Project 365: Draw The Line

Lucien and his friend Heron

2012-01-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

Lucien and his friend Heron were given to impulsive, literally traffic-stopping fits of posing.

Imperfect Storm

2012-01-26T22:24:00.001-08:00

I drew a sketch of Storm late last night, trying to just draw what used to be a character I loved doing, and whom I could always render to my liking. But I hated the sketch - it was downright ugly. I staved off posting it last night, but kept retooling it the next day for fear of embarrassing myself. It's still not great, but I wonder if that's because I no longer care for the character (or the X-men in general) like I used to?

Wolverine Poses For An Art Class

2012-01-25T19:51:00.001-08:00

I imagine Logan went through hard times as a young man and posed for art students to earn extra money, and this is one of those long lost canvases, haha!

I don't quite know why I decided to draw Wolverine stark naked, but I kinda enjoyed doing it. I based it on a nude photo I found on the Yerrow Asian Tumblr site, but I can't remember the exact model so I can't link to the reference. Still, aside from the pose and anatomy, I changed his proportions a lot, as the original gay was leaner and lankier, while I made Wolvie's body stockier and shorter per the character. Plus I just went reeeeally rough with the pastel technique in Painter, which was really enjoyable because all I had to do was delineate braod strokes and not be careful about anything. I think it turned out okay. I added his old yellow costume on his right arm just to add a bit more context. Should I have Scott naked on a bed behind him, kind of worn-out looking? ;)

Slashy

2012-01-24T22:11:00.001-08:00

I think I was going through too many gay Tumblr pages and imbibed a cocktail of comics and gay nudity... resulting in some slashy naked Wolverine drawing. Well, I imagine, when Wolvie was young and experimenting... maybe I draw some scene involving a man behind him, and Wolvie getting up to go to the bathroom or something, haha...

Happy New Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

MeeYROAR!

Crude, Done

2012-01-23T14:16:00.001-08:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to finish more work, and this little piece has been bugging me since June 2010 when I started it. It's a reaction to the Gulf Oil spill back in early 2010, so it's over a year and a half old now, since I started it sometime in June. But I could never be satisfied with the rendering, or the style, as it was something that I just did organically. Anyhow,it's done now. I had images of sea gulls doused in crude oil, and sorta made it glam, but not quite.
I can't quite decide which version I consider the final one, so I'm posting both. This is a make-up drawing, though, as I was out late last night celebrating Chinese New Year at my friends' place for dinner.

Walk

2012-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

It's the Men's FW2012 shows in Paris right now, so the fashionable me is looking for fresh inspiration and/or confirmation of my own fashion instincts, but the illustrator in me is looking at line and form. I've always loved well-drawn walking figures, both male and female. I think it's the hardest thing to get done naturally, to make it feel like you capture just the right motion of the body, and do so in a way that looked natural and effortless. I always admired Paul Smith's ability to do so in his oh-too-short run on Uncanny X-men decades ago. And in the late 90s, I got a taste of how difficult it was to animate a walk cycle (and I wish I kept those animated pieces from that Lancaster Suncare disc I designed). So when I see a shot online where the walk just looks normal, I need to use it as a reference. This one is from a shot from NowFashion, from the Hermes FW2012 show. I changed a few details of teh man's features, but tried my best to capture the walk.

Marred

2012-01-20T22:43:00.001-08:00

Being a Virgo sucks sometimes. I cooked what was arguably a lovely 3 course meal for 5 people all by myself (albeit with a little help from some pre-packaged Trader Joe's items) but while waiting for latecomers I ended up blackening my brussels sprouts more than I should have, as I kept them in the oven way too long to keep warm. But the whole meal had some really lovely parts to it, and all I can remember is the mistake. Ugh, so critical. It's like an oterwise lovely face, and all you can see is the honking red zit in the center.

Post Mortem

2012-01-19T20:48:00.001-08:00

I thought this "Post Modern" (get it, Modern Post, Post Office? Okay, never mind) envelope would turn into a fun drawing experiment, but this super-hero outfit is just all kinds of wrong, and I doubt I can fix it (nor do I want to). So this doodle dies here and now... maybe I'll just toss it in the recycling bin.

Taking Shape Now

2012-01-18T21:56:00.001-08:00

Tuesday I went to the Man Show, a trade show that happens concurrently with Capsule, the main menswear trade show in NYC, and I visited the booth of Hope Stockholm. I'm a fan of their clothing style, as it's easy, urban and still fashion forward without being too in your face - great for everyday when you don't necessarily want to make a statement, but will appear forward to anyone in menswear who'd be in the know. Oversized tees, relaxed, carrot-fit cropped trousers and softer, almost unstructured jackets all read Easy. Dennis, one of the sales people, was wearing an outfit I just wanted to live in, head to toe. They're presenting the look for next Fall but I've already been looking for pieces and silhouettes like this since I went for more relaxed, silhouettes back in 2009 - 2010. I already have a few pieces like this, just need to round out the outfits...

edit: I just remembered I had already taken note of this silhouette earlier last year, here and here. I suppose I'm nothing if not consistent.

Turban

2012-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I look at things quickly, I fill in the blanks regarding what that image might be before I've actually seen it in full. It's just one way that inspiration comes to me, and when what I thought I saw wasn't what was in the photo,then I end up with something more original and from my imagination. I do like those occasional mind slip ups.

Ridge and his friend Heron

2012-01-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

Ridge and his friend Heron - fierce rivals in the underwear modeling scene - realize too late that they'd been double-booked.

New Year, New Meetup

2012-01-15T19:10:00.001-08:00

Our first Fashion Illustration Meetup this year featured fab/fave male model Ridge. I decided since I always feel it's a bit easier to do menswear (there are fewer iconic menswear illustrators out there in my vein, so less pressure) that I could play. And what playing translated to was using watercolors directly without any pencils - I was getting my Bil Donovan on! It translated to a chunkier style, and while I didn't finish everything to satisfaction, I did get one painting I really liked. Its funny, without the experience, I would be afraid of ruining a painting by laying down too much color, and in fact, I sort of did, when I decided to go back and shade in the nose in the profile with a bit more pigment, but it's allowing that kind of 'mistake' that I realize ow allows for a firmer understanding of the medium, and hopefully an emergent watercolor style.

Shape

2012-01-14T22:10:00.000-08:00

Trying to do a more African black man's features, but from memory. It's not quite right so I may have to get a reference.

Shape

2012-01-13T22:50:00.001-08:00

I bought an entire magazine the other day just for one editorial in it, featuring Raf Simons suits. As I was walking home I got an idea for a drawing, and this is the pre-sketch which I ended up doing today instead of yesterday because I got home reeeally late.

Ode To Manel

2012-01-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize I was channeling Stephane Manel until I was well into it. I combined my skin and hair layers then turned it off by accident, and I liked what I saw. As I continued to work in the monotone greens, I realized why I liked it: it reminded me of my Frau Napoli that hangs in my apartment. Sigh. Unconscious channeling.

Rachel Grey

2012-01-11T23:13:00.000-08:00

I decided that the face I started drawing a few days ago didn't need to become some sort of pin-up art, and perhaps it could just as easily become a comic book head shot. Inspired by the simplicity of some of the work of John Paul Leon (whose style doesn't look like this at all, mind you, but it was inspired by him nonetheless), I retooled it into Rachel Grey, whom X-men fans would know as the second Phoenix.

My digital drawings are feeling rudimentary lately, as I get used to Photoshop and acclimatize myself to the newer painting features, at the same time as I reject the non-responsiveness of my older programs which seem sluggish now in comparison.

Youkai

2012-01-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

The show, Natsume Youjin-Cho, that I've been watching a lot reminds me of Buffy in a way. The demon youkai aren't all bad just like in Buffy mythology. I got some bad news today that could actually be bad, or could prove to be nothing worth fretting over. But in the meantime, it's unknown and scary.

Post Modern

2012-01-09T20:49:00.001-08:00

I received a beautiful invitation again from a furniture gallery that recently redid their branding, and while I'm not going to the show they sent me an invitation for, I did get the idea that I can draw on the envelope they sent me and reuse it. Although I'm not quite sure what the envelope will ultimately look like, but this is the beginnings of it, which I dubbed a ninja.

Photoshop Test

2012-01-08T20:35:00.001-08:00

You know, I pride myself on knowing my programs vary well, but Photoshop 5, which I delayed upgrading to forever, is leagues different from the versions I've been using. This was a trial, and as I sketched, I loved how immediately strong the brushstrokes were, but I noticed, hey! they don't fade out! So the new Painting functions are intriguing, but I'm finding they don't have immediately accessible pressure sensitivity. I have to figure out how to make my linestrokes fade into nothing, which I'm sure can be done, I just have to find the right preference setting.

Francois and his friend Heron

2012-01-07T21:07:00.000-08:00

Francois and his friend Heron trust each other only so far as they can throw each other... which apparently, in Francois' case, is quite far indeed.

