Oooh, and I like it

The Dears

2011-02-15T00:35:00.001-05:00

Here’s an illustration of The Dears to go with an album review in the National Post. Don’t get to use my Chrome yellow ink often enough!

And here’s how it appeared in the paper:

Deadmau5

2010-12-30T00:16:00.000-05:00

Here’s a drawing I did for a friend of mine (Deadmau5’s sister) — a Christmas present for the man himself! I’m told he loved it!

Bruce Springsteen

2010-12-07T18:21:00.000-05:00

I’ve illustrated another record review for the National Post, and this time it’s new material from the Boss. I was glad to hear the new material was old unreleased material, so I could have a chance to draw a young Springsteen (even though I’m equally indifferent to all his periods). Enjoy!

Bob Marley

2010-11-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

Here’s a quick Bob Marley done for Wired magazine (ipad edition) this month!

Lil Wayne vs. Kanye

2010-10-26T16:37:00.000-04:00

Here’s an illustration done for the new issue of Wired magazine (out today). In the article, they compare each artist’s antics and decide who’s more deserving of redemption with the release of their new albums. Quite a challenge to research Wayne’s most up-to-date tattoos. Almost missed his eyelids!!

Phil Collins

2010-10-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

I did a portrait of Phil Collins for today’s edition of the National Post, where they reviewed his new album, Going Back. Strangely, it’s all motown covers, backed by the Funk Brothers (the session band that provided most of the music for Motown records). With the original band providing the instrumentals, the songs sound authentic and unchanged — but with Phil Collins voice replacing Stevie Wonder, The Temptations and The Supremes. It’s bizarre!

Check him out doing one of my favourite songs EVER:

Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Oh, and if you’re wondering about the jacket I gave him, it’s the Motown records “M”.

Black Sheep

2010-09-30T21:45:00.002-04:00

Another drawing and video this week! This time it’s Black Sheep, one of my most-listened-to rap groups of all time. Flavor of the Month is the first single I had heard from them (in the video below), but I remember The Choice is Yours literally making me get up and leave for the record store. I guess the drawing’s kind of an “engine, engine, number nine” pose...

Here’s some less-famous gems if you’ve played the first album as much as I have:

Off the Wall - Trespass soundtrack
The Legion - Jingle Jangle
Pardon Me
Who Dat?
(New) Dres — Forever Luvlee

And this is a cool recent video of Dres explaining the crazy intro to A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing:
You Mean I’m Not?

All the squares go home!

2010-09-22T22:07:00.004-04:00

After flipping through my old Mojo magazines I decided I had to draw me a Sly (and I recorded it this time!). You’ll see if you watch the video that I used two different kinds of paper, not something I usually do. I wanted to try and make this one kind of psychedelic and trippy with the colors, though it kind of came out the same as all my other ones do in the end. Anyway, I started on a porous paper to get some cool bleeds, but that paper wouldn’t allow for much detail without bleeding so I pasted the good parts onto some hotpress watercolor paper. Normally for a deadline I would do this in photoshop but since these are just for fun, I try to make finished originals. The hotpress paper had my sketch printed on it at about 10%. My brother did the video for me! Enjoy!

Oooh, and I know Sly played the keyboard more often, but I had some great reference of him in this white suit with the custom guitar.

Kanye West for Entertainment Weekly

2010-08-28T21:10:00.000-04:00

And finally, Kanye West for the same issue!

Maroon 5 for Entertainment Weekly

2010-08-28T21:08:00.000-04:00

And... Adam Levine from Maroon 5 for Entertainment Weekly’s fall music preview.

Sugarland for Entertainment Weekly

2010-08-28T21:05:00.000-04:00

Sugarland, for Entertainment Weekly’s fall music preview this week.

Kid Rock for Entertainment Weekly

2010-08-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

Last week I did some drawings for Entertainment Weekly’s fall music preview - a great gig. One of the first one’s I finished was of Kid Rock, but his new album was pushed back so the illustration was killed.
Above is the work I did by hand, below is the final art with some extra digital coloring. I like to work by hand where I can, but easy-editing makes digital my method of choice for most commercial work (coloring anyway). The colors in my palette were sampled from the layout by my art director, Michael Schnaidt, which you’ll see shortly!

The issue comes out tomorrow so I’ll post some more from the series then.

Quickies

2010-08-23T22:36:00.001-04:00

Isaac Hayes

Biz Markie

Arcade Fire

2010-08-03T15:52:00.003-04:00

I did this illustration for the National Post today!

Get it? They’re on fire. Because of their band name.

Fela Kuti

2010-08-02T23:36:00.003-04:00

I’ve been meaning to attempt a portrait of Fela for a while. Since I finally got to it, I’ll also attempt a really brief bio in case I’m introducing him to anyone out there!
Fela Kuti created and named his own genre, Afrobeat — a hybrid of jazz, funk, Caribbean and (his own native) Nigerian music. Backed by his band, Africa 70, he performed and recorded songs in pigdin English rather than his native Yoruba to be sure his political message reached as far as it possibly could.

