X-mas at the zoo

My X-mas so far:
A beautiful San Diego crisp wintery day perfect for zoo sketches. Though my sketches weren't all that great I had fun making them. For my X-mas meal I had some awesome Vietnamese spring rolls with some Pho soup and the best Thai Tea Boba in San Diego. All I need more to make it the perfect x-mas day is to 1: Make some strides in the pile of work I have to finish 2: The Chargers beat the Titans to clinch a number two seed in the play-offs and 3: Hook-up with a kind and pretty girl to spend it all of it with who isn't shallow, spoiled or crazy. Chances of 1 of these 3 things happening - slim. Chances of all 3 happening - a Christmas Miracle.

Merry Christmas everyone!

And by everyone I mean the 1 or 2 drunk lonely guys who were surfing for porn and stumbled upon my blog by accident.

Good Merlinpeen

Here is a quick painting I did last night. It might be the cold (its freezing in my apartment) but the paint was acting funny and drying up almost as soon as I was putting it on the board. It took me about two and half maybe three hours to do. I was watching Disney's Pinocchio and started feeling inspired/guilty that I should be doing some painting so did this portrait. By the way, Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty are flippin' brilliant on Bluray. Yes, more expensive birthday gifts I got myself I probably couldn't afford but Amazon has a cool trade in plan for dvds, books and games so these were actually free with my trade-ins of stuff I didn't want anymore.

Off to the zoo and probably back to work. Or at least I SHOULD be getting some work done.

I speak for all mediocrities in the world...I am their champion.

Here are some "studies" I did recently although the definition of study is a pretty loose term. Like most of my paintings if its not going my way after at least an hour or two I give up on it. That was definitely the case with the girl with the horse. I started it weeks ago and abandoned it and by the time I came back to her she was dry as a bone so I just gave up on her. I enjoyed painting the horse though and I think its not too shabby for my first horse. The girl in the red robe is still wet but I probably won't fix her.

Also posted are some zoo sketches. I did the one with the baby gorilla on my birthday. Had the little bastard stood still I might have done a better sketch. Or maybe it was the pain. For some reason I woke up that morning with a really sore neck and only now has the pain sort of gone away. God, is this what turning 32 means? When I was a kid I thought at 32 I'd be living in Hawaii surrounded by beautiful nekked women fighting crime in my red Ferrari. Or is that Magnum PI? Either way my life kinda sucks in comparison. To cope with the sadness I did what all Americans do and bought myself something WAY beyond my cost of living. But I kind of don't regret it. Blu Ray really is the shit. Amadeus the directors cut on Blu Ray is awesome.

Mediocrities everywhere.

I absolve you.

Oils from life this week.

I haven't painted from life in a long time. Here are some paintings I did at a buddies studio just yesterday and the Thursday previous. The model was Zara for both. Some zoo sketches and some more painting studies should be posted soon.

New WoW cards are seeing print

Here are few more of my Warcraft cards that are seeing print.

Real Deal

Yup, just when you think James Cameron is just some rich weirdo who likes hangin' out in submarines he shows that he is still a storyteller. Yeah the allegory is something we're all pretty familiar with and the story is a little rudimentary but Cameron has done something not too many film makers have done and that is make compelling computer generated characters. I came into the theater a total skeptic but after a few minutes of mentally calling on the unrealness of some of the CG in the film I very quickly began finding myself caring about the characters and was immersed in the film. As for aesthetics it is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. If you are a fan of film, concept art or even just beauty you should NOT miss this film in the theaters. Its totally worth the price of admission 3D or not.

Froot Loop as a fox gentlemen!

Today's zoo sketches were pretty uninspired. My painting of my nekked chick with a horse isn't turning out so good so far and I got a pile of paying work just looking at me wondering why I'm ignoring them. I think this is called artist block.

blerg

Warcraft, Little Women and the Road

Here are some Warcraft that I did last year that is finally seeing print. I did these back when I was completely ignoring the Warcraft style guide and was just trying do whatever I felt like making so these characters aren't completely to their type. My most current cards are more to the style guide and hopefully better. I have yet to also play the game but I think I have a handle on the universe now. Also, in hindsight I think the girls bust is well...a little too busty. (Blasphemy!) Oh and it seems Blizzard has misspelled my last name again as Palacious instead of Palacios. Whatever.

Also posted are some mini female studies I did last night while watching 30 Rock. I just discovered that show and WOW is it funny plus I think I have serious crush on Tina Fey. I know I'm a little late for jumping on its bandwagon but I don't have cable. Thank science for Netflix. As for the little women studies I've started some larger "real" studies of two of the girls. The one with the horse and the one with red robe. If I don't screw them up I'll post'em up later but I'm not counting on it.

Today I went to see the movie the Road and man, that movie is the feel good comedy of the holiday season! But no seriously, just like the book which I really enjoyed the movie is a big time downer. Its such a downer it almost makes Schindler's List look like Caddyshack. I still recommend it but don't expect to come out of the theater laughing. Unless your a freakin' sociopath that is.