Natsume Takashi

2012-01-06T21:54:00.001-08:00

I've been watching a lot of the anime Natsume Yūjin-chō^.A friend turned me on to the series and I'm really enjoying it - there's a sense of melancholy to it that took some getting used to at first, but I really began to appreciate it after a bit. The opening and ending sequences for the second season take place in the Fall/Winter time, and the characters are shown in cold weather garb. I took a moment from watching to do tonight's sketch, and I had originally attempted to finish a watercolor fashion sketch from a session I attended last month. But I wasn't happy with following a photograph that wasn't even in the same view so after a few more strokes, I figured it was done. That sketch is below.

One thing that the instructor/moderator of the session had told me was perhaps I should consider painting directly without initially doing pencils, so with the image of Natsume in mind, I tried to paint the main character, in my own (non-anime) style. I rather like what happened: I layered really light tones first to lay the foundation of the face and body, then slowly built it up with depth and detail. It's still somewhat tentative, but because I went in without any preconceived notions of what I should really do, it turned out rather nicely, I think. Natsume himself looks like some real boy - I gave him a very particular mouth with upturned corners that I've been favoring lately. I may have to do more of these exercises.

Oh, and having good paper helps.

OMG

2012-01-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

I have been MISSING OUT!! I just got CS5.5 in the mail today, and the latest version of Photoshop is SO responsive, I'm kind of completely taken aback! Just the tools and how quickly they paint... I've barely scratched the surface, but I think this is gonna be a reeeeaally good thing that I upgraded. Even this (ugly) trial sketch just happened so quickly, it was so.damn. FAST.

Joyful New Year

2012-01-04T22:49:00.001-08:00

I thought it was appropriate to do a Zenaida for 2012. She's as much a cipher for me as anything, and she's always happy, which is what I would love the New Year to be.

Clean Face

2012-01-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I was looking at my friend Stephane Manel's work, including the piece of his that I own and have hanging on my wall. What's interesting is how, without thinking of it hours later, I got a strong image in my mind that, after I started sketching it, I realize was inspired by his Frau Roma piece that I love so much, and by his clean, heavy brushwork. While the eyes of this face are mine, the lips are definitely inspired by Manel. It's funny how that works, subconsciously.

My other thought is how fun it is to draw a face you never saw, and to have it form before your very eyes. I don't like copying faces for my original artwork - if I use a reference, then in my head it's not really my work completely, unless I composed a pose first then sought out similar references to flesh it out later. But when one draws spontaneously, and sees how one line affects the next and the next until something forms that you like, it's soooo satisfying. It feels mine.

Even if I can point out where I was influenced. ;)

Baked

2012-01-02T23:54:00.001-08:00

You know, I often say that I only have enough creative energy in me for a finite amount of effort, and after spending the day baking yet again, I found I had no energy to draw. Of course, I could still be in the throes of a post-holiday letdown. Hopefully I'll feel inspired to do better illustration soon. This one started out as a costume design sketch that later just got left half baked, possibly because I spent the evening baking.

But hey, at least I'm still drawing everyday - and I didn't celebrate it, but January 1st marks the 5th year of this blog! Can you imagine? I've posted an entry for every day of the past 5 years! I don't know many (if any!) blogs that can say that. Granted, it's not always quality work, but I daresay I've had some nice pieces over the past 5 years.

Anyone following this, I'd love to hear back about what you may want me to draw. Sometimes it's more fun to do what other people want to see. Can't promise I'll get to all requests, but some of them might be interesting challenges!

Crude 5

2012-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

One of my resolutions is to finish more drawings - I have quite a few images and series in my head, and some already started, that really need to be tackled and dealt with. This Crude drawing is a one-off, but I am unhappy with the shading, which is based on arbitrary lighting which I have no reference for. Also, I wasn't happy with the shoulder and arms, especially after seeing Karlie Kloss' amazingly fashion-illustration-like form! So this was the first I tackled this 1st of the year... although it's not done, I do believe I made some headway!

Last Sketch of the Year

2011-12-31T18:11:00.001-08:00

Since I was heading over to a friend's place at 9:30 to celebrate New Year's Eve, I knew I wouldn't be able to get any sketching in before 2012. I had originally planned on drawing while at the party, but on the subway train I decided todo something I've always wanted to do, but never have: I sketched people on the train. The woman sitting in front of me had interesting boots, so I sketched that. However, I was on the Express train, so I didn't really get much drawing time in. Still, it's something new for me, so that's a nice way to end the year. Here's to more drawings in 2012! That's actually my New Year's Resolution: to finish more drawings. Obviously, this unfinished sketch doesn't count, but hey, that's SO last year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Tessa, Page 5 done

2011-12-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

Finally! One full new page after over 24 years! And it doesn't even look good! Haha!

