Goodbye Blogger! Hello Alemercado.com

It's been more than 3 years since I started blogging here. Now it is time to do some re-structuring.
You can continue seeing my illustration work (blog and RSS included) in alemercado.com

Atticus.ie will be up and running shortly featuring the graphic design side of things.

I've really enjoyed posting here and your occasional comments.
Hope to see you soon in alemercado.com

Alé

SLANT Exhibition in Scamp

SLANT, the IGI exhibition in Ormeau Baths, Belfast is reviewed today in Scamp. Check it out. Some of the work is just amazing. Click here

Final Characters for Greenhome.ie

These are the final characters for Greenhome.ie
You can see (compare with previous post) how tight the fairy was when the first draft was presented. The Vampire was there from the beginning too. But he needed more variations till it got to a point where the customer was happy.

The monster in that other post never made it to the final stage.

WoodStock Illustrations

This is one of the illustrations I've done for a very nice project based in the Woodstock Gardens in Inistioge. I'll post the full product once it comes back form the printers.

I spent hours looking at Milton Caniff's comics. That guy is a genius using a brush!

Hope you like it

Some Old Character Drawings

These are a few characters I designed last year for a Film Festival Poster. None of them were used. I've just found them when I was archiving the latest illustrations I am doing. Which I hope to be posting soon.
I thought it might be interesting to show illustrations before they are treated in the computer. In this case all of them are inked very clean using a Hunt102 nib and indian ink.
It was one of the first times I used photographic reference. It would have been really difficult to get all the details of the clothes in my head. I used a magazine on Japanese Teenage Culture.

Hope you like them.

More Sketchbook

A few more images from my sketchbook. Hope you like them.

"Sorry I can't take your call, I'm off saving the World" Anthology

This week, I've finished a one page comic for a Charity Comics Anthology put together by Cliodhna at Ztoical (www.ztoical.com) 

It's been great to go back to inking pages the old way. I have the feeling this year is going to be full of comics... Really exciting stuff!

Here you have one of the panels of that page (my personal favourite). Hope you enjoy it.

Last Riot at Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast

DSCF1679, originally uploaded by Alé Mercado.

Last Thursday 31st July I attended the opening of three exhibitions in the Ormeau Baths Gallery in Belfast: AES+F's Last Riot, The Association of Illustrators's Images 31 and IGI's Slant where I took part (see previous post in June.)
The gallery has a few amazing spaces and the works displayed were amazing.
Worth seeing if you are around.

Hope you enjoy it

Illustrating Illustration Workshop

Last Saturday 19th July I did a workshop/talk as a complement to the Illustrating Illustration exhibition. I showed a few projects from beginning to end. The idea was to emphasize the principles of the exhibition and to give an insight into how projects are approached.

The event was promoted though the Artlinks! network and the Arts Office in the Kilkenny County Council. It was directed to professionals in any visual communication area. We also wanted a reduced number of attendants so we could go in depth into any of the issues that might arise. Two days before all seats had been taken.

Thanks to everyone who attended the workshop which I hope was of interest (I would say so looking at the feedback we've had). Especially all who travelled specifically for the event from Wexford, Enniscorthy, Dublin and Cork... and, of course, thanks to the locals who also were there.

More Sketchbook

I leave you a couple of spreads from my sketchbook while I wait for images for the next post.
Hope you like them

Kilkenny Arts Festival 2008

This years programme of the Kilkenny Arts Festival was launched last 30th June.
I had the honour of developing the image of this year's festival. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with them. Thanks to Damien, Brendan and Maeve.
Hope you make it to Kilkenny in August. More info in www.kilkennyarts.ie

Blitzkrieg Bop

Years trying to get music in the narrative of a comic. I remember spending days trying to put a fandango I heard in Niño de la Rubita originally sung by Paco Toronjo into panels. Hours of counting notes, rhythm and frustration.

At last, I finally think I am getting close. This is the beginning of Blitzkrieg Bop. What do you think? Can you hear it too?

Opening Of Candy Karaoke

Candy Karaoke opened yesterday in the Munster Truck Gallery in Francis Street, Dublin. It is an amazing exhibition. 70 creatives reinterpreting their favourite record covers. Some fantastic concepts.
It's going to be up for two weeks so I really recommend you try and see it.

Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/candyculture/ for some photos of the opening night.