chris Buzelli’s classes, there was always at least one assignment that would be published, though every assignment was a competition with a definite victor and loser (we voted during crit). I got second place for the Bells and Whistles job (a half page that appears consistently in PLANSPONSOR Magazine), and then I got hired. At the time I was still doing everything with screen printing, so the revises were kind of difficult for me…

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Both. I taught myself how to draw up through high school, but RISD really helped me do something with my aptitude. I had a foundations teacher called Brice Hobbs. Always questing after the most volumetric of blacks and the most visceral mark making, He’d put one of our skeletons through a tire swing, give her a sunbonnet, and address the class: “I want to FEEL this tire RUNNING OVER MY FACE.” If my drawings have any feeling of physicality, it’s because of Brice. Him and Tony Janello. Tony taught me all about the value of pentimenti as drawing tools. We’d use crayola crayons to make a literal neural net of marks around the model before drawing the figure out of the fray. After that I never looked for the outline of a thing straight away. I still draw like this every day. Helps me to see space.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I love the Windsor and Newton Series 7 brushes (0, 1, 2) and the fountain brush pens (Pentel, Kaimei, etc), cheap sumi brushes for dry effects and toothbrushes, foam paint brushes, sharpened chopsticks… And drop-lead pencils for drawing, usually no softer than a 2B. Vellum Bristol for drawing. My boyfriend and I are deadlocked in the debate on the merits of kneaded vs. white erasers, though neither of us like the gums. For mistakes, I like casein.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

When I began I wanted to use everything. I made my own oil paints from scratch (way less hazardous to your health than making pastels), and found a way to layer inks between oil varnishes (really awkward). I inked over screen prints. I even tried collage. There was not a material by which I was not at one time seduced. The smells, the textures, the line qualities… But I was always a person who thought more in lines than in volumes, so gradually, as my style became more specific my “toolbox” got smaller. The screen printing did help me to understand how to use Photoshop to my advantage.

Favorite brand of ink:

I don’t discriminate, and I buy cheap. No waterproof.

Type of paper:

Vellum Bristol.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

I love Milton Caniff (Terry and the Pirates, and the later Steve Canyon), Noel Sickles (emphasis on the Scorchy Smith), Alex Raymond ( Flash Gordon ), Will Eisner, Kurtzman, Kirby… But for your modern influences you’ve got Paul Pope, Nathan Fox… There’s more blood and guts (you know, in a good way) in those inks than maybe I’ll ever got to do. All these guys can draw, and that’s what I love.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

I sketch, get approval. Then I scale up the print size by a quarter or a half and start penciling. I don’t transfer directly from the sketch because I don’t have the patience for the light box, and often I’ll like the idea of the sketch, but feel that the composition needs some tweaking. Once the pencil is done and a few quick thumbnails for me to figure out the value structure I want to pursue, I ink. Then I scan my ink along with some textures and perhaps some color swatches that I want to select from, and the rest, as they say, is Photoshop.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

David Byrne & Brian Eno, Everything that Happens.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Has to be my boyfriend’s drawings. He inks like a man. And my friend Ze’s prints.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

The last book I read was Peter Carey’s His Illegal Self. Le Deuxieme Souffle–The Second Wind, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville (or Le Samourai directed by the same guy) for my movie recommendation. And I just saw The Third Man! Talk about great compositions and absolute blacks…. Peter Carey is a very pleasant and familiar place to return to for reading materials. I also love Keri Hulme. Whether it’s her short stories or novels, I’ve never felt closer to written characters–and her commitment to descriptive food details really resonates with me. And anything by Calrice Lispector. And comics.

Current and upcoming projects?

