The Art of Brandon Pike

Boardwalk Empire

2011-12-12T23:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite shows right now has to be HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Set during Prohibition, the show features the early beginnings of organized crime and the individuals that gave it a face. Here is a sketch of one of my favorite characters on the show, the dangerous and disturbing Jimmy Darmody!

Ravenskye City and OBU Interactive

2011-11-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I hope everyone is having a great holiday season! I'm back tonight with a freelance illustration and a plug for the game I've been working on! The freelance illustration was for a holiday card featuring the awesome employees of OBU interactive. They each had a favorite superhero in mind for the card, which led to a really fun project.

As for the game, I've been honored to work among some amazing folks at Lolapps as a 2D and concept artist on an iso-based facebook game called Ravenskye City! I'm hoping to post some of my work soon, but for now go check out the game on Facebook! I was privledged to help work on everything from plants, buildings, to decos, and maps!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Much more on the way!

I'm Back!!

2011-09-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well after a long absence this summer I'm back tonight with some new work! It's been a crazy summer as I've started work as a full time illustrator and have also been preparing these pages for the release of a new book at the Alternative Press Expo this weekend! Sharing the pages with 7 talented artists, the book focuses on our past and current projects as we take our break from work at the game company, Lolapps! The book is titled "LOL, Coffee Break" and will be available this weekend at Glenn Kim's table in San Francisco. I'm so honored to be working alongside the likes of Glenn, Mike Bear, Roman Muradov, Nate Berna, Elie Dagher, Jerry Tzeng, and of course Josh De Leon! I hope you've all had a great summer and I look forward to a work filled fall! Thanks for stopping by!

-Brandon

Cover by Mike Bear, Jerry Tzeng, and Myself!

Jungle Pinup

2011-06-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hey Everybody! I'm back today as an alumni of the Academy of Art with the first of a pinup series that I'll be selling this year! Inspired by the amazing Ragnar, each one is going to be a vector illustration based on a particular theme, starting with my take on a Jungle Girl! As always, thanks for looking!

An Office

2011-05-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, my final days at the Academy are numbered as I graduate in about two weeks! With lots of new work, I thought I'd post this piece tonight which is a color and texture study for the villain's office of one my current projects. Much more to come very soon! Thanks for taking a look!

Catholic Child Catalog

2011-04-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Over the past year 8 months or so, I've had a really fun freelance position painting illustrations for a catalog company up north. Here is a collection of some of the pieces I've done so far. Thanks for stopping by!

A Whole Nother Story

2011-03-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

So here is my latest ongoing project loosely based on the awesome youth novel, "A Whole Nother Story" By Dr. Cuthbert Soup. Here are some rough designs for the main villain as well as a couple of the kids. More to come soon! Thanks for looking!

Our Work With Monsters: Revisions!

2011-03-26T21:39:00.001-07:00

"Our Work With Monsters" has definitely been one of the most fun projects I've worked on, but I was never satisfied with some of the character studies. After a really helpful critique , I was inspired to go back and address some of the issues with the old designs. So with brand new expressions, revised poses and paintings, here is the most recent version of the main couple from "Monsters." Thanks for looking!

Film Studies 01

2011-03-11T09:02:00.001-08:00

In the past semester, I've been working to learn as much as I can about digital painting. I've heard that film studies can be really useful when trying to learn the medium, and I have to say that they're definitely a lot of fun to try out. These two paintings, one from "Black Swan" and the other from "The Dark Knight" are around 2-3 hours each and focus on using the accurate color as well as how to create the forms quickly without getting too caught up in detail. It was a fun exercise and I hope to do more soon! Thanks for looking!!

Our Work With Monsters

2011-03-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

After another long hiatus, I'm back today with a look at a project I worked on last semester called "Our Work With Monsters." This project was based on a really terrific short story in which a over-zealous government agent recruits two research scientists in pursuit of a giant monster. Using a tricked out RV and golf cart, the agent had some violent intentions. His mishaps include the radiation poisoning of cows along with the destruction of his own RV. The research scientists wish to study the monster rather than kill it, but the agent is all about the sport.

This was a really fun project in which I plan on revisiting soon. This semester I'll be tackling a whole bunch of new vis dev stuff, more updates are on their way! In the meantime, I've uploaded even more work on my other blog : brandonpikeportfolio.blogspot.com

Thanks for looking!

Fall's Digital Paintings

2011-01-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a little while since I've posted! I guess that's what happens when you're busy! Anyway, I'm back with this semesters digital paintings. This is really my first big move into digital and it's been a blast, I can't wait to try out some new stuff in the coming semester.Thanks for looking, more to come soon!

