Latest Sketches

Sorry it has been a long while since my last post...I've decided to try a few new things this summer, and it has been super duper busy...which I suppose is a good thing! :)

Hoping to be better at posting more stuff soon (especially my Little Do They Know strips).  In the meantime, I thought I'd post the following sketchbook pages, which were recently done for David Colman's character design class at the Concept Design Academy.

Part of the first week's assignment was to go out there and sketch a bunch of people & animals, while trying to emphasize personality & design as much as possible. I still need to push these ideas much further and have a long way to go, but I'm learning a ton nonetheless!  It's good & fun practice...and it gave me a wonderful excuse to visit the Los Angeles Zoo...animals are so cool, but so challenging to draw :)  Please click the following to enlarge.  Thanks for visiting!

PS.  Happy Birthday, Mom!  Love & miss you!

27th World Wide SketchCrawl (5/15/10)

Last Saturday was the 27th World Wide SketchCrawl!  I've had the privilege & pleasure of participating with the Los Angeles group for over a year now.  These events are fun and worthwhile – a nice mix of drawing and mingling – and this outing at Redondo Beach was no exception.  Below are a few of my results (bottom sketch was done outside of Priscilla's in Burbank):

Please visit www.sketchcrawl.com to see works by other artists and to learn more about this world wide drawing marathon.  Thanks for stopping by!

"Little Do They Know" (5/7/10)

Hello!  Please click below to view a new Little Do They Know strip!  Thanks for visiting.

PS.  I love you, Mom & Dad :)

"Little Do They Know" (4/27/10)

Please click below to view a new Little Do They Know strip!  It's been a while, so thanks to everyone who has inspired & encouraged me to keep moving along with this personal project.

(Note:  You may need to click twice on the image to enlarge further.)

It's been a bit busy, but I'm trying to get back on track with posting.  Thanks for visiting & for your support in the meantime!  Cheers :)

WonderCon in San Francisco (4/2 - 4/4)

My friends Squid Kids and Hyperactive Monkey exhibited their wares at WonderCon in San Francisco this past weekend – and they were kind enough to let me tag along for the ride.  The turnout at their booth was terrific.  Congrats, you guys!

In spite of the rainy weather and some residual jet lag from my China trip, I was also fortunate to catch up with a dear old friend & walked the show for quite a bit.  Below are just a few sketches from the weekend...never enough drawing, but I'm trying!

Thanks for visiting...aiming to post a few more things soon :)

Hong Kong / China Sketches (March 2010)

Sorry it's been a while since my last post!  It's been a busy year so far, and I'm trying to get my feet back on the ground :)

Recently, I had the privilege of taking a business trip to Hong Kong & China for the past couple of weeks – and while I took my sketchbook with me, I didn't have too much time to draw...but nevertheless, here are a few pages below.  Quick sketches & watercolors took place on Cheung Chau Island, Lantau Island (where the Tian Tan Buddha – aka "The Big Buddha" – resides), Dongguan Railway Station, and the Hong Kong International Airport.  Some touch-ups were added later.

Thanks for visiting & for your support!

 This post is dedicated to Norm.

Brownstones to Red Dirt Postcard Art Benefit (3/6/10 - 3/13/10)

The above Little Do They Know strip was specially done for the upcoming Brownstones to Red Dirt Postcard Art Benefit – an online art auction which will take place March 6 - March 13.

A couple of colleagues from Blue Sky Studios (the animation studio behind such popular films as Ice Age and Horton Hears a Who!) have created a film titled Brownstones to Red Dirt, a documentary about a pen pal program – and its lasting effect of hope and inspiration – between a group of children living in the housing projects of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and war orphans living in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Brownstones to Red Dirt Postcard Art Benefit is an extension of the film – and all proceeds of sales will go towards helping to build a school for the kids in Sierra Leone, and to help create a school library for the kids in Bed-Stuy.

Artists from around the world have been invited to contribute original artwork done on birch wooden postcards (courtesy of Night Owl Paper Goods) – many of which are based upon the central "Pen Pals" theme of the film project.  Please take a moment to visit the art benefit's blog to read more about this wonderful cause, and to see works by dozens of incredible artists!

You can also click here to sign up for notifications when the auction goes live this Saturday.  Happy bidding & thank you for your support!!!

26th World Wide SketchCrawl and The Drawing Club (2/25/10)

Times have been a bit busy lately, but it was nice to do even a little bit of sketching in the last few days.

