AdRoc Ink

Website Update

AdRoc — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:04:01 +0000

So I’m going to be updating my website…tearing it down and building it back up with new pictures of new artwork with an option to buy directly on the site (if I can figure it out).

Stay tuned!

a href=”http://www.adrocink.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/wpid-Graffiti-Subway-Desktop-1366x768_Peter_Worn_Old.jpg”img title=”Graffiti Subway Desktop 1366x768_Peter_Worn_Old.jpg” class=”alignnone size-full” alt=”image” src=”http://www.adrocink.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/wpid-Graffiti-Subway-Desktop-1366x768_Peter_Worn_Old.jpg” //a

Come Down Off The Cross

AdRoc — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:55:28 +0000

In my first post I told you about hanging out in the attic drawing while my friend wrote music. Well, this is the first piece to come out of that attic. I figured if my friend was learning how to write songs than why not do a tribute to one of my favorite singer/songwriters…Tom Waits.

I used a pencil, charcoal, ink and a Zippo lighter.

Also, the lyric I chose is one of my favorites of all time. It’s from the song Come On Up To The House, off the album Mule Variations.

On The Road

AdRoc — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:37:32 +0000

My second stencil was a little more complex than Are You Experienced?. Maybe I was on a high when I finished my first stencil that I thought “Why not make it hard on yourself”. I guess that’s the way we learn.

I decided to do a piece dedicated to one of my favorite authors, Jack Kerouac. In this piece is Jack, his friend/muse Neil Cassady. The hardest part of this project was cutting out the letters for the background (which is the first 3 sentences of Kerouac’s great American novel, On the Road). But I think it turned out pretty good. This is my tribute to On the Road.

Are You Experienced?

AdRoc — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:22:08 +0000

I really like graffiti art. Everything from Wildstyle to Stencil work. My first attempt at stencil work came out so well that I fell in love. My first piece is called Are You Experienced? for a couple of reasons which I’m sure you can figure out if you put some thought into it.

The Meltdown

AdRoc — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:42:47 +0000

I was commissioned to design the cover of a book of poetry (which was later produced into an Off-Broadway play) by a gifted writer named Wanda McKiver. After reading her book I was drawn to the words. I started sketching some ideas with a “heart” design and eventually came up with this:

Here the front cover of of Wanda McKiver’s poetry book, The Meltdown. You can purchase this book at her website or the kindle version on Amazon.

Dragonfly

AdRoc — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:20:21 +0000

My close friend, Christine Santelli, commissioned me to do the artwork for her first solo acoustic album, Dragonfly. Much like my friend Michael Frensley’s album, Betty Bones, I had heard most of the songs by watching her perform them live. I knew right away that I wanted a soft, hand-drawn picture of her, using nothing but pencils.

She was skeptical of using original, hand-drawn artwork for her album cover, as most of her albums are photographs. I told her that I wanted to do this, and if she didn’t like it for any reason, she didn’t have to use it…and wouldn’t have to pay me for my time.

First I took some pictures of her. This is the one we chose.

That’s when I sat down to draw, and just a couple of days later I showed her the finished product.

Thankfully she decided to use it. After a few more days, her album cover was done.

Here is the back cover.

You can purchase all of Christine’s albums through her website or on iTunes.

Betty Bones

AdRoc — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 18:23:54 +0000

Years and years ago two friends made a pact. If my friend, Michael Frensley, finished his album than he would let me do the artwork. We were roomates at the time. In the very beginning Mike was teaching himself not only how to play the guitar, but how to write songs as well. I would spend hours up in the attic with Mike, sketching and doodling and chiming in, while he worked on the music.

Then I moved.

Years later I got a call from Mike (we are best friends and stayed in touch often…I don’t want it to sound like I dropped off the face of the earth). He told me that he was finally ready to record his album at Dave Gross’ studio (a friend of ours who happens to be a musical prodigy). That meant it was time for me to step up and crank out the album cover. Mike only had one request. He wanted an album cover that, if you were walking by it on the cd rack, it would catch your eye and you would be forced to pick it up and say “What is this all about?”

I knew most of the songs by heart from the days in the attic and watching Mike perform them live countless times. However, I generally like to listen to the music while I draft the cover, so I requested that Mike give me the album to listen to. He would give me songs piecemeal as he recorded each song with Dave. It’s a good thing he did, too, because each song sounded so different from just listening to them accoustic at a bar, or in the attic. They were polished and full of life.

I knew right away that the best approach for the cover was to be as litteral as possible. So I chose one of the most interesting aspects of the whole album, to me at least…the title. Betty Bones is a great title for an album (and one of the best songs on the album).

Because I’m selfish (I didn’t want this project to end), I wasn’t about to give Mike just a cover…I wanted to give him something for the inside and I didn’t want him to have a traditional track list as well.

I probably won’t be as detailed in describing my other work when I post them…I just thought it fitting to explain just a little of how my first actual commission project came about.

Michael Frensley’s album is available on CD Baby and iTunes.