Wanderers Video

Wanderers - a short film by Erik Wernquist from Erik Wernquist on Vimeo.

This video explores the solar system in a fantastic combination of actual footage and computer generated special effects showing humans colonising our local planets and moons.  A dazzling bit of space exploration.

Hunter S. Thompson: This is Bat Country Giclee Prints

Wanting to do a limited set of prints of my Hunter S. Thompson illustration, after five years, I decided to revisit this image and draw a background and colour it after all these years.

There are two different versions that are signed and numbered, limited to 25 copies of each (a black and white version and a coloured version).  The prints are 36 x 51cm (or approx. 14 x 20 inches) on Eterma Elite 320gsm art paper.  A print is $80 and $30 for shipping with tracking and insurance ($20 for shipping without tracking and insurance).  If you are interested in purchasing one email me and I will send you a Paypal link, please indicate which shipping option and which version of the print you would like (colour or black and white).  I am shipping these from Australia so they will arrive in 2-3 weeks.

You can contact me at awolfillustrations@gmail.com

Pumpkin King

Just finished the linework for the Pumpkin King, which I undertook as part of the Character of the Week challenge at conceptart.org.  I will colour this today and post it later!

Justin Trudeau's Speech after the Gunman Attack in Ottawa

Liberal Leader, Justin Trudeau's speech is rational and concise unlike the response from the skin puppet Stephen Harper. Only one year until that worm can slink away from public office in shame (not likely since he lacks all any decency), to live off the profits from crooked deals and oil investments he has accumulated in his 8 years in office fucking over 30 million Canadian people.

Today is not a proud day to be a Canadian or Australian.

Today is not a proud day to be a Canadian or Australian.

Today Australia and Canada begin carpet-bombing Iraq and Syria, aiding the United States in their disastrous War of Terror that continues to spread across the globe.  While ISIS or Islamic State is a very real and very frightening group, the continued bombing of innocent people in multiple countries will not solve this problem but only continue to make the situation worse and the consequences will be ever increasing and result in unforseen attacks at home.

For nearly 20 years the Canadian and Australian (along with the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Turkey) have spent billions of taxpayers money, not to buy but to develop F-35 US built fighter jets, a project that was conceived by the United States Department of Defence as requiring participation in their War of Terror.  I guess it was decided that tax money should be used to fund this project because current fighter jet technology was not up to Canada or Australia’s killing needs.   All this time, both countries were fighting alongside the United States in multiple countries fighting war that were not declared against enemies that were created, supplied and funded by the United States itself.  During all these wars fighter jets have never been used by the United States, Canada, or Australia so this investment seemed like a total waste of taxpayer money.  Then Islamic State entered the picture.  It is perfect timing just as the need for fighter jets has arisen; Lockheed Martin is about to deliver its first round of jets to its happy and eager customers.

For 3 years that United States has been trying to over through the Assad regime in Syria by funding extremist groups in hope that they will destabilize the government and topple the regime.  Groups that have received funding include al-Qaeda, whom is the United States sworn enemy and the exact group they have been fighting for the last 13 years in the neighbouring country of Iraq (a group that was not in Iraq before the “Coalition of the Willing” began before the invasion of Iraq) as well as rebel groups that morphed and eventually became Islamic State. 

Over the long life of the War of Terror the media has never been critical of these wars and has always been calling for the heads of those that are responsible and justifying the United States and participating countries going into foreign countries and creating absolute chaos, while killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people and displacing millions.  It is obvious that these wars have been beneficial to no one but a very few people that control US and EU corporate interests, and that the wars have been nothing more then thinly veiled schemes to put foreign oil and mineral deposits into these corporations hands.  These few people that are control these corporations also use their money and influence to control the mainstream media and its message, control our politicians and dictate their agendas, as well as, controlling the banking system to which all governments and their citizens are indebt too.

At home we continue to see politicians talk about how there is no money for education and healthcare but in a blink of an eye they can dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars and in the United States case trillions of dollars to a war that is a continual losing battle.  People need to ask themselves why they pay taxes and what the most important thing that their taxes should be dedicated to.  If healthcare and education are not near on the top of that list you need to do some soul searching and question your personal beliefs.

It is a sad day to be a Canadian or Australian as it is a sad day to be a citizen of all nations around the globe as we sit back and let our governments use our money to create absolute chaos in the name of keeping us safe, while endangering everyone on this planet.  Every step taken by the military is always a misstep and there are always unforseen consequences.  This isn’t a battle that can be won by bombing and these are wars that were taken up without a plan to ever win. 

For every million-dollar bomb dropped think that money could be used to hire numerous teachers, buy medical equipment or hire more doctors to reduce waiting time and improve care.  For every innocent life lost (which there will be hundreds of thousands more and eventually millions as this will continue to escalate) there is more fuel added to the fires of hate, which creates new soldiers to fight the military juggernaut of the “Coalition of the Willing.”