My Comic, Mountains and Valleys, about the tragedy of the love between parent and child, and Nkisi Dolls. I’m hoping I can eventually self-publish. We’ll see.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Keep working, but don’t do it in the dark. Let people know that you exist, and don’t lose your commitment to making the work that you love (as opposed to what you believe your clients want you to make). As a student, Jon Foster told me that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Truer and more axiomatic words were never said, especially when it comes to illustration. A good part of this job is exposing yourself. As a shut-in, I get shaky every time I’m in a room with more than a couple of people. Its worth it to promote yourself, though.

Find out more about Wesley at her website and her blog.

Arik Roper’s Mind-Altering Art and Illustrations

By Jason Thibault

Arik Roper is an artist who transcends time. You stumble across his art and you think you’ve found some long-lost illustrations from the late 60’s to mid 1970’s era. Yet somehow his work perfectly complements the various album covers and concert posters of modern-day rock and metal groups. He is endlessly toiling with new materials and techniques it is of no surprise that his art is growing in popularity.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

I started drawing around age 3. Both my parents were artists. My mother was an illustrator and graphic designer and my father was a painter and sculptor, so the influence came from them and the environment in which I was grew up. They always encouraged me. There was never a question as to what I wanted to pursue – it was always art. My formative years, when I was trying out different styles and emulating things I liked, progressed fairly smoothly. In retrospect I can see different phases I went I went through as I learned. I started out on the 1960s Mad magazines, and underground comix ( my father’s collection). Later it was Heavy Metal mag, Iron Maiden covers, Vaughn Bode, some skateboard art and so on. At first I somewhat emulated my favorite art as most people do when they’re young, but over the years I think I’ve distilled it into a more unique thing although some of the early influences are so deep that they show at times.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

I’m not sure if this would be considered “professional” since I didn’t actually get paid for it but one of my first published pieces of work was a comic in the third issue of Grand Royal magazine in 1994. I met the editor Bob Mack when he visiting New York through some friends. We hung out one night, went to bars , acted crazy, had a blast and ended up staying in touch for a time after that. He asked me to contribute to the magazine, so I submitted a primitive one panel comic which was used. I later did another for the next issue ( I think it was the next issue) but some others at the magazine weren’t into it because it was insulting to owners of pit bulls- it was basically just a parody strip about how people who own pit bulls as a status symbol are idiots. I think the magazine folded soon after, for different reasons I assume.

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I learned a lot from my mother. She started as a fashion illustrator then became a commercial illustrator in the 1970s, when they had to actually draw advertisements and do it all manually. She was good at creating anything. Her style definitely influenced mine. I picked up a lot of technique from her and started using her markers and paper. She also had volumes of art books laying around the house for reference which I was exposed to. By the time I got to The School of Visual Arts I had been into drawing and coloring for many years and was well on my way. In school I was exposed to other mediums like painting, figure and life drawing, silk-screening, etc, so in that sense school helped but most of what I learned happened when I was younger.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

These days I use a crow quill pen, Micron markers, various watercolor and acrylic paint brushes, plus other watercolor pattern making tools like sponges.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

I used to work with permanent markers like Prismacolor, sharpies, etc., but the fumes were too much, plus they’re limited in regards to what you can achieve. Now I’m into permanent inks, watercolors and gouache. These give me the effect I was looking for with markers- deeply saturated but much more versatile. I’ve been moving more into painting lately too.

Favorite brand of ink:

Dr Ph Martins Radiant Concentrated and Transparent water color inks are what I’ve been into lately. I’ve been also using various brands of gouache for some opacity.

