Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 3.5 Hours
Status: WIP

It was a long weekend. And I only picked up a pencil on Tuesday at lunch.  So very lazy. Still, it was nice to take a couple days off. Even if I spent most of those days playing Everquest.

What? I’m a nerd. This is what we do.

Anyway, I started on her eyes last night.  So far, so good. They are still in the very preliminary stages, but I am pleased with the progress.  Though, I have to admit  this eyeliner stuff is kinda messing with me.  I mean, I love eyeliner as much as the next girl but to draw it kinda goes against a lot of what I was taught.

I was always taught that people do not consist of solid lines, so don’t draw solid lines.  So to deliberately outline something on a person’s face feels a bit unnatural for me.  I mean, its cool though and not difficult from a technical sense by any stretch of the imagination. It just feels… weird.  I’m sure I’ll get over it a lot quicker than I probably should.

In other news, the show started yesterday.  But apparently they cut the hours that the gallery will be open in half.  It won’t be open in the mornings - just afternoons and evenings if there is a performance going on. If I was a really-real artist who shows in really-real galleries, I would probably be super annoyed by that. But its a student show so the standards are a bit different, I would imagine.

TMNK is a fabulous graffiti-folk artist based outta New York.  I’ve been following his blog for almost a year now and he is probably one of the most wonderful human beings on the planet.  He’s just so amazingly beautiful. Read his blog once and you’ll see what I mean. I’ve always told myself that if/when I finally make it to New York, I am totally going to Soho to stalk him.

And his art? Fucking awesome.  I’ve always had an affinity for graffiti art. I always photograph it when I can.  It’s probably because it’s a type of art that I will never, ever be able to do. It’s wonderful to be in a place where I can just appreciate it as an audience member.  And holy crap, when it’s done right, it’s done amazingly well.

TMNK is one of those who does it amazingly well, my friends.

Anyway, I know I have talked a bunch of shit about money and art. But, he’s going through a bit of a rough time right now (though, you wouldn’t know it if you read some of his blog entries - such a positive person - again, he’s beautiful, ‘memba?) So I am willing to be called a hypocrite, if you head over to eBay and place some bids on some of his work. And not just because he’s going through a rough time, but because the work is rad and TMNK adds goodness to our world.

He’s just released a new series. And here’s a snippet that I swiped from his site:

“Street Artist TMNK™ has begun to release a new series of original paintings/drawings he’s calling “Tiny Pieces of My Soul.” These paintings are smaller than his normal works (4″x6″) and are meant to be a more intimate sharing of the artists feeling and emotions. These works are very personal, and offer an introspective look into the artists own personal struggles, challenges and triumphs. While many of these works will be on paper, some will be on found objects, and other discarded materials.
“I plan to leave tiny pieces of my soul scattered on the streets of New York, and throughout the world.””

So, go go go now and place a bid!

Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 1.5 Hours
Status: WIP

Here we go again. This is (hopefully) the first in a series of portraits I’m planning on doing (insert much knocking on wood here). I won’t bore you with the details of the series - mainly because I don’t want to jinx myself. I’d like to have a few portraits under my belt before I actually call it a series. Especially given my bouts of extreme flightiness. Heh.

But so far, so good. I think for a preliminary sketch, her proportions look pretty good. The eye shape is going to use a lot of work, but I think once I start laying down the shadows and skin texture, it’ll come.

As usual, I’m using a reference image for this one - borrowed from morgueFile.com. I’ll post a link to the image once I am finished the drawing.

And ya know, I think I have decided that next year, I’m going to try and take my own reference photos, instead of relying on other folks. It’s time. I need to start being more proactive with that kinda stuff. Plus, we’ll be in a bigger place so there will be more room for this kinda thing. But this also means that I should really start working with that online class and start figuring out where I can find models because I have no doubt that my friends and family would get sick of my model requests.

First of all, let me say this, if you are an artist and you need reference images, run - do not walk - your butt over to morgueFile.com. They have amazing royalty-free images that artists (or anyone really) can use without cost and, in most cases, without credit. Though, let’s face it, it would be kind of tactless to not provide credit. I’m all over giving credit for anything I use.

The photos are even available for commercial pursuits.

I posted a question on their forum (again, a fantastic resource!) regarding their terms and conditions and whether or not I could utilize photos in their archive for my portrait work (I really need to find some models, dudes). I found some really fantastic photos that I’d like to draw for a new portrait series I have been kicking around*.

Anyway, after mentioning in my post that I’d like to learn a bit more about photography so I can take my own reference images, one of the members pointed me in the direction of this online class. Dudes, this is completely perfect for me! It’s very basic and looks completely manageable from a time perspective. I could do it at my own pace - probably (if I do it right) squeezing in each lesson once a week.

