Corey Egbert Illustration

Ollie's Room

2012-02-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know, my wife and I are expecting our first child in June! We had the ultrasound a couple weeks ago and we found out that it's a boy. I instantly started trying to figure our what kind of artwork I'd like to make for his bedroom. My wife Natalya wanted to do a moon and stars theme, so I thought the subject matter of the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle" would work great as a poster. This is what I came up with.
It is definitely up there with the some of most challenging artworks I have created. Getting the colors and composition to work was SUPER tough! (It HAD to look awesome for my son's room!) I went through a few different versions as you can see here:

Well, the first one is just my cleaned up sketch (not really a version). The middle one I started out by experimenting with doing multiply layers of the process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow) to give it a monotype print feel, but I didn't really like how it was turning out. Then on the right you can see what looks like an airbrushed VHS cover from the early '90s. EW! Finally I just went back to my normal process and style, which is the final one you see up top. I wanted it to have a vintage feel, almost like a travel poster, but of a nursery rhyme. I'm incredibly happy with how it worked out and I'm excited to hang it above my son's crib!
Also, my Etsy shop has been dwindling, as you may have noticed. It's totally my fault. I've let a bunch of items expire and haven't bothered to renew them. The reason why is that I've been working on a total revamp of my shop! Natalya has been helping me work out a better business plan, and preparing for my future child has inspired me to create some new, awesome stuff (this poster being the first). Here's a little teaser (the logo design):

I hope it will be up and running soon! I will definitely keep you posted. If you have any ideas for new artworks you would like to see in my shop, let me know. Thanks!

How I Draw - Video

2012-02-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

I've been watching a lot of art process tutorials on Youtube lately so for fun I decided to do one myself. I mainly did it because I was curious to see myself draw and see what it would look like sped up. The actual drawing took 16 minutes but I sped it up to 4 minutes.
Possibly in the future I'll do more (and better) videos. I also want to get one of those programs like Camtasia that let you record your computer screen. I just am fascinated by the artistic process and I love to see it in action.

Imperfectly Sound - Album cover for Rob Taylor

2012-01-31T22:23:00.001-07:00

Rob Taylor, a great musician from Connecticut, has been kind enough to ask me to do the art for his last few albums. His newest, titled "Imperfectly Sound" is our latest collaboration. The art was completed last summer, but he has finally unveiled it on Facebook so I think it's safe to post it on my blog now!

I have really enjoyed working together. He will send me a little sketch or some notes about what he wants, along with some samples of music. I then come up with some ideas and eventually a finished work of art. He then applies his graphic design talents to what I have done, making a finished album cover.

Here's what I did:

And here's the finished piece after he's added his touches:

It was challenging and fun to work on! Here also are our previous collaborations (my original artwork first then the final covers):

"Come Down Never" (2010)

"Under the Star" (2009)

I have really enjoyed the opportunities I have had to work with him and support his great music (and pleased he trusted me with something as important and personal as his album covers)! Check out his website: www.robtaylor.com

Digital Painting - Prepare

2012-01-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

This started as a blank Photoshop file and in about 4 hours ended up as this. It was really fun to paint. The whole thing came entirely from my imagination so please forgive the mismatched styles of architecture :)

As a special bonus, I'm attaching the full-size file so you can download it as a wallpaper for your desktop if you would like! Just 12 easy payments of $19.95! (kidding). All I require is that you think of me every time you look at it :)

Here is the wallpaper file:

Corey Egbert Art - Desktop Wallpaper

3 Easy Steps:
Just click on it (it will probably open in a screen with black around it) then right click and you can select "set as desktop background" (at least that's how it works on a Mac. I don't know about a PC). Enjoy!

Drawing II: Prepared Grounds

2012-01-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of my favorite drawings I did in Drawing II last semester. Aren't the textures awesome??? The backgrounds (prepared grounds) were made using layers of watered-down acrylic paint and then using a sponge to wipe bits away. I am so glad I learned how to do this because I think the possibilities of it are amazing. We then drew on top with charcoal, and sanded parts away to get the highlights. My professor Adam Larsen described it as "drawing into the paper" instead of just drawing on the surface.
My second semester starts tomorrow! I'm taking Figure Drawing (so I'll be able to draw people crazy good by summer) and Creative Visualization (which is about drawing from your imagination). The figure drawing professor is actually my wife's cousin, Scott Allred. He's a super funny guy. Every time he passes me in the hall he starts singing an improvised song about me. I had him for Drawing I last semester. Then Creative Visualization will be taught by Dean Kleven, a guy who has done work for Disney and Pixar (awesome). It should be pretty cool (and busy)!

IF - Highlight

2011-12-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

For IF's "highlight" I though I would break from my normal style and paint in shadows and highlights and other light-logic stuff. I also nixed my usual texture overlay. I hope my Drawing I professor would be proud! Anyways, happy new year everyone!

Christmas Paintings

2011-12-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

A great thing about having some artistic ability is that you can make Christmas gifts for people and not have to spend any money! And they have to like it because you made it!
This was for my mom. Its based on a lullaby she used to sing to me and my sister:

And this was for my sister Sarah, who really really wants to go to Paris and learn French:

And I took a pic of the underpainting because I thought it looked super cool:

I painted both of these in two days. Yeah, I lost some sleep :) I'm really proud of the "Dream a Dream" and I think it looks quite good in acrylic. I want to revisit the Paris one though and possibly do a digital version. My mom and sister both really liked them though so score!

Sink!