His critique of the Nigerian military regime earned him many violent confrontations with them. Zombie was an insult to the soldiers, and despite being banned, became a huge hit. In 1977 the military retaliated with a brutal attack on Fela’s compound, where some 1,000 soldiers beat, raped and tortured its inhabitants. Fela himself received a fractured skull and his mother was killed, being thrown from a window. The government attributed the attack to “unknown soldiers” — and Fela used a song of the same name to respond. (Unknown Soldier)

Most of his releases contain songs over 15 minutes long (his lyrics not coming in until after the 10-minute mark) because, as he once said, “We dance long distance here, no three-minute music for me.”

You can see some great rare footage of him performing with his band here.

Other must-listens include:

Water No Get Enemy

Expensive Shit

Colonial Mentality

Currently, there’s also a fantastic play running on Broadway,

FELA!, a biography of his life. Antibalas, a group who’ve taken up where Fela left off in the Afrobeat genre, are the house band for the play’s run.

Today is the anniversary of his death, on August 2nd 1997.

James Brown

2010-07-25T03:38:00.000-04:00

I don’t need to say much about the Godfather, so hopefully you'll just enjoy this new drawing! I ran out of paper at the bottom for his other foot, but a heavyweight like James warrants another post some day, so I'll get everything in next time.

Since there’s so many, a couple of my (random) favourite James Brown songs:
People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul

Down and Out in New York City

This video's amazing, three great great songs live:
Man's World, Lost Someone and Bewildered

Wolf Parade

2010-07-05T13:37:00.004-04:00

Sorry for not posting anything last week, I tried to but couldn’t find a spare minute! Looks like it’s the same for this week (but next week I’m on vacation, so I’ll bang out a few new drawings).
Anyway, this one is for the National Post’s record review of Wolf Parade’s Expo ’86 album. I’ve never heard the band but I think I at least knew they existed before this assignment. Uhhh, check them out!

This just in:

The RZA

2010-06-24T13:48:00.001-04:00

I did this on sumi paper, then added a flat layer of color in photoshop. It seemed too wishy washy without, even though I'm trying not to do too much digital work here.

Anyway, enjoy these RZA videos!

Pre-wu RZA

We Love You Rakeem

Wu Tang Clan (standard 90s rap video, camouflage and bonfires)

Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin to Fuck with

Gravediggaz RZA

1-800-Suicide

Ruth Copeland

2010-06-20T23:41:00.000-04:00

I think Ruth Copeland is undeservedly obscure, and where she's known it's usually first for having worked with Parliament. Though I'm sure working with George Clinton, Eddie Hazel and friends certainly doesn't hurt, her own vocals and compositions add more than a little. She wrote and co-wrote some of my favourite Parliament songs ever (Come In Out of the Rain, Silent Boatman) and recorded a few rock-soul albums in collaboration with them right at the beginning of their recording career.
Check out Your Love Been So Good To Me, their Gimme Shelter cover and HER version of Silent Boatman!

Ramsey Lewis

2010-06-15T01:39:00.001-04:00

Just a quickie, I'll have to revisit this one later, Ramsey rules!

Pre-electric jazz, one of my favourite records:
Delilah

Later, great funky stuff - one of my favourite records too:
If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)

Howlin' Wolf

2010-06-08T12:15:00.001-04:00

Howlin' Wolf would have been 100 years old on June 10th — Happy birthday!

My favourite songs:

Spoonful

EVIL

Who's been talkin'

Erykah Badu

2010-06-06T17:59:00.000-04:00

I was able to do this one for a record review in the National Post today. Here's how it appears in the paper:

Country Joe

2010-06-03T11:16:00.004-04:00

I've got a soft spot for Country Joe & the Fish! Here he is how he appeared at Woodstock:
Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die

One of my favourite Country Joe songs (WW1 poetry by Robert Service put to music):
The Man from Athabaska

And thanks to you all for looking, following and commenting! It made my week, glad to have you.

Freestyle Fellowship

2010-05-30T01:07:00.004-04:00

Freestyle Fellowship is one of my all-time favourite rap groups for sure. If you haven’t heard of them, check this amazingness!
Hot Potato
And this
Park Bench People
Ooh, and this! I could go on for a while.
Everything is Everything

Curtis Mayfield

2010-05-26T10:57:00.001-04:00

Curtis Mayfield

Cannonball Adderley

2010-05-19T10:17:00.001-04:00

Cannonball Adderley

That's Nat Adderley, Yusef Lateef, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes and Cannonball

Grace Slick

2010-05-19T01:16:00.003-04:00

Grace Slick - Jefferson Airplane

I have to do the whole Jefferson Airplane but Grace is first.

Big Daddy Kane

2010-05-17T11:20:00.003-04:00

Big Daddy Kane

Dr. John, the Night Tripper

2010-05-15T13:26:00.007-04:00

Dr. John

Music and drawing

2010-05-10T02:53:00.050-04:00

Ever since finishing the History of Rap poster I’ve been thinking of what my next music-themed drawing project could be. I’ve toyed with a dozen ideas (mainly biographical comics) which would take a fair amount of research and work, which is why they don’t exist yet. In the meantime, I’ve decided to sate my urges to draw musicians with a dinky lil’ blog. I don’t feel the need to post much background info with the drawings, as there’s lots of places on the internet for that. This is just a random collection of fan art, mostly done in the hour before I go to bed, for fun. My tastes are pretty wide so I hope there will be something for everyone — I’d say my favourites are almost everything ’50s, ’60s and early-’70s, along with ’80s and ’90s rap and R & B, and a scant helping of more recent stuff.

Please enjoy!

Al Green

Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger