Sweet! A Godzilla tribute illustration I did for a t-shirt was featured as the design of the day on Shirt.Woot! Here's a detail shot of it – pick it up at http://shirt.woot.com/offers/godz-gym Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
I'm so excited to be sharing this – some of my work was published in Black and White Volume 2 by Out of Step Books, a collection of artwork from some of my favorite artists, like Freak City and Ben Kwok (Bioworkz). Words can't describe how flattered I am. Seems like I must be doing something right!Can't wait to pick up my copy at OutOfStepBooks Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's another illustration I created for the zombie children's book Moore Zombies: Gimme Noodle, the second in the series. Probably the best children's book about zombies you'll ever read. Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1514310600/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_DUyIwb0A0ZH3S Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Video 2 of 3
This video shows how to digitally paint a colorful tiki head using my new set of custom Manga Studio brushes available for download for only $2.99.
100+ Brushes Available for $2.99 here:
https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/
Per request, I slowed this video down and added commentary to walk you through step-by-step the process I use to ink a piece of artwork.
You’ll also hear tips on:
-How to ink digitally from a pencil drawing in Manga Studio 5
-Converting pencil drawing to blue line for easier inking
-Always have a second window of your artwork open zoomed out at a small size
-What brush settings and brush presets I use when inking
-Start with the outlines or key lines when inking, and then go back in and add rendering and shading.
-Using the feathering technique to shape unique line work.
-Inking with quick, fluid motions to produce more natural, expressive lines
-Recommendation of the Razer Nostromo gaming pad for digital artists
-How to use the Lasso Fill tool in Manga Studio to create expressive ink shapes
-Being careful not too add too much detail and rendering – remember that you need to leave room for the coloring!
I hope you find it helpful! Please post questions in the comments.
Here's a quick and easy method to drag all of your brushes into Manga Studio 5 (Clip Studio Paint) and import them all at once.https://youtu.be/m__yCFJWdvw Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's the finished logo design created for a gym's new line of apparel. Thrilled with how this turned out. If you're interested in using this imagery for a logo (for any other business than a gym), please contact me for info about licensing. I think it could have a lot of uses.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#logodesign #dragon #stgeorge #gym#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's a new piece of artwork I created in Manga Studio 5 for a t-shirt design. Long story, but the client who commissioned this ended up being a Die Hard movie villain – so this design won't get printed. Available for licensing, contact me if interested Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#skeleton #skull #licensing#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Happy Valentine's Day! I love you all! except for Eric …. no on likes Eric.#valentine #cupid #Pentel #ink Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Just a dab of awesome sauce! Happy Friday!#ink #Pentel #drawing Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Detail shot of a dragon logo I created for a gym earlier this year in Manga Studio 5.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#logo #dragon#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Just got a package of cool stuff from Strange Kids Club – a really unique comic parody of 80s Saturday Morning cartoons called Bronar, written by Rondal Scott III, and illustrated by a ton of talented artists, including one of my favorites, Michael Anderson.I was tasked with illustrating the poster, which is now proudly hanging in my studio!Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#strangekidsclub #bronar #mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's the finished packaging design I did for Yellow Dog Pet ID tags. It's a die-cut cardboard point-of-purchase display, that advertises these cool laser-cut id tags. This was easily one of my favorite projects all year – I want to party with these guys.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#packaging #pets #dog #cat #mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
I took Michael out for a walk this weekend Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Inking the three little pigs and the big bad something or other…#ink #mangastudio5 Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
I put together this comprehensive best-of guide of Manga Studio resources (and then I threw in my own on top). Please let me know if you’d like to see anything added https://www.flylanddesigns.com/manga-studio-resources/
I’m so excited to be sharing this – some of my work was published in Black and White Volume 2 by Out of Step Books, a collection of artwork from some of my favorite artists, like Freak City and Ben Kwok (Bioworkz).
Words can’t describe how flattered I am. Seems like I must be doing something right!
