Artists
I really admire the illustrations of Craig Gleason, and I would consider him to be an influence on my own artwork as well as an inspiration for me, or any artist, because he is true to his own subject matter. He is one of those rare artists that draws from his imagination and who has their own style of illustration (and painting) which is all but lost today. He currently makes art prints and T-shirts and they are all incredible, especially his “Bad Guys Club” series.
I also draw inspiration from Mitch O’Connell who is an illustrator who has been featured in magazines, including Playboy. He creates one-of-a-kind movie posters usually referencing old 50’s and 60’s B-Movies in his unique style of illustration. He also makes his own T-Shirts as well as other kinds of merchandise featuring his own art, and I consider him to be a huge influence on my own art as well. One of his posters featuring Donald Trump as an alien from the movie They Live! commanding us to “Obey” has gotten pretty popular now.
Number one on my list of artists who inspire me is Ed “Big Daddy” Roth simply because his style of illustration is so eye-catching and innovative you can’t help but look at it and admire the brushwork. His signature “Rat Fink” character from the 1960’s is so immediately recognizable it has become a kind of cult icon in popular culture, which very few Illustrators have achieved in their lifetime. Not only was he an amazing illustrator but he also designed and built a few concept cars using fiberglass material, which was still pretty new at the time. He was an accomplished pinstriper as well. He also employed other amazing artists to do illustrations in his style, but his monster characters have been an inspiration for so many generations of illustrators and hot rod enthusiast alike.
Being a huge fan of music, especially the ethics of the American Hardcore movement, Raymond Pettibon’s album covers were a huge influence on me as a young kid. His bold, expressive brushwork along with the controversial themes he would explore in his works set him apart from other illustrators of his time. Since doing many album cover illustrations for such bands as Black Flag, Minutemen, and Sonic Youth he has been exhibited at MoCAs all over the country and biennials all over the world, as well as having solo exhibitions of his illustrations.
Another hugely influential artist to me is Jim Phillips. As a kid his skateboard illustrations were for all intents and purposes my first introduction to the world of illustration. Seeing his art, as well as Vernon Courtlandt Johnson’s, on the bottoms of skateboards blew my six-year-old mind and made me want to start drawing my own creatures and skulls and what not. I was specifically drawn to Jim Phillips’ art because he was heavily influenced by another of my favorite childhood illustrators that my grandfather had shown me, Ed Roth. His artwork perfectly incorporates my love for skateboarding and my love of hot rod culture, which is why he is a massive influence on my own artwork to this day.