I am particularly interested in the two studio lighting lessons. I really kinda love the DIY nature of it. Sister, loves a good DIY!

I guess the actual class is long since over, but many people still post their assignments for discussion in the forums. I think it would be kinda awesome. And not to mention helpful. Especially since I have been incredibly lame with my photographic pursuits as of late. Though, my lameness is kinda awesome because it just means that I have been drawing more, so I won’t complain too much. Still, I am consistently bemoaning my lack o’ mad skillz, so maybe this little bitty course can help with that.

It can’t hurt right?

Oh, I should have a really-real update tonight. I just started a new piece - I took a couple days off after finishing my previous piece. Hopefully, the first in the aforementioned portrait series.

*The steampunk thing and the circus freak thing have been put on hold indefinitely. See? I am fucking flighty! And no, I do not want to talk about it. Blah.

Title: Joker
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 47 Hours
Status: Complete

Done, done, done! I am done! Woo.  I am pleased. I think he turned out really well.  I accomplished pretty much everything I set out to accomplish with this piece.  My wee little homage to Heath’s absolute brilliance.

Are there parts that I would change? Probably. But I really am pleased with it.

I think it will look even better once it’s matted and in a frame. :)  And I really need to get it professionally scanned.  Yeesh, I need to get all my work professionally scanned, really.  These photos and scans of my stuff really don’t do them much justice.  At all.  It would be great to have a nice, perfect scan done of everything, ya know? Even just for record or archival purposes.

Still, I am tempted to open this photo up in Photoshop and play around with some coloured bits. Hee. It might be fun.

Next up? I might draw a girl.

Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 39 Hours
Status: WIP

Despite the harsh introspection of yesterday’s post, I did manage to get some work done on my portrait. The hair, as mentioned previously, is coming along slowly. It actually looks a lot better today than it did yesterday. Stepping back for 5 hours always helps. And I find that my hair always looks like shit until the bitter end.

I loathed J’s hair on the portrait I did of him and S. But now, its like one of my favourite things. Hopefully I can generate this kinda pride with my latest one.

My goal is to get his hair finished this weekend. Once I do that, it should be a short hop to completely finishing the piece. I don’t think the background should give me very much trouble.

Oh, and rumour has it, the gentleman building my drafting table should have it done soon. Woop! And its only going to cost me $60ish! Dudes, that’s amazingly cheap for a custom-designed/built*, completely wood and rather on the large side drafting table. It’s about 36″ deep and 48″ wide. I think he’s only charging me for materials, which is rad. He’s the same person who built a custom bench for my living room and I love it. So I have complete faith in him. It will be awesome. I can’t wait! It’ll be nice to draw at a table instead of curled up on my couch. My circulation and my back will certainly thank me.

*We won’t talk about the fact that I apparently do not know how to measure for design drawings either. Hee. Granted, my drawing was supposed to just give him an idea. I’m no draftsperson! Luckily everything is fixable.

I’m battling one of those days. You know, one of those days in which you look at your body of work and just loathe everything. Hell, I even fought a desire to shove a pencil* through my Joker’s head.

I dunno what happened. I was surfing WetCanvas, checking out some amazing artists and I succumbed to self-doubt, low confidence and general moroseness. It’s weird. It wasn’t any one drawing or piece of artwork that brought up my esteem issues. I mean, to be honest, I’ve probably been battling this for a couple days - the hair is not going well - and it just came to a head this morning. Thankfully, I’m trying to be pretty analytical about the whole thing. Ya know, less emotional, more pragmatic. But it’s hard.

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Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 35 Hours
Status: WIP

See? I’m not an absolute slacker. Now that its been a few days since drawing it, I think I kinda love his shoulder. The shirt part, I mean. It looks pretty close to the original printed fabric. Yays.

The hair? Meh. I’m working on it. I mean, hair generally looks like shit for 90% of the process. It’s only in the last 10% that it even remotely starts to look good to me. Needless to say, we are not yet at the last 10%. But, almost. I had hoped to have this drawing finished by this week. But my absolute slackerness is preventing that. I think my goal is to have it done by the end of August.

What?

I’ve been avoiding my current portrait WIP. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have done a crapload of work on his clothes and I have even started his hair. I just haven’t had any time to take update photos. So let’s blame it on laziness. Hopefully, I can post something substantial tonight.

However, despite that, I have an update! After Esch’s suggestion of digitally colouring my circus freaks, I went back and spent a little more time on the line work of the first drawing. It’s not 100% where I want it to be, but it’s getting there. I just want to make sure all of my line work is pretty solid before I attempt to colour it.

I have found a few tutorials on the internets that might help my big n00b ways out. So we’ll see. I’ve even been using my tablet. Woop. And let me say this, its amazing how much using the tablet in front of you, like a sketchbook can really improve your skillz.