Ellenberger's Anatomy Book

I've been going to the zoo since maybe June and never once did I bother to crack open an animal anatomy book and actually study from it. (slaps head) So this morning I did a lion anatomy study. I don't think it helped in this mornings Orson sketch but at least I did it. I found an old marker and experimented with it today. The results were ok at best. My next post will probably have some of my old Warcraft seeing print or maybe an oil of a nekked chick.

Because its due.

Today's Zoo

I couldn't fit the Gorilla on today's page so I put it on the following one. While I was at it I inked it, gave it some wings and a Shriners hat.

Bad Coens, very, very BAD!

Here is this mornings Zoo sketches. I got a ton of work but had to let myself see some sun for at least a little while. (Gollum). I saw something kinda weird today. One of the female mountain lions was napping with her paw in her mouth almost like a baby sucking on her thumb while sleeping. It wasn't a fluke either she woke up from her cat nap occasionally and continued to do it 3 or 4 times putting her paw in her mouth. I've never seen a cat or any animal do that. weird.

Also anyone thinking of seeing the new Coen brothers film A Serious Man wait till dvd. In fact maybe just pass it up all together. Honestly the movie was terrible. If the Coens were puppies I'd roll up a newspaper and slap them on the nose with it. Bad Coens! Thats a Bad movie! Bad, Bad Coens!

ZOOOOoooooo

This was today's zoo sketches. I saw some New Guinea singing dog puppies up close and a bunch of Eagles. None of the eagles were of the feathery kind but the green jersey usually with the name McNabb on its back kind.

Back to work.

More Morning Zoo

This morning's zoo sketches. I tried out the pen again.

meh

first warthog

Here's today's zoo. I drew my fist warthog today.

Bad Camel

Here is today's zoo sketch page. The camel and maybe even the elephant are a little forced in today's animal sketches but I didn't want to leave any empty space on the page below Orson the jaguar before I left the zoo for the day.

meh.

Back to work.

morning zoo

Some zoo sketches from this morning.

SCAAAARY ZOO SKETCHES!

Here are some zoo sketches from yesterday and today. Because I'm primarily a pencil man I've noticed all my previous sketches are fading and smudging so along with today's pencil page I experimented with some pen sketches on another page. Those...didn't turn out so hot.

more zoo again?

Went to the zoo again today. More Rhino's and a Sicilian donkey named Sofia. I also did some scribbles of a baby giraffe, a gorilla and another of Blacky the brown bear on the facing page of this page but they aren't so good. Maybe I'll fix them later.

*fixed* sorta

Todays Zoo

Here's today's zoo scribbles. There's room below each page still for more scribbles but...meh.

I shall Smash your skull like a clam on my Tummy!

Above are more Zoo scribbles from today.

Every time I see the otters at the zoo I always think of that episode of South Park where otters in the future can talk. I still haven't gotten them down though. They sorta look like Pokemon or something.

Apparently for the Gorillas it was "pick your butt and lick your fingers clean day" because all of them were doing it. I couldn't stand to draw them for too long. It kinda makes you wish that the creationists of your childhood really did have all the answers.

SCIENCE DAMN YOU!

Is this a art blog? Maybe a zoo sketch blog.

Nope, no paintings. At least nothing worth blogging about.

I got some zoo scribbles though. I'm not too proud of some of them especially the snow leopard in August and the Clawless Otter of last week. I didn't give the little critter justice but I'll try to do better next time.

Go see this movie!

I hesitated to go out and watch this movie opening day due to my poverty and nearly insurmountable pile of art deadlines but today I said F-ck it. I'm an American and Americans spend fliff like sultans and I plan to do my part so hang those who talk of less!

So I went to today's matinee and WOW, just freakin' WOW! Man, did I not waste my money. This movie is a big bowl of Kick-Ass with extra Awesome sauce poured all over it. This movie has practically everything in it. It has Drama, it has comedy and believe it or not it has flawed but interesting characters doing compelling things that actually make you WANT to care for what's going to happen next in the story. It has action, killer robots, gore, copious amounts of violence but with just enough story and social commentary to be neither overtly preachy & pretentious or be a mindless airhead experience. Congratulations to new film director Neil Blomkamp for hitting one right out the park on his first swing. I can't wait to see more great stuff from this director in the future. WOW, just freakin' WOW!

Yo Joe!

I haven't seen the new G.I. Joe movie but after seeing this Epic parody with an even better all-star cast I'll probably never need to.

The Ballad of G.I. Joe from Olivia Wilde

This weeks Zoo sketches.

Here are this weeks sketches at the Zoo. Thursday was probably the best sketch day I've had. I have no idea what the wild west chick in her underwear is about on Tuesdays page. Its just a doodle I guess.

More sketches from San Diego Zoo

Here are some more animal sketches from the zoo this past week. Also attached are some quick people studies from the zoo and Comic Con.

I guess this is still an art blog...

Sorta.