Geez, I didn't redraw it, merely drew what was there, but still... I'm a rubbish inker.

Tessa, Page 5

2011-12-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

This over-20-year-old comic strip will get inked and finished before I die, I swear!

I think part of the problem is no matter how much I think otherwise, I try to 'respect' the old pencils, but they're actually only breakdowns and should be redrawn extensively! Ah, still, I don't want it to change too much, as there's an honesty to this old story that was so true of me and my work at the time.

Also, soooo stupid! haha!

For those of you wondering what this is from, old school X-men fans may recall when Sage used to be called Tessa. My friends and I thought up a silly origin story here. And if you're a reaally old X-men fan, you'll know that this page is in homage to this layout by Dave Cockrum, from Uncanny X-men issue#94. :)

Violet Face

2011-12-28T20:52:00.001-08:00

I just opened up yesterday's sketch and drew on the background, directly, not doing things on a layer as I normally do. It affected the color and made for all sorts of brush strokes, which I have to say shook things up a bit despite my drawing yet another 3/4 view face. Must remember to take more chances...

Owch

2011-12-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

And I still don't want to draw, but this time because my wrists are hurting. Ugh, what did I do at the gym??

Anyhow, this is a drawing with no erasing. Any mistakes - and there are lots- I just left in and tried to salvage by adding newer lines. Hah, didn't really work...

Oh, I know why my wrist hurts - aside from all the drawing, I was baking today, and creaming the damn butter by hand. Guess I'm not used to that action...

Break

2011-12-26T20:19:00.001-08:00

I thought that I really should take a break, especially after 12 days of intensive Heron sketching. Between the planning and the rendering it was a great exercise for me, because I had deadlines I had to respect and no room for error. But after 12 days, I didn't want to draw anything digitally, so I rented a movie (the last Harry Potter) and while watching some of the characters online (the Dementors) got the idea to draw fabric unfurling. So I just picked up a pen and whatever paper was lying around, and doodled.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 12

2011-12-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
Twelve drawings done
of
Eleven pepper sprayings,
Ten cats a-leaping,
Nine Ladies Gaga,
Eight ‘wives a-MILF-ing,
Seven spams a-shilling,
Six geeks cosplaying,
FIve old links,
Four Angry Birds,
Three friends’ friends,
Two turtlenecks
and a Heron
in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 11

2011-12-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
Eleven pepper sprayings
Ten cats a-leaving,
Nine Ladies going,
Eight ‘wives stampeding,
Seven spams deleting,
Six geeks away-ing,
FIve broken links,
Four migrating Birds,
Three unfriends,
Two ripped turtlenecks
and a Heron nowhere to be seen.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 10

2011-12-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

On the tenth day of Christmas my browser brought to me
Ten cats a-leaping,
Nine Ladies Gaga,
Eight ‘wives a-MILF-ing,
Seven spams a-shilling,
Six geeks cosplaying,
FIve old links...
Four Angry Birds,
Three friends’ friends,
Two turtlenecks,
and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 9

2011-12-22T20:01:00.001-08:00

On the ninth day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
Nine ladies Gaga,
Eight ‘wives a-MILF-ing,
Seven spams a-shilling,
Six geeks cosplaying,
Five old links,
Four Angry Birds,
Three friends’ friends,
Two turtlenecks,
and a Heron in my News Feed

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 8

2011-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

On the eighth day of Christmas my browser brought to me
Eight 'wives a-MILF-ing,
Seven spams a-shilling,
Six geeks cosplaying,
Five old links....
Four Angry Birds,
Three friends' friends,
Two turtlenecks,
And a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 7

2011-12-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

On the seventh day of Christmas my browser brought to me
Seven spams a-shilling
Six geeks cosplaying
5 Old Links
4 Angry Birds
3 friend's friends
2 turtlenecks
and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 6

2011-12-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

On the sixth day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
Six geeks cosplaying,
Five old links...
Four Angry Birds,
Three friends’ friends,
Two turtlenecks
and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 5

2011-12-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

On the fifth day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
5 old links
4 Angry Birds
3 friends' friends
Two turtlenecks
and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 4

2011-12-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

On the fourth day of Christmas my browser brought to me
Four Angry Birds, Three friends' friends, Two turtlenecks and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 3

2011-12-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

On the third day of Christmas, my browser brought to me, Three friends' friends, Two turtlenecks and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, Part 2

2011-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

On the second day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
Two turtlenecks and a Heron in my News Feed.

The Twelve Days of Heron, part 1

2011-12-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas, my browser brought to me
A Heron in my New Feed.

