From the burning ashes; arise the great Phoenix

The Phoenix is a supernatural creature, living for 1000 years. Once that time is over, it builds its own funeral pyre, and throws itself into the flames. As it dies, it is reborn anew, and rises from the ashes to live another 1000 years. Alternatively, it lays an egg in the burning coals of the fire which hatches into a new Phoenix, and the life cycle repeats.

This is the great sign in which our Battalion uses. It is just that I use this for Illustration Friday enlighten to our up-coming deployment to Iraq in February. Here is to the soldiers in honor of what will come.
4TH Infantry Brigade Combat Team,
1ST Infantry Division,
610 Brigade Support Battalion
"No Mission Too Difficult, No Sacrifice Too Great- Duty First!"

Which Super Villain Are You?

Your results:
You are Venom

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90%
Apocalypse

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70%
Dr. Doom

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66%
Lex Luthor

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63%
The Joker

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56%
Juggernaut

---

56%
Dark Phoenix

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56%
Green Goblin

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56%
Two-Face

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56%
Magneto

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46%
Mr. Freeze

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46%
Riddler

---

46%
Kingpin

---

39%
Mystique

---

32%
Catwoman

---

23%
Poison Ivy

---

15%
Strength, disguise and adrenaline are your greatest weapons.



Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Which Super Hero Are You?

You are The Hulk

You are a wanderer with
amazing strength.

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100%
The Flash

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95%
Green Lantern

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95%
Superman

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90%
Iron Man

---

70%
Spider-Man

---

65%
Batman

---

60%
Supergirl

---

55%
Robin

---

45%
Catwoman

---

40%
Wonder Woman


Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Illustration Friday: MASK

Twisted, dark, tormented souls like bleak in waiting. Behind all of us hides a mask in which we wear. No matter how horrible or ominous, beneath all its hate...it smiles.

Brow clinched, teeth grinding, holding all its aversion to destroy what is left of our worthless composure. We attempt to hold the beast back. Sometimes it is kept silent...other times unleashed beyond our control.
If you close the door, stand in the hollow darkness and hold a light just below your chin...smile deep, clinch your brow and tell us what you see.
Is it you....or the Dark Mask that hides just past the outer limits of our tormented soul.

Illustration Friday: Might

Imagine for one moment, that you have the wait of the world on top of your shoulders.
Behold, The Mighty Atlas



During the war of the TITANS, ATLAS stormed Olympus and threatened the Gods. And as punishment for this war crime, ZEUS sentenced him to hold up the heavens and bear their weight on his shoulders forever.

Title: Atlas
Size: 18 X 24
Medium: Water Color, Corel Paint

Back From Training

Okay, well training went a lot better than I had expected. At least it is done and I can return to the normal works of the real world. I did miss Halloween this year and it is my favorite holiday, but I understand that I can't be in two places at once. I did make it back for Thanksgiving and as of right now there is nothing that stands in the way of Christmas. So hopefully I can make it back down south to visit my kids before the up-coming deployment back to the sand box. Any way, I'm catching up on all my emails so I will hit everyone back that wrote while I was gone, I apologize for any short term projects that had to get rescheduled, but the military must come first. Congrats to the BLACK & ORANGE winners, and there has been a lot of great Illustration Friday ideas since I've been gone. I guess I have a lot of catching up to do. This week is invention, lets see what the voices have to say about that. Until next time-

Out Of Office

Okay, so this will be the last post for a little while. As I had mentioned earlier this week, I have some out of town business that will keep me occupied & busy, you know like a month. Unlike last time, I won't wait 8 months to make another post, hey I'm curious about who will win the Black & Orange on Illustration Friday. I'm completely addicted now. I will not keep anyone on the edge of their seat about the Novel or any ongoing projects. I should be back on line around Thanksgiving or so. If it is sooner, I will let you know. So until next time, have a Happy Halloween. Kyle, Missy and Jake, keep up the great work and daddy will be back soon.

Illustration Friday: Ghost 2

Darkness engulfs over her soul as she moves into the unknown. Wondering about, lost, and afraid of the uncertain she digs deep into herself to maintain what is left of her humanity. She has come to pass and understands that she is forlorn in this world. Not for what she is...but what she has become. Her transformation is quick, filled with suffering and unbearable pain. And even though she stands surrounded by the dark twisted tormented souls who to have fallen from light, she still remains abandoned, alone and lost.

Title: My Lost Love 2
Medium: Prisma Color Pencil, Ebony pencil, Corel Paint
Size: 8 1/2 X 11

Manipulated by the Manipulator_UPDATE

Okay, so after almost 8 months I finally have an up-date (see) http://surrealiststudio.blogspot.com/2006/02/manipulated-by-manipulator.html to this slow work in progress. Now you got to go easy, first of all, due to the move from Georgia to Kansas, working on the illustrated novel, attending schools and whatever else seems to fall into my plate there is not a whole lot done. But taken the fact that there is a lot of detail kicking with this one and to add to this....alright I'm done making excuses; this is what I got:
As you can tell, not much has come along, but believe it or not I just picked the project up about 4 days ago.

