Vaughn Reynolds

Advanced Painting / "Faucibus Orci"

2012-02-29T13:45:00.005-05:00

"Goddess Series: Faucibus Orci"

22" x 28" Oil on Canvas

Here is the almost finished version. When I get the time I'm going to glaze some color into the fur coat to break her form out of the now snowy birch-tree laden background. Now on to "Iaculus Ipso"...

TattooLaPalooza / "Faucibus Orci" 2.0

2012-02-06T20:24:00.009-05:00

It only took me a month, but I finally put some time aside to put up my pictures and experiences from TattooLaPalooza which happened on January 4-6th, 2012 in Miami!

Below are four progress shots of "Faucibus Orci" as I worked on it live at the show. I went with oil even though it's not really something you can rush through live at an event. The piece developed out of an image of VampireVoodoo I saw on Tumblr that I really liked. She's wearing a Spirit Hood and has a cherubic face contrasted by the septum and dimple piercings. I then thought just painting the chic would be too generic and I happen to love horns/antlers so I tossed those in. I also appreciate all things cephalopod but didn't want to put tentacles in this one, so I went with the eye; but it later turned into a goat eye which I will explain later. So with these elements I thought the piece was starting to come together well, but it needed something more. So I decided to go pop and put some acrylic swipes and drips for the underpainting of the piece.

While I was working on it, a guy walked by and asked if I had been in Juxtapoz. While that might sound like a compliment, it actually meant what I was doing was very derivative and looked unoriginal (unless I happened to be that artist from Juxtapoz)... so I spoke with some of the artists who happened to be my friends who were also painting live. Jeff Dekal suggested I add a body to the bottom of the piece so it looked less pop and so I got to sketching. I decided I would give her the Renaissance Jesus blessing hand position and turn the piece into an Earth Goddess piece riddled with religious symbolism that meant nothing except what the viewer might impose on it. I happen to like reading about semiotics and this is a fun way to integrate it because art can be so symbol-heavy.

I extended her hood down over her shoulders and left one breast exposed for fertility.

I started an Advanced Painting course the week after starting this and was allowed to use this (and the series I intend to do) as my assignments for the quarter! The piece is taking on more life, but I won't be posting those images just yet. ;)

TattooLaPalooza / "Faucibus Orci"

2012-01-07T10:52:00.001-05:00

I will be posting up a full chronicle of my weekend with progress shots of my new personal piece, "Faucibus Orci". I love how the piece is coming along because it was one that sort of developed on it's own.

More info to come in the next few days!

TED / "Can art change the world?"

2012-01-03T19:36:00.001-05:00

JR's TED Prize wish: Use art to turn the world inside out.

JR, a semi-anonymous French street artist, uses his camera to show the world its true face, by pasting photos of the human face across massive canvases. At TED2011, he makes his audacious TED Prize wish: to use art to turn the world inside out. Learn more about his work and learn how you can join in at insideoutproject.net.

Sketchbook / "Legacy of the Dragons"

2011-12-06T16:15:00.012-05:00

"Sketchbook: Legacy of the Dragons"

"LotD: Aurora (Air)" (1 of 5)

8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

"LotD: Fjell (Earth)" (2 of 5)

8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

"LotD: Pyronos (Fire)" (3 of 5)

8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

"LotD: Serena (Water)" (4 of 5)

8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

"LotD: Mugen (Void)" (5 of 5)

8.5" x 11" Digital Painting

Here are my initial drawings and digital progress of the five Elder Elemental dragons from a story my friend is working on. These are wholly my take on them and their design, but spawned from his concept of the Origin Myth for his world. Each Elder is a mix of a couple real world creatures to break away from the stereotypical images we have seen for years. Now I get to start working on their bodies! Wooohooooh! ^_^

All Elements: Four eyes like the Jumping Spider

Air: Sea Dragon; Pronghorn

Earth: Giant Isopod; Rhinoceros

Fire: Gorilla; Markhor (<---new fave creature)

Water: Long-Nosed Chimaera

Void: Gulper Eel; Japanese Spider Crab

Animal Drawing / "Omnubai the Crass"

2011-11-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

"Omnubai the Crass"

13" x 19" Character Design - 360º

"Omnubai the Crass"

13" x 19" Character Design - Faces and Poses

Animal drawing class assignment. Create a 3D rendered arthropod character. I went with Umbonia crassicornis, also known as the thornbug. They are indigenous to my home, Florida!

Time for some color!

