Aaron Navrady's Illo Blog

Work in Progress

2012-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

"History of the Grey Cup" project for McGraw-Hill Ryerson

A Cardboard Community

2011-10-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Sept 17, I facilitated a small project for Calgary Family Services' Organizational Day: the building of a 'Cardboard Community'. The concept originated from the Telus World of Science's 'Cardboard Forest', with the idea of group collaboration in the building of an installation artwork that represents a certain collective vision.

Putting it together was pretty easy... the hardest part was collecting the tons of cardboard (I had twice as much as I needed - two trips to Staples' stock room were all that was required) The final product was a success and a creative day was had by all.

The Fighter

2011-09-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

My buddy Colin as a boxer

Clouds on Nose Hill

2011-08-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

City of Calgary Painted Utility Box (with process)

2011-08-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today I put the finishing touches on a mural painted over a utility box, as a participant in the City of Calgary's Painted Utility Box Program. I documented the process, in case the four people who read my blog are interested...

The concept came from another piece called "Cars", which was a series of car drawings put together in photoshop. In some ways I wanted this piece, which ended up being called "Traffic Jelly", to highlight Calgary's love/lust for vehicular transport.

I rearranged the cars to fit on the template provided by the city, and then traced them with ink.

I then coloured in photoshop, and used the Hue Saturation tool to come up with some interesting options.

After making the final selection, I refitted the image to the template, and sent off the proposal. One note to folks: when you are putting together a proposal, make sure you fill out everything they ask you to. The project manager mentioned that many incomplete proposals did not get considered.

Then onto the actual painting. Given the size of the images and limited time frame, along with tying it together on all four sides, I freehanded the drawing onto the box. I then painted in the black lines. I was lucky to be at the right time and place for an interview with our local tv station, who were doing a piece on the city's utility box project.

On the advice of my friend Karen, I tried to mix colours before going out to the site. I usually only got about 4 or 5 ready at the beginning of each day, which probably slowed things down, and I wish I took the time to mix all the colours at once. When the sun is pouring down onto your head and traffic is buzzing loudly nearby, it's not a great space be doing a lot of thinking, you just want to be painting.

The finished product looks good, although it took a couple of tries to get the shade of yellow just right. I still wonder about the line work, but then again it usually takes me a couple of weeks to feel satisfied with a finished project.

Julius

2011-08-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

A drawing for Amy's birthday.

Presentation Board Sample

2011-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ang

2011-07-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

A wedding gift for my friend Ang

Figures sitting in chairs

2011-06-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

Some Football Drawings

2011-06-10T10:36:00.001-07:00

The Long Room

2011-05-17T13:58:00.001-07:00

I really suck at posting

2011-05-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a motorcycle

Rowers

2010-11-18T18:16:00.001-08:00

A project for my friend Christina

Blaster Boy

2010-11-18T18:13:00.000-08:00

Calendar Project: "Legacies"

2010-11-18T18:00:00.001-08:00

This project was for for The United Church of Canada Calgary Presbytery Pastoral and Spiritual Care, and focused on elder members of the community and the legacy of their recipes... What would we do without the food that is prepared for that after church luncheon? Some things we take for granted for sure. Highlights:

Horse Drawings

2010-11-18T17:58:00.000-08:00

Zombie Comic

2010-11-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

This spring and summer I worked on a promotional comic for a company that worked with bicycles... the theme of the comic was zombies. Unfortunately they pulled the campaign due to complaints within the company! I now have to show you an edited version with all logos etc. removed... oh well, here are some highlights

Work in Progress

2010-08-02T16:09:00.001-07:00

I am closer to finishing a calendar project involving people and their recipes... here's a quick look

Sketch of Kristi

2010-08-02T15:57:00.001-07:00

My friend Kristi Woo is a fashion designer who specializes in urban bike wear. Her work can be viewed at riyoko.ca

CP Rail Advert

2010-08-02T15:35:00.001-07:00

The latest is an ad piece I did for Canadian Pacific a month or so back... I've included early concepts (one thing you learn about a safety conscious company like CP is that images of people on the verge of being run over are not appropriate...) Also the final sketch and the final piece.

A Late Posting of Work

2010-06-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

So, in between the monster comic promo project I have been working on for BionX, I managed to squeeze out a sweet piece for the Swerve Listings, but that was like, in March... kinda been busy since then, so here it is now.

