Been Away TOOOO LONG

Sorry for the long absence from the blog. It has been a busy month with the holidays and work. Pretty soon I will be switching over to a new blog on my website but I will definitely let you all know when that happens. I just wanted to thank everyone for the follows and comments on here. It has been really cool interactacting with so many of you around the world.

To thank everyone I am planning on doing a livestream soon where you can hang out, ask questions and watch my process of designing and painting. I will most likely do a demonstration of a character design. I am trying to do this before the end of the year and for those interested I will post the time and date on my blog of when I will do it.

Anyways, let's see some art dangnabbit! Here is a new illustration I just wrapped up for the season of giving. Do you recognize all the kids decorating?

HAPPY HULKIDAYS

This will be available as a print in my online store. If you are interested just click on the link below.

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I have a few more exciting events coming up this month and of course I will be dropping in more sketches on here so please stay tuned! Again, thanks everyone and I hope you are enjoying December!

-Patrick

Designer Con Nov 9-10

Designer Con (DCON) is this weekend, November 9-10, at Pasadena, CA (http://www.designercon.com/). Find me at booth #330.

This year I was given the privilege to design the official DCON T-shirt as well as create a DCON exclusive print available only at the show.

Close up of Art

My exclusive print sold thru DCON

New prints that will be available at the show!

Rooftop Rover

Friday Night Frights

I’m very much looking forward to this weekend and I hope to see you all there!

Comikaze Expo

Comikaze Expo starts this Friday in downtown Los Angeles. I'll be sharing booth #1244 with amazing cover artist Dave Wilkins and the talented Jin Yung Kim. I'm very excited to debut a couple of new prints! As always, I'll be available to take commissions all day Friday and after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Come by and say hello!

Also, here is the final print I will have ready at the show. I think some of you big kids will recognize these little trouble makers. The piece is called Rooftop Rover and, well, you get the point. 

This print measures 18"x9" and will be $20. For those of you who cannot make it the show, this print will be available for preorder by clicking on the link below.

click here---------------------------→PREORDER←-------------------------click here

To make sure you find us here's a little map to make your life a little bit easier. Again, looking forward to seeing you all out there and have a great week everyone!

Friday Night Frights---New Illustration

Growing up, sneaking out and catching the newest horror flick in the theaters was an adventure in itself.  What was even more exciting was getting ready to seat in that seat and get the Begeezus scared out of me. Each time going you never knew what to expect. That was the whole fun, not only the movie but the environment, stale air and popcorn, overpriced soda, and sticky seats.....well maybe not that. This image is not only a tribute to my favorite holiday of the year, but to those Friday nights were I lay awake in my bed ready to fend off Freddy, Jason, or Michael from entering my room. It was quite terrifying but a part of my childhood that I will always remember and cherish.

Here we have, Friday Night Frights! 

This print measures 9"x18" and is $20 plus shipping and handling. It will be available for preorder and will ship starting Oct 23, just in time for Halloween! I will also have this available at 2 upcoming conventions in November, more about those can be found here.

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Thanks for stopping by everyone and be safe out there you devious trick or treaters you!

THE RESPONSE

I have a tiny announcement to make, but I figure a short little comic strip would be the best way to do it. Hope you enjoy and yes this all actually happened.

Pirates

Hello, sorry for not posting on Friday these days just go by faster and faster I swear. Well below are some character concepts I never really got a round to finishing. Maybe someday I will, but for now they will get filed away as rough ideas that I hope to get to one day. Anyways, I though it would be interesting just to show you how rough I go with the initial idea and then the finish.

Here is my rough pass. I do have a general idea of what I want to do in these but mainly for this phase I am really thinking about personality and a fun/cool shape to use that will appeal to the viewer and also work for the entire lineup. One thing that helps is working on your cast in a row like this so that you can really create variety and contrast from one character to the next. Of course there is more to character design than just that but those are my initial thoughts.

The final drawing can sometimes change and stiffen up a little from the rough sketch, which happens to me all the time. However, this is the phase where you have to tie things down and get it ready for presentation. Rough sketches are great but some clients do not understand them so you have to be able to answer all their questions and create confidence between them and you work. This does not hold true for all clients but just be aware sometimes you do have to spell everything out.

More on this later but thanks again for dropping by.

Sketch Friday

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long gap in between posts. I am trying to keep consistent by posting every Friday, but work and just life in general catches up with you fast. It's like you blink and all the sudden it's September? Where the heck did summer go? As for me, I have been working on quite a few projects that I can't talk about just yet but I am super excited and cannot wait to show you. For the upcoming conventions In November I am working on quite a few new prints, Thundercats, Pacific Rim, and some horror movie characters are all going to be given the Patrick Ballesteros twist to them so stay tuned!