Sci-Fi & Fantasy / "Pterois, Eye Tyrant"

2011-11-16T18:56:00.000-05:00

"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"

Applied to assigned CCG Frame

"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"

2011

11" x 14" Digital Painting

"Pterois, Eye Tyrant"

Final Sketch

Here is the initial drawing and final digital painting for my CCG illustration! I love school. ^_^

Sci-Fi & Fantasy / "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"

2011-10-26T00:54:00.001-04:00

"Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath"

2011

9" x 14.5" Digital Painting

We were assigned to do a cover illustration for a Sci-Fi or Fantasy novel we've read. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath immediately came to mind, and those creepy obsidian merchants. I hadn't read it in a while, so I skimmed and found where the merchants were described. It was interestingly vague. No idea why I had such a vivid memory of how they looked in my head... but I guess that was the best reason to illustrate them!

Thanks to Chris Negelein for being a gangsta roommate and turning into a demon!

Multiversal / "Diamonds -N- The Ruff"

2011-09-28T14:33:00.000-04:00

Kazilla's Multiversal Group Art Show is coming up again at Art Basel 2011!

Check out Diamonds -N- The Ruff, a fundraiser to the December event, and an after party for the Wynwood Art Walk!

On a side note, Kazilla brought me on as the Assistant Director and Artist Coordinator for Multiversal! I'm so flattered! >_<

Digital Illustration / "Itzel"

2011-09-22T01:24:00.000-04:00

"Itzel"

2011

11" x 17" Digital Painting

Final painting for my Digital Illustration [Corel Painter] class. We worked using Painter 11. I like how it came out, and it's a huge step up from my previous paintings! Having a Wacom 21UX helped quite a bit too! :X Added the textures in the background via Photoshop. The subject, Itzel, is a friend of mine, who is just too beautiful not to be painted. With her permission, and an awesome photo © Kris Starry I was able to make this piece happen! Thanks ladies for being awesomesauce!

Conceptual Editorial / "Natalie Portman - Black Swan"

2011-06-16T01:52:00.001-04:00

"Natalie Portman - Black Swan"

2011

8.5" x 11" Digital

Class assignment: Create a magazine cover with a famous/important individual with a narrative that describes a characteristic of the individual or their work. I like how this one came out.

Conceptual Editorial / "The Angry Monk"

2011-06-02T01:40:00.001-04:00

"Mindfulness"

2011

Digital

"Impatience"

2011

Digital

Here are my two newest digital illustrations, which were done for my Conceptual Editorial class. We had to make an illustration (and subsequent spread) for an article. Some choices were given in class, and I went with one titled "The Angry Monk".

Now, the fun thing about this is as I was sketching my thumbnails I came up with an interesting idea. I had been reading up on i and the golden ratio recently, so my mind was in math-orientation, especially since I had also been reading up on spirituality and enlightenment. Anyway, I thought of this enlightenment fraction quantification: if your enlightenment/mindfulness/awareness (numerator) is equal to your impatience/unawareness (denominator) then you are at 1, meaning you are simply content; if your numerator is greater than your denominator, then your happiness is multiplied as you are at greater than 1; and if your numerator is less than your denominator, your happiness is a fraction of what it could be. It just came out, and is a simple way to describe the effects of enlightenment or mindfulness on your body/life/mentality.

Intermediate Painting / "Bacchus" "Banana Split"

2011-05-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

"Even Bacchus Needs A Guinness"

2011

26" x 30" Oil on Hand-stretched Canvas

Master Copy of Peter Paul Rubens' "Two Satyrs"

Here is the final version of the piece I posted earlier. I submitted it to the 37th Annual Student Exhibition at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and was awarded the Judge's Choice Award! My first award was quite an awesome feeling!

"Banana Split"

2011

24" x 36" Oil on Canvas

Here is the progress on "Banana Split". All that's left is to add some color highlights to pop some elements out.

Hunting Party / "Flee" "Rest" "Shoot"

2011-05-14T17:49:00.000-04:00

"Flee"

2011

Digital

"Rest"

2011

Digital

"Shoot"

2011

Digital

These three pieces are an interesting milestone. They are my first purely digital pieces done for freelance illustration. They are my first pieces done for a major art director that I have known of since I was a kid! And they are the second set of pieces done for a fantasy game. So, this is right up the alley I have dreamed of working in since I was young. I'm overwhelmed with excitement! I look forward to getting onto more projects and producing even more work!

