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

The background on that sketch is very cool. I makes the Tiki stand out so much more. Back to keeping the paint moist. When you call it quits for the night, spray your paint and lay some plastic wrap directly over the paints, so it touches the paint. That will help keep air from getting to the paint and drying it out. The color is coming along nicely. I know the whole picture on this here inter-web-thingy don't give the true detail, but the hair already looks pretty good to me.

Aloha TC!
Thanks for the commiserating on the GROG-syndrome, everyone.
Yankeeairpirate, well first, you have one of the coolest names on TC. Second, your feeling exactly the same thing I felt when I was first lookin at all the great art here on TC. Go for it.
IvanchanWow, that's so freakin true. And, I guess that means I don't have to really finish anything! Yipee! Now I can waste time watching TV!
GROGSo true! Sometimes I found that you can finish something, hate it. Put it away somewhere. Not see it for years. forget that you did it. Then see it again, and forgot why you didn't like it and it looks totally great! (P.S.Thanks for having a sense of humor.)
LLTI say we make bumper stickers!
PaipoER, I mean the next thing is to paint da tiki mug in da painting. (artist!) :)
ClaritaThank you!
frostikiMahalo! Hair! so, it seems to get the right gleaming look, you gotta start with darker tones and lay in smaller highlights all the way to white to get that look. I think.
So, have not touched the painting for a few days. Just stared at it and had GROG-syndrome. (growled and thumped club on head). That, plus getting some Tiki Shark Inc work done, then getting the weird bug that my business partner brought back from his visit to the factories overseas who work on our towels. Yuck! So, we did not get anywhere near going to the volcano last Sat.
And now Flossie approaches!

HAWAII HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE ALERT.

FOR THE NEXT 36 HOURS ALL RESIDENTS OF THE BIG ISLAND ARE ASKED NOT TO BOARD ANY SHIPS, BOATS, OR OTHER WATER CRAFT NAMED THE S.S. MINNOW.

(that last joke was from tikifool! Thanks man!) :)

Brad,

Seriously batten down/Waterproof everything of value. These things are wicked!

We have our first real threat born today "Dean"

Take much care.

Mahalo

McTiki

Good luck ridin' her out. Remember lots of chef boy-r-dee and bottled water.

Okay, I know that a hurricane is serious--and can be life-threatening, even--so Brad, yeah, be careful, stock up, and I hope Flossie blows over without doing too much damage.

That said, I laughed hysterically at the graphic of "ME" and "FLOSSIE"!!!

Keep in touch through the storm if you can! Feel better from that weird overseas bug (some of the nastiest kinds)!!

Take care,

I.

Hang on Brad!
the Flossmeister approacheth!
the Good news is that if you get wet you can always dry off with a dependable quality TikiShark Beach Towel! :D
Hopefully this thing will blow your bug and GROG-Syndrome towards China! Feel Better!

Aloha TC,

Thanks for all the encouragements and well wishes! Well, hurricane Flossie was approaching. A Hurricane level four. (yikes!) Then, it down graded to a level 3. (Still not so good!) Then it slowed down to a crawl, and took many more hours to arrive. Then it lost it's eye, and started to dissipate. (sigh of relief) THEN, the eye reformed! (Everyone freaked out!) Then, it dissolved again, totally. We didn't even get rain or wind here in Kona. Just gray sky's and a really massive amount of humidity! All anticipation, but no disaster. I guess that's the best kind of hurricane to have.

My theory is, as soon as the storm rubbed up against the volcano, Pele sent out her hot volcanic mojo and evaporated the soggy tropical storm.

Getting past my Grog-syndrome and painting the mug~

I made the mug a typical tiki mug color. I wanted it to be readily seen as a tiki mug! Of course, now I have to work to make sure it stands out form the tan/browns of the mysterious wahine. Right now, her hand and the mug are way too similar in color! I'm gonna see just how shinny I can get it to look...

More later...

Aloha!

The mug seriously looks 3D. Coming right out at you.

Wooo mug colour! Brad's survived Flossie and is slinging paint again and all is good in the world :D

What a beautiful piece, I just love your stuff.

Aloha TC,

I'm posting this weekend, so all of us who didn't get to go to Tiki Oasis has something to look at on line. (And those who went, now can have something to squint at through their hang overs!)
teaKEY~ thanks, I really worked yesterday to create an even more 3-D effect on the Mug. What do ya think?
Hewey~ Yeah, Flossie wasn't a match for the volcano! All hail Pele!
Hiltiki~Thanks so much!
Okay, here's the work on da' mug...

