I am a product of design.
So are you.
If you look through the right lens, all things are a design unique to itself. Life is a design, and all things in it. Ever since the first drawings were carved into the walls of ancient caves have we been recording these designs we see around us. This insatiable craving for design will never leave us, for even as we were children we would draw. It is a desire to record and to invent; to have something of our own that others can marvel at, or that we ourselves can appreciate.
It was this temperament that reveled the world of design to me. From a young age I would construct subjects from building toys, and then proceed to sketch them. Amateur as it was at the time, I never truly stopped. I simply moved up the chain from crayons and building blocks to a multitude of materials to depict life as I see it now. It is the graphical and emotional elements of society I now depict.
This is why I need design in my life, because it is my life. I have spent countless hours thinking, making, and reveling in artworks from both myself and other designers. Through this research, production, and observation it has become possible for me to produce my own design portfolio. As such I have compiled below a representation of my digital, illustrative, and overall artistic passion for your viewing pleasure.
Below you will find my work categorized into three sections: illustrations, digital and photography, followed by paint and other mediums.
Enjoy.
ILLUSTRATION
1. Still Life Skull
This image is a still life formalist drawing of a skull, drawn from reference. Drawn in pencil on 14x11 inch sketchbook paper. Images above are before and after final shading.
This image is a still life formalist drawing of a skull, drawn from reference. Drawn in pencil on 14x11 inch sketchbook paper. Images above are before and after final shading.
2. Owl's Clock
Decorative clock drawn on 11x9 inch sketchbook paper. The left image was rendered in pencil using hatching. The image on the right is a simplified version outlined using thick marker.
Decorative clock drawn on 11x9 inch sketchbook paper. The left image was rendered in pencil using hatching. The image on the right is a simplified version outlined using thick marker.
3. Geo Depths
Geometric study on the elements of design: shape, space, and value. Rendered in pencil on 11x9 inch sketchbook paper.
Geometric study on the elements of design: shape, space, and value. Rendered in pencil on 11x9 inch sketchbook paper.
4. Stingray Tessellation
The goal was to create a tessellation, as I was drawn by the works of Escher at the time. To start, I drew simple geometric shapes on grid paper. Eventually I found one that vaguely resembled a stingray, so I refined the geometric shape until it was unmistakably a stingray. This eventually translated into the full page tessellation measuring to 14x18 inches.
The goal was to create a tessellation, as I was drawn by the works of Escher at the time. To start, I drew simple geometric shapes on grid paper. Eventually I found one that vaguely resembled a stingray, so I refined the geometric shape until it was unmistakably a stingray. This eventually translated into the full page tessellation measuring to 14x18 inches.
5. Below the Jetty
The purpose of this piece was to dramatically represent the final moments of the short story, "A Walk to the Jetty" by Jamaica Kincaid. In this scene the protagonist, seen in the upper corner, is on her final stretch to the ferry which will take her away from her home and to England. The monstrous hand and the twisted creations about the sea floor are surreal manifestations of her fears, anxieties, and sorrows bursting from the waters to grasp her once more.
The purpose of this piece was to dramatically represent the final moments of the short story, "A Walk to the Jetty" by Jamaica Kincaid. In this scene the protagonist, seen in the upper corner, is on her final stretch to the ferry which will take her away from her home and to England. The monstrous hand and the twisted creations about the sea floor are surreal manifestations of her fears, anxieties, and sorrows bursting from the waters to grasp her once more.
6. Geiger Inspired Self Portrait
I was tasked to create a self-portrait, and at the time the task was pitched I was deep into researching Geiger's works. There was something haunting about them, yet I couldn't look away. I liked that haunting resonance it projected, so I decided to try my best to replicate it while still embracing my own likeness. First I drew a simple self-portrait, of which i later proceeded to draw on a larger scale, rendering with pen and ink on 14x11 inch illustration board.
I was tasked to create a self-portrait, and at the time the task was pitched I was deep into researching Geiger's works. There was something haunting about them, yet I couldn't look away. I liked that haunting resonance it projected, so I decided to try my best to replicate it while still embracing my own likeness. First I drew a simple self-portrait, of which i later proceeded to draw on a larger scale, rendering with pen and ink on 14x11 inch illustration board.
