Justin Perkins Art

The Evolution Of My Business Cards

2012-01-30T22:03:00.000-05:00

C.S Lewis & Illustration: Part 6, The Apostate

2012-01-16T21:50:00.001-05:00

I decided to go in a different direction starting with this illustration. In the last two illustrations I stayed close to the book's description of Heaven and Hell. With the characters I am going to be more conceptual in my approach to show more of the personality of the people from Hell.

"Having allowed oneself to drift, unresisting, unpraying, accepting every half-conscious solicitation from our desires, we reached a point where we no longer believed the Faith."- C.S Lewis, The Great Divorce

In this illustration "The Fat Ghost" has a conversation with an old friend that reveals his true nature. We learn that he was once a religious scholar but after a long career of writing about religion and theology from different viewpoints for the applause of people he lost his faith. At this point he has a lot of knowledge but no real belief system of his own.

Promo Postcards Came In

2012-01-07T01:08:00.001-05:00

C.S Lewis & Illustration Part: 5.5

2011-12-30T22:51:00.001-05:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

I decided to go in a different direction for the next illustration. It was nice carving the lino again.

New Illustration and process: Hell's Paradise

2011-12-09T10:28:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week I released this teaser image for an illustration I did inspired by Hell's Paradise an album series by Wit and Dre Murray. The albums examine the false perception of reality many people have about the life they live. I loved the series so when it was time to make promo postcards I decided to use Hell's Paradise as the inspiration for one of the postcards.

When I released the teaser on Twitter it caught the attention of the artists.

Process

finished illustration

C.S Lewis & Illustration Part: 5

2011-12-08T15:25:00.001-05:00

In part 4 we left off at the beginning of the story in Hell. This illustration is of the traveler's arrival at the outskirts of Heaven.

C.S Lewis & Illustration Part: 4

2011-12-06T15:24:00.001-05:00

Its been awhile since my last post from the C.S Lewis & illustration series. So as a reminder I'm doing a series of illustrations based on "The Great Divorce" by C.S Lewis The book is about a group of people from Hell who are given the opportunity to take a bus trip to Heaven and the option to stay there if they are willing to give up the one thing that caused them to go to Hell in the first place.

This first illustration is from the beginning of the novel. Hell is described as a town where it is always raining and the residents are always irritated.

Feature In The College for Creative Studies Viewbook

2011-11-04T19:31:00.001-04:00

Recently I was honored to be featured in the College for Creative Studies Viewbook, a promotional item used for recruting new students. The feature included my piece "Caged Bird" illustration and pictures of my early work as an undergrad at the school and a photo of me in the book & poster that is included with it.

Death Of A Hard Drive

2011-11-01T22:45:00.001-04:00

Soon after Steve Jobs (founder of Apple) died I started having major problems with my hard drive and eventually it just died, so while people were making "RIP Steve Jobs" posters and designs, I was looking for iMac parts. But I used that tragic event to upgrade my computer and learn a lot about repairing my iMac.

Anyways, the time has come for me to catch everyone up with the work I have been doing so I will be posting a lot more often for a while.

Sidewalk = Canvas: Coming Out of Retirement

2011-10-09T15:46:00.001-04:00

A few years ago I did my last street painting (large chalk drawing on a street or sidewalk) for the Detroit Festivle of the Arts and I honistly thought I would never do it again. I was wrong, like Jay-Z and Michel Jordan I have come out of retirement to do work in the Chalk & Chocolate Tour, Oct 14-16 in Royal Oak, MI.

C.S Lewis & Illustration Part 3: Title and Cover Illustration

2011-09-19T15:19:00.001-04:00

This is the cover illustration for the project. I decided to do something simple. The title (after long deliberation) is Souvenirs of Hell. The title comes from a quote that is from the book the project is based on.

In the last post I promised to show what my mixed media technique was... this is it

See the full gallery on Posterous

C.S Lewis & Illustration Part 2: Process and Progress

2011-09-16T23:22:00.001-04:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

In part one I was working on sketches and color studies for the project. Now I am working on some of the final illustrations. My process is a little different than most traditional illustrators. First I do rough sketches then I scan them and do color studies on Photoshop, print them out and get to work on a final piece. I found it to be time consuming to paint my color studies so if I'm not using a new technique with the paint I keep the preliminary work on Photoshop. For these illustrations I'm working with gouache on watercolor paper and illustration board... and a special mixed media element I will talk about next time.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Urban Roots Group Exhibition at 353East Gallery

2011-09-12T11:52:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was the opening for the Urban Roots Group Exhibition at the 353East Gallery where I have a piece on display. The exhibition deals with urban farming in Detroit and will be up until October 5th.

Update: C.S Lewis & Illustration

2011-08-30T23:32:00.001-04:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have been working on making my latest personal project. A zine filled with images biased on The Great Divorce a short novel written by C.S Lewis. The book was a very good read and really made me wonder what the story would look like. As a result I decided to do a series of images based off the book. Right now I'm still working out my sketches and color schemes as well as doing some experiments for the techniques I will be using to illustrate it.

New Work: The Flood

2011-08-22T16:48:00.001-04:00

The Flood 24x36in oil and digital
A new painting inspired by Noah's Ark. I thought I would take a different approach on it since it has been a heavily cliched theme.

New Prints Available

2011-08-02T20:34:00.001-04:00

I have made more prints available in my online store. Now you can purchase prints of my illustration and personal work. Each print can be ordered as a normal art print, stretched canvas or framed. Framed prints have a wide selection of frame and mat choices. Click the image or go to http://justin-perkins.artistwebsites.com/ to buy yours today.

Souvenirs of Hell

2011-08-02T20:28:00.001-04:00

Souvenirs of Hell 5x5in Photoshop

"If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.” - C.S Lewis

This is "warm up" of for a series of illustrations I am working on baised on a very intresting book I read not very long ago. I will give more details as the project progresses.

Growing A Better Detroit

2011-07-26T23:08:00.001-04:00

A new piece I will be submitting for an exhibition in Detroit.

New Work and Graduation Cards

2011-07-08T21:42:00.002-04:00

Not long ago I did some graduation thank you cards. Prints and cards are available here.

