2008: wasn't great , 2009: I pray we'll shine....

I'm a little early off but, I want to get this going.

2008 had it's really fun and awesome moments but I have to be frank, this year was horrible!
O8 has gained the title " Worst Year Ever" in my mind and life. This was the highest level of frustration I've had. As I type this post I'm filled with sadness and my hope is draining from with in me. So much Humiliation and feeling trapped this year. Amongst the good news of becoming an Art Director for a Christian Film Ministry, A new Urban Artist Crew, Caricaturing parties, being on a live gospel CD, meeting amazing musicians, paying off my car and making new friends this year, this year had too much negative stuff filling the in betweens. I've fallen into the credit trap, got laid off, fired, my Mom's Cancer returned, and really learned what being poor is. All this one year after I graduate college. My goodness my degree really feels like a joke right now. Why can't I get a job in my field!? It's been a struggle to practice anything when you continually get rejections. Aarrg! I'm really tired of my life. It seems like no matter what I do nothing gets better. Everything feels meaning less. I can't help but ask why?! Why can't get a job? Why can't I be happy? Why can't I leave Vallejo? Why can't I be positive? Why can't I see myself better? Why can't I come to terms with my race? Why can't I find and experience the change that I've dreamt about since I was young?! I'm so tired of saying I screwed up and so tired of being humiliated. Maybe I shouldn't have high hopes. Maybe I'll never be more than a letdown ....
I guess that's what I'll forever be.....


As of January 2009 I'm going to be updating the branding to this blog and all my other
social/business networking pages. Studiorisingstar will still be my biz/studio name but this blog in particular will go through a name change and change of style. It will be a new year and I want to try to takes steps toward real change. I'm going to need Jesus' help for it though. Merry Christmas to everyone but the way things are right now I'm just not into the season. I want a Positive Change in my life so much..... see you all next year.

-Brandon "SRS" Robinson

Muramasa : Demon Blade , creativity in video games done right..

Man now I really gotta get a Wii! This is the successor to Vanillaware hit Odin Sphere.
MDB has the same hand drawn Traditional Animation of Odin Sphere but the story is inspired by Japanese Mythology rather than Norse Mythology like Odin Sphere. Once again it's hook is not only the Action/RPG game play but Vanillaware has created an eye pleasing mythic Japan with the fantastic Character Design , Layouts, and the classic 2/D animation that most American Games and film companies use less of. Man if only US game companies would be brave enough to use the great US 2/D animators and do something along the lines of this game! Only if there were people who were brave enough to create a games that were not about sales but filled with creativity. Check it out yallz!

(Photos from IGN.com)
-SRS

get it jaden!

My Nephew Jaden gettin down in his underoos!!
Lol, while Jonovan spins around.

-SRS

On Brandon Robinson pt 4: On Being African American

Sup Blog world! Well I've been wanting to do this posting for sometime now especially after President Elect Obama's win this past month. I've opened up about my influences for those who wish to get to know me and today I'm opening up and talk about mypersonal experiences being an African American .

In January of 2008, my sister asked me a very simple and very interesting question that I'd never given much thought to until now. " Why don't you draw many black people? "
I laughed a bit but, I began to think about more after she went back home. The thought bothered me. To be honest this wasn't the first time I heard that question, a kid I knew back in Junior High asked me the same thing. He assumed because of my Anime style at the time I was drawing mostly asian characters . I didn't have an answer even back then.

As looked at African American artists I admire like LeSean Thomas, Carl Jones, David Williams, and others , their art and characters have a true understanding of our culture. Yet when it comes to my application for some reason I want to draw other cultures aside from my own. I can't help but wonder if there is something deep inside me that causes this. I know I'll find answers in my past experiences.

I had a tough time as a youth growing up in the town I lived in. I was constantly harassed by other black children because of the way I spoke , the things I liked, and the way I dressed. They called me "White Boy" and would beat me up and steal my things. I felt like a great outcast even though I had the same skin color as they did. Eventually these feeling would lead me on a long journey to define my identity.

In my search I discovered how much people don't understand one another and the horrible stereotypes that have caricatured African Americans negatively. I've never liked the way the media and pop culture has painted African Americans. We're always portrayed as thugs, drug dealers, sex crazed, angry, uneducated, drug addicts, violent and it's celebrated. Where as if your an African American who doesn't fit any of those stereotypes your " Not Black enough" or "acting white". I've been on both sides of the coin from people calling me Less Black or assuming that I was just another weed smoking G. I always wondered why can't I be accepted for who I am as a person rather than people just projecting their expectations, fears, or ideas on to me.


It's frustrating trying to be a good citizen , christian, or man for that manner when your over shadowed by a wall of negativity and negative images of what some believe being "Black" is all about. I was so happy on Nov. 4th when Barrack Obama became our country's President Elect.
His background, his values, and his election as our next President have truly set the bar higher
for African Americans to better themselves. I think that's the heart of the matter to me.
As an artist and as a christian I want show to people that they can have a better life than what they are excepting of today. I may not have drawn black characters because of self hatred, but because of Godly wisdom and my experiences caused me to create characters who were not caricatures but a wonderful reflection of the diversity that our world and God has to offer. There is a lot more I could talk about but yeah I've talked my head off already.

By the way the Obama painting is a work in progress and I will be sending it to the Pres. elect before he goes into office. I will try to make prints for Sale for those who like it. Thanks for viewing.

-SRS

Magical Colors....

I did a quick and hip CG of Jae Hong Kim aka Tincan21's
Character Go Rikimaki. Enjoy and feedback is greatly appreciated!
Please visit this man's Deviant Art page and blog!

http://tincan21.deviantart.com/
http://blog.naver.com/tincan21/

-SRS

Skizzen..

Some nu sketches from warming up this morning before work!
Enjoy Hope you like my version of the Dark Knight and Scurcrow!

-SRS

Mirror's Edge: Creativity finally comes to modern gaming..

I've been quite dissatisfied with the modern gaming industry. For American games there has been nothing but big budget over rendered clones of WOW, Halo, and others. I've never seen any games outside of Japan that have been driven off pure creativity and risk to be different. That was untill I went to my boy Imran's house and tried out the demo to Mirror's Edge. I don't know who at EA(of all companies) thought of this game but it's pure creative genius! On one level yeah it's first person combat game but, the twist is that the character is a freestyle runner/Spy. Your litterally jumping ,climbing, sliding, wall running on roof tops to your goals. Not to mention the simple color schemes of the levels are so cool! ( I love simple color schemes) Especially the first level reminds me of that Red Hot Chilli Peppers video inspired by the Minute Still Lifes by Erwin Wurm or/and personal storage garages ( which I love). I was really impressed with the design the game play was a real challenge since I'm not savy with the PS3 controls (cuz I'm Po').
I'm totally repin' this game. So please check it out if you have a PS3 I'm not sure if it's available for XBoX360 or Wii. I'll Probably blog about my list of most creative games....

Amen! Change has began!

I couldn't go to sleep with out blogging about tonight. What an inspirational night and what an experience to see Barak Obama become the first African-American and the 44th President of the United States. I was filled with joy, excitement, and hope. I couldn't hold back my tears during the counting of his votes and his speech. It's wonderful to experience an African American man who exudes so much inspiration and is a glimmer of what it was like to see my Hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I pray that Jesus will use Obama to touch many lives and that he will be a great example of his famous verse " With men it is impossible but, not with God for all things are possible." History was made on Nov. 4th, 2008 and it's inspired me to change with it! I'm painting something special because of this momentous celebration and I'll be done with it this week. Stay Tuned and thank you all!

-SRS

We DONE!!!!

Update Individual Collective's Mural at Moo..liscious Cerial Bar on Telegraph st. in Berkeley,Ca
is complete!

Happy Halloween!

Have a fun Halloween Everyone. I'll update you all soon but I thought I do a cute speed paint of a orangeade ghost!

-SRS

CG Crunches...

I got inspired by Mac "Komoshi" Ko's Batman Character thread and decided to CG his work. The last one is for Dark134's contest on his Deviant Art Page. I hope I win.

Feel free to drop some feed back if you like.

-SRS

Feelin Good...

Man I feel good! These are the sketches and final image of my contribution to Individual Collective's mural project at Moo..licious on Telegraph st. in Berkeley,Ca. I was just reflecting on the progress I've made since Art School. I would have never thought that my art work would progress in such a way . I was very surprised that my painting captured a classic UPA/"Retro" style that I loved as a child. This has inspired me and brought me great confidence. I feel happy that I've grown past being the " Anime Dood" and moved foward into discovering more of who Brandon Robinson is as an artist. Thank you Jesus!

(forgive me for the last photo being so big.. it's late, I'm tired, and I don't want shrink it right now.)

-SRS

The Best of times and Worst of times.....

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", some one said.

