Got a new sketchbook and a new model.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Still life with 8 year olds
Straddling the gap between education and inspiration - can you make a child work in an academic vein without denying them the uninhibited free form expressionism that is the trademark of preadolescent artists? Traditions discourage innovation while providing the framework to support it. Teaching art, and thus renewing the cycle.Thursday, October 29, 2009
Vultures on the corpse of punk rock.
Flyer I did for the upcoming White Flag Halloween show.
No, I never quite worked all that punk out of my system, and I don't really know if I ever will.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
LA Mural Front: Operation Chain Reaction
Cat Pirates strike at Chain Reaction in Anaheim. Working with 5 other artists from LA Mural Front. Detail pictures below. The mandala is mine, so is the panda.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
From Lecce with love.
Italian metal band Homo Herectus has just released a new 7 inch single featuring my cover art.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Genius of Electricity
An ink study after Evelyn Beatrice Longman's 1914 statue The Genius of Electricity for a commission I'm working on.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
You can take a child to watercolor....
Doing some watercolor painting classes with kids under 10 at the Festival of arts. The uninhibited and direct approach young kids bring to artmaking generates the kinds of abstraction that opens up their subconscious worlds and spills them out on paper. Egos out the window.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Fish Phonograph and Black Heart Queen
All cats love fish but are afraid to wet their paws
Fish Phonograph
14x14" Hand Bleached Black Cotton
Black Heart Queen
18x28" Hand Bleached Black Cotton
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Drawing Beneath the Skin starts in 3 Weeks!
An intensive 6-Week Anatomy and Life Drawing course taught by professional illustrator and Laguna Festival of Arts Exhibitor Will Koffman. Every Monday July 27th to August 31st from 6-9 PM. All materials are provided.
CLICK HERE to Register now!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
FESTIVAL OF ARTS!
Laguna Festival of Arts Artists Reception Party! Thanks to everyone who came. The Festival is up 'til August 31. Want free tickets for yourself or a group? Email me: Will@killmecomix.com
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
LA BUZZ BLOG!
Check out this article, I made the front page of LA Buzz Blog!
CLICK HERE TO READ IN ITS ORIGINAL CONTEXT...
Will Koffman is a surprisingly normal guy. I mean, given that he bleaches stretched black fabric into a carny-esque ladies in curious yet intriguing poses, with maps of tiny, etched drawings not unlike those found an a high school detention room’s desks scrawled around their female forms. It’s almost as if pop culture threw up a monotone cud of itself, but it becomes strangely beautiful when crafted by Koffman.
I was able to chat with Koffman for a minute by his display at this weekend’s Create:Fixate event, where he was one of the most visually and conceptually interesting artists of the show. I was mainly curious about his inspiration, as the overall effect of his works was so serene, never once hinting at the chaotic parts that create the whole. Essentially Koffman does vomit his latest meal of pop culture, art history, beauty ideals, and consumer culture onto his canvases. His wheels always seem to be turning, smushing everything he’s mentally absorbed into one big old chewing gum ball of the world we live in. All the elements retain their own small voice, and Koffman piles together hundreds of those small voices on top of one another, and the piece gets louder and louder until the soothing sound of white noise washes over. The end result is as pleasing to look at as it is impossible to dissect.
Koffman’s work does have its quiet moments, and these pieces - often single females with their backs turned to the viewer, emerging ever so softly from a sea of black - are no less engrossing as his louder works. These works are decidedly unprecious. Something in the way Koffman handles the bleach belies a drive to depict the realness of the woman over the beauty. And it’s this realness that makes his subjects more beautiful than even the most skilled airbrush artist couldn’t attain.
Koffman has produced enough work in his young career to choke a horse. He’s produce cover art for bands like Make Moon and NASA Space Universe, he’s created graphic t-shirts based on his work, he’s illustrated for Weird Tales magazine and Kill Me Comics, and he’s even had multiple people get his work tattooed on them. Koffman is easily the must-see artist, so catch him at the Laguna Arts Festival and the OC Super Fair, where his work is up until August.
CLICK HERE TO READ IN ITS ORIGINAL CONTEXT...
By Trisha, on June 30th, 2009
I was able to chat with Koffman for a minute by his display at this weekend’s Create:Fixate event, where he was one of the most visually and conceptually interesting artists of the show. I was mainly curious about his inspiration, as the overall effect of his works was so serene, never once hinting at the chaotic parts that create the whole. Essentially Koffman does vomit his latest meal of pop culture, art history, beauty ideals, and consumer culture onto his canvases. His wheels always seem to be turning, smushing everything he’s mentally absorbed into one big old chewing gum ball of the world we live in. All the elements retain their own small voice, and Koffman piles together hundreds of those small voices on top of one another, and the piece gets louder and louder until the soothing sound of white noise washes over. The end result is as pleasing to look at as it is impossible to dissect.
Koffman’s work does have its quiet moments, and these pieces - often single females with their backs turned to the viewer, emerging ever so softly from a sea of black - are no less engrossing as his louder works. These works are decidedly unprecious. Something in the way Koffman handles the bleach belies a drive to depict the realness of the woman over the beauty. And it’s this realness that makes his subjects more beautiful than even the most skilled airbrush artist couldn’t attain.
Koffman has produced enough work in his young career to choke a horse. He’s produce cover art for bands like Make Moon and NASA Space Universe, he’s created graphic t-shirts based on his work, he’s illustrated for Weird Tales magazine and Kill Me Comics, and he’s even had multiple people get his work tattooed on them. Koffman is easily the must-see artist, so catch him at the Laguna Arts Festival and the OC Super Fair, where his work is up until August.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Trouble in Outer Space Print Edition
Home Burned, hand-pulled Bleach Print Edition only 8x16"!
Based on the original six foot hand-bleached piece of the same title.
From giant to tiny.
Only 4 of these in the universe.
Bleach Betty
The Venus of the 20th Century
Works I made for Create:Fixate Saturday. Will I see you there?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Make Moon
Breaking new ground with silkscreen work at the Diverse Productions studio. 18x32" prints! Edition of 15 plus 5 green variations. Inkblot madness and a crazy tonal range. Want your own? link
Genuine hand made in CA
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Tattoo Madness Continues
One of my old school T-shirt designs is the latest piece of art to get inked up! I know there are more of you out there - if anyone's got photos of their WK tattoos, send them in and I'll post them up here.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sea Sleeves
Bleached Black Cotton 36x36"
Here's a piece I put together for the Surf Art show at Evocal.
Come out for CM Day of Art and find out all the spots in your local scene
Announcement!
I'm launching my first ever online store for original art!
It's all online at the Drawing Beneath the Skin site:
Lots more coming - I'll be updating it all the time with new fun treats for y'all!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Permanent Statement
Pictured above is a patch I designed and released last summer so that the local culture could have a visual declaration of their opposition to the repulsive unjustified war that's draining the American economy, turning our young men into post-traumatic psychopaths, allowing our government to get away with unforgivable war crimes, and tearing our country apart.Apparently this image meant a lot to some people who were really tuned in to what I was working to convey. Enough for them to permanently wear the message on their bodies as a lifelong testimony to their dedication to to the cause. I don't know the people below, I've never met them, but I can assume we share a belief. Change starts with engaged and outspoken citizens. Aesthetics can drive political ideas. Peace. Now. Please. And you might as well look awesome as you fight for it.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Drawing Beneath The Skin
Here's the rundown on my new drawing class:
Drawing Beneath The Skin is an intensive six week drawing class exploring the anatomy of the human figure. Students will learn the skeletal structure and surface muscles that are essential to the accurate depiction of the body. Each session will focus in depth on a different section of the body such as the head, hand and feet, or torso. Technical instruction will be provided, and sessions will primarily focus on drawing directly from live models. The study of anatomy is a time-honored tradition, and the basis of a strong drawing foundation. This is the perfect class for a beginner artist who is ready to work hard on an expertise in the human figure, or experienced artists who wants to brush up on their skills.
All necessary drawing materials are provided.
All necessary drawing materials are provided.
