I hope you're doing well. I've been busy for a while outside of design and illustration and haven't posted to the blog in a while. My blog post focus today is on the rebooting of my illustration and design career and a couple of new pieces I've recently added to the portfolio.
In the past several years I've been working in the holistic healthcare and emergency healthcare fields and I enjoyed it. I feel like I needed to take the opportunities to train and work in these fields.
However, recently I've decided to committ myself and my energies back into full-time freelance illustration and design work. This work is my first love, it's what I've done for 30+ years and I'm really excited to be back.
So I started brushing up on freelancing and the first think I needed was to update the portfolio. While recovering from my recent surgery, I started creating some new artwork and getting back into the swing of regular drawing and creating. Above is the first new piece; President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. I'm trying to keep my focus limited in scope and with a certain consistency of style. This would be an editorial style piece. Perhaps a piece that might be appropriate in Rolling Stone or a magazine like that.
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| President Zelenskyy of Ukraine - pencil and digital media Illustration by Tom Kreienbrink |
So I started brushing up on freelancing and the first think I needed was to update the portfolio. While recovering from my recent surgery, I started creating some new artwork and getting back into the swing of regular drawing and creating. Above is the first new piece; President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. I'm trying to keep my focus limited in scope and with a certain consistency of style. This would be an editorial style piece. Perhaps a piece that might be appropriate in Rolling Stone or a magazine like that.
The Zelenskyy piece starts with pencil on paper. The pencil is still a valuable tool. My aim was to produce a bold piece, and yet it's a caricature with a dark cartoon flavor. However - anyone familiar with the situation in Ukraine will recognize immediately what's going on here.
After I completed a pencil piece that I was pleased with, I took it into my iPad. I like a program called ProCreate and I have the Apple Pencil that I use to work on that platform as well. This phase gives me the opportunity to really get some contrast in the piece. I also can rework some of the details and further define areas that need it. Finally I take it to the computer and put the finishing touches, formatting, etc.; using Photoshop. By this time the piece is probably 95% complete.
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Taylor Hawkins - pencil and digital media Illustration by Tom Kreienbrink |
The other image I'll share today is an illustration of Taylor Hawkins. As many of you know he was the drummer in the band, Foo Fighters. He passed away recently and unexpectedly. Here again a very similar technique as the first one. It's not a straight portrait, but more of a sad grieving caricature, where there is a candle of love and remembrance burning for him.
I wanted it to have the monochromatic effect that the other did, but I inserted a little color - the flame and some of the golden light from that flame. He was an amazing drummer and a very beloved person in the music industry. He will be missed.
That's all I'll share for now. It's heating up here in Phoenix. Looking like it'll be a great summer. Wherever you're at, have an excellent Spring and Summer...enjoy each day.
I'm open for business - more to come.
Peace,
Tom
Tom Kreienbrink
Illustrator and Graphic Designer
tom.kbrink@gmail.com
www.behance.net/tk-art -- on-line portfolio.