I just delivered these 2 paintings for The Nichole Manlove Chronicles a group show where the paintings will be shown.
*Come to the show to see the other painting*

The Nichole Manlove Chronicles

Friday, July 15 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm

The exhibit runs from July 15th - July 31st.

CCS Center Galleries

301 Frederick Douglass Drive

Detroit, MI 48202

I'm Back: Work's In Progress

2011-06-25T15:09:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile I took some time off to learn about being a real adult, start looking for work, have a graduation party and do some other projects, if you followed me on twitter you know what those projects were (sorry I don't have pictures). Not much has happened. I'm putting the finishing touches on this painting. I kept making tiny changes to it and ended up going back to where I started. It happens like that sometimes.

I am also working on a new piece I'm going to be submitting for a gallery show (hopefully I will get in and be able to sell it). Here is a rough color sketch of what I'm working on today.

Printmaking: Peacock Prints and Thank You Cards

2011-05-20T12:49:00.002-04:00

During my last days as an undergrad student I did a lot of printmaking. One of the projects I did was a set of dry point peacock prints in different colors.

Another project I did was a set of letterpress printed thank you cards.

See the full gallery on Posterous

For more pictures of my printmaking see my facebook page.

Update: Graduation!

2011-05-20T12:44:00.003-04:00

I haven’t blogged in a while, because I've been busy with some work, and graduating from the College for Creative Studies. I double majored in Illustration and Art Education. It was a long road, paved with hard work but it was worth it.

Now that school is over, I will be doing more ambitious projects, and continuing to grow to push my work to the next level.

Sketch of The Week: Drypoint Work In Progress

2011-04-25T14:22:00.002-04:00

8x10in drypoint print
This is a work in progress of a print I'm working on. I will post the completed print later this week.

Sketch of The Week: Mountain Print

2011-04-19T12:53:00.005-04:00

Mountain Print 7x9in linocut
This is a print that I did for a print exhibition in Texas, also another version of this piece will be used in a coloring book in China.

Updaites: Book stuff, New Website & New Paintings.

2011-04-14T00:10:00.003-04:00

My book "The Preparation" is coming along well. I just got the first advance copy not too long ago and now I am making some changes to it before I release it to the public. Below is the front cover of the book.You can see the full wraparound cover art here.

I'm working on a new website with a lot of new work and an updated look.
Sorry no previews yet.
Also I am working on a couple of paintings for a group art show I was invited to be in this summer. Below is the start of one of the paintings.

Sketch of The Week: Kids stuff

2011-04-11T14:16:00.004-04:00

An ink drawing done a while ago as part of a digital illustration for a children's event at my church.

Making The Book : Interior Illustrations

2011-04-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I have done a post about the process of doing my book. Here are 2 of the interior illustrations that will be in the book along with a collection of pieces that span my whole life as an artist.

Printmaking: Sea Fossil

2011-04-01T14:13:00.001-04:00

One of the color variants of the completed print from the previous Sketch of The Week.

View variants of this and more of my printmaking on facebook.

Sketch of The Week: Printmaking Proof

2011-03-29T12:04:00.001-04:00

This is a proof from a print I am working on.

Printmaking: Carving & Printing

2011-03-27T21:29:00.003-04:00

This week has been busy but all the work was worth it because I got some impressive work done. I was able to attend a great lecture given by Mark Murphy where I received one of his original prints that he was giving away at the lecture. Also I have been doing a lot of printmaking as part a of short five-week class I was enrolled in; as a result I have started really enjoying the medium.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Click here to view the full album facebook.

I plan to do editions of all of these plates so stay tuned for updates.

PS. I am very close to finishing my book so after that’s all done and edited I can focus on getting it out to the masses.

Sketch of The Week- Sea Creature Studies

2011-03-21T08:44:00.001-04:00

Some studeis for a piece I am working on.

Sketch of The Week- Not A Chicken

2011-03-15T22:17:00.002-04:00

This week's sketch of the week was inspired by a story a friend told me about a class of four year olds who mistook a raven for a chicken. Don't worry the kids know the difference now.

Making the Book: Part 2, Cover Illustration Process

2011-03-08T17:42:00.003-05:00

Last time in "Making the Book" I showed the book cover in its beginning stages, I had just decided on a composition. This time I am showing the process of doing the finished art for the cover. If I keep doing this, maybe Amperdsand will endorse me. Haha its worth a try.

I did a post awhile ago talking about my experience with Aquabord and showing the process of how I did a painting on it. With this piece I took the mixed media technique used in that painting to the next level. I started by using gouache to make the wall and the floor, then I transferred my drawing on the board. This is where the fun began... I used crayons (yes I used crayons in a serious illustration) and colored pencils for the drawings on the wall. After that I did the tiger drawing and some of the artwork on the floor with some more gouache. After all the gouache painting was done I used a sharpie paint marker to do line-work. I finished up the illustration by adding tiles, foil and painting the rest of the illustration.
Over-all I enjoyed using multiple mediums on the painting but there is one drawback. When using the oil paint on top of the gouache (because I didn't seal the gouache with Kamar varnish like I normally do) some of the oil absorbed by the aquabord caused some stains on the paint.

This is the completed painting for the cover, I still have a bit of design work to do on it for the title and stuff but that will be in another post.

Sketch of The Week- Peacock

2011-03-07T20:07:00.003-05:00

A sketch for another illustration from the book I'm working on. This and last week's sketch are going to be done in a more "experimental" technique. Doing this large project myself (without a client or art director to report to) allows me to take risks and challenge myself with the work I do. All the new illustrations for this book have been challenging but very fun to do. The only downside is that it takes longer than you think to get stuff done.

Sketch of The Week- New Stuff From The Book

2011-03-03T23:44:00.003-05:00

This is the sketch for an illustration from the a chapter of my new book that I am working on.

Printmaking: (Embossing) Jonah & The Whale

2011-02-27T21:00:00.003-05:00

I have been working on some printmaking projects for a short printmaking class I am taking. For the first project the technique was embossing. I appreciate all the fancy invitations and letterhead I see in the mail now, it's a lot harder than it looks. The inspiration for the image itself was the Jonah & The Whale children's church lesson I taught recently.

