iPhone and iPod touch users can download the Bragino app here >

It's basically everything in one place……..Artwork, videos, news, announcements, and special offers will all be at your fingertips. Stay tuned for original music from Marino Bragino, Videos by John Bragino, and even some original multi-dimensional works from me.

Here's some screenshots of what it looks like.

I often speak to other artists about naming of their pieces and it's not uncommon for it to be a tough subject for some. For me it seems like a simple process and this illustration was no different.

The look on the woman's face I had drawn seemed to have a longing for something different than her current situation, half removed from the person who's face was looking back at her in the mirror, a longing, dreaming of another life. Through word searching on the internet I came about the word Reve. I liked the look of the word and it seemed to fit the illustration style plus the meaning fit as well. Just like that a name is born. I've always been under the belief that no matter how much intention you have for a piece of art and what you'd like it to be you must always leave room for what it wants to be as well.

I chose this one because it's something I'm working on, which is just painting while working from the model. That is no mediums that are generally used for drawing, ie: markers, pens, oil pastels etc……Just acrylic paint and a few brushes. This page was prepared before painting this image with a solid green background. "Killing the white of the background like that helps you to work with paint a little better. It basically creates a mood that you can then place your figure into.

I really love the way this one came out. It reminds me of an old USO poster, or something that would have promoted Coney Island. It just has that 40's/50's feel to it mostly I suspect because of the color.

In this image, as opposed to the last two, I'm using drawing as well as painting. There are many things that I like about this but mainly the distortion through the page and the complexity of the angles in which body parts are moving. The stockings might have caught my attention as well.

Rock On with Sharpie!
It amazes me what people create with Sharpies. That is why I am especially proud to introduce my first Sharpie Artist Peter Bragino. Thankfully he was kind enough to allow me to interview him and display some of his work… Hope you enjoy!

Tell me a little about your business.

My business is Bragino Creations and that incorporates my life in whole as a working artist. I own and operate THECEEFLAT Gallery in Brooklyn (www.theceeflat.com) and run the fine art section of my business out of there. I also create wall murals, art on random things, design work, figurative drawings/paintings, and airbrushing in any capacity.

How are Sharpie markers incorporated?

Sharpie markers have been and always will be a driving force in my work. From the early days of drawing friends names in grafitti and scribbling in notebooks, to current times of fine art paintings and art on guitars Sharpie has been there for me.

What benefit do you think this offers and to who?

The idea of having your own business as an artist benefits the artist in many ways. In my case I’ve always hoped that rejecting the norm and blazing my own trail would help inspire not only my immediate friends and family but anyone who comes in contact with my art as well.It’s possible to create the live of your dreams and that’s where I like to live, on the edge of creation…

Why are Sharpie markers a good fit for this?

Sharpie markers are a good fit for artist’s because they’re permanent, consistent, and simple. I especially like the industrial Sharpies. They write over just about anything which is why I used them to draw on the guitars. I also love to use them when I’m drawing the figure. I use mixed media a lot with the figure and the Professional or Industrial Sharpies can handle working over just about anything I put on the page, even wet surfaces. When each figure study only lasts 20 minutes it’s important to get the information down quickly without waiting for things to dry..

Tell us about some of your favorite designs. Why do they resonate with you?

Most of the designs that resonate with me are designs that are based on good composition. In the end composition is the most important aspect of any one of my pieces and the ones that succeed the most are ultimately added directly to my favorites list.

What was your inspiration for these designs?

Most of my inspiration for the designs that I create comes directly from nature. I draw a lot on location around New York and I study weekly from the human figure so in general it’s all natural and of course organic…

Can the public order designs or is this a private hobby?

The public may certainly order designs from my online store which should be up soon (www.shopbragino.com). I recently made the decision to redo the store so it’s in the process of a major rehaul. In the meantime potential clients can contact me through my website (www.bragino.com).

Have you tried to decorate any electrical guitars?

I haven’t painted any electric guitars. So far I’ve done 4 acoustic guitars.

Have you created any other piece of art using Sharpies?

I’ve drawn on many things using sharpies. One of my favorite things to draw on with sharpies is humans. Yes that’s right I use sharpies to create temporary tattoos on friends, and have even used them during photo shoots for giving a model a half sleeve.

