Hey fam, I just finished the second “Art Books” video. In it I share a little bit of 15 books and magazines ranging from Art of animation, to artist sketchbooks, and photography books. The point of these is to share cool books, show you some ways to get kids off screens, inspire young artists, and hopefully get some kids reading. Some of these books would appeal to elementary aged kids and some are for older teens.
If you missed the last Art Books video check it out here
These are the books in the video:
“Afros” by Michael July
“Journey for Justice” by Dr Dawn Mabalon, Gayle Romansanta, and Andre Sibayan
“We Are the Ship” by Kadir Nelson
“Mexican Muralists” by Desmond Rochfort
“The Art of Moana” by Disney
“Dailies” by Bobby Pontillas
“Girls Garage” by Emily Pilloton
“Harlem of the West” by Elizabeth Pepin Silva & Lewis Watts
“Stranger Danger” by Clio Chiang
“Printing the Revolution” by Claudia Zapata, Tatiana Reinoza, and Terecita Romo
“The Art of Hung Liu-Summoning Ghosts” by Hung Liu
“Picturing The Promise (Scurlocks)” Edited by Paul Gardullo
“The New Bohemians” by Justina Blakeney
“Waxpoetics Magazine” 2008/ 2021
“Umber Magazine”
If you’d like to purchase some of them I suggest ordering them from your local bookstore, Bookshop.org, or StuartNg Books in LA.
Let me tell you about this picture. This was in Nicole Martinez’s class at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Sacramento (2015) and it was taken shortly after the release of “I am Sausal Creek/ Yo Soy el Arroyo Sausal” written by author, healer, and former educator Melissa Reyes ( translated by Cinthya Munoz, pub by Nomadic Press). Melissa was and is awesome with kids. She wrote a story that told ecological and local history through the voice of a creek because it didn’t exist. And she did it so it could be read in English or Spanish. Her story has captivated many children and families. Matter of fact, people still tell me that they love the story.
What does this have to do with “Art of Rob” or art books? When we (authors/illustrators) were invited to read I asked Melissa and Ms Martinez if I could share some of my artwork process with the kids and I’ve been doing that since then. The kids responded to it and after the initial ego boost of children saying wow to my drawings I thought of how important it is to see Black and Brown authors or illustrators come to your school and talk about their create paths. I thought about how important it is to encourage them to be creative by showing them our process. This book is about representation and encouragement.
Ever since then I have shared my sketchbook, picture books, and some process paintings and more often than not the kids are super juiced to see them. I always wanted a way to take some of that excitement and give it to them so they could take it home. If you’ve supported this campaign you are fulfilling that dream for me and helping to encourage new artists; I hope. Fingers crossed.
Whether you get Art of Rob or not, please invite BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) creatives to speak to kids in schools and libraries. That way children of color can see a reflection of themselves and other kids can see just how many types of people make stories. Also, please encourage children of all kinds, but especially children of color to explore the arts. I started doing children’s books to make stories that reflected the world I see, my family, friends, and neighborhood. I didn’t realize just how welcoming the teachers, librarians, bookstore owners, literacy workers, and children would be. That’s it.
If you want to see an interview I did this past month with the Nerds of Color, go here. And if you haven’t shared this campaign with someone yet please do. We’re close to unlocking a new stretch goal, which means more pgs of art added to the book!
Hey fam, thank you for continuing to rock with me. Today is the day. My new kickstarter (my first since Furqan’s First Flat Top) is LIVE!!!!! Please follow the link to see the campaign and stay tuned for more updates and posts about what it is and why I’m doing it!
Hey this is a new sticker in a series of self care/ encouragement/ affirming stickers. Sometimes you gotta hit the pause button, or maybe you need to remind someone to do it.
Wanna see some of the creative process? Check it out:
First I did a bunch of different versions of the same word using different font styles. The check marks you see are from my homies and my wife telling me which ones they preferred.
I narrowed it down a bit and combined some elements to make it a more simple shape.
I decided on the color scheme and did some rough color versions. And I chose the bottom right one finally.
Then I painted in gouache. Scanned it and then brought it into Photoshop and to clean it up, moving the shadow and letters a tiny bit to make it more symmetrical. I also adjusted the color a bunch because it was tough to duplicate the screen color.
And then here’s the final product. I get stickers from a bunch of different places, but one I go to often is Sticker Giant in Colorado who just shipped these to me. What do you think? Dig it? I DO!! I love how it came out and I hope others will dig them. Eventually I’ll make a sticker pack of these:
One day I’ll make a video talking about these stickers. But for now i’ll just say that many years ago I made a series of paintings called “positive wall affirmations” made to serve people by offering a positive message for the home, class, office, etc. The original one of a kind paintings did ok and made some folks really happy. But the stickers are a bit more affordable, especially if you’re not an art collector.
Anyways, thanks for reading. You can get this Pause sticker here or get a sticker sheet I made a year ago for self care here as well. If you know someone who is learning to make merchandise using their art, please share this post with them.
What up y’all, been wanting to do this video for a minute. Art books are a great way to unplug from the internet or get someone reading who doesn’t normally like books. Whenever I get stuck I pull out some ill art books, read them, and just flip through them. Check these books out. Cop them from an indy store or request them at your local library!
If you missed my last inspiration board check it here
Here are all the books I mention in this video, please support them. Cop from the artists themselves, your local independent bookstore, or Bookshop.org.
-“Spraycan Art” by Henry Chalfant & James Prigoff
-“One Track Mind” Graffiti Magazine
-“OS Gemeos”
-“Reflections In Black” by Deborah Willis
-“Chaz Bojorquez”
-“The Early Bird” by Morning Breath
-“De La Soul” by Frank 151
-“Spider Man Into the Spiderverse” by Sony/ Marvel
Fam, here is the latest sticker in a new series meant to remind, encourage, and affirm. This one is a gold vinyl sticker reminding you to rest. I know we all got shit to do, but in between wins and losses, don’t forget to rest.
Here’s a new sticker! Part of a series of stickers that are reminders or affirmations. This could be for yourself or as a gift to send to a friend. Cop one here!
If you missed the previous sticker “GROW” check that out too.