NigelzArt

"Burn the Ships" CD cover and poster art!

2010-10-17T20:22:00.001-07:00

Cover art for Burn the Ships by Ironwood Rain...
CD front cover:

Poster art:

Posters are now available! Contact Toni at ToniB@IronwoodRain.com for more details!

Sneak peeks of "Burn the Ships" cover art!

2010-09-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

In honor of "Talk Like a Pirate Day" for a limited time, you can listen to the title track from the new Ironwood Rain CD, Burn the Ships, as well as the single, Ages! CLICK HERE!

Progress on "Burn The Ships" cover art!

2010-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

Working on the cover art for the CD Burn The Ships by my band, Ironwood Rain.
As a pirate, I can't help but love the concept! It has ships, and fire, and more! And there are songs about ghosts (ooOOoo) and Christmas (Oi... BOOTY!!!) and, of course - "Burn The Ships"!!!

Here are a few of the highlights, in reverse chronological order.

The early stages of laying in the color washes:

oooo... look at that melty jungle!

Work on the final art begins! The initial drawing.

Testing the process, the color palette, and some techniques and effects:

Mapping out the space and the key points of visual interest:

Mapping out the distribution of darks and lights:

The concept sketches:

New art - "Burn The Ships"

2009-12-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

My band, Ironwood Rain, is working on the music for our second CD.
The title for one of the songs is "Burn The Ships," In reference to Cortez' infamous act, burning his ships, a statement of his resolute focus on his goal.
This inspired artwork, of course. And here is an initial sketch:

"Burn The Ships 09/Sketch 01"
Pencil, 9 x 12"
I wanted to capture the feel of the smoke billowing from the ship, and the intensity of the burning timbers, while keeping the sketch spontaneous and loose.

Sunken Bones Society's BUCCANEER BASH 09

2009-09-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

Avast, me hearties!!! International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) - the perfect date for the Sunken Bones Society "Buccaneer Bash 2009," Held at Red & Jerry's in Denver.

Our MC was the ever-entertaining Cap'n Jack of the Pirates of Ill Repute.

The place was awash in scoundrels, rogues, rascals, ne'er-do-wells, 'really bad eggs,' and villains.

There was lively music, costume contests, a "Talk Like a Pirate" competition (of course,) lots of swag and shiny objects for sale, and - of course - a full bar with lots o' RUM!!!

I made an appearance, to plunder, toss back some rum, and draw caricatures.

I met new friends, reconnected with old friends (some lost at sea for decades!) and everyone had a swash-buckling good time.

Alas, no one heard my dulcit tones regaling comrades with "Bein' a Pirate is All Fun & Games..." Perhaps next time.

Location: Denver, CO

The band Mondragon performs nautical - and naughty - songs for the crowd.

Many of the attendees found themselves behind bars, including Cap'n Jack, leader of the notorious "Pirates of Ill Repute" (is there any better kind of pirates?)
"Complications arose, ensued, and were overcome..."

Not all went quietly into the jail.

The term "dragged, kicking and screaming..." doesn't even begin to tell the tale in some cases.

The infamous Madame Rackham and the notorious Roger Rackham with their caricature. "Wanted"... indeed!

The feared Davy Jones and crew were in attendance.
"So he wasn't always so... tentacley?"

Cap'n Jack and his first mate paused to get their caricature drawn - and quartered!
Coming soon to a post office near you!

Did someone say "draw???"

Cap'n Jack and Nigel square off.
Jack looks doubtful of Nigel's marksmanship...

A failed attempt at the infamous Will Turner ploy... "He can't die... but I can!" ...
Or perhaps "If I can't hit that target, then I can most assuredly hit this one!!!"

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to "Blazing Saddles"
"He's just crazy enough to do it!!!"
Lesson learned: never use the barrel of your pistol to scratch your head.

Keep a lookout for nefarious upstarts, scoundrels and rogues.

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!!!!

2009-09-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Avast, me hearties!!!
HAPPY TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!!!
Now if'n you'll pardon me, I be searchin' fer some swag to plunder!
And if'n ye won't, I'll blast the barnacles off yer mast, ye landlubber!!!

Talk Like a Pirate Day is Sept. 19!!!

2009-09-16T12:22:00.001-07:00

I'll be doing pirate caricatures at the local TLAP Day Buccaneer Bash.
It'll be a blast!

Barbossa and Jack, marker, 8x10
"

Halloween is a-comin'!!!! ARRRGGGHHH!!!!!

