Illustration Friday: Tina Belcher Meets the "Sea"

Hey everyone!! Just popping with a doodle for this week's "Illustration Friday," theme.  This week's theme was "Sea" which was too fun to pass up. I've been dying to create my own undersea illustration ever since my Mermaid "Inspiration Post." Disney's "Little Mermaid," is great but I found inspiration from another lady heroine:

Little Mer-Tina Belcher!! Bob's Burgers is on of my favorite shows. And although Lynda, Bob's wife, is my TRUE favorite character, Tina comes in a close second. A girl so chock full of imagination she writes her own "friend-fiction," I can only guess that imagination has taken her under the "sea." She probably met a cute mer-dude but I added a sea-horse to the silly doodle to keep her company. She loves land-horses so why not! Hope you enjoyed the doodle and have a super creative week!!

Seasonal Snowman "Light"

Good afternoon everyone! Hope the Holiday season is treating you well! I haven’t participated in an “Illustration Friday,” challenge in a while. This week’s theme was “Light.” I wasn’t struck with an idea until I noticed one reoccurring Christmas decoration I spied around everyone’s block.

The shining “light” of those bizarre plastic Snowmen! In driveways, on porches, on roofs and outside businesses, these jolly, vintage, hard plastic Snowmen are a classic sign of the Holiday season where I’m from. It doesn’t stop at just Snowmen either, I’ve spotted giant plastic characters ranging from jolly lighted Santa Claus’ to entire Na displays!! It makes me wonder what other king of wacky and tacky decorations are staples of neighborhoods around the USA. I’d love if you’d share some in the comments section!! Have a super weekend everyone!!

Inspiration Post: EYE Spy!

Hey everyone!! October is the perfect time to think kooky and spooky projects so in the spirit of Halloween, I figured it was a good time to crank out a creatively creepy “Inspiration Post." The "Inspiration Post," is a monthly themed collection of pieces I dig up for you from around to web to inspire your creativity!! I started this blog segment back in August of 2012 making it officially 2 years old!! My first chosen theme was simply "Cats." This month's theme is "EYE Spy!"

How thankful I am for my set of eyes! They let me see so many different things each and everyday. Whether it be a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky or a stinky, overflowing garbage can sitting on someone's curb. Not only that, but they turn everyday objects into an instant pal. Boring still life? Add some eyes and they'll take that bowl of fruit from average to the friendliest bowl of produce you'll ever encounter! So scroll down to see what EYE Spy as inspiration!

Cat Got Your Eyeballs T-shirt - DarkMattersClothing Etsy Shop

First up we have just a couple of cute kittens playing with some . . . uh are those real eyeballs? This disturbing hand-painted t-shirt design features two curious kittens batting around a bunch of blue eyes freshly harvested from their sockets. Painted on a sparkling pink background this is one eye-catching piece of apparel. The contrast between cute and creepy is what makes me appreciate this fun concept! It’s amazing how switching out even ONE element to something MORE out of the ordinary can bring a piece to an entirely new level of creativity.

Raquel Reed Photoshoot - MISKA NYC 

If my numerous Marie Antoinette related post haven't quite tipped you off, I'm always inspired by an over-the-top hairdos. And this towering trio of eyeballs is no exception!! Raquel Reed is styled up to her eyes in well. . .eyes in this photoshoot for  “МИШКА,” a NYC clothing company. Their mission statement is to “destroy everything boring and the mundane!” The use of contrasting colors and consistency in graphic eyeball imagery is anything but boring! The creeping red tendrils securing the eyes into the wig is super spooky. Mission accomplished! 

Alice in Wonderland Eyeball Necklace - Rui Nishioka tumblr

This necklace was the original inspiration for my "Eye Spy,” October theme. It reminded me a lot of myself if I were a giant floating eyeball!! With a little research, I found out it’s a piece in a collection of “Alice in Wonderland,” inspired jewelry created by Rui Nishioka. This artist uniquely utilizes insects and artificial eyes to create one striking line of jewelry. This particular necklace is obviously Alice, with her signature black ribbon and blond hair. Being that she’s only an eyeball I imagine she’s ever alert for all the dangers Wonderland throws her way!

