The Lurid low-brow Tiki-Art of Brad (tiki-shark) Parker

Big Mahalo to everyone, especially Hewey. Really, you are all the best, and I am humbled by your support. Thanks!

I contacted Mr. Washington, and we are working it out. He was quite overwhelmed with the amount of angry e-mails he received about the "Parker" print. I don't think he's ever experienced a force packing as much mojo as the Tiki culture crowd!

Anyways, he seems like an interesting guy, and he is, at least, open and honest about where he got the piece. He also seems to have good engraving skills. He's offering a very fair arrangement to do some further "Tiki" or "Hawaiiana" pieces of mine. Pieces that basically, I think might be really cool translated into wood cuts. And would be much more affordable than the Giclees.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks again to everyone who sent an e-mail. Your actions may have turned this into a new source for getting my tiki art "out there".

Big Thanks, Big aloha, and have a great New Years!

Brad (aka Tiki Shark)

Aloha,

Here's the color sketch...

Working on the warm light / cool light source thing. I'll look at this again tomorrow, see if it still makes sense...

Mahalo

Good to know you've sorted it out mate.

The sketch layout is looking sweet :D although I would say that's a lot of blue, with the shirt, mug, steps, water and clouds... Maybe a full moon rising could be a sweet cool light source?

Aloha!
Thanks Hewey~

Here's another pass at the Color sketch. I reworked it, keeping the warmer colors up front, and cooler colors in the back. I think it makes a better composition now.

Mahalo - and Happy New Year (weekend)

Yes. Better.

Yeh, thats better :D

I love how methodical and scientific your color schemes and light logic are, great drawings too!

Aloha,

Thanks guys. Yeah, I think so too.

So, it's the first day of the new year and I got paint on the canvas! Yipee!

Have a great New Years!

Aloha!

Here's the sea...

Da' whole thing..

Here's the waves, and the beach roughed in.

Mahalo!

Lookin' good....Can't wait to see this masterpiece unfold!!!!

This will make for a great print to sell at this year's Oasis!
Glad you're gettin to put the brush to the canvas! That water looks perfect-slowly lapping on the shore as Igor shambles up the stairs with drinks!
happy new year Brad!

TSA Brad,

the Otto/Lugosi color sketches were great, very cool in that looser form. I like the way it vibrates and gives it a "darker" twist. Keep up the good work.

As for the E.M Washington stuff, CYA before he tries to claim your stuff as his own. We had a guy contact us about using one of our Frostikis as a mug design for his restaurant, after he had sent it to Tiki Farm. We never got the whole story about what happened, but we let him know that we would consider licensing and working with him and never heard back. That kind of stuff makes me nervous. Protecting IP stuff and trademark/copyright law is not my cup of Rum. I like to make things pretty not worry about finding an attorney.

Hope you had a nice holiday season

Hey Brad- I've been looking forward to your Lugosi piece. It's nice to see it taking it's form. Looks like it'll be a great piece!

ALOHA!~

Meheadhunter ~ Mahalo!
LLT ~ Mahalo! There is talk about a print being made in time for Tiki Oasis "Zombie Island" ..... could happen!
Frostiki ~ Yes, he's got a colorful past history, that's for sure. Oh gosh, that reminds me, I gotta get my designs done and over to Tiki Farm!

Here' da wide shot.

"What's taking the waiter so long with our drinks? What, did he die or something?"

Mahalo!

Nice Brad! We get many compliments of our sketch at the shop! Keep em coming.

Hi, Brad, thank you for the groovy Christmas card. :)
It looked amazing up-close and personal.

This new painting is going to be outstanding. Your caricature of Lugosi is spot on.
I love watching each section of your art spring to life. The lighting effects, colors and
textures really sing. There are always surprises to be found in each portion that you complete.

I'd like to make a couple of minor suggestions, if I could be so bold (just tell me to go to blazes if you wish).
The angle of the bottom of the zombie's forward pant leg is working against the angle of the leg itself. If you were
to add a few wrinkles that follow the downward angle more, it would heighten the effect of him stepping onto the stairs.
Also, a little more of the forward arm showing under the head will help to set it apart from the hair.
Here is a quick photoshop example:

Again, feel free to send me packing if I have crossed the line.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes next. :)

Anthony Carpenter
My Sketch-Blog: http://sketchville-sketchman66.blogspot.com

[ Edited by: artosaurus 2008-01-03 21:29 ]

Aloha!

