Haven’t felt well since I got home. Turned out I had the flu and a sinus infection! So I didn’t get to go to work, but still managed to draw a little. I feel like I’ve found my style when it comes to using markers and that makes me really happy. Even my inanimate objects are taking on a certain look
See?
I’m not sure why, but I took a little time to visit family down south. It’s not a regular habit; I’m there maybe twice a year. This trip though seemed… fun.
So this picture is of a particularly fabulous cosplayer named mazikeen mornstar. If you ever read Vertigo’s “Lucifer” series, you’ll get it. She was EXTREMELY happy about it.
I usually get two or three people asking me to do this for them. Honestly I have to be motivated as well, so it rarely happens.
But this time I’m glad I did, because her reaction made it worthwhile. Again, I don’t do it often, but I think now I’ll offer it more freely.
Because the character has one side of her face ruined, I kept the theme. It was risky because you never know how some people will take something like that. She was a real trooper! Next time, let’s REALLY push the envelope….
Just having a little fun with a friend who was tired of getting hit on. Had to pretend to be her guy and the jerk demanded we kiss! So I offered to kiss him in the mouth with my fist. Nuff said…he left.
I don’t remember being that clueless and desperate when I was younger. Of course I AM me, lol…
Slowly starting to find my target market for my art. Much like a Google search, it required me to wade past all the porn first.
I pretty much get all the usual requests; my girlfriend naked, movie star naked, cosplay/fictional character naked, etc. There’s only one problem…
…I almost never see women walking around naked daily.
Weird, huh?
Now ladies I will give guys this: yoga pants and spandex (A.) aren’t clothing and (B.) leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. I feel comfortable in my underwear too. But I don’t wear them in public…
Having said that, I find myself drawing a lot of physically fit women. So I’ve decided to draw them the way they look working out.
It’s not an empowerment choice as much as it is me personally not wanting to be that guy who can only draw pin ups.
I want to draw anything I want and have my patrons believe I can. Otherwise I get to be one more in a sea of tna artists. That doesn’t sound like growth to me. Do what you love, sure. But who says love is supposed to be stagnant?
I sold this picture while working on it, riding the train! Isn’t that crazy? The lady in the seat directly behind me watched me create it and asked if she could purchase it. I was so happy!
Now I’m not so sure it was the right thing to do.
She could have easily had me create a commission piece. This was an attempt at speed work. So it has flaws. But if she enjoyed it, that shouldn’t matter, right?
Right?
I had to lie to my mom yesterday. I won’t bore you with the details. The gist of what I told her was that I’m fine.
It’s kind of true though. I’m as well as a person who has had a piece of their soul forcibly torn off can be. Perfectly functional.
Except when I’m not.
It was during a “not” period that I found myself watching Kill Bill vol1 and becoming interested in the character Gogo Yubarai. Something about her violently teetering on the brink of madness made her incredibly desirable to me. So I decided to draw her.
I have to admit, I am becoming a lot better at rendering hair in this format. I wish that were a uniform thing but alas, it’s not. Oh well…
In the end I placed the silhouette of Beatrice behind her. Why? She represents her passage from madness to true release. Her own angel of Death to the lands beyond, where what was lost can truly be forgotten.
Rough week.
Man it’s been plenty cold this week. I’ve been living on the road, working. Hotel time is drawing time, so I decided to do something to remind me of warmer climes.
I’m getting better at drawing bodies at off angles. Practice helps, right?
Again I use a three color process to set up my images. It helps me see what I have in mind and brings it out.
There! Now I feel a little bit better. Sorry I didn’t write a whole lot about it, since I’m working offsite this week. Too bad I can’t be in Miami!
I have a dilemma. On the one hand, I find myself seeking out other artists. Learning different techniques and developing friendships is my goal. So far a lot of the individual artists are very supportive.
On the other hand, I was pretty much raised to be a warrior. That’s no exaggeration; I’m a 3rd generation soldier. Ever since I was little I was Cub scout leader, boy scout leader and so on in my military career. Now I work with federal law enforcement. So what’s the problem?
Most of the actual community functions like high school and I’m not overly concerned with the popular clique. I’m more into the results. For once I find myself staying on the periphery, wondering why I’m there.
I don’t like most artists, but I love their work.
It’s like finding your people after a lifetime of searching and realizing you don’t belong with them. And it’s not their fault; you’ve been changed too much.
All the things that I’ve grown to value are typically despised. How can I be a member of a community and care so little for its values? What’s wrong with me?
Hmmm…that’s a very familiar refrain. NOW I remember!
I felt the same way as a little kid.
I wasn’t always so into fighting. Maybe I just need to stick it out and try harder. After all, I LOVE art. Shouldn’t I be able to get along better with those that love it as well?
Just a different kind of fight then. Mission accepted.
Today’s image is of a sketch I made of Dean Winchester from the television show “Supernatural”. It’s part of a larger profile image; so right now I’m just practicing characters.
Even though my work tends to have a more graphic feel when I draw with a pen, I find that pencil work leaves me with a more realistic image. I drew Sam with pen, so Dean gets the alternative look. I’ll decide which is better.
Did I mention that I’m not using references? Yeah it’s MUCH harder because of that! I think I have a pretty good bead on their overall looks; making the resemblance transfer is the tricky part. I doubt I have that problem with Hank and Dean Venture, the other duo in my project.
I’ve started a new image and a new process. I’m drawing Optimus Prime! The beginning is easy; I start out with a basic wireframe style sketch to get the pose right, then fill in and make his basic shapes. A trick I picked up from my more technical design friends is to get a couple of shape stencils. These things are awesome!
The stencil was a wise $5 investment
Once again the equipment given to me by Westwood College has been an enormous help. I’ve already laid down my lines, now I simply began to shade in my shapes with my prismacolor markers. Think of these surfaces as a collection of individual cubes. Pick your lighting source and direction. Shade accordingly.
Finish allof one color, then work the next
So far so good. To make sure I’m doing a good job at the colors, I have a test pad for my blends. After all, they need to compliment each other…
Something metallic to reference light sources
Finally its time for the middle area. I decided against the chrome look and went for a flat metallic feel.
That's just prime!
Anyway, that’s my quick drawing of Optimus. I think I have a drawing of the Mighty Orbots in me soon. We’ll see…
Howly Time! 