Title: Adventures with Markers
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Prismacolor Markers on Aquabee Manga Artist Paper (110 lb.)
Time: 2.5 hours
Status: Just playin’

Look, a real update. Though, the scan is really awful. I can never get my real work to be represented accurately with this damn scanner. [fist shake] But I digress.

I decided to play around with my Prismas last night. I haven’t really worked with them yet and I’m really a marker newbie, so I wanted to play. And I figured what was a better image than one I have been working on forever.

Lately, I have been playing around with markers (Shan, this is a HINT! ) and I am thoroughly enjoying them. Its a new medium for me. Though in a lot of ways, it feels very much like working with watercolour. Both in the permanency and the reverse way of laying colours down. Coming from my acrylic background, I am used to adding dark and then going light. With markers (and watercolour), its completely the other way around. So I need to rewire my brain. I am also trying to cultivate some patience.

Stop laughing.

I’ve been using some very basic markers - Faber-Castell Pitt Pens. They are decent markers (especially for working in my sketchbook), but I was looking at upgrading to a bigger, badder set - at least for finished work. I’ll probably continue to use my Fabers for sketching (though, I need to invest in a couple more colours methinks). They really are preferred for sketchbook work.

Anyway, with my notion of upgrading, I was weighing my options. Copics are way out of my league - both financially and well, I am just not at that level yet, so I can’t see spending the cash if I am unsure of myself. But apparently, the internets tells me that Prismacolor markers are a great alternative. They are cheaper than Copics, are relatively good at blending (and keeping it streak-free) and apparently are used by many in the illustration field.

Ok, the title is a huge misnomer. I have WIPs, I just can’t post ‘em here because they are Xmas presents and I know for a fact that their recipients read this damn blog.

But, man. I wish I could post them here. I am having a hoot. Yes, I said hoot. Its a pretty awesome little series of projects that make me giggle every time I work on them.  I don’t even care if my friends and/or family like the end results because I am just having such a great time working on them.

And I think I know the reason.  They are kinda outside my normal milieux, so I’m not putting the same kinda pressure on myself as I normally would with a portrait.   I mean, yeah, I wouldn’t be me if there was NO stress - there is stress - but its such a different kinda stress that its almost refreshing.

On a completely different note, I love when someone gets wind of the fact that you are an artist, they automatically assume that they can try to use your talents for their benefit and then pimp your talents to co-workers.  In this case, I have a co-worker that asked me to design some logos for a project he is working on. At the time, I agreed because I was still a newbie trying to “prove herself”. Now he is ratting me out to all my co-workers.

If I have one more person as me to “draw a little sketch” of something, I might rage and stick a pencil in their aorta.

Title: El Piece of Crappo
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: Who cares?
Status: Fucked

Believe it or not, it looks better this way.

The drawing was pissing me off. The drawing was making me unhappy. I loathed to even pick up a pencil to work on it.  I cringed every single time. I hate working that way. I don’t like being done in by a drawing over and over. It sucks and I hate it.

Some folks won’t understand why I destroyed the drawing.  But look at it this way..As the creator of that particular universe, it was completely within my rights to destroy the universe. So I did.

And ya know, it felt freaking awesome.

I’m gonna paste it into my sketchbook.

Liberation takes many forms, my friends. Many.

I bought a new toy on Friday. One of these little suckers. I know, why get an electric eraser? Does this make me a lazy ass? Well, no. Not entirely. The purpose of the eraser is for highlighting purposes mainly. You know, for hair, eyes, etc, etc. I haven’t really used it yet. Soon hopefully.

I didn’t get a chance to do any work this weekend. I am trying to g et a jump on cleaning the apartment before we move. I know, we aren’t moving until October 31st, but I don’t wanna leave all the hardcore stuff - washing walls, washing windows, washing cupboards - until the last minute when I should be worrying about other shit.

If you are interested in my move ramblings, there is more after the jump.

Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 9.5 Hours
Status: WIP

This piece is taking a long time. Longer than normal. I think I can attribute much of that to a general malaise I have been experiencing as of late. I think I am kinda blue. There’s no real reason for it - aside from regular really-real world stresses and bullshit. Just a small bout of depression, I guess.

The unfortunately side effect is that I don’t feel inclined to draw. It takes a lot to get the pencils out. And I don’t accomplish very much once I do. So my work is suffering because of it. Grr.

Hopefully I can shimmy out of this funk soon because its really starting to piss me off. Frustration is worse than depression sometimes. Especially for a control freak like yours truly.

Title: Untitled
Size: 11 x 14″
Medium: Graphite on Bristol Vellum
Time: 5.5 Hours
Status: WIP

Wow, it feels like forever since I posted anything of substance. But truth be told, I have been utterly lame with the drawing the last couple of days. Utterly lame.

Regardless, I have an actual update! I reworked a lot of the initial line drawing. I re-drew pretty much everything except her (artist’s) right eye. Though, I suspect you probably can’t tell. I’m much, much happier with the drawing. Her eyes seem to be doing what I want them to, so this pleases me. Though, the photos above are a lot darker than the original.

Tonight’s the artist reception for the show (Hm, the Continuing Ed website seems to be broken) I am currently in. Meh. I wish I could be excited about it. In fact, I kinda forgot all about it until last night. Then I found myself kind of annoyed. I just have a lot of shit going on and no time (or no energy) to do any of it. I think I would much rather be at home tonight getting crap done around the apartment that needs to get done before our pending move*. I have lists, deadlines and everything! Though, these lists and deadlines seem to imply that I am doing something other than playing Everquest or watching the 11 hours of Heroes Season 2 straight.

Ahem.

But I know that once I am there, I will probably enjoy myself. My friends whose house we will likely be renting are coming out, so it will be awesome to see them.

Plus, art is swell.

*Yes, I know we are moving in October. But shit needs to get done now because sister is not waiting for the last week of October to pack 10 years worth of crap.

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.

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.