Wombat University of California

Continued as promised...

Konichiwa,

After about a week of getting this Culture Afficionado Magazine, Issue #2 off the ground, I'm finally ready to post a bunch of prototype artwork. Get ready for a sneak preview of the world's most prestigious non-subscription magazine!


ART

 

 INSPIRATION

I was inspired to let the art flow through me and not to put as much emphasis on how exactly the piece looks.
Do not ask what it took to make me create this, instead ask in what state of mind was I in (during midterms; Stressed, with my girlfriend; content, at a friend or relative's house; inventive). I chose to improvise and generate random vectors and gradients until I came up with something I enjoy looking at.

MECHANICS

One by one I used a lasso tool and gradient tool to depict large spiky vectors surrounding the colorful background I started with. I was going for a very Modern approach and I feel like I accomplished the shock-inducing look of many modern art pieces in today's galleries and art dealers.

AESTHETICS

Why did I choose so many pastels, yet place that shiny lightning next to all of the intense colored vectors? Because I can, in addition to wanting to know what it looks like. In every art creation I make I experiment, through trial and error and eventually settle on something I am satisfied with. In this case I wanted to view a multiple layered version of a 2D painting done by Pablo Picasso or Jackson Pollock, deriving from its minimal appearance but also maintaining that unique Modern Art integrity.

INSPIRATION

I was looking online at some used cars for a friend when I got this outrageous idea to Photoshop some burnt-down and broken, smashed and/or wrecked cars. I tested the look of many different samples until I came across this specific car, played with the levels and colors a bit and tagged my name to it underneath, along with some gritty looking bits of debris and shrapnel.

MECHANICS

Cutting things out in Photoshop used to be a pain in the ass, until I learned how to stop using the lasso and magnetic lasso and graduate to quick masks and selections via channels. This made things way easier to extract out of photos, drawings and magazine scans. The car I cut using the quick mask tool and I colored it blue and yellow with bits of red to match the name "Abstract Thought" below.

AESTHETICS

The car throws kind of a curious, "I want to know more" element to this piece. I feel like when I first placed the car on top of my alias I wanted it to look clean and painted like a new car, but I've done that so many times it has become rather monotonous and mundane. Follow the laws of physics and make everything look as convincing and real as possible? How boring! That is the main reason as to why the grimey, rusty looking paint on the car is almost absorbed by the debris floating under the text.

BONUS

Tell me what I was thinking when I made this last piece by posting a comment of your choice below!

 

Examples:

Was it after eating fast food at a certain hamburger food chain?

Was it after paying $17 dollars for a ticket to see a movie in 3D?

Was it after a trip to Las Vegas?

YOU DECIDE...

Russell Xavier

Graphic Designer/Artist

Part-time Chef

Member of Standard Deviants

Redoing this Blog

Hey whats going on?


I decided to update anyone following this blog that the format for posting art and mixtapes has been changed. I will now include a paragraph describing Inspiration, Mechanics and Asthetics. I will also be introducing more classical styles of art to my audience, including Pointilism, Comic Book, Modern, and also Impressionist styles. Be sure to check in monthly as I will have much more art to display in addition to new tracks and beats. This blog is geared towards my artwork and is covered by a copyright, protecting any and all infringements.


Russell Xavier


Enjoy the first selection:

Art

Inspiration:

I was originally beginning to work on this project after a request from a friend and fellow musician of mine, Butterknife Beats. He explained to me how he just finished constructing and mixing a track he produced by the name of Ghost Toast. He gave me a detailed description and after a couple proofs and re-makes I came up with this design.

Mehanics:

After just recieving my Netbook I ordered off the internet, I installed Photoshop onto my new computer and composed a rough edit of what I wanted the picture to look like. I drew some ghost-shaped figures with effects and placed them above a high-exposure picture, tinted blue of Great Hall. Making the ghosts look "classy" was my true goal in this piece as I satirically added a monical, top-hat, gold teeth and sun glasses on each of the party guests depicted above.

Aesthetics:
I attempted to recreate a spooky, gloomy yet sophisticated and classy function in which there happen to be a group of apparitions enjoying some ghoulish cocktails and listening to experimental trip-hop.The fact that I was going for more of a cheesy as well as comical attitude was what I feel that I actually demonstrated.