The neck and arm, both of which are coming together. Signs of the skin being burnt and stretch along with the smooth deep holes; all of which are shaded in Micron 02 0.30mm pen.



The detail for the neck connecting to the membrane on his back required a great amount of painstaking strokes, calm and stillness. With the tip so small and the flow of the ink, one sneeze, cough or poke to the arm could destroy the detail I was going for.


But different views and steady hands closed on some tight spaces and the outcome for it is looking great. I have no idea when it will be done. I'm hoping before the end of the year, but I guess will just see what is in store.

The Sketch Book Diary

Painting the cover
It's Tuesday and time is running short for me. Between work, projects and the book; I have been pretty busy. I have some out of town training that will take me from the studio for right around 27 to 28 days. Which I don't really mind because it will give my creative side a time to settle and relax. The thing is I have until Thursday to get a few more hours on the drawing board done so when I get back in late November, I can flow back into the book and get the damn thing done. I did take some time out yesterday to enjoy a Frappe at the Hard Back Cafe. It sits next to Hobby Lobby and I had to stop there to pick up a gift idea for my 3 Kiddos.
It would seem to be that my three little ones have latched on to the liking of art.
Michaela, Jake & I
Now Michaela, who is 5, has always enjoyed doing art. Any time I was at home in the studio she had to be there. I would be at the drawing board and she would be at her table either coloring or painting. Every five minutes would be used for a quick critique and a smile saying "Thanks daddy." And even then there would be the added pressure of her advice... "Dad it’s too dark, dad you didn't use enough color..etc" but it was always welcomed and enjoyed.
But it would appear that my oldest,

Kyle, has flipped the script. He has a new art teacher at school that has pulled the creative side from him and place it on paper. There's still the added X-Box every now and then, but according to my mother-in-law (who is watching the three of them right now) said he has taken up the work and to his excitement is enjoying it a lot.
So I figured this much, everything begins with a sketch, I still own several sketch books from when I was a kid and refer to them often. But I bought four of them and modified the cover so each would be able to identify their own. (If not it would be a blow out fight) and sending it to them so that they can keep sort of a sketch diary. I told my mother-in-law that it would be a great idea if they all drew in it so they could show their mother when she returns from Iraq. I even got her one; she’s always working on projects with the kids and pretty creative herself. This way when the time comes to sketch, color or paint, she won't have to fight for her own piece of paper. I hope it works; after all, I got my first sketch book when I was five and haven't dropped the pencil yet.

Finished work

Illustration Friday: GHOST

I have spoke of the voices before. Each one of the tormented souls talks differently. Their words are foreign and sometimes sound like a distant murmur...almost to faint to hear their flesh ripping screech. But as soon as I clicked on my email this morning there it was...Illustration Friday- the subject, Ghost...and boy did they start talking.


I have used this face in "Kathryn's Temptation" and in "The Grip". There is just something about it that scares the living hell out of me. This one spoke immediately as I read the title for I.F. It's one of the darkest souls that I have and you can see by the detail that him and I have had a very close run in before.

If I had to say it, then I would say that this is the drawing of the face in which the bad voice that looms over my shoulder and speaks only when rage emerges. It is thus far the darkest side of my soul yet, and the one I tend to stay far away from.
I never intended on him to show up...but he answered with a thunderous roar when Illustration Friday called.


Title: Dark Adaptation
Medium: Ebony Pencil
Size: 8 1/2 X 11

Kathryn's Temptation

Long after the Creed...
way before the Song...
there was the Temptation.
So who would like to hear the story behind the dark portal of this Tormented Soul?

Title: Kathryn's Temptation
Medium: Gauche Water Color, Pen & Ink, Prisma Color Pencil & Photo Shop
Size: 18 X 24

Recent submission in Illustration Friday "Black & Orange"

SMITTEN

She crys, and doesn't know why. Her song is that of a lonely one. She can't explain why and has gain no closer knowledge to where it will take her. The melody dark, almost eerie. Miserable strings play from melting violins as the composer moves his wand of misery to vocals of her echoing cry from behind bleeding curtains of pain. Figures with no faces line the pews of unreasonable doubt as the climax bursts into what seems like the end. But in all reality, in the tormented soul, its only the end of the beginning of the end.

