TENEBRINI

Steve Tenebrini: Freelance creative problem solver based in Minneapolis. Visit stevetenebrini.com for more info.

[tenebrini]

Little Book of Skulls p.47 // KILLIN’ IT . . . #skull #skulls #skullart #micron #moleskine #sketchbook #art #design #illustration #designspiration #psychedelic #ocd #psychedelicart #weirdo #weirdoart #moleskineart #tenebriniart #skateboardart #skullsofinstagram #sketchbook #penandink #inkspiration #draw #doodlesofinstagram #doodle #doodleart (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Little Book of Skulls p.46 // It’s been over a year since I picked this book up and I’m concerned for its safety. It’s a Moleskine with blank pages but not the sketch grade pages so they’re flimsy and some of them are starting to fall out. I’m not even halfway through the book. It’s kinda stressing me out a little. . . . #skull #skulls #skullart #micron #moleskine #sketchbook #art #design #illustration #designspiration #psychedelic #ocd #psychedelicart #weirdo #weirdoart #moleskineart #tenebriniart #skateboardart #skullsofinstagram #sketchbook #penandink #inkspiration #draw #doodlesofinstagram #doodle #doodleart (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

SKETCHBOOK - DAILY // #pattern #art #design #illustration #designspiration #psychedelic #ocd #psychedelicart #weirdo #weirdoart #micron #moleskine #moleskineart #tenebriniart #skullart #skullsofinstagram #tiki #tikiart #skull #sketchbook #doodlesofinstagram #doodle #doodleart #draweveryday #artsanity (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

WOKE UP THIS WAY. // #pattern #art #design #illustration #designspiration #psychedelic #ocd #psychedelicart #weirdo #weirdoart #micron #moleskine #moleskineart #tenebriniart #skullart #skullsofinstagram #tiki #tikiart #skull #sketchbook #doodlesofinstagram #doodle #doodleart (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Time to Skate // This kinda just drew itself. I tried not to think too hard about every line and and it eventually became very fluid. Once I started I had to finish the body. If I had quit and tried to pick it up again later the lines wouldn’t have the same flow. I’m pleased with how it turned out. Probably gonna do an art print of it after I get the skateboard design finished. . . . #wip #workinprogress #illustartion #drawing #penandink #skateboardart #bird #skull #skullart #skullsofinstagram #skateboarddesign #skateboardgraphics #darkart #minneapolisartist #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #psychedelic #custom #psychedelicart #blackink #penandink #linework #micron (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Time to Skate. // I set the pen down and my mind went for the hotkeys to save my work. Digital overload. . . . #wip #workinprogress #illustartion #drawing #penandink #skateboardart #bird #skull #skullart #skullsofinstagram #skateboarddesign #skateboardgraphics #darkart #minneapolisartist #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #psychedelic #custom #psychedelicart #blackink #penandink #linework #micron (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Time to Skate. // Started inking this creature. It takes me a long time to psych myself up to ink something as I’m always afraid I’m going to ruin it. Ink is permanent you know. . . . #wip #workinprogress #illustartion #drawing #penandink #skateboardart #bird #skull #skullart #skullsofinstagram #skateboarddesign #skateboardgraphics #darkart #minneapolisartist #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #psychedelic #custom #psychedelicart #blackink #penandink #linework #micron (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Time to Skate // This is stage one of the Rocky Nugent Squad19 Grom Series 1 deck. . . . I can’t freehand accurately from in my head so I scour around on the internet and assemble a reference image in Photoshop. Rocky asked for a bird with the Squad19 skull for a head so I hacked this together and will now re-draw it in my own style now that I have something to look at. If it turns out good I may do an art print of the image. . . . #wip #workinprogress #illustartion #drawing #penandink #skateboardart #bird #skull #skullart #skullsofinstagram #skateboarddesign #skateboardgraphics #darkart #minneapolisartist #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #psychedelic #custom #psychedelicart (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Time to Skate // Last night I started the pencil sketch. You’d think by now I’d have a tried and true method of working but sadly I don’t. . . . Sometimes my sketches are all loose and barely make any sense to the casual observer but they make sense in my head and other times I try to get the pencil sketch as close to perfect as I can before inking. This one will land somewhere in the middle as I know I could spend all kinds of time detailing each and every feather with pencil but will ultimately deviate from that with the ink. Inking will terrify me because I’ll be afraid of ruining it. . . . Also, my attention span is short so this sketch represents about an hour of time. I’ll probably spend another hour tightening parts where detail is important like the feet and other things not seen here. . . . The text at the top I realized is right where the trucks will be on the board so I’ll likely draw the type on another piece of paper and add it back in during the Photoshop phase. I’ll probably get a better result that way as in my head it will seem like it’s own drawing and will get more attention. . . . My mind has all these weird methods of allocating time and attention that I’ve learned to accommodate in different ways. Being in my head is annoying sometimes. Focus is hard, attention is short. I look at people like @aaronhorkey and the detail in his work and think “Damn, I wish I could focus that long on such tiny detail.” But I’m not him, I’m me so I do what I do to the best of my ability. . . . This is @strathmoreart Bristol and the pencil is a 2.0 mechanical pencil that was in my bag from the office supply cabinet at work. I was too lazy to find a Dixon Ticonderoga, the worlds greatest pencil. . . . #wip #workinprogress #illustartion #drawing #penandink #skateboardart #bird #skull #skullart #skullsofinstagram #skateboarddesign #skateboardgraphics #darkart #minneapolisartist #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #psychedelic #custom #psychedelicart (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