Type of paper:

I use primarily Arches Cold Press 300 lb paper. Sometimes the 140 lb Hot Press also. The Cold Press heavyweight type works best for me because I use a lot of layering, I mix the colors into the paper and do washes so I need the paper to hold up. The Arches is good at this, it gets soaked and dries into a nice deep tone. If I’m doing a sharper illustration in which there’s a black outline for example, then the smooth Hot Press is better. If it’s a single sheet, I get it wet then iron it out to keep it from warping and tape it down on a board.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

Just to name a few: Edmund Dulac, Ivan Bilibin, Augustus Knapp, Gustave Dore, Theodor Kittelsen, Heath Robinson, Robert Pepper, Richard Corben, Frazetta, Berni Wrightson, Jeff Jones, Ian Miler, Julek Heller, Rodney Matthews, Roger Dean, Greg Irons, Gerald Scarfe, Peter Dickinson, Giger, Ernst Fuchs, Rick Griffin, Barney Bubbles, R Cobb, Bruce Pennington, George Hardie, Phillipe Druillet, V Courtlandt Johnson, William Stout. There are many contemporaries who I admire as well, too many to get into here.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

Fortunately I get to be creative with a lot of my work, meaning that I get to come up with the imagery on my own. Sometimes brainstorming can take a while. I spend some time thinking about the concept or client and what I want to represent with it. I try to take cues from the client, a band for example, I’ll use the music to guide me. Sometimes I’ll get into researching ideas or themes, I’ll read about the history of some theme that I’m working on. I sketch out ideas for a while until I get something I like then go to the final. The rest of the process varies depending on the project and style. I’ve lately been working in a style in which I don’t draw the image in black line, I use only inks to make the scene a more realistic style. That’s a whole other way of thinking for me, because I have to think about the order in which I lay down the colors, and use the ink and water to create effects. It requires a little more patience and consideration.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

On the turntable sits The End of the Game, by Peter Green.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I can’t say it’s necessarily my favorite but it ranks high on my list, it’s a poster print of a painting titled A Walk Through the World of Drugs by John Pitre. A friend gave it to me from his collection. It’s a scene of some naked shaggy looking young men and women basking in a world made of phantasmagorical oversized pills, mushrooms, cocaine and pot leaves. It’s really a beautifully done oil painting with incredible detail and amazing psychedelic renderings plus it’s insane in concept, which I like of course. I’d never heard of Pitre but after researching him, I discovered he’s a huge talent.

I also have a screen printed poster which is apparently from the 70s by an Israeli artist named Shoher ( it’s in the fine print ) that depicts Jesus on the cross wearing a gas mask and all kinds of demonic post apocalyptic chaos surrounding him , and the words “And Then Came Smoke”.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

Most of my life I’ve been reading nonfiction (except for Philip K Dick) but over a year ago I read Dune for the first time. I never got around to reading it when I was younger, and I’m glad I didn’t because it blew me away after reading it at this age. I think I related to it more and had some reference points for it that made it all the more outstanding to me. It’s so incredibly psychedelic, I can’t believe no one told me before. I heard from a firsthand source that Frank Herbert created the story from his psilocybin experiences and that certain characters and the overall vibe of the story are directly influenced by the mushroom lore and biology – and it shows. Dune has some of the most spot-on altered state descriptions I’ve ever read, it’s a heavyweight masterpiece to be sure. I saw the David Lynch film version as a kid, I liked it but didn’t quite get it. It’s an interesting film but of course it’s hugely abbreviated and a bit frustrating because of it.

Another inspiring book is the Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly Hall, the giant tome of occult and secret sciences through history. That stuff get’s my mind on its’ feet.

Solaris by Tarkovsky is one of my favorite movies and it’s always inspiring. Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain and El Topo are classics in my world as well, the symbolism and humor are amazing.

Current and upcoming projects?

I’m currently working on art for my show which opens in late October at the Fuse Gallery here in New York. After that I start thinking about the new High on Fire album art, and some other projects including a graphic novel idea that a friend and I are developing. I’d like to get into animation but since I don’t yet have the skills to do it alone, I think I’d need to collaborate with someone.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

You gotta be good at what you do. Keep making art, looking for inspiration, and refining your craft. I suggest looking at art through the ages for inspiration, not just modern trends. In terms of getting to the “next level”, it’s often a matter of just getting yourself seen and then letting it grow from there. It’s easier now than ever. You can show your work online , you can make your own prints or shirts, etc., you can self publish with those print on demand books. You can do work for bands which is like an advertising circuit unto itself. Build a world around you, make your personal aesthetic universe for your art. Then, if you want, you can send it out to potential clients or agencies to get some work. But you have to be good at what you do of course. It may take time. You may not feel like you’re reaching your goal yet, but that’s alright because time is on your side as an artist. If you keep doing it you’ll presumably evolve and by the time it starts reaching people it will be even better. Don’t rush it, develop it.

