Welcome to comic book artist and illustrator Rene Arreola's "Sketch of the day". On this page Rene will spotlight very special artwork. The artwork featured here can range anywhere from simple doodles on paper to digital renderings done on a computer using a tablet and stylus. A single mouse click will open any of the thumbnails below in a separate browser window.
The Promise (Acrylics on cradled panel, 6" x 6")
So here's the story on this one: I was about to propose to my girlfriend when she suggested it might be pretty cool for me to paint her a proposal. Not one to back down from an artistic challenge, I quickly set forth to come up with something meaningful. Since we met each other West Coast Swing dancing and continue to dance on regular date nights to this very day, I thought it was only fitting that I present her with a work of art that echoed our connection to one another, both on the dance floor as well as off. So, while working late at night in my studio while she slept, this painting soon took shape. All told, it took me about 2 weeks to complete it (working about an hour each night.) It is actually a promise painting as only a few days later I gave her a promise ring. Hence, the title of the painting. I am happy to announce that we were married on July 17, 2010--in the very ballroom where we met dancing!
Grover Washington, Jr. (India ink, pen and brush, on illustration board, 11" x 17")
This was a personal gift for a very good friend of mine, Will Wallace. Will is a great photographer who has a passion for Blues and Jazz music. His career spans decades artfully photographing the many talented performers in these genres of music at the Monterey Blues and Jazz festivals. I was inspired to draw this when Will gave this to me as a gift one night in the form of a printed greeting card. It is a print of one of Will's photos of the late Grover Washington Jr., an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. As soon as I saw this particular image, I knew I wanted to draw it! I don't work too much from photos to this length of detail, but I really had a lot of fun drawing this one. The pose, the composition, the emotion in his face as he plays...it has it all! Thank you, Will!