"thumbs" o'neill

2011-10-24T01:27:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone... So it's been a really long time since I've posted here. Sorry about that... I'm not abandoning this blog (really I'm not) but for now, follow me on TUMBLR for new work from me and other things I think you should see:

http://thumbsoneill.tumblr.com/

Thanks for looking!

CHRIS

Sarah's Tattoo

2011-03-02T23:22:00.002-05:00

Sarah's Tattoo, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

Sarah went and got a new tattoo, and i used the opportunity as an excuse to do some drawing!

This was really fun, and interesting to watch. I asked if i could take pictures, but the more i thought about it, the more getting out my sketchbook seemed like the most logical thing to do.

She had a chair (not just any chair, but the little black wooden chair that she sits in to draw) put on her arm. pretty cool.

This is Cathy @ Regeneration Tattoo in Allston working her magic.

Can you "Dig" it?

2011-02-25T23:50:00.002-05:00

So, this last week (Feb 16th - 23rd) one of my images was featured on the cover of Boston's "Weekly Dig" newspaper!

I am so excited to have this happen! "The Dig" as we Bostonians warmly refer to it, is Boston's best alternative weekly paper. They always tell it like it is. Funny too.

I've seen lots of friends and other great artists get covers so its a real honor to be included amongst their ranks.

The cover coincided with the opening of an art show I'm participating in as a member of Rifrakt at Diesel Cafe in Somerville. Art plus excellent coffee, in a truly eclectic atmosphere?! What could be better?

Tons of friends and fans came out to support us and say that they had seen my image on the Dig, and I sold a couple pieces from the show already!

I just want to thank everyone who came out, and everyone who picked up the Dig last week. If you are in the Boston area, check out the work at Diesel Cafe (there's work up from 10 excellent artists, including myself and the always amazing Sarah Gay!)

The show is up through mid-March!

Juicy @ Dr Sketchy's 2

2011-02-13T22:51:00.001-05:00

Juicy @ Dr Sketchy's 2, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

Another from today's Dr. Sketchy's session. 20 minute pose. She was really fun to draw.

Juicy @ Dr Sketchy's 1

2011-02-13T22:50:00.001-05:00

Juicy @ Dr Sketchy's 1, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

a drawing of the cute & fun "Juicy" from today's session of Dr. Sketchy's Figure Drawing, Boston. I think she is supposed to be an "Eski-Ho" or something. She's ice fishing.

tough guy

2011-02-06T00:56:00.001-05:00

tough guy, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

dunno what this is about.

feeling pretty beat up but there's always someone worse off. winning the fight is important. even if it's not by much.

bike dude.

2011-02-06T00:38:00.001-05:00

biiiike, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

i ride fixed gear (year round) in new england. i know. i'm crazy. it gets cold. and wet. and muddy. and everything else.

but i'm obsessed. so. what can i do? draw pictures of people riding bikes? sure.

more of da champ!

2011-02-06T00:36:00.001-05:00

2011.1, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

more of my 'ol timey, peanut eatin', old fashioned swillin', fist swingin boxer fella. he's da champ, and he can show you why.

me & sarah

2011-02-06T00:33:00.001-05:00

2011.2, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

sarah likes to ride atop my balding cranium.

i know, its weird.

crazy 4 u

2011-02-06T00:31:00.001-05:00

crazy 4 u, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

anybody out there like Best Coast? I do. We went to go see 'em. It was great.

All their songs are silly and melodramatic, but the sentiment is real. I think. Anyway their lead singer is a real babe. And they like cats.

lifes a beach.

2011-02-06T00:28:00.001-05:00

2011.3, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

what's that you say? a bloated sweaty guy holding a beer leering at some young thing as she jogs by? i don't think i can draw that with a clear conscious.

oh well.

a couple ladies.

2011-02-06T00:24:00.001-05:00

ladiez, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

a bather. (my take on a classic subject)

and a lady who is wandering around a dark swamp at night. she should know better than that! (this was drawn around halloween. babes and lurking monsters. never gets old.

sadbeards

2011-02-06T00:22:00.001-05:00

sadbeards, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

most of these guys are smiling, but really, they are sad inside. the have grown out their sadbeads. like McCartney in 'let it be'

oh, and i drew Bilbo after re-reading The Hobbit.

groooss

2011-02-06T00:20:00.001-05:00

groooss, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

fourth of july makes me think of melting ice cream.

maybe you've seen this by now, maybe you haven't.

i updated my website recently where you can see a bunch of new stuff, but i'm gonna post em here too.

winter

2010-12-04T00:29:00.001-05:00

winter, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

went to home to vermont for thanksgiving. saw the first snow this season. beautiful. everything quiet, cold, and still. literally... frozen.

something in my blood makes me nostalgic for the first signs of winter and snowy hillsides where epic battles like this one take place.

threes a crowd

2010-11-10T00:52:00.002-05:00

threes a crowd, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

just a fisherman and a couple of his lady friends.

try not to burn your eyes on those eye searing colors.

black white

2010-11-10T00:50:00.001-05:00

black white, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

some black and white brush weirdness! always loved hand written text. and little squiggly lines. this page of drawings has both!