2008-10-27T15:37:00.002-07:00

Me FAVORITE holiday!!!!!
Time to trot out the ol' slops and don the pirate garb!
Now to practice me pirate banter...
[*ahem*]

Avast!
Look sharp, lads!
Why is the rum gone?
I'll keelhaul ye fer that!
Blast yer scuppers, ye barnacle-bitten land-lubber!
Say yer prayers, varmint. Dead rabbits tell no tales...
(thanks to Seagoin' Sam, "the bloodthirstiest, shoot-em-firstiest, doggone worstiest buccanneer as ever sailed the Spanish main ...")
More starch in the sheets!
Batten down the hatches!
Man the bowspritz!
Stow the mizzenmast!
Jibe the jib-boom!
Hoist the mains’l and lower the catters’l!
Pipe the starb’rd hatch to leeward!
Trim the scuppers on the port poop-deck!
Sliver in me finger... uh... deliver me lumber... uh... Let's see... oh yes!...
Shiver me timbers!
...and some of my favorite Pirate movie quotes:
"Once they find out you've gone soft, then it's nothing but work, work, work..."
"It does strain credulity at that..."
"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request....Means NO. "
"I LOVE this! AAAAAAAHHH!!!!" [best if shouted amidst the clamor of cannonfire...]
And of course...
"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of...Ma's old-fashioned cider! Ma's old-fashioned cider!"

Disaster strikes again!

2008-10-27T15:37:00.001-07:00

8/31/08:
ARRRGGGH!!!
I am finally back in Colorado.
After moving in August, I was excited to receive the shipments of artwork and to begin new projects.
Now on to the bad news.
My artwork arrived, the boxes undamaged. However, when I opened the shipping container and uncovered the pirate self-portrait, I found to my horror that all the vine charcoal had simply fallen off the paper! This, even after spraying it gratuitously with fixatif!
The dark areas that I worked over in charcoal pencil (dompressed charcoal) stayed for the most part, but all the middle values (most of the piece) were laying in little piles along the edges of the container.
I will once again have to rework the entire piece.
[Insert deep sigh.]
The good news is, I am ready to begin working on new material. I am very excited about my new adventure, and will post new work as soon as I have it.Stay tuned!

Landlocked!

2008-08-31T10:47:00.001-07:00

Avast! I be landlocked!
How the heck the ship made it this far inland, I'll never know. Oh well, if''n yer gonna be landlocked, ye might as well like the location, and Colorado is a beautiful place to run aground.

I received a nice farewell broo-ha-ha from the Pyrates of the Coast. Hurricane and Diosa even gave me a nice going away present: a pair of winter gloves! Already I miss the crewe (but my aim IS improving.)

I look forward to returning to Florida to pillage with the crewe. In the meantime, I may see what piratical nonsense abounds in the Rocky Mountains. Yes, it is lunacy at its finest.

Stay tuned for new artwork and updates!

The big move

2008-08-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ahoy, lubbers!
I'm off to Melbourne for one last hoo-rah with the Pyrates of the Coast before leaving for Colorado.
I'll be landlocked, but keep a weather eye, ye'll never know where Nigel might suddenly appear!!!!

Pirate Self-Portrait

2008-03-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

05/17/08
The final piece:

"Desire" charcoal, 18"x24"

05/15/08
Rendering the few remaining elements, last-minute adjustments, and DONE.
Here is the finished piece:

I am taking it over to have a friend take some good photos of it, and then to post it to the American Artist competition.

05/08/08:

More costume and props development.

05/07/08:

Let's add some swash to that buckle.
Now it's starting to look more like a human and less like a disembodied torso.
I'm playing with the exposure settings on my new camera.

05/04/08:
Developing the foreground, the hand, and the arm.

04/24/08:
More development of the background, and continuing down into the foreground with the hand and coin. I am using a replica of a spanish doubloon.

Now I am dissatisfied with the flag. It needs work.
However, I had a chance to work into some of the areas and strengthen a few things in the face that I was struggling with previously.

04/21/08: REDEMPTION.
After sitting down and taking a good hard look at the drawing, I decided that it could be salvaged.
Back to the drawing board...

04/18/08 – DISASTER!!!
I was working on the drawing, and finally pushed past the hurdles and the new drawing was pushing ahead of the old one. I had finally turned the corner. I was just beginning to think that I had made the right decision after all.

Suddenly, Clarence [the cat] jumped up and knocked the easel, drawing and all, over – on top of me! The central focus of the drawing – the face – was demolished. The eye, the nose, all the critical areas that I had worked so hard on… I was mortified! All the effort to get the light across the face, and it was a struggle….