The class will meet Monday nights July 27-August 31 from 6-9 PM at Evocal, 814 W 19th St. Costa Mesa.
www.drawingbeneaththeskin.co.nr/
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Medical Illustrations
Here are a few Atherosclerosis illustrations I did for Dr. Jeff Brown (http://jeffreybrownmd.com) showing the coronary arteries, build-up of plaque, plaque rupture, and blood clot. My Role in Dr. Brown's project is to create visual aids that he can use to educate about the development of disease and the internal processes relating to illness. His mission of patient empowerment is a really interesting and important outreach from the medical community to the general population. Educational programs like this which help people understand what's going on internally can really help improve their understanding of a healthy lifestyle and the proper way to care for themselves for the prevention and treatment of illness.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Orange Element
"The Orange Element"
Commission for Orange Element Design - Fells Point, Baltimore, MD
A lot of people wonder about about my process, so I took some time to document the stages of the recently completed commission above, which I did for the office of the Orange Element Design Firm.
First I get started with a handful of small, loose sketches to start working out the composition. This client really responded to the style I was primarily using in 2007 like "Steping out" and "Hammer Head" with tight, flat line work and dense, stream of conciseness imagery. This style was influenced by tattoo design and closely linked to the ink illustrations I was doing at the time. He also liked the use of maritime and marine imagery in pieces like "Rome" and "Getting Her Sea Legs" so I had an idea of what direction to go.
There were more sketched than the above 2, but they were the ones with which I started to hone in the design I was looking for. These sketches are about 6x6 inches. Once I had a concrete idea of what I'm going to do, I sketched out the composition full scale, 36 x 36" on the fabric surface in chalk. Next I srart bleaching in the contour lines of the design.
Once I had all the lines in, I gave the central clownfish a touch of of orange dye. Next I stopped by the office to see how the work in progress looked in the space, a 19th century row house that had been adapted into a modern place of business.
I took the piece back to my studio to lay in some tonal washes to make the imagery pop... and we're done! Check out the detail images below:
If you're looking for something to hang in your home or office, don't waste your money on a movie poster or some nonsense from the mall. Get real art from real artists. Commissions anytime, email: will@killmecomix.com
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Groove Kings
Album Art - A design field that literally requires a synesthetic approach.
This work is for Montreal based Groove Kings. Working with these very talented and professional musicians was a great experience - a meeting of creative energy through which I built the visual counterpart to their music. The album, Blood Red, is their first release in a number of years - Powerful song writing, top-notch vocals and production - I highly recommend you check it out! Official release is June 2009 - Website is www.groovekings.ca
CD Design is as much about creating an object as it is about creating images. We used a tri-fold digipak design, an environmentally friendly package that holds lyrics and covers. Here are some images showing what you might experience opening up your CD.....
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Life Drawing Oil sketches
Here are a few oil sketches, and one ink sketch, from some of the last sessions of the Life Drawing I've been moderating in Baltimore. These are 20 to 40 minute poses.
Subliminal messages
I sit down, with nothing in front of me, and begin to paint. I'm starting with abstract gestural motions and picking out the forms they suggest. Like a rorschach test, this is a method of projecting the subconscious. How much of what you see in there is me, and how much is you?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Create:Fixate
Join me for Create:Fixate June 27, 2009 in downtown LA (613 Imperial St., LA, CA 90013) 30+ Awsome LA artists breathing life back into the West Coast fine arts
I'll have lots of little treats there for people who want some bleachy goodness to take home and love.
Visit CreateFixate.com for details...
By the way... Does anyone remember the Avanti tabletop project way back in 2007? Never posted them on the net until now. Here's a small sampling of those medium scale bleach pieces... The entire body of work got broken up and devoured bit by bit the public over the last 2 years, but some of these are still available. Just click to enlarge:
9/TV/11 (sold) Front (sold) Cosmic Jellyfish
Anarchist Astronaut (sold) Archioptryx dollface
And some more recent pieces.....
Thought pattern 18x18" and Tattoo Venus 16x20"
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tank Cake
A little painting, 9x12"
A reflection on the six years of occupation in Iraq - a profound waste of human life.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Siamese Twins
Laguna!
The Laguna Festival of Art July 5 - August 31 2009
Laguna Beach, California
A tradition for over 70 years - but they've never had an artist like me.
I'm proud to announce that I've officially been accepted as an exhibitor in the Laguna Fine Art Festival to show my Bleach Art and mixed Media.
so that's kind of awesome. I'll post details as they come.
What's going on
For those of you who don't know me, my name's Will Koffman, I'm an artist who works in a lot of different media on comercial and personal projects. You can learn a lot about me at my website: www.willkoffman.com
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