Ninja vs Penguin

Ninja December 2nd, 2009

OK GO is responsible for a lot of my procrastination. They made me want to dance along with A Million Ways,  and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve replayed their synchronized treadmill dancing video for Here It Goes Again.

WTF? is the lead single off the bands forthcoming third album, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, slated for release on January 12, 2010.

Masters of the single-take, OK GO does it again. This music video for WTF? is no different, except that there’s no dancing, Tim is not lip syncing to Damian’s vocals, and there’s a lot more green screen and gaffer tape. Take a look at the pretty colors and Muybridge trails:

Directed by Tim Nackashi

Behind-the-scenes with commentary by OK GO’s Damian Kulash and Tim Nordwind

Tutorial on how to make the effect by Topher Welsh

Thank you, Video Hive

Purchasing links
+ WTF? mp3, $0.99
+ PREORDER: Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, $11.99

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Tags: Echo effect, Making of, Music, Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, OK GO, Process, Tim Nackashi, Topher Welsh, tutorial, Videos, Viral, WTF

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Ninja November 17th, 2009

Take a look behind the scenes of Wes Anderson’s first stop-motion animated film based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same title, Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Via Making Of

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Tags: Animation, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Making of, Movies, Process, Roald Dahl, Stop motion

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Ninja October 16th, 2009

Since Penguin is a fan of Cai Guo-Qiang’s gunpowder work, I thought I’d post this for him (and you, of course) to enjoy!

Explosion Work
Long Island, New York, 2006
Video produced by McConnell/Hauser Inc

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Tags: Cai Guo-Qiang, Explosion Work, Gunpowder, Painting, Process, Videos

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Ninja October 5th, 2009

HunterGatherer is an award-winning design, illustration, animation and production studio founded by Todd St. John. Here’s a look into their creative process.

It’s more an enjoyment of the craft and of the process and being able to work with tactile things instead of computer models, although those are fun sometimes too… I spend very little time knowing sort of what’s going on with the latest camera or software or things like that and probably more time and trying to come up with custom ways of doing stuff. If you can have a process that’s different, you’re going to have a result that’s different.

Via arkitip
Purchasing link
+ Get HunterGatherer silkscreen prints here

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Tags: graphic design, HunterGatherer, Illustration, Prints, Process, Silk screen, Todd St. John, Videos, Wood

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Ninja September 24th, 2009

While searching the web for the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, I came across not one, but two timelapse process videos from the Nuart Festival using PCO tracks for their soundtracks. Scroll down to watch the fascinating painting process of Logan Hicks and David Choe.

Logan Hicks

David Choe

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Tags: David Choe, Logan Hicks, Nuart Festival, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Process, Street Art, Timelapse, Videos

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Ninja September 16th, 2009

I just discovered Eric Fortune’s process videos! Oh, joy!

Here are 3 time-lapse process videos for his piece from the Overdose group show at the Copro Nason Gallery.

Eric will be one of the featured artists of the upcoming show, Go East: LeBasse Projects in New York.  Here’s his latest installment: unexpected clouds.

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Tags: Copro Nason Gallery, Eric Fortune, Go East: LeBasse Projects, LeBasse Projects, New York, Process, Videos

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Ninja August 6th, 2009

Guitar goddess/song bird, Kaki King, presents The Exhibition: a one night exhibit of guitars turned into pieces of artwork inspired by a Kaki King song title. The highlight of the evening will occur around 9:00 pm when Kaki puts on a solo performance of several songs, then plays the song Playing With Pink Noise with pink paint covering her hands on her iconic blue guitar. That guitar and several others will be auctioned off to benefit VH1’s Save the Music foundation.

Where
The Littlefield
622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue in the Gowanus
Brooklyn, New York 11217 (map)
718) 855-3388

When
Friday, August 7, 2009
One night only!
Doors open at 7:00 PM

Cost
Free admission
All ages welcome

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the guitars on display:

Sad American
Reni Papananias

Can Anyone Who Has Heard This Music Really Be A Bad Person?
Vincent Hui

I Need A Girl Who Knows A Map
Kate Havnevik

Can the Gwot Save Us
Morgan Grenier

Here’s my contribution:

I Never Said I Love You

Detail

All my process photos and comments can be viewed here.

