illustration friday: strength

This week's illFriday topic is Cows. Cows! Ok, so it's really strength. Strength like a cow! I've been playing around with last weeks illo and came up with this. Been on a sci-fi kick lately since Episode III came out on dvd and Battlefront II came out for xbox. It's a freakin' fanboy overdose and I'm running out of veins. I even lured Jenn into watching all 6 episodes with me. She's never seen any of them. So it was a kick watching this whole new universe unfold right in front of her. Almost like seeing it for the first time myself. We watched it in chronological order instead of the original/prequel way. And I must say that it was a different experience for me. The original still looks great despite its age and the noticeable cg add-ons. I've even developed a better appreciation for the prequels. It might not have been the way I had envisioned it, but it sure was entertaining eye-candy. Yoda is my hero.

Look! More cows!


More of me playing around with this idea.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: night

So I've missed the last couple of illFridays. I've been a bit preoccupied. Well, I'm back for this week's topic. Better late than never. I've had this sketch of a farm house for awhile now. It was an environmental concept for this character of mine. I've had this idea for a comic book starring this unnamed spacegirl. But it just ain't clicking yet. So I thought I'd revisit this sketch and put some color to it.

While you're at it, check out Illustrator CS2 Killer Tips by Dave Cross and Matt Klowskowski. I was asked to contribute a few of my pieces in there as visuals for some of the tutorials. A lot of good techniques in there. And check out their video podcast, Photoshop TV (formerly Photoshop Radio).

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

pumpkins

It's been a while since we've carved a pumpkin, so Jenn and I decided to grab a few pumpkins this weekend. We also picked up a couple pumpkin carving kits complete with tools and stencils. Jenn did an awesome job on the haunted house, while I struggled a bit with the smaller ones and trying to figure out what I'd like to do with the other big pumkin. I think it came out alright, but far from what I had in mind. Not bad at all and I'm sure we'll come off tighter next year. Now this guy, The Pumpkin Gutter, is freakin' tight!

BTW, check out my better half's new blogspot, Dumpster for my thoughts. Have a safe Halloween.

noodling: 03

I have a lot of fucking sketchbooks. Most of which prolly only have a few pages of drawings. I like to buy sketcbooks. If it has a cool cover, I'll buy it. If it has cool paper, I'll buy it. If they're on sale, I'll buy a couple. I'll buy them, draw a few doodles in 'em, then buy another one thus repeating said cycle.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: cold

This weeks illfriday topic is cold. It's cold right now. I'm cold right now. In honor of how cold it is, I will post something I did from my calendar. That's right kids. I'm lazy. Lazy is king. Anyhoo, the illos are for the months of December, January, and February.


The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Waterson, that Jenn ordered for me just came in a few days ago. It is my all time favorite comic strip of... all time. Along with the collection of every single brilliant, insightful, and hilarious comic strip ever created is an introduction filled with great anecdotes from Waterson's experience before, during, and after Calvin and Hobbes. And it's freaking heavy! I have at least one thing in common with Bill Waterson. As a kid I, too, wanted to either be a cartoonist or an astronaut. But my dream of being an astronaut where later crushed when I lost all understanding of math beyond fractions and long division (which I actually took in college). Jenn also got me The Quitter graphic novel. She takes such good care of me.

I've been tagged by Carla. I need to post 20 random facts about myself and then tag the same amount of people as minutes it takes me to write the facts. Drumroll please...

1. I consume more ketchup in a week than a family of four can in a month.
2. I believe that cows are ambassadors to extraterrestrial life forms.
3. I have been wearing a lot of brown lately.
4. I lived in Japan for the first three years of my life.
5. I am not fond of spiders.
6. I can't drink milk.
7. I don't like drinking water through a straw.
8. I enjoyed the taste of alligator and frogs.
9. I once flipped-out at a rave and didn't sleep for three days.
10. I view the world as if it where a how to drawing book.
11. I laugh at inappropriate times.
12. I want to be an astronaut and/or ninja.
13. I am a Batman fanboy at heart.
14. I once found a year old carton of unopened milk in the back of the fridge.
15. I was graciuosly asked, by my art school, not to return.
16. I have a ridiculous fear of giant babies who can talk.
17. I am a sucker for dogs.
18. I have an absurd fondness for ice skating movies.
19. I am in love with my fiance, Jenn.
20. I miss Spike terribly.

