Productive July.

 July has been a great month for completed projects, future projects, and tons of sketching. I have to turn up the speed on getting designs finished as I have a full load of incredible projects coming up. So, I'm sketching as much as I can when I can find the extra time.

 I've sent out the Buzzov-en sketch to Kirk and will be re-working the design and trying to get it to look more ominous. There's more to come on that one.

 A sketch for a new Lamb Of God shirt was just finished and sent off for Mark's approval and ideas. It's based off of the song "Condemn The Hive" and will be another detail fest. I'll have that one inked and colored in the next few months. After that, Brian Mercer (www.mercerrock.com) and I will be collaborating on another design for Lamb Of God. I'm psyched to be working with Brian on the shirt design and can hardly wait to see what he comes up with to start the project. If any of you have been out to the Mayhem Festival this year, you've no doubt seen a few Brian's designs. It was nice to go to the merch tent and see my Lamb Of God shirt next to designs from Brian and Mike Sutfin. It's good company to keep. If you weren't able to go to the festival and wanted one of the "Choke Sermon" shirts, you can get one here: http://lambofgod.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=800_30451&pc=BGCTLO79

 Speaking of Lamb Of God, I have to thank Mark Morton again for the hook-up on the concert tickets, backstage passes, and for hanging out for a while a few times during the day. Mark's a great guy and is helping me with some contacts of bands that I would die to work with. Plus, continuing to work with them is a good thing, too. 

 August 1st I'll be starting work on the cover for L.A's Hell Hath No Fury (www.facebook.com/pages/HELL-HATH-NO-FURY/335880005869?ref=ts ). The album will be titled "So Shall You Reap" and will probably end up with a massively detailed cover because the idea is has so many elements to it. I love that kind of shit though. I've been working on a sketch and a few ideas for the piece over the few days and am pretty sure that I have a solid design in mind. The cover will be the first time that I have worked with HHNF, but i've known the guitarist/lead vocalist since we played together in Sistema Nervioso back in the mid-90's. She's a good friend and I want to create a sick cover for her band. We'll see what madness comes out the sketching process.

 Also, sketched are a shirt design for Blackbird Clothing Company, 2 shirt designs for The Ocean, and looking to finally finish a shirt design for Better Than Everyone Records (I've been trying to work this design out with the idea that I was given for over a year now and have had a hard time. I need to just make something brutal and fitting). Busy, busy busy and a small vacation coming up at the end of August/start of September.

 Time to pick up the pencil and get some of this shit out of my head.

World wrath.

I know that I had posted new Lamb Of God "Choke Sermon" shirt design in my last post, but it's turned into a bit more than first intended. Mark liked the design so much that he asked me to do a back design so that they can use it as a tour shirt for their "World Wrath Tour". So, here are the final designs for both the front and back. The shirts are being printed and will be available starting May 15th in Bangalore, India. They'll more than likely be available for US tour in July, too. To find tour dates go to www.lamb-of-god.com/tour.php.  More Lamb Of God designs are coming in the near future.

Seeing that myspace is a graveyard these days I have started a Facebook page to go to for art galleries and news. Go to www.facebook.com/santos.illustration. Check it!

A visit home and a sermon to choke on.

 The month of April is almost over and it's been a great month of news, rest, vacation, and finished projects.

 This month, I was finally able to pull away from the art table and take a long needed trip home to Colorado. I stayed in Denver with one of my best friends and had a great time hanging out and seeing friends and family that I hadn't seen in years. While in Denver we were able to catch the Colorado Avalanche play the Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center. It's been awhile since I'd been to a hockey game and anyone who knows me knows that I am a hockey fiend. It was a great birthday gift and the bonus was my wife getting to see her first hockey game 

and Blackhawks game (She was born and raised in Illinois). We also traveled down to San Isabel, Colorado to check out Bishop's Castle, ate at Pass Key in Pueblo, and sat in the front yard of my grandmothers housewhile my cousins drank and played dominoes. Ah, visiting Colorado is an experience. It feels good to go home, but it feels better to leave.

 I had started the inking process on the Lamb Of God "Choke Sermon" design before my trip and am happy to announce that the design is colored and ready for the next LOG tour. It was easy working with Mark and he let me go off after a general idea was established. I like that. I find it easier to come up with something and not work under constraints. From the sounds of it, this looks like it will be the first of many designs for Lamb Of God. Fuck yeah!