MEAT.

2010-11-10T00:47:00.001-05:00

MEAT., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

look at those meat eaters!

i promised i was back from the dead. so, expect to see a LOT more drawing from me on this here internets in the near future. tell your friends!

happy halloween!

2010-10-29T21:35:00.001-04:00

happy halloween!, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

im... uhhh...back from the dead.. so to speak! bbrgghszz BRAIINSS!!!

hope its a spooky one!

beheading...

2010-07-19T22:41:00.001-04:00

beheading..., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

inspired by frank frazetta. a curvy female. swords/daggers and an ogre. what more could you ask for?

old sea salt

2010-07-19T22:40:00.002-04:00

old sea salt, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

an old sailor. spends his days in the hot sun. more experimenting with a more "painterly" look.

da champ!

2010-07-19T22:18:00.001-04:00

da champ!, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

long time no see huh! whoops! well i'm here now!

experimenting with a non-digital, painterly look. markers, white out, ball point pen, colored pencil. this guy has taken a few punches (to the face) and is still standin...

burger time!

2010-06-03T23:51:00.002-04:00

burger time!, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

ok! first. i know i've been gone too long. sorry bout that. i've got lots of lame excuses but whatever!

its hot outside and that makes me think of sweaty fat dudes chasin' down bacon double cheeseburgers.

yum?

2010-02-09T08:43:00.001-05:00

woke up this morning, and geuss what? i'm on the MEATHAUS blog today! jiggity jig! what an honor. thanks a million fellas.

video games are rad!

2010-01-03T18:11:00.003-05:00

video games are rad!, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

happy new year. 2009 was kind of a wash, so lets hope 2010 is a whole lot better and more productive. new years resolution.... more blog posts!

un-button

2009-09-25T00:24:00.001-04:00

un-button, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

ok. so i fell off the wagon. forgive me. life and a lack of determination and i dunno what else got in the way for a couple days, but i'm back on track, and i'll make up for lost time.

panel experiments for a story riding around in my brain.

day 21 i guess...

fixing a hole.

2009-09-21T09:09:00.001-04:00

fixing a hole., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

name that tune. everyone seems to be on a Beatles kick lately, so here's my addition to that. oh, and i missed yesterday, so expect another later today to make up for it!

day 20!?!?

notes 8

2009-09-19T23:32:00.003-04:00

notes 8, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

i really wanna draw band posters with kick ass wizards with crazy long wizard beards summoning lightning and doing other wizarding things.

day 19!!

notes 7

2009-09-18T09:11:00.003-04:00

notes 7, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

more from the small moleskine.

that girl with the butt is ignoring us...

day 18!!

notes 6

2009-09-17T22:03:00.003-04:00

notes 6, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

ramblings from a small moleskine I keep at work with me occasionally. beers, butts, and beards. what else?

day 17!

card. bored.

2009-09-16T23:57:00.002-04:00

card. bored., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

sharpie and marker on cardboard. super low tech and el cheapo, but i love that "it kinda looks like a print even though its not a print" look.

day 16!!

new page 13

2009-09-16T00:40:00.001-04:00

new page 13, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

day 15.

a random collection of disparate images. testing my anatomy skills from memory on the left there. and, uh. girls on stools?

faces of stess...

2009-09-14T21:52:00.003-04:00

faces of stess..., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

these guys look a little freaked out. i wonder why. too much coffee? mac & cheese exploded all over the microwave? i dunno. do you?

day 14! that's two whole weeks! thats like almost half-way there!

invocation

2009-09-14T01:12:00.001-04:00

invocation, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

this little native is invoking the magic of times past. i think that particular combination of red and blue are new for me.

day 13! (lucky 13?)

new page 11

2009-09-12T20:54:00.001-04:00

new page 11, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

day 12! more of the same.

new page 10

2009-09-12T20:53:00.001-04:00

new page 10, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

ok. so i &*#^^@#'d up yesterday and didn't upload anything. so to make up for it, two fairly elaborate pages from my sketchbook.

straight to brush pen. pencils are for sissies!

that makes this day #11

big hands, big beer.

