James Flames

Fastway "Eat Dog Eat" Album Cover

Oh man, I've been waiting to show this one off for quite awhile. Back in November 2010 I was contacted by none other than Fast Eddie Clarke, original guitarist of Motörhead and Fastway, and producer Toby Jepson to make some art for the first new Fastway album since 1990. The original Fastway album (1983) was a mainstay in my tapedeck back in the day, not to mention my Motörhead LP's, so this was pretty awesome to hear from these dudes, to say the least.

We had some really fruitful beginning conversations about the album itself, the music they were writing for it, what kind of tone they were setting and how it would pertain to the artwork. Hard to find people so open to collaboration, and after those opening pow-wows, I headed to my drawing desk truly inspired to do a bunch of sketching and let the ideas flow.

Here is a little rundown of my process for creating the artwork from start to finish:

Starting off with pages and pages of pencil sketches.

Final sketch submitted for the front cover...

...and for the back cover.

Final ink drawings - brush and india ink on clear vellum.

Lots and lots of lettering. Logos done with charcoal; song titles done with Chinese food take-out chopsticks dipped in black paint.

Close up of song title lettering, carefully drawn with chopsticks and paint.

Using Photoshop to piece it all together, apply color and all final details.

The final packaging!

The artwork has since been done for probably about a year now, as has the recording - but y'know, getting a record out there takes time. The album was released in their native UK and parts of the EU back in November 2011, and it will be released here in the US tomorrow April 10.

The reviews have been pretty stellar so far - pretty stoked about it, it's a gem. Check it out on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, or what have you.

New Posters for Blitzen Trapper and Flatstock

Two new posters now available in my store.

The Blitzen Trapper Tour poster is a 6-color screenprint, 18" x 24", an edition of 160, signed & numbered. They are $25 each.
http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-ImGoingBackToMyHometown.html

The Flatstock poster is from last month's poster show at SxSW in Austin, TX. It's a 3-color screenprint, 18" x 24", an edition of 66, signed & numbered. They are $15 each.
http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-Flatstock33.html

Two New Beatles-Inspired Prints Available

Now available in my online store are the two screen prints I created for the recent show at Blank Space Gallery called "Every Mistake: Art Inspired by Beatles Lyrics".

And you can see my process for creating the Mother Nature's Son print by clicking here - lots of pics and stuff.

Thanks for checking in. Hope to see many of you at Flatstock/SXSW in Austin,TX in a couple weeks!

Best wishes, as always.

Two New Prints Available

I'm very excited to announce my remaining copies of the above two prints will be available on my site tomorrow, Wednesday 2/15, at 12pm EST. Due to limited quantities these are limited to 1 each per customer. Here are the details for each:

"It's Dangerous to Go Alone. Take This."
Link / Legend of Zelda print from ?Multiplayer x2? at Gallery 1988
Five-color Screen Print, 18? x 24?, on 80lb French Paper
Edition of 120, Hand Printed, Signed & Numbered
$30 each
direct link: http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-Zelda.html

Brutal Masters
Metalocalypse / Dethklok print from ?Adult Swim x G1988? at Gallery 1988
Three-color Screen Print, 18? x 18?, on 100lb French Paper
Edition of 75, Hand Printed, Signed & Numbered
$30 each
direct link: http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-Metalocalypse.html

Beatles - Mother Nature's Son

Here's my new print, "Mother Nature's Son," for the show this Friday, January 20 at Blank Space Gallery - Every Mistake: Art Inspired by Beatles Lyrics. These will be available at the show starting Friday, and online starting January 27. More info here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/118222494959736/

I also just posted some photos of my process in creating this one - I'm pretty psyched about it, and thought I'd share it all. Check it out here: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/2012/01/mother-natures-son.html

 

Four New Posters

I'm really excited to show off 4 new posters that are now available on my site.

The first two posters are for the always awesome Lucero as they did shows for their New Year's Eve Tour and their annual "Lucero Family Christmas" shows. The NYE poster is titled Angel On My Shoulder, Devil Inside My Heart and is a 5-color screen print, including Metallic Silver Ink for the wings, 18" x 24" on 100lb White French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 145 - now available in the store for $20 each.
http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-LuceroNYE.html

The "Family Christmas" poster is titled Party At Steve's House! And is a 5-color screen print, 18" x 24" on 100lb Blue French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 75 - now available in the store for $20 each. There are very few of these available.
http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-LuceroXmas.html

Next up is a poster for afro-rockers Toubab Krewe for their New Year's Eve Tour, and is titled Decoded. The print is a 4-color screen print, 24" x 18" on 100lb White French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 150 - now available in the store for $20 each.
http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-ToubabKreweNYE.html

Finally is my poster for Kevin Devine's Fall Tour in support of his absolutely amazing new album Between the Concrete and the Clouds. I wanted this to be a continuation of the narrative begun in my last poster for Kevin Devine (see it here: http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-TheresAWorldAwakeOutside.html). This poster is a 7-color screen print, 18" x 24" on 100lb White French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 175 - now available in the store for $20 each.
http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-BetweenTheConcreteAndTheClouds.html

Thanks as always for reading, and Happy 2012! Lots of new stuff coming up, especially for [Adult Swim]/Metalocalypse fans, and for all you Beatles fans. Stay tuned...

MoogFest 2011 Print

I was once again asked to create a screenprint for the SYNTH art show, as part of this past weekend's MoogFest here in Asheville. My piece, titled "Moog Mountain", is a 3-color screen print, featuring Metallic Silver ink and is now available on my website for $25 each: www.jamesflames.com/store/MoogMountain.html

Here's a shot of the print on display at the SYNTH art show:

And here are some more photos:

Get one now - $25 each: www.jamesflames.com/store/MoogMountain.html

The Swing, The Soul, The Truth: Metallic Variants + T-Shirts

A bunch of new things in my online store. www.jamesflames.com/store.html

First up are Silver and Gold Metallic Variants of "The Swing, The Soul, The Truth" print sets. Each is an edition of only 45, and all prints are 8" x 10", Two-Color Screen Prints on 100lb Black French Paper. They're $25 for a set of 3.

Next are my brand new T-Shirts - there are three designs in four different styles. They are all American Apparel shirts, printed with Waterbased Inks - and I have them in all sizes for Men and Women. $20 each.

"The Divide" Comic Book

Oh man, I can't tell you how psyched I am about this one. Last month I was asked by the folks at Mondo to create a 12-page full-color comic book for the upcoming Xavier Gens directed movie, "The Divide." Not only that, but it would debut at the New York Comic Con this past weekend, one of the biggest comic events of the year (and this part I didn't even know about until I was done drawing and coloring!).

The comic serves as the back-story of one of the characters in the movie, Wendy, and her mother - sort of setting up the events that take place in the movie, as well as a peek into the untold fate of "Wendy" beyond what the movie shows. I got to work right away. The pic at the top of this post is the cover. And here's a look at pages 8 and 9.

More pics and info on my blog: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/2011/10/divide-comic-book.html

This was one of the coolest things I've ever worked on, and I'm so proud of how it came out. Big thanks to Mitch at Mondo for putting this one together. The movie will be out in January 2012 (on my birthday, no less), and hopefully these comics will make return appearances at any future advance screenings. In the meantime, here's the trailer. Thanks for reading.

Gigposters Book - Volume 2

Ok, this is one of those things that just blows my mind. I just got my advance copy of the new Gigposters Book (Vol. 2), which I am excited to say has a couple pages of my art in it. And as I flip through the whole book, I feel so incredibly humbled and honored to be in the company of so many of my favorite artists.

For fans of Vol. 1, the format is the same - it's a large, oversized book with perforated pages giving you 101 ready-to-frame posters (as it says in the cover). You can pre-order the book now, and you get a free screen print with each order - trust me, you want one of these: http://gigposters.com/book/

Here are shots of my pages:

Three New Prints & Posters

It been a REALLY busy end of summer, working on all sorts of exciting projects. I can finally start rolling out the first bunch - starting with these three.

First is my Garbage Pail Kids print, for the recent show at Gallery 1988. Those old cards and stickers were such a huge part of growing up for me, and it's no secret that I actually got my name from the original card (#317A) of "James Flames" - a little dude eating hot sauce and spitting fire. Well, when I was asked to be a part of the show, there was no question which character I would portray. The title of this one is "Born Bad", and I'll be damned if he ain't. The artwork and printing on this might be the work I'm proudest of to this point - the print is quite a killer in person, if I do say so. An 8-color screen print, 18" x 24" on 100lb White French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 100 - they're available now in my store for $30 each: http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-GarbagePailKidsJamesFlames.html

Next is a poster I created for the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, NC. Featured as part of the "Posterscotch" poster show at Amplified Art Gallery, I thought I'd get a little sentimental with this one. The title is "Mixtape Make-Up" - an homage to the days when a $2.99 blank tape and an afternoon with your records offered a better alternative to the sappy "I'm sorry" love letter. The print is based on semi-transparent colors overlapping each other, including the Black, which is thin enough to see the colors underneath peaking through. A 4-color screen print, 18" x 24" on 100lb White French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 75 - they're also now available in my store for $20 each: http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-MixtapeMakeup.html