2011-12-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

I was going for minimalism here. And playing with the word "sink" (Cause it's a sink that sunk! Oh the cleverness of me). Funny story: While I was making this my Photoshop froze (before I had saved it of course) and I started to freak out because I thought I would have to force quit it and start over. BUT then I realized I could use the Grab tool and screen-grab it. So Grab saved the day!!! Thank you Apple.

Printmaking @ Snowflake Press

2011-12-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Finals are done!!!!!! (sigh of relief) and as promised here's a big post with all my cool printmaking stuff from this last semester (excluding what I've already posted). These were all done in my Printmaking I class at Snow College taught by the awesome Adam Larsen.

This is my final project. I was at the studio until 1:30 AM last night working on it. It's an intaglio print (basically an etching) using acid and other things to eat into a metal plate (awesome, though sadly the acid didn't eat anyone's arms off or anything cool like that). Ink is then spread onto the plate by hand and then you press it onto a wet piece of paper. I cannot fully describe how painstaking this process is. Etching the plate alone took me close to 5 hours.

Detail. See the awesome lines and texture? I love how handmade prints look.

This is another intaglio using a technique called soft ground which lets you make impressions of things such as, in this case, leaves.

These are both black and white monotypes. This process involves adding and subtracting ink from a flat plexiglass plate. Each print is completely unique because you can only print them once. Hence "Monotype."

These are all color monotypes. I liked doing them a lot because it kind of forced me to be more loose in my mark-making. For the rose and letters, I used stencils that I made.
These are just my favorites out of a huge amount of prints I made. It was a great semester and I really loved this class! You should totally take it!!!

IF - Separated

2011-12-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to illustrate this weeks Illustration Friday topic so I took a little break from studying for finals and threw this together. I kind of feel like I cheated because I totally copied and pasted the same girl and just recolored her. I have also realized how lazy I am when it comes to backgrounds. Oh well... it was fun. Here is my original sketch:

Intaglio Etching

2011-12-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi. This is one of my etchings from Printmaking. It is finals week so I haven't had time to do new art for my blog. I plan on doing a big post about my printmaking stuff once this semester is over. Hopefully this will tide you over till next week :)

Spongebob Round-Pants

2011-11-28T16:56:00.001-07:00

For Illustration Friday's "Round" prompt, I wanted to take something that wasn't normally round and make it round. And who is someone everyone knows is SQUARE? Spongebob Squarepants! He's such a flexible dude anyway that I didn't see any problem making him round.
I love Spongebob because he has such a good attitude. He does everything with his whole heart, including his menial job at Krusty Krabs. Who would think such a playful, wacky guy would have such a good work ethic? And on top of that, he can't lie, he always puts up with Patrick's obliviousness, and despite Squidward's constant rejection, Spongebob always treats him like a best friend. I don't know about you, but thats amazing! If everyone were more like Spongebob, the world would be a better place.

Commissions

2011-11-27T06:07:00.001-07:00

I am very very very open to private commissions! I love them in fact. Here is one I recently did for a woman named Tasha who's grandparents just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Great anniversary gift idea! And fittingly this commission helped pay for my 1 year anniversary getaway with my wife. Thank you Tasha!

Here is the reference photo she gave me:

So if you need a custom work of art to liven up any occasion, you can email me at corey.egbert@gmail.com or contact me through my Etsy Shop. Your business is very appreciated!

Also a big thank you to Illustration Friday for featuring my last post as their pick of the week! I can't tell you how excited that made me.

Vanity

2011-11-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

Persian cats have always seemed a little vain and puffed up to me. This kitty is totally into herself :) Since I have enjoyed seeing lots of progress sketches on other blogs, I thought I might show some of mine. Here is the page from my sketchbook where I worked out this idea:

I was first going to have some butlers grooming her as you can see in the sketch on the bottom right. It was fun trying to draw. I ended up liking the simplicity of just the cat though.

"Silence!"

2011-11-12T21:19:00.001-07:00

This one took me a while (all day). I did it for this weeks Illustration Friday topic: Silent. It was very hard to come up with something that fit. How do you convey a lack of sound visually? I ended up doing the opposite. These noisy boys are disturbing the poor librarian. Please click on the picture to enlarge... you don't get much detail at this size. Thank you for looking!

Stripes

2011-11-04T15:35:00.000-06:00

I have very recently become addicted to Illustration Friday, a website where they give you a new topic to illustrate every Friday. This weeks topic is stripes. I instantly pictured a zebra, but I thought that was too obvious. So I eventually came up with this little girl in a striped sweater (with a zebra toy thrown in). For her fashion style I went for an Audrey Hepburn look.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T23:30:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween everybody! May all your pillowcases be filled with Skittles, M&Ms and Snickers, not Bit O' Honeys and Charleston Chews :)

Printmaking #3: Suicide Cut Print

2011-10-26T15:29:00.002-06:00

This was made using a painstaking process called reduction relief which involves cutting into the same linoleum matrix multiple times and printing it multiple times (each time in a different color) on the same paper. So first I cut out the white area and printed it, then i cut out the brown, then gray, etc. It's nicknamed the "suicide cut" because mistakes are irreversible. It took me over 20 hours to make 16 of these (only half actually turned out good). It was a very exciting process though, and this has been my favorite class project of all time. It was very hard work but very rewarding in the end. My professor really liked it too and a few classmates said it was their favorite in the class.

Pink Ribbon

2011-10-16T14:24:00.000-06:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this is my little way of showing support. Breast cancer had never been an issue that really effected me before I met my wife. Natalya's mother passed away from breast cancer about four years ago. I never got to meet her, but I'm always hearing stories about her and the wonderful person she was. I'm happy now to join in this cause.

