Header

I tried to create a new header graphic for myself, in the naive type-style so much the rage now (and just about the only thing I can do that's truly "naive" - I think I'm way too set in y linework), but the layout settings kept placing it off-center, and messing with the compression of the jpeg, so, no-go. But here it is, today's attempt.

TLo, continued

TLo

Doing a header drawing for my friends' blog(s) and working off of pictures I took earlier this year. It's easy for me to get a likeness in general, but I always agonize over details and end up reworking the shit out of things. Fortunately, I've learned to let drawings take the time that they will, and stop when things get too crazed. This is a work (because it needs a lot of it) in progress.

....aaaaand Again.

Even More Mass

I have to say, that bout of depression was actually a good thing yesterday: for all the fact that I felt so meh to do things I wanted to do, I had no problems taking up things that I didn't want to do. I started going through my magazine recycling (when you have nearly 3 feet of magazines you need to go through, it's a chore, believe me. And those are just the recent ones) and I picked up on my Mass drawings again, getting a lot of progress - it's nearly done. This is just the most finished new section.

Gandy

This is a drawing I have been planning on doing, because I loved the photo it was based on. David Gandy is perhaps the hottest male model of the moment, and even before i knew his name I really liked his face. I was feeling low tonight so I was open to doing anything - all risk and reaction, no actual planning. This is turning out okay, I think. Not finished by a longshot, but an okay start.

Default

I was in the thick of designing websites yesterday, so I took a few strokes at Painer and true to form, did a profile - one of my default subjects. Didn't really want to finish it since it was really visual lip service...

The Wasp, x2

I couldn't decide between gaudy or simpler, so I went with both. Besides, when she shrinks down to wasp size, I think you'd want to see more detail in the outfit...

The Wasp

CBRunway's most recent challenge was a redesign for the character of Marvel's The Wasp. Now, this character is supposed to be a fashion designer as well (in her 'normal life'), but she's always had the worst costumes in my opinion. Fortunately, she always changes them. Her latest costume is one of my faves, so I was reluctant to redesign something I already thought was perfect, but I thought I'd go for something a little more elaborate if the 'fashion designer' in her would indulge. Had a hard time doing so, though - I kept thinking the current one hits all the right notes. This was the start from Sunday, on the croquis I previously made. It's a bit structured and 80s, and I kinda like it that way...

Bewildered

I spent all of Saturday night until around 4 am, plus a good chunk of Sunday, trying to figure out how to transfer iTunes music files form a PC to a Mac, and save a friend a possible $300 - $400 in service fees from a provider. I'm not good with PCs at all, so thank goodness for the Internet. I was able to research the details I needed, not to mention initializing a spare hard drive preceisely to transfer the files form the damaged PC I was working with. Which is all a way of saying I had no time to draw. Hence the expression.

Question:

To the people who happen upon my blog, or have been following my daily posts and/or know me/my work, I wanted to ask: how does my digital work compare to my natural media work? I barely see any difference. And has my own pencil stroke/linework changed in 10 years?

I don't know if many of you can tell I'm working on Painter or Photoshop much of the time, but below is a pencil sketch I did 10 years ago for a poster I wanted to do, and there was much reworking and gnashing of teeth to get to the final layout (although the big girl in the background was a quick (and admittedly lopsided in the eyes) study, so don't count her. And forget the late 90s fashions too. Heh.

Here's a larger version for detail:

And if you look at The Wasp croquis below, that was done entirely in Painter. Although the poses are still very similar...

Wasp Croquis

I decided to google artist Adam Hughes last night. Looking through his website, I got a feeling of dread, fearing that I'm a terrible artist as I compared myself to him (I'm sure quite a few artists and designers can relate when we see someone's work that we like, and we start to loathe our own work for not being at such a level). But going through quite a few videos on YouTube about how he draws at Comic Conventions, I realized that I don't spend enough time on my sketches like he does, and if I really devoted myself to them, I wouldn't necessarily match him (his work is awe inspiring), but I would feel more satisfied with my own work. And frankly, I was happy to see that he erased a lot - I tend to commit pretty easily to my lines and forms, although I'm no stranger to reworking a drawing either. This croquis for what was supposed to be a drawing of the Wasp for CBR, has AH hair - he has a specific way that he draws hair and unfurling fabric that is so dynamic and borders on Alphonse Mucha-esque art nouveau... although it looks weird on this really static pose.

Narcissus

I started drawing my typical 1/2 profile view face and it looked like he was looking at himself in the water, so I decided it was a drawing of the mythological character Narcissus... and then I got bored and stopped.

Unwrapped

Here is the more fully realized cover idea using a cock's head wine stopper as an FPO.

