Tuesday 24 March 2015

DKS art & design - February / March Roundup

DKS Art & Design

It's official, DKS Art & Design has been registered as a business name. My new look business card is below. My new website will launch April/May ahead of Supanova Perth 2015.



Custom Backdrop Display Solutions

I have launched a Facebook page for Custom Backdrop Display Solutions. New designs are being added every week. Orders can be placed via the Facebook page. Check it out here



High quality colour print on 170gsm matt paper stock, mounted on 10mm Foam Core Board with a Matt laminated protective finish to reduce light glare and protect the printed surface. The display board sits perfectly inside (Ikea) DETOLF cabinets and are fixed in place via 2 magnets on the back. The display system is interchangeable as the installation process is non-permanent. Product sample photo below.

Custom Backdrop Physical Sample

Here's a couple of TRON Backdrop Design WIP screen shots for your viewing pleasure. I really enjoy working on the Grid. I think you can tell ;-)




RUST

Script, character development and world building is well under way for my creator owned project, RUST. It is a little early to share too much at this stage. I'll have some finished pages ready to show you next month. In the meantime here's some development in progress snippets.





The Silent Vox Haus

My fourth album is available to stream or download from my BandCamp page here. Enjoy.




I'll finish off with a photo from over a year ago - busking at Wanneroo Markets January 2014.


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Best wishes,

Damian K. Sheiles

Tuesday 27 January 2015

2015: The Year of Change (aren't they all?)

As I type this, January has almost already passed us by. 2015 is well and truly underway.

I have big plans for this year. Big, fat, juicy, ambitious plans.

First up will be fresh-off-the-mixing desk album #4 - The Silent Vox Haus. Which is a continuation of the approach to music making I utilised when recording/mixing my last experimental album, Alchemy from a couple of years ago.

The Silent Vox Haus is a fusion of soundscapes; progressive, space, indi, ambient, noise, hard, orchestral, low-fi, acoustic and mellow. It's off the cuff and spontaneous. It is uninhibited creativity oozing to fill the space between your ears. It'll be available sometime late February 2015.

The Silent Vox Haus - Front Cover

The Silent Vox Haus - Back Cover
Here's the (working) track listing:
1. Prelude
2. Drifting Moat Flicker Bright
3. ...Seconds to Impact
4. NeverGo NoWhere
5. Magpie
6. Vivid Lizard
7. Until I See You
8. When Blends Again
9. Sojourn
10. He's a Feline Sociapath
11. Overture

I'm planning to have an album launch/show sometime this year though it'll most likely be after July. The best place to stay informed is by 'liking' my DKSmusic Facebook page. I'll also be doing a spot of impromptu busking all over town, I'll be letting people know when and where via my Facebook page as well so if you're at all curious, please click on the link above and give that page some attentive mouse clicking or finger scrolling.

New Year, New Job and New Clients

A new job seems to be on the cards. All I can say for now is that I may have a regular part time contracting job based in Fremantle. I'll be very happy to be working in Fremantle again, the arts and music culture are much more to my liking - plus, they now have 5 record shops to peruse. FIVE.

I have also picked up a new client for my home based design biz. Welcome aboard Advanced Tile & Stone Solutions. I look forward to working with you this year.

2015 Prospects & Goals

I've set my sights high and I'm shooting for the stars this year. I have several projects on the go, all of which need to be well underway by the end of June so that I have lots of work, prints and other merch on offer when I exhibit in Artists Alley at Supanova this year. More on this later...



I'll have more pop-culture prints at upcoming shows. Next on the list is Collector Zone Toy Fair at Craigie Liesure Center 1 March 2015 and then Nexus Toy Fair 11 April 2015.

I am also close to finishing the prototypes for my custom background displays for the Detolf range of glass cabinets (available from IKEA). The Custom Interchangeable Background Displays will be available to pre-order, purchase and view at the Toy Fairs mentioned above.

DKS art & Design Online

The best way to stay informed of all my projects, whether it be music or art is to follow me online as I post content more frequently on my Facebook pages, Instagram and Pinterest than I do at my this blog. You can also use my website as a social media portal - dks.net.au

Here's all the links;


I hope you all have a fantastic year planned ahead too.
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Best wishes,
Damian K. Sheiles






Saturday 27 December 2014

My favourite Comics, Graphic Novels and Art Books > 2014 Edition

It's that time of year again, when everyone reflects on what they enjoyed or disliked the most over the course of the almost concluded year. In no particular order, here's my favourite reads and visuals for 2014.

Sugar Skull - Charles Burns.


The above image compares the cover to X'ed Out to the cover for TIN TIN The Shooting Star - an obvious nod to Herge's work
The concluding chapter of Charles Burns three book series that started with X'ed Out, continued with The Hive came out late this year and well worth the wait and entry fee. There's no one else quite like Charles Burns in any medium. Burns is a meticulous draftsman, savvy story teller, wildly imaginative, a little dark and twisted (okay, very dark and twisted) and one of the sharpest, finest Inkers in the comic's industry.