80's Morrissey

2011-10-12T10:59:00.000-06:00

I love the Morrissey from the 1980's with his awesome hair and hipster glasses. I also love his music! I just think he is such an interesting character and I have been doodling him in my school notebooks lately. This was an attempt to kind of caricature him but with my own style. I quite like how it turned out. And here is a video of him in one of my favorite Smith's songs:

Linocut Numero Uno

2011-09-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

"It's just my imagination" is the title of my very first linocut. This is a hand-tinted proof. The assignment was to do something dealing with a childhood feeling or memory.
So I've discovered that getting a print to come out right is super hard. I swear I printed like 12 and only probably 3 looked any good. I hope I get better at it.

Grosvenor Shool

2011-09-22T15:11:00.000-06:00

Prints from the Grosvenor School. My Printmaking teacher showed us these today and I just thought they were so awesome I had to post them. There are tons more... just Google "Grosvenor School."

Harry Potter Doodles

2011-09-19T10:39:00.000-06:00

So I've kinda developed this doodling style. It started happening in my school notebooks - the vertical eyes and simple geometric lines. I'm not really sure who some of the characters are, like the balding guy next to Ron and the blond boy with square glasses. I really love Ron and Ginny. Ginger hair is fun to color.

Self Portrait Woodcut

2011-09-08T17:15:00.001-06:00

This is my first project from Printmaking I, a self portrait woodcut. We kind of cheated by transferring a black and white photo onto the block and carving that, but still, its cool cause it's my first print! I'm really excited for our next project which will be a linocut about a childhood dream or experience.

Untitled Painting of A Flying Thingy

2011-09-03T12:32:00.000-06:00

So, here's this little guy and he's in this sail/propeller driven airship thing and of course it has some sort of deep significant meaning... probably about life and the human condition i guess... HEY LOOK!!! The colors are super pretty.

Embarking

2011-08-27T10:29:00.002-06:00

My last painting of the summer... It is about embarking on the journey of marriage and life, and this week I embarked on my second semester of school at Snow.
This is 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas.

Brian Kershisnik

2011-08-21T23:50:00.002-06:00

This is another post that isn't about my art...
If you know me, you know I'm a Mormon. There are a lot of great Mormon artists and this is one of my favorites, Brian Kershisnik. I think I mostly like him because he is able to make a living by painting these very simple, symbolic images that I feel are almost in the ranges of my painting ability. So it gives me hope that I can make it as an artist too :) And his paintings are beautiful. Another thing I love is that he lists Maurice Sendak as one of his influences. Maurice Sendak is a HUGE hero of mine too, if you couldn't tell by my profile pic. Anyways, here is some of Brian's work:

This is just a sample of his work; I have a link to his website in the sidebar. Check it out. Here is also a video about him from the Mormon Channel:

And FYI, I will be starting my second semester at Snow next week. I think I'll be quite happily busy, so I'm not sure when I'll post something new. I'll be taking printmaking which I'm super excited about because I've never done it before, so hopefully I'll have some cool prints to post. Anyways, I feel weird when I go a long time without posting anything on here so don't worry.

Mystery and Melancholy

2011-08-10T10:04:00.000-06:00

This was very much influenced by Giorgio DeChirico, one of my favorite artists. The style and color palette were blatantly stolen from DeChirico. There is a certain feeling about his paintings that I love, and I think that feeling is summed up in the title of one of his most famous paintings, "Mystery and Melancholy of a Street."

Giorgio DeChirico

It's just so mysterious and melancholy, right? I love the skewed perspectives, the girl with a hoop, the mysterious shadow behind the building, and the colors. Theres something about this that feels like its from a dream, a dream laced with childhood memories. It just speaks to me.

PS, I'm not sure when my Etsy shop will be up and running. I've had trouble with the local print shop... The two paintings I did put up on Etsy did sell though, so I'm excited about that! I also had another commission from musician Rob Taylor which I will be posting when he is ready for the art to be released. And to anyone who regularly or occasionally reads this blog, thank you! I recently learned that there are people who keep up with my blog and I was kind of surprised. I hope I have something interesting and relevant to contribute to the world!

Why do I draw girls in dresses?

2011-08-04T20:08:00.000-06:00

So I strayed from the watercolor this time and did a digital painting, for which I am glad because I don't think I could have achieved the same feeling with watercolor. This was inspired by the few sunflowers that reside in the jungle of weeds behind our apartment building. I saw them from my office window and instantly imagined this scene.
I don't know why I like to paint girls in dresses. I guess to me there is something innocent and free and old fashion about them. No matter how old I get and even being married, girls are still mysterious and magical to me. Men are straightforward and boring usually. Also I think girls are more expressive than men. Men have deep feelings but they can't usually express them that well, while women are a fountain of emotion and expression. I feel like I can convey my feelings better drawing females than males, which is weird. I don't really care if its not manly to draw girls in dresses... I've never prided myself in being a tough guy. I'm an artist.

A Good Cause

2011-08-02T14:56:00.000-06:00

I want four thousand dollars. So I am putting this donate button below this post so you can give me money to go towards fulfilling my desperate desire. Feel free to donate more than $4000 if you would like. Thank you.

#4: Paradise Lost

2011-07-28T13:26:00.003-06:00

This is the fourth watercolor in this "series" that I've been doing for Snow College's Alt Space and to eventually sell on Etsy. My month of just focusing on art has been very productive and I'm happy. I feel like I've been really expressing myself and I'm pleased with how the watercolors are turning out.

This painting just came out of me without much thought, but afterword I was looking at it and realized how deeply symbolic it was. I decided to call it "Paradise Lost" for that reason. It also reminds me of Giorgio De Chirico. I will leave the interpretation up to you.

