New Website / New Blog

Please check out www.o-fishel.com to see all of my new artwork. Click here if you want to view my blog.

#9 on the Billboard Charts

I am proud to say that the record that I did handlettering for the cover, made it to #9 on the Alternative artist list.

Congrats to my boys! Support them on tour please.

Open Source

So as you can tell there really haven't been consistent updates on the blog here. I am illustrating a book I wrote right now, I have a thing or two in the air before I can publish them online I did for clients, working on a new website design (the new design will be up for a day either next week or the following as a beta test), and a bunch of self generated works all unfinished right now.

One thing I have been experimenting with is Google Sketch up. Often times I find it hard to find the right reference at the right angle. With google sketch up in about 20 minutes I can built something quick to draw from as reference. The great thing about it also is that it's a free open source app.

After being told about app's I have been going app crazy, and downloading stuff like Quick Silver, Font Explorer X, iGTD, and other open source apps for the Mac.

Something cool coming soon....

For Sure

"For Sure" - 11"x12" Acrylic on Stonehedge paper

This is the first of many pieces I am creating that will be in a section of my website I am going to call "Exhibition". These pieces will feature work that is more geared to the gallery wall, and less for the printed page. I will have one or two more updates on these pieces as they come along.

The big difference between my illustration work and exhibition work is that I am focusing on incorprating painted typography, and adding more relatiable personal experiences in the pieces themselves. To do this I plan on painting them using surrealistic metaphores to bring the viewer relating in some way or another to the works of art.

This doesn't mean I have given up creating illustrations for hire. I am just creating another avenue I am interested in taking.

Small web update to come in a few weeks. I wont be updating my website till the end of May/Early June, because I am adding lots of new illustration work, and a new web design completely hand coded in html/css.

Stay Tuned!

DIY - Make stuff/Stay Punk

Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY. Unknown Tag's and Wheatpastes.

A few weeks ago, I was walking around Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY and I saw some wheat pasted posters and images on the wall. I often would wonder who these people are and if there is any intention or meaning to any of it. What is the point of putting something on a wall? I suppose it's the same thing that makes me want to be an artist. It's about making stuff, and feeling proud of doing things that you love. For me, it's important to tell stories with the work and make connections in how people respond to the work itself.

In 2007, I worked as an intern for a DIY Punk Rock venue called Championship records, based out of Lemoyne, PA. At this venue, I made 30 show posters in one summer. I had complete creative control, and it is where I practiced making digital art work and pulled my first terrible silk screen prints. I made a really bad first impression on Come Back Kid with my small 8x11 really really bad prints. Looking back at this venue and what it meant to me, and my growth as an artist, I am forever grateful.

My friend, Mallory Weston, made a great blog post about sticking to doing things herself, and staying true to her craft. Make Stuff and Stay Punk as she says it. I couldn't agree more with this. Living a life that is DIY, has been an essential way that I have lived. I don't know if I could make my own clothes and I don't have the room to grow my own food, but the ethic of if I can do something myself, why not do it?

Thanks for reading.

Sketchbook pages

Here are a few pages from my sketchbook from the last few months.

Some inspiration

I look at alot of older illustration from the Mid 20th (1940-1970) century for inspiration (more so lately), to bridge the past to the present into my own future.

Heres a few people I have found inspiring as of late...


Thomas Vroman


Paul C. Burns


Lorraine Fox


Fred Irvin


Robert Jones


William Winters

Happy New Year!

Photograph of my studio here in Queens, NY.

The next decades mantra "DO YOUR BEST"

It's four days until 2010. It's kinda surreal when you think about the fact that it's 2010. My grandfather always said that their would be flying cars, and food served in pill form like some Jetson's experience in the 2000's. Though we aren't quite there yet, I am still waiting for something futuristic to happen, like giant destructive robots or aliens or something that would seem so 2010. Alas, I will settle with the reality I live in.

2009 has been an interesting year. It's been the first 6 months where I consider myself a full time "freelancer". This is especially true now that I don't feel strange hiding that I am a undergraduate student, while working as a freelancer like I did shamefully at ICON5. I feel more comfortable now saying I am working on my MFA at SVA while working as a freelancer. I don't know why it's more comfortable. All I know is, I am greatful for every new experience I have been presented with at SVA MFA. I am starting to see new connections and ways to use symbols in my work. Also I see my craft getting stronger and stronger.