Can’t wait to pick up my copy at OutOfStepBooks
Custom Manga Studio (Clip Studio Paint) Brushes –
Texture Brushes
100+ Brushes Available for $2.99 here:
https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/
There are over 20 texture brushes here that I created from found and scanned textures. All can be used with any color, and have fine-tuned settings to help you beat up your illustrations in Manga Studio 5.
This video quickly walks you through each set of brushes and shows them in use.
Included in the pack are
-14 Inking Brushes
-18 Paint Brushes
-12 Pencil Brushes
-5 Shading Brushes
-16 Splatter Brushes
-20+ Special Pattern Brushes
-22 Texture Brushes
The brushes are useful for all styles of illustration. As a freelance digital illustrator, I use them primarily for Comic Book illustration, t-shirt design, logo design, character and concept illustration, sketching, and painting.
I know you've probably seen enough punk cartoon dogs with microphones, but you haven't seen this one! Detail of a design I worked on for packaging design for a pet product. More to come… Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#dog #rock #packaging#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
It's always freakin awesome to see people getting my artwork tattooed on their bodies – makes me pretty embarrassed that I don't have any of my own artwork as a tattoo yet. I've been giving it serious thought – I'm terrible with decisions.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#tattoo #skull#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Finished colors on this design I created for a racing apparel brand called Commando Racing. I was tasked to design the mascot character and logo from scratch to go on all their marketing materials. As usual, my clients are way cooler than me!Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#commandoracing #racing #skull#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
<h4>Client:</h4>
Personal Artwork
<h4>Description:</h4>
I created this series of four halloween illustrations of classic movie monsters vacationing at the beach for a Halloween festival I attended. I drew a witch surfing a wave on her broomstick, a kid building a sandcastle on top of a buried zombie, a vampire getting a moon-tan, and a mummy being unravelled by a seagull exposing a little mummy butt. I tried to keep the theme and layout from piece to piece consistent, while using a Fall Halloween color scheme.
You can purchase signed prints of the artwork here:
<a href=”https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/”>https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/</a>
These images are available for licensing at <a href=”https://www.flylanddesigns.com/licensing/”>https://www.flylanddesigns.com/licensing/</a>
Just sketching a thing for a thing#dayofthedead #devil #ink Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
HULK HATES FAQs!!
I get contacted a lot by aspiring artists, which honestly, is extremely flattering. I found that a lot of the questions were the same, so I put together this comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section on my website at https://www.flylanddesigns.com/faq-for-artists/
Please let me know if you have any questions you want me to add, or if you have any answers to add (I’ll give you credit).
Inks for a design I worked on for Commando Racing Gear, a really cool brand of racing apparel that sells their gear at races.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#racing #inking#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Detail of a shark illustration I was working on in Manga Studio 5 – I love how the brushes blend naturally in this program – it saves me so much time compared to when I used to paint digitally in Photoshop.#MangaStudio4LifeIllustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#shark #dyesub #mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Drawing an angry shark for a dye-sublimated rash guard. Why is everything I draw angry? Does it have something to do with my personality? Shut up – what a stupid question!Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#shark #rashguard #dyesub #mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Custom Manga Studio (Clip Studio Paint) Brushes –
Texture Brushes
100+ Brushes Available for $2.99 here:
https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/
There are over 20 texture brushes here that I created from found and scanned textures. All can be used with any color, and have fine-tuned settings to help you beat up your illustrations in Manga Studio 5.
This video quickly walks you through each set of brushes and shows them in use.
Included in the pack are
-14 Inking Brushes
-18 Paint Brushes
-12 Pencil Brushes
-5 Shading Brushes
-16 Splatter Brushes
-20+ Special Pattern Brushes
-22 Texture Brushes
The brushes are useful for all styles of illustration. As a freelance digital illustrator, I use them primarily for Comic Book illustration, t-shirt design, logo design, character and concept illustration, sketching, and painting.