#3: Contemplating Koi

2011-07-25T09:29:00.000-06:00

This is the third watercolor I've done this month, and the largest so far (11 x 15 in). This was honestly just about the color orange. I wanted to paint with it.
It was really fun to work on because my wife actually painted with me! She has never painted before so I was surprised when she told me she wanted to. She sat next to me and we both painted; me with watercolor and her with acrylic on canvas. Her painting turned out really well for someone who has only ever drawn stick figures and such. I love it when I rub off on her :)

"It was a clever, suicidal plan"

2011-07-18T23:49:00.002-06:00

I just borrowed that quote from Life of Pi, which happens to be a book about a boy and a tiger. This drawing has a tiger in it. So... the connection is obvious, right?

So I spent all day working on this drawing, and it's like the most retarded thing I've ever drawn. I don't know where it even came from. Why????
I once heard an artist say you have to draw the crap, you can't just create masterpieces every time you draw. Obviously I was artistically constipated today. I like the robots ok... the tiger is terribly proportioned though. And the girl is riding the tiger like a chariot. Really, I don't know why this came out of me. I guess I was wanting to draw something that could possibly be a Threadless submission and go on a tee shirt. Yeah... I won't be submitting this.

Goodbye, Harry

2011-07-15T17:13:00.004-06:00

Last night, what was a twelve year journey for me, came to an end. The nights I stayed up till dawn reading, the months of waiting in anticipation for the next book, the hours I stood in line at the theater are over. I can never read a Harry Potter book or see the movies for the first time again, and when I do pick up a book or put in a DVD, it will just be to remember how I felt right now. Last night I saw the very last Harry Potter.

I wish I could express how much J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter have influenced my life - the magic and sense of wonder they have instilled in me. I read the Sorcerer's Stone when I was ten after hearing my schoolmates talking about booger flavored jelly beans and Whomping Willows and Hogwarts, whatever that was. Little did I know the effect it would have on me and the world.

I have literally built and maintained friendships solely on the fact that I loved Harry Potter and someone else did too. When I brought my wife home to meet my family for the first time, the #1 question on my sister's "girlfriend test" was "Does she like Harry Potter?" If I ever wrote a book, I would only be aspiring to create something that came close to inspiring others as much as Harry Potter did for me. And I've never wanted fiction to be real more than Harry Potter. Who doesn't wish they had gotten a letter in the mail on their eleventh birthday and got to go to Diagon Alley and ride the Hogwarts Express? I would have killed to go to Hogwarts.

I would just like to say thank you Mrs. Rowling for creating something so dear to me. I eagerly anticipate the day I can share Harry with my own children and see the wonder in their eyes and perhaps feel the joy of a first experience at Hogwarts all over again.

For some more awesome Harry Potter fan art, click Here.

Natalya and I outside Honeydukes at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

#2: Destiny

2011-07-12T15:16:00.001-06:00

The boat is a metaphor of life's journey - or "destiny", and the girl is holding it in her hands. This painting is about choosing your life path and not just going with the flow. It was really a fun one to paint. I'm especially pleased with how the water turned out.

Keepin' it Real

2011-07-06T17:25:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, like right now, I start to freak out. Ephraim Subway closed today to be demolished and rebuilt, and won't reopen until after school starts, so I do not have a job for two months (not that it payed me much anyways, but it helped).
Me and my wife talked about what I would do for the rest of the summer, and to my amazement she said she thinks I should focus on art.
Of course I would love to. Its one of my major life goals to make a living with my art. But I'm afraid. I don't know why either. I guess because it's the true test... will people actually pay money for my art? Can I really sustain a family this way? I guess we'll see!
In order to try to sell some of my art, I just opened an Etsy shop. I've been wanting to forever. I'll be putting a lot of my artwork up for sale there. You can add some Corey Egbert originals or prints to your home decor :) Check it out by clicking HERE!

Since I live in a small town and don't have a professional print shop nearby, I plan on starting out by selling originals. You remember the "Girl with Book" from two posts ago... I decided to do it in watercolor. This is how it turned out. It will be for sale soon in my Etsy shop.

A Glimpse into my Sketchbook

2011-07-04T00:45:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! So how do you like the new blog header? I felt like I wanted a change.

For this post I thought you might be interested in seeing some of my artwork in the sketching stage. These were all done completely from my imagination, except for the first one of the boy in the swimsuit (I drew this while voyeuristically watching people from our hotel balcony in Florida). I'm still learning so my anatomy isn't perfectly correct, but I don't really try to make it perfect. I guess I go by what feels right. These are some of my favorite drawings in my sketchbook. I hope you like!

Girl with Book

2011-06-28T14:41:00.000-06:00

This is a digital collage of textures behind a line drawing

Purpose, Direction and Motivation

2011-06-17T10:56:00.001-06:00

Summer boredom is getting to me. I want to create art but I don't know what to do. My interests take me in so many different directions. I can't decide whether I want to be a fine artist or an illustrator or graphic designer. Or maybe even work in animation. I guess I just want to be all. I really want to be like Carson Ellis. She illustrates books (like The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Composer is Dead, which I have) as well as album covers and posters for the Decemberists, an awesome indie/alternative band.

Carson Ellis

Carson Ellis - The Decemberists

I also like Mike Perry. He does everything… tee shirts (I own a couple by him), prints, posters, whatever. I want to be a whatever artist. And I would really like art to be my job and support my family.

