Introductions

I'm a freelance illustrator and a Kendall College of Art and Design graduate currently living in Michigan. My work ranges from rendered paintings in watercolor, to still-lifes in pastel, to film storyboards, to more comic-style illustrations in digital or traditional colors. Needless to say, my work is diverse. My intention for use of this blog is to display my artwork in a professional manner and to bring in commission-based business. Essentially, this is my online portfolio. Many illustrators are using blogs these days, and needing a presence for myself, this will hopefully work for me as well. So I encourage you to watch regularly for postings of artwork and perhaps be compelled to call on my services for a commission. Keep in mind that I work in a variety of mediums and subjects, so do not hesitate to ask for something that you might not see here. Just contact me at andrew.shirey@yahoo.com, my work e-mail and my Paypal account.

Read my illustration commissions post as a starting point to get an idea of the potential price range.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Adventure Time: Algebraic!


A little gift art for my girlfriend, Dara, to help cheer her up. And from what I've seen, it's an amusing little cartoon. If you enjoy this style, regarding both artwork and humor, then I suggest that you might also take a look at The Perry Bible Fellowship webcomic. Fair warning, though, P.B.F. does often make use of adult-oriented humor.

Monday, August 2, 2010

2nd Burgie Awards poster


If regular followers are having a sensation of slight déjà vu, it's only natural and for two main reasons. This commissioned piece parodies one particularly iconic theatrical poster of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). The commissioner was Sef Gonzalaz, a.k.a. Burger Beast, for his second-annual Burgie Awards event, the first of which I also illustrated as a parody poster in the style of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

The Burgie Awards is set to take place in downtown Miami, Florida at the Transit Lounge (729 SW 1st Ave.) on September 13th, starting at 8 PM. Again, like last year, I would go if I wasn't living on the opposite side of the States. However, if you happen to frequent the Miami area then be sure to stop by for good food and friendly competition. Tell Burger Beast that Silent Sketcher sent you.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Haslett Community Yard Sale

Hosted by the Friends of the Haslett Library, the Haslett Community Yard Sale was created in an effort to help raise funds for the Haslett Library's upcoming move. Applicants, such as myself, reserved a parking space at the town high school for a nominal fee, which went to the charitable cause, and there set up shop to sell goods and services. Talk about convenience. It doesn't get much easier than arranging a table and displays directly out of your own vehicle.

I must confess, I wasn't expecting to have a parking space for my van and an additional one for my wares. My thought was that I would have a single space, which would be filled by my van with the table and displays set up right behind. Compared to the tightly-fit comic conventions that I've attended in the past few years, this was an excessive amount of space that I honestly wasn't prepared to fill.

first time having all three display panels for myself

note the distance between the table and the displays

table covered with my wares, namely: prints, sketchbooks, and monochromatic drawings from last spring's Motor City Comic Con

Yesterday's forecast predicted rain, which would have put a significant dampener on the entire event. (No pun intended.) However, the high school was fortunate enough to not see even a slight shower for the duration of the yard sale. Overcast and cooler, the weather actually made for a very comfortable summer day. But as I've learned this can be awfully deceptive. Being sensitive to sunlight, I had turned a nice shade of medium-well pink by the end of the event. Curse my melanin-deficient heritage.

Business wasn't particularly booming, speaking solely for myself, but a few folks came by to have their caricatures drawn and a handful more took business cards. Potential clients are still good, regardless. Plus, afterward I spoke briefly with one of the "ladies in pink" who helped to coordinate the event. This summer was the first community yard sale that Haslett had put together, and next year they plan to publicize any attending specialties, such as artists like myself. So should I attend the second Haslett Community Yard Sale, it promises to have better potential for vendors with artwork. Sunburn aside, I had a pleasant time and hope to do this again next year.

penciling out my first caricature of the yard sale

regular patrons should recognize librarian Joe

awwwww -- two and too cute

"Better than the one I got at Cedar Point." -- I'll take that as a compliment