Conchords

Here is a new self-promo portrait I just finished of New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo, along with a bit of the process from sketch to digital paints. Owenfreeman.com has also just been updated with a bundle of new sketches and illustrations.

Also in case you haven't seen it there is a fantastic Drawger post by Yoku Shimizu detailing the process of a new portrait she did for Golf Digest. Can't recommend it enough.

Tempest

Here is the latest illustration for this week's LA Weekly, inspired by a longstanding infatuation with the concrete forests of overpasses across Los Angeles.

Brütal Lemmy

Here are some of the sketches I did for the new issue of Nylon Guys magazine along with the finished illustration. The piece was for the "Rock & Awe" interview with Lemmy Kilmister about his role in the upcoming heavy-metal themed Brütal Legend video game- I couldn't ask for more visually fun elements to work with. Much thanks to Alexander Chow for the opportunity and thanks again to the illustrious Frank Stockton for the assist.

Mash Up

Here is a new piece I just did for this week's LA Weekly. I had been reading about the history of Malibu Creek State Park, where M*A*S*H and the Planet of the Apes series were filmed when I did the rough sketch. After hiking up to shoot some reference shots for an idea about a misdirected extra, I painted the ink and watercolor version. After some trial and error and strange accidents with color and temperatures, I came to this version, which hopefully retains most of the anachronistic feel of the original concept.

In other news, I'm incredibly honored to have my unpublished "Waiting" illustration awarded a spot in this year's Communication Arts Illustration Annual, which is on stands now.

Unbelievable 2.5

Unbelievable_2.5, originally uploaded by owenfreeman.

Portrayals

Here is an ink drawing/portrait of Mr. Hugh Hefner I did for this year's Playboy Jazz Festival. Throughout the assignment I was inspired to keep practicing with daily warmup portrait sketches of whoever else came to mind, and push various limitations like duotones or lighting as I went (while trying to maintain some fleeting likenesses.) It's an unexpected bunch, all together, but I guess there was a lot of Kojack on in the background...

Northlake

New illustration for this week's LA Weekly. Also just received a bronze medal for the Meric piece in the current issue of CQ, which was a cool surprise.

G20

Here is a cover and double-page spread I did for the current issue of Securities & Investments Review. The assignment was a super-heroic take on the single superadvisory board that world leaders were creating to confront the global economic recession at the G20 Summit in London this year.

The cover was penciled pretty much directly from the rough sketch, but the thumbnail sketches for the spread at the top left were still a bit too subtle, so for the tighter pencil versions we tried to take it in a more direct and cinematic angle. After a few color treatments the double page spread finally felt dark enough without being too dark, and the recession had the correct number of tentacles and it was off to print. Thanks to Johanna Ward at Wardour for the opportunity, and special thanks to Frank Stockton for the assist.

The Four Star

Illustration I just finished for New York Magazine about the impact of the recession on four-star restaurants in Manhattan.

Morello

Here is a full page illustration I did for the current issue of FHM magazine in the UK. The illustration was based on an article detailing the brutal rise and fall of GIuseppe Morello, the head of the first organized crime family in America during the turn of the last century.