Van draws.

This Thing's Getting Framed

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:06:41 +1000

Well, my copies of Japanese Nostalgic Car have yet to arrive, but a friend not far from me received his copy yesterday, so he lent it to me to facilitate some drooling. I promised not to get it on his copy.

Man, what to say. So damn stoked. I was hoping the cover would be of a heavier stock, but otherwise I'm rapt. There are mistakes here and there throughout the mag, and one pretty big kerning cockup on the cover, but I've taken all of those things on board and I know they won't happen again. All in all, I think it's not bad for a first ever effort.

Here's some choice photos.

15,000 copies. Glossy pages throughout. 83 pages. All designed by me. Bring on issue 2!

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Just For Kicks

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:46:52 +1000

A bit bored tonight, inspired by some various illos I was looking at.

This isn't finished yet.

pose-off.jpg

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Finished. Now I will Sleep for 30 Years.

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:19:07 +1000

Oh man.

As anyone on my facebook knows, I've been working hard for the past few months on the design for the first issue of the upcoming US publication, Japanese Nostalgic Car. It's the first US (or possibly anywhere in the west?) magazine to focus 100% on classic Japanese cars.

Here's a bit of a preview of what's to come. It's an 83 page magazine, professionally printed, perfect bound, and on good solid stock with card covers front and back (not unlike Freestyle magazine's covers). I'd tell you exactly what weight the card and paper is, but it's measured in some stupid US scale rather than in gsm, haha. Sorry! Suffice to say, it's all damn nice.

I hope those of you interested in classic JDM will consider buying a copy from http://japanesenostalgiccar.com! Unfortunately it's not being distributed through stores - that kind of thing is damn hard and expensive to line up.

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I Used to Sleep

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:25:24 +1100

Once upon a time, I slept. I remember it clearly because, well, it was time that I wasn't up until all hours colouring a damn jacket. Why do I spend so much time on this stuff? It doesn't even look like hours worth of work!

So here's a progress report on my latest piece. It's a good thing I don't sell my work; I'd definitely be working at a massive loss.

guy-girl-car-3.jpg

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We Still Used It For Boob Jokes Though

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 12:29:52 +1100

Here's something I whipped up this morning for the latest drawing challenge at the Digital Pimp Online forums. I quite dig it, especially for a 45 minute effort.

calculator-watch_small.jpg

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It's Been A Long Time

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 02:01:48 +1100

I shouldn't have left you, without a dope... ah whatever.

Been a Threadless member since 2003, and I've submitted three designs in that entire time, haha. The third one was tonight though, which will hopefully be approved in the next couple of days. Here's a peek.

tin-cans.jpg

It's not especially creative, but I think it's cute and I'd like to see my girly wearing it.

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Here's Another

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:50:14 +1100

It's the Easter long weekend here in Australia (we get the Friday and the Monday off, so it's 4 days of bliss for moi), so I thought I'd waste an evening doing another illustration. Hopefully I'll get a chance to colour it in the next week or so!

Guy-girl-car

Every now and then, I like to point out that most of my illustrative work these days - at least the stuff that is vaguely anatomically correct - is from photo reference. I point it out purely because I feel awkward when people compliment me for my work, under the impression that it's 100% mine. And it's simply not. Illustration isn't something I have enough time in my life to focus on, and I'm simply not going to spend what little time I have available on learning foreshortening and perspective and all that other wonderful jazz. For me, it's all about the end product - not how I arrived at it. And as far as I'm concerned, most of the time my end product is unique enough in its own right that the methods I used to get there are, well, not irrelevant, but certainly not important to me.

Here's the grabs I threw together to create a starting point.

Guy-girl-car_original

So there you are. I hope you enjoy my work, and I hope you'll be as carefree about my methods as I am.

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Make it Kenmeri Time

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:36:26 +1100

Oh man. I never want to draw ever again, haha. I've never spent so much time on a single piece before. I don't know how you people do it! It was fun and all, but man. I could not ever make this is a full time job, haha.

Anyway, here you go. Some random dude sitting on the hood of his Nissan C110 "Kenmeri" Skyline GT-R, sipping on some bubble tea (oh you sweet delicious bubble tea). Enjoy! And remember, make it Kenmeri time. ...™

Dude-skyline_finished

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brains.

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:36:53 +1100

Pumped this out today for a buddy o' mine; one James McEwan at onezom.

Onezom

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Oh, it's THAT big.

nobody@vox.com(Van Strapp) — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:17:13 +1100

Oh, it's THAT big!

I mean, I knew it was A3-size when I ordered, but damn, it's still surprisingly huge, haha. Lotta money gone byebye, but a lotta good drawing times ahead!

Size DOES matter baby.

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