Sketch of The Week- bird drawing

2011-02-21T12:42:00.003-05:00

Another throwback sketch from my high school days when I was in my pen and ink drawing phase. I never finished it , but I liked it. More news about the book is coming soon.

Updates: Being a Scholar, Art Show, & Previews

2011-02-19T22:24:00.004-05:00

I am what some people call a workaholic... I always have a few projects going. In addition to helping out other very talented artists with some upcoming projects, I am working on a book (as mentioned in previous posts), a series of illustrations biased on Genesis 1 and working on a new website, all while finishing up my last few classes in school and tutoring art students part time. I am taking this time to share what I have been doing and give a taste of what to expect in the future.
Earlier this week I was presently surprised to see that I made the dean's list. When I first got into art school it was frustrating, despite my efforts I had never made the deans list, normally I would come just below the minimum GPA. It is ironic that now that I have adopted the attitude of studying, praticing and working hard just to learn and make myself a better artist (instead of only chasing the grades) I have achieved what I stressed about for the first 3 years of art school. Anyway I am a scholar now, I have made my mother proud.

Earlier this month my work was featured in an art exhibition in Pontiac, Michigan.
Here is an update on the book cover. I'm not quite done yet with it, but soon I will blog all about the process and concept of the cover.

A screen shot from a recent digital illustration I will be blogging about in the near future.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T16:53:00.005-05:00

On this Valentine's Day I wish everyone a happy V-Day. Whether happy and in love or depressed and heart broken, you can still enjoy this day set aside to celebrate love.

Gold Heart brass foil and goaushe 5.5x5.5in
For all the happy couples out there: Happy Valentine's Day. Enjoy your day and have fun.

For all the people who are single and are disappointed that they don't have a sweetheart this Valentine's day: Be happy. Nobody is going to want you if you're moping around because you don't have a date. Besides you can be thankful you don't have to spend money on gifts.

And finally, for the people who are depressed and broken hearted because of a breakup: Be happy. You don't have to be in a relationship to be happy. Go out with your friends and enjoy the day, maybe you will meet someone new.

Hagopian Rug Design Competition

2011-02-12T16:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I entered two designs in the Hagopian Rug Design Competition. My designs were inspired by a map of the city of detroit.

Making the Book: Part 1. Page Thumbnails & Cover Sketch

2011-02-12T12:43:00.003-05:00

One thing I learned about making a book is that it takes a lot more planning and thought than I originally thought. When making the book I had to first plan out what I wanted to write about and the art I wanted to show on EVERY page. This plan may be tweaked over the process of making the book but it was important to have a vision planed out on paper before I dived into the project.

My book is 112 pages long I had to make thumbnails for each of those pages... yup 112 thumbnails.

After the pages were planned I started on the cover illustration by doing some thumbnails and a rough sketch. The cover is a wrap around cover so the design includes the spine and back of the book.

Sketch of The Week- Sunflower (2004)

2011-02-08T22:12:00.002-05:00

As I said in the previous Sketch of The Week I'm posting classic sketches from my younger days as a little preview of a new book I am working on. The book is an autobiography illustrating the evolution of my relationship with art through the years. In the coming weeks I will be blogging about the book's progress and maybe showing some new illustrations for the book also.

Sketch of the Week- Frogs in Space ... and a book?

2011-01-31T17:02:00.002-05:00

This is a throwback sketch from my first year in art school. At the time I wanted to be a children's book illustrator. I will be posting more early drawings and sketches as a preview for my new book... Yes, I am working on a book and I will be posting about its progress in the future.

Sketch of The Week- Girly Socks

2011-01-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

The inspiration for this sketch was a picture of a pair of socks that got 35 facebook comments. You may ask "why would people comment so much on a pair of socks?" I have no clue either.

The Brass Foil & Aquabord Experiment

2011-01-22T15:44:00.004-05:00

While this and the Caged Bird experiment I did seem to not have anything in common they both share one characteristic, both were inspired by my experience while student teaching. While I was student teaching at the elementary school I had the students do an assignment with foil and I thought "This would be an interesting a painting." Recently I had a free day so I decided to have some fun.

First I started with a small and quick oil painting of a friend of mine on Aquabord a wonderful painting surface by Ampersand. The absorbency of the panel makes the oil paint dry much quicker than under normal conditions. That is very convenient when doing experimental pieces like these.

After the initial painting was done I drew the earrings on tracing paper. I then transferred the design on the brass foil and cut it out. Then I used hot glue to attach it to the painting. After a few touches with oil paint I was done.

Dorian With Foil Earrings 11x14in oil and brass foil on Aquabord

Sketch of The Week- Hand Xray Drawing

2011-01-17T15:09:00.002-05:00

Here is a sketch from my sketchbook done with my ink brushes and a ballpoint pen.

Sketch of The Week- Porn IS Bad

2011-01-10T23:58:00.007-05:00

5x6in graphite colored in photoshop

This sketch was inspired by comments about my piece Danger Online. One person seemed to not understand my negative attitude toward pornography. So now I am using this week's sketch to reiterate why I view porn as something dangerous online.

Here are some of the many reasons why porn IS bad.

According to some research pornography has
(1) increased callousness toward women;
(2) trivialization of rape as a criminal offense;
(3) distorted perceptions about sexuality;
(4) increased appetite for more deviant and bizarre types of pornography (escalation and addiction);
(5) led to a devaluation of monogamy;
(6) decreased satisfaction with a partner’s sexual performance, affection, and physical appearance;
(7) doubts about the value of marriage;
(8) decreased desire to have children; and
(9) viewing non-monogamous relationships as normal and natural behavior.
(Dolf Zillman and Jennings Bryan)

"Several experts in the field of mental health contend online sexual pursuits are 'a hidden public health hazard exploding, in part, because very few are recognizing it as such or taking it seriously.'" - Dr. Jill Manning
( Cooper, A., Delmonico, D. L., & Burg, R. (2000). Cybersex users, abusers, and compulsives: New findings and implications. Sexual Addictions & Compulsivities, 7, 5–29 )
All this and more information can be found at http://www.lightedcandle.org/pornstats/porn_is_bad.asp

JPerkinsArt on Tumblr & Twitter

2011-01-06T18:01:00.001-05:00

http://jperkinsart.tumblr.com/

http://twitter.com/JPerkinsArt

The Sketch of The Week - Thinking of Art

2011-01-03T20:55:00.003-05:00

7x9in Ballpoint pen and photoshop

This is a sketch I did for a previous project about how young artists feel about and experence art as a child. Though the piece was inspired by my experience as a student, I did this sketch while I was doing my student teaching.

