A Story About A Bounty Hunter And His Bounty

What’s Good My Internet Friends,

In our last check in I share my latest painting titled “Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin,” which is centered around a new bounty hunter character. As I mentioned before, all of my upcoming paintings will have a comic book illustration that will tie into the themes within the painting. The comic book page will basically portray the events leading up to the moment captured in the painting or portray an alternate storyline around the subject of the painting. I’m really hype to do these for every painting.

READ MORE…

Meet The Bounty Hunter →

What’s Good My Internet Friends,

For those who don’t know or haven’t heard, I have been working towards a solo art show as well as my next art book. This exhibition will be a showcase of 9 paintings alongside 9 comic book illustrations of the narratives behind those paintings. You can read more about the ideas and the plan for the show here!
 
With that said, I’m excited to share that I’ve finished the 3rd painting out of the 9 paintings for this show. This piece, titled “Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin,” is centered around a new character that I am debuting here. This character’s name is Muddy Indigo and he’s a bounty hunter from the American wild west who fell asleep in a jail cell in 1899 and woke up in the cell of an intergalactic jail in the year 2135. He managed to escape with an interesting cell mate and from there they both began a new life of intergalactic space bounty hunting. READ MORE..

The Road to Onion City Memories →

What’s good internet friends. It’s been a while but I’m hype to share what I’ve been working on this year. If you didn’t know, I have been working towards a solo art exhibition that I am actively pouring my creativity into. I’ve been brainstorming ideas for this showcase since last fall and I’m excited to reveal some insights on what’s to come.

The creative journey is still ongoing and will continue to be a culmination of countless hours of creative exploration and artistic expression. With that said, I want to bring you all along and take you with me on the road to Onion City Memories. 

“Onion City Memories Part I”, will be the title of this exhibition and it will be one of many. I intend to work towards a goal of an annual art exhibition that will bring people into my world of Onion City, where all my original characters, concepts, and creations exist. Onion City is a futuristic alternate reality heavily inspired by Chicago and other places that I have lived in and visited. READ MORE..

How To Stay Motivated to Make Art!

Hello my creative internet friends!

You’re here because you’re a creative person who might be having trouble staying motivated to make art consistently. This is something that all artists and creatives struggle with on a daily basis, myself included. I thought that I should share some tips of what I do when I’m having a hard time. If this is something you're struggling with right now, I encourage you to keep reading this blog post.

All artists and creatives go through ups and downs, highs and lows, days where you're just like why am I even doing this? Nobody cares and nobody is paying attention to this great work that I’m creating. Nobody is watching these process videos that I spend so much time on or nobody is reading these poorly written blog posts. You might look yourself in the mirror and think, “Damn, I'm literally trash.” Sorry to be ultra-negative but look, as Erykah Badu once said, “I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit,” and sometimes, us artists, we're sensitive sally's. And that’s ok, that’s what makes us great! Just know, that you're not alone when dealing with them lows friend.

Sometimes when I’m struggling with motivation, I realize that I might be mentally fatigued from either working too much or comparing myself to other artists on Instagram, and/or social media, who seem to be pumping out four masterpieces a day. This is never a good idea or a good habit to develop. Whether it be comparing yourself to others or overworking yourself to the edge of your limits. Both bad habits can become a recipe for disaster and burnout.

For me, when I come to this realization that I might be mentally fatigued, I actively take a break from both scrolling on social media and making art. What I do with this newfound free time is consume media that stimulates me in a positive and inspiring way. For example, recently, my creative spirit was a bit low, and I was unmotivated to work on any of my art projects. I couldn’t figure out why I was experiencing this slump so the first thing I did was get off of Instagram. I did this because seeing other artists appearing to be super productive can be very depressing when you’re already feeling unmotivated. I chose to do nothing and just chilled out that day while watching the movie Blade Runner 2049.

I LOVE this movie.

I think that it's very visually pleasing and it is a tremendous source of inspiration for me. Watching it gets my creative juices flowing and simultaneously gets me super motivated to at least pick up my sketchbook. Blade Runner 2049, for me, would be a great example of media that can be positive and inspiring. So, I highly recommend that artists who are feeling unmotivated to not beat themselves up and take a break. The break could be more productive than forcing yourself to create. Go and re-watch your favorite movie, open a comic book that you enjoy, or watch your favorite anime. If you’re not into any of those sources of positive media, then listen to some music. When is the last time you replayed one of your favorite albums from front to cover?

Now if you do all of that and you still feel down in the dumps or unmotivated then it's time to reflect on two things. The first thing to reflect on is why you even do this. Why do you make art? That question always serves as a powerful anchor because usually the answer is that you do it because you love it and it's your passion. At least that's my answer when I ask myself this exact question. I use this question to think about all of the special moments in my art journey that made me feel like I was meant to do this. We've all had some type of positive moment that keeps you going and sometimes you NEED to reminisce on those moments.

