What time is it? It's 4:19...

What's uuuuup? I'm back to write a bit more about what's inside my head. I don't have much there, but I'll gladly share it with you :) 

For this blog entry I'll talk about a very cool project on which I'm working: a line of pin-up girls featuring marijuana, pot, weed, etc. With all the current changes going on at this moment when it comes to pot, it seems like a great time to do this line. But, even though this is the right time for this project, the reality is that it has been "in the making" for a year and half already. By saying this I don't mean that I've been drawing this line all this time, but that the original idea came up back in 2015.

First of all, let me mention that this line is a collaboration project that I'm doing with my partner in crime, the talented photographer Sunnie (Sunshine) Rizzolo. Sunnie, on top of having her own two companies related to the cannabis industry, she's also a photographer for Suicide Girls (yes, that's right, Suicide Girls). Back in June 2015, I got contacted by her, when she was looking to commission an artist to do some projects she had in her head at that moment, involving pin-up artwork and weed. She saw my work and that's why she decided to reach to me. When I saw hers, I not only jumped into the project right away, but also pushed the envelope: I proposed to her to partner up for this concept. As many people know, one of my long desired projects has been to do a pin-up line with girls & pot. Therefore, when Sunnie approached to me, I got so excited, because it was like a dream come true. Her project was exactly what I was looking for. She got excited as well, and we decided to do more images than what she originally intended.

Anyway, our main obstacle was our busy schedules. Between getting the photos selected, talking about the concept, sketching and rendering, time just flies. If you add to that, personal life, other projects, commissions, work, etc., time flies even faster. So, long story short, in 2015 we got to finish just two pin-ups, of a 12 total planned. Then, we had to discard one of them, at least temporarily. So, at the end of that year we ended up with just one finished pin-up. On 2016 the project was put on a long hiatus, for a whole year. However, even though the project was dormant, it was never dead. Sunnie and I kept in touch during 2016. Then, 2017 got here and with that, our line, finally. Our schedules are finally aligned... well, as aligned as they'll ever be, and the project is now more alive than ever.

The weed pin-ups line is scheduled to be released officially on April 20 (of course!) of this year, featuring the first half of the 12 girls total (we're releasing the second half throughout the year). By releasing, I mean that there will be merchandise for sale of these images. After all this is a line, complete with products. Sunnie has been working very hard to get the products and deals done, and I am excited to see them become a reality. In the meanwhile, we'll be releasing the current images, one by one, before 4/20. I just released the first one today, the pin-up that I rendered back in 2015. This image features beautiful Lindsey Jennings, a model that reflects exactly what this project is about. By the way, as I mentioned, I just released this image today myself to my patrons and fans, but Sunnie is a bit ahead of me. She has released four already (you know me, I'm always so slow when it comes to updates). So, if you would like to see a more current update of progress so far, visit her Instagram profile, under @sunniesunshine. Otherwise, you can just sit down and stay tuned, because I'll be posting those images myself as well.

I also wanted to point out a fun fact regarding this image. As I've stated, I rendered it back in 2015, and because of that, you can easily spot the differences to what my style was then to what is now. That doesn't mean that the artwork isn't good (it kicks ass!). I'm just pointing out that, as an artist, I tend to shift and move after a while. That's why it's so cool to see "artwork from the past", like this one. It's both refreshing and inspiring. One of the elements that I haven't included in my artwork as of late, are the little props or characters accompanying the pin-up model. You know, those little characters with big eyes and a long tongue sticking out that were a signature of my work in so many pieces, like the one featured in this illustration (oh, such a naughty weed leaf). For those fans of those little characters: don't worry, those little guys are not gone forever, they're just taking a well deserved vacation :)

Anyway, that's all for now. As you can see, I'm very excited about this line. And why not? This project is such a fun one. I do hope that you like it, especially when more weed girls start to roll in. So, stay tuned, more images of this kind are just around the corner!

Thank you so much for reading this, and please, don't hesitate to leave a comment, I love to read them. Also, don't forget to visit my Patreon profile if you haven't done so. If you join, you'll get to see the images of this line... or any new images for that matter, before anybody else. Plus, you get to support my artwork directly. What an awesome deal, right? :) Remember that I'll be back later on this weekend, to post the weekly sketch, plus another weed girl. In the meanwhile, have a great week and see you next time!
​~Pops.

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