Kreepsville 666 Eyeball Handbag - Dolls Kill Boutique

So we have a necklace, a shirt, why not grab an eye-mazing bag to go with? There are plenty of round purses and bags in the world but this one is a literal eyeful! Not overly complicated and relying on the iconic eyeball to do all the talking, I had to add the Kreepsville 666 Eyeball Handbag to this post!! The bright colors of the design (both the red and the green versions) really pop against the clear material! Vector illustrations always remind me of plastic so I can see the clear PVC being the best material to create this real eye-opening accessory!!

Look Before You Speak Poster - Sab Sesay

Last is a poster print of a logo design by "Sab Sesay" or Sab Rena. This artist has more than a few more eerie eye pieces in her portfolio I found inspiring! It was almost hard to narrow it down to just one. I like the muddy, saturated colors for this straight forward design. The logo featured is composed of really simple shapes; a burst, hearts, circles, etc. while still making a statement! And the repeating color-changing eyeball and lips icon is quite Warhol-esque. On a sidenote, one of her early inspirations to create art was the “Sailor Moon,” series which I also adore!!

(image via SAB Sesay Behance)

Care to spy some more inspiration?? Check out my Pinterest board titled "Inspiration" for all the pieces that didn't quite make the post and any extra things I store away for future inspiration. Follow http://www.pinterest.com/nerdycupcakes/inspirations/ to digest a healthy dose of creative inspiration.  Have a super week and a safe Halloween!!

Cake Bake Penny - Logo Design + Frosting Brushes!!

Hey everyone! Recently I’ve been challenging myself to break out of my artistic comfort zones to better round out my portfolio. Adobe Illustrator is still remains my go-to program to transform my ideas into works of art! With the latest version of "CC" booted up, I decided to work up a logo design just for fun. I'm still obsessed with everything baking so yes, it's a bakery logo!!

For the logo I created my own set of bakery brushes. Creating brushes has intimidated me in the past but I KNEW it would  speed up my design process by like a billiondy. So I buckled down and created my first set of original brushes!!

The new fangled Illustrator updates make stuff like brush creation, so much easier!! I left the logo as a circle design and I'm eager to throw it on some bakery product mock ups to show off the tasty little emblem in action!

And I'm STILL interested in sharing my most polished ideas, thoughts and projects for you guys!! I can't make many promises as to how often I will be posting in the future though, so hang in there and keep checking back!! I hope you enjoy your weekend!!

Inspiration Post: Mouthwatering Mac & Cheese!!

Hey everyone!! I've missed way more "Inspiration Post," than I'm proud of but I'm going to pretend I didn't and moved onto July 2014's post. The "Inspiration Post," is the reader's chance to check out at what peaks MY artistic interest and motivates me to create such crazy imaginative illustrations!! There are so many things that inspire me it's always difficult to pick just one theme. After much deliberation I decided to choose "Mouthwatering Mac & Cheese!!"

Nothing beats a hot bowl of super cheesy and savory Mac and Cheese. I love Mac and Cheese like nobody's business. If I could I would make and eat it everyday of my life. In fact, I've featured a classic as well as more wacky recipe for mac and cheese on my blog before. Digging further back into my history you will even discover an early illustration I created as an ode to my love for the comforting noodle dish. So grab a piping hot bowl, sit back and let me be your guide through "Mouthwatering Mac & Cheese," heaven!!

Mac Loves Cheese Graphic - Meghan Draws Weird tumblr

Since this is an illustration blog, I decided to start things off with an adorable Mac & Cheese illustration. A little elbow noodle embraces his best pal CHEESE! Talk about comforting comfort food!! The simplistic use of color and shapes make this illustration a winner in my book!! Designed by Meghan Murphy this piece even made it's way to Shirt WOOT! in their comfort foods derby. No lie, I'd rock this apparel design in a heartbeat!

Macaroni & Cheese Soap - SoapsationalFavors Etsy Shop

It's amazing what you can find on Etsy with just one simple keyword. I dug up this super creative handcrafted soap in the SoapsationalFavors etsy shop on my quest for Mac & Cheese goodness! I applaud the creativity that went into even fathoming this comfort-food cleanser. And it looks so realistic I'm half tempted to eat it. Thankfully the artisan labels the final packaging with "glycerine soap" on the back to avoid and incidental digestions! because I would more than likely just dig in. SoapsationalFavors offers all kinds of unique soaps so check them out on Etsy!!

