Just a peek...

Keeping true to the tune of updates, I've got a few snapshots of some of the final work that I started up in the last post. Full detailed pics are soon to follow, but only after I've shipped them out. I've been slowly making my return to the custom sneaker world, but I made the resolution not to come in with the same style mindset as I left it.

This latest Dilla sneaker is the first in new artist period I'm going thru that I have dubbed "Liquid Steadman"... sounds like the name of a band or something I know, but it's the first thing that came into my mind to sum up what I'm pushing for with the brush. The raw energy of Ralph Steadman's Gonzo brush splatter style influenced my latest style of focus. Combine that with my technique and a looser sense of coloring and I think I can achieve my goal. This stems from the fact that a lot of people when they see my work they don't think that it is painted on, but rather screened on. While I take it as a compliment, it got me to thinking that perhaps I should go in a different direction to give them more of a "painted" feel.

The challenge is to work quick to get these effects. To get this look takes a quicker hand than what I normally use, because of the looseness and drying times. The challenge came in trying to get this effect i desired out of a "black and white" image. To get those levels of texture & shade with grays became a bitch, but what is life and gratification without struggle & challenge to set the stage for it all?

And with that... enough of the yapping. Updated Boondocks & Dilla sneak preview...

Back in the saddle again with some fan favorites...

It's been eons since I've posted on this thing, but it's long overdue & time to throw up the latest things I've been "doodling" over. It's back to sneakers for me. I get requests for sneakers I've done in the past to get re produced, but I always make it a point not to repeat the same design twice. I feel I have to present something different every time I go to work on a pair because I want that person that wears that sneaker to have their own "identity" or personality or style. It adds to the exclusiveness of it all. "One of one! You ain't got these pairs!"

A return to the Boondocks! After that, a stop over to Dilla camp. This will mark the...4th(?) Boondocks custom I've done. It's funny because the pairs I've done I have sparse pictures of them, but photos still & I'll post them for all to see. I get a little nostalgic because it's like painting animation cells. An added bonus because the process is faster.

Dilla shoes... this one's a touchy subject with me. I'll always regard the first pair I did as my favorites. Every shoe is a labor of love, but those I put a lot of mojo into & it showed. I have other design concepts for Dilla sneakers that have stashed away for the prospect of me producing a 3rd design. The 3rd design I would compose would be exclusive only to John Yancey or Ma' Dukes Yancey. I turn down requests for Dilla sneakers for the simple face that when I do drop a pair, I want them to be a rare gem... like Dilla's music. However this request I can't refuse because the guy that wants this pair came with the tools to the table. I can't refuse a client who has the images he/she has in mind for their pair ready to go. That's a plus for me because it saves me design work. At the same time this also retires another iconic Dilla image. So in a effort to put some more substance to this page, I present a few snapshots of the other Boondocks requests of ole & some current "work in progress" snapshots of the current pair. ****Note if you click on my images they will show up larger for viewing.***

More updates soon!

The Sadhu science.

Sadhu Relaxation * Click on image to enlarge.

I've been going back and fourth on this piece for a while. A year has passed since I first thought of the idea and now, slowly it's taking shape. I started small, but then thought bigger. Bigger. BIGGER ! It went from one Sadhu to 3...fuck it I may as well throw a wall behind it. Make a street scene. A graf piece?? Yeah... Shiva/Parvati... The Big B??? Scottie Pippen jersey!! I hope to finish it totally, but I have a feeling I may end up adding more. For now, here's something to see. *Note Click on image to get a bigger view!

The J Dilla Sneakers Connection...

These are my sneaker tributes I put together to honor the late great James Yancey. I did these as a tribute honor a few years back and they ended up finding a home in Michigan with close family friends of the Yancey family. The first pair gained quite a bit of buzz and I decided that I wasn't going to do a 2nd pair. That ended up not being the case.
I did another pair last year that I dubbed "The Plastic Cups Edition" that I donated for a Dilla tribute event. I still have a design for another pair, but if I do decide to make them the only person that gets to have those are Ma Dukes herself.
1 Love Dilla Dawg...

These are the Dilla customs...
The first pair...



And now the Plastic Cups Detroit City Version

I opted to flip these in the Detroit Lions team colors (subliminal flavor).
I've been mulling over if I plan to do the third design or not. If done it would be another ambitious piece. Similar to the design I have in mind for a MJ custom pair I want to do.
If they do get done, you'll see them first here.

A bit of the old mixed in with a bit of the new.

A few weeks back my good friend, college buddy and former roommate requested some scanned artwork from former projects we started up. It made me realize that I really don't have any of my sketchbook work or any of the old work scanned. So I'm dedicating at least 3 posts out of the month to showcase the sketchbook work and the "throwback works" as I like to call it. I think it's only fit I start off with the collabo piece worked on with another good friend a little while back.
This piece was concept drawn by another good friend Ihsan Amin Thompson aka Truth0ne.
It's a classic tale of the perfect storm that I'm gonna get into at a later date, but during our high school years in the suburbs of Philadelphia Ihsan, Joe (another high school friend) & I were the awesome 3. A vivid hybrid of Graffiti, Manga/Anime, & Art Nouveau (even before we knew what that shit really was , hahahaha!)


Justice Sabre - Pencils - Ihsan Amin Thompson. Vector Inks & Colors - Che Tucker(Barron)
More of these to follow... Ahhh memories.

Old Vector piece, new vector piece

Let's start with the art  I did this to continue with my ladies design theme, but I opted to off shoot a bit.
It works out for the better for me because it actually helped put me in the direction I need for my next side piece. It will be a similar theme as far as layout or feel. I did this one based off of Meiko Kaji. She famous for her singing & acting talents over in Japan. Most Americans know her for the song that played when Oren Ishii got Axed in Kill Bill (Flower of carnage). She was always known for her "black widow femme fatale " status in films. No nonsense.
I tried to flip the beauty and the subtle gritty with the blood splatter. I may go back in and add more, but for some reason it fits for me.


This one I did on a whim, back in 2008. I was going make it a poster, but then ended up 86-ing' the notion. I enjoy the work I put into it, I think it fits for Black History Month. This one is more personal to me I guess.

2009 Rewind : The DG vectors & why my people frustrate me.