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Loco in the house

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

Henry Contrera

Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contrera »

Hello All,
I signed up on here awhile back and forgot all about. I just got an email to reactivated my name.
I'm so glad. I do handlettering and just love the art of it all. It's a talent that still blows my mind

I do sketches and the clean them up in Illustrator with the pen tool by clicking and bending. I don't just hit Live Tace. It never seem to come out right.

I'll post some of my stuff.

-loco
loco

Re: Loco in the house

Post by loco »

I'm in the process of get artwork off my old drive (computer died) that has alot of my handlettering stuff.

Here's some swirls I sketched out then re-traced them in illustrator
Attachments
x-swirl-trace-web.jpg
x-swirl-trace-web.jpg (41.32 KiB) Viewed 21122 times
X-swirls-pencil-web.jpg
X-swirls-pencil-web.jpg (23 KiB) Viewed 21115 times
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

I went through my old sent email attachments and found some of my stuff.
Attachments
loco-sample-art-WEB.jpg
loco-sample-art-WEB.jpg (129.71 KiB) Viewed 21021 times
Roderick Treece
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2004 8:04 pm
Location: San deigo Calif
Contact:

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Roderick Treece »

Henry,
E-mail or call me .I want talk to you about working on a project together.

roderick@customglasssigns.com
760 943 9299
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

I worked on a logo for some friends

here the original sketch/idea
Chicago-Printers-Guild-idea.jpg
Chicago-Printers-Guild-idea.jpg (63.49 KiB) Viewed 20796 times
Re-traced with pin tool in Illustrator
Chicago-Printers-Guild-idea-WEB.jpg
Chicago-Printers-Guild-idea-WEB.jpg (35.76 KiB) Viewed 20802 times
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Loco in the house

Post by DAVE SMITH »

This is a great design/logo with lots of impact Henry. It gives me a 1920's feel. also the colours look right for it giving an industrial feel with the way the light is hitting the sides.
very nice
Dave.
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

thank you,

I use to work at a screen printing/sign shop here in Fresno that has been around since the 1930's
There was artwork/logos that where all hand drawn. They where all completely different from one another
and with so much impact. When I look at old logo's that started from a sketches it reminds me the importance of
finding something that you just can't find in just looking through fonts.

-loco
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Here's some stuff I did in Illustrator quite awhile back.

This was when I was really pushing myself to take Adode illustrator as far as I could take at the time

I took a picture if my cell phone and re-traced with the pin tool in illustrator
cellphoneweb7zq.jpg
cellphoneweb7zq.jpg (28.23 KiB) Viewed 20639 times
This a photo from a car magazine that I re-traced
oldscarweb5wc.jpg
oldscarweb5wc.jpg (96.21 KiB) Viewed 20644 times
-loco
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Loco in the house

Post by DAVE SMITH »

Now that is a work of art Henry. Nice job! these took a while...
Dave
erik winkler
Posts: 1097
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:48 pm
Location: Amsterdam Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Loco in the house

Post by erik winkler »

I like them too!
These really show your Adobe Illustrator skills.
Realizing we are in the 2nd renaissance of the arts.
Learn, copy and trying to improve...
Still in the learning phase ;-)
Amsterdam Netherlands
www.ferrywinkler.nl
www.schitterend.eu
www.facebook.com/Schitterend.eu
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Thanks for the comments.

They took awhile. most of the time was trying figure out the best way to approach it. As long as I have a high res. photo that's in focus. That is always the hardest part. Alot of click and bend with the pen tool. The pen tool was hard for me to figure out. It use to drive me crazy trying to figure it out, in the begining. once I get going time goes by pretty fast and all I think about is finishing it.


-loco
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Something I worked on over the weekend. I'm going to retrace it in Illustrator.
It's my wife's name
Juliet-Freehand-web.jpg
Juliet-Freehand-web.jpg (55.59 KiB) Viewed 20505 times
-loco
mikey mannis
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 10:17 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by mikey mannis »

Henry Contreras wrote:Something I worked on over the weekend. I'm going to retrace it in Illustrator.
It's my wife's name
Juliet-Freehand-web.jpg
-loco
That's Sik Henry, I dig your style I got my eye on you! When you do illustrations do you use the Gradient Mesh tool mostly? Can't wait to see wait to see how that lettering turns out Hey do you use a Wacom Tablet?

