Jul 31, 2008

Artwork: Contemplation (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com



This is the second piece of the Heritage Series I started concerning human atrocities in Asia, particularly the Khmer Rouge--a tribute to my family and to the countless innocent people caught in the crossfire.

The inspiration of this composition was from an old photo (perhaps National Geographic) of an Asian male digging through a pile of bones, looking for the remains of his relatives. What furthered my interest was a photo my friend, Ricky, took while visiting Angkor Wat; it was a simple image of monks looking off into the distance. Merging the two, I came up with this piece. The colors are subdued, with accents on the focal points--the robe and the flames surrounding the bones. The image on the right contains the monotone graphite drawing. I chose not to apply color to the monk's face to give a sense of humanitarian loss--of being a ghost in a world of struggle and hate.

Artwork: Faces and Decor Sketches

SherrieThai Sketchbook: Faces & Decor

After work, I usually catch the train and start adding to my sketchbook. It's a solitary act and a form of meditation. I've been told that it looks pretty intense, so I may extend it to other mediums.

Click on the image to view a larger size. The actual image is 5x7in.

Jul 29, 2008

Artwork: Uncle Sam, Big Brother is Watching You

Uncle Sam: Big Brother

I've contemplated whether I should post this artwork up. As a commercial graphic designer, you are in a constant space of negotiation, seeking approvals, business etiquette, and customer service. With fine arts, it's based primarily on the artist's intention, so sometimes, when misunderstood, there is more scrutiny. Throwing caution to the wind, here's my two cents. . .

About this piece: I've always been drawn to political and social art, especially propaganda pieces. Regardless of the society and the context, political art is powerful and many are great works of design. The I Want You Poster and George Orwell's theme "Big Brother is Watching You" (1984) inspired this piece.

The intention of this is more social than political. The artwork and message is a reminder that society is not as rosey as it may seem--we have to be aware of ourselves and of the world we live in with respect to those around us. Orwell's words gives the artwork a slightly ominous slant, but just don't take this too seriously. The presence of eyeballs and the ultra-bright red color lightens the subject matter, making it more approachable in a tongue-in-cheek humorous way. I recreated Uncle Sam in my simplified linework style. Originally intending to create an apparel design, this may have a better life as a poster.

Artwork: Tribal Sparrows with Winged Heart

Tribal Sparrows with Winged Heart

Art by Sherrie Thai of Shaireproductions.com

I happened to be watching the lovely Kat von D's LA Ink when I came up with this. This was also a homage to old school sailor tattoos, particularly those of Ed Hardy.

The artwork was created by hand, then scanned and recreated in Adobe Illustrator.

Jul 27, 2008

Photo: The Crucible Fire Arts Festival

Incredible sights to behold on July 11, 2008. It's very exciting to have a few of my photos published on The Crucible's Festival Photo Recap Page.

Jul 25, 2008

Artwork: End of Summer

Designed by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.

Illustration created in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

Artwork: Blue Dragons

Blue Detailed Dragon on Waves

I created this Eastern style dragon over the weekend. My goal is to produce one new illustration a week.

Dragon Wings Shirt

I'm also working on an apparel line. At the moment, it's only in concept until the subject matter and designs are finalized and consolidated. I love experimenting in different techniques and styles, which explains the eclectic nature of my art portfolio. Stay tuned!

Artwork: Crossing Mediums



Once in a while, the different mediums I work in cross paths for varying effects. Here's an example of my photography becoming a resource for a illustration project.

Jul 23, 2008

B-boy Media

I photographed this Iron Monkey dance crew member at The Crucible Fire Arts Festival. Although blurred, I think this photo captures the speed and technicality of break-dance movements. I just purchased a digital Canon XTi camera, so I had a bit of fun experimenting with the slow shutter speed.

B-Boy

Roxrite vs. Lilou-Red Bull BC One 2007 Roxrite has an amazing range of movement that's just incredible to watch. Don't blink!

Jul 22, 2008

Artwork: Variation of a Theme

Bebo Games

This is a recent design project promoting a Beijing Games app. The project scope was to create several profile skins highlighting several countries, so on my part, it was a test in creating a brand which was able to extend to different markets. My background in identity and package design was pretty helpful--color and design elements help differentiate the brand in unique ways. The digital illustration was created in Adobe Illustrator and the layout was created in Adobe Photoshop.

Fire Vortex: Touch the Sky

Fire Vortex is a live sculpture of fire from the mind of Nate Smith, displayed at The Crucible's Fire Arts Festival in Oakland. This was one of the most incredible sights I've ever seen. Witnessing the taming of the flame and constant evolution of shape was beautiful.

It was so hot I was worried that my new lens would melt somehow, but luckily all is well. For more info, check out Nate's site: Fire-Arts

Jul 18, 2008

Dark Knight: Promotional Design

Dark Knight

I created this design for the Dark Knight Campaign. As with most movie campaigns, the artwork was already in existence, so I just had to concentrate on extending the brand through photo collages and creating supporting artwork. This is where research is essential--if I didn't have just a day or two to turn something around, I could easily spend a week on research. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to touch different and exciting campaigns that I admire.

The concept was inspired by the Gotham Times site with interactive Flash-based elements. If you're interested in seeing the real sites for The Dark Knight, check out my other posting about their guerrilla marketing campaign.

Artwork: TechnoDragon


TechnoDragon
Originally uploaded by shaire productions
This creation was bound to happen: I love dragons and adore music. Instead of chasing the Pearl of Wisdom as most eastern dragons do, this one is a new breed--with an affinity towards vinyl records.

This bio-mechanical style dragon was originally created by hand with pen/ink, then scanned and edited in Adobe Illustrator.

Jul 16, 2008

Artwork: Nature, Apparel Design

Art by Sherrie Thai of Shaireproductions.com

Nature Woman

"Nature Woman" was drawn by hand, scanned, then cleaned up and modified in Adobe Illustrator.

Jul 9, 2008

PicLens: 3D Viewer for Web Content



If you're getting bored with the 2D aspect of the web and enjoy browsing photos/videos, check out PicLens. It's a preview of the changing face of the web (perhaps Web 3.0?). It's slick, interactive, and most importantly--fun! PicLens incorporates top media and retail sites: YouTube, Flickr, Amazon, and Google. After you download the free program, you'll get an icon in your browser that you could toggle to and fro. When pressed, Piclens enables full-screen viewing of various media. Be warned, if you scroll too fast when in the 3D wall, you may get a lil queezy. . .

Jul 7, 2008

Artwork: The Tank & the Butterflies

Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

The Tank & the Butterflies, by Sherrie Thai of shaireproductions.com

This illustration was created for a t-shirt. It was not so much about war and peace as it was about people's ignorance/greed ultimately destroying beauty. However, like all art, it's open to interpretation. =0)