Final Golden Eagle Illustration

Here is the Golden Eagle illustration, all finished and happy.

The Photographer

A belated birthday sketch for a good friend.

Poor Impractical Elephant

I made a quick poem to go along with this sketch:

Poor impractical elephant;
Full of impractical thoughts. 
Could've gotten a car better suited for him,
but then he thought, 'better not.'
So he went and bought this sports car
Thinking it suited him fine
Although it's difficult to drive in,
and gives him back pain all the time

He thought his life was too lacking
and wanted to fill the hole
but the answer to his problem caused more problems;
He drove right into a pole.

Elephant gained consciousness after the crash
and was afraid that he had died,
But walking out of the crumpled car without a scratch,
He never felt more satisfied.

So people, I'd advise you to listen up
to what Impractical elephant learned.
A life not appreciated for what there is
Is a life that is truly spurned.

Noah's Ark Wall Mural

Golden Eagle Mother

I love birds, and only recently found it a bit odd that I didn't have very many illustrations of them. So I've decided to create a series of them, starting with the ruthless Golden Eagle. I liked the idea of how the stronger child would push the weaker one out of the nest in order to ensure their own survival, and thought it would be nice to apply it in the illustration. I liked the outstretched wing in the first sketch, but then it seemed as if the mother was saying "ta-daa natural selection at work!" so I thought it best to make her "hands" full.

 A quick, reverted tracing paper sketches before I transferred it to the watercolor paper.

Tomato Automotive Advertisment 2013

 Every year I design a 2-page spread advertising my dad's business in the Korean Yellow Pages. It's not the best thing in the world, but it definitely gives me the opportunity to see my level of improvement from year to year, and I'm definitely come to learn that becoming a mature, professional artist doesn't only mean having freakishly great technique, but knowing how and when to simplify the composition to the essentials without sacrificing the richness of the idea. Now, I obviously haven't fully realized all of that yet, but comparing the old ads I did in the past two years to this one, I can tell I'm getting better at not overcomplicating my ideas, which is pretty pleasing.

Even Kings Gaze up at the Stars

This was an illustration I originally made for a competition based on a story titled "Seven Kings of the Seven Worlds." I'm pretty sure my illustration wasn't chosen, but I had a lot of fun making this. There are some very clear visual mistakes in this illustration...like those arms. And those hands. Hate those hands... but I'm generally happy with the way it turned out and learned some very important lessons.

Airport Family Characters and Illustration

I've been going through my sketchbook at all the illustrations I had assigned myself (but, of course, never accomplished) and I've finally decided to get them out of my sketchbook and off my back. This was the first idea from the first page. 

I was in the airport with the family waiting for our flight when I saw a kid sitting on the rolling backpack his father was pulling, and that's where this "tired airport family" idea came from... I'll be trying to illustrate the idea that traveling can often be more tiresome than the actual vacation.

 The dad wasn't working too well in the sketch above, so I had to draw him on another tracing paper.

A Caricature a Month

I've decided to try and improve my illustration and character building, and to make some more portfolio work while waiting for replies from studios

This is of my friend Joy, and I decided to do a simple photoshop painting. Had not picked it up since the food truck, but it was a good exercise

"What do you mean, behind the rabbit?"

I have to say that I wasn't completely satisfied with the end result of this illustration, but I've learned an awful lot in the creating process. For one thing, I don't think I've ever painted or outlined that many rocks in my life. I feel that the painting ended up a little more outline-heavy than I meant it to be; I was pretty nervous using ink a pen nib after avoiding it for a few years, but at the same time, its not necessarily atrocious, and in the learning process to get where I'm going, that's good enough for me.

I love Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and hopefully this illustration thoroughly expresses it.

 Better get started on the next project right away.

Shao Bing Food Truck Final

Bunny Fund (continued)

Sunday Drive: rough tracing paper comp

Pizza and Bunnies

 Just had pizza with some church friends, and did a simple illustration afterwards

I'm working with my current student and we're creating some work that we will be selling to raise some money for a non-profit rabbit rescue organization called The Bunny Bunch, located in Chino. This is one of the images that I will be selling cards and prints, as well as the original painting. There will be more images to be posted!

"And I want it... RARE."

Saying Goodbye to Winter

Hannah Joe Portfolio