The payoff for this trilogy which is also a tribute to Herge's Tin-Tin (see the character "Nit-Nit" in this series), was superbly executed. All loose ends were tied up. Everything even made perfect sense as all the separate stories from the different worlds come together in a very much "Oh, yeah" obvious human way.

Interior page from Sugar Skull


If you're a fan of quirky, multi-layered storytelling, you'll dig this 3 book series from Charles Burns. Check it out and delight to this unusual, freaky yet somehow very human tale.



Pictures That Tick Volume 2 Exhibition - Dave McKean


 

I have followed the work of Dave McKean since the early '90's. His style has evolved, morphed, transcended and developed into a unique visual language all his own. There have been many imitators over the years but none hold any weight against McKean's work and any aficionado of the craft would do well to study his latest tome collecting his unpublished work from the last 10 years. There are lessons to be learnt contained within.

In Pictures That Tick Volume 2: Exhibition, McKean reminds us yet again that he IS the master illustrator at the top of his game. I am still (slowly) working my way through the pages of this book, taking my time to absorb the beauty and/or ugliness on every page. Stand out stories for me so far include; Sky Woman, The Coast Road and Blue Tree.

McKean explores themes in original execution, leading the way for illustrators from all corners and disciplines to alter their approach to their craft. His work inspires by simply being.



The Wake Hardcover Collection - Scott Snyder & Sean Murphy


Art by Sean Murphy - that's the only reason I need to buy this book. I'd buy anything drawn by Murphy. I love his sense of design, those sharp angles, his story telling and clever use of contrast to convey a sense of depth and intrigue.

Synopsis: When Marine Biologist Lee Archer is approached by the Department of Homeland Security for help with a new threat, she declines ...but quickly realizes they won't take no for an answer. Soon, she is plunging to the depths of the Arctic Circle to a secret, underwater oilrig filled with roughnecks and scientists on the brink of an incredible discovery. But when things go horribly wrong, this scientific safe haven will turn into a house of horrors at the bottom of the ocean!

The entire 10 issue mini series is collected in this hardcover along with a cover gallery (including all variant covers) as well as a sketchbook/process section. My only complaint (and it is only a very minor one) is that the book was standard trim size and not the larger deluxe size that DC Comics publish. I was looking forward to seeing the art in a larger sized format.



The Sandman Overture Issues 3 & 4 - Neil Gaiman with J H Williams III


The Sandman Overture continues with a few more issues this year. This limited series arrives with the weight of 75 previous issues bearing down heavily. The emotional connection to the main character (and some of the supporting cast) is already present. I, as the reader, am invested with what is at stake for the Dream Lord but still find myself thrilled at how intense Gaiman & JHW3 are making this story.

Every double-page spread is a jaw-dropping-detail-heavy-work-of-art. I must take my time reading and re-reading every panel so I don't miss a trick. At the core of The Sandman was a story detailing change, growth and evolution told in a multifaceted way. The Sandman Overture thus far has taken this premise to the next level. This is graphic story telling at its best. I can't wait to revisit the complete 6 issue story once told, when it is inevitably published in a deluxe hardcover edition. Personally, I'm hoping for a landscape edition so the double-page spreads can be viewed/printed without a page spine running down the centre. Hopefully DC/Vertigo has the same idea. Time will tell.



Graphic Ink - The DC Comics Art of Frank Quitely


Frank Quitely is one of the most in demand illustrators working in the comics industry today. Graphic Ink: The DC Comics Art of Frank Quitely collects all of Quitely's Big Book stories, his All Star Superman and Batman & Robin: Reborn covers, Batman: The Scottish Connection, The Kingdom: Offspring (oneshot), The Invisibles Vol 3 Issue 1 excert, all of Quitely's Vertigo Comics Anthoplogy stories plus Batman & Robin issues 1 - 3. Basically everything else Frank Quitely has done for DC/Vertigo Comics that has not been published already.

This book is an essential addition for any comic fan's bookshelf. It a giant-massive-helping of Quitely goodness in a single volume. I await the publication of his next project with Mark Millar, Jupiter's Legacy with a salacious smile.



Soho Dives, Soho Diva's - Rian Hughes


The title says it all but if you need further convincing, simply do a Google Image search on the book's title and gawk at the results. Clever design, great colours, sublime concept and voluptuous content - this book's page count is overflowing with burlesque and strip club art in a myriad of illustrative, design and photographic styles. Highly recommended - purchase a copy for yourself here.




The Art of Neil Gaiman - Hayley Campbell

I'm still making my way through this massive book compiled over time by Hayley Campbell (family friend of Neil Gaiman's and daughter of Eddie Campbell). It's high page count. 320 in total, outlines in words and pictures the art that has influenced, shaped, inspired and been created as a result of Gaiman's presence in our world.

