CHARLES BERNARDO
Los Angeles born artist studying at the university of arizona
My name is Charles Bernardo, I am 20 years old. I consider myself to be a multimedia artist, and I specialize in Digital Design, although I like to think I do it all. This includes Design, Illustration, Painting, Drawing, Writing, Photography, Video Editing, Sclupture, and Music Production.
DIGITAL WORKS
The works presented on this page showcase a variety of styles and techniques. All of these pieces were created using Adobe Creative Suite, some for school, some for work, and some for personal goals.
PHYSICAL MEDIA
I have a creative desire that can’t always be filled through digital mediums. This page contains works that were created with a variety of physical mediums.
TATTOOS
While somewhat taboo or frowned upon in a lot of cultures and settings, tattoos hold a special place in my heart. At a certain point, my love for this medium pushed me to the point of learning how to express myself through tattoos. The pieces on this page are tattoos that were designed and executed by me.
Writing
Visual Media is not the only way I enjoy expressing myself. This section contains excerpts of pieces of writing I’ve created.
An excerpt from a fictional short story called Needles:
Fear starts to flood my mind and my brain falls into the same pattern that it normally does as I walk through this dark alley, the minuscule amount of light there is, reflecting a grotesque image of trash and filth. Trashcan storefronts and alleyway beds line this nauseating path that I take every week, yet it haunts me every time I wander toward my destination. The vengeful-looking clouds cast across the dark sky provide no comfort to me at this hour. Ghostly shadows cast from flickering fluorescents and the distraught echoes of domestic violence raining from the windows of apartments on either side of me create a stomach-churning scene, but I do my best to ignore my surroundings.
Glass from shattered crack pipes and broken needles, decaying dime bags, and burnt-up spoons guide my way toward my inevitable fate, echoing a constant reminder of what sits at the end of this decrepit alley. As I exit this alley and cross through a dimly lit street to another alley, I try to fight my urges, but deep down in my heart, I know there’s no other choice. Week after week I make this journey, knowing there is no desirable outcome that can transpire, but I have no way of preventing my future.
For many years now, I have trekked this short journey, a journey that has led to the loss of many of my family members, close friends, and many of my most prized possessions. I tell myself it needs to stop, but the pounding sounds of my addiction drum louder and louder, drowning out my thoughts. A marching band plays in my head, giving me headaches and causing me stress and the only way to silence it is needles. I wish I could stop, I try to stop, but over and over it finds its way back to me. The deafening echoes of an object with no voice silence my internal cries for help. I can't escape.
The closer and closer I get to my destination, the more and more I fear, yet look forward to what awaits me. I’m walking at the same speed as I was before, but my footsteps seem to get louder and louder, until I realize it's not my feet, it's my heart. Louder and louder it drums as the marching band tunes in, I want it to stop. Please, I want it to stop. I need it to stop. Please, I need it to stop. An orchestra drones on in my head drowning out my inner misery and blinding me from my drab surroundings. I know I can't stop myself and that makes me want to stop even more.