Timeless Treasures Fabric Mac & Cheese Fabric sold at greatfabricfinds Etsy Shop

I love me a good textile print!! Check out this delicious fabric by the "Timeless Treasures" company! The print features different little individual dishes of Mac & Cheese crafted with a variety of noodles. The photographically realistic casseroles stand out on a contrasting black background. Just think of the possibilities you could sew with this beauty!! Although I find it highly unlikely I would ever be able to craft anything with this WITHOUT drooling all over my project.

Robot Flying Saucer Mac N Cheese Abduction Card -  RicksRobots Etsy Shop

I LOVE the creative concept of this print of a young girl balancing a pink tea cup effortlessly a top her head. A task I'm sure I'd never be able to accomplish with the ADDED challenge of a ship sailing carelessly around the tea. The print is created by the husband and wife artist team, "Marisol Spoon." The scalloped edge and gold details of the tea cup and microscopic components of the ship are amazing!! And her extremely long neck and haunting eyes keep this piece unique and memorable. Purchase it on Etsy or see more of Marisol Spoon's pieces at http://marisolspoon.com/

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese "Super Heroes" Shapes - Bat Blog

Holy Macaroni Batman! Last but not least is an ad featuring my favorite caped crusader, Batman! But not just any ad, a Kraft Mac and cheese ad that dates back to the late 90s. This ad combines 2 of my most favorite things; Mac and Cheese AND Batman. I can't say that I taste tested this back in the day but I'm sure it was delicious. The signature Kraft Dinner boxes tower over gotham city like skyscrapers. How clever! I also dig the tagline. "Big Cheese," get it?! Oh puns!

Drooling for more?? Check out my Pinterest board titled "Inspiration" for bonus pieces that didn't quite make my 5 piece limit per post. And who knows, maybe NEXT month's theme might already be in mixed in there! Follow http://www.pinterest.com/nerdycupcakes/inspirations/ and stay inspired every month with lots of goodies to keep you from creative constipation! Have a super week everyone!!

Illustration Friday - Zelda's "Disguise" Cupcake

Hey everyone!! Hope everyone had a good week. I really am cutting it close with this week's "Illustration Friday," piece. The topic chosen was "disguise." I thought pretty long and hard about disguises and settled on my favorite alternative personality:

Sheik from the Legend of Zelda. If you've never played the Zelda games, spoiler warning, that guy who helps you out along the way named Sheik? Yeah that's Princess Zelda. . . in disguise. Dun dun DUN! I decided to keep on imagining and create a Sheik-cupcake. And now I'm half tempted to create other characters in the Zelda universe as cupcakes! Have a great weekend everyone!

Illustration Friday - Suzy and Sam's "Beginning"

Good morning everyone!! As promised to you and myself, I am attempting to keep up with "Illustration Friday," before the deadline sneaks up on me!! This week's topic was, "Beginning." I've been really dying to create a "Moonrise Kingdom," themed piece so I created this illustration:

"Moonrise Kingdom," was such an enjoyable movie. Keeping with the theme of "beginning," I decided to create a pop-art type piece that represented the two main characters, Suzy and Sam's, first encounter. After sneaking into the girl's makeshift dressing room during a play Sam points to Suzy and asks, "What kind of bird are you?" In her elegant black costume, wide eyed, she replies with, "I'm a Raven."

I hope everyone is having a good week so far and I hope you enjoyed my Illustration. Oh, and go see that movie if you haven't!! 

Back to Blogging - Illustration Friday "Time"

Hey everyone!! If you haven't noticed, I have really neglected my blog for the past couple months. Art will ALWAYS remain one of my biggest passions. These past few months have brought a whirlwind of change into my life. Here and there I've created some hand rendered pieces I'm pretty proud of but I've really missed creating digital pieces and sharing them online.

I made the illustration for an "Illustration Friday," theme from a few weeks back. The word chosen was "Time."

A pink gummy bear being consumed by ants. Ants are extremely clever creatures. If you leave any form of food out they will find it and they will eat it no matter how long it takes them. And unfortunately for this little gummy guy time was not on his side!! Hope everyone has a great week and be sure to stay tuned for more illustrations!