I usually get most of my invitationals to participate in shows at one time, but occasionally a gallery will reach out to me with a request, and I unfortunately have a problem turning down an opportunity to showcase my work. This was the case when Hero Complex Gallery reached out to me regarding their flagship show ‘Righteous Rides Again!’. The show was the gallery’s first exhibition, and this ‘sequel’, landed on the exact same day (week and date), as the original, commemorating their 10th Anniversary. Now, this specific occasion really challenged me as the deadline between the notice and show was less than I usually need to prepare (work habits). I was also in the process of finishing another work for a different show. Feast or famine, no?
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| Initial digital sketch for the retro-style poster. |
Upon finishing said previous illustration, I set work to quickly coming up with ideas for the exhibit in question. The show was based around the theme of ‘rides’, or vehicles, transportation of some kind, to be illustrated by various artists. I looked over the email from the gallery, and it was such a broad concept, I had trouble narrowing down what it was I wanted to do. Eventually, I settled on one of the examples listed from the correspondence with the gallery, and set to work. I chose ‘That 70’s Show’or specifically, ‘Eric Forman’s’ 1969 Oldsmobile ‘Aztec Gold’ Vista Cruiser. I’m not sure what exactly drew me to the selection, but I immediately had a ‘concept’ in mind when I saw it on the list. I was never a massive fan of the show, but it was constantly on in syndication, had a huge fan base, and I had seen enough episodes where I felt I could capture it’s spirit.
As with most projects, I started out as I usually do, gathering image reference for my design, while trying to settle on a color scheme as I had my layout already in mind. In retrospect, I think I took some inspiration for the layout, from a piece I had done previously celebrating the franchise ‘Supernatural’, in which I depicted the Winchester’s iconic 1967 Chevrolet Impala, and to be honest, if I had more time, I think I may have chosen to retool that image instead, as I was/am a fan of that franchise. I however don’t like to revisit the same subject because the world holds way too much content as it is, and I’d rather try my hand at something new or different for several reasons. Eventually I found some psychedelic vintage posters on the web which provided the inspiration I needed. It took me longer to find decent reference for the Vista Cruiser as so many shots in the show either obstruct portions of the car, or its physical appearance changes depending on the scene (driving versus being parked), which tracks for a show of this design. I always try to remain as true to the subject matter as possible that I am depicting, and that also means paying attention to the details even when taking artistic license. I felt that if I got close enough to the real deal the admirers of the show will hopefully appreciate it. This reference challenge however also cost me a bit of time, which I was quickly running out of, and made including any other details impossible.
With my design locked in, I began to sketch the Vista Cruiser from various reference shots in Procreate, and eventually piecemealed together what you see in the final version. Thankfully, cars are primarily symmetrical so I could simply sketch, copy, flip, and be done with it. I knew I was short on time, so ‘graphic poster’ was the style I went with. Once I was done with the sketch, and made sure there weren’t any anomalies, I dropped it into Adobe Illustrator, and began to vector the main components of the sketch, as I knew in order to save time I could ‘fill’ these areas with color and take them back into Procreate to digitally paint over and add some elements to make it look less flat. I also vectored the swirls, and the sun in the background (both of which went through several revisions themselves due to spatial conflicts within the image), filled them with color, and took them back into Procreate as well. The swirls were left as a white outline, as I determined that having the edges ‘bleed’ back into the image background gave it a closer look to the original source material. The fill was also done with a gradient in Adobe Photoshop, and then adjusted manually in Procreate to fit within the swirls confines. I had to make several adjustments to both the sun and swirls, eventually settling on the final layout. The last detail I had to include was the license plate, which was made entirely in Adobe Illustrator, with some shading done in Procreate.
With the image done, I sent it to print, and thankfully it needed no major corrections (I’m getting good at this finally), so I requested a set for the gallery. I should note that I did have one minor fix, but it was easily taken care of and wasn’t a color correcting issue thankfully. The gradients inside the cab of the Vista Cruiser didn’t overlap correctly creating a distinguishable cut-off on my proof. I fixed the issue, resubmitted the image, however, I unfortunately did not make the gallery’s deadline but they were kind enough give me an extension. For me, the problem was two-fold, I was going out of town the same day it was due, and I had cut the whole execution process a wee bit too close. Ironically (?), the images were ready before the deadline, but I was already out of the area by the time it was available for pick up.
WOMP WOMP.
When I returned, I headed straight to the printers and got the work to the gallery before the end of the week, which was the premier of the show.
Oi!
Was I stressed?
Oh god yes.
Did I enjoy my time away?
Yes, but probably not as much as I could have IF I had my $4!+ together.
This friends, is a perfect example of me overwhelming myself to the point of misery.
Don’t be like me.
I had so much anxiety, and the worst part?
I was also working on another project whose due date was quickly approaching, which also overlapped, with another show I had agreed to also participate in which I hadn’t even started.
Yikes!
Did I succeed?
The next two blog entries hold the answers!!!
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| Final 18" x 12" image |
I started the project on April 10th, 2023, and finished it on April 20th, 2023 (coincidently). I’m not entirely sure how long I spent on the project hours-wise. Adobe’s software makes it difficult to determine time frames, unlike Procreate which has a build in monitoring device (so helpful). From what I can determine, I spent five and a half (5 ½ ) hours in Procreate sketching the layout and vehicle, followed by vectoring out the car in Adobe Illustrator on my iPad, spending almost an entire day (likely close to eight to ten hours [8-10]) going back and forth between my iPad and desktop refining it. The color process took almost eleven (11) hours to complete, with the Vista Cruiser being the bulk of that time. I then spent a few more hours in Adobe Illustrator developing the background and font for the image. I used Hobo Std Medium as my base font, and then altered it to fit within the parameters of the solar body. It's not entirely what I wanted, but I think it works since the type reflects the shows credits. I then spent some time in Adobe Photoshop adjusting the image scale, and placement before sending it off to print. Originally, the plan was to add some distressing in order to give it a vintage look, as well as add some peace signs, or flowers, but time did not allow. Perhaps I can revisit the image one day and include some of these details.
The 18” x 12” image (printed on 100lb Cover, thank you SGX), was made for Hero Complex Gallery’s ‘Righteous Rides Again!’ a group show dedicated to the beloved ‘vehicles’ of film and television which opened May 6th, 2023. At this time the prints are exclusively available via the gallery, so please check their website for all remaining works related to the show including mine.
For more information, or to see a catalog of my other work, please visit my online store here.
You can also find me on various social media platforms below doing a multitude of other artistic things that include hand lettering, and the occasional sculpting, crafting or painting.
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