Mike Perry

I'm really excited for fall semester at Snow College. I'm taking printmaking, digital media and drawing II, as well as Art Talks, the visiting artist seminar. And I'm hoping to have my own Alt Space too. The Alt Space is the student gallery. Every time I see a cool Alt Space that a fellow student has put on, I get jealous and want to make my own one that's cooler. But I'm not sure what theme I want to run along. I think it would be awesome to create a whole new body of work, but just don't know what to do. I've had so many ideas that don't seem to stick. I don't know.
I guess what I really want is clear cut purpose, direction and motivation. I want a reason.

iPod

2011-06-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

Wow, totally forgot about this one. Just lookin through my art-chives and I was like, whoah, what's this? I barely remember making this.
It's me, Corey Egbert, sittin on my bed listening to tunes on my iPod. Back in the day this was a common occurance, before my roommate STOLE my iPod. Jerk.
In this drawing I'm probably listening to Fleet Foxes, one of my favorite bands which I think I had just discovered around the time I drew this.

Glen Keane & the Brothers Bloom

2011-06-04T13:52:00.001-06:00

Like most of my stuff, this was just a doodle in my sketchbook. It was inspired by a recent watching of one of my favorite movies, "The Brother's Bloom." I love their costumes - bowler hats in particular.

The Brothers Bloom

And then the design of the character himself; while drawing him I was thinking of Disney master animator Glen Keane, the artist behind the Beast, Ariel and Rapunzel to name a few. He is a new hero of mine and I've been slightly obsessed with his work lately. In drawing this guy I tried to keep my lines simple and fluid like he does. If you're interested in animation, I'd suggest looking him up. In fact, I'll add a clip here for you:

Winter Dream

2011-05-02T02:57:00.003-06:00

Photoshop + Google Images = endless possibilities. I created this by combining the images below (and a lot of tweaking of light and colors and stuff, of course)

My Favorite Person Place or Thing

2011-04-16T02:06:00.001-06:00

So it's 1:30 in the morning, and I can't sleep, so here I am blogging. I don't know why I blog. Catharsis I guess, or trying to show off. Maybe you can tell by my last post (if you happened to read it for some strange reason), that I struggle with my own motives for blogging and for doing art. I can't tell whether my intentions are selfish or good or both. Besides, it's a strange word - "blog". It's like "bla" and "log" put together. A log-book of all the bla in my life. I doubt anyone really derives much good from paying any attention to my bla. But anyways...

I recently learned that integrity and humility apply to art. I never thought about it before but I see how it's true. Every week at Snow College I get to listen to professional artists advice. One theme I've noticed that everyone touches on is that to be a successful artist, you have to follow your own passion and inspiration and not pander to what you believe other people want. I feel like I'm desperately trying to figure this out and do it. And I've never felt like I had purer intentions than when drawing this portrait of my wife and I. She makes my life, and if I never make it as an artist I'll be fine because I have her.

The greatest masterpiece is a life well lived, and Natalya is the color on my canvas. She brings me down to earth and helps me see what's important. I'm more excited than anything to begin a family with her. And I've never felt more right about where I'm at. She is my eternal companion, my anchor, my love. I'm so grateful to have her.

Art Puberty

2011-04-11T03:09:00.001-06:00

I'm inconsistent. I change the furniture a lot. I flip flop more than a politician. I hide in different skins. I'm a pleaser - an impresser. I'm a man, so I use the word "I" incessantly. I need to be perfect. No room for failure. Approval - get it or die. Here I am! Don't forget about me! Look, I'm good! I'm worthy of your time! Please like me so I can be happy and like myself! I will scream it at you if I have to. Because in the game of survival, humility + integrity = liability.

Cute Little Girl with Knife

2011-04-02T06:05:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we were babysitting my wife's sister's kids. They are so adorable and I love them to death. This piece was inspired by the youngest one, Kinnie.
We were sitting at the table. Natalya (my wife) had two year old Kinnie on her lap while we were eating pancakes. Kinnie is like the cutest little girl ever. She found a funnel in our drawers and was wearing it on her head. When Natalya was distracted though, Kinnie picked up a butter knife and started flailing it around and poked Natalya in the face. Thus was this idea born: Cute Little Girl with Knife. I instantly went to my sketchbook and drew this girl with a cleaver, then several hours of photoshop work later, voila!
I feel like this piece was a stylistic breakthrough. Can I just say I'm super pleased with how this turned out. The textures were so much fun, and then I used a custom watercolor brush to shade it. I don't know but I think I might have found my "style".
PS, Natalya's face is fine.

"Subtractive Method" Charcoal Cloth Study

2011-03-30T08:09:00.001-06:00

This was for my drawing class, and it's pretty much my favorite thing I've done in it. The highlights are made by using an eraser. There's really not a lot to say about it. Today is our critique and I hope it will do well (I kinda like getting good critiques. Crazy, I know). Well, that's all I have to say. Corey out.

Passing Through

2011-03-21T16:56:00.000-06:00

Lonely towns
connected by wires and miles of road
empty places
between life and death

This is my first photography post. I took these photos on the way from Ephraim to Moab a couple weeks ago. There's always these ghostly little towns that you pass through when traveling. Towns that aren't a destination and never will be. I kind of find them depressing. I wonder, who lives there? Why do they live there? What fills their lives? Aren't they lonely being so far away from civilization?
Something about the feeling of these photos reminds me of my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies, Spirited Away. There's such a beautiful sadness in it. I can't even eplain it. Just watch this clip:

New Sketchbook

2011-03-15T00:24:00.000-06:00

I have had the same hardbound sketchbook since 2002. It's been my favorite sketchbook and I've tried to use every spare blank spot in it. Well, I finally reached the last page. So I picked up a new one at Barnes & Noble when I was there with my mom, sister and wife last week. And this is the first thing that happened in it. It began with my name and initials because I wanted to put them on the inside cover, and then it evolved into this drawing. I'm kind of amazed by how cool I think it turned out. The red rock towers and arches were inspired by the trip me and my wife took to Arches National Park last week. And the girl balancing on the spire... I guess she's a metaphor for how I feel about life. I don't know. It's open to interpretation.