Artosaurus - I see exactly what you're talking about... Thanks! It really helps having talented eyes like yours double checking for me. Big Mahalo! ( I LOVE the arrows!)
And...did I tell you I really dig your work? I do!

Here's the stairs roughed in. Now, I'm all excited to get back to the canvas after work, spiff up the zombie (as artosaurus pointed out) and get some cool texture on the wood.

Have a great Aloha Friday folks!

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2008-01-04 10:06 ]

AND....since it IS "Aloha Friday", you might wanna take a look-see in the Market Place: Just in case I got off my butt and actually posted another "Aloha Friday" special...

"Ghostiki"

Mahalo, and have a great weekend!

Hi Brad...that new creation is coming out great...finally COLOR.

Aloha!

Here's da' whole thing.

Here's da stairs...

Mahalo!

very cool!
Reminds me of a skeletal RiffRaff from Rocky Horror Picture Show!
I love how much you consider each element as you paint it...
It gives it that magical OOMPH!
Looks like you're back in Paint Mode again!
:)

Aloha!
LLT~ Mahalo buddy! Oh yeah, Riffraff. That's where I've seen that hair cut before!

"It's just a jump to the left...."

Mahalo!

Just a quick note to thank you SO much for the xmas card. I gotta tell ya it absolutely 'made' my end-of-the-year! I had secretly lusted after it, back when you were making it, and it never even occurred to me that i might actually get one! So it was the best surprise of the season! :D It's gorgeous!

And of course i'm still lovin' your stuff!

On 2008-01-06 10:11, Tiki Shark Art wrote:

"It's just a jump to the left...."

Hey Brad! I've been seeing your progress on this painting, and already it looks like it'll be another beauty!

I totally agree it looks like skeletal Riff Raff!

Can't wait to see more progress shots.

In case I haven't said it, Happeh New Year! :drink:

Mahalooooo! :D

Aloha!
Joontiki~ Glad u liked the card! I got a lot of nice complements on it.
Ravenne~ Thanks for the kind words! Yes, I think all "help" should be skeletal and sport a Riff-raff hair cut. Of course, my cleaning lady hates that idea!

I got a little work done last night.

Ah, finally, here comes the waiter with our Zombies!

Mahalo~

Wow! I love the tiki faces in the floor planks! Cool idea!

"Ah, finally, here comes the waiter with our Zombies!" Who's looking at the zombie now that the planks are there. Great idea. Sure someone could paint tiki wood grain on their home bar but we would need the great tiki tree that produces lumber with the souls of tiki.

Riff Raff or the janitor Filch in Harry Potter. The floorboards are incredible. Great idea.

Brad, sweet detailing on the stairs and floorboards, you are really going that extra mile with this one, and the Riff Raff/Zombie waiter is great so far, those extra tweak really helped out something that I didn't think needed help. Now hurry up and finish.

ALOHA!
Glad folks are digging on the floor boards...

Off the floor now...

And working on those ceiling boards.

Mahalo~

Did you put in any real star constellations? Just wondering

WOW...WOW... that's ALOT of work. The detail...the stars...the wooden tiki boards, top and bottom. Brad...you're the MAN.

Aloha ~
TeaKEY~ Hey, cool idea! I gotta think about that one...
Isleconch~ Thanks! Detail? I have not even gotten to the real detail part yet... (the Aloha shirt!)

Here's the tiki roughed in.....

Mahalo

I love the composition on this one Brad...and the tiki floorboards...yow!

I can't wait to see what you're gonna do with the shirt! It could be a total "painting within a painting" with its own story to tell.........

Aloha!

Here's the latest, a smoother shading of the tiki...

Mahalo!

Braaad! this is lookin great so far! :D!

Keep on rawkin!