Last but not least is a print I created as a tribute to the town I've called home for the past 4 1/2 years, Asheville, North Carolina. I debuted these prints at the LAAFF festival in Downtown Asheville about a month ago, and it was great to see people connect with the artwork the same way that I connect to this town through it. Depicting the almost fairy-tale town nestled within the almighty Blue Ridge Mountains as the French Broad River roars to a waterfall end, these are all my favorite parts of living here. The hand lettering is the finishing touch to bring it all home. A 5-color screen print, 24" x 18" on 80lb Cream Spekletone French Paper, Signed & Numbered Edition of 65 - these are available in my store for $20 each: http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-AshevilleNC.html

New Posters Now Available

Two new posters now available in my store: Blitzen Trapper Summer Tour Poster (with Metallic Inks), and a tribute to Pee Wee Herman.

www.jamesflames.com/store.html

I also posted my creation process for the Blitzen Trapper poster on my blog - check it out here: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/2011/08/blitzen-trapper-tour-poster-man-who.html

Friends with Pee Wee Herman

The always amazing Gallery1988 has just put on the tribute of all tributes - to Pee Wee Herman! And I am so excited and proud to announce my piece for the show - it's an 8-color screen print (hand printed as always), with an edition of 100 which are signed and numbered. The opening was last night, and from all the pics I've seen, there is an incredible amount of awesome artwork in this show. There's been some good press already as well - including LA Weekly, who included mine in their top 10 favorites from the show: http://blogs.laweekly.com/stylecouncil/2011/07/pee_wee_herman_tribute_gallery.php

The prints are now available at the gallery's website:

http://nineteeneightyeight.com/index.php/sf/francis.html?limit=all&SID=a60775ae6b896833870368a383cdf71b

Alice, What Have You Done?

Hello everybody! Today I'm proud to release my poster for American McGee's new video game masterpiece Alice: Madness Returns, which is the sequel to his modern, twisted and way cool take on Alice in Wonderland. This print was part of the recent show at Gallery1988 celebrating the release of the game. Get one here in my store: www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-AliceMadnessReturns.html

I'm pretty psyched about this one. First, I got to work with Gallery1988 again, which is always awesome. And then I got to work with master printers D&L Screenprinting, who lovingly brought this to life in print form. It looks so sick in person.

I only have 50 copies of this edition available - and these copies are indeed signed and numbered. Big thanks to Mitch from OMG Posters, and Jensen at G1988 for putting this together. The whole show looked amazing, some really incredible artwork all around - so glad to have been a part of it. Here's a link to a great video of the whole event (you can see my print a few times in it), which seemed to grab the attention of Jay-Z - whoah. http://g1988.blogspot.com/2011/06/alice-to-hov.html

Here are some detail scans of the final print:

Available now in my store: www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-AliceMadnessReturns.html

Whole Lotta New Prints & Posters!

Well now, here's a ton of new stuff - I've been a busy beaver, and figured I'd drop all these at once. They are all available right now in my store:www.jamesflames.com/store.html

I have brand new posters for Kevin Devine's recent residency at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, and for Alexander and Fam (the "Fam" is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) who recently played a series of shows in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Washington D.C.

Also, I've got a couple of remixes - redesigns of a couple of popular sold-out posters that people ask about all the time. Some new color tones, newly drawn details, and even some Glow in the Dark stuff. At Dawning (The Remix) and Knuckle Sandwich (The Remix) are hot to trot.

Finally, I have a mini-print triptych - three 8x10's with Glow in the Dark accents. The Swing, The Soul, The Truth is my homage to all the legendary players who have passed on.

Here are some close-ups and stuff:

These are all available right now in my store: http://www.jamesflames.com/store.html

Mogwai Poster Now Available

My Mogwai posters are now available through my site:www.jamesflames.com/store.html

So psyched to make something for this band - they've kept me alive at 2am many a long night. So killer. This poster was for the Pittsburgh show on April 27 during their current trip to the US. It's a s7even-color screen print, including a Metallic Gold that I used as a finishing touch. 18" x 24" full bleed, on 100lb White French Paper, Edition of 100, signed & numbered. They're 20 clams each. Here's a close-up scan:

 

Communication Arts Illustration Annual 2011

I'm very excited to announce that my above poster for Lucero's US Tour last year is currently featured in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual 2011!

I just got the issue in the mail today, and I'm honored and humbled to be in the company of so many great and talented illustrators. The issue is currently on newsstands for the next couple of months, or you could order it online here.

Interview with James Flames on OMG Posters site

I'm so honored to have been interviewed by the great OMG Posters blog today! Here's a link:

http://omgposters.com/2011/04/01/an-interview-with-james-flames/

Dr. Dog Tour Poster Now Available

Now available in my online store, my Dr. Dog Winter 2011 tour poster. These sold out within days of the tour (I had to send them more halfway through!), and so I only have a very limited supply to sell online. Get them now, only $20 each.

http://jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-AManOfFewWords.html

They are 19" x 25" on 100lb French Paper, 6-color screenprint, hand printed. Edition of 160, signed & numbered. Here are some detail shots:

 

New stuff and "Process Week"

Lots of new stuff for 2011 so far - visit the store www.jamesflames.com/store.html for the above new prints!

Also, last week I ran a feature called "Process Week" on my blog. In case you missed it, I chronicled my creative process for 4 new projects - you can read the posts at this link: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/search/label/Process%20Week

The 4 projects include two of the above prints, as well as an album cover and a black&white poster, pictured below.

New Posters and Prints!

Lots of new stuff available now in the Store, and still more to come in the next couple of weeks!

Read the newsletter here: http://www.jamesflames.com/email-10dec.html

New Blitzen Trapper Poster

Here's my latest poster, from last week's Blitzen Trapper show here in Asheville at the Orange Peel. I have some left from the show, and they are available in my store for $20 each. www.jamesflames.com/store.html

The poster is a 6-color screen print, 19" x 25" on 110lb Smart White French Paper. Edition of 100, hand printed, signed and numbered. Check out my blog to see how I made it: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/2010/10/night-is-ours-but-sky-is-yours.html

Tortoise Poster

Here's my latest, it's for Tortoise's recent killer show at the Orange Peel here in Asheville, NC. Hell of a show, and really nice guys - it was an awesome night. The remaining posters are now available on my site - www.jamesflames.com/store.html - $20 each.

New Posters for Dean Wareham / Galaxie 500

I'm psyched to finally show off these two new posters. Now available on my site - www.jamesflames.com/store.html - $20 each.

Here's a link to some photos and description of my process for making these: http://pitilli.blogspot.com/2010/08/deam-wareham-plays-galaxie-500-x2.html

Mission of Burma Poster

Brand new poster for the recent Mission of Burma show at the Cat's Cradle last Friday in NC.
Three-color screen print on 19" x 25" Smart White French Paper. Edition of 100, Signed & Numbered. $20 each.

Now available in my store: http://www.jamesflames.com/pages/STORE-SoMuchToSay.html

James Flames Interviewed in Rock Sound Magazine

 I was recently interviewed for UK magazine Rock Sound, for their "Design Devils" feature. The issue just came out overseas and should be available here in the States in a couple of weeks (I'll keep you posted). I continue to get much love from the UK - it's pretty awesome.

If you're in Europe, it's issue #137 with the Gaslight Anthem on the cover - check it out! Here's a transcript of the interview:

India ink is a religion, and James Flames is its prophet. ROCK SOUND meets the North Carolina-based poster artist to discuss DIY printmaking, bad-ass skulls and his search for the Holy Grail: one perfect hand-drawn line.

How did you initially get interested in art as a career choice? ?My mother is a painter, my father?s a musician, all my brothers and my sister have some kind of artistic ability. Art was always in the house ? we didn?t watch TV, we sat at the table and we drew. So art?s just kind of an instinct for me. I?ve had many different professions over my life ? none of them art related, mostly corporate stuff in New York City. Five years ago, I decided to make a go of this for real. It took a long time to take it from this natural thing that I do all the time, and always did without thinking, to understanding that I can actually make my living doing it. It?s funny, but that was a really weird decision ? it wasn?t as much of a no-brainer as you would think.?

How comfortable are you putting your name and artwork to a band you don?t like musically? ?Well, I think I have a pretty wide-ranging taste in music, so even if a band isn?t my total favorite in the world, I can generally find something about them that I can relate to. And that?s what music is all about, isn't it? Relating. But on the whole, I am fortunate that I mostly get to work with bands that I really, truly like.?

What effect, if any, has technology had on your working process? ?About a year and a half ago, I was kinda having this conflict where I was having trouble seeing anything that wasn't completely hand-drawn as being ?authentic.? And I now realize how ridiculous that is, but for some reason I saw the computer as some kind of cheat. The reality is that it doesn?t have to be used all the time, but it is certainly something that can make my artwork better. Otherwise, it?s the same as me saying that a pencil isn?t authentic, that a pencil is like cheating ? I should just use a piece of charred wood to draw with. There are a lot of advancements that make our lives easier, and it took awhile for me to come to terms with the fact that the computer is actually a very valuable tool.?