DIGITAL WORK
&
PHOTOGRAPHY
7. CinderFall
CD Case / Album Cover. This project I enjoyed doing, some years ago, as it was one of the first times I had created an original design digitally rather than using something I previously found on the web. I knew I wanted to do a theme of fire, so the image of a phoenix immediately came to mind. I set out create the phoenix, and soon after scanned it into Photoshop. The idea of cinders was relatable to ashes, but not as overused. "Fall" was used to signify that the phoenix has fallen into ashes (or cinders), signifying the end of a cycle.
8. Erupting the Monster
My goal was to use a crushed can of monster my friend had recently created and do something with it. Using more overlays, some swirls of brushing, and filters in Photoshop, I was able to create the final product seen here.
10. The Upper Cycle Logo
I had a project in high school to create a piece of jewellery made from recycled materials and then create a brand that represented the piece of jewellery. I wanted my company branding to market itself as being a higher standard than most other recycled material retailers. I also wanted to have a play on the whole recycled aspect of the project. Thus I came up with "The Upper Cycle", as in the upper cycle of society, as well as using recycled materials, hence the arrow pointing up like in common recycling imagery.
12. A King Amongst His Gold Shall Lie
An 8x10 inch photograph from a series of still images I took based on the metallic skull wrapped in golden chain. The idea was based off of a short four-line poem I once made,
An 8x10 inch photograph from a series of still images I took based on the metallic skull wrapped in golden chain. The idea was based off of a short four-line poem I once made,
"A king amongst his gold shall lie.
In treasured hordes of wealth he'll die.
A skull amidst the chains of time.
A king amongst his gold shall lie."
13. A Dragon Waits
An 8x10 inch still life photo. There is a purpose behind the title and the composition of the photograph, but I will leave it up to the discretion of the viewer to decipher it.
14. Riddled Red
This is an 8x10 inch photograph taken in Toronto. I was passing on the street and saw this design in the brick wall, and instantly I wanted to capture it. It was so simple, but had such a good design. The repeating pattern down the center, the shallow space and lack of distracting elements, and the monochromatic scheme. Even the portion with the bolt, which makes the composition more asymmetric and interesting; as though it tells a story. The simplicity makes for an image with a clear design and so the composition and elements become the focus of the image, rather than using complex aesthetics.
PAINT & OTHER MEDIA
15. Sanctity from Nature
This painting was done to mimic the style of Van Gogh, and to illustrate the subtle conflict between nature and industry. I felt Van Gogh’s style would illustrate this turmoil best due to its dramatically weaving style. The painting is measured at 8x10 inches on a thick sheet of canvas.
This painting was done to mimic the style of Van Gogh, and to illustrate the subtle conflict between nature and industry. I felt Van Gogh’s style would illustrate this turmoil best due to its dramatically weaving style. The painting is measured at 8x10 inches on a thick sheet of canvas.
16. Camera Value Study
Two value studies each done in acrylic on separate 15x20 inch illustration boards. The purpose was to create a low contrast painting and a high contrast painting of a camera my brother had on hand. The first painting has each value separated rather than gradated together to better see the values.
17. Photo Mosaic
For this piece I had to choose a celebrity or influential figure and translate them onto a 19x16 inch sheet of bristol with only magazine clippings. To do this I drew a grid on the 8.5x11 reference image, and then drew a grid on the large scale sheet. After drawing a rough outline on the sheet, I layered on the magazine clippings while following the outlines. The celebrity chosen was Robert Downey Jr.
NOTE: I did not make this, it was my reference image for the following.
18. Eye of Inquisition
An Ink press etching exercise. I was presented with a glass pane, and was to choose an image of an animal to etch into its surface. Once the glass sheet was carved, I would layer ink on with a paintbrush until all crevices were filled. From here I used a paper towel to wipe off the ink. This way, when pressed on the 8.5x11 inch sheet, only the ink found within the chiselled outlines would be transferred. I made two versions, one with just the ink, and another that I lightly went over in coloured pencil afterwards.
19. Union Perspective Study
The purpose for this creation was to study two point perspective at Union Station, in Toronto. It was rendered in coloured pencil on 10x14 inch mi teintes paper.
