Drew’s Influence

22 Mar

Posted at 19:20h in Behind the Scenes..., Drew's Influence, History by
37 Likes

joniephoto-Drew Brophy sacred-6157

Do you ever wonder if what you’re doing is good enough?

A young Artist asked for my advice on how to find her style.
She wanted to know how I developed my own painting style.

My answer to her is one that we can apply to just about anything we do in life.

This is what I told her:

When I was young and trying to make a living as a surf artist and a surfboard painter, I painted a lot.  Every day I produced new work.

I painted what I wanted to paint, even when other people didn’t like it.

I didn’t try to please anyone with my paintings. Many people didn’t get what I was doing.  I thought they were nuts that they didn’t get it.  (And they thought I was nuts.)

In the beginning, I tried to get people excited about the paintings I was doing, but most didn’t respond.

There was an entire world of people who didn’t respect or understand what I was doing.  It wasn’t good enough for galleries or even surf shops at one point.  I was turned down by almost every single surfboard maker in the early years, because they didn’t understand my art.

I was constantly rejected but I didn’t stop doing it.

I felt insecure, but I didn’t let it stop me.  I put my head down and just kept going.  Creating what I was driven to create.

Then one day some people started to like what I was doing.
Eventually, more and more people liked it.

My style became popular, and now decades after all the rejection, people copy it all over the world.

My advice: Do what you want.  Paint, draw, create a lot. Every day.

Paint for yourself and see what develops.

Don’t do what other people do and don’t do what other people tell you to do, not unless you really want to.  Be stubborn.

Don’t do things just because they have always been done that way.  Do things your own way.

Do what draws you in and what keeps your interest the most. Don’t worry about other people’s opinions.

No matter what you do, someone is going to love it, and someone is going to hate it.  Find the people who love it.

Experiment with a lot of things.  Be patient. Let it develop. It may take months or years to find your style and it will constantly evolve and progress.

Just keep creating art.

I hope this helps all those people out there who aren’t sure if what they are doing is good enough.  It is.  Just keep doing it.  

Life is Good – Drew

P.S.  Are you struggling with with going against the grain?  Or doing things your own way?  Please leave a comment on this post, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Drew Brophy
Artist, illustrator, surfer
Follow my postings on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DrewBrophyArt

12 Oct

Posted at 06:02h in Behind the Scenes..., Tips & How To by
33 Likes

My sister Andrea and her husband Jackie invited us to a Dunes Club Halloween Party when we were in Myrtle Beach, S.C. for Halloween one year.

I had less than an hour to come up with a costume.

Thanks to the wonders of duct-tape, palm frauns and cardboard, I was able to throw this medicine man Halloween costume together fast, in less than 30 minutes.

(The only thing I bought for this was the skull head.)

Here’s how you can make your own Medicine Man Halloween Costume, using everyday household items:

COMPONENTS:

FACE MASK – Cardboard, Uni Posca Paint Pens, wire, palm fronds, duct tape

Draw a creepy mask on cardboard, then cut it out with scissors.  Put a piece of wire inside the  mask so it keeps it’s curve.  Secure it with duct tape on the inside.  A strap to hold it on was made with duct tape.  The palm fronds were cut and laid into a fan on the top, and around the back of the strap, and secured with duct tape.  (If you don’t have palm fronds, try any other green, sturdy leaves.)  For paint pens, any will do.  I prefer Posca.

TOP – Found an old furry ski vest my dad used to wear decades ago.

GRASS SKIRT- A pair of board shorts with a grass-green colors, palm fronds, duct tape:  LAY out long pieces of duct tape and cut palm fronds to lay the ends on the duct tape, until it looks cool.  Lay duct tape on top, size it to your waist, and put it on over your shorts.

Taping on the palm fronds

SKULL HEAD PROP – I bought the skull at Michael’s Arts & Crafts store.  I duct taped it to a broom stick and taped palm fronds beneath it.

ACCESSORIES – I found some shell necklaces and bracelets around the house.

LAST MINUTE IDEA – For authenticity, I drew arm-band tattoos around my arms with sharpie markers.

I love making my own costumes  – they always look so much better than one you can buy.  Part of the fun of Halloween is making your own.

This costume was a big hit – everyone loved it!

Life is Good – Drew

This costume will get you the girls!

29 Jul

Posted at 08:31h in Behind the Scenes..., CASE STUDY, Live Event Painting, Painting Story, Shows & Events, Tips & How To by
50 Likes

Vintage VW Bus Painting Drew Brophy for Verizon FiOS So Cal US Open Huntington Beach

“We worked with Drew to transform our VW Bus into a work of art that celebrated the SoCal lifestyle.  It was great and effortless working with Drew and Maria. They had very little time to plan and design, yet the final result was more than what we could have asked for.  Anyone who walked past our VW bus as Drew was painting it, couldn’t help themselves from stopping and observing.   He was extremely personable and engaging, often inviting children to help with paint.”  Bryan Babiartz, Art Director, Marketing Werks

CASE STUDY:  Verizon FiOS at U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach

WHEN:  August 2013

CLIENT:  Marketing Werks (on behalf of Verizon)

MISSION:  Connect Verizon FiOS with youth and Southern California community by painting a vintage VW Bus in two days, LIVE, during the famous and busy U.S. Open of Surfing event in Huntington Beach, CA.

