New Profile Pic

Back to work in just a few more days...in celebration a new profile pic is in order...

IF:Public Ed...Stargazer

Dedicated to all those that graduated...and have to pull off their shoes or use a calculator to figure out 8+7...

Rat Crow vs. Chicken Lizard IV

Instead of going with the gas pump idea I decided to throw my daughter in looking through a window. This played off the repetition of the squares of the crates and eventually would help to have some more depth.

Rat Crow vs. Chicken Lizard III

At this point I started working on the foreground and developing the 'story' that was occurring a bit more. There was about a month or two break between where I was at in the last post and what I have here. I changed the theme a bit and decided to have the story occurring in a shed and to put a girl in the window watching. I sketched it all in...To avoid the characters being in the foreground I put two bowls to hold captured chess pieces. I also changed the table to a crate and added two different types of crates to start adding some depth. Because of the difference in color schemes between the two critters I knew I would have to use different crate colors so that items didn't 'blend'.

One major problem I noticed at this point was the wax leeching out of the drawing. I have really never had an issue with this because I typically get the item sprayed before this happens...and at least one other colored pencil project took longer than this without and issues. So I was surprised when I lifted off the protective covering and the wax leech was happening. There was a fine film of wax 'ash' that was dulling all of the colors. I can only figure that the high humidity after the AC was turned off had a lot to do with the leeching being accelerated. I carefully took a slightly damp paper towel and wiped off the wax. I had to do this several times over a couple of days before it all stopped. Either it leeched as far as it was going to go or the humidity conditions changed enough for it to stop.

Rat Crow vs. Chicken Lizard II

After I had a pic in my head of what I wanted and had done the sketches I went out and bought a piece of Canson toned paper. I saw this color and it fit in nicely with what I initially had in mind. I used white prisma color to sketch out the two main characters. Sometimes I will draw everything out and use tracing paper to make a transfer but not when using colored paper...just doing a colored pencil sketch with a lighter color works out fine and blends in nicely when slapping in the color.







Because I like to do detail work I usually don't 'fill-in' the background. I have a pretty good literal picture in my head of what direction and general composition I want so I don't get too panicky. Even though the background did change drastically from my original plan the composition didn't. I first thought I was going to have the two playing at a gas station and have an old time fuel pump in the center and oil cans on the sides.

Rat Crow Vs. Chicken Lizard I

Another meeting sketch. I started out drawing a crow but thought the feathers on the body reminded me of fur...so I threw a rat tail on it...that's where all the trouble began...Initially I was going to just do a 'scientific journal' type of illustration with watercolor and micron...about the highly intelligent rat crow...I was going to have it grasping a chess piece for symbolism...but then I thought there had to be an opponent...one that was at the opposite end of the spectrum...


That brought about the chicken lizard...so then I was looking at a two-page spread...but that little voice in the back of my head started going on about "When was the last time you did a drawing with a background?" So I went out and bought a big piece of toned paper...and readied the prismacolor...

Head Sketches

This guy is getting prepped for colored pencil treatment...I sketched out the head and have the overall general idea for what I am going to do...(hint...turtle in the mouth)...I am in the middle of a large scale color pencil drawing right now but will need something to keep me active as I start tackling the pointillism Styraco again...I have less than two weeks left before school starts so I should finish the Colored pencil drawing tomorrow...then it will be a hard week on getting Styraco done...by working slow I keep getting ideas which has generally paid of in the long run for me...


Earlier in the year I purchased James Gurney's book Imaginative Realism...(and if you haven't grabbed it you should...as well as checking out his blog)...I've been planning on trying his painting technique with oils so I think this guy might be a good candidate for my stepping back into that game in September...not too difficult a subject but with some opportunities to learn and still have some detail work.


If all goes well then I have a scene to paint involving this guy...a little dragonish critter...He also looks like a good candidate for a sculpy playdate! I have tools ordered and have been formulating some of the 'know-how' the last little bit...

IF: Caged

click to blow up...then click image again to read...