Gym Guy: Bazooka Joe, Done

2011-12-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

I made niggling little changes to his face then changed it all back, but I did get to base the colors of his gym garb on the actual things he wears since he posted a workout shot on Facebook. So voila, Bazooka Joe is done... a scant two days before his birthday! Hoep he likes it... and that it looks like him to all his friends and fam.

The Harsh Cold Voice of the White Queen

2011-12-12T21:31:00.001-08:00

This is a page from my now (gasp!) 24 year old comic strip that I never finished! Egads, I really should get a move on it shouldn't it? Well, I inked a new page 'panel' today. Will this ever be finished??? In my head I keep holding out for a time when I can do it right, but done is better than perfect, methinks. Plus, at 24 years of age, it's not like anyone really cares except me... oboy, better get a move on.

Gym Guy: Bazooka Joe, 3

2011-12-11T21:10:00.001-08:00

I think this is done for now, until I run into him again at the gym. Haven't seen my buddy all weekend.

Robbie and his friend Heron

2011-12-10T23:22:00.001-08:00

Robbie and his friend Heron's 'friendly' game of volleyball got a tad more competitive...

Danielle and her friend Heron

2011-12-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

Danielle and her friend Heron finally confirmed that they were neither shrunken down nor trapped in a giant pinball machine.

Gym Guy: My Trainer Totoro

2011-12-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

There's a trainer at my gym who's a bit portly (yeah, what's up with that and being a trainer?) but is extremely friendly, and I can never remember his name. Also, he has a strangely blank expression to his eyes that remind me of the Keeper of the Forest Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro."

Gym Guy: Smelly Santa 2

2011-12-08T20:09:00.001-08:00

He never wears anything else at the gym, so the white part of his tank top I need to make sure is that special shade of yellowish gray that it's evolved into.

Gym Guy: Bazooka Joe, 2

2011-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping my friend doesn't visit the blog anytime soon, as it would spoil the surprise! I think it's coming along nicely. I'd have finished it tonight but I blame Mercury Retrograde for making all the PDF files I sent out yesterday somehow wrong because no one really gave me specs. Ugh.

Gym Guy: Bazooka Joe

2011-12-06T21:57:00.001-08:00

This is a makeup drawing from last night, as I was feeling a bit too malaised to draw. This is my friend from the gym, who asked me to do Smelly Santa. Throughout the first series of Gym Guy sketches I started thinking I knew how to do him too, and I mentioned it to him the other day and now he's fixated on getting one. I had a couple of ideas how to toon up his features, and I'm happy to report that this initial stab looks a bit like him to me, and now I just need to refine it and hopefully it will look like him to him and his friends. And as for the nickname, while he may not be sporting an eyepatch, did you see those guns on his arms? Yeah, major firearms on that one.

Space Face

2011-12-05T19:42:00.001-08:00

I'm way too sick. How the heck did I catch another cold? Ugh. Anyhow, I didn't want to do a digital sketch so instead I took out an old sketch pad and worked on a previous drawing I had started while watching old episodes of Battlestar Galactica. I think I'm too sick to be multitasking, as I was trying to answer emails as well as read newsletters, and my memory was so taxed I stared at a photo of my favorite model and couldn't remember that his name was Sean O'Pry. Jeez, I hope I don't have Alzheimers...

Anyhow, this was the sketch I (halfheartedly) drew while watching my space drama.

Gym Guy: Smelly Santa

2011-12-04T21:48:00.001-08:00

I didn't name him! My gym friend Marc insisted that I sketch this older man who goes to our gym always clad in the exact same outfit, with his wild white beard and reportedly pungent odor. I personally haven't been near enough to sniff him, but he's certainly unmistakeably memorable.

Hmm, this might be a good candidate as an Illustrator exercise...

Novice Again

2011-12-03T22:25:00.001-08:00

I attended a really eye-opening Illustrator CS5 tutorial geared toward fashion illustrators earlier today. The features that the instructor put to use were really inspiring, and the fact that the program's a lot more user-friendly and less vector-looking than before made me really consider using Illustrator as a drawing tool. It seems like I could get a lot of the more graphic effects I work hard to achieve in Photoshop, with the added benefit of now being able to draw more naturally because of all the new brushes and features.

Well, I don't have CS5 yet, but I did have CS3. Sketching freehand, I didn't do too badly for the amount of effort I put in, but it's certainly not indicative of my personal illustration style (okay, frankly, it's ugly). It kinda looks like all those awful renderings that lower end retailers and magazines try to pass off as 'fashion illustrations'. I have a ways to go before I can recreate what I want in this program, but might as well start somewhere, eh? It never seemed possible before today, but I'm hoping I'll get into it.

