This is the first session that I have been able to attend in... Three Weeks??? Hokey Smokes! Ok, some work stuff and then the creeping crud set me back a spell. The model was grand and we had a couple of new faces which is always good. Lacey Lewis always has a good place to pull up your drawing board for a spell. The Title of this post will take you to the Red Door Sketch group page for info if you want to stop by and attend. Thanks Lacey for all your work for running this opportunity.
went up north to Maine for some business. Brought the sketchbook since I didn't know how long I could be stuck in the airports, or what nighttime tv would be like. Glad I brought it. some of the better results are here.
it was just one of those nights... a really different model, really different lighting, a full moon, and this is the result. A good night.
This is the second attempt at the Red Skull. He was my first attempt at this topic, and it ended in a massive failure. So, I worked up Grodd to be safe. After that, I had a dose of confidence and so I took another swing. This is the result. I am much happier.
Evil Genius is the topic for Drawergeeks... what fun. I had to do Grodd. Make mine a banana dakari... and all hail the big guy, just don't be throwin' no poop.
After meeting with a couple of Art Directors during the Illuxcon 2009 show, I got a bee in my bonnet to rework the Lost Girl illustration to incorporate their suggestions. Now it looks finished. Thanks Jon and Ben for your advise. I appreciate it very much.
Red Door drawing Group. I dug out some old paper... fought with it a bit due to it's low brightness and intense saturated color, but had fun with the group. A good turn out. Join the fun on Saturday nights.
After absorbing the conversations that I had at ILLUXCON2 during the Thursday and Friday sessions, on Saturday I decided to apply what I took away from a couple of the artists that reviewed my work and offered what opinions that they had. One artist, Justin Gerard, a fantastic artist and delightful speaker offered up a comment that I take my work to the next level. REALLY finish it out. A full cast of characters, every bit of setting that needs to be there, don't skimp. This way, I get a taste at what level I consistently need to produce, and when I produce at this level on a regular basis... how do I feel about it? IS it something that I love and can't get enough of? Is it something that I like, or is it something that was a "grass is greener" scenario? We will soon find the answer.
Note to artists out there: if you have an opportunity to go to a Comic book convention, an Illustration convention, a Gaming Convention, and you come home really inspired and ready to work... don't be surprised if as you are working on the plane or in the airport on creepy drawings if you don't get a couple of whispers and pointings directed your way... and not all in a good way. In the land of "Heightened Airport Security" leaving your illustrator unattended and unsupervised can get themselves, shall we say, um.... noticed? No body cavity search, but just about everything else.
ILLUXCON sketch: 4am Friday morning. Lee Ann is still asleep, So I pad off to the bathroom and close the door. I sit on the floor on some towels and bring in my drawing book and some pencils that I grabbed in the dark. CRAP! blue pencils... I knew I should have never packed the blue ones. Oh well, I start working a doodle up that turns into a bit of a sketch for me to begin to think about a scratchboard illustration for Jon's Challenge for Hurakan. I filed through all of my father's Machu Pichu/Equador/Peru/Galopagos Islands photo shoots to look at wildlife, surroundings, things like that. Jon once asked of someone, "what does a bad weather animal look like? And what did one look like to the Mayan's?" So I thought, Ocean, and looked at all the galapagos animals... most of which are way too cute for words. Iguana's arent too bad but they look like dinosaurs... Sea turtles just look like that tootsie roll turtle; "Ask Mr. Owl, I never made it without biting." So I went with a dinosaur looking (protosceratops) and a turtle (snapping, hey Don't give me any lip out there...), but had it arive down from the eye of the storms like out of dimensional rift. I am considering working it up in the scratchboard technique that got such strong comments... but with a wrap around format, of course.
Red Door Studio Drawing Group night moved to Saturday nights. For the first time since it started, I wasn't late. It is good to get out there and reconnect with others, to reconnect with drawing, and to get away from the TV. I have actually seen an improvement since I have started going... and seen an improvement in the Wednesday Noon sketch group drawings as well. Little tiny steps forward, but when I look over time at the drawings and doodles, it shows. It always does.
Frankenstein for Drawergeeks, for some training, for some learning, you name it.This is the file that launched a thousand projects. From demos in CS4, to working in Poser again, to really getting off my but and doing some more involved work.
Drawergeeks: Topic, Where the Wild Things Are. I Couldn't pass up the opportunity, what with the baseball playoffs and a Drawergeek topic to honor the great Mr. Sendak. He is one of the reasons that I draw today. His pen and ink work is most inspiring. (Although, personally, I still love In the Night Kitchen best.)
I haven't participated in Drawergeeks for a while... in 2 weeks Where the Wild Things Are is the topic due. This will align with the Movie release. Can't wait to see that. So, here is the sketch that I will hopefully be able to render out for a finish in time. I would think that this would bring out a lot of submissions, being such an iconic book.
Wednesday night sketch group. A long pose, but I chose a series of shorter drawings. I don't have the command or the eye to yet attempt a long pose successfully. Too much to learn. To much to know what not to draw in. Filtering out what I think I see verses what I actually see is a challenge.
sometimes a doodling becomes a bad habit. While Lee Ann was napping, I found myself doodling on whatever I could find. (I didn't take my sketchbook stuff with me). So, Thank you Chase Plaza and their envelopes. Normally I wouldn't post something like this... but it just goes to prove a point. Draw! Whenever, wherever. It doesn't have to be on a fancy book, as long as it's yours, and nobody will be upset if you draw on it. That last part is a biggie. But, how many episodes of dancing like a fifth grader can we all take?
been working on the squirrel story again. Had some time and did a quick character study of the main character for focus. Now I need to really focus on the Mother figure.
These are some of the quicker drawings from the first session of the RED DOOR STUDIO Drawing Group. They meet on Wednesday Evenings from 6pm- 9pm and for $10.00 a session for a great live model, how could I resist. It's a good group that will
Ok, so sometimes the simple way out is the best way out. I was looking for validation from one of my trusted inside critics... and got a "hmmmm" about the color piece. When I showed the halftoned version, that individual felt that the color was not adding anything to the story. In fact it was detracting. I have trouble, because I love black and white illustration. There is a drama, a raw drawing construction that I never get tired of. But I was fearing that my bias was taking over. With a second vote to confirm, I will stay with the black and white version. I feel better now... don't you?
Snow monkey
been away... teaching myself dreamweaver, then have been attempting to build a site for myself and Lee Ann, over half way there on both. What a task that is. Started a new piece... had to piece it together scan wise... the baby scanner at the house is too small for this piece. But when it's finished, I will have digital lab take good care of it.
Indigo-Man:
