Ryan Can Draw!

Dirty White Hats

2011-06-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

:click to e n l a r g e:
I've had the privilege of being commissioned to do a promo piece for Portland's own Dirty White Hats. Awesome guys, awesome tracks.

One Year In My Head

2011-04-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

This would be my sketchbook from august 2010 to yesterday, almost one whole year of scribblings and boasts, punctuated by drawings of dream girls and Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad.
I just bought a new black sketchbook, let's have a great year!

undead kournikova!

2011-04-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was kindly invited to participate in a strange blog called Tennis vs. Apocalypse, wherein artists depict grisly scenes of zombies, tennis, and all other things occult.
My piece is about my favorite retired tennis star, anna kournikova.

COVERED

2011-04-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

I got to do this piece for a sweet blog called COVERED, which shows artists of all disciplines re-doing published comicbook covers.

Networking

2011-04-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

...the composition kinda lacks focus, but i've wanted to color this bad boy for a while.

STRFKR Poster

2011-03-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

it's always exciting to do band posters, mostly because it gives me a chance to visually express how i react to the music. extra exciting when it's a band i REALLY like.
Starfucker, i hope you dig this.

Kanye

2011-03-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

sorry for the neglection, i've been working a lot under the hood to push my art in the new direction.
i love kanye west for his music, i wanted to do an illio that represented his conflicted personality, his battle with his "inner demons".

belated christmas

2011-01-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

...better late than never, friends. happy new year as well!

...in time for the holidays

2010-12-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite gifts this year was seeing the collective assembled. Though i would give a pinky to see it printed, its nice to see it all together on one sleek, sexy page!
Kudos to the all-powerful and talented Joel Zain Rivers, author of the site.
i want another crack at this thing!
also, i'm still doing my webcomic, the band that played.

follow it!

new comic

2010-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

hey er'body, i'm starting a webcomic! im in the middle of setting up a site for them, here's the first one, a continuation of my critically acclaimed the band that played.

UPDATE - you can check out my weekly exploits at the new site here

The Spark That Bled

2010-06-22T14:04:00.001-07:00

....for fans of the Flaming Lips.

The Band That Played

2010-06-21T20:43:00.001-07:00

check it out! The Band That Played (part one) is a six-page mini-comic of one crazy night of post-punk indie rock and moped chases, drawn by yours truly. it debuted last saturday at coast city comics, and will soon be available online!
Coast City has been utterly supportive of my artistic efforts, the proof is in proprietor Gerald Von Stoddard's blog 60 Seconds: What's Cool In Comics.
i will post soon about ordering this little guy, in the meantime dump a little money in the creative economy by visiting this awesome comic book store.

Update:: email me how many you'd like (@2 bucks per book + S/H) and your shipping address and i'll fire it over! paypal transactions only please!

Walter's Shirts

2010-06-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

Coast City Comics Turns One!

2010-06-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Joel's Pencils

2010-05-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

...so joel zain rivers and i may be collaborating on a super-cool project in the near future, i would be inking his pencils. i've never done it before, i'm pretty happy about this sketch that joel gave to me the other day at MECAF.

throwback era part II

2010-05-13T10:06:00.001-07:00

throwback era

2010-05-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

this is a sketchbook i used while i was in senior year at MECA, my brief tenure at SMCC, and survived a gut-wrenching break-up.

networking

2010-04-21T15:15:00.001-07:00

here's a black and white preview for an un-commissioned editorial illio for social networking. color version soon!
i'm really happy with my feet, i sometimes unconsciously or otherwise cut-out feet and legs...

alpha centauri

2010-04-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

here's another comic about music, really liking this direction.

*new comic

2010-03-28T22:27:00.001-07:00

...so i've finally married my two favorite things: art & music.
that said, i think i'm getting the hang of brush inking.

2010 Sketchbook Dump#3

2010-03-09T21:43:00.001-08:00

2010 Sketchbook Dump#2

2010-03-09T21:38:00.001-08:00

2010 Sketchbook Dump#1

2010-03-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

you'll be the death of me.

2010-01-26T09:20:00.000-08:00

i'm painting again...though not up to par how i was in school. not sure where this is coming from, maybe i missed the calming, laborious build-up of layers of color.
i still like throwing flashy colors on things in digital, but something about this treatment appeals to a different side of the brain.

...."i'd buy that for a dollar!"