SCOPE OF WORK:  Strategize an art design that would illustrate the Southern California action sports lifestyle.  Paint the design live, during the busiest event of Huntington Beach each year, onto a 1965 VW Bus.

Paint a surfboard that will be given away to one lucky winner.  Give Drew Brophy surf art posters and stickers to the crowd.

Create a vortex of energy to attract people to the Verizon booths to sign up to win prizes and get more information on the product.

DETAILS:  I was tasked with transforming a vintage VW Bus with spray paint and airbrush, in about 12 hours, during the Vans U.S. Open of Surf.

We gave away posters and stickers of my art, and the Verizon So Cal team held drawings daily, giving away surfboards and tablets and other great stuff.

ABOUT THE VAN and THE PAINTING OF IT:  The Verizon FiOS So Cal team drives this VW all over Southern California; the bus has been outfitted with FiOS internet and tv capability, along with 42″ HDTV.  Now, with the custom painting, this van will never be missed driving down the freeway! (For more info, see Press Release)

I painted the van in two days, 6 hours each side.  A lot of people ask how it can be done so fast, so I thought I’d share my process:

PLANNING:  Is the first step.  I work with the shape of the van and the most important thing to me is composition.  I’ve painted dozens of vans, and often I’ll have it in my head what I’m going to paint and just show up and start spraying.  But for this one, I wanted to knock it out of the park for Verizon, so I spent a lot of time sketching out ideas and then getting their feedback.

PREPARATION:  I show up with everything I need – more then enough paint and an arsenal of tricks.

MEDIUM:  Spray paint is the most efficient way to get all the color on.  Most of the painting is done using Mtn 94 Spray paints – they are the best.  I only use quality paints and materials.

MAPPING IT OUT:  I start with the background and build up to the foreground, using spray paint first.  I spray on rough lines to use as my “map” of the layout.  Then, I fill in all color.

DETAIL:  Then I start detailing it.  I finish with airbrush and stencils, and finally, highlights that make the painting “pop”.

WATCH THE VIDEO on YOUTUBE:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6dKtlLKhRM

I had a great time, it was a fun event, working with great people (thanks Verizon So Cal and Marketing Werks!) and it was rewarding to see this painting go from conception to reality.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

 

drew brophy vw bus van painting verizon socal fios vans us open day 2

 

 

 

21 Aug

Posted at 08:17h in Behind the Scenes..., Lectures or Workshops, Live Event Painting, Tips & How To by
43 Likes

I have always encouraged others to customize their gear.  Over the years I have wanted to inspire others to have fun painting their own guitars, shoes and skateboards.

Now, Aerial 7 and I have collaborated on the first ever “DIY Headphone” – a headphone that you can customize yourself.

The Aerial 7 DIY was released last month and already we are receiving photos of customized headphones from people all over the country!

To me, the Tank headphone is a blank canvas that anyone can transform into their own personal design.  The DIY Artist Edition Tank is an over-the-ear headphone with thick ear cushions and a padded, adjustable headband.

There are many different ways you can customize these headphones.  Here’s just a few:   (more…)

14 Jun

Posted at 14:20h in Behind the Scenes..., Tips & How To by
41 Likes

Not worried about stroke marks...

Here’s an E-mail I got from an artist struggling with Paint Pen Strokes: I’m painting on a skimboard with your paint pens.  How can you avoid “stroke marks” ?  When painting on the board you can see each individual stroke line also making marks between colors.  It’s not noticeable from a distance but up close looks bad.  Thank you – Joe

Joe, the stroke marks are actually a good thing – I use the stroke marks to my advantage.  They help me create flow and depth and direction, as well as creating curve or flow in one direction or another.  You can work with the stroke marks to create a better painting, rather than try to avoid them.  It takes some practice and experimentation at first.  I go into great detail on this in my DVD – if you don’t already have it, check it out!

One other thought on stroke marks – just like pencil marks, I tend to like having my paintings look less than perfect.  When I went to the Rick Griffen exhibit in Laguna Beach a few years ago, I really enjoyed looking at his originals that had not only imperfect pencil marks, but also some of his sketches and paintings had areas that were whited out!  It made the art so much more real to me, and I keep that in mind when I’m painting my own pieces.

Life is Good – Drew          Follow Me on Twitter

If you liked this post, or know someone who would benefit from it, please pass it on….

14 Mar

Posted at 09:57h in Live Event Painting, Press, Shows & Events, Tips & How To by
33 Likes

We are taking THE PAINT SHOP TV SHOW live to Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo this weekend in Santa Cruz!

Two painting demonstrations will be given by Drew and filmed on-site for our show THE PAINT SHOP WITH DREW BROPHY.