The Sketch of The Week - Rose Oil Sketch

2010-12-27T15:03:00.003-05:00

A small (7x9in) quick(1.5hr) oil sketch I did this morning for a larger painting. I haven't had the chance to use oil paint in a while so this was very fun to do.

Pencil Case Flashback

2010-12-21T17:30:00.002-05:00

I used to do pencil cases like these when I was in 8th grade. I would charge my classmates $5 a piece for them.

The Sketch of The Week Returns

2010-12-20T08:36:00.004-05:00

Now that school is out I have time to bring back one of the favorite things I like about my blog The Sketch of The Week.

I'm going to kick it off with a drawing I did during my student teaching...This is a drawing I did for a couple of my high school students who I made a deal with. I said, "If you do your work for 3 days, I will draw you guys something." The boys did their work and I kept my word. The boys have a band called the Pink Elephants so I decided to make that the theme. The poses were their idea.

The Caged Bird Experament: Pt 2

2010-12-16T20:56:00.002-05:00

Last time we left off with the bird it had been turned in to a mixed media painting from a sketch.
Caged Bird 14x17in mixed media

This time the sketch is taken to the next level, its an ice sclupture. Doing this wasnt an easy task I did this sketch to plan out how I would get it done becouse I would only have one chance to do it.
During Noel Night in detroit I had my chance to do change a 300lb block of ice into a sclupture of a bird inside a cage with a chainsaw, chisels, drills, hand saws, and a blow torch.

The block of ice I started with.

After the chainsaw...

Caged Bird 36x24x12in ice
The feedback I got from this piece was a lot better than I had expected. People were coming up to me asking if I was a professional ice carver they were shocked to find out that I was an illustrator and I mainly did 2D work. Also people who had seen my ice sculptures from years before and were saying it was my best work. All the positive feedback makes me think about doing more sculpture.

Noel Night Ice Carving Year 5 (Final Year)

2010-12-13T18:02:00.002-05:00

This year marks my 5th year as an ice carver at Noel Night and also my last time being able to get paid to play with fire, chainsaws and other sharp objects and actually be paid for it. This is the sculpture I did for my last year of Ice Carving.
This piece was biased on one my newer experimental paintings I created as an illustration about economics and creativity while it was still in the sketch phase. Taking a sketch that is intended to be a 2D image and making it a 3D piece of art is a lot easier than taking a sculpture and making it a 2D image. I like the challenge, I already knew the proportions of the block of ice from previous years so I did a step by step diagram for how I planned to translate the drawing into a sculpture. As a result it made carving the sculpture was a lot easier.
5 years ago I was given the opportunity to be apart of an ice carving event in Noel Night. For the event artists from Wayne State University and College for Creative Studies (CCS) did ice sculptures in front of the Detroit Institute of Art. That year we worked in teams according to our school and were put in a combination of sorts. I was teamed up with artists from I was teamed up with artists mostly from the fine art department of CCS and one other illustration student (I am an illustration major as well), we worked together and did a collaborative sculpture out of 5 blocks of ice.
2006
That was the last time the schools competed at Noel Night from then on the event took on more of a theme of unity between the schools. Every year after that the artists from Wayne State and CCS were paired up together to help each other with ideas and the actual carving of individual sculptures.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

2007
2008
2009

It all started with a sketch... Bird Cage Experiment Part1

2010-12-06T20:00:00.003-05:00

When I was doing The Sketch of The Week I came up with this sketch and had no clue what to do with it.

sketchbook 7x9in ink and marker
I drew a different version for the blog post but I kept looking at the original for some inspiration for a final piece. At the same time I was asking myself "what can I do with all these ceramic tiles?" (received a bunch of tiles in different sizes from a family whose child went to the school I was student teaching at the time.) Then it came... I was going to use it for an illustration I was going to do about how economics can put limits on creativity. After doing the drawing and the color and value studies to figure out what I wanted to do then came the fun part.

preliminary line drawing 14x17in Graphite

color study 7x8.5in Digital

See and download the full gallery on posterous

For me taking risks and salving creative problems is the most fulfilling part of being an artist, even if the piece doesn't come out the way I originally planned I enjoy learning from the experiments I do in my studio. For this piece I started it like a normal gouache painting. After the paint for the background was dry I took the tiles and positioned them where I wanted them drew my second bird on the tiles with a pencil. Finally I took a some acetate and a gold paint marker and drew the cage on it then glued it to the tiles around the edges of the painting.

Caged Bird 14x17in mixed media

The Lost Paintings

2010-11-26T08:59:00.046-05:00

These are the "Lost Paintings" a small collection of paintings I did earlier this year I didn't get the chance to show for one reason or the other. I had almost complete forgot about them until one day I saw them while looking for a different painting to put in an art show .

Untitled Portrait (unfinished) 24x36in oil

This painting was biased off this sketch from the sketch of the week, unfortunately I never got the chance to complete it .

Danger Online 24x18in oil

This painting and also the the one above it were both early experimental pieces while I was developing the style I now work in. The piece is about all the harmful things on the internet, like pornography, internet predators, and other snakes in the grass in the virtual world.

Barbie Still Life 36x24in oil

"Bad things happen, but at least I get some good art out of it" Exhibition Recap: The Preparation

2010-11-22T23:28:00.000-05:00

Recently I had my solo exhibition entitled The Preparation in Lansing, Michigan. The original intent was for The Preparation was for it to be a promotional book (that I am currently working on) to send to perspective clients but things obviously evolved into something more.

Untitled Self Portrait - Graphite 2006

Earlier this year I was writing lesson plans when I got notice that the place that I did my first solo art show a year before wanted me to come back and show my work again. My first reaction was "What am I going to bring?" then I thought about all the work I had been digging out of the archives for the book then asked around about the idea of doing a art show with that concept. People were interested so I went forward with the concept.