This past Saturday was the 26th World Wide SketchCrawl.  Since it was a rainy day, our Los Angeles group met at the Central Library in Downtown LA.  I actually spent more time visiting with other artists than drawing...but here are a couple pages of people sketches (I wish I could say I did any justice to the amazing architecture of the library itself, but that didn't quite pan out):

I also attended The Drawing Club last Thursday.  Mark Wenzel posed as "The Magician".  Below are a few watercolor sketches from that evening:

Please visit www.sketchcrawl.com to see works by other artists and to learn more about this world wide drawing marathon.

For more information on The Drawing Club, please visit:  www.thedrawingclub.com

Thanks for visiting!

Happy Lunar New Year!

This past weekend was well spent with friends & loved ones :)

First off, thanks to everyone who attended The Land of Odd Gallery's "$100 & Under Art Show" on Saturday...there was quite a turnout & lots of great artwork.  I really appreciate the support!

I was also able to spend a bit of quality time with my family for the Lunar New Year. In the Vietnamese culture, we call it "Tết", and the common greeting goes like this:  "Chúc mừng năm mới!" (which is basically "Happy New Year!" in Vietnamese).

So...in observance of Tết and The Year of the Tiger, here's a little painting I did for my parents to help usher in some good luck & happiness for 2010:

 

The Tiger is wearing glasses, as a nod to my Dad.  My Dad is the most wonderful Tiger I know! :)

Chúc mừng năm mới to my family & friends!

The Land of Odd Gallery: "$100 & Under Art Show" (2/13 - 3/27)

Hello!  As part of an effort to do more personal work this year, I'll be showing a couple of paintings in the "$100 & Under Art Show" starting this weekend at The Land of Odd Gallery in Los Angeles.  Below are my pieces – you can click to enlarge:

 

"Still Standing" (8" x 8" Acrylic on Wood Panel)

 

 "Bull Shiitake" (8" x 8" Acrylic on Wood Panel)

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Below is some more information for the event:

"$100 & Under Art Show" (February 13, 2010 - March 27, 2010)
The Land of Odd Gallery
4690 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
** Opening reception is this Saturday (February 13) from 6pm to 11pm.

There will be pieces from over 40 participating artists with many different styles...so hope you'll check out everyone's artwork & get some great deals!  Thank you for your support!

"Little Do They Know" (2/2/10)

We've got a fun group at the office called "Sketchup & Mustard" – which was formed by my friend Jin Han, in an effort to bring colleagues together & to help each other keep up with creative side projects.  Last week's theme was "Kids and Their Imagination".

I decided to apply this theme to my latest Little Do They Know comic strip.  Please click the image below to enlarge:

I'll be posting a few more updates soon. Thanks for visiting :)

Superhero Linda Panda

The above painting was a gift for my good friend Linda Hong – aka "Linda Panda" – who celebrated her birthday this past weekend. She's depicted as a superhero panda, because that's what she is – strong, supportive, compassionate, and heroic.  Oh yeah...and she likes pandas too.

Be sure to check out Linda's blog, as she's poised to share her amazing artwork this year.  Linda also collaborates with her boyfriend Nate Mitchell, and Chito Arellano...together, they are the creative masterminds behind Squid Kids Ink.

As a quick sidenote – and speaking of heroes – I am very grateful to my family & friends.  Thank you for showing me what love & support are truly all about.

First Post of the Year: "Little Do They Know" (1/8/10)

Happy New Year!
Please click below for a new Little Do They Know comic strip:

 This 1/8/10 strip was intended to be posted yesterday, but a few things came up :P
Regardless, here's to having hope for the future. Cheers :)

Happy Holidays! "Little Do They Know" (December 2009)

Please click below to view a special Little Do They Know holiday strip, which is also featured on this year's holiday card:

Thanks for all the support this year.  Happy Holidays! :)

Piece for "Gifted Artist" Charity Art Event

Below is my piece for the "Gifted Artist" event – a charity auction & show benefiting the Loma Linda University Children's Hospital – which takes place this Saturday (December 19), at the CCAA Museum of Art in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

"Gone Bananas" (11x14" watercolor & acrylic)

There will be dozens of amazing works by a fantastic lineup of artists for this event.  Pieces will be auctioned for this one-night-only event, with 100% of proceeds going to the hospital.  Remaining works after the event are also donated to the hospital, so it's a great cause all-around.

Below is some more information.  Please also click here for more details.  Hope to see you there!

"Gifted Artist"

CCAA Museum of Art
12467 Baseline Road
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91729
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One night only:  December 19 (5pm - 10pm)