Also, as for the two previos WIPs I posted ("Two Satyrs" & "Banana Split"), I will be getting nice shots of their finished forms to post soon!

Intermediate Painting [Winter 2011]

2011-03-10T09:50:00.001-05:00

"Two Satyrs" (WIP)

2011

26" x 30" Oil on Canvas (hand stretched)

The original piece, "Two Satyrs", is by Peter Paul Rubens, the father of the Baroque style. Our assignment was to choose a Baroque, pre-Raphaelite painting to recreate, and add a contemporary twist. This is my work-in-progress. The satyr in the background will be enjoying a Guinness while wearing his hanna hat.

"Banana Split" (WIP)

2011

24" x 36" Oil on Canvas

This is the pencil work for my final in Intermediate Painting. We needed the four elements (air, earth, fire, water), an inside/outside composition and a mysterious element to the story being portrayed. I turned my into a double self-portrait, illustrating the conflict we all have within ourselves. I've recently been reading about the psychological 'Wizard archetype' written about by a Jung Institute graduate. I had drawn this piece up before a friend suggested the reading, but it makes more sense than it should. It's kind of interesting to see the things our subconscious knows well before the conscious self does.

The Ellen Art Show / "Zombie Caricature Ellen"

2011-01-15T18:07:00.001-05:00

"Zombie Caricature Ellen"

2011

11" x 13.75" Pencil on Cold Press

On January 22-23, 2011 Renda Writer will be hosting The Ellen Art Show, which he put together to honor the 53rd birthday of Ellen Degeneres. He has been a long time fan of hers and has been pursuing the dream of performing on her show since 2007. Myself along with a number of amazing artists will be submitting work that will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to sending Renda to Los Angeles to present one personally selected piece to be given as a birthday present to Ellen herself! (I hope she likes zombies...)

Anastasia and I collaborated on this piece. I will be posting the colored/framed version of it later. She is doing the color work because she is simply amazing with colors.

Multiversal / "Sneak Peek"

2010-11-26T17:29:00.001-05:00

Check out the Multiversal Group Artshow which will be held at Art Basel 2010! Myself along with a TON of amazing artists will be there.

Exquisite Corpse / "Remember, Remember the 6th of November"

2010-10-23T11:40:00.001-04:00

"Remember, Remember the 6th of November"

Sneak peak of Anastasia Sultzer's color work on our collaboration!

Kevro's Art Bar / "Live Art" - Anastasia Sultzer & Rob Herrera

2010-10-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Anastasia "Sloth" Sultzer

This week I went to Kevro's Art Bar for the WeMerge Thursday event. I got to watch Anastasia Sultzer do some live painting (pictured above) and Rob Herrera do some airbrushing out back (pictured below)!

Rob Herrera
Working on the fifth piece of a five piece set.

The four other pieces. Quite an awesome set.

Exquisite Corpse / "Remember, Remember the 6th of November"

2010-10-02T23:16:00.001-04:00

Remember, Remember the 6th of November
18x24 (WORK IN PROGRESS - Inked)

Pencil work.

Close-Ups:

This is a collaboration piece between Anastasia "Sloth" Sultzer and myself. I am doing the line work and she will be coloring it. Its inspired by the events that have fallen on the 6th of November, and is also a slight homage to V as well.

Clinton playing his sax, the Lincoln tornado (two events combined) holding a rallying Nixon.

Monsters Under My Bed / "What Lies Beneath"

2010-09-17T17:50:00.001-04:00

What Lies Beneath

2010
9x12 Mixed Media on Cold Press
[SOLD]

Monsters Under My Bed: Childhood Fears Group Art Mega-Show
On exhibit October 2 - November 13, 2010

Bear and Bird c/o TATE'S
4566 North University Drive
Lauderhill, Florida 33351

The Jackalope Show / "Obama-lope"

2010-09-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

"Obama-Lope"

The Jackalope Show is gaining some speed with all the cool art coming up! Here is a work in progress shot of my Obama-lope!

The Jackalope Show

2010-08-18T01:14:00.000-04:00

The Jackalope Show

This is a show for South Florida artists ONLY!

Submission Deadline: October 31st!
Size: 11x14 MAX
Medium/Media: Any. (except installation or performance art)

Pencil, ink
Paint
Photograph
Poetry/Short Story
Etc

Frame: Not required
Able to Mount: YES! (If its not ready to mount, it will be set ablaze!)

The show will be at Stage 84 in Davie. It's this neat art bar that is going to be a GREAT art bar when we're done with it!

