Brandon O'Keefe Art Blog

Snow Day

2011-02-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been working some interesting hours, I feel like I'm back in art school. Around 3:30A.M. last night I peeked out of my window to find the ground covered in snow. I haven't been to the snow in 5 years, so I was pretty excited. Dexter and I agreed it was definitely time for a break.

I'm in the process of finishing up the storyboards for my most current project. I will post the whole set of illustrations next week when the last one is finished.

Book Illustrations

2011-02-03T13:02:00.001-08:00

Here are some of the inside illustrations for the book I've been working on "A Tooth Tale of a Blue Tailed Dragon". You may notice some odd negative spaces on some of them, for example the last illustration with the picture frame. These areas are purposely left empty for text. Hope you like them, and thanks for checking it out!

IN LOVE..

2011-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife! This is the card I made for her. I used Prismacolor pencils on brown paper bag from the grocery store and white Strathmore Sketch paper.

New Book

2011-01-29T13:06:00.001-08:00

I just finished another book last week. This is the cover art, I will post some of the inside illustrations as well.

2011-01-28T05:30:00.001-08:00

2011-01-27T01:49:00.000-08:00

2010-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I did this as a warmup sketch for today, clearly I'm thinking about Sunday already.

2010-12-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

2010-10-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here's another lizard I sketched today.

Texas Horned Lizard

2010-10-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a project the last couple months that involves dragons. I've been looking at lizards for reference and cues for the anatomy. Here's a sketch of a lizards head I did today to warm up.

RANDY COUTURE

2010-09-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

I love the UFC, it's pretty much the only sport I pay attention to. I did this study for fun, just killing some time.. I spent about an hour and a half on this.

A Concept World

2010-09-23T12:27:00.001-07:00

The project for the first image was to paint a floating world that had architecture inspired by venice, rome and vatican city. The second image is a piece from the world in a more detailed orthographic sketch.

JT

2010-09-11T23:45:00.001-07:00

A CROW SKETCH

2010-09-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

The Scarecrow's Last Straw Illustrations

2010-08-19T13:01:00.001-07:00

2010-08-07T00:07:00.001-07:00

2010-08-05T16:04:00.001-07:00

This concept sketch is for a new book I'm working on about a kid who tries to pull out his own tooth.

2010-08-04T23:44:00.001-07:00

2010-08-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

AUSTIN

2010-08-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

I recently moved from California to Austin with my wife. I'm close by Lake Travis which I love since it is so beautiful. I set up a nice studio space and am excited to get right back to work. We just got a dog as well, his name is Dexter.

The Scarecrow's Last Straw

2010-04-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

Book Trailer

2010-04-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is the book trailer I've been working on in Flash to accompany the children's book that I illustrated. The whole thing has been a ton of fun and I'm excited to finally post it here. Many thanks to Dave Browne for whipping up this very cool original song for the book.

CAPTIN AMERICA

2010-02-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

Iron Man

2010-02-05T17:45:00.000-08:00

Leonardo Dicaprio

2009-11-26T01:38:00.001-08:00

DEL TORO

2009-11-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Benicio Del Toro, he is just so cool. I drew a sketch of him in August that turned out alright but I killed it by experimenting with markers. What a mess it became! Anyway, Today as a warm up sketch I decided to scan it in and salvage it.

TRUMP

2009-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

I was working on this one a few weeks ago for fun. I haven't been able to pick it back up to refine it further, so for now I will post it as it is.

HULK

2009-10-05T19:10:00.001-07:00

I was browsing the web and having a blast sketching photos today.

G. W. BUSH

2009-09-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

I did this one late last night. Started it in Painter for about an hour and a half, then brought it into photoshop for about the same.

I've been REALLY REALLY sick this past week, I hope you don't catch what I had. It's like being a walking zombie, which has absolutely nothing to do with this painting!

Downey JR and Brentwood

2009-08-17T02:37:00.001-07:00

I probably should not be up working this late but I was just having so much fun on this portrait. I started this one with pencil on 90 lb. cold press watercolor paper in my sketchbook. Scanned it in and worked for a couple hours in photoshop. I would love to address more issues and make it better, but it's time to call it a night and wrap this one up.

Second Image: I have been trying to keep my sketchbook handy while I'm out and about. I pulled up a seat outside some random restaurant in Brentwood, while my wife was getting her nails done. It was a nice sunday.

Sigmund Freud

2009-08-08T20:10:00.001-07:00

I have been working on some projects that I cannot share yet. I took a break today and painted this for fun.

Vacation Sketches

2009-08-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a cruise to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo, and Mazatlan for my 1st Anniversary. What a vacation!! Here are a couple sketches I did during the trip.

3 SQUIRRELS and a TRUCK

2009-07-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Babe Ruth

2009-07-12T18:43:00.001-07:00

BRAVEHEART SKETCH

2009-05-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

2009-04-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Period Piece Book Cover

2009-04-02T00:52:00.000-07:00

Revisit

2009-04-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

This isn't exactly new. I've always been bothered by some issues this piece had, for some reason or another i decided to spend another 30 minutes on it tonight just to brush it up. It's nowhere near perfect, the list can go on how to make it better. Unfortunately my free time is limited and I have a long day tomorrow, so I will have to set it aside once again.

ELVIS SKETCH

2009-03-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

2008-12-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

2008-11-22T23:33:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday night, just hanging around the house. I've been itching to paint all day. So I did this study tonight, just for fun. I spent about 3 hours on it total.

2008-11-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

2008-09-28T01:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my pieces I did for my show earlier this year along with its prisma pencil sketch.

2008-09-09T00:48:00.001-07:00

Thought it would be fun to paint an artist who I admire, Stephen Silver.