Keep up with Arik at his website.

The Pen and Ink Intricacies of sAnTos

by Jason Thibault

I first started noticing the intricate pen and ink line work of sAnTos on a Hire on Fire t-shirt. His insanely detailed and creepy drawings immediately took me back to my punk and metal days of the 1980’s. Luckily I still dig punk and metal AND talented artists. We corresponded back and forth over the summer and sAnTos finally delivered a short novel’s worth of answers to my questions on how he does what he does.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

I’ve always drawn as far back as I can remember. I started out drawing skeletons, football helmets with the logos, and comic book characters when I was in kindergarten. I liked drawing those because skeletons had a lot of tiny parts, football helmets had logos to draw, and comic book characters were where I first fell in love with illustration. I used to draw extra lines into the pages of my coloring books to alter the image to what I wanted it to be. I would add things like weapons, backgrounds, torn-off limbs, and punk or metalhead clothes. My dad had a morbid sense of humor, so that played a big role when it came to pushing the limits. My parents were proud of my artistic ability and encouraged me to keep drawing — and to get good grades.

With my family and friends behind me, I continued drawing all through school. My notebooks and desks were filled with images from metal albums and I became enthralled with cover and t-shirt art. This didn’t help me in high school as I had an asshole of an art teacher who didn’t like the subjects that I chose for my art assignments. Not only that, but because he was hell bent on forcing his safe style of art onto us, it made me want to keep including the subjects that I wanted to use and keep the hell away from the mainstream art that he forced down our throats. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that he included some of my art in the school district art show at the local mall. My mother went to see my art there and while looking at my drawings, she overheard two women commenting on how my parents must be scared having such a disturbed kid. She just replied, “Yeah, we love him.”

After high school, I took a year off and worked before going to college in 1992. In college, I majored in biology/premedicine and my art took a backseat. I didn’t have any projects and was busy surviving school and working nonstop. It wasn’t until I decided to quit college and go out and see what the world had to offer that I started drawing again. I moved into a punk house that housed two bands, and that gave me the opportunity to draw fliers and come up with shirt and record covers. I also worked at the record store connected to the house and I got plenty of time to draw while working the slow nights. I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1994 and began drawing my ass off the day I arrived. I started a band with some friends and continued doing art for fliers, our band, and bands in the Colorado and New Mexico scenes. I met a lot of people throughout those years and was given many chances to make designs for my friends’ bands. Along with my love of record covers, t-shirt art, and art in general, I kept working. I worked on any project that people would give me (which was minimal at best). It took a few years for my art to catch on, and then people started to get a hold of me. It just took time, patience, and persistent dedication.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

It would have to be the High On Fire “Keys To Battle” shirt design. I would say that that is the first professional piece because they were the biggest band that I had dealt with to that point. Matt Pike was already known for his previous band, Sleep, as well as guitar work and signature Laney amps. Also, High On Fire were signed to Relapse Records. Up to then, I had only worked with friends and local punk bands.

It was around 2002 and I saw them play at the 15th Street Tavern in Denver. I walked up to the merch table and asked Matt Pike if they needed any art. At first, he said no. Then, as I was turning around to walk away, he called me back over and asked whom I had done art for. I told him a few of the bands names and he knew one of them, so he agreed to see what I could come up with. They came back to Denver soon after and I took a few copies of the finished design to show them. They really liked the design and it ended up selling really well for them. That design helped me pick up a ton of commissions from other bands and it snowballed from there.