Tag, you're it.
chacha
leezy
daniel
sarah

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

thank you

Jenn and I would like to thank everyone for their thoughtfulness and kind words. It has been very comforting. Since coming home without Spike, it's been difficult to accept that he will no longer be waiting for us at the door or following us where ever we go. But we know he will always be with us. And the happy memories of the short time we had with him will always bring a smile to our face.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

in loving memory

Last night we lost a very special and precious part of our little family. Spike, our baby cocker spaniel, past away. His curious and rebellious nature got the best of him as he tried to explore our parents backyard pond. By the time my sister found him, it was too late.


It was only a few months ago, in June, when Jenn and I first saw him. He was tiny and scared, but it past as Jenn held him on the way home. He even ventured off to sit on my lap as I drove, curiously looking up at the steering wheel. Even trying to drive himself. We named him Spike, after the vampire from the Buffy and Angel series.


We made our new home in San Diego, a few weeks later. Spike was as rambunctious and daring as any little boy would be. He constantly wrestled his older brother, Kinno. And you can see it in his eyes when he was about to make trouble. A notorious panty thief, anything that wasn't nailed down would find its way into his mouth. He was my little shadow who followed me everywhere and wouldn't leave my side. I would, on occasion, accidentally lock him in the bathroom from not noticing that he would follow me in. And since I like to work late at night, he would wait with me until I was done before heading upstairs to bed. He was also our little alarm clock. He just couldn't wait to wake us up to get the day started. He was affectionate and loving, and made the short time he was with us one of the most happiest times of our lives.



Spike, you were the best puppy two loving people could ever have. I hope you know how much we love you and how thankful we are to have had you in our lives. You will never be forgotten. You will always be missed. You will always be loved.





www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: lost

This weeks ill friday was inspired by a conversation with my fiance Jenn. Basically, a picture popped up in my head of her as a little girl wandering off from her parents with Gunther. Something I'd always do as a kid. Anyhoo, random thought here, random thought there. Illustration finished. I'd be lost without her.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

surfer girl

It's been 3 months since Jenn and I moved from the Bay Area to sunny San Diego. And I think we've adapted quite well to this new environment. We've been introduced to quite a few delicious indigenous delicacies, from deep-fried burritos to the almighty goodness of carne asada fries, which basically boils down to a large styrofoam to-go box filled with fries and topped with everything you would find inside a large carne asada burrito. My arteries are clogging just thinking about it. Everything is less than a half hour away, including the beach. There are a lot more hills down here, so my trusty Sector9, which is definitely one of my best So-Cal investments, is an awesome way to get around and a great substitute to snowboarding on the off-season. And the warm, sunny weather supports my pants-less way of life. The one thing we haven't gotten around to yet is surfing. What other sport can say you might get eaten? I can't wait to try it out. And I'm definitely not wearing pants for that.

Above is one of the concept sketches for a t-shirt design I'm working on. The project shifted to another one of my designs, so I get to play around with these sketches on my own time. So maybe I'll put it into Illustrator and color it. Or maybe I'll sit around on my lazy ass and think about it for awhile before I get distracted with thoughts of pouring carne asada fries down my pants. What the hell, I can do two things at once.

