News - Alexander Bluehttps://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/Mon, 01 Dec 2025 21:53:50 +0000en-USSite-Server v@build.version@ (http://www.squarespace.com)PERFCeTNate WilliamsMon, 01 Dec 2025 16:02:06 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2025/12/1/qg06fdh113xhy4dkqzvm4e5zku9018514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:692dbafeae21e864b50e1d9e“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
- Mike Tyson

Lately, I’ve been thinking about intent, expectations, and how we interpret outcomes.

Unhappiness = Point of View × (Expectations – Reality)

Many have spoken about the beauty of imperfection. Take Wabi-Sabi, the Japanese philosophy that embraces impermanence and incompleteness. I have my own version: PERFCET. It’s about striving toward a goal while staying open to unexpected pivots, detours, and discoveries... often better than the original plan.

Most frustration lives in the space between expectation and reality. Perspective determines how we experience that gap.

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
– Seneca

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Hola Amiga 10: Conversations

Learn More | Buy Book

33 pages of mostly art

]]>Human Body Language MimicryNate WilliamsMon, 01 Dec 2025 14:29:05 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2025/12/1/human-body-language-mimicry514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:692da5110dfb6f04d840460e

I didn't do too much of a narrative, but when I was making this, I was thinking of robots misinterpreting how body language works, so they just have a simple screen to communicate their emotional state, not really realizing that it's more than just the facial expression.

Sketching on the train

]]>DOING THE humanNate WilliamsSun, 05 Oct 2025 14:55:24 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2025/10/5/doing-the-human514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:68e2864aca2bba245a7a831cWe were human

]]>SLVGNate WilliamsSat, 27 Sep 2025 19:05:22 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2025/9/27/slvg514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:68d8330bd88a1a53a957f87dI sketched out the character concept (an alien slug) and then used a variety of AI tools to further develop both the character and its environments. I wanted to pressure test the design by placing the character in different settings and exploring a range of expressions. Most of the compositing was done in Photoshop to refine the colors and depth of field effects. I call this character “SLVG.”

Initial Character Sketch

]]>Rubber WorldNate WilliamsSat, 03 Aug 2024 15:24:49 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2024/8/3/rubber-world514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:66ae4bc8d4adbf116a5b8c52
]]>Espresso Expressions: My Morning RitualNate WilliamsWed, 24 Jul 2024 21:04:39 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2024/7/24/espresso-expressions-my-morning-ritual514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:66a16c6e19e09c2eb3e5c4bbOne of my favorite moments of the day is my morning coffee. During this time, I usually engage in various activities such as:

  • Looking up random facts

  • Listening to podcasts

  • Doodling in a sketchbook

  • Coming up with characters I'd like to meet (or not)

I will add some of my creations to this page.

Working on a fun project… exploring some things.

Iris and her two sidekicks

]]>Asymmetrical Origami Gatefold Illustration for NickelodeonNate WilliamsTue, 16 Jul 2024 23:27:44 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2024/7/16/asymmetrical-origami-gatefold-illustration-for-nickelodeon514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:669701f5d9da5f40108e6be5 This project was one of my favorites during my time as an art director at Struck. I created and illustrated an unconventional asymmetrical origami gatefold design for Nickelodeon's book "You Can't Do That on Television".

]]>Who put CHEETOS in my salad?!#@Nate WilliamsTue, 16 Jul 2024 13:39:24 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/who-put-cheetos-in-my-salad514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:66967750a8b9f51a1f0ba55e

As a creative, you want to explore and try new things, but as an illustrator, you often become known for a particular style or way of doing things. I frequently find myself at odds with these two truths. To resolve this conflict, I created an alter ego ( https://www.alexanderblue.com/ ) that has a different vibe from my other, better-known illustration work ( https://www.n8w.com/ ). This allows me to nurture both sides of my personality without "putting Cheetos in someone's salad" – in other words, without creating a confusing feed with work that followers weren't expecting to see.