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I am more self-taught than anything. I took art in school growing up, but never took art in my couple of years in college, nor did I attend art school. I have sought advice and learned new techniques from friends who are artists, and have learned a ton from them, but for most of my life it was the trial-and-error method that I learned from.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

I mostly use the Micron 005-02 and the Copic .03 pens. I also use Micron brush pens for filling in larger areas. Prismacolor markers are my primary tools when I’m coloring designs. Besides those mentioned, I have the paintbrushes that I stole from high school, cheap mechanical pencils, a metal ruler, and a carpet knife. I like to keep things simple.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

When I first started out, I used any pen and piece of paper that I could find. My first illustrations were done using photocopier paper and ballpoint pens that I bought or found. Over the years, I’ve picked up using new tools and materials from friends, but mostly stuck to the basics that I felt comfortable with. I started working for a video game studio in 1999, and it was the first time that I had been around other artists who had gone to school to study art and who were already comfortable with their choices of tools. They introduced me to Micron pens, Prisma markers, and Paris paper. These became my basics and I still use them. I did add Saral tracing paper and some new erasers but that doesn’t really count.

Favorite brand of ink:

The kind in the inside of Microns.

Type of paper:

The only paper I use is Paris paper 180lb. 14×17; every illustration for the past 10 years has been drawn using it. Seth Cole heavy tracing paper and Saral transfer paper are recent additions and were suggested to me by a few poster artists. I do all of my paintings on wood.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

I feed off of the artists around me and the ones who are working in the music scene — guys like Tom Denney, John Baizley, David D’Andrea, Arik Roper, Aaron Horkey, Mark McCormick, Yuzuru, and Dan Mumford. Those guys know what it’s like working on shirt and cover designs, and we all seem to support one another in many ways. Pushead is where it all started for me. That’s why I have the “Hand Of Fear” print next to my art table. That design was one of the first designs that stuck in my mind and made me want to draw. Gustave Doré was also one of my favorites. His illustrations were so detailed and full of texture that I obsessed over his pieces. I got lost looking at each page of the “Divine Comedy” and looked up to him as one of the masters when I was young.

In addition, I can’t forget Nick Blinko. His pieces are so impressive and always have intrigued me. I sometimes think that I am a sick man for the detail that I add into a piece, but Nick goes far above and beyond anything that I do. The man can fill a page with the most intricate images and textures and you find yourself lost in the landscapes that he creates. To me, the masters are those who share my need for detail within their art. Sure, there are many more out there who have influenced me, but these three men have always been tops in my book.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job? Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

I first ask for lyrics, music, or any ideas that the band may have. I like to personalize the design for the client, so lyrics are usually the biggest help when it comes to starting. I sketch out a quick design and send it back to the client to wait for any ideas or changes that they may have. I have been fortunate to work with bands that trust me and the ideas that I bring. Most will just let me go and do what ever I want for a design, so that is a great feeling when that happens. When the final sketch is approved, I set up a sheet of paper and measure out the size of the design. A sheet of tracing paper is added over the top, and I sketch and lay out the design on the tracing paper. After I get the design where I want it, I transfer the design onto the Paris paper. I remove the tracing paper and ink the whole outline of the design. From there, it’s just detailing the hell out of the piece and cleaning up what lines I can. When I’m done, I scan in the design and clean it up a bit. That usually means just adjusting levels and removing dust from the scanned image. It seems like such an insane process when I read it out like that.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

