Sketches 4

 

A page from my 2021 sketchbook

Sketch from a painting I did for The Center for Cultural Power (CultureStrike)

Sketch of Dr Muriel Petioni, mother of medicine in Harlem for BLK History Month

Sup with it fam, its been awhile since I shared some sketches from my process. I share process art a lot with different projects but sometimes I just love looking back at the sketches I made before painting some of my personal or client work. Sometimes the sketches are better than the final. Something about the energy in them.

Spreads from "I am Sausal Creek/ El Arroyo Sausal" written by Melissa Reyes and illustrated by me

Sketch for a painting of pioneering animator Brenda Banks for BLK History Month 

Letters for the 15th anniversary of the Trust Your Struggle Collective

One of many color sketches I did for a sticker

A sketch for a UC Berkeley project "We Too Belong"

Wanna see more of my sketches?

Sketches 3

Sketches 2

A doodle from my sketchbook

A sketch from a picture book called "We Are Yoga/ Somos Yoga" written by Jill Guerra and illustrated by me

One last one, these are sketches for a sticker I did that reminds me to PAUSE.

Dig these sketches? Check out this video of my last sketchbook tour. Thx for tuning in. Sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Instagram.

Sketchbook pg 4

 

Here's a page from my 2021 sketchbook. In between working for others and dreaming up my own books or projects I keep these sketchbooks to practice. Some of this page came out as a cool experiment and some was just play. 

Here's a video tour of this sketchbook. Enjoy. 

What's a sketchbook page? A sketchbook is a great place to play, experiment, and practice. Been keeping one with me in one form or another for over 25 years. Some books are just for letters, some are for landscapes, some for writing down ideas, some for client work, and sometimes I mix them all up. 

Dig this? Check out my Sketchbook Page 3

Sketchbook tour 3

 

Here is my latest sketchbook tour with a book from 2021-2022. 

What are these? This is a video where I flip through my sketchbook and show some of my doodles, drawings, paintings, and ideas in between client and personal work. Watch and share.

    Dig this? Check out a page from this sketchbook or my YouTube channel.

Sketchbook pg 3

 

Here's a few pages from my last sketchbook for 2021-2022. Just finished this pad boy a month ago or so. 

What's a sketchbook page? A sketchbook is a great place to play, experiment, and practice. Been keeping one with me in one form or another for over 25 years. Some books are just for letters, some are for landscapes, some for writing down ideas, some for client work, and sometimes I mix them all up. 

This page is from my most recent sketchbook tour. Check it out here

Dig this? Check out sketchbook pg 2

Sketchbook pg 2 - Ramona & Hong Kong

 

This is a page from a 2014 sketchbook. The entire book had toned paper and I used ink, colored pencil, and gouache for this page. On the left is Move activist Ramona Africa from Phillly and an umbrella representing the protests in Hong Kong. Wanna see more from this sketchbook?  Check out my sketchbook tour below.

Check out this sketchbook tour:

video link

Here's the previous sketchbook page

Sketchbook pg

 

Here's a pg from a 2021 sketchbook I finished. I think I was checking out an old Rockwell ptg and trying to do a version of that for fun. This is done w/ ink and watercolor.  I love drawing in sketchbooks. Been doing this since I was a kid. Check out this sketchbook tour I made earlier this year.

video link

Dig this? Check out this blog interview w/ BEE sketchbooks

Character Collage 2020-2022

 

What up fam, wow its been two years since I uploaded my last character collage. Back in 2020 I was a new dad again, and then the pandemic hit! I have still been sketching, drawing, and painting but lord it was rough balancing the kids at home, my work, and life. So here are a snippet of some of the characters I made over the past two years. This is the 9th time I've uploaded a collage of these over the past 13 years or so. I started making these as a way to practice character based artwork for storytelling, and I still love to do it. Always practicing to see improvement. 

Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Word? 2. Bruce Leroy (Last Dragon) 3. Neighbor 4. Sketchbook doodle 5. Laura Charles (Last Dragon) 6. Hammer 7. Hmmph 8. Motorcycle 9. Sketchbook doodle 10. Deb Never 11. Crate Digger 12. Sketchbook doodle 13. Judging you 14. Spikey 15. Pink Dread

You can see the previous collages here too: 

2019-2020

2017-2018

2016-2017

2015-2016

2014-2015

2013-2014

2012-2013

2009-2012

If you are interested in more information about any of the characters, want to work with me, or interested in a print just email me at info@robdontstop.com

Video: Time lapse character ptg

 

Video LINK

Yo shout out to my brother Deedot for allowing me to put his music on this video. I shared it on IG awhile back but I wanted to put it up on my YouTube w/ music permission. If you missed it, this is a clean version of the image:

Character 161 - Spikey

Character collage 2019-2020

VIDEO: My fav art books

 

What up y'all, been wanting to do this video for a minute. Art books are a great way to unplug from the internet or get someone reading who doesn't normally like books. Whenever I get stuck I pull out some ill art books, read them, and just flip through them. Check these books out. Cop them from an indy store or request them at your local library!