The Move to Digital

2010-11-07T20:58:00.001-08:00

Well, it's finally time for a change. I'm going digital! Though I've had a blast with traditional mediums for a while now, it's been a great time getting familiar with photoshop and painter. This painting was a gift to my girlfriend depicting her with her 3 kitties, inspired by the brilliant Brittney Lee! Thanks for looking, more to come soon including an 60's advertising still life, the destruction of a town, and my take on a murder conspiracy!

The New Semester Begins!

2010-09-15T22:49:00.001-07:00

Well as the new semester begins I'm excited to report that I'll be doing a lot of Vis Dev work this semester. From character studies to finished paintings, the coming months should be pretty productive. Right now I'm still exploring style, concepts and more, but to start things off, here is a rough sketch for an upcoming digital painting for my Sci-Fi class. Thanks for taking a look! More to come soon!

Characters

2010-07-26T13:36:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody! This summer I've been taking a really fun class on character design. Here is a collection of some of the projects I've been working on lately, there'll also be some color versions coming soon! Thanks for looking!

The Chinatown Night Market Fair

2010-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

So, I'm extremely honored to report that this guy made it to Spring Show this year and received runner-up in the Intermediate Illustration Category! It's been my dream since I started attending AAU to get into Spring Show and I'm incredibly grateful to see this one make it in. I want to say thanks to everybody for your amazing support. It's been a great year seeing everyone's amazing work, here's to one more year down and one to go!

If you have a chance, check out the amazing artists on the side of this blog and also the Academy's Spring Show website to see some unbelievable work from all the majors:

Academy of Art University Spring Show Gallery 2010

Major Updates Begin!

2010-07-05T23:37:00.000-07:00

So I thought it was about time I get caught up on the old blog, so lets start with some inked Batman work... don't mind the sketchy anatomy of page 2, that one will be overhauled shortly!

More Batman

2010-04-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

The continuation of last weeks post. These pages include 5 and 6 of the story, along with a revised page 2.

Sequential Art

2010-04-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a collection of some of my most recent sequential art. The Batman pages have been in progress for the last few weeks, while the X-Men is from Spring 2009.

Various Projects

2009-12-19T17:52:00.001-08:00

So here are some more random projects. The first was meant to be a realistic watercolor of a Meerkat while the second is a character that I designed. I always felt the little guys would make great royal guards... As for the final piece... that is an ink and watercolor master-copy of a Mucha piece. In my mind, Mucha is one of the most amazing artists of all time and it was a fun challenge to even attempt to recreate his work .. Anyway more to come soon...

Editorial Portrait

2009-11-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

So here is a watercolor of my cousin Jaemi. I am so excited that I got to make this piece for him. I really wanted to incorporate his interests such as music and nature along with some of his heritage (he's originally from India). Thanks for looking!

Joe: The Voodoo Lord

2009-10-30T18:51:00.001-07:00

And here is another piece for tonight. This is an assignment from Clothed Figure 2 where we were supposed to create a character from reference. I still have some changes to make, but this is what it will look like... for the most part. A big thanks to my buddy Joe for really acting out this character! Thanks for looking.

Watercolors

2009-10-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

So here are my first watercolor projects in my Illustration 2 class. I have had a blast working in this new medium. The first images represent a bag design that I created which was inspired by the California Academy of Sciences and the second set of images is an interior narrative about... well.. a plant. Thanks for looking!

Heads and Hands 2: Expressions

2009-10-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! I'm back tonight with this post of some small drawings from my second Heads and Hands class. The assignment was to draw 6 distinct expressions and explore a sense of character. So here they are! It should be an exciting semester and it's great to be back.

X-Men #500

2009-05-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

So here are some pages from an X-Men Script by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction. The story is Uncanny X-Men # 500. I really wanted to work on this script in particular because it takes place around the Metreon and Mission St areas in San Francisco. X-Men and all related properties are © Marvel Comics 2009.

2009-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

And here are some paintings from this semester. The top one is my final painting of the class, composed of two images, one of a model, and the other of a caribbean background. The second is a painting of my girlfriend, Arika. And the last two are studies. More to come.....

It's Been A While

2009-05-19T11:47:00.001-07:00

So let me apologize about the really long hiatus that this blog has been on. It never feels like I get any busier, but maybe that's just because I'm getting used to it. Anyway, I'm back again with this piece which is the pencils for 3 pages of a Blade Runner script. The twist is that the characters are anthropomorphic. Soon I'll post the character designs with the inked pages, but hopefully these will do for now. Congratulations to everyone on some amazing work this semester! Have a great summer.

Portraits

2009-03-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

So it's been a little while since my last post. It's been crazy busy as I'm sure everyone knows. Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of portraits of some great models from my figure painting class. They were roughly around 4-6 hours each.