Synopsis: Novelist, comics writer, scriptwriter, poet, occasional artist - a master of several genres and inadvertent leader of many cults - there are few creative avenues Neil Gaiman hasn't ventured down. From unforgettable books like The Ocean at the End of the Lane and American Gods to ground-breaking comics and graphic novels like The Sandman and Violent Cases; from big screen fantasies like Coraline to small screen epics like Doctor Who; and from short stories to songwriting, stage plays to radio plays, journalism to filmmaking and all points in-between, The Art of Neil Gaiman is the first comprehensive, full-colour examination of Gaiman's work to date.

Essential reading for fans of Gaiman's work.



Daytripper - Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba


The deluxe edition collects the Eisner Award Winning 10 part miniseries into a beautiful larger size hardcover volume. Originally published in serialised form in 2010 and then collected as a trade paperback in 2011. This book came to my attention this year when it was published earlier this year (April 2014) in it's deluxe hardcover format.

This for me, was my favourite read for 2014 and once I started this book, I found it very hard to put down. The lush water colour art contrasting against stylised human figures draws you in to the world and life of Bras de Olivias Dominguez. The surprise twist that comes at the end of each and every chapter further deepens your resolve to continue the story and invest your emotion in to the pay-off that you hope arrives at the end of the tale (it does).

Here's some interesting facts about the series or book collection;

"Daytripper" was selected as the 2014 Life of the Mind book at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. The Life of the Mind program at UT is a common reading program for all incoming first-year students. "Daytripper" is the first graphic novel and the first Brazilian work to be selected for UT's Life of the Mind program.

Awards 2011:
Won "Best Limited Series or Story Arc" Eisner Award
Won "Best Single Issue or Story" Harvey Award
Won "Favourite New Comicbook" Eagle Award

If you like your graphic stories to engage your senses on a much deeper level, to add a sense of weight to your life and to leave a mark on your conscience, then I thoroughly recommend this book.

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That's it for this week's blog post. Thanks for reading.
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Best wishes,
Damian K. Sheiles

Thursday 18 December 2014

2014 In Retrospect

I've been lax in posting to my blog and even missed an entire month (no activity in November - shame on me). Life does get in the way, especially this time of year and adding my son's 18th birthday and the conclusion of my daughters first and most turbulent year of high school to the mix, makes for busy times indeed.

It has been one hell of a year.


2014 has been the most creative year for me in decades. It has been the most trying, the most difficult, the most eye-opening, the most uncertain AND the most rewarding year I've had in a long, long time. I am a creative person, whether it be illustration, painting, motion graphics, photography, music or tangible items that can be felt, seen and experienced - I like to create new things. Even if it's only new to me.

I have spent over a decade being creative for other people, by proxy as a graphic designer for agency's, printers and signage providers. Even though, I do take professional pride in the work and find a sense of fulfillment in the doing design work, it doesn't ignite my creative muse as much as art and music. It always comes down to those two for me.
Music is always the answer.
What is the question I hear you ask?
The question is life?
Music is always the answer to life.
And art? Art explains to us what life is.

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2014 in retrospect, if measured in terms of creative output, it looks a little like this;
  • I have created more artwork this last year, than I have in the combined 12 years prior.
  • I presented a portfolio of my work to US publisher, IDW and received positive feedback (I'm still working on getting my work published through IDW - just looking for the right fit for both of us).
  • A fan of my work requested a private commission. This is the first time I have ever been commissioned to produce artwork. This came at a very crucial time, as I was starting to doubt my skills and this request validated my work as an artist for which I am humble and appreciative.
  • Sales of my art prints increase at every show I attend.
  • I have generated leads in producing custom displays backgrounds for action figures and statues (more on this in the new year).
  • I have had more music jams with bands and other musicians these last 2 years than I have in my entire life.
It's been a busy year. Lots of late nights, lots of rewarding work, lots of experimenting and being surprised at how the final art turns out, enjoying new mediums and trying out new techniques.

Here's a loose overview of what I have planned for the next year;
  • I have an album or two worth of (new) songs waiting to be recorded / mixed.
  • I have expressed interest in showing my work in a Gallery next year.
  • Continued work on artwork designs (Donnie Darko, Zatanna, Captain Cold, Birds of Prey, Daredevil and Batman Villains are next on the list).
  • Continued work on the serialised graphic story RUST.
  • Continued work on my original graphic novel SUBSTANCE.
  • A small art/sketch book for sale at shows
  • Artist alley presence at Supanova June next year.

As one of my favourite artists, David Mack, said "do the work first - the rest will come later".

To all that follow my blog, thanks for reading. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. May 2015 bring you all good health, good living and prosperity. I leave you with an overview of art I produced during 2014. I hope you dig it. Next week's blog post will be my favourite comics, graphic novels and art books for 2014.































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Best wishes
Damian K. Sheiles