If you missed my last inspiration board check it here

The last kids book I did is called Alejandria Fights Back

Here are all the books I mention in this video, please support them. Cop from the artists themselves,   your local independent bookstore, or Bookshop.org.

-"Spraycan Art" by Henry Chalfant & James Prigoff 

-"One Track Mind" Graffiti Magazine 

-"OS Gemeos" 

-"Reflections In Black" by Deborah Willis 

-"Chaz Bojorquez" 

-"The Early Bird" by Morning Breath 

-"De La Soul" by Frank 151 

-"Spider Man Into the Spiderverse" by Sony/ Marvel 

-"The Dam Keeper" by Tonko House 

-"Robota" by Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card 

-"Celebrate People's History" by Josh MacPhee 

-"Everyday Love Vol. 3" by Nidhi Chanani 

-"Frontier" by Hellen Jo 

-"Spam 4" by Mingjue Helen Chen 

-"The Black Book" by Khari Randolph 

-"Version 002" by Jake Wyatt 

-"Art of Jisei" by Miguel C. Hernandez

Video: Sketchbook tour 1

Wow,  I've been "thinking" of making a sketchbook tour video for a minute, bout time I did one. Check it out. You use sketchbooks? Holler at me, I'd love to see.

Here's a collage of characters from last year:

Character collage 2019-2020

Bee Paper Sketchbook Feature

Photo by Scott La Rockwell

Hey, I'm excited to say I have been featured on Bee Paper's blog of artists. This is super dope because I have been using their sketchbooks for a few years now and love the "Super Deluxe Mixed media" sketchbook. I draw a lot so it is important for me to have a sketchbook all the time.

BLOG INTERVIEW

Here's an example of my previous sketchbook using their product. These sketchbooks are dope because you can use ink, watercolor, pencil, marker, whatever and the paper holds. It doesn't fall apart. Try out it out if you haven't used them before.

Here's an older interview with the UK's "I am the Nu Black"

Character 146 - Self Portrait 2019 + new branding

Hey, I've done a few self portraits over the past five years. Here's a new new one, which You'll be seeing a lot more of. 

Here's a painterly one

Here's a teen version, similar to this one

Also, I just updated my website, blog, and other social media with this new image and typography. Check it out.

Sketches 2

Here is another dump of sketches from client, personal, and project work. Some of it seen before and some never published or used. I like the sketches because sometimes the under drawing is better than the painting. And it shows the thinking that goes into the final lines.

Angel from stand and deliver

Legendary DJ's 

Client piece around access to college

Client piece around access and youth of color

Client piece around access and youth of color

Drawing that was a cover concept for the picture bk I am Sausal Creek written by Melissa Reyes

Changing out a 1200 technics headshell

Drawing from the picture book "Furqan's First Flat Top"

Client piece around Families of color, access to a more equitable state

Arrest-unused art for a shelved project

Arrest-unused art for a shelved project

Erica Huggins of the Black Panther Party

Tarika Lewis of the Black Panther Party

MC Activist Bambu of Native Guns, The Bar, and Beatrock Music

Client work for a short about African American migration north

Drawing of Russell from Up

Drawing from the picture bk "I am Sausal Creek" written by Melissa Reyes

See the first sketch dump here

Sketches 1

What follows is a sketch dump of client, personal, and unused work. I like the sketches because sometimes the under drawing is better than the painting. And it shows the thinking that goes into the final lines.

Client Sketch for a book cover

Client work for the ACLU around juvenile justice 

Client sketch for an album cover

Client sketch for a yoga project 

Can't remember who this was for, but it was concept type for a client

The man, Moses Powell who developed "Sanuces Ryu" - a form of jujitsu

Client type design

Sketch for Asian American Heritage month of comedian and activist Margaret Cho

Sara Khoshjamal-Fekri taekwondo champ

Client sketch for the Oakland Public Library

Client Sketch for juvenile justice

If you missed my sketchbook tour from a 2014 book, check it out here

link