Also, have been rebuilding the website for the third time, this time in iWeb in response to Steve Jobs declaring war against Adobe Flash... I was a little wary at first, feeling like Apple is taking control of everything I work with, and I miss the level of interactivity that Flash provides, but things are looking ok given that iWeb is probably geared towards moms posting graduation photos and couples announcing wedding plans... here's a peek at the progress

Things N Stuff

2010-03-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

1. Sketch for the Never Ending Comic that I'm working on
2. Illustration for CP Rail
3. & 4. Character designs for Comic Book Promotional piece I'm working on (not totally satisfied)

New Stuff

2009-12-21T23:00:00.001-08:00

Stuff from the 5 + 1 Show, stuff from my sketchbook, and this year's Christmas card

C4 Comic Con Highlights

2009-12-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

So it's been nearly a month since Colin and myself shared a table at the C4 Comic Con in Winnipeg. Sorry for the delay. It was held on Halloween weekend, which called for a costumed free for all... Colin got to meet his childhood idol the Honky Tonk Man... he even had a convo with HT on the plane ride home. It was great to meet some new artists pluggin away at their work... word to Daniel, Jesse, Will, and Ryan... (and all those dressed as Wolverine. Here's to you) One of the things that really disappoints me about comic conventions is the utter lack of place for independent work... It felt like if I had a whole collection of drawings of Marvel and DC superheroes, I would have sold a mint... but for original characters and ideas, people are wary... Perhaps that is the market. I'm definitely unsure if I'll do more comic conventions in the future. We'll see.
Pics below with commentary.

Pls. Note: The pics of Pacman and Ecto 1 (see collage) was taken by James Daniels. Thx dude

Australia Drawings

2009-12-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

Well as some of you know (of the 4 or 5 of you that read this blog) I was away in Australia for the month of October. I really didn't draw much, instead took a break from all that, but I did do a few. I saw the person above from a bus window, and he looks alot like my uncle Steven if he were an Australian (and had a mullet). The rest were drawn while in Tasmania.

Central Canada Comic Con Oct 31 - Nov 1

2009-09-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

At the end of October, I will be exhibiting at the Central Canada Comic Con in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Special guests will include original TV Batman Adam West and the A-Team's Dirk Benedict "The Faceman" (who am I kidding? I never watched the A-Team when I was a kid... I only know Mr T).

I'm looking forward as I have never really seen Winnipeg, (except changing planes at the airport in -50C windchill), and of course, it will be All Hallow's Eve ... This time I promise to post pictures.

The Human Heart

2009-08-26T14:27:00.001-07:00

A small project for an ad campaign.

Cover and Spot Illo for Las Vegas CityLife

2009-07-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

So I landed another cover and spot illustration, this time with a publication in Las Vegas. The articles are about Nevada senator Harry Reid, his fundraising efforts for re-election, and the rabid hate-on many Nevadans and other Americans have for the man. The pre-colour is below, as well as a sketch for the spot illo.(kinda The Far Side-ish)

Blog Day Afternoon

2009-07-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

Self portrait with porn 'stache and glasses, Acrylics. 2009

MARKET COLLECTIVE JUNE 27

2009-06-23T10:32:00.001-07:00

I will be selling prints at the upcoming MARKET COLLECTIVE Saturday, June 27. The Market has a new location is directly across the street from the Carpenter's Union Hall. The Ant Hill Fabrics building is at 148 10 St NW (Kensington) in Calgary.
More details poached from Facebook:

Admission: 2 dollars (or food bank donation) --- FREE admission if you have a sled island pass

First 10 people to arrive receive a free t-shirt (all sizes available!) First 200 people to purchase something receive a free latte/capp voucher for the roasterie! Also, gift certificates for kensington businesses will be given out during the day!

For their one-year anniversary the Market will be collaborating with SLED ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL (http://www.sledisland.com)

FML

2009-06-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

K so the new comic is on the way... The last few months have been dedicated to finding a job, so my focus has been a little elsewhere of late... you're just going to have to bear with me (all 10 of you)

Autobots and Decepticons

2009-06-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I must apologize to the 10 people that read my blog, I did not post any pics from Calgary Comic Expo... not that grown men dressed as Cobra Commander make for terribly worthwhile blog fodder... ok it's true the only reason most people show up to a comic convention is to gawk at the grownups wearing crappy costumes. I do want to showcase these two costumes from some fellows who came to visit my table. Super Awesome.

New work in FFWD

2009-05-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

The article is on Bill 44, a pretty useless bill that will enshrine into the Alberta Charter of Human Rights a parent's right to remove their kids from certain curriculum teachings ... I thought I would depict some parents as 'see no evil, hear no evil' monkeys. Some sketches below.