 Well, the Avs just lost and are out of the playoffs. They had a great season and I'm sure to take a small ribbing from Mike Fisher (San Jose Sharks fan and sick artist) but there's always next year. And, next year we're planning on seeing the Avs play in Chicago. Hopefully, the Avs win this time.

 Work on the new Kylesa album cover has begun.

SketchFest.

   The weather has been cold and I love that I haven't had to go out into it. Having the time to work on art everyday is one of the best things that I could have done. So, having all of this time I've been sketching my ass off. With so many projects on the schedule I decided to take a few weeks to sit down and sketch out several projects. That way, I would have the designs ready to ink when the time comes. 

 

I've finished the Lamb Of God sketch that was influenced off of the lyrics to "Choke Sermon" and am waiting for Mark to get back to me on when to start inking it. 

  

The sketch for Cobalt called "Pregnant Insect" was finished and approved yesterday. Even though it's a go on the design, I'm waiting until I have all of my sketching done before I start inking. Here is a detail from the center of the design.

  I also completed a border for Kylesa's "Only One II" design. The design was used for the front of their new tour hoodie and Phillip asked if I could draw them a cool border to go with the design so that they could use it for a shirt on their tour early in the new year. I ended up adding a ribcage border, as the original picture and idea behind "Only One II" was that of the empty space in ones heart. I wanted the scene to extend itself into the border so the heart is continuing through the ribs, as well as the clouds. I extended the ropes that are binding the heart so that they were anchored on to a few of the ribs. Laura already voiced her approval and I'm happy that the image will have some new life breathed into it. Here is a detail from that sketch.

Des just sent me the track listing and lyrics for the new High On Fire "Snakes For The Divine" album and I've already figured on three ideas for designs. While I'm working on that, I'll also be working on a shirt design for Kuma's Corner Restaurant/Bar ( http://www.kumascorner.com/ )in Chicago . What do these 2 things have in common you may ask? Well, Kuma's menu features delicious burgers that are named after metal bands and they are having artists draw up a design for each band that is represented on their menu. I have the High On Fire burger, so while I'm sketching new shirt designs for HOF themselves, I'll also be creating a piece for Kuma's HOF burger during the same brainstorming sessions. I don't have to draw any food, but it has to be a design that reflects the band

and Kuma's. 

  

Another small design for Kuma's Corner is being worked on and more sketches are on the list. The sketch for Karim is in the placement stage, and a logo for Sanctus Bellum is being sketched over and over. I'll be glad when I can start inking them all.

I hope that everyone has a good holiday and is out there truly doing what makes them happy. Even in these trying times. I have a had a hard year turn into one of the best times in recent memory, and I look forward to what 2010 holds for me, my family, and friends. Thank those of you that have supported me and kept my head up during the low times. Thank you to the friends that I have made throughout the world like Kon from Greece,  Yuzuru from Japan, and all of the other artists and art fans that keep me going. Next year will only get better and I can't wait. 

  

 

Epic journies.

  It would figure that an album with the words EPIC JOURNIES would stand as a prophecy of what was to come. I've finished the SMAUG -"Epic Journies & the Riddle of Steel"  cd/lp cover after a year and it took all that I had in me to get it done. Alton commissioned me last November and It took 2 intense months of working on it to get just the line art done. I had the great idea that I was going to color this thing using the computer and started on a 3 week, no sleep, no fun, back breaking process. Then, all of the files corrupted. Gone. All of that work was gone in an instant and I lost it (inside). It was such an arduous time, that I hadn't been able to touch it in months and decided that if i was going to color it, it would be by hand . Now that I'm solely working on art I needed to complete the piece and get it off of my schedule. I took the last week to sit at the ole' art table and put this cover to rest. Alton liked the finished product and is looking for a label to help them put it out. He said that they wanted to have it released on vinyl and with all of the detail within this design it'll be a perfect size to showcase the artwork.

  I am also able to work on my schedule and have started to sketch out the next 5-8 projects. I am trying to play a little catch up and have the sketches ready to go when I need to have them. Today, I completed the sketch for the Lamb Of God "Choke Sermon" design and sent it off to Mark for approval. Below is a detail image of the sketch.

  In the meantime, I'm sketching a shirt design for Karim at I'm Better Than Everyone Records, a border for the "Only One II" design for Kylesa, a shirt design for Cobalt, a  High On Fire 3 sided shirt design, a logo for Sanctus Bellum, and a few designs for Kuma's Corner of Chicago. I also will have shirt designs and prints available soon. I'm busy and rested and haven't felt this good in a long while. The Smaug cover is done. All seems right with the world........................for now.