New Years.

So I after this Saturday's purchase of some Moleskine sketch notebooks and the suggestions of my girlfriend, I came too a conclusion. I've seen the idea thrown around, I think some people have done it. But since they are so portable and I love how my microns feel on the paper. I am going to try and do 365 sketches, one every day. After yesterday's frigid adventure too a local lake and today's adventure to Weedon Island nature preserve, both with my girlfriend. I have a good start.

I am starting to compile supplies for the screen printing project as well. Going to start small. Need transparencies and a few other things. Making a checklist with Sam.

Out.

Merry Christmas.

So today was great. Fuck that, today was AMAZING! I love this time of year cause I love my family. I also love my beautiful girlfriend. This is our second christmas, first real one. We exchanged gifts and she loved what I got her. She loves baking so I got her two new pans and a carrier she really wanted. Also got her these hard to find PVC Mousegaurd figures and the Winter 1152 graphic novel. As well as the badass Hush figure of Joker, the new Harry Potter movie and a book on how to play guitar that helped me alot when I learned. Her parents got her this badass new camera.

She knew what to get me too. A new comic box, I am running out of room. This sick Green Arrow figure from the Cartoon I watched when I was a kid and the Hush, Hush figure. He is bad ass. An this little Moonknight thing I loved. Parents got me a new Macbook, needed it for school and for work, thing is amazing. I got a Speedball screen printing kit, needed it! Got this sick Sideshow old school Wolfman figure I wanted, a old 80's Punisher model. A Rapidograph pen and some ink for it, those things rock. Set of new H pencils, Assassins Creed II and Marvel UA 2. A new figure drawing book from Burne Hogarth and DC inking book. Programs and case for computer. Also got these new flannel shirts I wanted. Got some new dress shirts and pants, money and a gift card to Borders from Aunts, Uncles and Grandmas.

She came over to my Grandmas and she had a great time, she loves my family. Everyone was there except my Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Mike and their two kids. My family poured the love on her, she had a great time, got alot of things she needed and wanted. My two other little cousins were running around, everyone was having a good time. Grandma and Aunts and my mom made an amazing dinner, like always.

Had a great christmas, taking the new next few days off. I am sore, I am tired, and I exhausted. I am going hiking this next week hopefully with the girl. Making it a photo/sketching trip.

Hope ya'll had a good christmas, be safe!

Ian

Crystalus

Here is a low res image of the Crystal Mountain shirt.

The Perfect Design.

I got an email for this site a month or two ago asking me to do this interview type thing about my work and my inspirations and aspirations. Scanned over it before when a friend asked me to look over something she posted.

 I added some post interview commentary

"1. Where are you from, currently? Is this where you grew up as a child, or did you move there from somewhere else? Where did you move from?

I was born in St. Petersburg, FL, but was raised in a (relatively) small town 10 or so miles north of St Petersburg, called Largo.


2. What got you into graphic design? What was your inspiration for going into graphic design?

I was always into comic books when I was a kid, X-Men, Venom, Spawn, Batman. That really got me into art.

I got back into it when I worked for a metal magazine based out of Tampa. I had tinkered around for them doing ad's, logos and fliers for shows. I soon started doing artwork for local bands, t-shirt designs and album covers and stuff.

But illustration really caught my eye, I really don't do much "design" work, anything I do with CSS or Corel programs is on my Wacom Tablet.

I got a book that featured these two amazing comic artists Bernie Wrightson, he did Swamp-thing and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and a alot of work for DC. And this other guy, Marc Silvestri, he worked for Marvel doing X-men then Image comics doing Witchblade then started his own company called Top Cow doing Darkness and all kinds of stuff. Also found out about Gustave Dore and Alphonse Mucha. Kinda blossomed from there. I also really love Jim Lee's stuff, Alex Ross, David Finch, Mike Mignola, John Dyer Baizley....too many to name.

To really sum it up, comic books again are what got me doing it.


3. Do you do freelance work, or corporate, or both? Do you love your job, and why?

I love doing work, mostly freelance, I run my own thing called IWELSHART. I mostly do artwork for bands, labels and private clients. I also do some comic work and other illustrated publications.



4. What’s your favorite part or aspect of graphic design?

Being able to put something that is in my mind on paper.



5. If you had the opportunity to do graphic design work for one event, or individual, what, or who, would it be and why? What other events, or people, have you designed for that are noteworthy, or stand out in your mind?

Comics, for one of the big three, Marvel, DC or Image. That (would be) is it.

(Don't think name dropping is cool.)



6. What piece of business advice can you give your peers that you learned from experience? How did you learn this?

Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Monotony is part of the job, if you want a piece to stand out be prepared to work 60+ hours on it.



7. Name one individual who has helped shape your graphic design career, and explain how they did this.

Cheesy, but my parents, they always indulged what ever crazy thing I wanted to try.
(Also a few teachers I have had and my girlfriend whose very damn supportive.)


8. What methods do you use to spark creativity for a project when it seems almost impossible to do so? In other words, how do you get over the writer’s block of design?

I always listen to music when I work, usually when I do work for a band I have them send me their lyrics, their ideas and their mp3's. I will immerse my self in their work and it will trigger something. I have a sketch book I just doodle random things in then when I get something good going I finish it up then transfer it to the Bristol.