What is your favorite Sharpie to use?

My favorite sharpie to use is certainly the basic black fine point. You can’t go wrong with the classics. For the more permanent situations and harder to mark on surfaces I love the professional Sharpie with the chisel point. It’s almost like using a brush with ink or paint.

The End.

 Image 1: I like this image for the exploration of different sized marks or paint strokes on the page. The figure is barely emerging from within them but the variation of the marks makes for an interesting image despite the figure.

Image 2: I like this image for the thought process of painting and the adding of light to allow the figure to emerge from the page. There was an underlying abstract painting here initially. I created a line drawing of the figure on top and began painting in the volume of the body on top of that……

Image3: This image is a little on the rough side compared to some of the things that I usually do but that's what I like about it the most. I think that with the combination of colors, the primitive types of marks running throughout the figure and the composition of the page the image works. Detail could be added but I'm not sure if that would help or hurt what’s going on here……

Image 4: What I like mostly here is the way that the colors pop off of the grayed out background. Nothing seems to make colors sing more than juxtaposing them against a color that has little to no hue in it. If the background were white the colors would still sing but they'd be competing with the white background. Here the colors are left to perform on their own…

Image 5: I included this image because of it's simplicity. It amazes me how a simple wash can describe the form of the body. After that wash lays out the terrain it's always fun to come in and draw around and on top of that form.

Image 6: I like this final image for a bunch of reasons……I like the line drawing that runs throughout, the distortion of the figure to push space on the page, the way that the feet and hands came out, the abstraction in the background, and the patterning in the pillow. It's generally my taste for design and drawing that attracts me to this image. I hope you enjoyed the images for this week. More on the way soon…..

Image 2, 3, 4: Here's the three seperate standing poses. The first is done with pencil, the second with oil pastels, and the third with acrylic paint. I like them all for different reasons but I especially like them together. I think the best thing about them is that each one has it's own mood or personality and for that alone I feel I was successful with each one…..

Image 5: I think this image had great potential but I lapsed a little in the way the distortion came out. This pose was very dynamic and strong and I feel that I captured that essence in the forward hand and leg but lost that quality in the head and the back leg. There are a lot of things I like about it though and one of the main things is the underpainting of colors and how they read through the image. I'm sure this will show up in some future images as well…..

Image 1: Chosen for it's overall composition and it's sense of volume. I enjoy how the figure feels like it's being chisled out of the page and the abstractions that exist in the background as well. I believe this image works as it is without adding anymore detail. I wouldn't be against adding some small bits of detail here and there but I don't think it's necessary for the image to work compositionally.

Image 2: I chose this image for it's mood and it's potential. Unlike the first image I feel this image needs more work to finish it. It's got an interesting mood to it which I like, but I will be painting back into this one to bring more weight into the figure itself. Once I do that it should create a lot of space between the figure and the background which will force the depth I'd like to see in this image..

Image 3: I chose this because of it's abstract composition. The figure's not recognizable and it's not supposed to be but the shapes that reside on the page have been created by using the figure as a point of departure. This is mainly a study in composition, color and space. I feel this image is complete. I think it's interesing to solve compositions on a page just as a musical composer solves compositions. When the songs complete you move on and create another one…..

Image 1:

Image 2:

Image 2: Chosen for it's graphics and the idea that an underlying graphic can describe so much. When the addition of the pen graphic is interjected the space that the figure encompasses begins to come to life…..

Image 3: Chosen for the fact that it's the same pose as the first one but this image is built up in a more structural and graphic way describing the stress of the muscles in the body differently. I also really like the graphics in the face and the way that the toes are drawn on the forawrd foot..

Image 4: Chosen for the thought process behind this image. The exercise that was used to create this image is "Two hands at the same time". I found while drawing this image there was a better connection to the overall rythyms of the body giving it a very organic feeling. You can see by the way that I began to develop the forward foot that with some extra time, the weight and believabilty of the form would really begin to show.

Image 5: Chosen for many reasons……..Color, structure, space, form, weight, design, the layering of materials……I guess I'm just fond of this image in general. It has a lot of the things that I'm after right now as listed above. I feel I captured the power and the weight of the form well in this image. I'm also fond of how the different graphics, ie: line, wash, and paint all seem to harmonize in this image…..