Roughs

Was designing book covers all night last night, and didn't have time to do a drawing, although I did draw/render something for a cover idea. This was a concept sketch for a ribbon arrangement I wanted to do for a cover. I guess drawing it out in Photoshop kinda counts as a drawing... I did do it all by "hand."

Font Hungry

I've been researching fonts for the past five days, because I'm designing three different projects simultaneously. I'm obsessed with the perfect letterforms, so tonight I spent a lot of time finding the right fonts for the right jobs... and I'm kinda delirious with work (not really in a good way). Hence the drawing.

Bob, Colored

I really wanted to color in yesterday's drawing, but I held back on doing full hues, just some light washes. While working on it, I really liked how she was turning out, but when I reduce or enlarge the files, the perspective/proportions seem to change bit. I seem to think she looks a little English, with slightly masculine features softened up by coloring...

Bob

I started out drawing a comic book character but erased her, and then just went with a face. I kinda like how she turned out. I thought about coloring it in more but I do like the linework.

Mass, pt.6

There's something so soothing about just doing "abstract" elements without really thinking.

Mass, pt.5

Continuing the "mysterious" Mass series....

By Myself

Yesterday was interesting, with me having to deal with personal issues on my own. This has been an interesting past several months. My friends have become all very busy with their lives, and I find myself having to live my life pretty much without the ones who used to be omnipresent in my days. Occasionally I add on new people to fill in the voids. At one point I fought this kind of change every step of the way, but now I seem just resigned to deal with it all. I still care very much for my friends, but I've stopped fighting their absences. The new friends along the way help, but I find being alone isn't such a problem either. Odd how that happens.

This is kind of a stupid, adolescent drawing.

Myself

Between work deadlines and emotional upheavals of a neurotic sort (long, sordid, story-of-my-life kind of thing involving men and self-esteem. No news there.) I was feeling a little lost yesterday. But it was a day, and like all days, they do end.

Ringlets

Watched a bit of anime tonight. There's a character of a young girl with blonde ringlets in xxxHolic Kei, and I wanted to do something stylized in that vein, but I really couldn't get there. When I draw kids they're iffy at best, and this one... well, it's not a very good drawing. Ah well. Off day, I guess.

Eye Need To Focus

I'm more than a little distracted lately. I have quite a bit of work now, all piled up together after months of planning and waiting. And now my creative energies are being split, and I find I have to reserve more for my design work... so my sketches have been little more than line doodles lately.

Being Handy

Everyone was away from the city today, what with the oppressive heat due for the next three days, and I was only to happy to be home cleaning up my desk and mentally designing the projects I have due next week.

Swashed

esterday's sketch was just begging to be swathed with a slash of color. Don't know if it's an improvement, but there you go.

Linework

While walking home today, I remembered how one of my illustration idols, Stephane Manel, has a great sense of line economy when he draws, an aesthetic very similar to illustration great Rene Gruau. I decided to go back into my sketch and try and reduce it to a very strong set of strokes. Of course, it started looking like a Seventies illustration by some bad 3rd rate designer instead of any of the fashion greats, but hey, never mind about that...! ;-)

Napkin Doodle

After nearly pulling an all-niter working on some book cover designs, I went out to lunch with my friend Rainer after a successful presentation. I took a pen out and decided to sketch on my napkin for some reason (fatigue, no doubt), and Rainer decided to add it to his collection of my silly doodles. Here's the scan. Heh.

Woohoo! Online!

Drawing Back(b)log, pt.4

This is Monday's drawing. Suffice it to say, I'm online again!

Drawing Back(b)log, pt.3

I saw an issue of French Playboy for the first time in my life last Sunday. Why have I never seen this magazine before? It's quite chic, I must say - all the models in it look like ... well, fashion models (it even had a great drawing by one of my favorite illustrators, Stephane Manel). Even the poses are tame and not so risque - they all looked like they were just more sexy fashion shoots, not unlike what you see in many indie fashion mags nowadays. This was a pose I liked from one of the French PB layouts.

Drawing Back(b)log, pt.2

I rented and finally got to watch Flushed Away on Saturday night. Can you tell?

Drawing Back(b)log, pt.1

I really felt like I had a limb missing, I was so lost without my internet connection. I think I need to get outside more.

Anyhow, this is one of the drawings I made while unable to log on. I felt the need to be a little more chipper in light of multiple distressing events that seemed to take place one after the other (DSL down, being unable to meet a design deadline without online research, one of my favorite lamps literally going up in smoke, even the building elevator conking out - I blame Mercury Retrograde), and Zenaida is always in a good mood... This was Friday's drawing, albeit a late one.