More so I am greatful for all the bands and publications that I worked for this year. I am glad that you took the risk, to give me assignments to make illustrations, designs, and in some cases even screen printed editions for your magazines, publications, advertisements, record/cd covers, and t-shirt designs. Your making the idea of living off of drawing and painting more possible week by week, month by month.

Lastly I want to thank all of the awesome folk I've met, talk to on a week to week basis online, commented on my blog here and on Ohger, gave me insight/career advice over the phone, all the new friends/studiomates I am sharing my experiences with and those whom stayed in touch from Philadelphia, and else where. Again thank you so much! Just to shout out of few folk that have been super nice and helped me out at some point in some way in 2009 - Tim Durning, Daniel Hertzberg, Pete T. Ryan, Maria Filar, Tae Querney, Lauren Moyer, Jaclyn Sinquett, Brad Haubrich, Gina and Matt, Joe Game, Kyle T. Webster, Chris Whetzel, Julia Breckenreid, Jude Buffum, Molly Jacques, Tim O'brien, Richie Pope, Ashley Benham, You Byun, Christine Larsen, Megan Berkheiser, Collie Mills, Jessica Hische, Zina Saunders, Mike Wohlberg, Dan Campbell, Chris Henson, Ester Pearl Watson/Mark Todd, Edel Rodriguez, Robert Zimmerman, Alex Eckman lawn, Graham Palme, Rosae Reeder, Mark Tocchet, SVA MFA, my roommates Rachel Burkhard and Matt Templin, and soooooo many others.

Before 2010 comes, I will leave you with a mantra that my former teacher at UARTS and co-owner of Apple head Factory, Joe Didomenico, told us on the first day of class senior year.

"Do Your Best".
The idea is simple.

Put 120% into everything you do. Make more sketches than asked, work earlier on an assignment and later to get it right, and get things done and sent before they are due. When you aren't working on an assignment, make personal pieces and experiments to keep you fresh and always forcing yourself to try and get better as an artist and a business person. It's the very thing I live by and keep in the front of all my sketchbooks and above my studio spaces in Manhattan and Queens. I think it's a helpful reminder everyone should have written somewhere.

Have a Happy New Year Everyone and hope to work with you in 2010!

Web Update + Sustainable During The Holidays

If you are visiting my website now, you will notice changes in how you view my portfolio section and also how my blog is now snug inside of my website!

I want to thank the fine folk over at Escape from Illustration Island for setting up that web forum on critiquing my web portfolio's display, and pointing me in the right direction on how to improve it. I want to thank my pal Bradford Haubrich, and my teacher at SVA MFA Matthew Richmond for also giving me some solid website advice. Thank You.

On another note, I have been very fortunate, to be doing some editorial illustration lately. Most recently, I did a piece for Art Director, Jamie Leary over at Philadelphia's very own, GRID Magazine. I remember before class during my senior year at the University of the Arts, going to last drop coffee house on 13th and pine, getting some joe, and grabbing this free magazine. It was a good way to start the morning to enlighten myself on different sustainablity issues that come to people who are more environmentally conscience.

When I got the email and accepted the job, the article was pretty clear. The author, wrote about being tempted to spend a lot of money during the holidays that put aside living sustainable. It acted as a reminder that the holidays weren't about spending a lot of money on gifts but the togetherness of the holiday.

There was a clear metaphor in the article in using a tire wheel as a 21st century version of a advent wreath, with candles and greens. Originally, peasants made Advent wreath's, during the medieval times using the front wheel of a wooden wheel barrel to wrap flowers, greens and candles. I thought a bike tire would be a better image since Philadelphia is a huge bike city and more symbolic of sustainable living. The problem that happens sometimes being an illustrator is getting a great idea to quickly. It seems to good to be true and you hesitate on coming up with other solutions to the visual problem. I pushed through and submitted other sketches that acted as a gradient from concrete idea's to more abstract idea's/artistically liberal approaches that could of loosily tell the story of the article. Below were the sketches presented.

Jamie ended up choosing the advent wreath image, which was a relief. So I went out and started drawing the image...

Final Image

I want to thank, Jamie Leary for contacting me to create a piece of artwork for GRID magazine. It was truly a pleasure working for them. The printed magazine hits stands Tomorrow, and the digital copy is already online to view for free.