For those who haven't read the previous post about the show the theme of The Preparation is all about progression and growth. All of our challenges in life, whether it is pushing yourself to do a painting that is difficult on a tight deadline with limited sleep or a traumatic emotional experience that it takes all the emotional fortitude we possess to press on, prepare us for the next challenge in our lives and takes us to the next level as people and in my case as an artist.

The exhibit contained my work from elementary school, high school and College. I showed a wide range from pieces that were highly experimental to those that held a wealth of personal significance. For example I showed my single oldest piece of work I own, it was a comic book I did back in 3rd grade. In addition I put my very first painting in the show to show how far I have come as a painter (trust me that painting was bad). Also pieces that were done as emotional responses to situations. Each piece has a story some of joy, some of love some of heartbreak but all are apart of the journey of life.

When telling the sad story behind some of my "less happy" paintings I look at their "Aww I'm sorry" reactions and say "Bad things happen, but at least I get some good art out of it". Most of my personal work are pieces that in one way or another help me deal with the pains and frustrations of life as well as celebrate the good and share my thoughts about the world with the viewer. I plan to have The Preparation: A Visual Autobiography in book form by summer 2011 with exclusive artwork and the stories behind the more meaningful pieces.

New Solo Exhibition: The Preparation

2010-11-09T20:15:00.000-05:00

Every challenge that is overcome in life prepares us for the next great challenge. Those experiences overtime are what shape someone into the person they are. The Preparation is a retrospective look at the artwork of Justin Perkins that laid the groundwork for each stage of his artistic growth from childhood to adulthood.

In just couple weeks I am going to have the opportunity to show my work at the same place I had my very first solo exhibition. In this exhibition I will be showing my growth as an artist and as a person. I will be revealing some of the most important pieces that I have ever done including the oldest piece of my artwork that I own, personal pieces that reflected my state of mind at the time and many more works that contributed to my art and at the same time tells the visual narrative of my life.

The inspiration for exhibition's concept came from my upcoming graduation from the College for Creative Studies and looking back at how my work has grown over the years. Another source of inspiration for this collection of work was my research on some of other artists. While reading the biography of some of my artistic heroes I would often wonder "What type of work did they do while in art school?" or "How did they get so good?". I wanted the people who see my work to not be left with the same questions I was left with.

Adventures of a Student Teacher: High School Edition

2010-11-06T20:22:00.001-04:00

Now that I have finished my time with the little ones I have moved on up to High School. It has been an interesting experience so far. I had been used to dealing with the little kids but teaching teens was kind of a culture shock but the students have been pretty welcoming for the most part.

The school has some talented students, a group kids in one of my classes did a drawing with me in it I thought it was cool so I decided to share.

Mr. Perkins(Me) as the Cowardly Lion drawn by students

No I don't walk around in a lion costume but I did show the class a painting I did of a lion back when I was in high school and that was what was the inspiration behind this piece (so they said hahaha).

"You cant leave your the best art teacher ever!": My last days with the little ones.

2010-10-31T14:57:00.000-04:00

The elementary school portion of my student teaching has been over for a week, it was a bitter sweet experience teaching my last week of classes with the little kids. This experience was a lot better than I had originally thought. The kids didn't want me to leave and I didn't really want to go either because I had been having a great time with them. The children did a lot of projects during the time I was teaching below are some of the last projects the kids while I was with them.

I ended the last week by having dinner with the teacher who kindly had let me learn by allowing me to teach her class for 8 weeks. As a thank you gift I gave her a painting I had been working on that week.

Frog on Lilly Pad 9x12 gouache on watercolor paper

The next post will be about the start of my experience teaching High School.

Adventures of a Student Teacher

2010-10-10T13:15:00.010-04:00

For the last five weeks I have been student teaching at McGregor Elementary. It has been a very good, very tiring experience (that's why I haven't been posting my art for a little while). I want to call every teacher I had when I was a kid and just say "sorry" because I have kids that acted like I did in the classes that I am teaching and now I'm seeing it from the other side.

To make it easier on myself I worked with a general theme with all the grades the first set of projects that I came up with were turtles, so all the grades did turtles in different media here are a couple of my favorites that the students did.

More of the turtles that turned out nice were put inside of the display case.

"As a maker of art you are custodian of issues larger than yourself" Book Review: Art & Fear

2010-10-03T17:26:00.001-04:00

As all my close friends know I read a lot of books and after I finished Art & Fear I thought why not do a review about it, after all I have posts about the music I like why not books too. Art & Fear is a book I would recommend for any creative person that is working or desires to work in a creative field. It gives a good look into the mind of an artist and talks about all the things most of us wont admit to or say out loud in a conversation (at least with another creative person). It explains why a lot of people who graduate art school quit doing art soon after graduation (just that is worth buying the book). Also gives insights on the fears generated by, the education system (both faculty and student issues) as well as outher things that concern artists who are in the working world.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.

"Fear that you're not getting your fair share of recognition leads to anger and bitterness. Fear that you're not as good as a fellow artist leads to depression."

"Simply put, art that deals with ideas is more interesting that art that deals with technique."

"As a maker of art you are custodian of issues larger than yourself"

"In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling tangle of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice."

Brand Camp Promo Video

2010-09-17T09:16:00.001-04:00

Recently I had the pleasure of working with Brand Camp University the Brand Camp 2010 promotional video.

Brand Camp University is an interactive conference that brings together the best and brightest minds in communications, marketing, brand development and business management to explore how social media has revolutionized the way individuals and companies position themselves personally and professionally. -brandcampu.com

The video features these two characters I designed as well as other drawings.

Average Joe and Amazing Joe

Sketch of The Week: Caged Bird

2010-09-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

So I finally got around to spending some time in my sketchbook to do my own work. This picture has been in my head for a while, just had to draw it to get it out.

Artist, Get Exposure & Help Children All At The Same Time

2010-09-06T11:25:00.000-04:00

The following is a message from The DreamHappy Foundation

We at the DreamHappy Foundation are excited to bring an art auction for the masses to enjoy. We wish to add beauty and wonder to our bidder's lives and help give amazing artists the exposure they deserve. This art auction also serves the purpose of raising needed funds for the DreamHappy Foundation to help children in need.

