Gay Pride

“Gay Pride” is another hybrid creation that was started back in the mid 1990’s.  Like all the other works I created then, “Gay Pride” was painted using fine Sable hair brushes and India ink.  I did complete this piece in full color using gouache, but in order to update the work for the blog, I re-colored it using Photoshop.  I stayed true to the original gouache coloring, but using all the Photoshop bells and whistles is certainly a lot more fun than using paints and brushes.  Sorry traditionalists, I still love to sketch and draw using pencil and paper, but applying flat color to my graphic works is easier, faster and more fun using digital means.

While my model did not pose nude for me, that didn’t mean I couldn’t make him naked in my mind.  I did ask him to poses in certain ways knowing I was going to make it a nude illustration.  He was aware of my intentions, he just didn’t want naked pics of him floating around.  And I don’t blame him.  I wouldn’t want naked photos of me out there…even if I looked as good as him! 

Gay Games

In June of 1994, the Gay Games came to New York City.  I had been shopping my illustrations around to the various gay publications, so some of the art directors knew my name and the style of my work.  I was asked to donate as many illustrations as I would like to “The Official Guide to all Gay Games IV & Cultural Festival Events”.  The black and white spot illustrations were divided between another illustrator and myself.  I was honored to have been asked.  I was even more honored to have my work appear alongside the other artist’s work, as he was very talented and very well known.  Each illustration was credited to the artist and had the potential to be seen by many, both locals and tourists. 

My spot illustrations were used for the following activities: country & western dance competition, flag football, diving, comedy performances and music.

Treasure Trail

“Treasure Trail” has to be one of my favorite pieces that came out of the photography sessions with the model.  Again, a bit of a hybrid, with most of the black line work being completed in the mid 1990’s using that same triple zero Sable hair brush and India ink on hot press Bristol board.  “Treasure Trail” remained a black and white piece until recently.  The color was added using Photoshop.  It also remained a smooth piece.  The body hair and facial stubble was also added recently.  I definitely approve and think he looks better as a muscle bear.   

Vested

“Vested” is also a hybrid design.  All the black line work was completed in the mid 1990’s using India ink and a fine triple zero Sable hair paint brush.  The black and white artwork was scanned and the color was added recently using Adobe Photoshop.  Not all the artwork generated from that session with the model was taken past the black line work stage.  As I said, “Vested” was black and white until recently, but I always knew I wanted the vest to resemble the American flag with rainbow stripes.  I actually like the creativity behind the modification of the American flag into becoming the gay American flag.  It’s creative and I guess this is my homage to the person who originally came up with that idea. 

The next several artwork posts will be the results of my photographs from the session with the model.  All the photos came out great; however, all the poses were not that good.  The model did a great job and so did the camera.  And at the time of the photo session, the poses seemed “cool” and “very interesting”.  Well, they were a little too interesting; as I felt I could only use a handful of the photos. 

The Sweat Shop

It’s baffling how challenging it was finding a model back in the early 1990’s.  I was living in North Jersey, working in Manhattan and it was still difficult.  You might think gay men would jump at the opportunity to take their clothes off, be paid for it and do nothing more than be photographed, right?!  Not the case.  I took advertisements out in all the Manhattan gay weekly publications and had flyers hung at the gayborhood gyms, which turned out very disappointing results.  Where were all the good looking men who would lose their clothes in a New York minute??

After receiving one disappointing submission after another, I was literally wiped out, frustrated and ready to throw in the towel.  Some submissions had amazing bodies, but not such great faces.  Some guys had handsome faces, but the body wasn’t what I was looking for.  I could not find the total package.  I could not find my Pete Kuzak.  One afternoon, I was in a bar in the West Village when the bartender’s boyfriend showed up to bring him dinner or something.  The boyfriend was stunning.  He had an adorable face.  He was also handsome and rugged.  The bartender introduced us, we said hello and after dropping off whatever it was he was there to drop off, the boyfriend left.  Since I knew the bartender (my then partner was the weekend manager of the bar) I asked him if he thought his boyfriend might model for me.  He said, “I don’t know, but I’ll ask him.”  As it turned out, the bartender’s boyfriend did model for me and in the next few posts, you will see what I created based on that photo session.  A contract was signed and the photos were taken in early December 1993.  It was a legitimate business transaction where the model was paid for taking (most of) his clothes off and then photographed.  I was very happy.  I had found my total package.

This post, “The Sweat Shop”, was originally painted back in 1994.  However, what you see here is a bit of a hybrid.  The black line work was painted in 1994, but the color was applied recently using Photoshop.  The coloring was kept the same for nostalgic reasons and also to keep the original copyright in place.

International Male

Simply titled “Man #2” back in 1991 for the United States Copyright Office’s Visual Arts Form, I decided to call this painting “International Male” for the blog.  Since the inspiration for this artwork came directly from the pages of the International Male clothing catalog, it seemed fitting to somehow acknowledge the original reference.   

With many of my creations in these first posts, there are aspects of the paintings that I like and aspects that I don’t like.  When coming to terms with a creative style, there is always a period of time when the artist must “work out the bugs”.  It’s an experimental time.  It’s a time for trial and error.  In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, my main concentration was to solidify my creative style.  Being raised watching cartoons from the 1960’s & 1970’s and aspiring to be a comic book illustrator, I was heavily influenced by flat color that was defined by solid black line work.  Coloring books, animation, comic books, they all had one thing in common: the flat graphic color was defined by the black line work that surrounded it.    

With the exception of “Princess” I have relied on published photos for my inspiration.  “Princess” was inspired by a co-worker at the time that was both statuesque and beautiful.  I simply had to paint her.  “Tex”, “Nagel Boy” and “International Male” were all inspired by published photos of some kind.  But I was quickly getting to the point where I wanted to own the inspiration as well.  I wanted to be able to select and mold my inspiration and not be limited to what was already out there. 

The definition for the word muse is a source of one’s inspiration.  In Greek Mythology, the Muses were the goddesses who inspired the creation of literature and the arts.  I needed a muse.  I needed someone who was so idyllic, his beauty would inspire me to produce greater work.  I needed a model.          

Deforestation 1991

As I mentioned in my previous post, “Deforestation” was originally painted in 1991 using India ink for the line work and the background texture and gouache for the color areas.  I digitally scanned the original art and what you see in this post is essentially that art as it was painted twenty years ago.  That being said, I did use Photoshop to brighten the colors some, add my signature and copyright, but other than those very minor changes, the original art remains unaffected. 

Deforestation

Originally painted in 1991, what you’re seeing now is a bit of a hybrid.  The black line work and background texture was painted twenty years ago, using India ink and brushes.  And although it was colored similarly back then, the color you see in this version has been applied using Photoshop.  The original colors were painted in gouache. 

This “Nagelesque” style is firmly taking hold, as seen in “Princess”, “Tex” and “Nagel Boy”.  My artwork has always been stylized and graphic.  But after seeing Patrick Nagel’s work, my commitment to this style, which I have often referred to as “high tech coloring book”, is unwavering. 

I have been presenting my work somewhat chronologically, indicating something of a progression.  Hopefully, this progression shows some level of improvement.