To make sure I was getting the gleaming parts rights, I took a photo and played around with it in photoshop trying to work out the reflections. Once I got it looking right, I put brush to canvas.

This morning I walked over to the farmer's market and got an orange, so I could slice it up and stick in on a mug, and see what it looks like. I have several small umbrellas saved that I can stick in it.... And now what tropical drink would be appropriate for this scene? hmmm... any suggestions as to what is really in that mug?

Hey, almost done!!!

Mahalo!

Yay! Bubbles! :wink: :lol:

This is coming along very nicely, Brad! That mug looks like it's gonna squirm out of her hand any second.

p.s. - thanks for posting pics for those of us not at Oasis! You rock!

[ Edited by: JenTiki 2007-08-19 12:29 ]

Dude, everything about this painting is the balls! its a cornucopia of visual satisfaction, its a plethora of pleasure. Phew! this painting is veeerrrrry special! Amazing work...... My eyes hurt from lookin, my head is dizzy from shakin it from side to side in admiration!

Aloha TC!
JentikiHa! Yeah, bubbles!
JPmartdogThank you!!

I finished the orange slice, the cherry, and added the plastic sword.

Is it finished? Ah... let me see... I think I gotta do some work on her hair.

Mahalo for watching!

Hey Tiki Shark-

The detail is impeccable here. I especially like the eyed starfish.... CREEPY! A great piece!

To my way of thinking, the drink must be a zombie, though I confess absolute personal favoritism there.

The best zombies in Los Angeles... at Hunan Taste.

The best zombies in British Columbia... in my blender.

Mr. Shark, the girl dazzles with color as you said she would. Your balance of colors is both splendid and stupefying.

You've set a yet another high standard for yourself. I cannot imagine what is next. But I've all the confidence that your imagination shall find it.

..........
can't find the words
...................
no word has been invented yet for how awesome this piece is!
you paint good oranges...... :)
Can't wait to see what you have in store at the Tiki Mag art Show this November!

Brad, man oh man. that mug is great and garnish is great. I am amazed at the detail in the orange. sweet. I need lessons, could you statrt a piant like TikiShark correspondence course?

LOVE THE PIECE ; hate you! The mug turned out great. You saved the best for last.

Talented motherf$%ker.

Aloha TC!
Sam!~ So glad you like it! Coming from you, it's always extra meaningful cause I like your work so much! Thanks! Yeah, I dig the 'creepy factor' the star fish brings in. too!
Tikifool~ Thanks my friend! Yes, it could have been way unbalanced, true! I mean, I was hoping everything would work. I'm surprised how much the orange slice jumps, wow. And how the tiki is not the focus, but is a large piece, that sort of falls in to the back ground (compared to the birght things in the canvas), but still is lots of detail for the eye to run over. I think I remember reading how the eye is attracted to two kinds of things. 1, bright things, and 2, things with lots of details.
LLT~ Thanks jedi tiki master! Yeah, I reeeeally worked on that orange yesterday. I knew it had to look correct, cause everyone here sure knows what tropical drink garnish looks like - having seen enough! The art show Nov 2 in San Diego! Yeah, I hope to have at least one big original there for sale. Same size as this one, plus some smaller pieces. I think I have a an idea for it... What's going to be so great is showing next to your work!!! I think it's our first big group Tiki Art show together!
FrostikiWow, thanks! Okay...
How To Paint Like Tiki Shark Art Lesson Number One: Buy overly priced art supplies at the only art store on your side of the island, then stare at the blank canvas till you become completely psyched out about painting in the first place, finally, log onto Tiki Cnetral and let the warm, loving, rum soaked mojo from the Tiki Centralites sooth your psyche and fuel your creativity!
GROGGYSo glad ya love da mug! I saved it for last hoping I'd learn more about how to render as I went. I knew it had to pop. I wanted it to havea bit of a "coming out of the canvas" feel to it, ya know like she's offering to the viewer. It sort of does, in the right light. Kind a.

So, it's done! (I think) I was working on it last night, saw like six more things I could do to it, but this little voice chirped in the back of my head..."It's done! Move on ti the next one."

"Mystic Tiki Number 11: The Moon of Manakoora"
24" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas

Left side detail...

Right side detail.

Okay, so today it goes up north to Honu editions for proper photographing...

Hope everyone survived Tiki Oasis! (And, everyone nursing a hang over at work today) Thanks for watching the long slow process of this painting. Hope the next one goes faster! and I sure couldn't have gotten through it without all the suport and kind words I found here on Tiki Central!

