Esperanza is finally Here!!!

Yes!!! I was in Miami last weekend and I linked up with my dawg Orion. He's a very talented underground Hip-Hop artist. He just finished releasing his debut album entitled after his mother, "Esperanza" which means 'hope'. He worked hard on it. And so did I as far as the cover and jewel case design.

He was very picky throughout the whole design process. We would just battle each other and argue about certain things here and there. But without his suggestions and my artistic input going head to head with each other, the piece wouldn't have had the impressive look that it has. I mean everybody that has seen the jewel case or the piece has said that 'it looks professional'. That's including Orion himself AND Mr. Bad Ass critic Joe Theil. And many others. So that says alot.

The piece is about everybody waiting in line for some sort of shot. Primarily it was suppose to be the tetanus shot that every immigrant has to get when entering the U.S. But it became 'up to the viewer' kinda thing where each person interprets their own analysis of what is really going on in this picture.

I used reference for the people. My roommate Steve was the doctor administering the shot. I was the guy receiving the shot. I was also the female doctor and the first guy waiting in line. My dawg David was the second guy in line and I believe the woman and the little girl were David's family members. It was done with graphite on Rives BFK (James Jean Style), bebe. Then I scanned it in through Photoshop CS3 and finished it up there. Blocking in the colors took the longest time. For the textures on the floor and walls I just applied a layer mask.



This would be the second successful illustration that I've done.