Come out and say hi! I’ll be the one with the pink streaks. ^___^

Big smiles,
Ninja

PS. Correction: looks like Magic Hat won’t be there after all, so no free beer. But hey, it’s a free Kaki show with some amazing art—that should be enough reason to come out and join us. ~__^

Related links
+ To see more, become a fan of Kaki King Guitar Art on Facebook
+ Kaki King SPIN interview

Album purchasing links
+Mexican Teenagers, $8.49
+ Dreaming of Revenge, $13.98
+ Until We Felt Red, $14.98
+ Legs to Make Us Longer, $12.98

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Tags: Acrylic, Brooklyn, Exhibitions, Hair, I never said I love you, Kaki King, Kaki King Guitar Project, Littlefield, Painting, Process, Tanya Dakin, The Exhibition, Wood

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Ninja July 29th, 2009

Really digging the rhythmic, swirling compositions of Brooklyn-based illustrator/designer, Sougwen Chung. Sougwen can be found hard at work at the design shop, Cuban Council.

Afterthoughts

Fleurette-de-lis A

Fleurette-de-lis B

Fleurette-de-lis C

Fleurette-de-lis D

SepalCure

Spectral Sound

Spectral Sound

You can check out her drawing process here:

Related link
+ See more at Sougwen Chung’s drawing blog

Purchasing link
+ Buy Sougwen Chung’s prints

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Tags: Brooklyn, Cuban Council, graphic design, Illustration, Process, Sougwen Chung, Type

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Ninja July 21st, 2009

Wohoo, I’m done!

I Never Said I Love You

Detail

Thanks for giving me much love as I continue to do my art! The past few weeks have been spent burning the midnight oil to prepare for this show (it’s my first group show). I’m so excited, and I would love to see you there.

Where
The Littlefield
622 Degraw Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue in the Gowanus
Brooklyn, New York 11217 (map)
718) 855-3388

When
Friday, August 7, 2009
One night only!
Doors open at 7:00 PM

Cost
Free admission

It’s been such an honor to collaborate with one of my heroes, the talented musician, Kaki King! She invited me and 15 other artists to create visual representations of her music from some busted guitars. Here’s a glimpse into some of the artists’ creative processes:

Ahuvati by Joseph Zacker

Night After Sidewalk by China Morobosa

Open Mouth by Lennie Peterson

Pull Me Out Alive by Andrea Arceneaux

Sad American by Reni Papananias

So Much for So Little by Katherine Guillen

I can’t wait to see them all in person!

Also that night, Kaki will perform a special rendition of Pink Noise with paint on her fingers. Her resulting performance painting piece will then be auctioned off for charity.

Magic Hat Brewery is sponsoring the event so there will be plenty of free swill for those of you inclined.

Big smiles,
Ninja

PS Much thanks and love to my wonderful friend, Tony Bologna Yang, for shooting the finished piece and to my lovely model, Tanya Dakin.

Related links
+ To see more, become a fan of Kaki King Guitar Art on Facebook
+ Kaki King SPIN interview

Album purchasing links
+Mexican Teenagers, $8.49
+ Dreaming of Revenge, $13.98
+ Until We Felt Red, $14.98
+ Legs to Make Us Longer, $12.98

• I never said I love you: Process 9 (2)
• I never said I love you: Process 8 (0)
• I never said I love you: Process 7 (7)
• I never said I love you: Process 6 (0)
• I never said I love you: Process 5 (2)

Tags: Acrylic, Brooklyn, Exhibitions, Hair, I never said I love you, Kaki King, Kaki King Guitar Project, Painting, Process, Tanya Dakin, The Littlefield, Wood

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Ninja July 17th, 2009

Apologies for the long absence! I’m sad to say that my laptop still hasn’t been fixed. T_____T Some of my more techy friends will take a look at it over the weekend, and hopefully I’ll be up and running soon (and posting more regularly). Much thanks for your continued patience and love!

As promised, here’s my latest step in my Kaki King guitar project process. I lost a lot of process photos when my hard drive died, but imagine if you will layers and layers of paint built up into an awful mess, uneven eyebrows, and off-center lips. The (gasp) puffy cheeks and washed out skin tone stage can be seen below.

I have the bad habit of overthinking/overworking a painting, hating it, sanding it all off, and starting fresh. It’s a crazy and nerve-wrecking part that has insidiously crept into my process.

After a bit of sanding and sighing, it became this (above). The guitar is so close to being finished. Just a few more sleepless nights of tweaks and installing hanging hardware, and it’ll be show-ready.

As always, thanks for stopping by and checking in!

Much love and happy painting,
Ninja

• Kaki King Guitar Art Project in Brooklyn (4)
• I never said I love you: Process 9 (2)
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• I never said I love you: Process 6 (0)

Tags: Acrylic, Brooklyn, Bugs, Exhibitions, Hair, I never said I love you, Kaki King, Kaki King Guitar Project, Painting, Process, Tanya Dakin, The Littlefield, Wood

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