9. What is it about life, other than design, that you’re passionate about? Please, explain why life is exciting to you.

Other than comics, I am a big history buff. Specifically the civil war, also love nature. Growing up in a area that 20 minute drive in any direction and you're in the middle of no where with swamps and forests. It is great.



10. To sum up… Where do you see yourself in the future? What is your biggest goal? What would be the ultimate accomplishment for you personally?

Doing comics or my own work, hopefully a mixture of both. Ultimate would have to be running my own imprint.

Thank you very much!"

http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/ian-welsh-graphic-designer-spotlight/

Down Time.

Since I have a little down time because of school being over with. I started working on some personal pieces. I've always wanted to draw a Samurai and I had a really cool image come to mind. I sketched out with a sharpie last night what I'd like the helmet to look like. Need to look at a few more examples but it's going to be fun. Got my mother her present today, going today or tomorrow to get my dads. Need to get same one or two more things and I am done!

Final

Call this one the "First Born". Reminds me of the demon baby from the Jericho game. This was my final for my drawing 1 class. Professor set up a still life on each side of the room and I picked this. Got a B+.

Contest.

Posting my annual contest tonight for a free shirt design. Amped up what I am giving away. Last time it flopped because the band suck at emailing.

This is the second time I am doing this. I am offering ONE band a t-shirt design free of charge. A full t-shirt design, color and all.

I am baseing my selection upon the originality of the idea for the design. So that means if you want zombie babies coming out of cadavers and so on you probably won't get selected, that also means I am not doing anything gore themed. If you send me something like "I want a vulture flying through the rings of Saturn that look like tree branches and cannons incorperated in it somehow", I may be more apt to pick you.

I will post a blog with the same exact message as this bulletin. Please only post your entries in the blog, not the bulletin, it'll get lost or will will go away and I don't want to lose peoples submissions. Also, don't send them through my inbox because they will get lost in the myriad of messages I get. I will give this contest til Dec 15th. December 16th at 12:00 A.M. I won't accept any more submissions.

The rules:

You must have more than 5,000 friends.

Must have music up and have total plays at the least of 15,000.

Must have played more than 10 shows in the past 6 months.

May not have been in contact with me in the past 6 months (through messages or emails, not comments or adds).

No gore, no black and white designs, nothing based off another bands artwork.

Must be ready to have these shirts ordered within two months.

Finally I request two units of these shirts for my portfolio.

It isn't a definite possibility but for this one I am leaning more twords picking a sludge, doom or drone band.


What I need from you:

A detailed description of what you want the design to look like.

A clear line of contact when you are chosen.

Credit and a spot on your top friends or a banner on your page when chosen.

How many colors you want put in it.


I am really looking forward to hearing what you guys come up with, good luck!

Ian

Seminole Wind

Inspired by native plants, swamps and forests as well as things I see every day. Yes, including the gator. As well as the John Anderson song I fucking love. Rough pencils for the tree tops, I am not done adding everything. I am going to ink what is on there now, ink the trees more freehand then add some mangroves behind the cat-tails.

Twitter.

I now use it, I gave in.
http://twitter.com/IWelshart

Ole' Marse Robert.

I did this for my American History teacher, one of his favorite generals. One of mine too. Stars suck but I suck at doing them.

Check in.

Tis the season to rush around. Finals are almost done, got a 81 on my final portfolio in my Drawing 1 class, still have to take the exam in my American History class. But since it is on the Civil War I am not sweating it.

I started working on Mountain of Judgement's album. Coming along well, finished majority of my current clients stuff. Running a little behind with most. Also did a portrait of Robert E. Lee for my AH teacher, hope he likes it.

Started thinking of music to do on my own. Going to do some alt country/bluegrass stuff as well as a drone thing called Cicada.

Ugh....society.

So today I did a little people watching at my local high end mall. I have to say I didn't like what I noticed. From one bad extreme to another, what becomes the "edgy" clothing trend is still annoying the hell out of me. These bright animal print colors, the hideous degradation into popularity of my childhood cartoons, the horrendous 80's hair. They also high jacked my beloved plaid! I wore that shit when I was a kid it's fine. It's like they mixed the horrible elements of the 80's and 90's culture and assimilated it into what is the in trend. Before it was the tight pants and the comb over hair do. Now it's hair spray everywhere and these skater kids that look like Eddie Vedder.

Mix this with the horrible artwork that Ed Hardy puts out on his clothing, the stupid band tee's sold at the skater stores, the badly designed "screamo" and "core" band shirts".

I had to rant. I hate kids.

By the way, read Marvel's new SIEGE: The Cabal, fucking excited!

MOJO

Here is a rough of the main component of the Mountains of Judgment album cover.

Exhilarating air of freedom

I find my self having a big sigh of relief knowing that all of my work for my drawing class is done and I am ahead of the rest of the students on my final.

I posted the picture I did for Morpheus Tales and I have gotten a very big reception within the short time it has been up.

Also, started seeing what all my girlfriends hoopla about Livejournal is. Lots of pretentious pricks on there, especially on the illustration community.

Finally!

So tonight I finished all my backwork due tomorrow for my drawing class. I also finished the Morpheus Tales 7 work a bit ago. I have some catching up to do with some clients.

As promised

Here is a unedited/unfinished look at the piece for Morpheus Tales.