In the meantime I know it is Friday and we all what to get out and enjoy the weekend, but dangit doesn't it always seem like something comes up right before you are about to leave to go home? I call this the "Monkey Hour". It's basically when someone gives me some BS work to do that I could have done earlier in the day and really is of no importance. However, you have to treat it as a rush item and finish it before your weekend can start.

This is how I feel sometimes doing this "Monkey Work."

Not to end on a bitter note here are some sketches that I did out and about this week. Enjoy the weekend and get the Monkey Work done so you can finally relax! I know, it's been a long week for us all.

Cheers!

Patrick

GAME OVER

Well hello there again! The past few posts I have been putting up sneak peeks of my piece that was included in the Seattle show "Press Start to Continue" at LTD. Art Gallery. Well enough peeks, here is the full color illustration depicting a nice friendly game of Tug of War.

If you are interested there are still a few limited edition prints for sale which can be purchased online.

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I am working on a few more new pieces for a few conventions in November. In the coming weeks I will be posting a few peeks at those as well.

Thanks again for dropping in!

Sketch Friday and Gallery Show

So this post is going to be 2 for one deal. First if you are in Seattle or at PAX please stop by Ltd. Art Gallery for their show "Press Start to Continue."The show opens tonight at 7PM and it is a celebration of new and old video games and with the roster of talent it looks to be super fun. Below is the flier with more info on the event.

Next up is another sneak peek of my piece. This is the sketch/lineart before the final i take things to the final color stage. Interested in seeing the final color image? Well I guess you will just have to check out the show tonight. There will be some limited edition prints of theses available at the gallery so make sure to grab one for yourself this weekend!

My apologies for not posting as often, juggling a few projects but if you are interested in following some of my daily sketches please feel free to check out my Instagram account at patrickballesteros. Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone and I will attempt to get back on a regular posting schedule next week.

Press Start to Continue Art Show---Sneak Peek

Hi All.,

Friday, Aug 30th I will be in another gallery show with the good folds at Ltd. Art Gallery in Seatte. The show "Press Start to Continue" is combining old school and new school games in a mash up brought to you by some of the best in the video game industry. The show is during PAX so if you are attending that event then drop on over to the gallery at night to see some cool art!

Below is a tiny sneak peak of my piece, hopefully you can tell some of the characters I am depicting in my "Pat" way of course.

This is just 1/4 of the piece so rest assured there are more surprises to come, to see the whole thing, well you have to go to the show!

Divulge Magazine---Artist of the Month

Last month I was asked to be featured as the artist of the month for Divulge Magazine's July issue. I did an interview with them about my art and process and they even did a small photo shoot of me and my artwork. I may post some of the pics of the photo shoot at a later date, it's just weird seeing pictures of yourself published. Anyways, I was also asked to contribute some artwork for the main feature of the magazine which was about cosplayers!

So below are photos taken by the talented Victoria Lara and I added some of my flavor to the mix with a few illustrated characters here and there. Can you guess who is who?

Working with different artists is always a blast and I had so much fun with this project. Well, thanks again for dropping in and hope you all enjoyed the collaboration! If you are interested in getting a hard copy or digital copy of this issue then click here.

Sketch Friday--Ape Man

This is the product of staying up late, too much coffee and watching too many martial arts movies with Donnie Yen. 

Ape Man--the Grandmonkey

Keep it Strange---Sketch of the Day

Getting back into traditional media has been a blast. I forgot how frustrating and at the same time invigorating it is to mix paint and colors and have a final product I can actually hold and touch. By no means am I a great painter, I actually still have quite a bit to learn but that's what I love about art. The ability to experiment, try new things, and have fun. I think as a lot of start our jobs in the real world we forget to do that because our jobs do not afford us the time to do so.

If this is the case, you have to make the time. After all, we all got into this art business because we love what we do. Please do not forget that and continue to have fun and be inspired by not only others but by your own experimentations and triumphs in art.

Be Strange!

Pen and gouche on heavy weight, cold press illustration board

Here is my makeshift palette, not the best organization on here 

but proof that I mixed paint!

Have a wonderfully odd day!

Castle Grade School; Final New Print for Comic-Con

Hi everyone, as you can see with the change of my blog header I am getting ready for Comic-Con next week in San Diego. In my previous posts you can see some of the new things I will have available at my table DD-08 in Artists' Alley. Well, here is the 3rd and last print I promised to reveal.