A Parody of the Jackass Characters I did for a Russ Bus Group. The design was for apparel and a vehicle wrap for the russefeiring tradition. If you haven’t heard of it, basically russefeiring involves an entire class of Norwegian students renting a bus (a Russebuss), painting every inch of it with really cool street art, and then partying in it night and day for an entire month during graduation. The different classes wear their designs ever where they go as they clash with rival classes. I’ve done a bunch of these now, and really enjoy it.
This was the back of the Fire Dragon t-shirt I illustrated for #SpiralDirect. This was a rare case, where I liked the back design better than the front.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#skull #mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's the finished t-shirt for #SpiralDirect I created earlier this year. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and I've been told the design is doing really well in their catalog. Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#dragon#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Painting skulls because it's Monday Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#skulls#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Creating Logos for The Norwegian tradition of Russefeiring
If you haven’t heard of it, basically it involves an entire class of Norwegian students celebrating their final spring semester by renting a bus (a Russebuss), painting every inch of it with really cool street art, and then partying in it night and day for an entire month before graduation. The different classes wear overalls, caps, and their designs everywhere they go as they clash with the rival classes. An event marked by public drunkeness and all sorts of shenanigans, these young Norwegian scholars know how to leave high school with a bang…
I’ve been lucky enough lately to have been tasked with creating the logos and artwork for Russebusses and their crews- It’s really cool to be a part of it, in the best way I know how!
This is a logo design I created for a Russebuss theme in Norway, as part of the Russefeiring tradition. This design was meant to be a parody of the classic jungle book characters, as if they were thugs!
Custom mascot character design I created for a vinyl wrap for a bus, and other apparel for a club in Norway, depicting an angry gun-toting gangster. The client approached me looking for a character and logo design for their club, and wanted something intimidating but also kind of fun.
I created this graphic for the “Crooks,” and provided the final graphics in different pieces and colors, so they could get as many uses from it as possible.
I was hired to design this angel and devil themed logo for apparel and Russebuss vehicle graphic. I’ve done a bunch of these now, and really enjoy it.
I created this t-shirt and logo design of a dog-fighting Spitfire airplane with a real shark’s mouth for apparel and vehicle wrap for the russefeiring tradition.
This Russebusse design was inspired by the recent war movie “Fury.” I thought it would be cool to add a big metal skull to the front to give it some personality!
Wanted to share this – one of the highlights for me last year was having my artwork published in the Showcase 100 book, which featured artwork from 99 amazing artists, and me! And by the divine powers of alphabetically order, I’m on the first page! Always works great (except when I was in gym class and always had to go first).
How to digitally ink and color an album cover design in Manga Studio 5 (Clip Studio Paint) featuring the Grim Reaper.
This design is meant to subtly resemble a yin and yang, as the grim reaper reaches out to a woman emerging from a swirling portal to hell. I had a great time working with the creative people behind the music on this album, and I’m really happy with how this turned out.
–Created with custom Manga Studio brushes available from:
FIRE! (followed by wicked guitar solo) – detail shot of a t-shirt illustration I worked on earlier this year for #SpiralDirect of a fire dragon. I painted this by going back and forth between photoshop and Manga Studio.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#dragon #fire#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
A parody Illustration of Rapper Travis Scott in front of Six Flags Astroworld.
The design was for apparel and a vehicle wrap for the russefeiring tradition. If you haven’t heard of it, basically russefeiring involves an entire class of Norwegian students renting a bus (a Russebuss), painting every inch of it with really cool street art, and then partying in it night and day for an entire month during graduation. The different classes wear their designs ever where they go as they clash with rival classes. I’ve done a bunch of these now, and really enjoy it.