Comic Expo This Weekend

2009-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will be sharing a table at the Calgary Comic Expo (Hall D, Roundup Centre) with my buddy Colin along with myriads of talented people in the world of popular culture... expect to see a multitude famous actors and comic book artists, another multitude of not-so-famous actors and artists milking their cameo appearances, people dressed as Star Wars characters, a token Lara Croft lookalike, Sean Astin of Rudy and LOTR fame, and the guy who played the Soup Nazi! NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Submission for Comic Expo Artbook

2009-03-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

This piece turned out to be a real pain in the ass to crank out... I had originally put a background, but realized that the background sucked and was really just filler... what could have taken 2 days took 4. We'll see what they say. At worst I have a new promotional piece.

FFWD Weekly Cover (with process)

2009-02-26T09:06:00.001-08:00

Just this past week my work found it's way onto the cover of FFWD Weekly and I thought this would be a good opportunity to showcase my process of creating the work... (as if this hasn't been done by the billions of other artists and illustrators posting blogs... what an original idea!)

1. THUMBNAILS
First I start with thumbnail ideas - I just drill out as many ideas as I can onto the page, in small, hardly recognizable scribbles that represent brilliant concepts only I can decipher, in special code (Note - the code changes every week!)

2. FINAL SKETCH
When an idea really takes shape, I'll then flesh it out into a drawing with colour. The good people at FFWD seem to only want one sketch per piece (until they read this blog and think to themselves, "But we could have more...") and others will look for 2 - 3 ideas or more depending on the project. I try to throw some ink and watercolour on there to give a closer representation of the final piece.

3. REFERENCE PHOTOS
After the concept is approved, I usually need some reference photos to help me get better proportions, lighting and more realism. Sometimes I will take reference photos before the final sketch.(I can't remember when these were taken... imbibing may have occured during the process)

4. PENCILS
For this piece I used a Canson Montval Aquarelle 15" x 20" Watercolour Block, and made the final image approximately 1.5x bigger than the printed page it will appear on.

5. INKS AND WATERCOLOUR / GOUACHE
I didn't get a picture of the inks before colour, but this gives you an idea of what it looks like 3/4 of the way there. (I'm not going to tell you what time it is)

6. DONE AND DONE
Midway through I had to scrap the font I had drawn on the bottle, and replace it with digital type. Otherwise I was very happy with the final piece.

16 Pages & 58 days to go till Comic Expo

2009-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

Illustration for CP Rail

2009-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

Graphic Design by Geminesse Marukot

Market Collective Feb 21

2009-02-10T22:43:00.001-08:00

Here's the poster for the upcoming Market at which I will be selling prints and comics.

Article in the Calgary Journal

2009-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

My work has been featured in the Calgary Journal, in an article about the upcoming Market Collective at which I will be selling prints and comics. The Market will be taking place on Feb 21 / 09 at the Carpenter's Union Hall (301 10 St. NW, Kensington district in Calgary). Bring your buds.

Study and Sketch

2009-01-26T14:21:00.000-08:00

New Illustration in FFWD Weekly

2008-12-22T18:49:00.001-08:00

The article will be in FFWD Weekly for Thurs. Dec 25/08. The article is a series of quotes that didn't make it into FFWD from the past year. My illo is of Conservative MP Lee Richardson, retracting from an earlier comment.

You can read the FFWD article here.

Illustration in FFWD Weekly

2008-12-16T11:21:00.000-08:00

Read the article here

Another Xmas Sale this Wknd

2008-11-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

I've picked up a last minute Christmas Sale where I'll be selling more prints of my work. What the Craft? Shop & Social is being held on Sat Nov 29 from 6 PM to Midnight, and Sun Nov 30 from 12 Noon to 6 at ARTLIFE GALLERY - 1312 1st St SW (near Victoria Park C-train Station in Calgary). There is a 2$ admission, and it's cash only.

Christmas Shopping, Anyone?

2008-11-10T12:25:00.001-08:00

I will be selling prints of my work at the HOLIDAY SHOPPING EVENT - NOV 19th and 20th at Enchanted Events in West Hillhurst (see below) for all you early bird shoppers out there

The Last Two Months

2008-10-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

So it's been at least 2 months since the last blog post, and there's a lot to catch up on. (This catching up being for the 4 people that read my blog... thx everyone)

For starters, the blog has a new URL. I had to take aaronnavrady.blogspot.com and use it for a graphic design portfolio (it has come to that) so the new name of the blog is navaroon.blogspot.com. How very exciting.

Just this morning, I pulled an "Aaron Navrady looks like..." on Google, and where did my name show up? The Comics Journal weblog... How did I get on there?