Tear Sheet

Michael Cera

I was very excited when I received an email to do an illustration for Alex Chow, over at Nylon Guys Magazine, because Nylon is on my top 10 list of magazines to do illustration for. So to do a illustration for Nylon Guys, is close enough to count as doing an illustration for Nylon. Plus, It is doing the second thing I love to do next to conceptual illustration. Likeness Portraiture.

Alex asked me to do an likeness illustration of the actor Michael Cera for his role in the new movie coming out this January called "Youth in Revolt". It's a movie about an awkward boy who falls in love with a girl, who doesn't like him because he is sorta emo/nerdy/whimpy. So, he creates a bad-ass alter-ego, who blows stuff up, get's him laid, and a bunch of other awesome stuff.

When it comes to the illustration itself, it's pretty much a weird surreal, mirrored image of him in his trailer (totally relate), and inside the mirror total bad ass. The hardest part of the illustration was the likeness itself. Thankfully, I was able to really workout the likeness till it looked close enough to pass as Michael Cera in time to meet the deadline.

So look out for this magazine soon, and also look for my awesome contributor piece in the magazine too!!

I wanna thank Alex Chow, and Kristin Eddington over at Nylon for this awesome opportunity.

Soon to come...

At the end of next week I will have some new work on my website. Some personal pieces, Some Editorial work as well.

Above is a preview of a published piece I did. More on this later....

Long Distance Relationships

We've all been there before.....

Communal Sketchbook

"Ode to New Jersey" - around 11"x14" Acrylic, ink, charcoal, conte

So There is a sketchbook being floated around at school. A communal sketchbook.

I happen to get my grubby hands on it and fill it with some maddness. I didn't use reference at all so alot of it is screwed up. But what I found out of this hour and a half discord was something. I am not sure what, but something is going on that I really like.

I think I am going to sit with it, create pieces in my spare time that are alittle more controlled and see where it leads.

The Upsides

"The Upsides" - Due out Jan. 26th 2010

I was asked by my good friends The Wonder Years to provide some hand lettering to go on to their new album, "The Upsides" coming out in late January.

When I talked to one of the guys 9 months ago while they were in pre-production, why they were choosing to use photography for this record whenever other records they put out had been beautifully illustrated; the answer was simple. They wanted to try something new, and had a lot of friends that did photography they wanted to try out. None the less I was glad to draw up some hand lettering to go on the cover of their new record. Below is the chosen piece you can click to enlarge in the first round of colors sent off to the band.

Animated Gif's the future of illustration?

Is the future of illustration in Animated Gif's in the markets of Advertising and Editorial's new mediums of E-Paper/E-Ink, and The Kindle?

I think it's a matter of time before illustrators will start to discus the pricing and ethical use of Animated Gif's made by illustrators. In 2 years time I will have a portfolio of 10 to 15 images that will be animated as a precaution to this new frightening yet exciting time we live in. Who knows when illustrators will start getting jobs to animate things. I will start in basic gif's in photoshop, and then possibly work my way back into flash and after effects though I am not that good in either of those just yet.

If I were to.....

...illustrate and design a postcard for the American Museum of Natural History, this is what it would look like. To bad it's just a mock up and not the real thing.

My website has been updated, with sweet image swap technology(aka Java Script).

Also I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but all my screen prints in my store are marked down to $10-$15.

So go buy some of my screen prints for your walls. Postage is included!!!

3 Years of Duality.....on Blogs.

Starting today, I am now going to blog on Ohger, which is a blog simular to Drawger but it is more focused for Senior Illustration Majors, Graduate Students, and Recent Grads one year out of art school.

I will still continue using my my blogger, and still post stuff from time to time on The Autumn Society of Philadelphia blog. I just have an extra arm to post about the awesome artwork I create.

Kudos to Matt Curtius for giving me the heads up on this awesome project.

Using Yesterdays Tools for Todays Job

Quote from "The Medium is the Massage" by Marshall McLuhan.

October 16th

I will have available on October 16th, Sample Images ready to be sent out in the form of a Zine. Art Directors, who requested them will get them several days after Oct. 16th, and those who request them later on shall receive them as well.

Above is the cover of the Illustration Sampler Zine.

I am available for Face To Face Meetings with any clients in the New York Metropolitan.