2009-09-10T18:35:00.002-04:00

big hands, big beer., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

sorry. just a quick one to say i did it. sloppy. better things in the days to come. thanks for stoppin by. come back tomorrow!

day 10!

Eignh

2009-09-09T18:55:00.002-04:00

Eignh, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

this is my friend Eignh. lookit that crazy hair, and that intensity. A real good dude. Sadly, he moved to California recently....

day #9! thats 9 drawing in 9 days on 09.09.09. Don't say nein!!!

nuggets

2009-09-08T09:12:00.002-04:00

nuggets, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

day 8!!! (25% percent through...)

i couldn't justify uploading just one of these, seeing as though they are all sketches and half-baked ideas. i've been enjoying making these little compositons on black.

extinction...

2009-09-07T22:12:00.002-04:00

extinction..., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

sketch / color study for a comic based on a recurring dream i'm having about a girl stranded in the desert.

imagine neil young's "cowgirl in the sand" playing in the background.

day #7 (that's one whole week folks!)

butt girl

2009-09-06T10:27:00.001-04:00

butt girl, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

better quit staring or she'll punch you in the face. and it'll hurt too.

might be worth it though.

day 6!

an experiment.

2009-09-05T21:01:00.001-04:00

an experiment., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

vibration, off register printing, 3-dimensional, nekkid lady.

day #5.

these chicks are gettin down...

2009-09-04T08:49:00.003-04:00

these chicks are gettin down..., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

day #4! that poor sap in the back cant do anything but try to hold on to his beverage....

maca-rube

2009-09-03T08:34:00.002-04:00

maca-rube, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

day #3! kinda exciting isn't it?

here is a guy who enjoys eating macaroni & cheese. as a side note, this is one of my favorite drawings in recent memory.

space dood! (day # 2)

2009-09-02T22:04:00.001-04:00

space dood!, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

ok! i did it. the project is not over before it began. i was a little nervous. were you a little nervous?

come back again tomorrow!

lost in a yellow space.

2009-09-01T09:11:00.001-04:00

lost in a yellow space., originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

okay! so... i was just looking at the date on my last post.. july. man. can't believe its been that long.

anyway. some friends and I have been talking about proliferation being one of the keys to success. so in that vein, i propose to post a drawing (regardless of quality) on my blog every single day during the month of sept. heres day one.

wish me luck!

notes 4

2009-07-10T00:14:00.003-04:00

notes 4, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

going through a frazetta/moebius phase. open landscapes and variations in scale. and babes. in sci fi settings.

ballpoint pen, highlighters, and white out in moleskine.

notes 3

2009-07-08T08:05:00.003-04:00

notes 3, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

trying out some full page compositions, experimenting with cropping and negative space. (while at work)

ballpoint pen, highlighters, and white out in moleskine.

notes 2

2009-07-05T23:59:00.003-04:00

notes 2, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

brain wanderings and an ice cream truck

ballpoint pen, highlighters, and white out in moleskine.

notes 1

2009-07-03T11:23:00.005-04:00

notes 1, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

one of the girls at work is russian, so this is a joke drawing of her as the Baba Yaga.
that and a self portrait. me on my bike. pedalin' hard.

ballpoint pen, highlighters, and white out in moleskine.

notes front cover

2009-07-03T11:21:00.001-04:00

notes front cover, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

i carry a small moleskine around in my pocket at work. this is the cover.

mary jane watson

2009-06-30T09:10:00.001-04:00

mary jane watson, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

mary jane watson was my first girlfriend. it was love at first sight. *swoon*

where's the train?

2009-06-25T00:57:00.001-04:00

where's the train?, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

drawn while waiting for the train. this guy was getting fast food grease and hair grease everywhere. boy was he pissed!

colored pencil

03.2009

sketchcrawl boston.

2009-05-28T01:34:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 6, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

friends matt & ellen, and the lovely sarah. done during boston/cambridge sketchcrawl.

basically you drink beer and draw whats around you, and you move from place to place. sounds good right?

surreal space comics

2009-05-27T20:50:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 9, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

the most basic comic ever written. just experimenting with color and mood. imagine "horse with no name" playing in the background. i dunno why.

another.

2009-05-27T09:02:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 8, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

girls with plants.

even more.

2009-05-26T23:02:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 4, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

see the rest on flckr.

more.

2009-05-26T23:00:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 5, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

more for your eyes.

been a long time coming.