This was an outfit I was wearing today to a party, btw. Hey, draw what you know...

Crude 4

2011-12-02T22:13:00.001-08:00

Back to my "Crude" drawing. I had a hard time deciding how to position and now how to render the hair, which should look like it's been dipped in petroleum, but fortunately I made some headway and now I'm just going back into the sketch and refining the shading as well as the edges. it's a bit labor-intensive, but if I'm on the phone chatting with a friend, it's a great way to doodle mindlessly and still get some work done! This still has a ways to go as some of the rendering is sharper and more graphical, while the versions I prefer have been blurred someone in the transition between highlights and shadow. Guess I have to go over the sketch again with the Blur tool...

Bear Witness

2011-12-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

Bears are cute. Sometimes deadly, but cute.

It Iz: Color Study

2011-11-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd try mapping out the colors I saw in my head before I attempted to paint it. I don't think it will be quite so starkly simple, but I could always end up botching it, so a bit or practice shouldn't hurt. I think, even if I painted it without referring to the photo I took, it somewhat resembles him.

It Iz

2011-11-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

This is a pencil outline sketch of Izzy, who I'm doing a watercolor portrait of, from an idea of an image that popped into my head, and a photo shoot we did on Monday. It's not much now because once I paint it, I'll have to finish it (watercolors are best finished while they're wet).

Jean Grey In Modified Technique

2011-11-28T21:43:00.001-08:00

While trying to emulate other younger artists styles, I'm finding I'm not liking the results. I'm not trying to change my own style, just trying out another for a change to see if there's anything I'm missing. Kinda not from this trial, but who knows... I think it's too heavy to do digitally. Maybe in natural watercolor...?

Crude 3

2011-11-27T19:47:00.001-08:00

I can't believe I'm working on three separate pieces all at once... with a firm idea where each should go. Add to it the fact that I'm also finishing a poster layout and my website, I'm wondering where all this creative energy is coming from...? It's curious for me, even if I often multitask like this with other things. But I suppose the fact that this drawing is a really old one, but still worth finishing up (especially since it's nearly done).

Jean Grey in (Modified) Carven

2011-11-26T22:24:00.001-08:00

I posted a blog entry about my current favorite women's fashion brand, Carven, and I decided that it would be fun to draw an X-man in one of the frocks. This is a modified one because the draping reminded me of Phoenix's sash, but I wanted it to look a bit more like her costume bu adding the ends of her sash to the draping. And it's obviously unfinished...

Newer Looks

2011-11-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

Looking around, I find that younger artists are drawing an ideal of beauty that's different from the one I grew up drawing. It's interesting to realize when you see a lot of it and can channel it, and as a result see how different it is from your own style. Thinner lips, painted color around the nose(a concept that's completely foreign to me, since I grew up drawing starker, made-up faces), languid, more casual poses. No wonder I sometimes feel my own work can seem dated...

Hares More!

2011-11-24T22:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I'll refine the linework on these hares, but you'll get the idea once you see the final composition.

Hare Again 2

2011-11-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

Guess I'm going at it piecemeal, but I'm hoping the end result will be fun. Longtime readers know I like to hold off on a reveal.

Hare Again

2011-11-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

I decided to do some more of my hares from my upcoming piece. While I'm using references, at some point I'll be drawing them freehand without needing to look at photos.

FDA Approved

2011-11-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

Who knew my prescriptions would have such a psychotropic side effect on me? Well, last night, I found out. Melting into the plants, shifting perceptions, wave upon wave of varying degrees of consciousness? Psychotropic? Yeah, check.

Crude 2

2011-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to rework the drawing but a hair configuration JUST isn't coming! Oh well, the color scheme is easy enough...

Crude

2011-11-19T22:29:00.001-08:00

I came home at past 1 am after watching a movie at my friend Kevin's place, and for some reason I got the feeling to revisit this old piece that I never finished. I sorta wanted it to look like a velvet painting, but I'm having issues with the rendering style. Fortunately, having spent time away from it, I'm no longer as invested in the strokes I had previously placed, and can rework it with impunity.

Tesa and her friend Heron

2011-11-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

Tesa and her friend Heron think two's company, trees are a photo op.

Hare Today, Gone Today

2011-11-17T21:42:00.001-08:00

I was working on the Hares drawing when, after a ton of progress on one particular bunny, my application suddenly crashed on me, losing all the changes. So it was gone, and in my frustration, I just began doodling haphazardly...