Looking sweet :D Coming alone nicely

Is Brad the most copied TC artist? Survey says yes! :lol:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sign-0232-Tiki-Pub-OPEN-Frame-Bar-New_W0QQitemZ190189802512QQihZ009QQcategoryZ100QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Flounder got copied a lot with his copies of Sven's Book of Tiki photos.

Brad!
Floor boards and Ceiling panels are Rockin!
You take so much care with each element,
letting it slowly add up until the whole narrative
is complete!
It's only January and you're already Bangin out the GOODS!
You are an inspiration always!
Now i'm gonna go sit next to Paipo
and eagerly await that print on the shirt!

ALOHA!

Hewey, Mahalo for diggin up these wacky things on E-bay!
So, er What is that thing on Ebay? A Tiki Bar "Sign"? I'm not sure where they would have gotten a good scan of my painting, because I know where the original is (it's hanging in a house on the other side of the Big Island) - and it was never scanned in at a high rez. So, it really can't be a very good reproduction. Still, it's only 99 cents. Hmmm... not sure if I should be offended that a reproduction of my art is going for such a low price, or if I should bid on it!

Tell ya what. I never made prints of that image. So if any TCer wins it. You can send it to me, and I'll sign it and return it to you - just for the novelty of it.

On to current art.
Last week was so filled with reg work and a head cold, so I had only a little tiki art time. I got to put some texture on the tiki...

This was mostly done by placing on dark splits in the wood, and then edging them with a highlight color.

Mahalo!

Brad...it looks great.thanx for sharing.

I'm still in the middle of painting number 13 - but, I thought I'd post this other piece I have been working on - since it's almost finished.

After seeing Artosaurs's amazing "pulp" drawings, I wanted to do something with a similar feeling. I sketched up an idea, but it kept being put aside for more pressing work. Days would pass. And, every so often I'd take it out and resketch it.

And since I loved seeing everyone else's rough sketches, here's all mine.

Here's the first rough. You can see the word's "Waikiki Mystery" at the top. Even though I knew I wanted this to be a purely Black and White illustration, I was going for a pulp novel cover kinda thing.

Now, the couple are no longer on a roof, but at street level. I wanted to have a "period" car in there.

Here's a study of the couple. I wanted them to look like a Hula Girl and a tough guy out of an old Honolulu detective story.

I got the Tiki in the sky looking right, but was still struggling with the couple. Now the guy has a tiki pendent.

Here I had scanned the image and flipped it so I could correct any right/left weirdness. The sign above the door has the word KAPU on it. You'll also notice there is no more wind. I thought this lost the movement the earlier drawing had.

Got rid of the wrist watch, and changed his tattoo into a big Tiki. But, not happy with his face still.

Then I changed the guy to look more like a cross between one of the vintage Hot Rod gear-heads you might meet at Bob's Big Boy on Riverside Drive in Burbank on a Friday night, and... Elvis!

Transferred to 11" x 14" Bristol board and...now the inking! It's been a while since I "inked, so I'm a tad rusty.
Should be done this week end!

Mahalo!

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2008-01-26 17:35 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2008-01-26 17:37 ]

Bradsky - wow - That is some awesome pulp. Thanks for posting all the steps, it really adds to the appreciation level. Love, love, love the wahine. Love the perspective of the street view - love the building. Dude, every thing you do is way cool. - you're one talented mofo.
sheesh man, very very cool. - wow -
MJK

Aloha!
jpmartdog~ Thanks man!

Almost...

... done. I grabbed a shot from my camera, but I'll get a good scan of it tomorrow.

Mahalo for lookin at da art!

Aloha!

Here's a decent scan.
Mahalo!

Wow! That's really cool, Brad! Gonna do prints? Don't let that guy steal it for woodcuts! :wink:

You talented S.O.B., GROG HATE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!

GROG love the way you use lights against darks to create and define shapes without having to have a line around the outside of every shape.

And GROG really love the way you planned the art so that the perspective and the inking leads your eyes to the two characters making them the focal point of the piece. You broke it up so nicely that your eye is lead from one element to another so that all of the elements of the piece are not competing for attention. LLT could definitely learn a thing or two from you.

Awesome piece.

Damn you shark-boy!!

[ Edited by: GROG 2008-01-27 00:15 ]