I WANT YOU… to stop drawing me so much.Illustration by Brian Allen www.flylanddesigns.com #art #digital #mangastudio #patriotic # unclesam #illustration #instaart #instaartwork #instaartist #instaartpop #artist #artshow #creative #artwork #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
A fun illustration I created for my friends at Commando Racing to help bring people to their cool shop – check it out!www.commandoracing.comIllustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#santa #skull #racing#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followmeplease Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
What's the secret to illustration? Cigars. A big fat cigar works every time. This is a character design I created for a game I've been working on with a client on and off. It's a really cool space shooter that has a heavy metal theme to it.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#characterdesign#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here was the finished "Pig Pimpin" t-shirt I designed available at my RageOn store http://www.rageon.com/collections/the-art-of-brian-allen – If this doesn't make you laugh, then you are a better person than me.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#muppets #pimpin#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Importing multiple brushes into Manga Studio 5 can seem tricky at first, because it appears that you need to do it one at a time, which would be a nightmare if you have many brushes, which most of us do.
Here’s a quick and easy method to drag all of your brushes into Manga Studio 5 (Clip Studio Paint) and import them all at once.
100+ Brushes Available for $2.99 here:
https://www.flylanddesigns.com/shop/
Humbled again – thanks Facebook! Reached 9,000 likes on my page just before the year ended.
Last year was the best year for my business in just about every way. I’m kind of dumb-founded to be honest.
My sincere thanks to everyone who has been following my artwork – your likes, shares, and comments truly do matter to me. The feedback is really useful, and I’ve often found some great projects and clients as a result of your interaction.
This year I want to up my game a little on tutorials and other resources for freelance artists. Please let me know if there’s anything specific you want to see.
Take it easy!
https://www.facebook.com/brianallen.flylanddesigns
Client:
Dominic Boshell – 2BC Sports
Description:
Hockey fight of ghouls and zombies for a halloween themed website background I illustrated for 2BC Sports’ website. I was recently hired to modify a previous illustration I had made for the website’s background – changing all the characters from normal human hockey players to zombies, to celebrate the halloween season. The client wanted a detailed illustration of a huge hockey fight in an arena. The illustration was set up so that the different hockey players and refs in the brawl could move along with the content of the site, independently of the background. I created the artwork in Manga Studio, and colored it in Adobe Photoshop.
Client Testimonial:
Thank you for an awesome job once again!
-Dominic Boshell
Owner, 2BC Sports
You can view the website here:
http://2bcsports.com/
Client:
Adrenaline Vapors
Description:
Mascot and logo design of a big angry face for packaging design I created for the vaping eJuice brand, Adrenaline Vapors. My client contacted me with only the name of their business established, , and wanted an identifiable mascot and logo that could be printed on packaging. I provided a series of rough sketches, moving forward with this concept of an angry face with smoke coming from his head. After several color iterations, the client chose this color scheme which they thought showed up really nicely on the packaging.
Client Testimonial:
People love the artwork you did for me! Thank you again. I couldn’t be happier!
-Adrenaline Vapors
Position
Client:
Arian Assadi
Description:
Character design of Ivan The Terrible I created for a Russ Bus logo for apparel and a vehicle wrap. If you haven’t heard of Russefeiring, basically it involves an entire class of Norwegian students renting a bus (a Russebuss), painting every inch of it with really cool street art, and then partying in it night and day for an entire month during graduation. The different classes wear their designs ever where they go as they clash with rival classes. It’s cool to be a part of it, in the best way I know how!
Bluechip Athletics hired me to design and illustrate graphics for their Aggression apparel line for wrestlers. The first design was this evil gargoyle perched on a rooftop in a storm. Since the wrestling singlets are printed with dye-sublimation, I could design in full-color, and cover every inch of the fabric. Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#gargoyle #wrestling #singlet#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Client:
Bar Rags
Description:
T-Shirt design I create for Bar Rags, featuring a drunk zombie lounging inside a giant beer mug in a graveyard, titled “Night of the Walking Drunk.” I had a lot of fun with this design, playing with a creepy, but light-hearted style. We created this just in time for their halloween catalog.
This design is available for licensing (for uses other than apparel):
Client:
Bogardpress
Description:
I created these concept illustrations of a steampunk family of adventurers for an educational publisher called Bogardpress. The character designs will be used to illustrate their educational materials and lessons. Each year the team uses a different theme and concept to tie their lessons together. I really enjoyed the whole process, from developing the characters in sketches, to coloring and rendering the final versions. I tried to add a bit of style into the characters to keep them from becoming generic. I especially enjoyed creating the robot character.