2009-05-26T21:52:00.001-04:00

summer sketch 1, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

sorry, been away from the blog too long.

for your viewing pleasure, a few new images from the sketchbook. the adventure continues. no pencil, no eraser, no regrets. enjoy.

red girl

2009-04-05T10:46:00.001-04:00

red girl, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

number 2. i feel like this is the direction that i would like my work to head in. abstract, but with real some real anatomy thrown in, and expressive color. one day soon, i'll do a post of recent influences.

colored pencil 04.2009

orange girl

2009-04-04T11:50:00.001-04:00

orange girl, originally uploaded by thumbsoneill.

colored pencil all the way.
also i made some slight tweaks to the layout of this here blog. spiffs it up a bit i think.

mixed up media

2009-03-15T11:51:00.009-04:00

more experimentation with different materials. no pencil underdrawing or erasing on these pages.

i found drawing this way to be totally liberating and fun.
and there's definitely more energy in these than usual.

i now know where my leadholder pencil is, but im going to see how long i can go without it.

colored pencils

2009-03-09T00:59:00.002-04:00

red man
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

so i forgot my pencil at home the other day, and found these colored pencils in my bag.

i tried to be as bold as possible with these and just let loose. i'm pretty happy with the results.

temptation.

2009-02-09T21:46:00.002-05:00

temptation.
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

what better way to brave the winter months. ski masks and brewskies. dont leave your plaid at home!

also, i added a few links to the sidebar on the right. people and places on the web im into at the moment. check em out!

ohm...

2009-02-04T00:16:00.002-05:00

ohm
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

oh this one too!

back from the void

2009-02-03T23:37:00.003-05:00

ginger beer
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

i feel like every post lately has a title like that... oh well. my excuse this time is that i was without an internet connection for 3 months while i moved from VT back to the Boston area. look for me to be way more productive in the near future. enjoy!

BOO!

2008-10-31T12:39:00.002-04:00

BOO!
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

happy halloween!!!

some idears

2008-10-21T16:19:00.002-04:00

some idears
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

just a few more random things added to my flickr account. i cant believe its been so long since i last posted. sorry about that, been trying to orchestrate a move back to the city.

enjoy!

CHRIS

brush pen

2008-08-28T07:47:00.002-04:00

brush pen
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

gettin my brush pen on... still needs some work.

drawn!

2008-08-02T12:49:00.002-04:00

oh wow. i just saw yesterday that i was featured on DRAWN
what a surprise! and an honor!
its something that ive aspired to for quite some time.

thanks to everyone that stopped by here and my flickr page, hope you enjoy what you saw!

molee8

2008-07-28T23:30:00.002-04:00

molee8
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

more work from my sketchbook added to my flickr page. i seem to be focusing on the underdressed ladies for some reason.

moleskine madness

2008-07-09T10:22:00.002-04:00

molee5
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

scanned a bunch of stuff from my moleskine. you can see that ive really abused this one, messed up the pages, markers bleed through, taped stuff in etc. might not be the prettiest, but its the only way i could be comfortable drawing in it.

enjoy

teen meme

2008-06-06T10:31:00.002-04:00

teen meme
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

i participated in my first internet meme. hooray for me. this is me as a teen (age 17) and today (at 25). boy what a sad sack i was.

new new new

2008-04-01T10:44:00.002-04:00

quickie
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

a bunch of new stuff for your eyes to see. hope you enjoy!

CHRIS

muurrmaidss

2007-12-17T02:00:00.001-05:00

muurrmaidss
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

added a few new images to my flickr page. enjoy!

mole1s

2007-11-04T01:21:00.001-04:00

mole1s
Originally uploaded by thumbsoneill

ive been drawing almost exclusively in this small moleskine sketchbook. ive tried to start in it 3 different times, i geuss third times the charm right?

movin along

2007-07-09T23:15:00.000-04:00

havent spent as much time drawing/at the computer as i usually do.been in vermont for the holidays. hope to update more frequently now though.

oh, and i really like that caricature of heather graham in the image below.

hope you enjoy.

ottowa 2006!

2007-05-13T17:01:00.000-04:00

these are old, ive been meaning to upload them for a while now. if you went to ottowa, go to massart and i talk to you, or if you are john k., chances are you're on one of these pages.

enjoy.

update!

2007-05-07T01:30:00.000-04:00

whew. a lot has happened since the last time i updated. i am graduating from college in a couple of weeks, our senior class had an awesome illustration show that i was lucky enough to be a big part of. i have a piece up in the main gallery of the school. i've handed my portfolio in for "senior jury" on thursday. one of my peices is going to be featured on the cover of the illustration deptartment's annual newsletter. very busy. things are on the up and up! heres some sketchbook stuff. enjoy.

out in the open.