On the mp3 player, I’ve been listening to Holy Sons and a lot of Grails. I enjoy using the shuffle setting most other times. The last CD in my player was Asva’s “What You Don’t Know Is Frontier” and it is a great album. The turntable has been seeing a lot of use with the likes of Heart, DJ Shadow, Dick Hyman, KMD, and Sisters Of Mercy, among others. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music because I hate getting bored with just one genre. However, I do lean toward the darker, heavier end of the spectrum.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I have a few framed show posters from Michael Michael Motorcycle, Daniel Danger, and Mark Ryden, and I have a Pushead “Hand Of Fear” print up in my art room. The first High On Fire design I drew for them is also in my art room. It’s a nice reminder of how far I’ve come. My favorite piece, though, would be the Bob McDonald print of the Neurosis “Times Of Grace” cover. Prints were made from the original lino cuts and I was able to pick one up when he had an art show in Seattle. A good friend and neighbor of mine performed said printing, so I was able to go in and pick out my print.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

The last book that I read was H.P. Lovecraft’s novella “At The Mountains Of Madness.” I don’t get to read as much as I would like to, but that is a great collection of stories. Movies I don’t recommend much; they’re often so mindless and not entertaining at all.

I love collecting dictionaries and encyclopedias. A few of my favorites are The Dictionary of Thought, The Dictionary of Symbols, Encyclopedia of Birds, Encyclopedia of the Esoteric and Supernatural, and the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft. I had no idea that there were so many different types that had been produced. I also have a lot of animal and anatomy books. Combined, these are the books in my collection that I constantly refer to and can’t get enough of.

When it comes to movies, I sway toward older films, cheesy comedies, and independent films. I grew up watching a lot of black-and-white war movies and westerns with my dad. There’s also a place in my heart for shitty movies, the kind that just fade into white noise while you’re in between naps on a Saturday afternoon. My dad is also to credit for that. He would go to the video store or library and bring home the worst sci-fi and fantasy movies. The man knew how to pick the kind of crap that you just had to watch because it was completely absurd. Rarely do I watch any of the new Hollywood pulp without becoming angry.

Current and upcoming projects?

I’m currently working on many projects at once. I’m sketching up a three-sided shirt design for High On Fire, a shirt design for Cobalt, a hoodie and tour shirts for Shrinebuilder, a couple of designs for Lamb of God, a shirt design for Karim at I’m Better Than Everyone Records, a collaborative design with Tom Denney, and a collaborative shirt design with John Baizley for Baroness. Those are a few of the projects on my schedule and many more are being added. So, it looks like I’ll be busy for a while.

What would you tell aspiring artists who are working their asses off but still need and want to break through to the next level?

Never stop working. Work for free, work for next to nothing, work for yourself, just keep working. Get your art out there any way that you can because the more art that you have out in the world, the more people will see it. Word of mouth is a tremendous advertising tool; you would be surprised how the right project will gain exposure and the word will spread like wildfire. Talk to people and find a community of peers and artists that’ll be there to lend a hand or give some advice. And you truly have to love what you’re doing, otherwise it’s a pointless endeavor. When you love what you’re doing it’ll always show through in your work and it will keep you driven.

To find out more about sAnTos go his MySpace page.

Artist David D’Andrea on the Melding of Art and Life

By Jason Thibault

David D’Andrea combines the draftsmanship of the poster artists and album cover designers of the 1960’s and 70’s with a raw detailed grittiness to create an organic pen and ink style that is unmistakably his own. His t-shirt designs, hand colored silk-screen prints and album covers are highly sought after and have won much praise and even more fans and admirers. He completely throws himself into his work and each new piece is an extension and evolution from the last one. David is a wandering soul and will probably continue to search and improve until the day he stops drawing.

What inspired you to first start drawing? Did you struggle in your formative years or did it come easy to you?

My earliest inspiration was most definitely MAD and Cracked magazine, Garbage Pail Kids, Wolverton, and 80’s cartoons and pop culture in general. My father’s LP collection was very influential. Album covers for Zeppelin, Cream, and Steppenwolf etc. grabbed me even before I took to the music, which of course happened shortly after.

I remember getting a hold of Kiss “Love Gun” for 25 cents at the public library. It was my first LP and I thought I had found the holy grail, the perfect melding of art and music.