The second thing you should reflect on is the last six months of your art journey and think about all of the small wins that you had that you didn't sit back and celebrate because you just kept working through them. We all do this too often. We make a sale, and we keep it pushing. We get some props or some love from an artist who we really admire, and we just keep working through it. You get a nice comment from a supporter who's been holding you down for years and we just carry on. But best believe we take time to give energy to the negative moments, the internet haters, and all the shitty comments that we receive on social media. You’ll think about that for weeks, and months, but you have got to stop doing that for your own mental health.

What we need to do more of is think back on all the positive moments and celebrate our small wins as we reflect on them. Take time to reminisce on what you have accomplished. the perfect time to think back on these small wins is when you’re taking this break from creating otherwise you will never make time to do so. I'm actively trying to do a better job of this. I recently sold more merch than I've ever sold before and I kind of just kept working through it. Life as an artist/creative sometimes feels like a constant mode of “on to the next project” or “I need to make more products and make more sales”. It never ends, and if you just pause for a moment and think, “wait this is a milestone, it might be a small one but still a milestone,” these wins will help keep you going.

One last thing that I personally do when I'm having trouble staying motivated to make art is I like to watch interviews of my favorite artists. This can be your favorite musical artist, visual artist, or literally any type of artist. Chances are, there's a big artist that you look up to or admire and chances are, that they've done some type of interview with some type of publication. Personally, Hebru Brantley is one of my favorite artists of all time and he's probably my biggest art influence and I encourage you guys to check him out. When I watch a Hebru Brantley interview and listen to him talk about his grind to success I'm immediately gassed up to work and just feel ready to go.

These are just a few of the things that work for me to get my creative spark back and get me motivated again to get back to work. Hopefully these tips work for you as well and hopefully you read something new, or you were reminded of something you already do and you're going to do more of it now to keep yourself motivated. I hope you found value in this and if you did or didn't let me know either way.

10 Days Till Take Off!

Hello Friends!

I can't believe we’ve made it to the last 10 days of my Kickstarter campaign for my upcoming art book “Reaching New Heights”! I wanted to start by saying thank you to everyone who supported and helped get the project fully backed within the first week. It was really amazing to feel the support right away and I can’t thank you guys enough for that. READ MORE..

The Big Day Is Here!

The big day is here friends!

My Kickstarter campaign for my new art book “Reaching New Heights” is live! I’m excited to share that this 124 page art book will include a 2020 compilation of my raw sketches, a step-by-step character drawing tutorial, my favorite marker & ink drawings, digital artwork, traditional paintings, creative projects, and the prologue to my first comic book. This is my biggest project to date and I have created some exclusive reward tiers for you guys. You’ll find stickers, bookmarks, a pin, and a print included in the various reward tiers. I’m especially excited to share the exclusive Collector’s Edition which includes all of the extra goodies. The Collector’s Edition will be limited to the first 25 backers, so be sure to get those while you can!

Also, I would really appreciate it if you share this LINK with anybody that you think would enjoy a new art book to add to their collection. Let’s not forget that everyone who backs this project will get their name printed in the special shoutout section of the art book. Your support will ensure the success of this project!

Thank you!

Art Book Dropping April 27th!

What’s Good My Internet Friends!

It’s been a while since the last email but there’s a big project brewing! If you haven’t heard yet, or read the subject line, after 3 months of hard work, we finally have a date for the release of my next art book. I’m so excited to announce that on April 27th I will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for my new 124 page art book “Reaching New Heights”! READ MORE..

Make Art for Yourself First! - Interview With @AlvinSurreal

Today I put out the first ever, artist interview on my channel. I sat down with @AlvinSurreal and we talked about his come up, how he got into art early on, and what he's done to get to this current level.

We talked about surrealism in his art as well as his creative influences. Alvin shared a lot of his experiences and what he had to do for opportunities to present themselves.

Alvin spoke about the importance of making art for yourself first. And how that will lead to opportunities based on what you’ve manifested through both your work and the energy you put into the world.

I hope you enjoy the interview and make sure to tell me your favorite moment from the interview in the comments!

Click here to check out the full interview!

Peace,
Mahmud 

How to Make Money as an Artist on Instagram →

What’s up my internet friends!

Some of you may already be aware of this but I recently put together a 5 question SURVEY around the subject of how I can help you guys, creatively speaking.
 
Based on the responses I received I decided to make a VIDEO about making money online off of your artwork.
 
I specifically speak about 4 ways that I’ve personally made money off of my artwork this year.
 