Client Testimonial:
Everyone was very happy with what you have done. Very impressed.
-Shawn Blase
Bogardpress
Thanks for all the positive feedback on these labels! Here is a shot of all of them wrapped on the bottles, and on the display I created. Keep a look out for these in vaping stores all over the country.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Client:
Bryce Anderson
Description:
Children’s Book illustrations about ant detectives solving a crime the I created for a new young adult story by Bryce Anderson, called Ant CSI. I had the pleasure of illustrating over 20 pages for this really cool book about a colony of ants battling against an army of devious fire ants. With the client’s help, I conceptualized and designed all the characters, and illustrated the pages in pen and ink, and then colored them in Manga Studio and Adobe Photoshop.
Client Testimonial:
Your illustrations are outstanding, and your choice of colors are fantastic. Many, many thanks again for working on this- I’m grateful for what you’ve done.
-Bryce Anderson
Ant CSI, Creator
Last but not least in my illustrated chess-themed vaping series, The Rook! This was the most challenging piece, because I had trouble finding a way to add character to a castle. So I went with my natural Plan B, and just drew a skull on it!Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#ejuice #vaping #vape#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Long-live the queen! Created in Manga Studio 5.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#vaping #ejuice#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Here's the next illustration in my chess-themed vaping label series I did for Volgous Slayer brand ejuice. The Knight! Pouty-faced, and ready for action.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#ejuice #vaping#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Just got a package of cool stuff from Strange Kids Club – a really unique comic parody of 80s Saturday Morning cartoons called Bronarr, written by Rondal Scott III, and illustrated by a ton of talented artists, including one of my favorites, Michael Anderson.
I was tasked with illustrating the poster, which is now proudly hanging in my studio!
Client:
Commando Racing Gear
http://commandoracing.com/
Description:
T-Shirt illustration for a racing apparel brand called Commando Racing Gear. I designed the mascot and artwork for this brand, and we created a series of t-shirts showing the mascot skeleton in a bunch of funny situations.
Client Testimonial:
If you were closer, I’d hug you!!! We absolutely love it.
-Steve Kanner
Commando Racing Gear
Client:
eSmoke
Description:
This is a series of character designs of crooks and criminals I illustrated for a line of vaping labels for a series of eJuice sold by Crooks Vapors.
The client gave me complete freedom in choosing a different criminal caricature for each of the four label designs. I drew the characters in pen and ink, and colored them in Adobe Photoshop.
Hail to the king, baby! I wanted to illustrate the king as if he was from a dark, cold kingdom.Illustrated by Brian Allen, FlylandDesigns.com#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Next up in my chess-themed ejuice vaping label series: The Pawn, in all his expendable glory!#mangastudio #photoshop #illustration #tshirt #art #instaart #instaartist #picoftheday #igdaily #followme Work in progress from the desk of illustrator Brian Allen
Client:
Coin Munchers Arcade
Description:
Logo design I created of an evil pac-man for an arcade’s logo design and branding. The client wanted something identifiable to the retro gaming crowd, while putting a hard and extreme edge on the style. I thought it would be fun to turn the lovable yellow disc into a rabid, coin-munching psychopath.
Contact Me:
814.571.6141
brian(at)flylanddesigns.com
Product Reviews
- Wacom Cintiq Pro 24″ ReviewSeptember 1, 2023 - 12:30 pm
Professional Illustrator Brian Allen reviews the new Wacom Cintiq Pro 24″ (non-touch). I have been using the new Wacom Cintiq Pro 24″ extensively since early April 2018 and I love it! I upgraded from the Wacom Cintiq 24HD, which I used for over 6 years. I had high expectations for this digital drawing tablet and […]
Artwork Licensing
Visit my licensing page to check out the artwork I have available for licensing