Even though Comic Con is tomorrow and I have art approvals to deal with along with business cards and a portfolio to get together I couldn't stand to stay in my apartment today. I shirked off work for a little bit early today and did some Zoo sketches. It was a great day to do animal sketches and even though it was pretty warm (by San Diego standards) almost all of the animals were out and in the open. Most were passed out from the heat but at least most of them stood still. Even the Asian leopards were out and they NEVER come out.

-The page with the gorilla and the komodo dragon is an old one from last month.

The Hurt Locker

After seeing Pixar's UP I wasn't expecting to see a better movie this summer. I saw The Hurt Locker this morning just before heading to the zoo and I have to say this film may have just pushed UP off the top of my list for favorite film of 2009. The Hurt Locker is an amazing film! If you enjoy movies then you should definitely go out and see this film. It really does live up to all the praises the critics have been giving it. A+

"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

"I Fart in your general direction!"



I went to the zoo again today. These signs weren't up the last time I was there and that was just last week Friday. Apparently someone got spunked on and these shiny new signs were needed to be put up. Lions are awesome.

Here is another skull study I never finished.

The Road

Nope, I still haven't any art worth posting. I doubt anyone could give rats ass to begin with so I guess this blog is going to morph into more than just a place where I show my "art". I started this blog as away for me to use it as free website to showcase my artwork. I have since gotten another free website to do that for me and I've also come to learn that Art Directors pretty much never look at blogs. So why do I still have this? I don't know. I hated Myspace and I'm sure as hell not going to climb on to the Facebook or Twitter bandwagon but for some reason I'm hanging on to this thing.

Anyway, I saw the trailer for The Road on Thursday and instantly wanted to read the book before the movie comes out. Because of the holiday weekend I wouldn't be getting it from the Library till Monday/tomorrow. I couldn't wait that long so went to Borders and consumed most of it July 4th and finished the rest it earlier today. I gotta say its a pretty good story. I never got to read No Country for Old Men before I saw the flick and I'm glad I got to with this one. I have a feeling the movie isn't going to be as good as No Country after re-watching the trailer again but then again who knows. The Road was refreshing in comparison to the weird Chuck Palahniuk faze I was going through this last month. Invisible Monsters and Rant were terrible! Choke was OK.

By the way I'm working on a new card set with Sony. I don't wanna whammy it by mentioning it by its name but it rhymes with the words Car Whores and it takes place in a galaxy far, far away. I hope I don't screw it up.

Whammy.

Another movie review.

I saw this opening day Wednesday. I liked it! I doubt many people will feel the same but I dig both Michael Mann and John Dillinger so I might have a slight bias. If you need constant stimulation in your movies and you like your Johnny Depp flicks with him wearing guyliner you should probably give this one a pass and go checkout that new robot movie with that Megan Fox in it.

Crunchable birdsies!

I don't have any paintings or Zoo sketches worth posting but today at the zoo I saw something kinda interesting and recorded it. A lioness at the new Big Cats exhibit at the Elephant Odyssey wanted to get really close and personal to some children watching her. She kept doing it for a good number of minutes and the children kept laughing and laughing each time she did it. I kept thinking of Gollum from the Riddles in the Dark chapter of the Hobbit.
"I guess it's a choice feast; at least a tasty morsel it'd make us, gollum!

Damn this water's cold!

I realize that I haven't posted a painting in awhile so I'm posting today's study. I don't know how long it took me but my Ipod says I had gone thru 46 songs. I'm sure I skipped a few bad songs along the way but it really doesn't matter. Right now its kinda looking like the crap you see at some rundown Tiki shop next to the Tiki bongs and salt shakers.

Nekked chicks!

Moon

I just saw the new movie Moon which opened today. I really enjoyed it. I'm glad I gave it a chance. I thought Sam Rockwell's performance was really good and I read somewhere that the entire budget of the film was only 5 million to make which is astounding considering that's almost equal to the budget of some entourages and trailers of many awful big budget film actors. I could tell by the end of the film there were some mixed feelings of the film from the rest of the audience but I found it to be good film and it will most likely be overlooked in this summers big budget blockbuster environment.

Auspicious, Suspicious, Delicious, Palacios?

I got some of my Warcraft card samples in the mail today. Apparently this one I did some time ago called Blue Diamond Witchwand will be seeing print soon too. The only problem is all of the sample cards they gave me have my last name misspelled as Palacious instead of Palacios. Hopefully the next time around and here's hopin' there will be a next time they spell it correctly. At least my stuff is seeing print that is the real important thing anyway.

Thanks to the model who helped with reference with this one and another one seeing print.

Zoo Sketches and spider-chick...um...thing

Here are some zoo sketches. Apparently my handle of animals is just as poor as humans. I'm workin' on it though.

Also shown is one of my bad paintings. I've made a number of bad paintings in the last month or so but this one is probably the only one worth posting. (sorta) I'm kinda looking forward to comic con coming up soon because the last one really inspired me to get into traditional painting more. Maybe I can recapture that again in this coming one.

(whammy)

-E