Suitable

2011-11-16T22:17:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine was asking for advise on what to wear for a dinner event he's attending, so I proffered a simple outfit based on a suit he had planned on using. Since he's had issues with having to shave his head recently, we were discussing headwear options, and I didn't feel a fedora would be apropos for a dinner, but perhaps a loose beanie might be edgy without being obtrusive.

Hares

2011-11-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a new sketch series that I just thought of today. This is the beginnings of a layout I'm working on.

Out Of The Blue

2011-11-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

My fingers have been unusually stiff lately, and as a result, I've been hard-pressed to draw anything. This is a makeup sketch for last night. I was going for a red-and-blue-ballpoint-pen-on-colored-paper feel. I feel like I inadvertently channeled a couple of illustrators who I looked at recently. I thought I was being all original by the way I was rendering this face, until I realized after going back to those selfsame illustrators' work that I channeled them without even realizing it. I feel like an out-of-control mynah bird.

Haphazard

2011-11-13T22:02:00.001-08:00

I got into an argument that I had no desire to get into, and I was drawing this at the time. It's funny: I lost my ability to draw anything confidently. Lines wouldn't form right or sit well, and I kept redoing it haphazardly, distracted. It was an interesting exercise in how emotion affects my drawing ability.

Ow!

2011-11-12T21:35:00.001-08:00

One of the things I hate about colds/flus are the aches and pains that come with it. I've been getting mine on my arms and legs lately, and I was trying to see if there's a pattern, so I drew up a map.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

I wanted to draw something significant for 11.11.11, but to be honest, I was feeling rather unhappy and kinda useless today. I always get that way when I'm sick, and I hate taking drugs so my prescription was adding to my drama, and I was going to just do something prosaic. But I've been thinking about finishing this painting that I started in the early/mid 90s. I've been thinking of finishing up a lot of loose ends lately, and this was one of them, as you could see by my previous glove studies. Well, after doing a couple more studies today, I looked at the watercolor sheet and just put down paint. Granted, it's not a great rendering of leather gloves, but in my defense, I think by looking at this painting I never knew how to paint leather anyhow (at least, not in watercolor). But after over a decade, quite possibly nearly 2 decades, it's nice to finally sign this piece off as done. Do I like it? Well, originally it was supposed to be a fierce 90s era woman, but frankly, it looks like a drag queen. Although like a lot of drag queens, at least her makeup is flawless.

Glovely

2011-11-10T20:45:00.001-08:00

Spent even more time trying to figure out if I should finish this over-a-decade old painting, trying my watercolors out on different sheets. I realize the original painting was done on a watercolor sheet that resulted in a different effect. Also that the paints I was using might not match the old, dried version. Ugh...

Blue In The Face

2011-11-09T21:35:00.001-08:00

I wasn't thinking of doing anything for tonight since I've recovering from what appears to be a bad cold, but as I got sketching, the lines fell into place. I now have a base for a possible future finished piece. Or, of course, it could just end here.

Nicole, her co-workers and her friend Heron

2011-11-08T21:22:00.001-08:00

Nicole, her co-workers and her friend Heron appear to have become quite addicted to homemade cigars.

Hands Job

2011-11-07T21:59:00.001-08:00

I have a painting that I haven't finished painting in over a decade, and I really want to finish it up. All I have left to do are a pair of gloved hands. But before I attempt it, I'm going to need to practive my watercolor and make sure I can match my old style from over a decade ago..

Less Is More Woman

2011-11-06T21:20:00.001-08:00

And here I thought I couldn't find any more ways to draw Zenaida. This reminds me of Leroy Neiman's Playboy Femlin. But, you know, zaftig.

The Penis of Willendorf

2011-11-05T21:11:00.001-07:00

So that's the idea. I came up with the pun on my own when an attendee remarked on a statue at Charles Lahti's studio, saying it reminded her of the Venus of Willendorf, except more phallic. I chimed it, "The Penis of Willendorf?"

I actually googled and found a couple of people had already done their own versions, one a sculpture and another some rough drawings. I personally like mine. And I also find it gross. But I wanted the saggy, overly voluptuous quality of the original Venus (who is incindentally also the inspiration for my character Zenaida).

Of course now that I've made it, what do I do with it??

P. of W., 2

2011-11-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's looking disguuuuusting, haha!

P. of W.

2011-11-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

A sculpture at a friend of a friend's gallery opening inspired a pun that I decided should become a drawing. And since I wanted to do it in a graphite rendering, this is an initial shot of the beginnings of the drawing. I'll get to the full reveal when it's done (which hopefully would be soon, as I can't see this taking too long).

