tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60017530964015776512011-07-08T03:05:09.458-07:00Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-29925793093363391592010-01-08T04:44:00.000-08:002010-01-08T04:44:16.524-08:00

Just before Christmas, I finished up this concept illustration for a client I had worked with in the past. Charles Venable is a customer of my Dad's hot rod/custom shop, and he's an avid land speed racer. Venable and my Dad are building this 1953 Studebaker to run at a few East Coast courses, and there are plans to take it to Bonneville this summer and attempt at breaking a record. (For those

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-64944640726495162662009-12-09T19:38:00.000-08:002009-12-09T19:39:52.020-08:00

One of my repeat clients just got their web site pushed live. Head over to www.ramrodstx.com and check them out. I did the graphics, and Billy at Ramrods built the site himself. They are a full-service hot rod, custom car, and restoration shop located in Terrell, TX. These guys are an absolute pleasure to work with. If you need some custom work done, be sure to give them a call!

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-23124683983845113732009-12-07T19:26:00.000-08:002009-12-07T19:26:52.204-08:00

From alligators on lawnmowers to swine on motorcycles! Well, the image of a hog on a hog isn't really that novel, but it's one of those things that can be interpreted in so many ways that it will continue to be drawn for years to come. One of the sales managers at my day gig, Kerry Turner, a very avid motorcycle dude, approached me to create some art for the Dallas Harley Owners Group. I was

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-50639209162603442009-11-30T04:15:00.000-08:002009-11-30T04:15:15.236-08:00

I've mentioned my friend Chandler before, and he recently hooked me up with some work for one of the suppliers he deals with at his day gig. IrriGators Supply out of McKinney, TX has seen a need in the commercial landscaping power equipment market, so they have created Gator Power Equipment as a division of their company. They had already had some branding using an Alligator mascot for the

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-1845290772967366162009-11-05T15:17:00.000-08:002009-11-05T15:18:32.854-08:00

My first-ever Illustration Friday submission! The theme this week was, "skinny". This dude is so skinny he doesn't even need to open his umbrella!

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-84501817260550443392009-11-04T20:09:00.000-08:002009-11-04T20:20:55.725-08:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted, and as I was listening to the latest podcast from Escape From Illustration Island earlier today, Thomas James put out the challenge to blog about other creative endeavors. (BTW, EFII is quickly becoming my favorite podcast.) I know many working designers and illustrators are also musicians on some level. That's one talent God chose not to bless me with.

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-1375774528143122952009-10-08T20:00:00.000-07:002009-10-08T20:00:58.924-07:00

"Commercial Art". Some would say that's an antiquated term. Even when I was in college in the early 1990's (when computer classes were still optional for design students), they were already poo-pooing that term. They called our department "Communication Arts" -- a term that sounded kinda redundant to me. (All art is communication IMO.) With the advent of the computer being used for most design

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-11099222876847505122009-10-06T20:36:00.000-07:002009-10-06T20:37:25.808-07:00

Just finished welding up the rear crossmember for the 52. I had tack-welded it together in the car, then cut it loose from the car to do all the welding on the bench. Next step is to put this deal back in the car and weld it in for keeps. The beige bar is just a temporary brace to make sure things don't move from all the welding heat. The smallish tabs on the bottom side of the square tube are

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-23165406141758892352009-10-06T20:10:00.000-07:002009-10-06T20:12:08.811-07:00

Still not really great, but at least I'm getting better. That's what counts, right?

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-88334605530575990432009-10-04T17:17:00.000-07:002009-10-04T18:00:54.068-07:00

Last weekend hundreds of custom cars, hot rods, muscle cars, and vintage race cars were on display in downtown Irving, Texas for the second annual Manifolds on Main Car Show. This show was held as a portion of the city’s “Main Street Event” held in the Irving’s Heritage District.Last year, Bart Stevens (the Main Dude that made both the 2008 and 2009 shows such successes) asked me to design a

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-36527165471522705302009-09-29T18:57:00.000-07:002009-09-29T19:49:58.764-07:00

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Gene Winfield Custom Metalworking class hosted by Hatfield Restorations in Canton, TX. I gotta say, this was one of the most fun car events I can remember attending!In case you don't know who Gene is, he is pretty famous in car-customizing circles for being one of the most active car builders the "hobby" has ever known. He had already made a

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-49579500206963762772009-08-30T18:59:00.000-07:002009-08-30T19:39:32.280-07:00

My friend Chandler has been working hard to hone his pinstriping talent, and he's been picking up some side work lately. As things have been growing for him, he asked me to develop some imagery for his work. As we discussed it, we quickly decided that some sort of "mascot" would be appropriate, and that would create a memorable mark to give him some recognition.This is one of the rare times when

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-24901210042522458822009-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:002009-07-16T04:36:45.342-07:00

Just finished up a new design for t-shirts for Brookville Roadster. The art was sketched digitally in Photoshop, then cleaned up by hand-building vector paths in Illustrator CS4. A lot of the detail work was done using AI CS4's new "Blob Brush" tool. The basic design will be printed on both black- and white shirts.

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-88744537482743196232009-07-07T12:09:00.000-07:002009-07-07T12:13:46.762-07:00

Two or three decades ago, different workers in different parts of any organization used different kinds of tools and devices to do their respective tasks. Accounting departments would use ledger books and adding machines. Customer Service and Sales primarily used telephones, ink pens, and perhaps typewriters. Art departments used X-Acto knives, tech pens, rubylith, waxers, and light boxes. And

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6001753096401577651.post-88608934456984124832009-06-28T14:28:00.000-07:002009-06-28T14:45:37.957-07:00

I often tell people that my Mac is one of the coolest things attached to my Wacom tablet. Yes, I consider the Wacom tablet more important than the computer itself. If I could choose one item that I would consider "mission-critical", this would be it.I've been using Wacom tablets since early 1995 (back when we used them to do cave paintings), so I get quite a few people asking for advice on them.

Michael Shoafhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05078089442510075335noreply@blogger.com0