To Be Continued...

Continued soon!

50 Cows Starring at you

Whats good?
Got some new gear, new art and tunes for you to check out.

Life is good! Got a new netbook and been working on projects with Standard Deviants. What do you think today's post is going to feature? How about another serving of abstract art, brought to you by Abstract Thought AKA DJ GenerRuss?!?!!?



ENJOY!



PEACE!


ART

 

Flaming Artifacts, twisted orange stylizing with gradients and layer styles intertwined over a brushed background.

 

Made this one on my new netbook, took about 6 1/2 minutes to compile, only I didn't realize that Photoshop CS5 requires a 1280x900 screen resolution. Fuck em, CS4 will do.

 

An older background designed on a friend's PC for his desktop. Originally I put his name over it, then I decided to change it and keep the new copy.

MUSIC

Counter Stricken.mp3 DJ GenerRuss


Late Night Coffee.mp3 DJ GenerRuss

What it don't do?

Sup,

I am living it up in Santa Cruz, practicing djing and making graphic art and media all the time. I have yet to establish a solid line of communication with my bandmate(s), although things are going great for Standard Deviants. The team of producers (DJ Adsynth, DJ GenerRuss, DJ Prescription, Butterknife Beats) have been working hard on a new mixtape, due this March. It should feature MC Cydah, Phraction Kontraction, LBizzle and possibly a guest appearance by MC Checkmate, but I'm not making any promises. Here is some art from past, present and future:


ART

Ghostly trails of commets and meteors, with gaseous pillars and nebulae.

Good background for cell phones, iPod Touches, PSPs, etc.

Funny story: this took only 15 minutes

MUSIC

Noisia- Groundhog

Blakroc- Dollaz N Sense (feat. RZA and Pharohe Monch)

Devin The Dude- Zeldar

Living Legends- Anything You Want

Jurassic 5- Canto De Ossanha

PEACE OUT WORLD.

ABSTRACT THOUGHT



Bhudda's sekund cuzin

Hey what's up?

It's been almost 3 months since the last post, although I do have a bunch of new art to upload. I moved to Santa Cruz just recently and am no longer living in an overcrowded house. My new roommates are way chill and my sister and cousin live nearby. I have been experimenting with some new ideas lately, sop let me know what you think. Check out some fresh new art pieces:



NEW ART

This is a piece I made the last time I visited LA, on my cousin's macbook.

I like to make space art and this one in particular I attempted to recreate some nebulae. I like to use color conjugates as well as parallel hues.

Just recently I made this piece for my girlfriend Salena, I included pieces from forests, waterfalls and bamboo gardens. She really likes it!

MUSIC

As of mixtapes, right now I am working on a new series of beat tapes I like to call "Kutz Volumes 1-3". Expect some new music in my next couple posts!

Blastin, dippin N gassin

Whats up? I've been busy with school and other junk so heres an update of some new art and mixes. Enjoy!

ART:

Soul De Mind (2007)

MIXES:

Poxic Tunk

Reggae Trip-Hop mix

D.A.N.K. (Dynamic Absurdity Naturalizing Knowledge)

What up yo?

So I have decided to share with you guys some different Photoshop art that I made a while ago. This includes some art pieces with actual photos grafted into the artwork. I do this in a couple different ways, so be prepared for something unusual.

MUSIC

DJ Sets:

DJ Prescription (Samson Simpson Suite)

TRACKS:

Le Castle Vania- Tigertron (The Toxic Avenger Remix)

Yesterday's New Quintet- Daylight

Walter Murphy - A Fifth Of Beethoven

The Cataracs featuring Dev -Bass Down Low

Fukkk Offf- Black Phantom

ART

In This piece I tried to illustrate the presence of E-40 on the Oakland Hip-hop scene, as an influential Rapper/Entrepreneur.

I enjoy listening to all sorts of music, including Jazz, Blues and Funk. This picture was meant to be a contrasting album cover for a series of jazz instrumentals that have yet to be released.

I created this art piece to convey the meaning of a flow or a freestyle from an MC. To me, this illustrates everything that goes into a flow and how a microphone acts as an instrument of conversion, capturing thoughts and transforming them into lyrics.

Peace,

Abstract Thought