]]>Who put CHEETOS in my salad?!#@Brain Bubble GumNate WilliamsThu, 04 Jul 2024 14:43:12 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2024/7/4/brain-bubble-gum514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:6686b3d4a6726e39558c6f8fOne of my favorite things about being an author and artist is having ideas that aren't fully formulated, but that I can keep thinking about. It's like bubblegum that my brain is constantly chewing, whether I'm standing in line at the grocery store, walking around, or doing other everyday tasks. These ideas are like puzzles that are always active in my mind - I'm constantly considering how to improve them, make them funnier, or make them more unique. Here are some of the latest characters my brain has been “chewing “on.

]]>radiCOOL stickers for JCW'sNate WilliamsThu, 15 Aug 2019 19:51:24 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2019/8/15/radicool-stickers-for-jcws514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:5d55b7391e53c200015a4823New JCWs stickers by radiCOOLS

]]>Why is there a dog in the tree?Nate WilliamsSat, 22 Dec 2018 22:31:15 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/whyisthereadoginthetree514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:5c1eb978562fa7219bff396eI’ve been working on this picture book for awhile and now I’m really trying to figure out the main character????

of course being an artist … it’s mandatory to work from a coffee shop … lazy bum in action

Okay .. this character needs to accommodate all the emotion …emotional train-wreck in a good way!

Emotional Calisthenics - He’s happy, he’s sad, he’s pissed, in love, depressed!!!!!

What’s up Fred? Why are you so pissed?

]]>radiCOOLS.com Puffy StickersNate WilliamsMon, 22 Oct 2018 02:47:22 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2018/10/21/radicoolcom-puffy-stickers514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:5bcd39ef419202a5379aa0ecLots more to come … get the latest radiCOOLs.com puffy stickers by visiting any of the JCWs.com stores.

]]>More stickers for JCWsNate WilliamsSun, 19 Jun 2016 06:17:07 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2016/6/19/zombees514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:576638a8b3db2b2a6859fe47Stickers for radiCOOLS.com

zomBURGERS

You are > Awesome

]]>AnimationsNate WilliamsSat, 22 Aug 2015 07:11:52 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2015/8/22/animations514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:55d820ade4b0c41794cc66d9Puffy Stickers coming to JCWsNate WilliamsSat, 04 Jul 2015 13:40:51 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2015/7/4/puffy-stickers-coming-to-jcws514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:5597e235e4b07172a30774c3What kid doesn't love stickers?

]]>more radiCOOL kid's toys for JCWS.comNate WilliamsSun, 28 Jun 2015 17:31:04 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2015/6/28/more-radicool-kids-toys-for-jcwscom514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:55902ee0e4b02baad4e1659a

some new #radiCOOLS for jcws.com by radiCOOLS.COM

]]>radiCOOLS!Nate WilliamsThu, 25 Jun 2015 04:32:04 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2015/6/25/radicools514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:558b8418e4b065aecbf1a4b7

See some of the newest radiCOOLS at http://www.radicools.com

]]>radiCOOLS coming to JCWsNate WilliamsSun, 10 May 2015 17:48:38 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2015/5/10/radicools-coming-to-jcws514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:554f985ce4b0425f6a8900d2In the next month or so you will be able to get radiCOOLS at all JCW's locations

]]>EvilutionNate WilliamsSat, 21 Jun 2014 02:17:36 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2014/6/20/evilution514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:53a4eac6e4b0e78ae9edd2c1Some new bad dudes

 

Blah Blob

Burnt

Evil Plot

]]>Bring your Kid to Work DayNate WilliamsSat, 08 Jun 2013 06:16:15 +0000https://www.alexanderblue.com/blog/2013/6/8/bring-your-kid-to-work-day514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ec:514a08f1e4b0dd6717b373ef:51b2cc34e4b0b6f8003e6065 ]]>