Vector Illustrations

Prankster Planet Backgrounds

Here are some of the backgrounds I worked on during my second project at Primal Screen, Season 2 of The Electric Company on Prankster Planet. This time I worked in both Adobe Illustrator and Flash. My job was to create the backgrounds using assets designed by Primal Screen for Season 1 of Prankster Planet, as well a some new ones for this season. Some of the props had to be modified while others had to be redrawn in different angles. All artwork published with permission from Primal Screen.

 *The foundation for the above piece, mainly the geological features, was done by another artist at Primal Screen.

Prankster Planet Season 2 launches

This year I had the pleasure of working at Primal Screen, Inc. here in Atlanta. One of the projects I worked on was the second season of The Electric Company's Prankster Planet. I was in charge of designing backgrounds reusing props from the previous season as well as creating some new props and, in some cases, some effects animations. In this clip you can see some of the backgrounds I worked on. I'll be posting the new episodes as soon as they're available online. Otherwise, you can watch them Mondays on PBS.


 

Getting Ready

No, I'm not from Baltimore. I just like sport mascots!

Vector Japonisme

Here it is, another shot at Japonisme: some geisha or courtesan giving you attitude for no apparent reason.

This piece was sketched in Photoshop but cleaned up in Illustrator. I've been trying to re-create the ukiyo-e (floating world) style faithfully but at the same time I want to explore facial and corporal expressions that are sometimes hard to achieve in a style with limited perspective and choice of angles. I wonder if anyone has ever done an animation with a similar look...

Ghost Rider with Latin Flavor

This drawing was inspired by an interesting story of a guy here in Puerto Rico who, after dying in a shooting, had his body displayed as if he were riding a motorcycle, according to his wishes. He likely knew that he was going to die soon, since it's an unusual request, especially for a 22-year-old. (For more info read this.)

I started the drawing shortly after his death in April, this year, but I left it forgotten in a hidden corner of my computer and recently found it again. By now there has been another dead guy displayed on a motorcycle and one on the driver's seat of an ambulance. These men were probably inspired by a young man last year whose body was displayed standing up. I think it's an interesting fad, and I do hope it lasts (as creepy as they may sound). After all, dead people make great models for artists.

I Wonder How Much Longer...

Here is another piece in Roy Lichtenstein's style. This time I decided to add a thought balloon to enhance the comic book look. The quote is nothing special, I just thought of something random similar to the quotes that appear in many of Lichtenstein's pieces. In his case, many had some special meaning but, in my case, I just wanted words that went well with the facial expression. 

Pop Raf

Yeah, it's me! =D

Pop Art

Yeah, I looooooove Lichtenstein! It had been a while since I used a tool for inking other than my stylus so I gave it a shot using a brush pen. Then I cleaned it up in Photoshop and added the flat colors. The benday dots were created in Illustrator (following this tutorial) and then imported into Photoshop. 

Another Geisha or Courtesan or Noble or Whatever Those Ladies In Japanese Woodcut Prints Are Called

So if they weren't rich or loose nobody would draw them? Tsk, tsk, men are such pigs...

My Take on Japonisme

I am not a big manga fan but for years I’ve been fascinated by the ukiyo-e (floating world) style and japonisme, so I started to make a series like the example shown in March 16 post. This is the finished drawing. Even though the style was referenced from other images, the drawing itself is original. It was cleaned up colored in Photoshop but the motif of the dress was made in Illustrator and then imported to Photoshop. If the background looks familiar, I traced the pattern from a Piet Mondrian painting using a PS brush and added the textures and my own colors.