As a Canadian living in Australia it is a sad day to be a citizen of either but it is also a good day to stand up to your government and oppose these morally corrupt politicians and their friends wars.

Leviathan

After slowly working on this one over the last few weeks I am finished Leviathan, the moment before destruction of a tall ship by a gigantic Sperm Whale.  For some reason this image is very light here so if you want to see the colours as I intended them to look visit my Facebook page @awolfillustrations.

Here is the original hand drawing that this one started out as. It is on A3 card stock and is a combination of graphite, coloured pencil, ink and acrylic paint. It is for sale so if anyone is interested email me with an offer.

Birdman Trailer

Micheal Keaton doesn't do enough movies so I'm pretty excited to see him in something dark and strange. This is edited together to seem like the movie is one continuous shot and the camera work is fantastic and fluid in this trailer.

We Love Russia Compilation

A video compilation of the bat-shit, weird, and hilarious things that happen in Russia.

Alternative Ending to GRAVITY

Saddily this alternative and much funnier ending was not used.

Mother Nature Giclee Prints for Sale

I have a new set of giclee prints available of an older piece of work of mine that I have received many requests for over the years, since I first completed Mother Nature.  This is a limited edition print of 50 that is 66cm x 44 cm (or 26 inches by 17.5 inches) and they are signed and numbered.  A print is $80 and shipping is $20 to North America and Europe ($30 if you would like the print insured with a tracking number).  If you are interested in purchasing one I can email you a Paypal link and send one off in the post for you, which will take about 2-3 weeks since I am sending it from Australia.

If interested you can contact me at awolfillustrations@gmail.com

TED Talks: Rich People Don't Create Jobs

Musicless Music Videos

What do you get when you take the music out of a dated 1980s music video by David Bowie and Mick Jagger and add in the appropriate sound effects?  This...



As an added bonus here is a clip of Prodigy's Keith Flint suffering from hay fever.

Batman: Arkham Knight Gameplay Trailer

This game looks so cool that I want to buy a Playstation 4 just to play it.

A Delicate Balance

A Delicate Balance.  This is completely hand drawn with Micron 0.5mm fine liners, the first piece I have illustrated completely by hand in about 5 years.  I am really excited about the way this turned out and there is nothing I would change about this piece, which is strange for me since I always want to tweak my artwork.  I have A2 prints (42cm x 60cm or 16.5 inches by 23.5 inches) available to buy for $80 plus shipping.  These are high quality beautiful prints, which are signed and numbered, and an edition of 15.  If you would like to order or have any questions email me at awolfillustrations@gmail.com

Here are a few detailed sections to show the intricacy of this piece.

Last weekend I was part of a group exhibition in Melbourne put on by Phollio, which is the reason I created this piece.  Here are a few photos of that exhibition.

Bill Murray

I did a large pencil drawing of this for two great friends who were married last month.  My computer hard drive has died so I cannot share the original drawing but I am able to share the coloured version I did afterwards.  The fantastic Mister Bill Murray.

1965 Buick Riviera Inspired BATMOBILE

This is a Batmobile modeled after the 1965 Buick Riviera that my dad rebuilt a few years back.  I loved that car and I have always loved the different versions of the Batmobile, Tim Burtons version being the first car that ever captivated my imagination and changed what a car was to me.  This is the first attempt to draw a car since I was about 12 years old and I am really happy with the way it has turned out.  Let me know what you think and what could make this better.  I plan on eventually having this in an action scene, speeding down a Gotham street with bullets ricocheting off its body armor as Batman ejects out the roof.  Eventually.

Neil DeGasse Tyson trippin on Issac Newton

Slow Neil DeGasse Tyson to half time and he enters an altered state and starts tripping on his favourite physicist Issac Newton.

iGlide Symphonica

I could normally give a shit about dancing but the way this guy iGlide moves is inhuman.  Really cool stuff.

RIP 285 Kent: A Documentary

Pitchfork have released a documentary on famed DIY venue 285 Kent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the events that lead to it shutting its doors late last year.  It features interviews and performance footage from Deafheaven, Fucked Up, DIIV, Dan Deacon, Pictureplane, Lodro, Wolf Eyes, DUST, and more.

Darkside Gig Poster

Like the Medusa: Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails poster I did a few weeks ago, I have done for the DARKSIDE concert that I am going to this weekend.  I have this black and white version and 3 different coloured versions I will be sharing over the next few days. I will be giving away 20 A3 prints of these at the show (5 of each of the variations). Also check out DARKSIDE and their fantastic 2013 album Psychic.