Save the Trees

2011-03-04T10:25:00.001-07:00

I guess I'm sort of a tree hugger. My family went camping all the time when I was little. I loved Yosemite National Park in California. Next week my wife and I are going to Arches. Anyways, I feel it's important to take care of the earth and nature. This work of art was fun because I used india ink and blew on it threw a straw to get those crazy root-like lines. I feel like this could be a cool tee shirt. What do you think?

Digital Doodles

2011-02-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

I sketched this on Photoshop with my Wacom Bamboo. We are great friends, my bamboo and I. I've been really studying the figure lately. It's something that you could probably never be too good at (unless you're Michelangelo or someone crazy like that). It amazes me how easily some people can draw the human body. I still need to draw the stick skeleton to get a pose looking right first, and even then its not that great. But I've come a long way. It's easy to procrastinate or wanna skip over the real challenging and learning experiences of drawing. I've noticed when I sit down to do practice sketches from my figure books, I'll just leaf through the pages forever. But last night I made myself stop and actually do it! I was like, "Bad Corey. No. Get drawing NOW."
Speaking of procrastinating though, I'm really supposed to be writing a paper for interpersonal communication. If only it came as easy as talking about art...

Bouguereau

2011-02-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is just a sketch I did of a painting by Bouguereau. I really love his soft style. My drawing actually didn't do the painting justice.
So, I feel like my artistic styles are all over the place (compare this drawing with my last post). I'm good at mimicking different styles but I kind of feel like I have yet to discover a style of my own. I'm still struggling with finding a real meaning and purpose for my art. I think ultimately I want to be a children's illustrator. I feel like children are so impressionable. The art I love the most is from the books I remember reading. Books like "Where the wild things are" and "My fathers dragon." I love those illustrations, and they still bring up magical childhood memories. I would love to be able to create that for someone else.

Roy Lichtenstein/Andy Warhol pop-arty plus 80's/Annie Lennox-y

2011-02-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

I've been busy this week with school and Valentines, so I haven't had time to finish works of art. So I looked through my art folder on my desktop and found something that I've already done that I could post. It looks kinda Roy Lichtenstein/Andy Warhol pop-arty plus 80's/Annie Lennox-y. If you don't know what I mean, here are some examples:

Roy Lichtenstein

Andy Warhol

Annie Lennox

Billy's Day in the Snow

2011-02-10T13:32:00.001-07:00

This is a silent film I made for a ward talent show. It was inspired by Charlie Chaplin movies. Its about a dopey guy and his teddy bear and their adventures in the snow. Its the first video I've uploaded on my blog (or online at all). I hope to add more in the future!

The First House I Remember

2011-02-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

I find that the attempt to rediscover childhood is a recurring theme in my work. With this particular work of art I was trying to grasp a deep childhood feeling or memory. I think its a feeling of loneliness and slight isolation, but also the comfort of the familiar and a sense of childhood wonder at the world. From age two to age six, I lived with my parents on a field station in the middle of the California desert. There were maybe nine houses in this little neighborhood, and beyond it there was nothing but flat fields that seemed to go on forever. My neighbors were all Hispanic, and there were only a couple kids my age that I could play with occasionally. I was also home taught, so most of my time was just me and my mother. My sister wasn't born until we moved to Utah. Though this may seem depressing and lonely, it was all that I knew, and part of me longs for the innocence of it. I think the first house we remember growing up in will always have a special emotional meaning to us. How did your first home influence your childhood? I would love to hear your comments!

Safety

2011-01-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

The feeling of safety is a deep human need. For me it comes from being connected to people and things I understand and who understand me. As I was painting this, I felt like I was visually expressing that feeling. The squares, though different sizes and colors, are still all squares (like a family of squares), and they are all connected by the blue shapes that kind of flow like water (I also associate safety with being near a body of water). So that's what this is. A kind of psychological, emotional portrait. The medium is acrylic on masonite.

Scribbling

2011-01-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Don't you miss coloring and scribbling with markers just for fun? It's very cathartic to just make marks and shapes on paper without worrying that it's a masterpiece. I heard a respected artist say, "You don't have to be Michelangelo to be an artist." I have to be honest though, I did give myself rules for this creation. I only used 5 colors and only made squares. But it was super fun and chillaxed. I did this while my wife was watching the Bachelor (I did watch here and there too... he totally shouldn't give a rose to that crazy Michelle girl). Anyways, I feel like art should be more fun than I treat it sometimes. This kinda helped me break out of the serious and return to the fun and innocence of art.

Art Talks

2011-01-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to my first "Art Talks" class. Every week an established artist comes to talk to us and give a presentation. This week was Joe Bennion, a local potter from Spring City.
Joe Bennion's presentation literally inspired me. I didn't think a potter would be all that interesting to me. I honestly haven't given a second glance to pottery. After his presentation though, I've definitely had a better perspective about what art really is.
What he said really could be applied to any area of art. He quoted Joseph Campbell saying you should follow your bliss and the universe will come together to help your creation come into being. He really touched on the heart and soul of art and its connection to the earth and humanity and spirituality. I could feel and see how he lived and breathed his art, and how the earth and the universe combined to help him. He didn't seem like he even had control over it, he was just open to it.
I feel like I have been in a funk lately, wondering what my purpose is and why I want to do art. This talk really helped me remember the basic truths and simple reasons why art meant something to me.
After I came home, I created this piece. It really came from my soul. I can't really explain what it means, but it was somehow cathartic creating it.
I think Art Talks is going to be my favorite class! Too bad it's only once a week.