Who's Watching The Watchmen?

2009-03-01T23:49:00.001-08:00

This weekend, I had the honor of meeting the legendary Dave Gibbons, artist of Watchmen. It was an incredible experience to share a few words with someone who inspires my own artwork on a daily basis.

Caravaggio Master Study

2009-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

So here is a Caravaggio master study in Oil. It was really difficult trying to replicate this piece (St. Jerome in Mediation), but it was definitely rewarding in learning a different technique. Thanks for taking a look!

An Autobiography of Sorts

2009-02-17T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody! I'm back after my couple of month hiatus and I'm ready to get going again. Here is a couple page comic of an autobiographical incident. Of course, sometimes the truth can be stretched haha. Anyways, thanks everybody for all of your comments on the last post. Here's to another fun semester. (sorry about the photos, they're kind of rough haha)

The Cask of Amontillado

2008-12-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

As another semester comes to end, I present my final for Illustration 1. It is an illustration based on an Edgar Allen Poe short story. For this project, I tried a brand new technique which is a liftoff technique on gouache stained, gesso textured illustration board. This has been one of the most fun projects that I have done and I can't wait to experiment more with this style. Have a great break everybody and a Merry Christmas!!

A Christmas Carol

2008-11-17T16:47:00.000-08:00

"At this, the spirit raised a frightful cry, and shook its chain with such a dismal and appalling noise, that Scrooge held tight to his chair, to save himself from falling in a swoon."

A Gouache Illustration

The Costume Carnival

2008-11-02T23:33:00.000-08:00

Every year at the Academy of Art University, the Illustration Dept holds a Costume Carnival. This is basically a workshop where the models are dressed up in all sorts of different costumes and pose in various environments. I am so excited that I was able to go for the first time this year and I can't wait until the next one. It was great just to be able to draw and try to take advantage of all the storytelling potential.

Snow White's Last Stand

2008-10-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

So this is my first Illustration 1 assignment done in gouache paint. The option of the project that I chose to paint, was to set up a couple of toys and create an environment to put them in; hence Snow White's Last Stand. I have a lot of trouble painting with gouache, but for the most part, I'm pretty happy with the turnout, as always though, it could definitely use some more work. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Me and My Dad: A Composite

2008-10-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to say thanks to everyone that commented on my last post, I really appreciate your input. : ) So here is another project from Illustration 1. The goal was to create a composite image of either a good or bad memory or dream. I chose to create image about working with my Dad when I was a little younger. This is a really fun memory and I tried to capture the feeling of the vastness of the woods and showcase the Skidder which is key to logging in Maine.

Genetic Improvements

2008-10-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my first Illustration 1 project, a pen and ink drawing using a crow quill, toothbrush, and ink wash. This was a really challenging assignment and the first time that I have ever used ink to this extent, essentially making it quite an experiment. I learned so much in this assignment, both good and bad, but overall it was a lot of fun. I hope to explore this medium more in the future...

PS, I just want to thank everyone for all of the support on my work. I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and check it out. Thanks a lot

-Brandon

Indy in Color

2008-09-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Finally I learned how to color my sketches. This is my first attempt at a photoshop painting, I can't wait to try some more...

Symmetrical Self-Portrait

2008-09-18T19:50:00.001-07:00

Here is a 2-3 hour symmetrical self-portrait for Heads and Hands class. It was a lot of fun trying to make sure that the light was correctly placed each time that I looked in the mirror and trying keep myself from using any line; only using value to render the form.

The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-09-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dr. Jones and Agent Spalko sketches. These were fun, I hope to do some more.

The Joker

2008-08-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

This painting was not part of my actual mural and stood on the opposite wall. I painted it as a preview to the public for what I was working on. Without labeling it "The Dark Knight" I used it as a teaser. It was a blast discussing the movie and the mural with the customers of the theater, while I painted. It was challenging working with an audience, but it really was a great time. I want to thank everyone for all their support on this project, I really appreciate it.

The Dark Knight at Flagship Cinemas

2008-08-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted and I guess that's partly due to this post right here. This summer I was able to continue a tradition that I've been a part of since I was 14 years old. And that tradition has been the honor of painting a mural at the local movie theater in my town. After around nine different murals, I was given the opportunity to paint for my all time favorite super hero, Batman. So after approximately 50 hours of the fastest painting of my life, and the trials of dim movie theater lighting... I can finally present my completed "The Dark Knight Mural."

WHY SO SERIOUS?

2008-05-28T18:24:00.001-07:00

Here is my first completely digital drawing. One thing I worked on for this drawing was to avoid using direct reference and going strictly based on memory, I'm pretty happy with the result of that. So here it is my favorite villain in my favorite franchise. This ones for you Heath. You changed things forever.

The Ovaltine Ads

2008-05-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I was approached during finals to do three illustrations for two very nice advertising students regarding a new take on Ovaltine advertising. I really had only one day available to do the three illustrations so I worked as quickly as possible to get them all done. Afterwards, the art director did a great job of toning down the saturation, giving age and wrinkles to the ads, and entering in the text. To work with both an advertising art director and copywriter was a great experience and a fun challenge.

It was really cool trying to come up with compositions for the Art Nouveau style and testing different sorts of shape design. One image is based very very closely often a classic image by Mucha with a bit of a new twist to update it for the ad. Anyway, Thanks girls, it was fun. :)

Note: This was a school project and is in no way for commercial use.

Genghis Khan Character Studies Part 2

2008-05-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

And here is part 2 of my final project in clothed figure 1....

Clothed Figure Studies

2008-05-07T21:37:00.001-07:00

After watching a really cool demo from my teacher Chris in Clothed Figure 1, I tried out some live studies with markers for the first time. I really love faber-castell brush pens, so this was definitely a fun way to draw. I'm not sure how happy I am with the way they came out, but hey its a learning experience :). I think this is definitely a style I would like to explore a little further this summer.

Genghis Khan Character Studies Part 1

2008-05-07T21:29:00.001-07:00

So I'm back after a busy couple of weeks with these pieces here. This assignment was a very fun extension of the 360 Degree Turnaround project. The goal was to create 4 studies of our character in storytelling poses and then 4 head studies which you will see in part 2. I really had a blast with this assignment. I have learned so much from my Clothed Figure 1 class and with this project I was able to really explore a lot of the topics we covered. They need some various adjustments, but for the most part I'm pleased with the result. :)

X is For Xerxes devoured by Mice....REVISED

2008-04-20T00:45:00.001-07:00

My first digital illustration... :)

REVISED: I went back in and did more work on the mouth and right eye. I'm still having fun with this piece and plan to keep working on it in the coming months...

360 Degree Turnaround: Genghis Khan

2008-04-19T14:50:00.001-07:00

This was a really fun assignment where we had to research a historical figure and then make a 360 degree turnaround drawing of the figure. The first step was to draw 5 versions of the character without the clothing and then the second step was to lay tracing paper over that character to add the costume. It was very challenging to make sure the figure looked accurate from all angles and to make sure the clothing and features lined up properly. I had a lot of fun working on this assignment and I am very excited to take it to the next step and show the infamous Genghis Khan in action. Thanks hope you enjoy. :)

Batman Begins Portrait

2008-04-16T12:43:00.001-07:00

This is a portrait that I did last year of Michael Caine in a class called Analysis of Form. It was a lot of fun experimenting with different types of charcoal to render all of the forms.

Xerxes Color Rough

2008-04-16T02:29:00.001-07:00

So here is my very rough "color rough" for my Xerxes illustration. Its 2:00 this morning so we'll see if it will work or not but this is the overall look I hope to be working with. More updates soon as I move towards a final version.

A Self-Portrait Expression

2008-04-14T23:29:00.001-07:00

Okay so I'm back with this image right here which is a self-portrait. The assignment was to make a distinct expression to show the muscles and movements in the face. This is my first oil painting of a figure, as I have just begun working in that medium. I had fun with this assignment and am reasonably pleased with the outcome, however I may go back in and do some more work later on.

An Aerial Battle

2008-04-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

So this image is actually an anatomy assignment where the goal was to create a two person composition. Having just seen the film "Jumper" I was inspired to create this piece. It was made with the classic micron pen and prisma color marker combination.

X is For Xerxes devoured by mice...

2008-04-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

So here is another sketch from the Gashlycrumb Tinies. This sketch was selected by my teacher and class to refine for a final illustration. I am really excited to work on this piece, I think it will be a cool learning experience. I definitely need to fix the crop and placement of Xerxes so as to not cut off his hands and avoid the facial tangent. Anyway hope you enjoy.

F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech

2008-04-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

The Gashlycrumb Tinies is an amusing poem that chronicles atrocities that occur to children. The goal of this assignment is to illustrate one of those atrocities. This is a preliminary sketch of the line "F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech..." I wanted to keep the composition very centered as to contrast the madness that is taking place. Beware those leeches...

2 Point Perspective Jungle Lab

2008-04-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

So this is my first post. I created this image for an assignment in my perspective class. It was definitely a learning experience as it was my first attempt at true two point perspective. I wanted to create a sense of mystery and awe with a supernatural glow. I hope you enjoy.