I don't know the end of this.

I love it when a design comes together easily. I especially enjoy it when I'm in the middle of a block in creativity. This was the case with "La Fin", the new shirt design for Philadelphia's Rosetta (rosettaband.com).
When Dave contacted me about doing a shirt design for their upcoming European tour, he had given me the starting theme that included Gabriele The Arch Angel. The idea came from the song "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" from 2010's "A Determinism Of Morality" and painted a clear portrait of a man calling for the end:

For every pass
Of this moon
Embers wait
Commune
A dawn's harvest

Spores
Burrowing
Ash
Covering

My world
My home
My loves
My memories

So tell me how I've come so far

Repression of memories
Behind a door best kept shut
Suppression of daily deeds
A crushing venom weeping
Into these hands
A plague upon a frame
Growing on the inside
Withering a simple sullen home

I started by studying the paintings of Gabriele throughout history. The design of the old saint icons are gorgeous in their textures and flow and all seem to be of a similar style of the times. I wanted him to be subtly ambiguous as angels are supposed to be, so his hair and facial features are a combination of masculine bone structure with a feminine softness to it. I wanted his overall look to be dark and ominous as one would think the man who is supposed to blow a trumpet to signal judgment day and the apocalypse would look. The wings are drawn in a different style than I'm used to, though. I was influenced by the wing structure that many of the paintings included and felt that the heavy detail would combine the old idea with my style.

Let this go

Won't you play
Your trumpet well
Gabriele

And pray that I can rest

Spores
Burrowing
Ash
Covering

Towards his feet is the man who set this turn of events into action. As in the song, he seems to be looking upon his life and calling for the end. The "end" in this case, has already happened and the man's body is breaking down into mushrooms and other spore producing plants. From them come the streams of spores sending his body into the ethereal. The lunar cycle included in the design represents that of the days that the man has already spent tormented and how the cycle is just not in him, but a constant theme of man. It was a fun design to work on and any design that allows me the chance to add tons of detail is a design that will always have a place in my heart. So, thank you Rosetta for the design that tore through my creativity block.

It's right back to the art table and in the words of Mr. Brian Mercer, "NEXT!"

You can check out the video for "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" here: Music For Astronauts

Juxtapoz online.

YES!!! Thank you Juxtapoz for the addition to the Illustration section and thank you Chris for informing me that this was posted. Now, I just need to find out how to get them to let me be a part of their "Black-N-White" issues. (wink, wink)
You can find it here: juxtapoz.com/Illustration/santos-bleeds-ink

NOOTHGRUSH!!!

The folks at WARLORD CLOTHING have started printing the NOOTHGRUSH "Twin Threat" shirt designs. The image is an older one of mine originally drawn for a 4 way split called "Twin Threat To Your Sanity" with Bongzilla, Dystopia, Noothgrush, & Corrupted. The split is out of print and long gone, but the fine members of NOOTHGRUSH have revived it into a sick t-shirt. You can purchase them at the Warlord Clothing site at www.warlordclothing.com.

"But that NOOTHGRUSH on my TOOTHBRUSH... Well, some are nice, but he is not."
-Dr. Suess - There's A Wocket In My Pocket

Art, shirts, and stickers!

It's almost May and I've been at the art table for what seems like days straight. Not a bad thing by any means and it's only getting better.

The 2 shirt designs have been selling really well and I want to thank everyone who bought one. It's helping more than you know. There are still some available in S-M-L-XL, but the smalls and medium sizes in each are almost gone. Both the "Pelican" and "Reptilian" shirts were printed in limited editions of 50 of each design. (You can order them in this blog's previous post.)

As for the art sitting on my schedule, it's going to be a busy few months ahead. I'm currently working on a shirt design for Rosetta's European tour starting June 23rd (rosettaband.com). It's based off of the song "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" as per Dave. The subject matter is something that I love, so it should turn out to my liking and hopefully theirs.

After that, designs for a Red Fang 3-sided longsleeve shirt, a Howl shirt design and logo, Kylesa shirt design, HHNF cover, "On The Wagon" book logo, Laike logo, Zoroaster shirt design, 2 more Santos art shirt designs, and I think a St. Vitus shirt is in there, too.

I am also currently inking my design for the 1st in a series of sticker packs due out this summer. The first pack will include sticker designs from Glyn Smyth, Casey McKinley, Tom Denney, Mark McCormick, and me. I will release more details closer to the completion date.

JUST ADDED: Lamb of God shirt design and a Buzzov-en shirt design. Word up.

The mighty Fight Amp.

For some unknown reason, I always find myself rushing to finish up a job before I leave on any trip that I take. I couldn't possibly break my annoying habit before I left for the Metalliance Tour, so I finished a new design for Fight Amp entitled "Blue Collared". It will be available on their US tour starting April 14th in Philadelphia, PA. You can find tour dates and more here: www.fightamp.com.
I started the design by talking to Mike about the ideas behind Manners and Praise and about individual songs off of the album. He told me that he and Jon had worked construction and the lyrics simply came from observing the lives being lived around them and the construction site. He also in formed me that they were working for a Christian construction company and told me about his time working with good people who often discussed their views with them. The album was a homage to the working class. Starting with the school children marching off to a daily helping of misinformation and conformity. To the man who continues that march into his late years. I wanted to capture a bit of the anguish and hidden subtleties of what it takes to be a blue collar worker. I started with the main character standing front and center, wrapped in the American flag. The wrench in his right hand is one of the tools of the trade in many instances and it fit the idea. I added the two imps in suits to show the slave/master aspect of being a life long worker and killing themselves for someone else. The control and money flows. The final touch was the "cradle to grave" figures flanking the man. On the right, you have the school children. Bound, blind, and malleable. Then to the left you have the elderly beaten down and still bound and controlled. Empty husks of the life that's been taken from them. I guess that's my idea of the corporations who employ most of the blue collar workers of this country. I've worked in numerous factories and warehouses to know how hard you have to work for little pay. Meanwhile, the boss or CEO is making money off of you and doesn't give a shit that you even exist. I hope that the idea came across in the design. It was a fun design to do and gave me more insight into an already awesome band.

UPDATE: The FIGHT AMP "Blue Collared" shirt design is not just available on their current US tour, but is also available at www.shirtkiller.com.

Look what came in the mail today...

Tuesday was February 1st and that meant that the new Noisear "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" was just released on Relapse Records. I received my package from Relapse today and am stoked on how the covers came out. The back cover art was drawn by Arif Rot of Wormrot and is sick as fuck! And, Orion Landau finished up the packaging by putting it all together and added his touch to the graphic design and layout of the booklet. You can find the CD/LP online at the Relapse store (shop.relapse.com/search_results.aspx?st=1&ss=noisear) and at most record stores near you. Amazing political grind from my brothers from Nuevo Mexico.

Limited edition "Swans Of Black Ash" tour prints.

Phillip had some prints made up for the Kylesa Winter Tour featuring the new "Swans Of Black Ash" design. They are hand signed and numbered and limited to 50 prints. They're going fast and the only way to pick one up, is to go out to one of the shows on this tour.
We weren't able to get the shirt version of the design printed before tour, but they will be available on their upcoming European tour and beyond. You can also pick one up at www.indiemerchstore.com/kylesa/item/11614/.