2007-01-31T20:27:00.000-05:00

sorry ive been so deliquent about posting new stuff... just been busy with lots of stuff. just thought id let people know that a collection of work from my sketchbooks ( about 30 pages worth ) is hanging on the 2nd floor of my school for the next few weeks. its pretty informal, but also the first "public" showing of my work in any real capacity. so. if your reading, and in the area. go check it out.

this is what happens when i get a haircut. REALLY.

2006-11-06T00:18:00.000-05:00

more sketchbook stuff to show. sorry most of this is black and white. ive really struggled over the last couple of years trying to arrive at a finished look for my pieces... and im not quite sure what i want. anyway... on with the show.

i wish i had fur bikini shorts like that, and the club would be pretty cool too.

spider-man, batman and some other ruffians. man, i remember that for the longest time, batman's cape was seriously hard for me to draw, and now i find it to be one of the coolest things about the visual design of the character. huh.

thats adam there in the middle of the bottom half of the page. he requested i draw him as a "guitar god." works for me.
gnight folks.

boo! jumping out from behind the clutter...

2006-10-29T17:29:00.000-05:00

so, theres a whole digital "stack of papers" i have yet to post, and i certainly am falling behind. as this stuff was done a couple months ago. that doesn't mean im still not proud of it tho, and i wanted to get a few more of the slightly aged stuff out there to see before i show what im up to now. also, expect more color in the near future, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

funny animals. or just animals.

2006-09-08T22:52:00.000-04:00

a bunch more images for folks. sorry about not updating so frequently. school just started again. so hopefully my output on here can be a bit more dedicated. i hope. anyway. heres a bunch of funny animal drawings from a couple months ago. hope you like it. whoever you are.
hey. i dont know how many of you read this.. but you should tell your freinds to come take a look. or leave a comment. anyway. enjoy!

2 scoops of fun!

2006-07-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

sorry for the lack of updates.... ive been swamped with other stuff to do, but now ITS CLOBBERIN TIME. or update time anyway. to make up for it, heres a double dose of stuff for everyone to look at. everything from tanks and soldiers to superheroes, cars, fantasy, and more people in cafes. hope you enjoy.

heres the inspiration for the title of this blog. one day i was imagining what sarah and i would look like / what kind of characters we would be if we lived in the 40's or 50's. so i figured i would be "thumbs" oneill - muscle for hire. and sarah would be "salty sarah" - owner and propreitor of Sarah's Salty Pub.

red sonja vs conan on a snowy cliff. DRAMATIC.

rednecks, a coffee addict, and a giant wrench.

on the right there... me really needing a haircut, and the unfortunate circumstances of me not getting one.

tanks and soldiers, and sarah as an astronaut.

more superheroes and studying illustrator/cartoonist master Ronald Searle.

more.

and thats it. now dont spend it all in one place.

2006-06-29T16:32:00.000-04:00

aurrghh... no time to update. been re-shingling my parents house, running around between vt and boston. more stuff in a couple days, i promise! thanks everyone whos been takin a look.

catch up - not ketchup

2006-06-13T12:04:00.000-04:00

so. spent the weekend traveling around connecticut and NYC. went to the MoCCA artfest thing. this was really cool. my first "real" con. saw a bunch of creators whose names / work i knew but because of how hectic and crazy the whole thing was, didnt really get to talk to any of them, which is too bad. oh well. overall pretty good though. anyway. heres a bunch more sketchbook stuff to catch people up. enjoy.

sketchbook 2

2006-06-07T09:04:00.002-04:00

as promised, more stuff from my sketchbook. see if you can figure out which ones are self portraits huh?

some stuff in the middle there if from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. one of the things i like to do to challenge myself is put on a movie that ive seen a bunch of times, and without pausing the dvd trying to get likenesses of the characters.

another me. and some stuff referenced from an old issue of "W" magazine.

my favorite was always michaelangelo.

scanning marathon

2006-06-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

after hours of toiling over a hot scanner, ive finally scanned enough work to post for a while and so ill be showing things from the past few months. enjoy.

this is exciting. a bunch of faces at the coffee shop. theres tons more where this came from.

these were done in front of the tv if i remember correctly.

and laslty for now, a page with stuff from movies and a superhero.

new computer, new blog

2006-05-11T19:04:00.000-04:00

i just got a brand spankin new mac mini, and so, to celebrate, im joining the ranks of internet savvy cartoonist/ illustrators everywhere, and starting a blog. hooray for me, hooray for you!