3D - A whole new scary world

2011-01-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

This semester at Snow College I am taking 3D Design, which I've never really had any experience in besides play-dough and I guess building Legos (which are the coolest toy in my opinion). By the 26th I have to design and build a lamp. Its supposed to have a "linear quality" to it. I'm not really sure how I'm going to achieve that.
These are the first of 30 thumbnail sketches I'm supposed to do. I like the idea of a lamp shade that sits by itself without a base, but we'll see in the end if that idea is cool enough to stick. What do you think?
Well, wish me luck! And I will post the final product when its done!

Cozy Chair

2011-01-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

It would be so nice to just fall asleep with a good book in hand in a big cozy chair.

Queen of Hearts

2011-01-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is a sketchbook doodle that kind of grew. I freehanded it with pen and colored it on photoshop.

Little Showers

2010-12-28T01:30:00.001-07:00

I have noticed in my life that with big changes there often come rain showers. I've had a lot of big changes recently, and as you might have noticed I made some changes in this blog.
I got married two weeks ago to the awesomest girl ever and my best friend Natalya, I have moved an hour and a half away from where I lived before in American Fork to little Ephraim, Utah, and I will be starting school next week at Snow College (art major, of course). So yeah, some pretty big changes for me. And since I will have a lot more time for art and now have internet where I live, I have made a solemn pact with myself to update this blog weekly. Under pain of death... or at least being mad at myself. But seriously I'm gonna keep this up, so check in whenever you can!
As for this work of art, I doodled this for my sweetheart a few weeks after we started dating. And now after we are married I just barely added the textures and shading to complete it. I'm sure theres something poetic in that...

Wood Words

2010-10-26T23:02:00.001-06:00

My name. In branches. Just for fun... I was inspired by the album art for "the Hazards of Love" by the Decemberists. I wanted to try my hand at making lettering out of wood. This is what came out.

Dream Ship

2010-08-30T12:07:00.001-06:00

This ship sits at the edge of known reality, waiting to take you to the dream world. This was a sketchbook drawing that I scanned and painted in photoshop. I like mixing penicil and digital. I keep the pencil layer on top then use the Multiply layer option to paint color underneath it. I use this technique for a lot of my art. Its way more fun than coloring in a coloring book!

Sunrise Islands

2010-08-19T17:09:00.000-06:00

So, I haven't posted anything since last year. I suck. Well, Here's a new digital painting. I didn't even know where it was going when I started, and I didn't have any references. It was mostly an experiment. I liked how it turned out. What do you think? P.S. Ill try to stay more up to date!

Sleepless Wonders

2009-12-17T10:14:00.002-07:00

There's a magical feeling that comes from being outside late at night or very early when the rest of the world is asleep - an adventurous, secretive, solitary feeling. I love looking up at the night sky and feeling like I'm peering into the depths of the universe. It puts our planet into context and makes me realize we're only a tiny sphere suspended in nothing. You know that feeling? This work is about that.

Ha ha, yet another

2009-11-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

That was fast huh? Another design by me. Check it out. Now. Do it!

My First Threadless Submission!

2009-11-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Click on this^ to see and vote on a tee shirt I designed for Threadless.com, an awesome tee shirt website. I was up till 5 AM working on it last night. Thanks!

Daisies & Dragonflies

2009-11-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is a watercolor I'd kind of forgotten about, but rediscovered when I was cleaning my room today. Seeing it again with a fresh perspective, I wasn't too pleased with the colors and composition so I messed with it and cropped it in Photoshop until it ended up like this - kinda vintage-ish.

Thanks for Coming!

2009-11-10T15:09:00.001-07:00

I realise this is coming a little late, seeing as my gallery show was about 3 weeks ago, but I was just thinking how grateful I was for all the people who came. There was a steady stream of people throughout the whole 2 hours, and longer. I sold 10 prints. Everyone was very supportive, enthusiastic and kind. Thanks to all these people for making my show a success:

The Reddekopps (sorry if I spelled that wrong), the Tuckers, Lori & Brent, Lisa - Brad - Kim - and Melanie Myler, Julia and the Stubbs family, Hayley & Carly and the Meeks (thanks for your generosity), Brock - your sister and girlfriend - and all the people from Alphagraphics, Bobby, John & Natalie & kids, Kyndra & Family, Kim 2, Nate, Heather, Jeannie, Caitlyn, and especially mom and Sarah. And I'm extremely sorry if I missed anyone!

Also a very special thanks to Phil and Bryun at Repartee for giving me this opportunity and for your expert advice! I look forward to working with you again!

Marshall

2009-11-09T10:26:00.001-07:00

Isn't it sad how we often don't notice or appreciate something until after it's gone? Like the analogy of salt in the cookie recipe, or however that goes. Well, last week we lost a man who was part of the recipe of our little neighborhood, and my life, but I sadly hadn't realized it until now.
Marshall, thanks for being a good friend and neighbor, for helping me with my car (before it died for good), for your friendly wave and smile, your southern accent, your peppery beard, for calling me "Boy," for your support and reassurance, and especially for the love you showed me and my family. You died an honorable veteran, father, grandfather and friend. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you more, ask about your war stories, or give you more of the time I've wasted on less important things. This is the best drawing I could make of you from memory. I know it's shamefully inaccurate and on lined paper. I'm sorry. Thanks for being you. I'll miss you, as will many others.

