Camilla d’Errico - Pop Painting: Inspiration and Techniques from the Pop Surrealism Art Phenomenon

Copyright 2016 by Camilla dErrico

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

www.watsonguptill.com

WATSON-GUPTILL and the WG and Horse designs are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

ADDITIONAL ART: (top)

Travis Louie; (right)

Tara McPherson; (bottom) Audrey Kawasaki.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

DErrico, Camilla.

Pop painting : inspiration and techniques from the pop surrealism art phenomenon / Camilla DErrico.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. PaintingTechnique.

2. DErrico, CamillaThemes, motives.

3. Pop artThemes, motives. I. Title.

ND1473.D47 2016

751.4dc23

2015026156

Trade Paperback ISBN9781607748076

eBook ISBN9781607748083

eBook design adapted from printed book design by Ashley Lima

v4.1

a

I hereby dedicate this book to those who have put up with all my crazy artistic habits. You know who you are!

It goes without saying that my life has been a culmination of ups and downs, sorrows and joys, frustrations and elations, and throughout the roller coaster that is my life, you have stuck by me, even when I may not have deserved it. If I could, I would write a chapter on how to train an artist, but then it would be the only fictional part of this book. Because as you all know, that is impossible. Even though Im still not housebroken and I may throw a few tantrums, obsess way too much over vampires and zombies, and paint outside the lines, I know that I have the foundation of your love and strength to tether me to the real world and keep me from scattering to the winds.

So this is for you Poe-hulk, Llama, Frosted Flakes, Bean, Mammacia, Pappalino, and Loki. Yes, even the dog gets an acknowledgment, since hes the only one that will let me dress him up in silly outfits that make me giggle.

CONTENTS

Where do I begin with Camilla? It wasnt so much of a battle or much of a fight. And no, it wasnt with her; it was with a couple ninjas who happened to be kicking it at the bar we were all going to meet up at. You might be saying NINJAS!?!, but it isnt really that strange. The bar looked like the cantina at Mos Eisley, full of stormtroopers, Alf, a couple Smurfs, and Panthro from Thundercats. Yup, DragonCon was happening. It was my first time at the show (and to Atlanta as well), and I had no idea how into cosplay people got. I apparently wasnt welcome in my nifty blue jeans and plain white T-shirt. I am no stranger to a ninja fight and welcomed the exercise, but it was over before it began when Camilla came flying in with a jumping roundhouse kick that took not just one, but both of the dark assassins out. Amazed, I asked her if she was a superhero and she said, Yes, obviously. Im Camilla dErrico.

I had been well aware of Camillas work by the time we met. My good friend Alex Pardee had turned me on to her work many years previous, and Camilla had even participated in my curated exhibition INLE, contributing a very beautiful piece that I am still very fond of. I have always been amazed at how well-rounded Camillas talents are and how her drawing skills enable her to freely express herself in her paintings. All the pencils for the beautiful comic books she has rendered have definitely burned there way into her muscle memory, making her storytelling that much more pleasing to the eye. The girls she paints invite you into their playful existence and dare you to weave crazy things into your hair as well. I have been an admirer of Camillas work for some time and assume you are as well. Now we both can share some enjoyment in this book.

GREG CRAOLA SIMKINS

My mamma once told me that when I was born, one of the first things she noticed about me were my hands. She said that I had the hands of an artist. (Years later, she showed me a picture of myself as a baby and I realized that one of the first things she probably actually noticed about me was my radical troll mohawk!) Just like my hands showed my mamma my path, my heart told me that I was going to be an artist.

Since 2005 my paintings have been shown in galleries throughout the worldfrom New York to Tokyo, and a few places in between. I contribute to a movement the art world refers to as Pop Surrealism.

As a Pop Surrealist, Ive learned over the years that I have a lot to offer others even as I grow as artist. With this book, Im super excited to answer all the questions that Ive been asked about my painting techniques and about what its like to be a working professional artist. Ill do my darnedest to give you as many tips and tricks that Ive learned along the way, to help guide you, and to show you how to have fun painting!

Im ready to bare my soul to you, expose my secrets, and help you dive into the world of Pop Surrealism. Ill show you the techniques that have helped me define myself as an artist in this incredible movement. I can teach you my techniques and how to express emotions in your paintings, but never forget that painting is an expression of yourself. I want you to create paintings that mean something to you, using my lessons as your guide!