Captain Bogg and Salty

This is one of my most recent jobs. Captain Bogg and Salty are a pirate band here in Portland who play at schools, and children functions among many other things. Lucas Haley - CBS's bass player, web designer, and all around talented animator (I had the privilege of working with Lucas on the "Mr. Men Show) - asked me to do the character designs for their next animated music video, "Mutiny".

Flip The Bird

Below are a few paintings from the "Flip the Bird" Show. Ben Adams and myself have hosted three thus far. It is a annual show at Lunar Boy Gallery located in the historic coastal town of Astoria, Or. The first show, in 2007, went over so well that, gallery owner, Deborah Starr decided to have us back every year. Thanks so much Deborah! The illustration to the left was for the promotional postcard and then became the design for the t-shirt.

Dia De Los Muertos

So, I'm not posting in any type of chronological order as you can see on the dates next to my signature. I just feel like posting some of my favorite paintings that I've done prior to starting this blog. The two below I did for a "Day of the Dead" group show. Well, "Meriachis Rojo" made the show but "Rosa De Los Desierto" was a commissioned piece after the event. "Day of the Dead" is a Mexican holiday that is a week long celebration starting on the 1st of November to pay respects to the deceased. It is best compared to Halloween here in the states.

The Process

Some people like to see this kind of stuff so I thought I would break down my creative process. I tend to do a ton of drawing and rough sketches before I get to the completed composition. As you can see in this preliminary sketch for "Loana" I will sometimes patch together a bunch of different elements that I've drawn to find the best layout that works for the composition. All this happens, by the way, after I do a ton of research. "Loana" is the cave woman in "One Million Years B.C." played by the stunningly beautiful Roquel Welch. Running around dodging and battling dinos, the scantly clad Roquel continues to drop jaws till this day. It was a cinch to realize she was going to have to be depicted in "The Girl Show".
I will often times redraw rough sketches until I get a more refined drawing like this one of "Uhura" so that I can make sure all my lines are where I want them and the style is defined before I paint. I don't always plan things out to this extent but all this preliminary stuff helps the overall composition. Through drawing, I can solve problems with tangents and overall ballance.

I still won't lay down a brush until I do some color studies. Finally I will quickly block out the composition and run through a combination of colors and values to make sure the subject matter contrasts well and the colors work together. The computer is a friend and no matter how much you like traditional media, "control z" can make life a lot simpler. Often times I will do a finished digital version before I paint. That's not the case in this color study I did for my "Jane Darrow" painting where I was really just trying to suss out some colors in photoshop. You can see all the finished paintings below.

The Girl Show, Boobtube Babes and Bigscreen Bombshells

September 13, 2008. Ben Adams (a mentor, inspiration, talent, and dear friend that I am so privileged to work with) and myself shake up the coastal town of Astoria, Or. yet again. The tenacious and fabulous owners (Deborah Starr and Jane Thanner) of Lunar Boy Gallery hang "The Girl Show, Boobtube Babes and Bigscreen Bombshells"! The show featured acrylic paintings depicting Iconic women throughout the history of film and television. The opening night was warmed by so many excellent people and smiling faces! Thanks to all who have shown so much interest in the Bens! The weekend also saw a radio interview with KMUN d.j. Carol Newmann and a beach house retreat with friends and family. Thanks Deborah and Jane for making the Bens a on going fixture at Lunar Boy Gallery! You can see some of my paintings from the show below. If you would like to see the whole show or are interested in sales, check out this link. http://www.lunarboygallery.com/Artists/The+Girl+Show+SALE.php

Welcome to my blog. This will serve as an up - to - date news page corresponding with my website when it is finally up. You will be able to keep up with events like art shows and new illustrations that I will post here. I hope you enjoy the stuff I upload and feel free to shoot me a line with any comments.
Ben Burch