Well let's start with the Good News:

I had lunch in Emeryville with Pixar Studio Superstars Doug Dooley and none other than blog spot's and the pop art megastar BILL PRESING!!!!! Doug, Bill, Kan, and I eat at an Indian Restaurant up the street from Pixar's Campus. It was fun talking about childhood memories , the animation world, and gaining some knowledge from some cool kids from one of the illlest animation studios world wide. After that me Kan went to Boarders and looked at art books and comics and caught up on life. Towards the end of the day we went to Hilltop Mall and took some pics since I won't see my bro for a while now that he lives and teaches in So Cal.

Second thing is Individual Collective got the chance of a life time, we're doing a mural at a unique restaurant called Mooliscious. Mooliscious is a cereal bar (yes , cereal bar) where you can have your choice of 40 kinds of breakfast cereal anytime you want. Not only that but their is all sorts of cereal themed foods! But anyhow, IC is creating a mural and doing some stuff to add to this totally hip restaurant. Our Mural has a cereal theme and if your a kid who lived through the 80's and 90's you'll dig our work and this store. We've never done something like this together outside of live art and the chalk event in Napa earlier this year.

And for the Bad News:

I got a new job and as of last week I got fired. I've been struggling financially this majority of this month. Truth is I wanted to quit the job 2 weeks after I got it, but I feel humiliated. I've never been fired from any of my jobs in the past. Man this year has been filled with really awesome ups and major downs. I can't wait for the day that I get a job in my field and have the satisfaction of working in a place where I have respect and dignity. I've had major troubles with my faith and now I feel kinda bad cause God is making a way while I was angry and frustrated by my circumstances.

Even though the times are tough, God's still good and as I rejoice he's turns my sorrows into joy.

As I looked at these photos it made me feel happy about the good things I have in my life and the good things that have happend this year.

-SRS/Brandon

A dope quote...

I found this quote on another blog called Dirty Shame:

"You think you can avoid pain, but actually you can't. If you do, you just get sicker, or you feel more pain. But if you can speak it, if you can write it, if you can paint it, it is very healing." - Alice Walker

Man that Alice Walker quote makes me think...does it make you think too?

-SRS

Refresh yo' self with Jesus!: X-Factor Ministries Retreat

I went to Prayer Mountain for the annual X-Factor Retreat. For One day we fasted, prayed, studied, worshiped, and did exercises and activities to stretch and renew our faith in God. It was a well needed get away for me. Alot of stuff was on my mind and going up to prayer mountain and meeting Christ there was great! The Prayer Mountain staff were building new chapels as well as adding new plants. What was not shown in the photos was the Green Apple I found and picked up for my faith activity. We were to find something represented how we felt our faith was like today. The building and the apple reminded me of my Christian Walk. I've learned alot and have bore some fruit but, I'm still growing and being build into the person God wants me to be.

Learning that fact gave me major confidence after the retreat. It was good to hang with Jonathan , Alison, and the members of X-Factor since I saw them last in May. I will see them again in October for Hallowed 08'.

-SRS/Brandon

Ps: The Stratocaster in the photos is mine. I played worship melodies during our prayer time.

My bud was checking it out. He loved it.

IC@111 Minna Gallery SF: Friday was live!!

Man things are really moving for Individual Collective!! IC and I got our first big chance to do live art at famed Gallery/Club 111 Minna in San Francisco through Oh Dang! Magazine. It was a late and wild night filled with great art and awesome Hip-Hop performances by some new friends like Nico Villamor, the amazing and gorgeous female MC Hopie Spitshard , and my new fave Hip-Hop group from LA Giant Panda who were fun and fierce!! Before we went to Minna, we made a pitstop by a shop that our IC cohorts Swamps and Bridges were bombing a dressing room (bombing=painting).

The shop was looking hip, even the restroom was dope! After that we got to Minna about 8pm and found out we didn't start untill 11pm.... So we relaxed , set up, got some drinks, break danced, and then prepared for the show and when the clock struck 11pm the people came in like a herd G! Nico was up first and tore the stage up with his hot song " I'm Going". Then the lovely Hopie Spitshard came in to drop science on what a real female MC is and can do in heels on stage. Lastly Giant Panda came in and like the amazing creature they were bigger than life! They were cool dudes! Really down to earth and inspiring. After hearing their stuff and the other artists I wanted to do a custom painting for all of them! (coming soon..) IC did a split theme; a Giant panda with dimonds and a awesome piece by Swamps and Bridges . Man it was late and real fun.

I got to see good friends like Saif, Richard, Janice and my lovely friend Kay who was the inspiration/model for the fourth painting in my previous blog post. There are more shows to come and more art on the way. Stay Tuned please!

-SRS/Brandon

PS: Obama Lincoln... wow.. interesting digial manipulation