Newer Work
Art School Portfolio – Mid ’90s
The illustrations above were created decades ago. Typically, I begin by applying a textured layer of gesso to an illustration board, followed by an acrylic wash. Before transferring the image, I use multiple photo references and refine the composition through sketches on tracing paper. Once the final image is ready, I transfer it onto the board and start with a lay-in and underpainting in acrylic, establishing the values and form. I then build upon this foundation with oil paints to complete the illustration. Depending on complexity, drying time, and personal speed, a single piece can take anywhere from several hours to over a week to finish.
The exception to this is the graphite rendering below—the only black-and-white piece in the collection. Created during my time in school, this piece was made using the full spectrum of graphite pencils, from 2H to 2B. Instead of applying graphite directly with a pencil, I sanded it down into a fine pigment and applied it with a paintbrush.
After composing the drawing and transferring it onto the illustration board, I used frisket, a paintbrush, and over eighteen distinct values of graphite pigment to build depth and detail. In this exercise, a pencil never touched the paper.
Acrylic Studies – Pandemic Era
The pandemic—After a long pause from painting, I returned to the canvas (actually thick watercolor paper) without fanfare, choosing to create nine quick pieces that touch the core pillars of human life, particularly my life. Each painting reflects a profound memory or threshold—from childhood initiations and life’s tests to major decisions, crossroads, and reconciliations. My goal was to create freely without overthinking or sabotaging my own momentum.
MCV Arts 