illustration weekly

A project 52 blog

[illustrationweekly]

Hello My Name is Chris Alexakis.

I am a graphic designer, currently working for an artist collective (Art Unified) and the LA River Corp. 

As a hobby I enjoy urban exploration, photography and learning about sub/micro cultures. Some of the current micro cultures that have peaked my interest in design are normcore, steampunk, seapunk, vaporware, chillwave, soft grunge, and witch house.

This is not to say I typically find any of these genres perticularily “aesthetically pleasing” but they do have their charm and they are fun to emulate. 

In the words of John Waters “Art that one finds repulsive, shocking, or simply hard to look at, is the the art one needs in their life in order to grow as a better more stronger human being.” (I Paraphrased that a little) 

I would like to learn more style variations from all y'all and I hope to one day be on the cutting edge of design trends along with all of you.

The “selfie” I made on Friday down in Silverlake at the Los Globos club and is an expression of how I feel in this moment in my life.

I’m also learning how to swing dance, drive stick shift, bartend, and play heart shaped box on the piano.

Thanks for reading

                                           www.chrisalexakis.com 

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[illustrationweekly]

Week 5 Prompt

5 | Grab 1 | Edge 9 | Bandsaw 3 | Land

verb / latch on to: capture catch clutch grasp grip seize

- via, http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/grab

"The future of interactive entertainment.”

A UK videogames magazine for grown-ups that covers the best of the months games, and reports on the fringes of videogame culture. From Future Publishing. Publication began in 1993. If you ask me, it feels like Wired for gamers, since it shares the same wordiness, world weary writing style, and flair for typography and layout. (Only with fewer adverts.) This generally serves to alienate most readers. (It is constantly slagged off by UK:Resistance for its low sales.) Originally, it came bagged up on the shelf, to force you to buy it before you could read it, and add a leap of faith to your purchasing descision.

- via, http://everything2.com/user/Leynos/writeups/Edge

"construct mainframes, guides, spindles, tilt adjustments for the wheels, each part of each component of a carriage in different styles, tables with removable inserts from various materials" - The Book of the Bandsaw by Joe Rollings (This was difficult)

- via, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-the-bandsaw-joe-rollings/1008242516?ean=9780972367103

- via, https://flic.kr/p/6STN9r

[illustrationweekly]

Mythical Creature!

Tanuki!!!  

These guys are well known in Japanese folk lore as being shape-shifters of mischief, fortune, and wealth.  They're actually based off of actual raccoon-like animals that are really adorable...  Oh, they also have huge scrotums that represent their amount of wealth...  True story! ;)

[illustrationweekly]

Week 4- The Cadejo

From Mesoamerican folklore, the cadejo are creatures that appear at night to travelers. The white cadejo protects travelers from harm during their journey, while the black cadejo kills them. The colors sometimes change depending on the local legend as well. It is also said that you can hear the sound of chains as they approach, from which it derives it's name. 

-Liz

[illustrationweekly]

Week 4 - The Faoladh

So the mythological creature I chose for this week's prompt was the Faoladh or the Irish werewolf. Unlike the Teutonic or European werewolf, these werewolves were not seen as monsters, but as the guardians of children, wounded men and lost people. 

[illustrationweekly]

Week Four Prompt

Your favorite mythical creature!! As I said in our Facebook message, we decided to mix it up for the 4th week! Please create a piece of art depicting your favorite mythical creature. Please choose one that exists in history! This could be based in any society, wether it be African, Japanese, British, what ever it may be. Have fun with your research and creations, can't wait to see what you guys produce!

[illustrationweekly]

Topographic Hoof

Reading the Urban Dictionary definition of the word "hoof" made me think of bound feet.  Using doppler radar images to represent the word "Rain," I also used different kinds of maps to tie this creepy storm mass together.

[illustrationweekly]

Week 3 - Decadent Hoofs by Dani Kwan

[illustrationweekly]

Week 2: Sid the Sissy by Liz Gottlieb

So, my piece isn't much of a piece as much as it is a character concept for a children's story. Sid is a male bear who isn't into the typical activities that bears his age are into: fighting, showing their toughness. It isn't until he accidentally scares of a group of picnicers when he finds a ribbon and takes up ribbon dancing. Despite bear-society preasures, he continues with his dancing until he finds people that accept him for who he is: The best darn ribbon dancing bear the world has ever seen! 

[illustrationweekly]

Week 2 - Sissy Bowser by Aldo Figueroa

Everyone has a backstory. Being a father, I see children as pure loving beings that, as they grow, are formed by their surroundings, their interactions, their environment. Some grow with positive upbringings, some with negative. For the second Illustration Weekly, when I came across the word "sissy," I thought about gender roles and how often times boys are forced to "man up," to lose their emotions, to not feel, but to do. How do everyday encounters form a young person's life? What can I do to instill positive experiences and words and actions of encouragement to raised emotionally balanced, loving kids?