"Under the Star" Single by Rob Taylor, album art by me!

2009-11-04T14:56:00.001-07:00

Soon to be released on iTunes and Amazon, this Christmas single by musician Rob Taylor, Under the Star, that I had the privilege to do the album artwork for. Rob Taylor is a great musician from Connecticut that I've known for a long time. His musical style (pop/rock with beautiful harmonies and insightful lyrics) is really amazing. Check it out by clicking on the Rob Taylor link above!

Why Am I an Artist?

2009-10-30T10:42:00.001-06:00

I was wondering why I am motivated to be an artist. Here is what I came up with:
I know it's a way I can express myself that people take notice of and appreciate. I get praise from it. It makes me seem interesting. People often pay me to do it. They'll come to me for a job they want done instead of me having to beg someone for a job (I hate trying to find jobs). I feel I am good at it and I can get better and better. It is fun to do art and I can do it on my own time without any boss. I believe I can make a career out of it. I picture myself in my own studio in the future, illustrating and being published. You can make a name for yourself and be famous being an artist. I just feel this higher calling to improve my art and get better and better for eternity. I know it can touch others and mean something to them, because art has done that for me. It has inspired me and fired my imagination. It gives me a feeling of being truly good at something, that I'm worthwhile and I have something special to offer the world. It gives me a sense of identity. "I'm an artist." It gives me a title. It makes me somebody.

1st Gallery Show!

2009-10-19T16:17:00.000-06:00

My first ever gallery show! For you Utah people, its at the University Mall in Orem, at Framework Gallery (by the tree playhouse). Saturday October 24, 3:00-5:00, is my opening reception. I am incredibly excited. My art will be on display until October 31. There will be several new, unseen peices that I haven't put on my blog yet! Your attendance is very, very, very appreciated! Thanks. See you there!

Steven Corey Merch!

2009-09-22T15:22:00.000-06:00

Check out tees, skateboards and more stuff made by me in my Zazzle Store at www.zazzle.com/stevencorey

Secret Heart

2009-08-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

Hearts are fragile things, the part of ourselves we try the most desperately to protect. And when we've been hurt, we become wary of sharing our hearts with others. This guy's lonely, but he's too afraid to put his heart out there.

Northbridge Castle at Dawn

2009-08-18T20:13:00.000-06:00

I love castles. What can I say? They just provoke the imagination. This painting is based on a drawing I did for a friend back in high school. I am particularly proud of the Chiaroscuro. I'm also proud that I know what "Chiaroscuro" means.

Trust

2009-08-18T20:02:00.001-06:00

Sometimes life feels like a maze. You have no idea where you're going, and you don't even know what to look for. It can be very scary. It is so easy to get overwhelmed, depressed and discouraged, unless you have hope. This painting is about holding onto that hope, that ray of sunshine, letting go of your fears, and just trusting you'll find your way eventually. It will happen. It has to happen. Believe it, trust it, and God will lead you along.

Solar System Skateboard

2009-04-30T14:06:00.001-06:00

I took a blank white skateboard and drew this stylized solar system on it using a Sharpie and a compass.

Halloween

2009-04-30T13:45:00.001-06:00

There's a crisp, exciting feeling in the air, the sun goes to bed earlier, the ground is frosty in the morning and everyone starts wearing sweaters. This was an attempt at capturing all those things that make fall so magical.

John Knox House

2009-04-30T13:27:00.001-06:00

Acrylic on paper. This is the home of reformer John Knox in Edinburgh Scotland. I went on a school trip to England and Scotland in 2002. I painted this when I was 15.

Wind

2009-04-29T17:33:00.001-06:00

This one is mostly about the hair. I surrendered my pencil to the flowing currents of the universe. And it was an experiment in using Live Paint in Adobe Illustrator. I borrowed the crescent moon necklace idea from the character Eilonwy in The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, one of my very favorite book series.

Winged Lion

2009-04-29T17:15:00.001-06:00

Translation of banner: "After clouds, sun." The only phrase in Latin that I know. I got it out of a book. It's also in an Enya song.

I Take Care of Fred

2009-04-29T15:45:00.001-06:00

Children's book idea. The little girl makes sure the troll stays in line, doesn't forget to brush his teeth, wears a scarf when he goes out in the cold, etc. She basically plays mom to this toddler-ish troll. That's the idea.

Snow

2009-04-29T15:19:00.001-06:00

What? Why are they in the snow in their pajamas and barefoot? This must have an interesting story to it, right? Right! Okay, so here it is: They're aliens. They don't feel the cold. More precisely they aren't aliens, but they're on an alien world where the snow isn't cold. They were transported there in the night by magic. Thier bodies are truly back on earth sleeping, while their spirits are on this other world. Maybe the snow is cold but they can't feel it because they are only there in spirit... yeah. Makes sense.

Portrait of Girl with Glasses

2009-04-29T14:55:00.001-06:00

This illustration is based on actual autobiographical events. Based on them. It's not 100% a real event. In this drawing it appears as though the girl is willingly and patiently posing for her portrait. I wish it were so. I wish I was cool enough to have girls do that for me. But the true story/memory was that this girl and I were assigned to draw one another's portraits in my high school art class. We spent ten minutes drawing each other, interspersed with light chatter, and then never talked again. There was no easel, and she had black hair, so it deviates on those points too. Basically the only thing I actually took from real life was that she had glasses exactly like that.