Sketch Dump 1 - Ka’s Cancelled Project
Today’s blog is the start of a new series of blogs: sketch dumps. I’ve never been one to share this stuff, but I’ve noticed that some people are interested in seeing the rough side of things. I’m not 100% sure where I’ll take it at the moment- I just want to have fun sketching and posting stuff.
Also, I would like to take a moment to remember a friend and client: Kaseem Ryan (or KA), whom passed away in October this year. We did a project a few years ago called “Just” where he gave me the opportunity to bring one of his songs to life, and it did really well. Ever since that point he had wanted to do another project with me, but the timing never really lined up. He contacted me back in the spring to do a video for his new album, and while the timing was good this time, I couldn’t get together a team to do it in a way that would bring justice to the ideas he had. During the pitch I told him the song he made, gave me a strong vision reminiscent to the recently released “Dune” movies. In the sketches I made for his project, I channelled Baron Harkonnen for the villain. The core idea was about how bad elements in powerful positions in the music industry trickle evil into black communities.
I think the video could have gone viral. It was a really great concept, and the song he made that inspired the vision was really powerful. Unfortunately it couldn’t be made. Ka had a ton of respect for my ideas and told me that if I wasn’t able to do it, he wouldn’t let any other artist work on the project. What was surprising to me at the time was that I had told him I didn’t mind if he took the concepts, sketches and reference images and got another artist on it; however, he insisted that he only wanted me on that idea. He really was one of a kind, and out of the many clients I worked with, he was by far the most down to earth, respectful and gracious.
You will be missed brother. May you rest peacefully in the heavens above in the presence of the almighty.