Here we find young Bowser and his dad (at least my interpretation of him), continuing the cycle of spreading hate. As I raise my kids, I take a moment and think: do I want to raise my kids the same way my parents raised me? Don't get me wrong, I love my parents and understand they did the best they could. I love them for it. But being able to look back at my upbringing, what do I remember that worked that I would like to continue. What didn't go so well that I want to change. For example, I probably watched too much TV and programming that was not age appropriate. But on the other hand, my parents showed me the value of hard work by having to do chores around the house (I sometimes miss doing yard work). Not to get in a discussion on the history of the Mushroom Kingdom/Mario fandom, perhaps Bowser could have been a fun loving guy if he was raised with love, not fear.

[illustrationweekly]

Week 2 - Why Does It Matter? By Shalex White

[illustrationweekly]

Week 2 - Dissolve by Dani Kwan

Just finished watching Death Note, this weeks quote made me think of the relationship that Light and L share.

[illustrationweekly]

Week Three Prompt

5  |  Hoofs 2  |  Decadent 6  |  Rain 6  |  Almond

hoof

A popular porn star's deformed foot.

WHAT THE HOOF? I think its self explanitory.

- via, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hoof

De*ca"dent (?), n. 

One that is decadent, or deteriorating; esp., one characterized by, or exhibiting, the qualities of those who are degenerating to a lower type; -- specif. applied to a certain school of modern French writers.

- via, http://everything2.com/user/Webster+1913/writeups/decadent

"Even as she spoke, she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying, the sheer inappropriateness… but they felt unstoppable, came fully formed out of her mouth like solid, warm pebbles, falling like offerings before him."

- Sheltering Rain, by Jojo Moyes

- via, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sheltering-rain-jojo-moyes/1004945740?ean=9780062297693

- via, https://www.flickr.com/photos/minebilder/31072655

[illustrationweekly]

Better late than never!

My name is Aldo Figueroa. I'm excited to be able to participate with a great group of Artists! I look forward to the challenge and all the creative work that will be produced.

Here's a little about myself: I'm teach art at CI, but please don't let that get in the way of offering honest criticism. I like to create narrative based art, such as portraiture. I play Bass guitar for The Art Rockers and for my church's praise team. I'm still have lots to learn, but I don't let that get in my way from rocking out! I like video games and have been playing games since the days of Atari (that's before the NES kids). I just picked up an Xbox One, admittedly I don't know when I'll have time to play. I'm married and have 3 young kids (8yo, 6yo, and 3yo). I love spending time with my family and seeing my kids grow. A benefit of having kids old enough to play video games is that I know have co-op partners and an excuse to play video games!

One reason I joined this group is to create and be creative. Since my day job is teaching art, I often would find that I would not make time for my own art. I plan to use this project 52 to help kickstart my creative efforts. 

He's my digital "selfie." The right side was digitally painted and the left was created using vectors.

Chees!

[illustrationweekly]

Hi my name is Shalex! As you can see I'm a dumb at getting tumblr to work and had to post this late. I am a glass blowing, screen printing and digital artist. I recently graduated with my degree in illustration and the real world is scaring me. I'm stupidly excited for this project and I can't wait to see all of the amazing works created!

[illustrationweekly]

Week Two Prompt

3  |  Sissy 1  |  Faithless 9  |  Low 1  |  Despair

wimp, pussy, weak  cant fight or is scared to do somthing bad

You are a little sissy ass bitch.Ill kick ur ass.

- via, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sissy

Faithless is a Swedish film that was released in the United States in 2001. Directed by Liv Ullmann from a script by Ingmar Bergman and starring Lena Endre and Erland Josephson, Faithless is a story of passion and infidelity based on a real event in Bergman’s past. The performances are outstanding, espcially that of Endre, who appears in nearly every scene.

- via, http://everything2.com/user/Slothrup/writeups/Faithless

"Their relationship might seem a friendship to outsiders, but both sides were aware it was far more, and far less. There was respect. And the acknowledgement that they could never be close."

- via, The Low Road: A Novel by A. D. Scott

- via, https://flic.kr/p/76KVs

[illustrationweekly]

Hello My Name is Chris Alexakis.

I am a graphic designer, currently working for an artist collective (Art Unified) and the LA River Corp. 

As a hobby I enjoy urban exploration, photography and learning about sub/micro cultures. Some of the current micro cultures that have peaked my interest in design are normcore, steampunk, seapunk, vaporware, chillwave, soft grunge, and witch house.

This is not say I typically find any of these genres perticularily "aesthetically pleasing" but they do have their charm and their fun to emulate. 

In the words of John Waters "Art that one finds repulsive, shocking, or simply hard to look at, is the the art one needs in their life in order to grow as a better more stronger human being." (I Paraphrased that a little) 

I would like to learn more style variations from all y'all and I hope to one day be on the cutting edge of design trends along with all of you.

The "selfie" I made on Friday down in Silverlake at the Los Globos club and is an expression of how I feel in this moment in my life.

I'm also learning how to swing dance, drive stick shift, bartend, and play heart shaped box on the piano.

Thanks for reading

                                           www.chrisalexakis.com 

∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆††††††∆∆∆∆∆ππππππ∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