Big Big BIG Mahalo from the Big Island!

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-08-20 11:51 ]

Wow! :o The finished product certainly is worth the wait! This has been so much fun to watch! Now call Holden about that mug, man! :D

I was secretly hoping during the last few posts that you would do something with the color of her lips, but didn't think it would've been appropriate for me to say anything, figuring you are the artist and all, but I'm so glad you added that bit of color at the very end! Very satisfying! I do hope you're doing prints of this! I have to have it!

Jentiki~
Yeah, I kept thinking about what to do about her lips too. I didn't wanna over do em cause she's something like a nymph o' the sea, and sort of natural. So, I did a not too dark pink. Glad u liked it.

Stopped in one of the really high end galleries on the way up to Honu editions. I always show the owners my paintings, though what I do is nothing like what they carry. Really nice folks, but have told me they just don't carry "tiki" art. However, after they saw number 11, they could be interested in having me be part of they're gallery opening up in the new shopping center near the Waikaloa. We'll see...

"The Moon of Manakoora" is up at Honu editions, getting scanned for art print production. I'm gonna do a high quality, very limited run of prints. Gilcee on streached canvas, same size as the original. Ultra Swanky!

On the way back I made a stop at the art store...

24" x 48" - That's 2 foot by four foot!
Goal - Paint the biggest weirdest tiki painting I've ever done - and get it done for the Nov 2nd show at the Bali Hai!

Working Title - "Forbidden Island".

Aloha!

Tiki Shark

http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-08-20 23:41 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2007-08-20 23:43 ]

On 2007-08-20 23:37, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Working Title - "Forbidden Island".

Maybe you could get Pablus to send you a copy of the song he wrote by that same title! It's great and could be inspirational as you plow through this one.

Phenomenal painting TSA! Your skills are off the charts. Beautiful.

I haven't been on this thread for some time now. I figured "how much more could the man really paint since I checked last" then I thought "well, there's no way it could get any better than the other stuff he was doing". I'd just like to say I want to kill you.
Amazing.....amazing.
Cheers.

I've already finished lesson one, now it's time for lesson two.

Mine!

On 2007-08-21 08:54, GROG wrote:
Mine!

Denied again!

DOH!

After that long time of painting, the above picture would be the last thing that I would what to look at, but sounds like you got plans, big plans.

The orange in the mug looks so real. And yeah, someone had better make that mug for you to sell. What a great mug. I want a low number AP mossy matte green version.

Aloha TC~
Jentiki~ Really? cool! Pablus? I'll look for it. I think Martin Denny also had a tune called Forbidden Island. I'm gonna have to check my old Vegas Vic Tiki Lounge pod casts.
Sneaky, Matt, Grog, Frostiki, TeaKEY, Mctiki~Thank you very very much for the kind works. Really nice to read at the end of a looong day!
Okay...

Here's a sketch of the idea for Forbidden Island. Part from an old sketch, part from an image I used in an ad for Tiki Magazine. I think now I can do them real justice in color. And the "wave" - staple of ketch tourist art - I've always wanted to paint the "wave"! ship wrecked pirate treasure, Evil Alien Brain serving drinks, and the back ground is gonna be a sunset.

Mahalo for watching!

I predict that painting will take 2 Years.

Seriously.

Perfect, I counted 8 tikis (i counted the one in the roof support)

BRAD!
Stoked you're already focusing on this new one! Tiki Robots/Hitler or Disney's Brain serving up a mysterious cocktail/pirate booty/maiden in distress/Moai cliffs/and a killer tube should make even Todd Schorr jealous! I'm itching to see how fast this one turns out as you're reducing the amount of underpainting! You got around 2 months,my friend! Remember,you're painting this for the Tiki Magazine FIRST annual art show-not THIRD annual! And you're right! This will be our first BIGTIME art show together! Exciting! I'm hoping for a bigger crowd than the Spooky Luau! :) Gentlemen,eat your fiber and start your engines! VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Mine!

why aren't you done yet? LLT would be. I cacn't wait to see the progress onthis one, it looks like a great melding of ideas you got going there.

Well, you already know the robotiki carrying the wahine is one of my favourite images of yours. I'm still waiting for the t-shirt version, but I guess this will have to do in the meantime. The nautiloid Cthulhu on the cliff is a nice touch too!