Title: Kathryn's Song
Medium: gauche Water Color
Size: 18 X 24

My Legacy

Final Layout
Title: My Legacy
Medium: .35mm Zig Memory System Millennium Pen
Faber Castell 6 Pitt Artist Pen Shades of Grey (Brush Pens)
Category: Still Life Portrait
Size 18 X 24

A Long Over Due Project

I'm like on a roll this week. This project here has been a long time in the making. And when I say long, that's just what it has been. For those who have done portraits know that there has to be a lot of time to go into it, to make it just what you see. A lot of love and time, that's what it takes. And since I've came home in November I have been working on this so that would make it 4 months. But what you don’t know is that a very special person asked for this project almost 5 years ago.
Now this is just not any person, she is a strong inspiration to my artwork. She has critiqued every piece that has left the drawing board, helped me edit and write my first novel "The Red Plague" and has been there "MOST" of the time when I needed her. Not all the time, after all, she is human too! But it’s hard reading her at times. She looks at a project and just nods with a "Yeah it looks good" or "It looks like a brain". But I know her language, and sorta know at times what she means. So I did tell her, that I would do this and I'm sure as the time has passed and she has viewed other projects for different people and probably assumed that this one has been forgotten. It took some time but at last and final it’s done. Hope she loves it, maybe I will get more than a “It looks nice, Maybe I can finally touch her soul. This is for my very best friend!
Enjoy!

Kyle

Michaela

Jacob



Title: My Legacy
Medium: .35mm Zig Memory System Millennium Pen
Faber Castell 6 Pitt Artist Pen Shades of Grey (Brush Pens)
Category: Still Life Portrait
Size: Individual Prints 8 ½ X 11
Final Layout 18 X 24

Manipulated by the Manipulator

Back to the drawing board so to speak. I hate it sometimes when the voices start talking all at once. Then it becomes organized chaos in my head. Mixed in with the kiddies asking for something and the dark portals opening and closing it becomes a regular get together in my head. The problem with this is...I'm not invited. I just have to sit back and wait until the meeting is done and then I'm put to work. So now they have all calmed down, I'm back to work.
They started last week when illustration Friday popped out with song. The first thing I saw was this twisted image of a character who's body was in itself an instrument. I started the print you see above and it didn't go the way I was planning. Not say that the image is gone; it still bedecians a word of life inside the portals of the dark. Now this week we're on tea and I thought of another great idea to use this image for, and I'm working on it. But for right now an update of what is in progress.

As you can see this is the first layout on the left still in the sketch book. On the drawing board you can see the transfer sheet ready for final layout.

This is the portion that takes the longest in the beginning. Once the final design is done, I use tracing paper and go over it. Each line in detail. Then it is flipped on the back and retraced over ever line in reverse. This sorta makes carbon paper with the mess. I use a 4H pencil so there minimum amount dust. Then it is flipped again and placed on to the final the print (or the paper I will use) which in this case is Water Color paper to give the shades a since of dept.

And then on to the inking which will be the first portion of the layout as far as color. I always do the inking first so I know just where I want the lights and darks to go. This goes with water color, prisma color, or ebony. So it's looking good right now and I guess I'll just have to wait and see where this is going. On a normal run, I could give a good guess, but this one is talking in tongues, so the translation is lost at times.
I'll keep you up to speed as the Manipulator comes to life.

Tormented Souls an Illustrated Novel

Time moves by to fast. It seems as I close one project another one opens. Not on my own free will, but the demands of bad Daymares, lost voices and crappy coffee. I've been strapped for time as well. My move to Fort Riley is closing in on me and I'm trying to close a few loops before I become entangled in the in-process of a new base. I'm pretty excited about that, Katie emailed today and said that she will be home on the 4th of March so I can leave at least knowing that the kids are in great care of their mother. Its tough being divorced and having kids involved, but worse is leaving them in the care of others. Not to say I don't trust their day care provider, but I just cant live with myself leaving our babies with someone when its not their responsibility. I still have responsibilities as a parent and for those parents out there, you know what I'm talking about.
But being here has also brought on new ideas and new moves. I was working on an illustration cover for a book of poetry and that deal sorta flopped. It put me out due to all the money I had invested in the prints which were destroyed in an ink accident. Then the illustration board for final layouts coast out the ass. And I dropped two other very promising commissions to put full attention towards certain demands to this project. Complete mess, but no harm, no foul. The great thing is my art work speaks for itself, so I pick up commissions very easy. I just started a new project for an Anniversary Present for a couple that is going on 27 years of Marriage...Kudos to ya both, hope you have 27 more great ones. And all is not loss. Because this cover that I was doing is a really great piece I started and the inking looked great when it was done. Now that I have started all the water color its proving itself to be one of my best yet. So after a little adjustment and some additional images to the work in progress; I'm going to use it for my book cover Tormented Souls. The final layout will be at least 18 X 24, really dark dept with Quill Pen & Ink and gauche Water Color. But all together I'm trying to stretch with at least 32 prints with a mixture of Prisma Color Pencil, Ebony Pencil, water color and digital imaging. Of course all will have that dark mystic surreal look that I pull into all my projects with just a little hint of organized chaos. I will start posting updates of all the prints and how they piece together as time moves on. The book will also enclose a 10 page close up on the work in progress with pictures of pre-layout designs, water color testing, and digital enhancements. A sorta behind the scene look of how the magic of Surrealist Studio is done. So those of you who love the dark look of my art and enjoy biting your nails, to be on the edge of your seat of mystery with stories of twisted endings...then Tormented Souls is just for you.