On the comics front, I will be submitting my latest short story "Quiché Internet Cafe" to Top Shelf (today already)

Oh yeah, and I'm looking for a new day job in case anyone has seen any vacant ones laying about.

My latest illustration for CP Rail about corporate greed and the destruction of good rail lines...

September was all about France and Spain. I spent a little over 2 weeks there, one of which was spent hiking in the Pyrenees with my Dad. He's still a hiking machine at 57... Here's some drawings from the trip

And here at the bottom is my dad, with the Spanish Army behind him...

More of my work on Top Shelf 2.0

2008-08-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

So my comic "Chefchaouen" has been posted on TOP SHELF 2.0. See it here

AARON'S MINI COMICS ON SALE

2008-08-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

So it looks like I'll be selling my work at this thing called 'Market Collective' at the Carpenters Union Hall on 10th St in Kensington on Aug 23, from 10 AM to 4 PM. If anyone is looking for a piece of the Aaron Navrady comic oeuvre, I'll be selling mini comics and prints (maybe some originals).

Market Collective is described on their Facebook group as 'an independent market, created to showcase the works of local artists, artisans and musicians and to strengthen the art community in Calgary.'

It seems like there are a lot of these "Artist Collective Market Collectively Grassroots Emporium collectivity" thingers... If I did one I'd call it an "Visual & Tactile Hoe Down", in keeping with our Calgaree heritage...

Illos of late

2008-07-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

This is something I did for Canadian Pacific Railway's internal newsletter

These are some panels from my latest 10 pger comic, "Quiche Internet Cafe". The word 'Quiche' is supposed to have an accent on the e, so it sounds like 'Quich-eh', but I don't remember what the button is, so instead it reads as something your Mom served for brunch, as my friend Robin pointed out

Alright Then

2008-05-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

So there's an article about Top Shelf 2.0 in Publishers Weekly Online. Read it here

Top Shelf 2.0

2008-05-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

So it looks like my comics have been accepted for display on Top Shelf Publishing's "Top Shelf 2.0" webcomics page, which I am really excited about. The release is slated for Friday May 16th, and can be viewed right here

New Work

2007-11-21T02:03:00.000-08:00

This is a cover illustration for the Editor's Association of Canada newsletter Active Voice

Website Redesign finished

2007-09-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

The new website redesign is finished and online. there are a few minor things I may change over the next week, but at last it is finished and I can move on to other projects. You can access it here

An Old Gem

2007-09-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Found this old gem during my website update... It was for a review of the newest Clerks flick for BeatRoute mag... never saw the movie, not planning to. The website is so close to being finished I can 'taste the metal', as the Gretz once said...

TO Comic Arts Fest

2007-08-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

I had the privilege of attending the Toronto Comic Arts Fest this year. A very interesting show, with lots of great works by great local and international artists... Lots of story driven, small press, indie, self-published, self printed work... and so much diversity. A whole different bag o' nails to the San Diego Con, in my opinion. I have a pile of books to read now.

And as a bonus, I got to meet the publisher of Top Shelf Comics, Brett Warnock, and he put some of my work on his blog!

ILLOFRUSTRATION

2007-05-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in such a bloody long time... The next comic is brewing, but I want to get it on the grill soon...

I'M IN

2007-04-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, Chefchaouen is gettin published

WHAT ART ISM

2007-04-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

On and off I have been thinking of what I would say if someone asked me to define 'ART'? I see this area of discussion as being a well worn, momentarily cold gun waiting to be fired at unsuspecting philistines, and I myself have wanted for a long time to unload a few rounds in the general direction of... people, and seeing as blogs provide the general public with the chance to shoot off their mouths about any old tired, trod upon topic, maiming small children with their witticisms, well... let me fire off a few shots

ARTISMs

Art is the highest form of expression

Art is the village bicycle

Art is the lens through which the artist observes all things

Art is an affliction I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemies

K so I only have four right now. Feel free to help.

My First Art Show

2007-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the opening of my first art show at ARTHOUSE gallery featuring original drawings and paintings from "Chefchaouen". The opening was a roaring success, with a packed house featuring work from Amy Dryer, Aaron Jensen, Melanie Aikenhead and myself. Mel and Aaron have got to get themselves a site each so I can link up their work. Thanks to everyone who helped us with the show, and I am waiting with baited breath to hear if my work got published...

KKK minus K

2007-02-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

Word to my fellow grad Karen Klassen, who was just today featured on DRAWN!