The concept is waaaay cool and this painting is sure to be fun as hell and... once again beautiful!
Can't wait to see one in person some day.... wish I could see one hanging on my wall! :wink:

The mystic tiki #11 is awesome mate, simply awesome!

I can't wait to see the detail you get with this new one - it's huge man! :D

congrats on finishing your masterpiece, brad! it's an amazing piece of art and i feel fortunate i got to read about and see the making of it. bravo brad!

Holy crap! I need to put my tray in the upright and locked position because Brad is about to take off again! Can't wait!

HAPPY ALOHA FRIDAY TIKI CENTRAL!
Bora Boris~ Ha! It might! But, I gotta get it done in two months! good thing I added MORE DETAIL to the sketch!
teaKEY8? Hmmm... R U counting sea god/Cthulu as a tiki?
LLTYEP! No under painting this time! I'm feeling like it will make a big difference. I got 2 months till the big TIKI MAGAZINE art show - where your and my art will be shoulder to shoulder sending powerful original tiki art mojo into viewer's rum soaked eye balls! I'm really excited too!
GROG~ Who know? It could be! It will be up for sale at the Art Show!
Frostiki~ HA! I know! My slow ass is just starting!
JPmartdogThanks! If you make it to San Diego you WILL see it in person. (And... u could trade some of that pirate plunder and buy it! I did put pirates in this one just for you ya know!)
Heweythank! Yeah, it's huge! It's scaring me every time I walk in my studio!
KingstiedieThanks so much, I'm glad I got a chance to share it. All the feed back is really an amazing support for me!
SurburbanpaganHA! Here we go.... (turtle slowly inching away from start line as LLT's hare vanishes in puff of dust!)

I flipped the sketch in photoshop so I could shock my brain into seeing whats wrong with the composition. Shrunk some things, added some forground plants for depth, and some some other things for fun.

Have a great week end!

Wow.

So this is what I get for being busy and not checking in!!

It must have felt good to finish that painting, Brad (and to have the hurricane poof into nothing), and I'm glad it might open doors for you with the gallery owners!

This new piece you're working on has me thirsty for more. What, disembodied brain serving drinks? Kitschy wave? AND tiki??

Um...will you marry me?

Looking forward to seeing what your wicked mind and brush will be putting to canvas!

Take care,

I.

Monster "Hawaiian" Island, I see.

Will a large creature will be swimming underwater in the distance? The giant behemoth? Godzilla? It Came from Beneath the Sea?

Will there be an "Audrey Two" among the exotic plants from Little Shop of Horrors?

Ever seen HORROR OF THE BEACH PARTY? (1964) Radioactive waste dumped off the coastline creates mutant monsters that attack slumber parties and tourists.

Good news on no underpainting, methinks. Your skills are such that it is unnecessary.

[ Edited by: TikiFool 2007-08-24 23:10 ]

Wow...#11 turned out gorgeous...I am so impressed with...every thing, especially the color and the 3Dish effect!

I am excited for the next piece "Forbidden Island" looks like it'll be amazing!

Keep going!

:D!!!

Aloha Tiki Central~
IvanchanThanks, yeah it felt pretty good to finish up number 11. But, I think number 12 is gonna be even better! (fingers crossed!) However, I'm already married.... to my arrrrrt!
TikifoolMonster Island Hawaiian style! I love it! It's all filtered through my own strange take on things of course. I almost drew in Godzilla vs Cthulhu off shore, but I figured that's a whole painting in itself! I gotta check out this movie "Horror of the Beach Party"! Sounds too cool!
Ravenne~Thank you! Well, here's number 12 so far...

I got the sketch onto the canvas. No over head projector used. Just the old, divide the sketch into squares, and then divide your canvas into the same amount to squares... and eye ball the drawing over. I still think some kind of good organic improvement is possible with this clunky technique. Sure it's a pain in the butt, but it makes me rethink the whole composition again. It looks blurry because after I pencil it on the canvas, I go over the pencil lines with a weak wash of gesso to seal the pencil lines down - that way they won't smear off on my hands.

And here's the start of the Sunset. I didn't even try to sketch the sunset in. I'm working from a photo I took of a really amazing sunset a few weeks back. And just going with it!

Thanks for taking a peek at the rough beginning!

Oh...

Here's a fresh Tiki Drawing!

Mahalo from Kona!

Brad- this one looks like it'll be another beauty.... I especially like the "Forbidden Planet" style tiki!

Yeah you've officially stared, can't wait to see more.

VROOM!
This one should be just as GREAT as your last ones!
great new sketch too!
VROOM!
fiber...
:D