All art work above is post-work to water color
Title: Garden Of Tormented Souls
Medium: Pen & Ink/ Gouache Water Color/ Corel Digital Editor
Size: final Layout 18 X 24
Category: Surreal

Davantae's Daisy

Past the walls of hate, in the halls of anguish, deep in the padded room of sorrow; one must find a way to let it all go. To ignore the cuts in her throat, the fact that she had been rape numerous times, to know that every ounce of her blood spilt onto the ground and soaked deep into the roots of the beautiful flower.
Not to say that he didn't try; Luis Davantae did what he could to push aside the dark image of his beloved wife Emma dead in the daisy bed that he had planted for her on their wedding day. It was her favorite flower and the bed which sat in the hill on their land just under the mighty oak where they had made love for the first time was indeed acquiescence to her soul.
The once white daisy now grew everyday of the year bright red. Just as red as her blood and as dangerous as her death. For whoever walked in the bed and took in the sweet overpowering sent which was admitted into the air as a foggy red mist was doomed to instant death. Davantae looked at the bed as he felt the life slowly leave his body, his throat dry and blood ran from the tear ducts of his eye as he fell to his knees in the pouring rain....
Taken from the short story Davantae's Daisy from my Illustrated Novel:
Tormented Souls

Top
Title: Emma dead in her daisy bed
medium: Gouache Water Color/ Prisma Color
Size: 8 1/2 X 11

Bottom:
Title: Emma's Daisy Bed
medium: Gouache Water Color/ Prisma Color
Size: 8 1/2 X 11

Illustration Friday: Song

He waits in the cold dark night. He breathes in the life that was once his true love. He listened to the soft violin play its eerie cords of misery. The song tells the story of his soul, torn from his body, stolen by the fashioned hands of man. Murders that could not take her heart, but instead took her life. The music climax brings a tear to his eye as memories of the past flood from his mind. Hearing her voice he can only sway in its hymn and take of stillness before the empty rage that can not be filled ravishes his tormented soul

Title: Luis Davantae
Medium: Gouache Water Color/ Pen & Ink/ Prisma Color/ Digital Image Editor
Catergory: Abstract
Size: 8 1/2 X 11

The Smile_Midnight R.E.M

She doesn't mean to do the things she does. She runs on instinct, she was breed that way. The horror she shows, the pain she causes, the sleepless nights. The nightmares follow on to daymares, laughing in the background of my thoughts, talking against my will. You can suppress her with pills, drown her with over rated caffeine and smoother her in the smoke of my favorite cancer.
But she is always there in the darkest portals, hiding, waiting for my guard to drop, She hides in the web of distorted thoughts, lurking in the shadows of doubt, just barley enough to see what she bears is a painted face of hate which is revealed in her smile.

Title: The Smile "Midnight R.E.M"
Medium: Pen & Ink/ Water Color
Category: Surreal

Illustration Friday: Simple

Have you ever just been trapped? Felt that no matter what you do or where you go; it all seems cumbersome. That up is down, left is really right, and right just seems wrong. You move on a one way street backwards, you stopped when it said go, and you stood up when the sign said low bridge.

Title: TRAPPED
Medium: Pen & Ink
Category: Abstract

DEAD ENDS

I have for some reason always liked this picture. Again like most of many I have, started out as just a rough on a sketch pad. Almost 65% of my work has turned out like this. Simple lines, deadly curves, all seem to flop and form objects that can't be explain. I posted this picture on my Yahoo 360 and got a huge response back from everyone that viewed it. Deviant Art (my viewers) had asked me,
"How did you get the bodies and faces in, and was it an accident?"
I just responded simple, "Isn't all artwork an accident?"
Title: Dead Ends
Size: 8 1/2 X 11
category: Surreal
This piece was done with ebony pencil and there is no first time layout. What you see was the first line to the last. No transfers were done, and project took about 3 weeks.

Illustration Friday: Glamour

This weeks topic on illustration Friday was Glamour. Now this picture was one of the first that got Surrealist Studio on the way. I consider it the pillar that holds it up and my inspiration to keep it going. This picture started out as a rough drawing of an eye, but with a little love and a lot of dedication, it became more than that. Just the same with my studio. It took nearly 2 years to get done. But the out come was more than I had ever imagine. Enjoy!