SPX COMETH!

If you play today’s ultra-sweet Google Doodle Global Candy Cup, you can see my illustrations when you beat the game with the witch of your choice! I created the share images that you can post on Facebook or Twitter. You can also read about the personalities and quirks of each character here!

It was a lot of fun to work with their adorable character designs and to have a chance to flex my hand-lettering muscles. The game was designed by Sophie Diao, who also created all the assets, and animated by Nate Swinehart. Engineering by Ariel Lee, Maura Fitzgerald, Kris Hom, and Corrie Scalisi. Music and sound effects by Aivi & Surasshu. Thanks to my ADs Sophie Diao and Liat Ben-Rafael for including me in this super fun project!

Go play it! It’s pretty dang charming.

Sometimes the little odds and ends from demos I give in my Digital Illustration class result in halfway-decent miniature drawings. Other times they are doofus beavers I guess.

(this was a request from my darling students so I refuse to be wholly blamed!)

a near-sighted potions master

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Reblogging my own post because GOBLIN. THE GOBLIN. IS IN BALTIMORE. TOnight. And I'm gonna see them and wear my own dumb shirt and it's gonna be the strangest, most rad time, and everyone? go ahead. be jealous.

"Suzy, do you know anything about…witches?"

Suspiria, a masterpiece by Dario Argento. This trippy, amazingly surreal horror film is the subject of my newest tshirt design for Pizza Party Printing's upcoming movie night at the Ottobar. They'll be showing not only Suspiria, but the 1989 horror, The Church (paired with a fucking metal shirt by Jimmy Giegerich), so if you’re in Baltimore at the end of the month, be there! Immerse yourself in blood and beer (and the music of the one, the only Goblin). It’s gonna be spooky.

The Suspiria shirt is up for sale now at Pizza Party! Pick one up while you can!

Do you have any tutorials for painting with gouache? I really want to learn some techniques!

I did this process post on my gouache techniques a little while ago. It's a really fun medium but it can be tricky when you're first learning it. The biggest issue folks seem to have is that, since it's water soluble, you really can't work back into it too much, at least not at all like you would with acryllic. I tend to work very graphically with gouache so laying down flat areas of color next to flat areas of color suits me as much as does the medium. You can layer over it, it just takes a bit of practice until you nail your preference for applying your paint down.

Other tips! I find inking brushes work very nicely (I like Winsor & Newton 222 Cotman). Stonehenge brand paper has a great tooth for painting with gouache. Look for a yogurt-like consistency when you're loading your brush with paint. And, I always tell the students I do demos for this, but - for serious inspiration, if you want to see an artist who really kills at gouache and in a little more painterly style, check out Israel Sanchez (his work is fantastic).

Good luck! Have fun!

The Magician

Meanings: influence, awareness, ability, creative power, confidence, determination, a beginning, ego, desire to dominate, inspiration, focus, taking action, charm.

This is my piece for Light Grey Art Lab's upcoming show, Tarot, Mystics, and the Occult. I pulled The Magician, the card which starts The Fool's journey, which was awesome and intimidating! There are a ton of great artists taking part in the show, and everyone's piece will be compiled into an actual Tarot deck, which you can pre-order here! 

Here's a question: can you guess which fantastically low-budget 1960s horror (?) film The Magician's cloak is an homage to?

Andrea you deserve the buffalo much more than I do, you work is intimating and excellent!

Thank you! but I don't know about that!  Your work is amazing!!  I think The Buffalo is an honor to be shared after all...perhaps it should become the new Grammy or -insert award here- of art blogs?

Lucky! ... It's been awhile, friends. I have been busy drawing, writing, and teaching. All good things, but I've been absent too long, so expect to see more from me real soon.

LOOT bags 2014! Now on black cotton AND with a gold variant! available this weekend at SPX

Cotton candy magic wand pins are up on the store today (and in very limited quantities)! You can also pick up "Cauldrons & Casseroles" and my 2015 LOOT bags while you're there!