I would say that the actual epiphany, the instance when I decided “this is what I do”, was when I saw the connection between art and skateboarding and the underground music and culture that went with it. Pushead’s “Puszone” in Thrasher Magazine, VCJ’s work for Powell Peralta, and soon after, the zines and flyers by my peers from around the country. I started a zine, made photocopied flyers, painted on endless griptape jobs…I was fanatical about it all.

It was the crucial period when I realized that rather than being a consumer/observer, I could BE it, a part of it all.

I wouldn’t say that I struggled with creating at this point. Looking back, it was the only aspect of life that I didn’t struggle with! School, girls, parents didn’t matter when I was totally nailing a copy of Pushead’s Exploited skull on my grip tape!

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.

My first published piece was an album insert for Oakland punk band “Fields of Shit”. This was a 10” album on the Life is Abuse label, 1995 I believe. This was just a natural progression from the xeroxed flyers I had been doing for the Oakland punk/metal/noise scene, so it’s hard to call it my first “professional” piece.
It has all happened pretty organically. I have always been the guy who does the zine or flyer or t-shirt. I was the guy who spent Friday night geeking out at Kinkos, working obsessively. The rest happened from there.

In the mid 90’s Oakland was an incredible place…inspiring and dangerous and fruitful. Places like the 40th St. warehouse (RIP) provided an impetus to get much of my early stuff out.

I reached a big milestone in 1999 with my first shirt for High on Fire. Matt Pike’s father-in-law printed us up a batch of two color shirts and we toured the US and Europe for 4 months with only my shirts and a demo cdr for sale.

Were you self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

I decided to go to college once I was 27 years old. I had been reluctant to commit for a long time, but hit a wall and realized that formal schooling might help me make some sort of career of my work. I received my BFA in Illustration from The California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

My mentor there, one of the most important people I’ve ever met, is Barron Storey. His absolute devotion to the craft, his creed of total documentation via art, has set a huge example for me. Barron is without a doubt a “living legend” and simultaneously the most kind and supportive teacher and mentor on earth.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

108 nibs, a few liner brushes, .03 technical pencils, Strathmore 500 series Bristol…those are the basic tools at my drawing table. Once my drawings are done, I use the basic Abode suite on my Powermac for pre-press and/or color separations and layout etc.

The last few years have involved a lot of screen printing, so that’s a whole other set of tools. I am a part of Monolith Press, which was founded by my good friend and amazingly inspired label owner/printmaster/father, Mauz Parrillo. In fact, it was Mauz’s label “Life Is Abuse” who published that first poster insert!
At Monolith we use a semi-automated screen printing press, mainly Speedball inks, a large film output printer, etc. There’s a lot that goes into the screen printing process. I love it and am always trying to take it to the next level.

How has your toolbox evolved compared to when you first started out?

My toolbox is much more stripped down than it used to be. I think this is largely because of the screen printing work. With screen printing, my originals are always just black line with stippling on paper. The color seps are done later on the computer or sometimes by hand directly on the films.

Alternatively, when I do an album cover it allows me much more freedom, as anything can be printed digitally. Still, I don’t get too heavy on the materials. Sometimes I’ll use acrylic inks and watercolor and I like to use the masonite panels with a clay coating that allows me to sand/scratch the surface.

Favorite brand of ink:

Speedball Super Black India is the best and deepest black I’ve found. I keep it stirred and cut it with ammonia glass cleaner to keep it flowing.

Type of paper:

I usually draw on Strathmore 500 series Bristol. Occasionally I’ll use a plate surface illustration board or the masonite clay board if I want the ink to really sit on the surface and look as crisp as possible.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?

Roger Dean, Harry Clarke, Takato Yamamoto, Barron Storey, Rick Griffin, Alan Forbes, Arik Roper, Kiki Smith, Jim Dine…

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you give us a quick overview of your process?