MAKE SURE YOU RSVP BY SEPTEMBER 15TH IF YOU PLAN TO SHOW. Otherwise you will be turned away at submission.

****THOSE WHO HAVE RSVPeed SO FAR****
Vaughn Reynolds ("Obama-lope")
Kiersten Eiseman
Simon St Cyr
Lee Onami
Paul Caprio
Kristi Lynne
Bobbi Doll
Sloth
Randy "Captain" Guerra
Nicole Sturgeon
Justine Perez
Luzalma Gonzalez
Akeim Ford
Chelsey Blanchard
Jon Hunt

Adam Milyanovich
Megan "KidUgly" Moulos

Mary O'Hara
Jeffrey Dokken
Brandy Rumiez
Brittany Smith ("Ghetto-a-lope")
Andrew Avery ("Myth of a Jackalope" | "Punk-a-lop")
Christina Brown
Kelly Bennet! ("Tepper-a-lope" | "DeVita-a-lope")
Robert Felton Schilling III ("Death of a Jackalope")
Johnaily Perez ("Stormtrooper-alope")
Lorna Hernandez ("Full Metal Jackalope")
Natalia King
Arianna Veitch ("Cannibal-a-lope")
Gjorge Rivas
Leann Metz ("Mystic-a-lope")
Nakia X Mann

WeMerge / "Ascension" [full]

2010-08-15T19:41:00.000-04:00

Ascension
2010
18x24 Ink on Watercolor Paper

Here is a full shot of Ascension. Even though my work is automatically copyrighted, I put that designator there to remind people not to steal.

Also, Renda Writer, Chief Editor of WeMerge Magazine is putting this piece in the Who's Next Gallery of the upcoming issue, out September 1st!

Stage84 / "Live Art" - Carlos Solano

2010-08-13T22:10:00.000-04:00

Carlos Solano

On Wednesday I went to my first WeMerge Wednesdays event, held once a month, at Stage84 in Davie. It was AWESOME. Carlos Solano was there giving us some live painting as seen above. There was also a spoken poet by the name of Deborah Magdalena, stand up comedian Pam Bruno, and photography by Rabid Rabbit Studio.

Two young musicians and a father did some covers that were phenomenal. I was taking photos of Carlos when they started a cover of Metallica, and I heard the badass vocals. I turn around and the dude singing is FIFTEEN! The bassist is around the same age. I spoke with the singer/lead guitars father, and gave them some t-shirts. I will be trying to work with them in the future.

Dixie Cups / "Schacknow"

2010-08-09T09:07:00.000-04:00

"Schacknow Gallery"

The opening reception for the Pen & thInk show was interesting. We had a good mix of wine [served in Dixie cups], belly-dancing, inappropriate stand up, and Chinese food. I doubt I will ever have another opening reception quite like this one. The picture above is my setup; complete with paper labels.

Pen & thInk Illustration Show / "Ascension"

2010-08-02T12:27:00.000-04:00

"Ascension"
(thumbnail)
18x24 Ink on Watercolor Paper

"Lovecraft Circle", along with my "Ascension" piece, will be in the Pen & thInk Illustration show at Schacknow Museum of Fine Arts in Plantation, FL. The show will be on August 7th from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Below is a video interview of Brittany Smith, the Assistant Curator (and AiFL student) who made this whole thing happen!

Update / "Sacrifice"

2010-06-17T17:27:00.000-04:00

"Sacrifice"
(thumbnail)
18x24 Ink on Watercolor Paper

A close-up of the work in progress. Spent three hours on her hair. I'm liking where this ink work is going.

First Time / "Savage Mother" [full]

2010-06-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

"Savage Mother"
8x10 Ink Wash on Bristol

I have done a number of black and white pieces. Most have been in Micron ink only. Prior to this piece, I had decided to try Higgins Ink to fill in the background of a piece, and discovered I quite liked the way it flowed and the simplicity of the materials. So, I tried a piece done solely in ink. This is it. It is an illustration for Brave New World.

I'm green, if I was blue I would die. / "Self Portrait"

2010-06-17T17:19:00.000-04:00

"Self Portrait"
11x14 Oil on Canvas

Fundamentals of Painting final. I likes it.

Blog Inauguration / "The Squid"

2010-06-01T14:05:00.000-04:00

"Lovecraft Circle"
newsprint sketch

So, this is my introductory post, to be filled with amazing-ness. But alas, I am pretty busy, so I will leave you with a fun little quote instead... "Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali