Grafix Jam - John Rios

Lately I’ve been asked to come to speak to classees about my work. In particular, some work I’ve done on movies. After the classes, students come up to me and ask me quetions about how I work. How am I able to create the pieces I do. (In particluar, the story boards I created for a movie that was shot here in Detroit, May and June of this year)

You see, the Director and Assc. Producer ask me to create illustrations of scenes that are going to be shot. In one instance, I recieved a photo of a building that was taken from a boat that was in the water 16 feet below a huge pier. The point of view was taken from the west. The director wanted to have me illustrate a series of boards to show a scene from 20′ over and behind the building from the south east. I had to imagine what the entire scene would look like from that point of view. I did it, on the fly in the production office, and they where able to review it with the D.P. within three minutes of me drawing it.

How am I able to do this? I’ll tell you. When I was growing up I always felt like it was cheating to actually look at something and draw it. (My own mental issue I guess) I was in my twenties before I ran into some art students that told me it was ok to look at what I was drawing, and not only that, look at other peoples art to see how they drew things. Everything I draw and that you see on my web site, in this blog, etc… I see in my mind. That is how I can draw buidlings and story boards with no reference, or reference from a wrong direction. I trained myself to see things in my mind. I’ve actually looked at someone, drove home 30 miles, broke out a pen and paper, drawn that person with perfect likeness, and taken it back to them the next day.

Today, I regularly use as much reference as I can get. I don’t try to remember every detail and then draw it. I don’t have to any more. My mind is a library of images, body possitions, point of view, etc… I look at people as they work, shop, play etc… and I take mental snap shots of them to use later.

I am not saying this is the only way to work. I am saying, if you’re starting out, it may be something to practice from time to time. It could help you out in a pinch, if you get the chance to work on a movie or some other cool gig where you’re in a remote location with no reference.(paint the picture with your mind first, study the details. Go into the next room and draw.)

There was a time in my life when I thought I had seen everything and people can’t surpirze me anymore. This is no longer the case. I was snooping around surfing the internet and came across one of my caricatures of Van Halen on someones site. Nothing new. People often post my images on their sites and link back to me. I’m glad people like my art enough to post it on their personal web sites. What was upsetting about this post of the Van Halen piece was the guy had removed my copyright notice, added his signature and was using my art as a sample in his online gallery. “As if he had drawn the piece.” WOW.. What do you say to that. I’d have been flattered, I guess, if he had done an original piece and modeled it after my art, but this piece still said “Rios” on the guitar where I had put it. He just didn’t catch it. It was my art. 

People tell me to go after the guy… I feel sorry for him. What the heck.. the guy is so “sad” he just gave up trying to draw and takes other peoples art, claiming it is his. His life sucks enough.

Until next time.