Here is a close up of the damage:

AAAAAAUGH!!!
I just couldn’t even think about it for the rest of the night. I had to go into the other room and sulk.

04/17/08:
Developing the tones in the costume. At this point, I am second-guessing my decision to start over. The size on this one is better, but the light in the first drawing was more cohesive.

04/13/08:
Here we go with the body...

...and a close-up:

I think the piece is beginning to take on a bit of a revlutionary war look and feel. lol
As a side note, I am really enjoying the conceptual aspect and the narrative in this piece; it is developing as the piece moves along, taking on a life of its own.

04/12/08:

P.S I really like the drawing at this stage. I think this is my favorite phase of a portrait; just the face without any distracting elements. The face is at its most powerful and dramatic.

I am reading the biography of John Paul Jones. He was not only an American hero, he was father of the U.S. Navy, and considered by England as a pirate. His life story reads like a good adventure novel.

04/03/08:
I decided to start over on the piece. While I did like the light and the form, the coarse paper texture was beginning to drive me out of my mind. Also, I had covered the entire surface with the charcoal, and rubbed it in pretty good to get into the texture of the paper. Because of this, I was having difficulty removing enough charcoal to get the lights to be light enough. I would not be able to develop the form with the subtlety I desired.
Plus, I decided to make it more of a 1/2 body portrait, rather than just the face. In order to do that, I needed to start over on a larger piece of paper, and place the face higher, leaving more room at the bottom.
Here is the initial block-in. I left the bare paper in the area of the face in order to control the lights better:

04/02/08:
Further development on the face.

04/01/08:
Developing the form.
I fixed the location of the eye, this is much better.

Here is a thumbnail, for use as my avatar in the pirate forums:

03/25/08
Chiaroscuro in charcoal it is.
Here is the initial block-in using the rub-out technique.

I like using the rub-out techinique; I like the 'feel' of texture in the background. It looks like a smoky tavern or the dimly lit cabin of a Captain's quarters on board a pirate ship.
That eye on the left seems a little bit high. I blame the model, he was an unruly cuss.

03/14/08:
American Artist Magazine is having a self-portrait competition.
I could not resist the opportunity to do a self-portrait in my pirate costume.
I liked the idea of dramatic, chiaroscuro lighting. I tried several different angles, from a complete side view to dead-on front view. Once I began the initial sketch, the ideas just started to flow. This is going to be fun!

The conceptual sketch:

I am still deciding whether to d a chiaroscuro piece in charcoal, or a full-color piece in acrylic. Also, what to do with the background: black, like the classic chiaroscuro portraits, as if in his cabin, or outdoors under a blustery sky.
Additional props and accoutrements are still being considered.

The image of the pirate is a metaphor for adventure, independence, freedom and an unrestrained spirit. It represents the willingness to pursue your dreams, regardless of the risks.

Pirates have a special place in my heart. Through pirating, I have traveled to exotic locations, had adventures and experiences that most people only dream about, and met some very interesting people.
Along the way, I have learned a great deal about myself, experienced pirate luck, and my confidence in myself and my intuition has grown.

New Piece: STRANDED

2008-03-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

03/11/08
I moved the position of the dagger, edited the hands, deepened the darks and developed the shading on the foreground leg.

03/07/08

I have always liked the Howard Pyle painting ‘Marooned’ (clipped to the drawing board for inspiration), and wanted to do a similarly themed piece, as it is a classic pirate theme. When this photo sequence came up, it was too good to be true. This may turn into a series, as the photos and characters were all good. Thanks to the crew of the Archangel.

Initially, the character was distraught, as is the character in Pyle’s painting. However, as the drawing progresses, a new narrative is emerging. When you look at this image, what do you see? More on this later.

I have been hankering to return to charcoal again, and really work up the values. Between this piece and the two figures (see http://mikeyzart.blogspot.com/2008/03/two-new-figures.html) I am doing just that. There are even a portrait or two in the works. This time I started loosely with willow charcoal, laying in large areas of tone. I love how soft and workable it is. Now I am building up the values with vine charcoal. It is about the same amount of work no matter what; I just like how the soft charcoal allows me to ‘paint’ loosely at first, and to get the broad general values laid in quickly so that I can start to get a ‘feel’ for the piece.

I am playing with the positioning of the hands and the knife, getting the gesture and the shadows to my liking, and also to go along with the narrative that is evolving.

