In This Corner

"Let's do our spring cleaning!"

"Where ideas come from"

"For new readers"

Dan Picasso's take on the "In This Corner" guy

I sent a copy of my In This Corner book -- "Cornered!" (available now at better bookstores) -- to my old friend Dan Picasso. Dan is a wonderful airbrush artist based in Marathon, Texas. He liked the book and sent me his version of the book's cover boy.

The picture is painted using One Shot paint (enamel paint used for sign painting and automobile pin striping) on a piece of corrugated tin (the tin was part of the roof of Dan's house until last year when he replaced it).

I was blown away by this piece. The color is exactly right. The drawing is computer perfect, yet it's hand-painted on a wavy, metal surface. The contradictions bend my mind. Whoa.

Thank you, Dan!

But then again, I'm always blown away by Dan's art.

His work is always jam-packed with life and joy and raw skill -- as shown by his September 2009 City Pages cover. Dan juggles caricature, lettering, icon design, automobile fetishism, Silly-Putty perspective and masterful color work. (Click for a closer look.)

For more of Dan's stuff, take a peek at danpicassoillustration.com.

"Wonder what's on?"