ARCA & Jesse Kanda video for Knot

The video has wax-like embryonic musclemen synchronized dancing to ARCA's track Knot from his &&&&& mixtape.  This is the first scene in a full film titled TRAUMA, a collaboration between ARCA and director Jesse Kanda.  The pair will be take on tour this year and show exclusively in selected international galleries.  It will be interesting to see the dark and creepy video that they have come up with to match the sinister music of ARCA's &&&&&

Click here to listen or download ARCA's &&&&& mixtape

Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails Gig Poster

Tonight we are going to see Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age play a coheadline show. When I first started working on Medusa I had plans to make a mock/fake poster for this show.  I like the way the text worked out and fits into the look of the poster.

This is my first attempt at the text for this poster and while I like it I think it so too bright and stylised and takes away from the image.

This is the original linework that I did using Illustrator over some hand drawn elements.

The finished poster without any text.

A Message from Comcast

Comcast Doesn't Give a F*CK from Tarik Ellinger

Future Islands perform Seasons on Letterman

Future Islands made their TV debut earlier this week on Letterman and although I have been a fan of these guys since I first heard Beach Foam in 2008, I have never had the chance to see them live.  I have to say that I really want to see them after they destroyed my expectations on Letterman.  The singer's voice as incredible as it is on the album is even more unhinged live and his delivery is as theatrical as a voice like this should be.  His dance moves are reminiscent of Carlton on Fresh Prince of Bel Air but  less comical as he intensely stalks and sways across the stage, even though they should still make you smile.  Up to this point these guys have released a lot of excellent music with little recognition, so maybe with the upcoming release of their album Singles and this TV appearance they will get the recognition they deserve and tour enough that I can finally see them.  I have also included some of my favorite songs off older albums.

  
 
 

Batman: Arkham Knight Game Trailer

The first look at the next generation console game Batman: Arkham City.  This looks absolutely insane and so fun.  The graphics and design is similar to the Nolan Trilogy of movie but even better.  The Batmobile looks like a tank but just as much like a muscle car that is maneuverable and practical and the Batsuit has even more armour but is just as sleek.  The universe that this Batman exist in is not so concerned with taking place in reality and while it is just as dark this looks not to take itself quite so serious.  Can't wait to try this one.

Twenty Years Since the Passing of the Irreplaceable Bill Hicks

I don't know how I missed this and never saw news or info about this event but February 26th marked the 20 year anniversary of the passing of comedian Bill Hicks.  I don't know many comedians because I do not find many of these funny men funny so I generally stay away.  As has been said many times before, Bill Hicks was ahead of his time and changed comedy for better or worse.  He existing in a time before the Internet, his criticism of government, religion, marketing, corporatism, war and misinformation was a lone voice.  His rants were well informed and backed by little known facts (at the time) and delivered with rage to an unaccepting American audience.  While he only played to small audiences, especially in his home country of the United States (he had a much larger and accepting  following (of his anti-US government/military views) in the UK and Australia), his voice was never heard by the masses.  His opinions were not in line with the views that are needed for broadcast airtime to receive a larger audience and as I said above, before the Internet, a tool that has since help spread his comedy and message.  As time goes on he becomes more relevant as his warnings come true and leaked government documents continue to reveal the corporatocracy in which we live in today.  It is tragic that we lost his voice years prior the fall of the towers and the ensuing endless War of Terrorism, NSA and government spying, and the deception and slow crumbling of international democracy.  But we still have his words.  Even though he spoke of a different time, they are very much about today.

Below is a fantastic documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story on the life and comedy of Bill Hicks as well as a HBO Special, an interview on Austin Public Access, and a send off from one of his shows (at the end of his act he would often leave the audience with a message or a statement to take home and think about).

WILLIAM MELVIN "BILL" HICKS

December 16, 1961 - February 26, 1994

Medusa

Finished up the background for this one and I am really pleased with the way it turned out.  There is still more to come on this but that will be a few weeks.

Click here to see the work in progress of this and how it all came together.

Life After PI Documentary

A documentary which tells the story of visual effects house Rhythm and Hues and their financial struggles while producing the special effects for two effects heavy academy award nominated movies.  Just before they won the award for their work for Life of PI they had to file for bankruptcy and lay off most of their staff.  This film shows how Hollywood has made it nearly impossible for visual effects companies to survive and the nomadic lifestyle and uncertainty that VFX employees face.  It is a sad affair that the studios need to correct especially since they lean on and rely on these companies since a large portion of the summer blockbusters are effects driven.  It isn't uncommon now for a feature to have 80% or greater of the film contain effects shots.

The Fantistic Movie Posters of Laurent Durieux

Laurent Durieux is a 42 year old illustrator from Brussels that creates some of the most beautiful retro-futuristic posters with bold style and classical crosshatching techniques.  His posters feel modern but recall to best of the art deco visual style.  The poster for Metropolis is my favorite movie posters of all time and it was the first work of his that I came across.

LAURENT DURIEUX WEBSITE