We are excited to be hosting an art auction to raise funds for our great cause. We wish to enhance our supporters’ lives through wonderful works of art, while at the same time allowing them to enrich the lives of children in need. Not only will this auction expose the artists to a massive audience, it will also help raise necessary funds for the DreamHappy Foundation so that we can continue to help children through hard times.

The DreamHappy Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charity, headquartered in Bethlehem, PA. USA. Our organization aids children in need by providing them with supplies, activities, and entertainment. More information about our organization can be found at our website, http://www.DreamHappy.org and at the non-profit tracker, GuidStar.org.

We are seeking artists, both traditional and digital, who would like to have their art auctioned off for an admirable cause. The auction is to be held online and possibly through a live auction as well.
Each artist will be showcased on the website and press releases. This is a great chance to gain exposure through our charity while helping give children a better life in the process.

To have your art showcased and auctioned for the DreamHappy Foundation, you will need to submit:

Links or images of your art work.
Please note if you create digital or traditional works.
You must be based in the United States of America due to shipping reasons.

Apply here:
http://www.dreamhappy.org/our-campai...ction/artists/

Please contact us with the above details and any questions, or comments you may have, via email at: contact@dreamhappy.org .

If you are submitting physical art, such as traditional art or sculptures, you must be located in North America.

All art digital print or unique physical works must be signed by the artist.

If approved we will need a small biography along with an “as-professional-as-possible” photo of yourself, if a photo is not available a stock image of an easel can be used instead. These will be displayed on the website, along with your donated work of art.

Upon your art work being sold, you will be given a receipt from the DreamHappy Foundation for your donation. North American residents may use this receipt for tax purposes.

The DreamHappy Foundation would like to thank you for your kind consideration.

William Weaver
Founder
DreamHappy Foundation

New Artwork For Sale

2010-09-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

These are illustrations for a poem about a prostitute that dreams of a long-term relationship with a client who sees her as only as a sexual release. Both will be in a new poetry book that I am illustrating.

School Is In And Guess Who Is Teaching

2010-09-05T22:48:00.000-04:00

To all the people that fallow this blog I apologize for being MIA for a little while. I have been preparing for school. This semester I'm going to be student teaching as part of the final stages of my undergraduate education in illustration and earning a teaching certification.

Sketch of the Week: Bus Sketch

2010-08-19T08:27:00.000-04:00

Bus sketch

This is a sketch I did on the bus while on the way to work. If you have ever tried this you know how hard it is to draw with a brush tip inside a moving bus... I like the challenge.

Sketch of the Week: They Say Sketches

2010-08-13T12:20:00.000-04:00

I am a big fan of poetry and good writing in general and it's one of my biggest inspirations. I was out with my cousin for a great poetry night at this cool spot called They Say. I was inspired, but tragically I didn't bring my sketchbook but I was able to get a piece of paper from one of the acts of the night. So here we are my sketches I did while I was there.

A New Look, A New Illustration,and A New Process

2010-08-10T17:26:00.067-04:00

You may have noticed the blog looks a little bit different, I felt that it was time for a change and a new more professional look to the blog and take advantage of some of Blogger's new features.

T.O.N Motel Illustration

This is an interior illustration I did in gouache for the book that is in the works, this piece was really fun it gave me a chance to test out a new technique I have been working on. With this piece I used a new technique I never used before with any degree of success. When I do work like this piece I usually add the line drawing that's over the painting using Photoshop. With this piece I sprayed the painting with Kamar varnish then used acrylic paint to add the line work

The Process

I usually start off with a few pages in my sketchbook like this with thumbnails and doodles exploring the idea of the illustration. From that point I do a drawing, then do a value study and color study on Photoshop then I enlarge the sketch and do a more detailed drawing then transfer that to my painting surface to start the final illustration.

Sketch of the Week: Book Illustration 3

2010-08-06T10:28:00.002-04:00


Dear Dad Illustration Thumbnail ink and gouache

Dear Dad Illustration Comp pencil and photoshoop

This is a sketch from an illustration from the book I'm working on. Soon possibly next week I will be releasing some finished art from the book, also an interview with the author of the book will be coming up soon.

Why I Became an Illustrator (and really old artwork)

2010-08-02T12:17:00.006-04:00

I found these recently and it brought back so many memories. These may not look like much but they are the reason I choose illustration as a career.

When I was younger (in my early teens) all I knew was that I loved drawing and I loved art. I didn't have a lot of things I was good at, didn't really like sports much and wasn't popular at all so art became that thing that defined me. I was always called "Justin the artist" or "Justin the boy who can draw real good". But I never knew what I wanted to do with it. I had been selling my drawings and customizing thing for people from the time I was twelve years old but I didn’t really think of it as a possible career until I was approached with an interesting opportunity.

Laura 8.5x11 color pencil 2006

A rep from a publishing company told me the company wanted to make a annual book of the artwork and poetry of the student at Cass Tech (my high school) eventually they took my artwork and art from other students. A few months a book of poetry and artwork came and the feeling I got when I saw my artwork inside the book was something I never felt, it was like my work had worth and meaning. Over time my work became more personal, I wasn’t just copying things I liked for fun, I had an emotional connection to my work, art was like a sibling who you shared your secrets with, who got you in trouble but defended you when people attacked and made you feel better when you doubted yourself.

Young Hawk 8.5x11 ink 2006

The next year my work didn’t make it into the book, but the following year after not getting in the book the publisher used seven of my pieces in the next volume. When I got the book from the school once it was published, the feeling of my work having meaning came again but this time much stronger. I would look and see people buying the book and people carrying it with them it was great.

Anyone who knows me they know I like to talk and I’m long-winded in conversations when trying to explain a point. Illustration became another way of doing that. I could say 1000s of words to 1000s of people at the same time in an instant with a single piece of art. I had found my calling, my way to speak to the world about my thoughts on life and the things I dare not say out loud.

Sketch of the Week: Personal Series Part 1 of 3

2010-07-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is a sketch for the first painting in a personal oil painting series I'm starting to work on. I have had this painting series in my head and in thumbnails inside my sketchbook for awhile, I just didn't have any time to really work on it because I was busy with other projects.