I have a connection to this beach that goes way back. The photo sequence was staged at the very same beach where I would go swimming each morning at sunrise. Ironically, it is also the site of the ‘damn near drowning of Nigel’ from the First Annual "Walk the Plank Championship" at PiP ’04 (see photo)

Ah, good times.

It is also reminiscent of an experience I had while pirating in Key West long ago, that was a real turning point for me personally; "the Lucky Pirate Money Clip" story...

I am excited to develop this piece, and see where it leads.

New Photos Added!

2007-12-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

AVAST!
I've added pix to the Pirates in Paradise photos, and also new pix of artwork to the Fog Smoke & Cannonfire, Pirates, and Birds posts.
Check them out!

Thanks to Pam Cordero for the great photos of my artwork.

Photos from Pirates in Paradise 2007!

2007-12-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Click here for the PiP website:
http://www.piratesinparadise.com/

Here are some pictures from the Pirates In Paradise festival in Key West.

In the pub wit' me mates from the Pyracy.com forum:
The full pyracy.com crewe:

I'm in the center row, fourth from the right - blue bandana - with my gun in front of my face.

Smaller crewe, better pose of me.

That's me in the front row far left - blue bandana.

Shipwrecked crew:

What a cool shot. Incidentally, this is just off shore from the beach where I was camped.

View of beach from my campsite in the early morning:

This one is classic 'Marooned Pirate.' It would make a great painting...

Here is a shot of my heavenly accomodations.

(You can see those same rocks in the background.)
At night, I'd drift off to sleep to the sound of the surf.
At first light, I'd get up , run down the sand and swim out to the rocks, while the beach was still deserted. I'd have the whole place to myself. What a way to start the morning!

View of sailboat at sunset from the campground:

Singing in the Pub:

I'm on the left with my guitar. That's my new friend 'Saucy Bones' in the foreground.

Ships doing battle, as seen from the battlements of the Fort:

Hold on a tic, doesn't this scene look familiar?

lol.

Breathtaking view of sunset from the battlements at the Fort:

You can see the silhouette of a trebuchet on the shore. They were firing various items out of it. What fun!

Oreo. An awesome pirate bird!

And here are some action-filled video clips that show why PiP was a BLAST - literally!
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i36/amanjiria/?action=view&current=Trailer01revamp3-1.flv
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=23307173
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=23304366
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=23302759

NEW PIECE! Fog, Smoke & Cannonfire

2007-11-26T19:24:00.000-08:00

03/08/07
The pieces have arrived at their new home and are now on display. It is satisfying to know they have a good home.

12/14/07:
Robert Weber, the videographer who was shooting the festival, and who also produces the "Bicycling Through History" DVDs, has purchased the pair, and they will be on their way to their new home shortly.

Thank you so much, Robert. Enjoy the paintings.

Check out http://www.bicyclingthroughhistory.com/ - the DVDs are way cool. Check out the Pirates DVD - you just might see a familiar face, perhaps with a little more hair.

o paintings that go together to form a whole) of a pirate ship and a Royal Navy Man-o-War in a full-on broadside, complete with blazing cannons, masts toppling and cannonballs bursting on deck and in the water!
Following are detail sections. This is all I could fit on my scanner.

Acrylic on canvas, diptych, each panel 11x14"

New Series: "The Adventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot"

2007-11-07T20:30:00.001-08:00

It is only fitting that this series gets its own post.
Inspired by the rascally Blue & Gold Macaw in POTC. That bird cracks me up.
Note: Okay, so they are not all going to be the same blue & gold macaw. Different compositions call for different elements, colors and poses. It's the underlying idea that is the unifying thread here.
Perhaps these guys (and girls) are all related, somehow. I will think that one over.

11/08/07
New installment in the series: "In the Rigging"
Model: Sunshine [Scarlet Macaw]
Sunshine gave me such a great pose yesterday. The light coming from over her shoulder was just lovely, and she was leaning into a slight breeze. She kept talking to me while I was sketching. It was a pleasant session, and I liked the resulting sketch.
I had no specific plan for it at the time of the sketch - with animals I simply sketch to capture the moment. Today as I sat down to paint, I had been percolating and idea for a painting for a while. As I was going through sketches to find a pose, this one jumped right out at me. Anyway, macaws are just too colorful not to paint.
I am pretty happy with the colors in the sky, and I like the overall contrast. It holds up nicely from a distance. Note: the signature is painted in gold. How piratical!

