Monday, March 20, 2006 at 1:29 AM | 0 comments  
I just had a great photo shoot with Serina. We did some portraits and she also posed for some pinup style images. I had her pose as an assassin, and good 'ol Dan brought us some authentic props to use. Christy was there too helping me out with suggestions and general support. I got a lot of really nice photos, but my incompetence with a camera is evident with all the noise I picked up. Someday - SOMEDAY, I'll actually take the time to learn the difference between ISO 400 and, um 1000. So most of the photos have some noise in them. I was pretty pissed at first, but after I calmed down and cleaned a few up they weren't sooo bad. On the bright side I'll get to call Serina back for another session in the near future. Aside from my technical blunders I'm pleased with the photos, Serina certainly made them special. Enjoy...

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-B
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Thursday, March 09, 2006 at 11:33 PM | 0 comments  
It's amazing to me how wide the reactions vary with my last posting. Some are supportive, a small few are anti. People I've known for years seem to have forgotten that I was a Fine Arts artist before I knew them, and most likely will be long after as well. Nothing riles up the fear and distrust more than a naked woman. And to think I dared to call it art. The audacity, the sheer naive judgement to call something I created as art, and to treat it as such. I guess I feel the need to justify myself - but then, the educated, rational side of me screams that I need not do such a thing to anyone ever. But I'll try anyway. Call it the forever diplomat in my psyche. I don't like having people mad at me. Especially people that I care about.

Will I do nude photography again? Most likely not. The storm is not worth the exploration. Does the censorship stop there? I doubt it. I'm at a delicate junction where I'm allowing precedent. The notion that anyone other than myself could possibly influence my vision fills me with utter disgust. Disappointing someone I care about does too.

I normally do very safe art - portraits. Very safe. No one gets hurt. No one sees a boob. Will I get flack for doing pinups? I need models for that - they may not go nude, but they will be suggestive, and strategically posed. Folks who claim they know me, know full well that I have an admiration for classical pinup art. Varga, Petty....peers that have stood face to face to me supposedly admiring along with me. Perhaps they agreed so they could relate to me better.

So how do I get away with Paint Monkeys, Inc.? I guess thats my 'outlet' one could say. a pat on the head for my quiet 'rebel yell'. There is more dark hearted truthful emotion in those, than in anything I do. I cuss in it, draw strippers, suggest disgusting acts.... oh wait, maybe that's the line. I'm a crazy cartoonist. Whacky satirist. Cartoons aren't real people - no real boobs.

-B
Posted by Ben Labels: ,
Because I haven't drawn a cartoon in a while I thought I'd throw you 3 fans out there screen grabs from the HD (that's High Definition (fuck face)) version. Enjoy, or whatever it is you do when your not peeing on yourself...


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pretty pictures....
Posted by Ben
I recently had a wonderful opportunity to do a photo shoot with Nycteana! Take a moment to check out some of the premiere images on my flickr site. I plan on using some of the other photos for animation studies, and for a portrait. Thanks Nycteana, you were great to work with!


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Nycteana_3_5_06--09

-B
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