Sketch of the Week: Album cover thumbnail & Guy on the bus

2010-07-21T12:22:00.006-04:00

album cover thumb 2.5x2.5in ballpoint pen& brush pen

This was a tight thumbnail from my sketchbook of an album cover I never got to finish.

bus drawing 6x7.5in brush pen 2min

I tend to draw things and people around me in my sketchbook when I am in a quiet place, this is just a one of a guy that was on the bus when I was on the way to work. He had a cigarette in his hand but it wasn't lit, I added the smoke.

Sketch of the Week: Book Illustration 2

2010-07-17T14:52:00.000-04:00

This is the sketch for the companion piece of my last Sketch of The Week post, the two pieces illustrate a poem in my upcoming book that I aim to have out by the end of the year or early 2011. Doing the book so far has been a very interesting experience, I am learning a lot about organization, time management, and refining my creative process more coming soon.

Sketch of the Week: Book Illustration

2010-07-08T13:51:00.001-04:00

I know its been awhile since the last sketch of the week but, I'm bring it back now.

This is a sketch from an illustration I'm working on for a book that I'm working on with a writer friend of more details about that will be revealed as the book gets closer to its release date.

Prove Them Wrong!!

2010-06-15T12:11:00.009-04:00

Now back to my work...

I normally don't use a lot of type in my work, but I was inspired...

I was blessed to have very supportive family and friends when I was going to art school but a lot of creative people don't and hear a lot of discouraging words from the skeptics. So this piece is for you prove them wrong. I am selling this as a T-Shirt on my cafe press store, to purchase one click here.

Brittany Jackson Interview Pt2

2010-06-08T09:43:00.001-04:00

Here is the conclusion of the Interview with Brittany Jackson...

Brittany Jackson- Pick Up Line 5

JP: You have a lot if great pieces what is your favorite?

BJ: Well it's hard to say which work is my favorite. I think the best way to answer is that it would be a greatest work, and my greatest work, is always my next work.

JP: Nope you can't pull that stunt with me lady, u actually need to pick one.

BJ: I would have to say that my favorite one, so far, would have to be 60 thoughts. It's one of those personal pieces I mentioned, straight from the dome. It's not something a lot of people can relate to but it was fun, personal, and engaging and not only that, its an accurate picture of what's going on in my head-- most of the time.
Got to hand it to me for being slick!

Brittany Jackson- 60 Thoughts

JP: I guess but my readers wouldn't fall for that *readers cheer in the background*
You have a funny story about your piece “Greed” what happened?

BJ: Shush up!

JP: hahaha

BJ: Ahh...Greed...funny thing about greed is, people got greedy and stole it! Maybe I should have named it something else, make it a lot less ironic.

JP: Hahahaha maybe so. Where do you want your career to go? what is the next step for Brittany Jackson?

BJ: Tough question. I plan on spending this year to figure it out but, first things first, education. That's really where most my focus is but, if I had to say, I might be interested in doing editorial work-- continue on with covers and childrens books, greeting cards, etc. Focus on my strengths in the industry. I always want to help build Detroit back up with it's artist, through my school.

Brittany Jackson- My Butterfly

For more of Brittany Jackson's Artwork visit her DeviantART page here.

1st ever artist interview: Illustrator-Brittany Jackson Pt 1.

2010-06-07T22:03:00.000-04:00

This is the first part of the interview my friend and very talented illustrator Brittany Jackson. Brittany is one of the most hard working artist I know, she's sure to be big in the business soon.

JP: You know what time it is?

BJ: Peanut-butter and jelly time?

JP: ummm.... *eats sandwich* not anymore

BJ: COME ON!!!!

JP: Interview time

Brittany Jackson- Family Portrait

JP: What inspires you? where do you get your ideas from?
BJ: I draw most of my ideas from imagination, special memories, or past experiences. Once upon a time though I just drew whatever came to mind but, now I feel that my work has more purpose, because ultimately, I draw my ideas from what's significant to me.

JP: So what is significant to you?

BJ: Well, what's significant to me is my faith in God, first and foremost. Most of my work isn't blunt- Jesus on the cross, it's suggestive, as I like to target the inner workings of things. What I mean is, I like to draw things in motion-- caught in the moment, snapshot in time sort of thing. Other than that, my imagination is so bold and vivid. I have so many ideas, and thoughts, emotions and expressions. Drawing seems like my outlet. Most times when I paint from imagination they are not works that most people can relate too. It's kind of like journal art-- that I let some people in on-- the secret stuff that's hidden away
Experiences and Memories-- I don't draw from that much, but when I do, I like to illustration the lessons learned from it-- that in a way grafts it further into my memory.

Brittany Jackson- Pick Up Line 6

JP: What type of art training did you have and is your current skill level because of the training at school or practice you did on your own?

BJ: I've received very little art training up until college. The first art class I had was in high school around senior year but it was more like a drop off for bad students. I wasn't bad, I was just the only artist in the class! My current skill level is a result of personal effort and practice-- combined with what I learned in college. I feel I could be farther off, if I had been groomed earlier on

JP: So what college did you graduate from?

BJ: Correction-- still in college, I currently attend College for Creative Studies-- part time

Brittany Jackson- Bird of Paradise

Next Time: We will see what Brittany is planning in the future, what her favorite piece is, a very funny story about a popular piece of hers and why she told me to "Shush up!" in the interview.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

2010-06-06T08:58:00.087-04:00

We all know the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the popular topics of today but I never expected it to get me more popularity as an artist.

I painted this a year ago with something totally different in mind, but soon after the recent oil spill it suddenly got more views and positive feed back. It has already been added to a couple groups on one of my favorite art websites DeviantART.com. One of my favorite comments on the site was this:

"Liol : U know what, I think you predicted the future on this one.
Me: lol yea I think so too.
Liol :oh crap, you're a prophet!"

I'm saying it for the record I am not a prophet and I can not tell the future with my paintings. If I could Id be either very rich and famous now or that guy the was on Heroes on that one episode (maybe it was more than one but I only saw like 3 episodes).

Weapon Aid album cover

2010-06-01T12:11:00.002-04:00

I'm developing a new style for my work and this is the next step in its conception. I got a good response from the artist from the first album cover I did, so I decided to keep the album covers going so here is the next piece.

Oil and Digital 12x12in on wood

This is a cover for Braille's latest album "Weapon Aid", I really like this album so I really enjoyed doing a cover for it.

Here is my favorite song from the album its called "Get Well Soon".

Twitter and Speed Painting

2010-05-31T21:28:00.000-04:00

"Twitter Speed Painting" oil on illustration board 16x7in 3hrs

The image above is my first Speed Painting* these are usually done digitally but I like putting my own spin on things.

Yes its true I have jumped on the twitter bandwagon. So all my fellow tweeters follow me to keep up with the latest stuff I'm doing and other more interesting stuff like previews of things to come and whatever else I don't want to put on Facebook haha.

*"Speed Painting is an exercise, primarily digital, in which one paints on a time budget, using already developed methods to create a piece. Contrary to (somewhat) popular belief, "Speed Painting" is not the same as a time-lapse video of a painting. Speed Painting is a widely used term in the Entertainment industry, often amongst Concept Artists." -Wikipedia

K-Drama: Air Jordan Cover

2010-05-22T21:09:00.001-04:00

I started this piece a long time ago and never got around to finishing it off, but now that I have some time on my hands I just got it done.

Oil on wood 14x14in

This is a cover illustration for one of my favorite songs "Air Jordan" by K-drama from his album Boombaptism. The song is one of the most popular in christian hip hop, lots of artists have remixed the song, so I thought "I can't rap...like at all ...its really embarrassing. But I CAN paint hmmm...".

Here is the song: K-Drama -Air Jordan

Gone Fishing

2010-05-13T12:10:00.001-04:00

I originally wasn’t going to post this until Monday, but why wait. I am going to be taking a hiatus from the blog for a few weeks to work on some new art and do some things around the studio. I have a lot planned for the future but that will be reviled at a later time. Stay tuned, when I return I will have some very tasty visual treats for your eyes to snack on.

Sketch of the Week: Portfolio Day Poster not really a sketch but....

2010-05-10T21:51:00.001-04:00

This was an entry for a contest I never got to submit for, because of other work but a friend of mine ended up winning the prize so I'm not disappointed.

Red: Retuched Promo Poster

2010-05-10T15:01:00.001-04:00

I usually do a bit of Photoshop retouching to my work to get it ready for printing or posting on line but that is usually to bring the work back to the original piece looks. With this piece however I found myself doing a lot more than I expected. So for this post I will show just how much happens sometimes with a piece.

Original Painting

I decided to repaint traditionally the bird traditionally and the knife digitally and add some detail.

I ended up adding line work to the piece and playing with it, changing the colors and opacity and came up with the final piece.

Sketch of the Week: interior illustration

2010-05-03T09:43:00.002-04:00

Sketch of an interior illustration from "Red"

Sketch of the Week: Gulity Pleasures

2010-04-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Drawing from my painting Guilty Pleasures.

Sketch of the Week: I Dont Get It (process)

2010-04-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

This is some of the process work for my painting I Don't Get It. I had some friends pose for me at an art show I had some work in.

photoshop color study

Available For Purchase: New Prints and Comic

2010-04-15T11:48:00.000-04:00

the first page of my part of the comic

A while ago I had a post about a collaborative comic book project with some of my classmates from College for Creative Studies, well now it is available for purchase online here.

Also I have new prints available on in my print store.

Sketch of the Week: Austyn and New Business Cards

2010-04-12T08:37:00.003-04:00

This is one of the process sketches from my piece Influence it was done in ballpoint pen, marker and ink.

After a long process of designing a new business cards for myself (and choosing what card to print) I ordered the new cards, they are finally in and it features this week's Sketch of the Week.

Playing on the Canvas: Sterling Hundley Re-interpreted

2010-04-06T22:09:00.000-04:00

Recently I was given the assignment to re-interpret a piece from an artist of my choosing, so I choose one of my favorite illustrators Sterling Hundley.


original painting by Sterling Hundley

My Re-interpretation

I had fun with this piece, because it was not an assignment about a specific concept I could just relax and play around on the canvas (like putting friends and tentacles in the painting). I also learned allot about painting and where I want to take my work in the future.

Sketch of the Week: Dorian

2010-04-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

This is a sketch of one of my good friends, she is a model for some upcoming illustrations that I will be releasing within the next few weeks.

New on the Blog: Sketch of the Week

2010-04-03T11:40:00.000-04:00

I have been looking in some of my sketch books and ran across a lot of cool little sketches and process work from some illustrations and now I going to post them weekly. I have always found that an artist's sketchbook is very interesting because much of the progress of an artist style and ideas is first found there. Also its more directly connected to the personalty and mindset of the artist than finished work. So stay tuned the first Sketch of the Week is will be here soon.

News: Art Show and New Comic

2010-03-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

My piece Influence has been selected to be in a group art show called Under the Influence: The Relationship between Teacher and Student Art now on display at the Northville Art House.

How does a lazy office worker get lost in the arctic and have a under water adventure all in 3pages of a comic (and It actually make sense)? … Well you will have to find out later. But here is a preview of the 3pg short comic soon to be released.

Final "Red" Cover Artwork Released

2010-03-03T13:14:00.001-05:00

This is the final illustration for the cover of Red.

Preliminary “Red” Cover Art Released

2010-02-22T19:48:00.000-05:00

Original painting (gouache)

Wallpaper made on Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop

Red cover

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

My Love on a Box - oil. A personal piece from 2009.

Happy V-Day people, for all you love birds enjoy each other, and for the single guys be happy your saving money, because you don't have to buy a girl a gift. Single ladies you can be happy that you don't have to get mad when a guy doesn't buy the gift you have been hinting at for a month. So everybody be happy.

V-Day wouldn't be complete without a love song so here it is.

Still Life: part2

2010-02-13T11:38:00.000-05:00

These are 2 more paintings from my fine art painting class I finished this week. Still lives are not the most exciting things to paint when you are an illustrator but painting from life does teach you things that painting from photo reference or from the imagination can't.

Relics of the Past

(Works in Progress) "Red" preview

2010-02-11T03:43:00.000-05:00

Paint study for Red cover

This is some of the process work for a cover illustration I’m working on. The story is called Red it is an interpretation of the classic “Little Red Ridding Hood” set in an urban environment. It will be released as a free download some time in the summer, more updates and official release date coming soon.