Acrylic on canvas, 8"x10"

11/07/07: The latest installment. The series is shaping up nicely, dare I say it I'm inspired.
"The Adventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot 3: Fire in the Hole!"
The tilt of the head is taken from an actual pose provided by Nikki last week, minus the stick.
The original thumbnail sketches had various side views with the cannon pointed away, but then I caught the field sketch of the tilted head, the combination of the attitude and the front view was just too good to resist, it was perfect.

Derwent Studio and Prismacolor on parchment, 8"x10"

The Adventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot 2: At the Wheel."
Model: Norman [Green-Wing Macaw]

Derwent Drawing #6300 Venetian Red on Acid Free card stock, 8"x10

"The Adventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot 1: Out on a Limb."
Model: Nikki [Blue & Gold Macaw]
The one that started it all:

Derwent Drawing Venetian Red #6300 and Prismacolor on beige acid-free card stock, 8"x10"

JOLLY ROGER: The old skull and bones

2007-11-05T17:54:00.001-08:00

Horatio 11/02/07
Nothing warms a pirate's heart like a skull dimly lit from above.

Derwent Venetian Red #6300 on parchment, 8"x10"

Skulley 2, 2004
This started as a demonstration of the classic 'rub out' technique, and escalated into a challenge between myself and my studio mate Yumiko.

Charcoal on Fabriano Ingres paper, 18"x24"

Nature's Design, 2002
Notice the Golden Spiral? Nature in all her harmonious glory.

Watercolor, 9"x12"

SWIMMY THINGS: Fish and marine mammals

2007-11-05T17:31:00.000-08:00

Out of the Deep II: Color Study

Acrylic on canvas, 8"x10"

Out of the Deep I: Value Study

Charcoal on Fabriano Ingres paper, 8"x10"

Dolphins
A more detailed study, from live field sketches.

Prismacolor on white paper, 8"x10"

LANDSCAPES, SEASCAPES: Places a pirate loves

2007-11-05T17:13:00.001-08:00

View from the Mission; compositional study

Derwent Venetian Red #6300 on parchment, 8"x10"

Retreiving the Gold; composition study

Derwent Drawing Venetian Red #6300 on parchment, 6"x10"

Palm Trees, color study

Acrylic, 9"x12"

Seascape, color study

Acrylic, 9"x12"

SHIPS: A pirate's true love

2007-11-05T17:06:00.001-08:00

Study of a ship on the open ocean.

Acrylic, 9"x12"

BIRDS: Me fine feathered friends.

2007-11-05T16:59:00.000-08:00

"The Adventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot 3; Fire in the Hole"
I will start a separate thread for this series.

Derwent Studio and Prismacolor on parchment, 8"x10"

Nicki 10/29/07
Model: Nicki [Blue & Gold Macaw]
Nikki was very curious this day, he got right up in front of me trying to see what I was doing.

Prismacolor on Bainbridge 2000 Illustration Board, 4"x5"

Norman 10/29/07
Model:, Norman [Green-wing Macaw]

Prismacolor on beige Canson paper, 8"x10"

Out on a Limb I; color study for a finished painting
Part of a series titled "The misadventures of Mister Cotton's Parrot"
That bird just cracks me up.
The model for this one was Nicki, a Blue & Gold Macaw. He has been an excellent model, very curious, always good poses.

Prismacolor on acid-free card stock, 8"x10"

At the Wheel I
Inspired by Mister Cotton's Parrot.
Model: Norman, a Green-Winged Macaw; a real show-off.

Derwent Venetian Red #6300 on parchment, 8"x10"

Nicki 10/29/07

Model: Nicki [Blue & Gld Macaw]

From live field sketches.

Derwent Drawing #6300 Venetian Red on beige acid-free card stock, 8"x10"

Sunshine and Morning Mist
Sunshine is a beautiful Scarlet Macaw, and one of my favorite feathered models. She always poses really nice.

Acrylic on canvas, 9"x12"

PIRATES: Drawings of pirates and characters.

2007-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

A test for the pirate portraits I be doing at Pirates in Paradise this year.
Nigel 10/23/07

Prismacolor on beige acid-free cardstock, 8"x10"
30 minutes

Study of Captain Jack Sparrow; At World's End:

Acrylic, 9"x12"

a pensive Jack Sparrow...:

Conte and Pastel on beige paper, 12"x16"

...and a companion piece, Elizabeth:

Conte and Pastel on beige paper, 12"x16"
I loved the expressions on each of their faces.

Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa:

Prismacolor on parchment, 8"x10"

Lee Arenberg as Pintel:

Prismacolor on beige acid-free card stock, 8"x10"