So, if that’s something you’re curious about or interested in, make sure you check out the video and hopefully these tips will help you level up your art business!
 
I would love to hear from you all in the comments on whether these tips were valuable or not.
 
I hope to see us all making money off of what we love to do.

Hope the rest of your week is chill.

Mahmud

How Can I Help You Creatively?

Hello Internet Friends,

I hope all is well. I wanted to reach out to you all to ask how I can help you creatively? I've always loved to share information with fellow creatives and if I can share in a way that is more specific to your needs I'm here for it. So I put together a 5 question SURVEY. I would love it if you could answer these questions in the survey link above. The survey is anonymous FYI. I hope to be able to help you creatively based on the answers you've submitted.

Thanks,

Mahmud

Humpday News for the Mid-Week Blues!

I’ve got some news to share. We got new videos, new merch, and new projects to come! READ MORE..

2 Announcements, 1 Achievement, and What Made My Day

What’s good my internet people!
 
It’s been a few weeks but your boy is back with a new newsletter. I’m excited to make 2 major announcements, share 1 new achievement, and show you guys something that made my day this week!

So let’s start with the first major announcement. Today, at the time you’re reading this, I’ve released.. READ MORE!

I'm Out Here Workin! Are You?

What’s up internet friends!
 
It’s been a minute since the last newsletter. I’ve been getting my creative groove back in this time. I’m feeling good about the upcoming projects to come as well as the couple I recently finished. I hope you’re all doing well out there. Let’s catch up on some things. READ MORE..

There's A Lot Going On Right Now Huh?

I hope all is well. I’ve fallen off schedule over the past month for various reasons but I’m getting back into the swing of things. There’s a lot going on right now in the world. Let’s catch up for a bit.

If you’ve been tuned in with my on and off art progress you’ve probably noticed this sketch. It started out very roughly in my sketchbook and then I took it to the iPad to clean it up a bit. It’s my original character Mona. Some of you might be confused because you were introduced to a blue wolf named Mona, but guess what, they’re one in the same. Mona was a human once. Her story will be told soon through my original comic Onion City Chronicle. READ MORE..

Who Missed Me? Nobody? Ok Cool..

So who missed me last week? Or was it more like "Ayyyyy no email from that dude. Woohoo!" I hope it wasn't the latter but hey I understand. Honestly, if you were unaware I'm fasting for Ramadan and it usually slows down my creative productivity. After work I'm usually lounging on the couch until sundown and when it's time to eat I find myself binging food, water, and tv until 2am sometimes. And when I'm up that late you can kiss my early morning art sessions goodbye. But hey, I'm getting in where I can so let's catch up. READ MORE..

“Bad Dreams Every Night” The 2nd Piece In An Endless Series

I don’t normally write long form blog posts about my paintings or any pieces of work really but I thought I would start doing so in 2020. 

Before getting into my latest painting I must first touch on the series I’m working on. In 2019 I had the idea to create a series of works where I would fuse elements derived from significant paintings in art history with familiar modern media elements including, but not limited to, music, anime, video games, and film iconography. The settings of the works would be the fictional world of Onion City, a place heavily inspired by my home town of Chicago, as well as the many places I’ve experienced in my life. The subjects of the series would be none other than my original characters who I’ve been developing for a few years now. This series is a very exciting way for me to create works of fine art that bring together my many interests, influences, inspirations, and original characters in one original setting. Initially the idea was that this series would be strictly for a solo exhibit but after working on 2 pieces I’ve come to realize this could be my “thing”.

 The “thing” I’m speaking on is that which makes a piece “your” piece with “your” style. I create a lot of different things and I work on various creative projects. But each of those projects serve their own purpose. For example, my original comic book, Onion City Chronicle, is meant to serve as my creative outlet where I tell the story behind each of my original characters and bring people into my world of Onion City. It’s a story set in a cyber punk fantasy world of tomorrow that will deserve its own blog post once finished. Now, I may create larger illustrations and paintings of the characters from Onion City Chronicle, and those larger pieces may be based on cool comic panels that I want to see fully rendered. After all, I present my art as something that is very narrative driven where different pieces can represent panels within the same story board. With all of that said, moments in life will always inspire different things. A new film, a new song, or the discovery of an old classic work may get my mind flowing and what better way to express those inspirations than through an endless series that I’ve named, renamed ,and named again, only to land on the following name of “Future Nostalgia,” for now at least.

