Archive

Ride Again Mini Comic

I drew this mini comic about bike riding. It’s an embarrassing story about being bullied or getting jacked. I’m sure there are kids who were champion boxers at 9 years old. I was not. I’d been in 1 on 1 fights but not against 4 or 5 older kids. Anyways, the point of the story is to ride again and thats exactly what I did. Hopefully you can relate as a bike rider or as a kid growing up. Get a copy here.

Watercolor portrait of a colorful neighbor walking dogs by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

Neighbor

This is a quick character based on my neighbor who is always out very early walking their dogs and wearing some of the coolest sneakers or sports gear. They always have bright colors and a sports jersey on, too. I have a series of photos in my phone of people in my old neighborhood walking around because my family lived on such a busy street in East Oakland.

 

Art of Rob Portrait

Here’s a caricature of myself.  I thought about cruising in a futuristic go-kart that hovers. As life turns and bends I’m trying to keep rollin with the changes. Every few years I do a new one to keep my website, blog, etc fresh. You can see the previous portrait here.

Watercolor portrait of Bruce Leroy by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

Last Dragon

Series of characters from the ’80s cult classic film The Last Dragon which blended soul, kung fu, and lots of campy lines: Bruce Leroy, the main protagonist; Laura Charles (played by singer Vanity); and, Sho Nuff. More details in this blog post.

Ethnic Studies 2 (Purple)

Ethnic Studies is a framework for teaching history that highlights the people in the United States who’ve been ignored or erased from school curriculums. It focuses on African American, Native American, Latinx/a/o, Asian American. and Middle Eastern people. More on my reasons for painting it here. Want a print? Cop that here.

Watercolor portrait of child in easy yoga pose by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

We Are Yoga

This is one of my favorite illustrations from We Are Yoga / Somos Yoga, a book self-published by Jill Guerra in the spring of 2022. The book includes more than 13 illustrations in a vibrant, inviting color palette.

Synopsis:

We Are Yoga / Somos Yoga is a bilingual picture book (English/Spanish) and resource for teachers, parents, therapists, or anyone working with youth. Through yoga poses, affirmations, and reflections, we can build self-awareness and the tools to navigate this challenging and beautiful life.

watercolor portrait of two people kneeling and planting a leafy seedling for Sierra Health by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

Sierra Health: Theory of Change

I illustrated this one in collaboration with Design Action Collective. The client (Sierra Health) asked for three sections containing multiple illustrations illustrating their theory of change. Each section would feature a diverse array of characters and actions or scenes. I did this while adding a contrast of scale of size and composition.

Watercolor portrait of young people at rally and the words "Pass the Mic" by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

Oakland Rising: Pass the Mic!

Here’s an illustration I did with a Bay Area organization called Oakland Rising. They requested a collaborative illustration that would feature themes that include democracy, liberation, electoral power, justice, Oakland, and/or people power. I focused on a multigenerational crowd surrounding a young person holding a microphone.  I created the sketch, line work, and type, while artist Luna Yoo added the color. This poster was used for the 2022 Oakland Rising Voter Guide.
Watercolor portrait of a kid wearing a space helmet, painted red, with the word "Read" above; by Robert Liu-Trujillo.

Space Kid

I painted this in the summer wanting to begin a new series of “READ” posters. I was inspired by the traditional ones you’d see in a quiet city library, but I wanted to use illustration and feature children of color prominently. In the past I’ve illustrated a kid holding a book, but this time I decided to go more with themes. This is an example of personal work and art for merchandise.

Purchase

In Dance Magazine

This is a fun project. Nkeiruka Oruche is the guest editor for this issue of “In Dance Magazine” and she invited me to write and illustrate a short personal experience relating to dance. When she asked me to participate my first thought was that I’m not a dancer but she wanted a mix of folks. Those whose creative practice it is to dance and those who’ve danced at some point in life, which I think is most of us.  Anyway, here’s the link to read the whole magazine.