2010-01-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

dear robocop,
you exposed me to so much ultra-violence in my formative years. i thought you were so neat: your gun-compartment leg, your cybernetic creepy bald forehead, the cool thump sound you make when you awkwardly lumber around.
anyways, i might do more "robots i've loved" illios...there maybe a terminator, R2-D2, or Johnney 5 in my future.

Eternal Otter Records Poster

2010-01-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

Chicken Salad with Thousand Island Dressing

2009-12-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes i'm glad i work at norm's cause of all the crazy people i've met and stories i've heard. Restaurants tend to attract colorful people, mine is no exception to the rule.

Haunted Appliances Shirt

2009-11-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

another submission to threadless, it's been fun adjusting my approach to fit this medium.

Tee Shirts

2009-11-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

i've been trying to get some shirt companies to buy some designs, its fun but there's stiff competition. The pay out for a printed design is awesome, i have my fingers crossed.

Pants Yell!

2009-10-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

....some more schwag.

2009-10-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

here are some finished pages for my new zine, i've decided to try and be just random and non-sequitor about subject matter...some ideas come from my sketchbook, some are based on photographs. im trying to complete at least one a day, we'll see how this goes.

Schwag

2009-09-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

i'm starting a new project, taking the form of a picturebook zine called Schwag (A Thought Process). This is the first image, possibly the cover. i haven't made a zine since school, so im excited about tackling all the logistical problems in assembling a book.

postcards!

2009-09-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

here's the front and back to my new postcard mailer (the back side is cut off), i think they're pretty successful...hopefully i can snag some work.

buying beats

2009-07-08T15:41:00.001-07:00

Coast City Comics!

2009-06-13T08:23:00.001-07:00

come on dowwwwn, yours truly will be there. i have some original Collective art up!

on the horizon

2009-06-11T12:32:00.001-07:00

i've been trying update all my stuff for a promotional relaunch later this summer, i think my website will eventually look something like this...

...in reaction to overreaction.

2009-05-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

i've been trying to conjure something editorial lately, i wanted to do a piece about swine flu but not have something so typical, like a drawing of a sick pig or whatever.

....ziggy played guitar

2009-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

FEELITROBOT Poster Preview

2009-04-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kris and i are working on a gig poster for a show coming to the SPACE in May.

Collective Dump #3

2009-04-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Start from the bottom, gents!

Collective Dump #2

2009-04-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

Collective Dump #1

2009-04-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

I want to share this with everyone, i'm sure its gonna look awesome printed. Leave me some feedback if you please...?

Collective - Page Ocho

2009-03-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

here's a finished page 8 from my chapter in the Collective project. i usually don't draw so many panels, but i was going for a kind of rapid-fire dream sequence. Comics have a quality to them that so many don't acknowledge- that you can show time by pacing your panels and how many you show, what you show, repetition, etc. I am definitely no expert, but i feel like i am making progress...

My Valentine

2009-03-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

i wasnt going to show this to anyone. but i scanned this right before i sent it, because i liked it so much. i hope you enjoy it more than the recipient did.

Collective sneak preview

2009-02-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

This is pages four and five from my chapter in my collaborative project with ben bishop and joel zain rivers. it feels good to have a steady thing to work on, i'm trying to layout, ink, and scan one page a day. these are unfinished, all modeling will be done in photoshop, im experimenting with using half-tone (ala old comics). i had to let you guys know i'm still alive!

Funnies Show Recap!

2009-02-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

I was super impressed with the show on Friday @ the Whitney, not to mention yours truly and others were in the show. i wish i had more pics of the work, but it was so crowded i couldn't really take any. Come see the show anyway, it goes on until Feb. 28th.

Update

2009-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

A little preview of one of the pieces for the show...

For The Whitney

2008-12-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

so im participating in a show at the whitney, "the Funnies"- a kind of tribute to comics and other tabloid narrative imagery. They are putting together a tabloid magazine with artists images in it instead of the usual postcard to advertise for the show in Feb. This is my image, another stab at my incubating "warrior queen" project.

"I Blame That Goddamn Mtv!"

2008-12-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

This is a redux of a previous Illio Friday i did, i feel like i'm getting somewhere with color nowadays- i could be mistaken...

The Lifer

2008-11-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

Don't know where i got inspired to do this from, i think it may have started as a sketch in my notebook. I have always loved to draw ugly people- they're more interesting than good looking ones.
So if you're ugly i would like to draw your ugly face.

