C2 on FML

Hi blog,

A while ago I contributed an illustration for one of my favorite websites, Fmylife.com. I illustrated one of their FML stories. The story was:

Today, my boyfriend and I were laying naked in my bed making out. All of a sudden, we hear "pop goes the weasel" outside my house. My boyfriend stops and excitedly says, "ICE CREAM MAN", flips me over, grabs his clothes, and runs out of my room. FML

Here is the my visual interpretation of the story:



It's not everyday you get to draw an ice cream truck, New York City, and a naked running man all in one illustration! Needless to say I had fun with this one. I got my inspiration for the ice cream blocking the man's "package" from the intro from the old Austin Powers movie

When I was done illustrating the story I was even interviewed by FML too! If you would like to read the interview click HERE

Thanks to Alice Amiel for art directing this all the way from Paris, France! Thank god for email and skype!

Take care everyone!

http://christiancastroart.com/

Mila Kunis Portrait

Snapple Fact # 231" Mila Kunis has 2 different colored eyes.

Snapple Fact # 347: Christian Castro paints fast and meets deadlines.

OK so these aren't actual Snapple facts but they are indeed true. Mila Kunis is one of my favorite actresses and has what is called "heterochromia iridis" which is a fancy way of saying that her eyes are different colors. Pretty cool, right? Here's a pic in case you think I'm a dirty liar: CLICK HERE!! (Actress, Kate Bosworth also has this! Who knew?) Anyway, I've been busy these past few weeks with "art stuff" and have managed to whip out a lot of portfolio pieces lately including this portrait of Mila Kunis. I chose to make most of it black & white so more focus could be put on her colorful eyes.


I love combining vector shapes with photoshop textures. It's a great fusion. I'm also experimenting more with patterns for backgrounds. I see it used a lot in Fashion / Lifestyle illustrations and love how it looks. Here are some details of the illustration:







Even more art on the way! Make sure to follow the blog if you haven't yet! Till next time!

http://christiancastroart.com/

Twitter Illustration

Hello Blog. How's life?
I recently finished an illustration about an article discussing how the 1st ever tweet was sent from the top of Mount Everest! Yes, the tallest mountain in the world officially has cell-phone service as of October of last year. Of course most mountain climbers don't bother whipping out their cell phones after making one of the deadliest hikes in the world... until now! Here is the process and final illustration.

These are the sketches I drew out to illustrate the idea of Twitter Scales Mount Everest.

The 2nd sketch was the one chosen. I went on to do a refined drawing of that sketch. Here is the final drawing:


I quickly did some color sketches on Photoshop to see which color palette would go best with the image. I am always very picky when it comes to colors. I think correct color choices are the most effective way to create emotion in an illustration. Here are the color sketches:

Of the above color sketches, the first one was too monochromatic. The 2nd was too dull. The 3rd was too warm for Mount Everest (but still fun to draw!). 4th was not Mount Everest-ish enough (yes I made up a word) but the last one was just right.

Here's the final painted Twitter-stration (Yes, another made up word)

Twitter Scales Mount Everest
Pencil drawing, Photoshop coloring

Speaking of Twitter, why not follow me on Twitter? You can see my profile by clicking HERE

Special thanks to YuQuan Tan for help on this project. The whole assignment was completed in a matter of days. I enjoy quick deadlines. It prevents me from over thinking things.

Everything is going to be OK

Here's a quick illustration with illustrated type I drew in my sketchbook. It's a reminder we could all use from time to time. I know I can right now.

Everything Is Going To Be OK
Pencil, ink on sketchbook

http://christiancastroart.com/

That new NEW website

Hi Blog universe. I've recently redesigned my website. It has a new layout, more recent illustrations and is easier for me to update now! Check it out! http://christiancastroart.com/

I'm currently working on my 3rd and final part of my Cultural Diffusion series. Plus I'll be contacting some of my favorite art directors and finishing up some personal projects over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Cultural Diffusion Part 2

Here are the next pair of paintings from my series comparing Cali, Colombia to New York City, USA. In Cali there is a giant statue of Jesus on top of a mountain (similar to the one in Brazil). This monument is called "El Cristo Rey" which translates to "Christ the King." You can see a picture HERE if you are unfamiliar. It always reminded me much of New York's Statue of Liberty. Enjoy!

Éstos son el siguiente par de pinturas de mi serie comparando Cali, Colombia con Nueva York, Estados Unidos. En Cali hay una estatua gigante de Jesús encima de una montaña (similar al de Brasil). Este monumento se llama "El Cristo Rey" que se traduce a "Christ the King" en Ingles. Puedes ver una foto AQUI si no está familiarizado. Siempre me recordó a la Estatua de Libertad. Disfrute!

Subway Comic

I usually don't do comic strips but after years of taking the MTA (specifically the A train) I decided on whipping out a quick comic. Feel free to share with your friends! I'm sure many New Yorkers can relate. Enjoy: