The Avett Brothers Return

Well i must say it's about time. I feel like maybe we had done something to upset these guys. I'm sure in reality its just when you're so stinking popular everybody wants to invite you over to there place. Well all that said, i want to share some of the process sketches and screen printing process with the most recent poster project of mine, namely the Avetts.

So, i believe this idea popped into my head back in late January while Julie and i were driving up to the NC Art Museum to take in the Norman Rockwell exhibit. (It's your own fault if you missed it because it was an amazing show!). So i grabbed the moleskin and brain dumped it in there. Then refined the sketch a bit to get it to more closely resemble what i was thinking. Finally tightening it even further to where i would take it into the computer.






Yeah for paper. It's Fres... Frezech...It's Delivery and it's French!



1st color laid down was the green. Not 100% what i was trying to match. Originally, i had a more muted green. In light of the Azalea Festival, the brighter green seemed to be more appropriate. Everything seemed to bloom and sprout the last week in my back yard with that new green growth. Maybe that's where it came from.




Moving in on the second color. I am finding blues to be very difficult to work with as a color that overprints transparently. This lighter blue was far to opaque. I imagine it would be due to the white ink i used to lighten it. This blue was to have more interaction and play off the the green underneath.


Batman was along for quality control. Thanks for the help ole buddy. He showed up after the light blue was mixed though.



Here is the final shot of the 1st and 2nd colors laid down. Overall, I' still stoked as to how it is going.


After the issue with the light blue i added quite a bit more extender to the dark blue ink. The ink got it to be pretty watery with all the extender, so i let it sit out side in the sun to thicken it up before printing.




A real quick shout out to Matt and Zach of Almost There Productions as well as Matt and Eric of Gravity Records. Thanks for the support and encouragement and helping make this poster possible.

The good ole print station table top with some more character added today.


A few weeks back, I was super stoked when i stopped on the Grammys and heard them say "Coming up next the Avett Brothers." Again, it's wonderful to see these fellas doing so well for themselves and getting recognized in the music world. They have been paying there dues and using good ole work ethic of elbow grease and nose to the grind stone to get to where they are. I am glad, heck proud, to see it paying off for the "little guys" or "underdogs." I remember seeing them at Chico's there in Greenville as i was wrapping up my BFA at ECU. It sometimes seems like a long time ago and other times, like yesterday. CD's out of a little antique suitcase. All the art drawn, of course, by Scott.

On a more serious note about the Avetts, i want to share some thing that will be an insight in to there lives and character. Check out the making of the 2011 tour poster. It may just be me, but you don't get much more humble than creating a tour poster that includes all of the crew that helps make playing for sold out shows possible. Then painstakingly carve out a 5' x 2.5' piece of linoleum. It also warms my heart to see the halls of ECU's art building and Mr. Ehlbeck standing there at the Printmaking studio doors. The fact that Scott has stayed in touch with Michael Ehlbeck over the last 10 years while on the road and making records proves how down to earth he is. Thank you Avetts for your music. Thank you Scott for your art, respect for those that taught and encouraged you and for being an example to the rest of us in those regards.

I look forward to following the Avetts for quite a while more. I'd like to think a bit much of myself right now and say that we, as fans, are part of the 2011 tour poster. Is it a stretch to think of us fans as the wheels on the wagon? The music would exist but would it move like it has all over the country. May we be tried and true fans and give the Avett Brothers an audience for years to come as they continue to create more of that heartfelt "post civil-war modern rock" or "grungegrass" or what ever we want to call it.

In case you missed the performance on the Grammys here is a write up and video about the Avett Brothers appearance.

Bob Dylan Joins Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers at the Grammys (spinner.com)



TTFN


Doc


PS
If you're attending ECU as an art student, for crying out loud take a course with Ehlbeck, you owe it to yourself. Remember don't whine just do what he says and put some effort into the class.

While I'm at it and reminiscing of art school, thanks to all of my professors for the wisdom and effort you shared and invested in me. Especially, Craig Malmrose, Ray Elmore, Joan Mansfield and of course Michael Ehlbeck.