Left 4 Dead Contest

2008-11-12T16:08:00.000-08:00

This is my submission to the Left 4 Dead Concept Art Contest over at moddb.com. Left 4 Dead is this awesome new zombie-shooter game, i just tried the demo today it's pretty rad.

...and now for something completely different.

2008-11-10T14:49:00.001-08:00

i don't know what inspired this concept or why i chose this 80's palette, the result is something you might see on an old EC comics horror cover.

Batman.

2008-11-05T16:07:00.001-08:00

Zoop!

Coyote

2008-11-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

...another character design for my "warrior queen" project, this guy belongs to a tribe consisting of the last free men on earth. I'm really enjoying watercolor as a medium again, it is fun to go back and forth from computer-color to hand-done, as they both are frustrating in different ways.
p.s. i voted today, awesome.

Then and Now.

2008-10-29T14:34:00.003-07:00

the other blog i post on had this thread about the difference between teenage you and your present form. Pretty shocking stuff.

The Warrior Queen

2008-10-13T20:33:00.001-07:00

I'm posting this character design for a new project I'm working on, consisting of a post-apocalyptic world ruled by Amazon women. And Eunuchs to boot!

A taste of things to come...

2008-10-08T11:50:00.001-07:00

Illio Friday - "Routine"

2008-08-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

....an estimated five-thousand fawns a year die from SIDS.

Illio Friday - "Detach"

2008-08-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

i want to color this but i have to get this in before the site changes over to a new prompt.

Life Drawing 8/4

2008-08-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Went to a Longfellow Square life drawing session on Monday, fairly productive. I still feel rusty though not as bad as the last time i went- I feel like i'm not drawing from life nearly as much as i should.

Modern Guilt

2008-07-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

I finished this funny little cartoon today, so here it is. Narrative storytelling is something i always fall back on, i enjoy it immensely. i might hand-color it (instead of digital) and post that, i have a hard time getting lighting to look good in photoshop.

Why So Serious?

2008-07-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

i saw The Dark Knight last Saturday, boy did it kick ass. Heath Ledger's Joker was so awesome, Jack Nicholson's looks severely pale in comparison. So awesome, in fact, i had to draw him.

...Not As Sweet As Chigurh

2008-07-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

i present Anton Chigurh, the sadistic villain featured in No Country For Old Men. I did this totally on the fly, on crappy sketchbook paper. I've been feeling like i'm in a rut lately, like all my work lately has been like pulling teeth. This however, was loose and fun. I can only hope this process is getting me back on the road.

I Saw A Totoro

2008-07-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so i used to an anime HATER but my girlfriend has been renting movies by Hayao Miyazaki, among them My Neighbor Totoro.
I was inspired when i came across The Totoro Forest Project, a gallery consisting of paintings and prints from a vast array of artists. Apparently the forest that inspired the movie is in danger of being cut down and they are raising money to save it.
Anyway i haven't watercolored in a while, i realized that i really miss it. Starting them is the hardest part, but a finished piece is worth it.

Illio Friday - "Sour"

2008-07-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

i kind of re-used the scary chick from last week's illustration- i don't know where she came from, its like she's one part my girlfriend to two parts kat von D and the terminator. i really struggled with the car, i hope you like it.

Illio Friday - "Fierce"

2008-07-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

This Apparatus...

2008-06-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

I did this portrait of cedric bixler from the mars volta (my fave band), i think it's pretty swell. i also wanted to try my hand at brush ink instead of those really tight faber-castell pens i use. what do you fink?

Album Art

2008-06-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

A while ago i let local hip-hop artist Brzowski use one of my images to use on his latest album. I just got an advance copy of it and it looks SICK!...especially the actual disc itself considering i didnt even know he was gonna slap it on there.

Illio Friday - "forgotten"

2008-06-13T10:02:00.001-07:00

so i did it a week late- so what? i've been distracted lately by this beautiful weather...

Illio Friday - "baby"

2008-05-31T11:44:00.001-07:00

not sure if i like the color, the concept is sweet though (considering all the blatant infants I've seen so far)...maybe i'll do another before next week.

but wait....more!

2008-05-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

and now...some moleskin

2008-05-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Illio Friday - "worry"

2008-05-28T14:41:00.000-07:00