I have to do some inking on an illustration for a skateboard later but it’s been a while since I’ve picked up the pen. Got warmed up today with some important meeting notes. // The B looks more like a G so now I kinda want to stab my hand with a freshly sharpened Dixon Ticonderoga (The World’s Best Pencil). . . . #typography #type #handdrawntype #handlettering #art #design #illustration #designspiration #typographyinspired #strengthinletters #goodtype #typism #friendsoftype #typetopia #micron #moleskine #moleskineart #tenebriniart #tenebrinitype #mood #blowme (at U.S. Bank Plaza)

[tenebrini]

Cruisin’ around and around a parking lot with @griffin_squad19. A large part of skateboarding is just being comfortable rolling around. . . . . #cruisin #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #practice #skateboardingisfun #skatersover40 #skatefam #skateordie #thrasher #boneswheels #spitfire #skatelife #independenttrucks #keeppushing #bebest #concretewave #vans #sk8hi (at Lexington Diffley Park)

[tenebrini]

Juicy // S19 Grom Series 1 - Cooper A. @cooper_squad19 // Decks at Squad19.com and a bunch of other stuff at society6.com/Squad19 . . . #society6 #society6shop #pineapplepower #pineapple #skateboardart #skateboarddeck #throwpillows #totebag #phonecase #iphonecase #tenebriniart #squad19 #squad19mpls #graphic #squad19skateboards #sk8mpls #mnskateboarding #minneapolis #supportlocalbusiness #supportindependentartists (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Settin’ up for a last run of S19 Bug-Eyed Skull decks. Might sign and number them or something, might not. Probably end up with eight to ten total and various sizes. . . . #wip #workinprogress #squad19 #squad19mpls #squad19skateboards #diy #skatelife #limitededition #handprinted #skateboarddeck #screenprinting #screenprintedskateboards #skateboarding #skateboard #tenebriniart #skateboardart #skateanddestroy #mpls #skatelocal #skateordie #cityofskate #diyordie (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Psychedelicat // S19 Grom Series 1 - Lucas J. @lucas_squad19 // Decks at Squad19.com and a bunch of other stuff at society6.com/Squad19 . . . #society6 #society6shop #psychedelic #kittycat #hypnosis #skateboardart #skateboarddeck #throwpillows #totebag #phonecase #iphonecase #tenebriniart #squad19 #squad19mpls #graphic #squad19skateboards #sk8mpls #mnskateboarding #minneapolis #art #mpls #supportsmallbusiness #supportindependentartists (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

I’ll stick a fork in this one and send it on its way. Hopefully it will find a good home and earn a few dollars for a good cause. I had a lot of fun with this, thanks for having me in the show! . . . This will be sent to @vintagetorque for their #Vintagetorquefest #artauction sponsored by @gnarlymagazine_88m. . . . #darkart #skull #wip #skullart #skullartwork #lowbrow #lowbrowart #kustomkultureart #weirdo #weirdoart #painting #custompaint #minneapolisartist #1shotpaint #gnarly #skullsofinstagram (at Minneapolis, Minnesota)

[tenebrini]

Like a karate chop to the brain.

If you listen to "them" they'll tell you a blog is key to driving traffic, sales, to market yourself, make people think you're interesting, that you know something important. Well, this is not that. This is some brain dump action. I might talk about my asshole dog, a burger I just ate, a movie I wasted my time watching, the aliens that are among us. Who knows? I don't.


I will try to keep it interesting. I will try to be diligent about posting regularly. I will try to make you want to come back for more. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll save ten bucks. On what exactly I don't know but I'll do my best to make it happen. My path through life has not been normal, but whose is really? I've had plenty of adventures, some of them sketchy, seen some things I wish I could unsee and have generally had a good time doing life my way. I have lots of stories to tell, knowledge to share and a bevy of trivial tidbits trapped in my brain that are of no use to me other than to annoy my girlfriend and children. It's a gift and a curse. Join me, won't you?


[tenebrini]

Mini Cruiser: part 1 // This is another reclaim/recycle project. I'm a big fan of the classic mini-cruiser (also commonly known as a penny board), they're just good clean fun. I had a beat deck with a trashed nose and tail (I didn't think to take a picture) so I cut a mini cruiser out of it. . . As with all these skateboard projects I've started, I'm arranging my workspace as I go and it's not always an ideal scenario. I used an electric hand jigsaw over a garbage can to cut this which wasn't the greatest.