And on a different note, Melody, you fucking rock! Can you dance at my wedding? I promise to wear pants.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: float

I've had this idea in my head for a while now. And thanks to Ill-Friday, I've gotten off my lazy, DVR watching, XBox playing ass and finally put it down on paper. Now I'm back on my ass and writing about it on my nifty ass sketchblog. What can I say? I'm full of sit.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: fresh

My illo for this weeks Illustration Friday, or what I'd like to call, "if this slack bastard procrastinates any more he'll go blind." Or grow hairy palms. What can I say, better late than never. Just in time for tomorrows new topic in a few hours. Now check out Snoop Dogs translation of my skectblog. Peace out homeskillet.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

noodling: 02

More noodling for your viewing pleasure. I've been trying to loosen up my sketches and going beyond what I usually draw. A lot of the characters I draw have been looking more and more alike, like the same girl but with a different hairstyle. Or the same pose, but different clothes. Is it the laziness in me, or have I become accustomed to drawing something the same exact way? There's no variety, and we all know that variety is the spice of life. I felt I was on the right track when I created a 2006 calendar for the Comic-Con. Most of the characters varied somewhat in head shapes and facial features. But I know I can flip it much more than that. Flip it like a pancake. Mmm... pancakes.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: escape

Recently, my form of escape has been taking my Sector 9 longboard and hitting the hills by my house. It's a great way for me to clear my mind and just think randomly. Usually about useless things like making a career out of being a flight attendant just so I can ask people if they would like some salty nuts. I'd be outside right now if it wasn't raining. And as much as I enjoy walking in the rain pants-less, I just don't like skating in the rain pants-less. That's just silly.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

noodling

I've recently stumbled upon the world of podcasting and listening to them while pretending to do some work. It's pretty nifty. With the new iTunes 5 you can subscribe to these podcasts, most of which are free, and your computer will download the latest episodes. One such podcast that I find very interesting, and highly recommend to any and all creative types, is Media Artist Secrets, podcasted by Franklin McMahon. It's very inspiring to hear advice and insight from an artist who's been in the trenches and just wants to share and give back the knowledge to those of us who are doing our damnness to do what we love for a living. It's just comforting to know that other creative types go through the same shit you do day in and day out. I've just downloaded all 39 episodes he's put out so far and flying through them like a crack fiend who's just come across, um... a lot of crack. Ok, so that wasn't the best analogy I've ever come up with. Feel free to substitute "crack" with another vice of your choosing. May I recommend "pornography."

Anyhoo, in episode 4 he talks about noodling, and how and why to noodle. Basically, noodling, a musician's term, means playing around. Picking up your weapon of choice and messing around and experimenting. It's self-development, and sometimes you just have to try and find time to fit it in. It's been a while since I've done any kind of sketching that had nothing to do with a project I'm working on. And boy am I rusty. I think I stared at that blank page for a better part of three days, I shit you not. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my work, like many artists are. And sometimes I find myself not starting anything if I don't think it will turn out perfect. Even sketching, which is freaking ridiculous, I know. It's something I hope I can get over with time. So noodle, people! Noodle your fucking brains out! Noodle with a friend, or two, if that's what you're into. Noodle till you can't noodle anymore. Then eat some cheese.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.

illustration friday: depth

ONESICKINDIVIDUAL "FUN FACT" : Extremely deep water scares the holy shit out of me. You know those nature documentaries on the Discovery Channel about whales where they have footage of, well, whales? If you think about it, whales are pretty freaking huge. And when you see this footage of these freaking huge whales they look tiny surrounded by a deep, dark blue background. Now that's not just post-production CG work here, all that emptiness is water. And when you realize how small these whales look engulfed in this water you start to realize how much freaking water that has to be. To make a long story short, all that water freaks me out! It's just a lot to take in, you know? Now, I'm not saying that I spend most of my time in the urine-filled kiddy pool. I enjoy jumping into the 8 foot deep end like everyone else. But if you were to tell me that you'll be dropping me off in the middle of the ocean just for the fun of it, I'd smack you across the face with my left foot. I'm just not a fan of really deep water.

With that said and done, this piece was inspired by all those horror/monster/in the deep blue sea movie posters I used to see as a kid. Thought I'd take this opportunity to play around with all the new nifty features they added to Illustrator CS2. I freaking love that program. Almost as much as I freaking hate really deep water. And spiders.

www.ONESICKINDIVIDUAL.com

all images © 2005 Erwin Haya, unless otherwise noted.