It went from “Nostalgia”, to “Nostalgia ULTRA” to “Nostalgia 89” and now “Future Nostalgia”. The biggest influence on the name of this series is Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia ULTRA. Nostalgia ULTRA was the name of Frank Ocean’s debut mixtape. This was a very important album for me in my college years and I feel it stood the test of time as it is still a project I go back and listen to. Maybe I do it for the nostalgia factor, who knows . Overall, I felt like the whole aesthetic, the themes, and the nostalgic media elements within this project give this surreal feeling that is truly unique. The songs focused on relationships, personal reflection, and social commentary and that is what I want to do most with my art. Basically I want my art to give people the feeling I have when listening to Frank Ocean, I know crazy right?

To sum things up before we move on, I really just want most of my fine art pieces to live in the space of the “Future Nostalgia” series. I want my fine art pieces to feel like album cuts, my rendered original illustrations to feel like mixtape releases, my fan art work to feel like a freestyle, and my self portraits to feel like Drake’s “time stamp in (blank) city”-songs.

Now let’s get into the latest painting, which I’ve named “Bad Dreams Every Night”. The big reveal is here!

This piece is formally the second in the series, as last year’s piece “Stop Trying to Be GOD” was the first. You can view the first painting here.

With this new piece, I was heavily influenced by a few things. I actually sketched the following concept out shortly after the murder and death of the Florida artist XXXtentacion.

After XXXtentacion passed, I was listening to his music more than I had when he was alive, and more specifically the song “Everybody Dies in Their Nightmares”. For whatever reason that song seemed to hit hard in that moment. The vibe of the song just made me think of bad dreams in general and being unable to move when the bad guy was coming for you in the dream. It’s like someone casted “disable” or “immobilize” on you in a Final Fantasy game, and you ran out of the right potion to remove the ailment. That was for my nerds out there, but, moving on, at the time when I sketched this concept, I was also looking into classic paintings and more specifically the painting “Massacre of the Innocents” by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens.

This piece is a violent depiction of the biblical massacre of the innocents of Bethlehem but what really drew me to it was the bold colors, the drama, and the terror that was depicted in the faces of the characters.

For my painting, I wanted to challenge myself to portray a sense of terror and fear in the faces of my characters while using color to set the scene. I wanted to give off a dark vibe even though I was using brighter colors. The concept at the end of the day is that of a bad dream. We’ve all had them, and I’m sure they can vary but the common theme is that when you’re having the bad dream you’re always wishing to wake up. The piece depicts 2 afraid characters in the foreground and one character yelling in the background as he is being swallowed by darkness with the eyes of my infamous night demon characters above him. I could definitely say so much more but I want you all to experience and interpret the work for yourselves. I want to hear what drew your eyes first and where your eyes are staying as you digest the image. DMs, emails, and social media comments are welcome.

When figuring out the name for this piece I can’t recall if I came up with the name “Bad Dreams Every Night” before or after having 3-5 bad dreams in a row during one of the weeks I was working on it. I may have been playing with the idea of using that name and then it made all the more sense to call it that. Life imitates art and art imitates life after all. 

This painting along with the first painting in the Future Nostalgia series are for sale. These paintings mean a lot to me and it would make me very happy to see them live in the homes of a collector who enjoys my work.

Click the images below to be redirected to the shop:

Lastly, you can watch the full process video of this painting by clicking here!

Comic Book Updates, Secret Reveals, And New Stuff!

What’s good my internet people!

I hope you’re all doing well and being safe out there. I’d like to think that I’m back on track this week. I’ve got a few things to share with you all so let’s get into it.
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1. My comic book Onion City Chronicle is on track! It’s a story set in a cyber punk fantasy world of tomorrow that will deserve its own blog post once finished. I’ve finally finished thumbnailing the pages. It’s going to be about 75 pages and I’m super excited to start drawing each page. The fictional world of Onion City is a place heavily inspired by my hometown of Chicago, as well as the many places I’ve experienced in my life. Right now, I’m working on a map of Onion City, so here’s how it looks so far. Yes it looks like an onion, duh.. READ MORE!!

Just Casually Finishing Stuff During A Pandemic

It’s like week 3 or more of quarantine now. I’m honestly losing track as these days are blurring together. This week was a bit rough on the day job side of things and that seemed to trickle down into my creative stuff. I didn’t get to work on a couple projects from my creative schedule but that’s ok. We’ll just have to reset moving forward. I did finish some things that I'm happy about though. So let’s get into that… READ MORE!

Quarantine and Read... This Newsletter!

It is now week 2 or more of quarantine and chill. Depending on what state you live in it might actually be week 5 or 6. I hope you’re all staying safe, trying to enjoy time at home, and hopefully staying productive out there. I keep hearing people saying “use this time to create more”. And for me, I kind of have the same amount of time I had before, because my day job is still fully functioning as I work from home. With that said let’s talk about some things that happened this week.. READ MORE!