It is called Castle Grade School. 

Yearbook pictures were always a blast, mostly for the students but I felt bad for the teacher that always had to wrangle us in. This is my take on what a yearbook picture would be for these tiny "Masters of the Classroom." This print measure 12"x18" and is $20. I will have a limited amount at the con but not to worry, if you cannot make it out to San Diego you can always preorder it online by clicking below.

click here---------------------------→PREORDER←-------------------------click here

One more thing, if you are in Brooklyn, New York, I will have a piece displayed in the group show, Where Is My Mind at Bottleneck Gallery. It opens tonight at 7PM. Limited edition giclee prints on canvas and watercolor paper of Blink and Seek will be available for sale. Try and check it out cause there is going to be a ton of badass work on display. 

A lot going on, thanks again for stopping by and stay tuned for more stuff next week! Plus, I promise to get back into my sketches and Sketch Fridays, my apologies for slacking on those.

Chasing Fireflies; 2nd NEW PRINT

Here is the second print I plan to unveil at San Diego Comic Con. These little brownie coats are back and ready for more misbehavin'. Will they get the loot or just get into more trouble? I will let you be the judge of that.

The cost of the print is $20 and measures 12"x16" so stop by my table at Artist Alley DD-08, say hi, chit chat, and pick yours up before they are gone! Again do not fret, if you cannot make it out to Comic Con you can preorder your print now by clicking above on PREORDER. I am trying to squeeze out one more print before con so I am not going to give away too much info on that. For now enjoy this piece, daydream, and imagine yourself as "a leaf on the wind!"

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Sneak Peek for Comic Con

Hi everyone, here is a sneak peek of a new print titled "Blink and Seek" that I will be releasing this July for San Diego Comic Con. To go back in time and play with these young Whovians would be a dream come true!

Not only will this piece make its debut at the San Diego Comic Con but also you will get a chance to see it in Brooklyn, New York, at the Bottleneck Gallery for their upcoming exhibit "Where Is My Mind?"

PREORDER

The cost of the print is $20 and measures 12"x18" so make sure to drop by Artist Alley DD-08 to pick yours up before they are gone! If you cannot make it to San Diego, well guess what?....You can preorder your print now by clicking here. I have a few more things in the works that I will be releasing as Comic Con gets closer. Information will posted here, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so keep your eyes peeled. Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the new piece.

Sneak Peek Friday

I have been super slammed getting ready for San Diego Comic-Con. I promise to get back on the sketch game next week. However, just thought I would post a sneak peek of something I have been working on. This is not a new piece but I have made some tweaks to it because it will be part of a postcard set!

This is the cover image for the set of 16 postcards (all are 4"x6"). I'm doing only a small run of these so I'll let you all know when they go on sale. For sure I plan to have them at Comic-Con. Only a few more weeks so literally back to the drawing board for me!

Sketch Friday!

This was a commission for a super fun couple who both bought some of my artwork. Yujia contacted me and asked I depict her and her bf on their many travels and asked me specifically to include a feral cow. This is what I came up with and I actually had quite a bit of fun with this.

She surprised him with this on their anniversary so I was very happy to be part of a great memory! Thank you 2, wishing you the best!

-Patrick

Women of Legend Trading Cards

A few months ago I was contacted by Cryptozoic to see if I were interested in contributing artwork to the DC Comics Women of Legend trading card series. I gladly accepted and below is my first base card that will be included in the set, the Enchantress.

I also did quite a few sketch cards for their Walking Dead Series 2 collection so if you pick those up you might get one of my orignal sketches in there! I will show more of those once I am allowed. Exciting times everyone and Comic-Con is right around the car....AAAHHHHHH!

Sketch Friday

Not so much a sketch but it started out as one if that counts..lol. Anyways, every so often I get commission requests, some can be fun and interesting while others can be quite random and make me scratch my head. This one actually caught my eye and I was happy to do it for such a great guy.

Bryan is in the military and he contacted me a few months ago and asked if I could do 2 illustrations of playful scenarios of him with his son and daughter. He wanted to present the illustrations as a gift to his kids on his deployment ceremony. I was extremely honored to be part of this occasion and gladly accepted. Below is what we came up for his kids.

And here are a few pics of the ceremony and of Bryan presenting the illustrations to his kids.

 Its moments like these that remind me why I chose to be an artist. Bringing joy to others and helping to create memories is what being an artist is all about and I was happy to be a part of one on this day.