What elements are necessary for a truly striking design? ?It all pertains to who you?re drawing for, what you?re drawing for, and all that kinda stuff. But you can never go wrong with a cool skull and a big swath of red! Red always does the trick.?

Your blog often contains a high level of detail about your projects and working process. Is instruction important as a designer? ?I gear my blog specifically towards other artists, fans of artwork and people who are interested in the process. I feel like I need to do my share, to contribute and pay back, and hopefully inspire somebody else. When I think back to being a little boy, if I was into an artist who drew my favorite comic book, all I ever got to see was the finished, printed artwork. When I?d go draw my own pictures, I would try it in the way I imagined that the artist would do it ? but I never knew for certain how they did it until I got older and learned about the process. I always think about that kid out there, who has all the potential in the world, but has no idea where to start. Getting some insight into somebody else's process can have a transformative effect.?

The linework, inks and comic panel framing of some of your pieces seems to reference Raymond Pettibon. Are there any designers or artists that influenced you? ?The first Pettibon artwork I ever saw was the album cover for Sonic Youth?s Goo. And that, along with the album cover for Drive Like Jehu's Yank Crime, which was done by Rick Froberg, those two covers had a huge impact on me. For many years after that, I was chasing after that ideal of spare and simple ink drawings; as I got older, I learned to find my own voice to express it. Obviously, I was a huge comic book fan when I was growing up. There was an artist named Mike Allred, who did a comic called Madman. His brush lines were just so soft and sleek, and they were incredibly cool looking, and that was all I ever wanted to do. I would look at those lines, and at the time, I didn't know how to draw them that way, I just couldn?t understand how he did that. So that was a huge driving force that pushed me to love the brush. It's incredibly satisfying to lay down a smooth line with a brush. It's gotta be one of the most satisfying and therapeutic feelings in my whole life. Just one line, it literally feels good to my bones. There's no other way for me to explain it.?
www.rocksound.tv

Two New Art Prints

These are my two newest prints, and I'm psyched to show them off. They're now available in my store, $25 each: www.jamesflames.com/store.html

I really decided to let loose on these two, in terms of style and technique. I  created them directly on the films, with ink and brush, rather than scanning artwork into the computer first and then transferring it to films. The big brush strokes are clearly visible on these prints, and the colors are pretty ridiculously bright. It was the first time, for me, that the printing itself was part of the process of the creation of each piece - I've never had so much fun, and satisfaction, while printing.

Lots of New Sketchbook Drawings

 

A whole bunch of recent sketchbook drawings are now up on the site.

Two New Art Prints - "They Got Me, Jim..." & Heart on Sleeve

  

I just finished some Art Print versions of my Trail of Dead and Lucero posters. Both of those original posters have long since Sold Out, and I get requests for them on a regular basis - so these new versions are now available on my website.

All three prints are 18" x 24", Two-Color Screen Prints, Hand Printed, Signed and Numbered. The top two prints are editions of 80 and are $25 each. The Pink variant at the bottom is an edition of only 5, and is $40.

Available in my store: www.jamesflames.com/store.html

New Posters and Prints Available in the Store

3 new prints and my latest poster for Beach House are now available in my store. http://www.jamesflames.com/store.html 

Yeasayer Poster - now available

My poster for last night'sYeasayer show in Asheville is now available online on my website.

"At Dawning" - 4-color hand-printed screenprint, 18.5" x 24.5" full bleed, on 100lb Orange French paper, signed & numbered, edition of 75. $20.

New King Khan and the Shrines poster

"Revenge of the Cobra Kai"

Another new poster, this one for King Khan and the Shrines at the Orange Peel this past Tuesday - one of the best live acts out there now. This is my second poster for them, and it's always a good time drawing stuff to go with their music.

I will be including a free black & white version of this poster with all orders from my store or on Gigposters - www.jamesflames.com/store.html or www.gigposters.com

 

The xx poster - now available

My poster for the xx is now available online on my website. The show was last Thursday up in Carrboro at the Cat's Cradle, and man, it was incredible. The xx has gotta be one of my favorite three bands right now, and they just killed it! The show was sold out, and I met lots of great folks. All the posters I brought with me that night sold out. But I did set some aside, so get them while you can.

"Basic Space," 2-color screenprint, 19" x 25", on 110lb. Smart White French paper, signed & numbered, edition of 70. $20.