Drew’s demonstrations are designed to share surfboard painting techniques that can be used by both the novice and the experienced artist.

Sat. March 19 Noon to 1:00 p.m: Drew will give a Graffiti-style painting demonstration and will show how to customize your own surfboard with a few cans of spray paint and stencils. Demonstration will be held at the SurfAide Shaping Bay.

Sun. March 20 Noon to 1:00 p.m: Drew demonstrates his medium of choice, Uni-Posca paint pens, on surfboards. He will share tried and true techniques and will discuss preparation, composition, color blending, and sealing.

CONFIRM ATTENDANCE & GET A FREE Art Poster!

One Drew Brophy art print will be given on-site to each person who confirms attendance to Drew’s demos by March 18. (Prints priced at $20.00 for everyone else).

To get your coupon, e-mail your name to info@thepaintshop.tvand confirm your attendance to Drew’s demonstration.  A coupon for the free print will be emailed to you.

Drew will discuss how you can have a viable career painting surfboards, and how retailers can increase sales with surfboard art.  Bring your questions!  This demonstration will be held in Drew Brophy’s booth #B8.

WHO: Any surfer or artist who wants to learn new techniques or has aspirations of a career painting surfboards, and for those who shape or sell surfboards.

WHERE: The Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard EXPO held at the Rittenhouse Building, downtown Santa Cruz, CA.  INFO: www.surfboardshow.com.

WHEN: Demos held Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20, from Noon to 1:00 pm.

COST: Sacred Craft Entrance fee is $10.00.  Demonstrations are FREE with admittance.

12 Nov

Posted at 13:55h in Tips & How To by
16 Likes

Drew Brophy Surfboard Stands at Hard Rock Casino, Las VegasWe got this question from an artist in Hawaii:

Hi. I’ve been asked to paint on a used board. I’m just not sure how to price it. Can you recommend a starting range. Should I just price it like a regular painting? Thanks for your help!  Aloha, Kara

Kara, this is a great question, and I think that surfboard artists everywhere should somehow format a similar pricing structure.

First, make up a price sheet for yourself.  Second, be sure to charge extra for used boards, because more time is involved to prepare them for painting.

And to answer the part of the question about “Should I price it like a regular painting?”:  We have two different price sheets for painted surfboards.  One for real art, and one just for board decoration.

REAL ART TO HANG ON THE WALL: The first price sheet is for true pieces of art that will be hung.  These are priced like any painting and pricing begins at $3,500.00 (includes the board) and goes up to $20,000, depending on the size and complexity of the subject matter.

BOARD DECORATION: This second price sheet is for all surfboard paintings that are meant to decorate a board that will be ridden.  The board is supplied by the customer.

Pricing for this starts at $75.00 and can go up to $2,000, depending on the size of the board, the painting, and the complexity.

What you get for $75.00 is what we call a small board “tattoo”.  Usually a little “hit” painted on the rail, or a small character or wave on the nose of the board.

What you get for $120 is a larger painting, still on the nose or a small section of the board, but of greater complexity, like a beach scene or a sexy mermaid.

Most of our customers ask for a $250 paint job, which covers about a third to half of the surfboard and is a beautiful painting that they can proudly show off when surfing.

A full board painting, of course, will cost in the $500 – $2,000 range.

REGARDING PAYMENT: Make sure that payment is made at the time that the board is picked up.  No board leaves our studio unless I’ve been paid in full (cash preferably).

CHARGE EXTRA FOR USED BOARDS: We require that they bring it with wax completely scraped off.  We also add $20.00 for used boards, because even with the wax cleaned off, it takes a lot of extra time prepping it for painting to remove the residue.

MAKE A PRICE SHEET that details the different painting prices for different types of board decoration.

I wish you the best of luck!  Please, feel free to ask any other questions on this topic.  We’re here to help.

spunk-brophy-head-shotMaria “Spunk” Brophy xxoo

PS:  Check out my business blog for artists www.mariabrophy.com

13 Oct

Posted at 05:10h in Tips & How To by
15 Likes

(c) Rick Rietveld

(c) Rick Rietveld

Rick and Natalie Rietveld were heroes to us.  We would visit their booth at trade shows where they marketed their clothing company.

Rick’s art was colorful and wild, like Drew’s but in a different style.  We envied their family owned business, one that printed Rick’s art on high-end men’s shirts, tees and board shorts.

I would call Natalie every now and again and ask art business advice.  She was a tough lady, and I admired that.  She taught me what to expect out of clients and how to get it. (more…)

10 Oct

Posted at 04:59h in Tips & How To by
14 Likes

camryn-manheim1In May of 2009 Camryn Manheim, a professional actress (star of “The Practice”), gave a commencement address to students at College of the Arts.

Her speech inspired artists of all kinds, so much so that an outline of her speech has been circulated online.

(I don’t know where this outline originally came from.  If you know, please tell me and I’ll give proper credit.)

Camryn shares a philosophy that has enabled her to find success (more…)