I like to really push my research and preparation through lots of reading, image searching, and meditation of various kinds. I’m really fortunate to be able to work with a lot of musicians and collaborators who are directly inspirational to me. In these cases, the preliminary process just flows. My sketches are generally pretty “sketchy”, just to show my ideas and composition. My process is very heavy on the inking stage, as I often go light and loose on the pencil and freestyle the patterns and stippling.

So, the sketches sometimes go back and forth a few times, especially with album packaging, as I try to show a basic concept that spans the whole layout. It involves a certain amount of trust, which is sometimes there, sometimes not. My best work has been for clients who have the trust in my vision. The whole thing is a strange and (sometimes) difficult dance.

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Lately: OM “God is Good”, Lord Vicar “Feel No Pain” , Makato Kawabata “Hosanna Mantra” , Astra “The Weirding”, Daniel Higgs “The Devotional Songs of…”, Jex Thoth “st”,Grouper “Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill”, Graveyard “st”, Buffalo Killers “Let It Ride”
Always: Hawkwind, Sabbath, Floyd, Roky, Saint Vitus, Pandit Pran Nath, Neil Young, Mahavishnu Orchestra…
I am way into collecting vinyl…vintage and contemporary psych, doom metal, classic rock gems. The cyclic/raga/trance-inducing stuff is my favorite to listen to while working. It lends itself to hours upon hours of inking.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

I have the Takato Yamamoto “Secret Traces of Night” portfolio prints, a snow leopard by Dennis McNett, Alan Forbes’ Sleepy Sun, an original Hermann Rorschach card, Pushead’s Septic Death “Need So Much Attention” on newsprint, various odds and ends by Monica Canilao, photos by Paul Schiek. I also tend to fill my studio walls with tons of paper ephemera by anonymous or forgotten natural history or fantastical illustrators from years past.

What’s the last novel you read and last movie that you saw that you’d recommend? Which movies and books do you always return to?

I’m honestly not much of a movie fan. I do enjoy them very occasionally and when I do, the affect is to turn my creative mind off. I do read a lot. My favorite fiction writers of all time are Flannery O’Connor, Faulkner, Lovecraft, Carver. I also love natural history/science/paranormal studies. Henri Fabre “Life and Love of the Insect” is a masterpiece. My favorite thinkers/cultural engineers are Brion Gysin, Terrence McKenna, and Genesis P’Orridge.

I’m currently reading “2012 The Return of Quetzalcoatl” by Daniel Pinchbeck.

Current and upcoming projects?

On the table right now: OM/Lichens US tour poster, Fall Into Darkness Festival Portland, Black Heart Procession tour, Dinosaur Jr. and Jesus Lizard posters, and a public art project commissioned by the city of Emeryville, which is where my studio is located.

I have a lot of print projects lined up, including a series of art zines, a Sleep black light poster (based on the shirt design I recently completed), and an illustrated chapbook with Al Cisneros.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

I’ve come to see that it takes complete devotion, total immersion and a melding of art and life. I am hard pressed to explain what I mean. I feel that whatever IT is, I have it in me, like I’ll sacrifice whatever it takes, keep my head down, work my fingers to the bone, devote my life to the image….and I can only HOPE to break through.

If breaking through means sustaining via art, like paying the bills with art, well…I’m not certain! It’s a rough road with an (hopefully) overwhelming sense of freedom, poverty, hardships, and creative spirit.
“Breaking through” might be more attainable than that, depending on how you see it. It might mean to simply be a beacon, a creative force. This is not difficult. When a stranger flips through your sketchbook and feels a creative spark inside, that’s totally breaking through, in my eyes.

I have a signed piece of art by Barron Storey that will forever hang above my drawing table. Beneath the incredible surrealistic depiction of his studio he scrawled the E.E. Cummings quote,” I am a man, I am an artist. I am a failure and I must proceed”.

For more info on David D’Andrea and his work, head over to dvdandrea.com

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