11.02.2011

2011-11-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hairstyles uploaded on to Facebook and three pills - one orange and 2 blue - inspired the hairstyle and colors for this quick sketch tonight, done on the other palindrome date this month!

Moody Maiden

2011-11-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Oli told me how much he liked the charcoal Zenaida drawing I have in my apartment, and I thought to myself that I haven't done anything quite so dense since (of Zenaida, that is). So here's my (digital) chalk pastel version of her, a bit moody and sultry, if you ask me.

Rory and her friend Heron

2011-10-31T20:14:00.001-07:00

Rory and her friend Heron have that special glow about them.

Striking Poses

2011-10-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

I had a photoshoot this evening with a professional ballet dancer/ choreographer who's in town to receive an award, so in preparation, I sketched out some pose ideas I wanted him to strike for my next illustration series. These are a few of the gestures. I totally feel these are throwaway sketches, but it was nice of my model to note how much he liked the movement I was able to capture, even down to how the toes are pointed. Coming from a lauded principal dancer, I'll take the compliment!

Moosetaches

2011-10-29T19:31:00.001-07:00

A friend of a friend asked if I would draw him a mustache, but didn't specify the what or the why. So I did three... then promptly got lost in watching anime. Not the most scintillating entry, for sure, but...
edit: they sent a reference to the wrong email addy, so I quickly adjusted this morning and rendered the very barbershop 1920s moustache. On a moose.

Hanna

2011-10-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

I went over to my friend Kevin's place earlier this evening to watch the dvd of "Hanna," a movie I had wanted to see earlier this year but didn't get around to (probably because of fear of bedbugs. There were moviehouse infestations this past year). It was a great movie, and I was especially impressed with the art direction and cinematography, but the movie overall was very well done. Hanna was played by a young actress named Saoirse Ronan, and she was excellent. She had a very blonde, Nordic look to her, and even her costumes in the movie played up her coloring. I took note of how her blonde hair and pale skin looked against the almost lilac sweats she wore at one point.

P.Is For Pastels

2011-10-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

The photo I'm working from was an indoor night shot, so there were a lot of blacks and deep tones. I went with that in my initial stages for this portrait, but as I move toward finishing it as a composed illustration with my own added visual flourishes, I'm finding I'm responding more to a lighter background. I experimented a lot with the canvas as well, changing the positioning of the piece to a more centered layout, and I think it's working more for me.

Are you sick of this portrait yet?

P. Is For Peach

2011-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

I made some progress with the facial details, so I started getting into stylizing the secondary details like the hair and the clothing. As I reduced the colors and linework, I decided that peach was a good color for this palette, because my friend's pale skin tone determined a very blue-pink palette, and the teals and violets I used to offset all that worked well with the peach. I do hope he likes it when it's done. He needs cheering up.

P. Is For Painterly

2011-10-25T22:57:00.001-07:00

I'm enjoying the process of eliminating the lines and painting in dabs of color instead. It's very much like my pastel style, albeit without all the mess since it's all digital in Painter. I'm at the point where I think it really looks like my friend, but I know that at some point it will become so close that every little detail will stick out like a supernova, and I'll think it doesn't look like him at all. Ah, I kinda know my process, don't I?

edit: By the way, this entry is a milestone of sorts: it's the 1600th blog entry/illustration for Draw 365. How crazy is that??

Injuries

2011-10-24T23:01:00.001-07:00

I can barely work tonight. For some reason, my right wrist is aching with what I can only imagine is carpal tunnel syndrome (which is weird since I wasn't working all evening) while my left thumb has a painful black bruise underneath the nail from trying to open a deodorant stick, of all things.

Natural Digital Hybrid

2011-10-24T00:32:00.001-07:00

The Fashion Meetup group I sometimes take part in post work to the group page after, and I find a lot of the better illustrations take place at home, when the artists have had some time to rework the poses they drew digitally. I was always of the mind to keep the results of a live session at those results, but that might just be the Virgo in me. Here I tried cleaning up my favorite illo from the last session in Photoshop, and finishing out the colors the way I thought I might had I had time. Not quite changing things around, but painting a little more, this time with Photoshop brushes, just in the suit. I don't know if this counts as a sketch entry though.

Charlene and her friend Heron

2011-10-22T19:52:00.001-07:00

Charlene and her friend Heron were blissfully unaware of how traumatic brain freeze is for herons... until it was too late.

Bear With Me

2011-10-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Greg made the most delightful paper bear mask in anticipation of Halloween and modeled it for us yesterday before we went out for dinner last night. Greg is one of the owners of the fabled paper store Kate's Paperie here in New York City, and his paper crafting is proof he's in the right biz!