IF: Artificial

Click to enlarge and then click image again so you can read it...and then soak up the subtle irony...

styracosaur in progress

(click to enlarge)
Taking forever but I've been doing smaller projects here and there to keep from going crazy...this is probably the biggest item I can remember doing and to top it off using pointillism doesn't help the speed factor...If you start placing stuff wrong or mess up a value patch you're pretty much in a world of hurt...90% finished with the dino...birds are all pretty much done...In a week will be starting on the really tough part...the background...then it will just be a matter of value adjustments...I still have to finish out darkening the back area from the back leg down the tail and finishing the tail tip...

IF: Double Dipper???

"Madam, you are clearly mistaken...this would be the third time this particular chip has entered the dip in question...

Pointillism Triceratops

(click images to enlarge)

Finished this about a week ago and have been busy working on a couple of other items. I worked smaller (15x20) than some of the other pointillism attempts which made it go quicker (I just finished 90% of the detailing on my styraco and now must tackle the background...and I've been working off and on on that for months)...but not sure if I'm happy with the level of detail. Usually at this point I would run some prints and then paint it in watercolor. At this time I have no printing option that would allow me to print it to scale and do this...and printing it smaller would probably not be too good because of the detail issue. So I have to debate if I want to try the one shot deal on the illustration board...



I tried to post the image and for some reason the central area comes up blurry...so I posted a close up...

IF:Breakfast

They Never Made it...pt II

I was sketching out a plan to get back into oil painting a while back...this was the start...space limitations in my apartment unfortunately ground that one to a halt...one of these days lol...seems like I am stuck with colored pencils, graphite, and pen and ink for a while yet...

Non-traditional Pose

A sketch trying out a non-traditional pose...used it to create another pointillism item which I'll show in a bit. One thing Gurney talked about in his blog was 'trying something different'...not only can you have fun with educated guesses on appearance but dinosaurs and had to do all kinds of things other than fight or running around trying to eat each other...

Robot

Another project we do as just bit of a creative exercise is creating a robot from something around the house. I started a sketch of a robot based on system controllers...I didn't get around to finishing the base but believe I'll vectorize him at some point...but it won't be tomorrow...because I'm heading to Cedar Point for a Wednesday rollercoasterpalooza at the best amusement park on the planet...then when we come back hopefully I can finish up two of the three big drawings I've been doing over the past few weeks...and start a few more...summer is fading fast...

Pan Head

During the year we talked about themes for playing cards and the importance of references. At this time Gurney was doing posts with regards to creating a Pan figure and he too was discussing the importance of drawing from life and doing studies even when creating imaginary characters. Even when it feels that characters have been 'done to death' it is still possible to create something unique, especially when paying attention to detail of life subjects. Gurney brought in skulls, human models, and I believe even animals. There were lots of different solutions to the problem proving that there is always something new that can be done even if at times it takes a little digging. These were a couple of head shots I did trying out a few different takes.

IF: GiAnt

I think we're gonna' need more spray...

They never made it..part I

This started out as a meeting sketch...I still have the image of what I wanted to do...


I even started making more refined character sketches...

But as what happens sometimes in life I got sidetracked...I've done a lot of pics since I started wanting to do this...and at some point before I die I have plans to finish this out because I think it would turn out pretty nice. I think I got caught up in trying to figure if I wanted to do it in pointillism, graphite, or colored pencil. That issue has killed several projects and caused me to restart others...(example...the styraco which I have been working on pretty diligently the last few weeks and will give updated pics on later...started it in graphite and then got disappointed in several things and switched to pointillism.) I get excited looking at the sketch and beat myself up a bit for not following through on it..but I'll get to it eventually. If someone would donate 20 acres of land and build me an art studio I'd even get back into oil painting...heck, I'd probably even give them the picture for free...

The missing text...

Finally able to sit down and draw for the past few weeks...been quite the hectic summer...I had posted a project from back in my college days but the text was MIA...I stumbled across my portfolio original and had to scan it in for posterity...It was one of my favorite projects that we did...we had to design an 8-panel CD insert plus an advertisement for the project. We were working on some mailers at the same time and I spent so much time working on this I did a very mediocre job on the mailer...I received a great compliment from the instructor though...he said it turned out so well he was automatically lowering everyone else's grade a letter...those were the days...