CHEK IT (sent to me by ben. cheers ben)

2007-02-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

URA QT

2007-02-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

THE COMIC IS FINISHED

2007-01-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

My eight pager for Young American Comics is finished and submitted. For your parusing pleasure, I have posted a few pages (in order) for you to sample.

Just a Taste

2007-01-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

So the comic's almost done. 2 pages left.
Here's a taste:

Pencils are Finished

2006-12-18T22:09:00.000-08:00

So the pencils for the comic are finished... I wanted to show highlights, but have none. No prezzies from Santa.

This Week's Drawings

2006-11-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some sketches I did in prep for the comic... Military Middle East theme... The guy sunning himself had the most amazing beard I've ever seen... I neglected to include the kalishnikov he was holding... The tank is a really old drawing that was never used for anything.

BeatRoute Xmas Cover

2006-11-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

So this is what I submitted... waiting to hear back

This Week's Drawings

2006-11-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

Another naked man. Geez.

BeatRoute Xmas Cover In Progress

2006-11-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

My gift to you. Merry Christmas.

Watercolour Finished

2006-11-16T22:29:00.000-08:00

The watercolour that I did for friends Eric and Anne is finished (the last sketch is in a post way down there). It's entitled 'Porch'. Enjoy.

Christmas BeatRoute Cover

2006-11-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

So here's the sketch for the Xmas BeatRoute cover I'm doing for "The U.S. vs John Lennon". Merry Christmas, War is Over. Well, not really.

Comic Anthology Update

2006-11-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

I have just realized that the comic has 9 pages, and the anthology will only allow 8. Nice one, Aaron Navrady.

Comic Anthology Update

2006-11-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

I have now finished the third draft of my comic, called CHEFCHAOUEN for the moment. I'm now ready to start the final pencils and have I got to draw like mad... The deadline I have set for myself is Jan 1st, as I need some time for last minute fubars and getting the thing to Young American Comics.

I have included some puny sketches from the third draft for your parusal:

This Week's Drawings (well, Paintings)

2006-11-02T22:51:00.000-08:00

Comic Anthology Update

2006-10-29T22:35:00.000-08:00

In case anyone's reading this, I am on the third draft of my 8 page comic submission for Young American Comics... The theme is "Big City/small town" and I am doing the small town bit... A simple story about an encounter I had in the town of Chefchaouen in Morocco... I will keep you posted on its progress.

Oh, and for some hilarious Halloween rubbish, click here

This Week's Drawings

2006-10-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

Week Before's Drawing

2006-10-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

This one's for Karen, my fellow drawer

I had a mullet

2006-10-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

Fly In My Soup

2006-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last Week's Drawing

2006-09-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

K I am late again by about two weeks with a drawing, but this is one I did last week. It is a sketch for a piece I am doing for friends. I tried to enhance the line work with photoshop, but the colors came out all like a poop stain.

Funny As

2006-08-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Perry Bible Fellowship has some hilarious comics.

This Week's Drawing

2006-08-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

This week's drawing is another piece for BeatRoute Magazine... It's for DJ Shadow's new album "The Outsider". I was told he sounded "torn and disoriented" so that was the theme I worked with... This piece is pretty good, although came up with some better ideas after the fact...

First the original image, and then the final image (after Photoshop)

This Week's Drawing

2006-08-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

A last Ode to Freedom before I plunge into a design job

This Week's Drawing

2006-08-04T07:26:00.001-07:00

So I'm hoping to put up a drawing a week (to keep up with everyone else's drawing a day) and this week I'm going to cheat and put up last week's illo I did for BeatRoute, our local music zine here in fair Calgaree. The theme was Synthesizers. Hooray for the 80s.

San Diego Comic Con 2006

2006-08-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

The subject of million plus blogs, (why not one more? Lego Batman sure don't mind) here are some pics from my visit to the San Diego Comic Convention
July 20 - 23, 2006

The convention being my first, I tasted a bit of everything, and had a fantastic time... Even got to meet Ashley Wood of Pop Bot fame... So I'm hoping this will be the inspiration I need to get my shit together and put my own out... Cheers to Caleb and Ken from Arizona for some great Kung Fu/SNL Funhouse Classics... Robert, you better have started on that epic webcomic...

AND NOW SOME PHOTOS

Here's one childhood dream fulfilled

Fellow "Banana Bungalow" hostellers Caleb and Ken

The minted Marriot Hotel (next door to Conv Centre)

A lot bigger in real life

Mr Deepak Chopra and Grant Morrison

Portfolio Reviews (Me and 10 thousand others)

Stan Lee and John Romita

Caleb, Aaron and Kenneth

Checkmark for getting a picture with a Wookie