Mike in San Diego.
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Loco in the house

Post by DAVE SMITH »

Nice looking text Henry.
Dave
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

mikey mannis wrote:
Henry Contreras wrote:Something I worked on over the weekend. I'm going to retrace it in Illustrator.
It's my wife's name
Juliet-Freehand-web.jpg
-loco
That's Sik Henry, I dig your style I got my eye on you! When you do illustrations do you use the Gradient Mesh tool mostly? Can't wait to see wait to see how that lettering turns out Hey do you use a Wacom Tablet?

Mike in San Diego.
thanks, I use the gradient mesh on the round shapes but alot it is does as pieces. I use a mouse (click -bend -click) with the pen tool

-loco
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Here a 57 chevy I'm re-tracing in illustrator so it can printed at about 160" wide

The original image is a bitmap and trying to print it at that size will get all pixelated
57-chevy-red-re-trace-web.jpg
57-chevy-red-re-trace-web.jpg (29.15 KiB) Viewed 20384 times
-loco
mikey mannis
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 10:17 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by mikey mannis »

I can't believe your doing these illustrations with a mouse. Do yourself a BIG favor, after you get paid for this job go get yourself a Wacom Tablet. Get a good one like an 6"x8" Intuos or better. Believe me you will love it!
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

I have one, I just don't use it

-loco
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Some lettering for a friend
IWYS-web.jpg
IWYS-web.jpg (13.25 KiB) Viewed 20308 times
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Hi all, I haven't been here in awhile just wanted to say hi and stay back in contact with you all

-Henry
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Hey All,
I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I'm stilll working my day job and I very thankful to have this job.
I did a local artshow here in Fresno California about 3 weeks back. It was a tribute to gigposters and I submitted 3 posters.
It could be gigposters your previous work. All they really asked was that you where a local graphic artist. One of my posters took Best of Show. I don't do many artshows and after doing the show and seeing what was submitted I realized alot of people are not designing with sketches and I'm not saying the way I do it is any better than any body elses way. I just come up with layouts the way I taught myself. It just felt like most designs where all done on a computer program and just lacked any kind of human touch or flow.

Here's the posters I submitted and the High on Fire took Best of show

Henry "loco" Contreras
Attachments
exene-cervenka-POSTER-2--web.jpg
exene-cervenka-POSTER-2--web.jpg (79.41 KiB) Viewed 19855 times
X-POSTER.jpg
X-POSTER.jpg (233.68 KiB) Viewed 19853 times
High on Fire  Memphis.jpg
High on Fire Memphis.jpg (53.49 KiB) Viewed 19851 times
Aaron Taylor
Posts: 56
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2008 1:09 pm
Location: Pensacola, Fl.
Contact:

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Aaron Taylor »

Very nice posters! I love X as well as High on Fire, I'm sure there will be alot of people fighting over these prints at the club. Good stuff thank for posting.
Aaron
Brix Design
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Thanks, I like the X poster better myself. When I submitted the posters the High on Fire was screen printed and the X poster was a print out. I use to have some screen printed X posters but when I went looking for them I couldn't find any. I think they got thrown out. Maybe that's what made the difference to the judges.

-Henry
bob gamache
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:38 am
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Loco in the house

Post by bob gamache »

Love your work Henry, tight and right.
Bob Gamache
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Here's a pencil and charcoal drawing I did back in 2007. I have always been a fan of Johnny Cash and have always wanted to do a drawing of him. After he passed I told myself I have to do this.
Johnny Cash Charcoal.jpg
Johnny Cash Charcoal.jpg (87.17 KiB) Viewed 19626 times
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

This is going to be my next screen print art piece. I'm hopefully going to my friends shop
later today to get the seperations printed out. It's going to a 24"x24" print. I did the quite awhile back
and never got around to screen printing it. I'm not getting any younger. THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN
Attachments
Maria-Felix--FINAL-WEB.jpg
Maria-Felix--FINAL-WEB.jpg (62.93 KiB) Viewed 19454 times
DAVE SMITH
Posts: 1213
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:12 am
Location: ENGLAND

Re: Loco in the house

Post by DAVE SMITH »

Nice work Henry.
Dave
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Here's the seperations. I'll be screen printing it dark to light adding white to the fist color until I get to white
Attachments
Maria-seps-WEB.jpg
Maria-seps-WEB.jpg (91.92 KiB) Viewed 19404 times
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Something I worked on over the weekend. It's two shades of charcoal on a 36" x 48" canvas
grey-swirls-art-WEB.jpg
grey-swirls-art-WEB.jpg (137.38 KiB) Viewed 19292 times
Henry Contreras
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 12:14 pm

Re: Loco in the house

Post by Henry Contreras »

Hi all,
I haven't been here in awhile, just came by to say hi

Henry
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