Hello friends, I just got news from the publisher after submitting 31 sketches... I only have to correct 12! Yessss! Not bad for a novice in this field. I was told that the Art Director loved the illustrations. Phew! As promised here's one that doesn't need to be corrected. I can't wait to put some colors on this bad boy! If you have questions please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you for your interest in my art and more specifically in this project. Creatively yours, ~Oscar [...]

Hello friends, I hope you enjoy this drawing I just finished yesterday. It is based on an Audrey Hepburn photograph. Everybody agrees she's the perfect model. Of course, my thing is just using a figure or subject off a photograph as an inspiration and then I give it my own twist. It is that aspect of creating the piece what I enjoy the most. Stay cool! ~Oscar [...]

Ok folks, as promised, here's my first installment of "The Poet Upstairs" behind the scenes stuff. For every pretty picture there's a lot of ugly ones that precedes them. This is a small collection of a few sketches that I had to redraw. What do we use to quickly assess errors and correct them? Tracing paper. Lots of them. Here you're seeing the adjustments that I've been doing to ensure the continuity of the character's facial features... not a simple task let me tell you. Also, a few clothes changes and body position analysis. The first thing I learned from Art Instructions Schools was that art [...]

It was a weekday afternoon and my daughter was practicing her clarinet outside on the deck with her back towards the sliding door. As I stop to listen from the kitchen it struck me curious how I was able to see the musician but not the actual instrument since she was holding it right in front of her. The lean straight up line of her body posture against the music stand sticking out to both sides created an organic T form. I quickly sketched her and decided to paint the image of a musician playing and instrument that you couldn't see. Talk about going against the grain! The next day [...]

The world of graphic novels, book illustration and similar venues is expanding and it would be foolish of me not to take advantage of it. "Follow the eyeballs" is an old and successful proven marketing principle. With that as my business compass, for 2011 I'd put in my mind the goal of improving my draftsmanship with the intention of tackling more illustrative projects. Since mid 2010 I've been drawing everyday and reviewing instruction books from classic successful illustrators. The pay off is here and I have great news to share my fans, collectors and buyers: Arte Público, publishers of the Piñata Books for children, has offered me a contract to illustrate the [...]

Hello folks! I'll make this one short and sweet. Promise. Q: What to do when that piece you've been eyeing for some time now gets snatched away? A: Ask me to paint it again! Benefits? You can customize some elements of the piece, such as color, texture, size and even perhaps the price, aaand... you are guaranteed of putting your hands on this one for sure! Following are examples of the original pieces vs. "the cloned ones". I hope this get you motived of revisiting the catalog to select the "one that got away". I'll be right here painting a storm and waiting for your email (or call). Creatively yours, ~Oscar Un dia [...]

I used to do many colored pencil sketches years ago when I started, then I stopped. I'm back into them. They're truly a joy. Thanks for watching. Acostumbraba a hacer estos bocetos de colores cuando comenzé, luego paré cuando empezé a pintar. Estoy regresando a ellos, por que en realidad me encantan. Gracias por visitar la página. [...]

SKM Marketing approached me a few months ago with a proposal: featuring two of my pieces in their 2011 Shop Rite Hispanic Calendar. “Cinco Margaritas” & “Playa Gorda” made the cut for June and September respectively. Shop Rite is a supermarket chain operating in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. If there’s one close to you don’t forget to ask for your copy. Las empresas de Mercado Técnica SKM me abordaron algunos meses atrás con una propuesta: utilizar dos de mis imágenes para el calendario hispano de los supermercados Shop Rite para el próximo año. Las escogidas fueron “Cinco Margaritas” y “Playa Gorda” para los [...]

Hello friends, Enjoy today's sketch with a French twist. Best, ~Oscar Que tal amigos, Espero disfruten del boceto de hoy con un poquito de acento frances, para variar. Hasta luego, ~Oscar [...]

A few days ago, my brother, who was visiting from Puerto Rico, talked to me about a movie called “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. The film dramatizes a historic moment in the Crimean War where the finest light cavalry of the British Army charged against the Russian heavy artillery. They took over the enemy line, but in the process lost two thirds of their men. I decided to create a sci-fi version of it. This is a conceptual representation of a futuristic warrior who’s the sole survivor of her unit - The Mohn Ra Brigade- after a gruesome battle, which they won. Una representación conceptual de una guerrera [...]