This Brutal Maze

It's been a while since I've posted a maze. Here I'm playing with Brutalist Architecture- which has been quite the internet trend for a bit now. I am happy with how the maze turned out. It is simple, a little tricky, and has very clear paths.  

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If you want more cool buildings every day, follow @BrutalHouse on Twitter!

UPDATE: This is now available as an art print on my Society6 shop! 
UPDATE: Also as a shirt or other apparel in my Threadless shop!

Watercolor and Ink

Still playing with ink and watercolor.

I'm really into the artists Cinta Vidal and Sadi Tekin right now. Vidal paints beautiful multi-perspective buildings and interiors. Like my cube mazes, but intimate and fully realistic. Tekin is a very clever illustrator with great line work and often gentle colors.

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So here, the maze is simple, but I wanted the paths to be on every visible side with the steps connecting them (Vidal). I also tried to use the least amount of pigment to emphasize the lines and space. (Tekin)

I quickly added the labels digitally for posting with one of my favorite photo apps, Halftone.

Non-Digital

Opening the ink and paint for the metrocard project has made me excited to continue the non-digital stuff for a bit. Before trying to paint an entire piece, I made some tiny watercolor studies. These are a little shaky, as I'm still adjusting to the different pen widths. Also, watercolor is WAY out of my comfort zone.

It is very fun though!

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SingleFare4

  These are tiny mazes I made for SingleFare4, a fundraiser for the New York Academy of Art. Artists from all over contribute small scale paintings on NYC metro cards. I will also be attending the opening, to show my support and pick up some great work.

  It has been a while since I've worked with real brushes and ink, and it is a joy! Also, the work is SMALL! I'm still adjusting to the scale. Some of the miniature oil paintings submitted are quite amazing. Some color ballpoint work is just insane. It is open to all, but the deadline is August 23. 

  You can see more on Instagram -@singlefare and #singlefare4

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Acrylic with Micron pen. I gessoed the cards first.  

New Spaceship Maze

I am very happy how the inking came out on this one! It resembles the intricate line work of Star Destroyer illustrations or Möbius ships - a little. I was able to use some of the concepts I played with on Orbital, like stacked paths and staircases. I'll probably do the shading in mostly grays, but may check out some old SciFi (John Berkey) book covers too. 

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Making Adjustments and Notes

This is a color test print. Seeing the colors on paper gives me a better idea of what the final piece will look like. The print also helps identify areas that are mis-colored or the line work is weird. Here I noted where I want to add some buildings. The long walls of trees at the top don’t really work. Highlighting the solution now will help when I make that page later. I like seeing the solution in a bright pink line… It makes me happy. Eventually, I will have clean prints for an entire second book. I will organize them in a way that is pleasing while also increasing the difficulty as the book progresses. Someone runs all the mazes for difficulty, clarity and enjoyment.

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The Story of Troubador Press: An Interview with Malcolm Whyte

I have mentioned before how the Larry Evans 3-Dimensional maze books in the 1970's started me drawing mazes when I was a kid. Check out this great 2013 interview with his publisher, Malcom Whyte of Troubador Press. Whyte discusses Evans, the other artists he worked with, and running an indie publishing house back in the day. It is a good read.
The Story of Troubador Press: An Interview with Malcolm Whyte - 2 Warps to Neptune

Troubador building at 126 Folsom Street, San Francisco. Supergraphics painted circa 1971-1972 by Gompers Saijo. (Photo: Malcolm Whyte)

Troubador building at 126 Folsom Street, San Francisco. Supergraphics painted circa 1971-1972 by Gompers Saijo. (Photo: Malcolm Whyte)

City Detail

Small portion of new city maze. More realistic than usual, but still maintaining the icon style I like to use. Grunged up with the app Halftone.  

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