QUICK SKETCH

2008-09-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

SINNER TO THINNER

2008-05-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

This is the book cover and inside illustrations I did for Sinner to Thinner.

2008-04-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

A quick sketchy one

Ruins

2008-04-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

Concept Car

2008-02-29T07:14:00.001-08:00

Sinner to Thinner Devil

2008-02-18T00:20:00.000-08:00

This is the finished version of the character for the cover of Sinner to Thinner.

Here is an early concept sketch for the main character for the Sinner to Thinner Cover.

Sketchbook Paintings

2008-01-24T22:19:00.000-08:00

Life Drawing

2008-01-24T21:31:00.001-08:00

I brought my laptop into the night life drawing class after my class ended and for the first time did some live digital sketches. The top four sketches are 30 seconds, and the rest are 10 minutes. I had a blast doing this, can't wait until next week now!!

Indonesian Waterfall

2008-01-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished version for this one.

2008-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Memory Sketching

2008-01-09T02:23:00.000-08:00

Sketches

2007-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:00

Our class was presenting our senior projects this morning, so that bought me some available time to sketch my classmates. I'm sure i was making them more nervous by studying their features just before they had to orally present.. ah well, i was nervous too!

Figure Drawings

2007-11-30T00:25:00.000-08:00

In order two ten minute poses, a fifteen, and twenty

2007-11-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

A few sketches from the past couple days. Johnny Depp, Alicia Keys, and Jake Gyllenhaal. Plus a couple animal drawings

Reality meets Fantasy

2007-11-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Sketches

2007-11-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

Some of my various pencil sketches in my notebooks from the past couple weeks.

and a 20 min figure sketch

Getty Museum

2007-11-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

After meeting a friend for some lunch today, I decided to stop at the Getty Museum on my way home and Sketch.

Character Silhouettes

2007-10-25T02:54:00.000-07:00

Character Design

2007-10-08T01:54:00.000-07:00

Here's my updated version of the main monster character in my personal project.

Sims 2 Art Show

2007-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

I participated in the EA Games Sims 2 art show. This piece was displayed in the Ben Maltz gallery July-Sept. 2007.

Oil on Panel 18X24

New Books

2007-09-28T03:41:00.000-07:00

I just ordered a few new art books and I am very excited!!

Revolution: The Art of Jon Foster

Jenny Saville

Legacy: Frank Frazetta

ART OF THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

still waiting on my Spectrum 14 that i pre-ordered back in June. Should receive it sometime in Nov.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had to pass up these book due to finances, but hopefully next time!

J. C. Leyendecker

John Singer Sargent : The Early Portraits

Deceiving

2007-09-13T02:53:00.000-07:00

Turnarounds: Tyrannosaurus Rex

2007-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Turnarounds: Hummer H2

2007-09-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

Concepts

2007-09-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Figure

2007-09-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

These sketches were 10 minutes.

2007-08-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

Scrap

2007-06-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

For the past month part of my job has been to find cool art to reference for these game covers we are working on. I decided to created a separate folder for myself to record what art I've looked at and whats been inspirational to me. The amount of work I've collected is unbelievable! I'm still in love with buying art books, but the best part about this digital archive I've created is the diversity of the work I've collected. So... by the end of this summer i should have about a couple hundred thousand images, give or take.. jk
Yesterday I pre-ordered my spectrum 14 off amazon, I'm very much looking forward to receiving it!

A couple things I'm look forward to, I have 2 tickets that are amazing seats for Pageant Of The Masters. Also Comic Con 2007, I'm finally going to make it this year! Cheers to new experiences

2007-06-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Try to sneak in some sketches during my lunch break.

2007-06-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Put some more detail in this piece a while back, but haven't been able to access the file until now. This was a fun project for me to work on and I learned a great deal along the way. Looking forward to creating new images.

Still Alive

2007-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

Im still alive and making art, though i have not posted for weeks. Whats new with me? I got an internship at BLT and Associates, I was so happy. Im helping out in the home entertainment the video game and eventually the theatrical advertising departments. Working and learning alot.
Since I do not have anything scanned at the moment I would like to make this post useful by sharing some new art books I recieved and a couple I bought for myself around my Birthday :)

Sketches by Silver Volume one (completed the collection)
David Colman's The art of animal Character Design
God of War II concept art
In the Future: entertainment design, scott robertson
Spectrum 13
The art of the Incredibles
The art of the Robots
The art of Meet the Robertsons

It was a good Birthday, the collection moves forward!

2007-04-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

Worked a few more hours on this piece.

2007-04-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

Been super busy lately so I haven't gotten around to post some things I intended to. Hopefully soon!

For now, I have a movie poster that I'm doing a background for. Im developing the RED check marked thumby.

Still quite a ways to go, but the foreground is starting to develop nicely. check back for updates

original document is 4800 X 7200 Pixels

2007-03-31T01:42:00.000-07:00

I came up with this concept from a receipt i got at one of my favorite fast food joints. The receipt said "Where's my Burrito?"
Oil on panel

Obituary Painting

2007-03-31T01:11:00.000-07:00

These were some sketch ideas for my painting.

acrylic on ill. board

2007-03-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

Acrylic paintings

Welcome!

2007-03-29T23:49:00.001-07:00

Welcome all to my Blog site!
I will be using this space to post my artwork as an extension to my personal website which is currently under construction. Through this site I will be able to post illustration designs from both my personal collection and work I develop at Otis College of Art and Design.
My ultimate goal is to inspire others as well as obtain inspiration from dedicated and talented individuals. I look forward to anyone and everyone’s comments and feedback. Please feel free to add my space to your links list and please say "hello" so i can add you to my link list as well.

Thanks!

Brandon O'Keefe