Tag Archives: traditional art

Making up Emotions

I enjoy my time at work. It sounds like the kind of thing weirdos and self employed people utter, but it’s true. I get to be really creative and my down time allows for artistic flexibility.

Video projects need to be rendered to keep them from taking up to much processing time. When that happens, you can get to work on other things, like drawings!

Lately, I’ve been doing more traditionally rendered drawings; not necessarily an active choice but one I’m enjoying immensely. Usually my ladies are pretty buff and athletic.

The real purpose of this is to practice hair. Even more so than hands or expressions, hair completely ruins an image if done incorrectly.

The only way to get better is to keep practicing. When will I be done? That’s the fun part! You’re NEVER done practicing.

WTFW

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First off, I owe you guys an apology. I’ve posted twice but you didn’t see that because my app updated and changed the process by which you post updates. Since I usually do these on Monday on my train ride to work, I didn’t notice I hadn’t posted since two weeks ago!

Now for the image. I joined a Facebook group called daily art challenge. Everyday they post a new picture and you have to draw it that day. It’s a cool little exercise and since my clients are sometimes resistant to having me post their private art, this can allow me to do so.

Win/win.

I do have a few reservations however. Actually it always comes back to the same thing; am I simply producing free art for some group? I’ve noticed a few times that I didn’t participate that I was asked to. That a member couldn’t wait to see my interpretation of the photo provided.

I am always wary of this type of thing. It’s why I avoid contest where the sponsoring company claim domain over the rights to your stuff in perpetuity, whether you win or not. Screw that!!

I hope I don’t come off as a crank. Artists tend to not notice these types of things until they’re too late. And full disclosure, I sold this to a co-worker who adored it for ten bucks.

It is artWORK, after all.

More Good News for Bad News

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My time for art has been rather tight lately. If I’m not doing stuff like the image above for clients, I’m editing videos and doing photography. It all adds up, so I try not to think of it as work. That would kill the vibe, lol.

In the meantime, it’s always a joy to find an hour or two for my own personal projects. This weekend was such a break. I went to my local Starbucks, sat down and begin this picture. Actually had a guy get upset when he was informed that the person in the picture was a girl. Silly dude, strong girls rock!

So since this is the month for it, expect a few more strong women 😉

Laughing in the Pain

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There’s a reason I hate doing landscapes. I grew up in a nonstop version as a kid. Later, the military made sure I had plenty of alone time in various natural locations around the world. Your dad took your family camping for a few days? My “uncle” Sam took me for weeks, sometimes months on end. It got old.

Still, I can appreciate the value of being able to create one. So occasionally I give it a go. It’s good to practice ALL your skillsets, not just your favorites.

So when I was asked to provide a serene sunrise image for a customer, I didn’t have a problem with the issue. It’s good to be able to have a diverse portfolio, you know?

Working towards a complete picture is such a struggle. It took a lot of time for me to understand that, to a certain degree, I was little more than a glorified Xerox machine. I could copy, but I couldn’t create.

It took an uncomfortably long period of time to develop my mind’s eye. To imagine something or someone and bring it out into the world is highly satisfying. I would never have learned to do so if I had stayed in my comfort zone.

So it’s okay to try new techniques. Give something different a try! You’d be amazed at how many times it proved immensely helpful in a form I was already familiar with. If all you’re doing is stuff you already do well, be prepared to see your peers surpass you.

Stand

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Well, it’s Thanksgiving week. Or as some are calling it, last holiday until Christmas. Even though my workload is four times what it was last year, I’m still taking a break.

I don’t celebrate Christmas. So this is the one time a year I make it home to see my mom. Usually I don’t promise her anything; I just pop in for a day or so, then leave. In a way I’m her Santa Claus, except she gave birth to me, lol.

That didn’t sound quite right, did it?

So before I get on the road, here’s a picture of a friend of mine, who goes by the moniker “Callie Cosplay”. As thename would suggest, she’s a model for fictional characters.

The first I’d heard of her was about three years ago, through a friend. She was about to do a really cool rendition of Wonder Woman and I asked if I could draw her. At the time I was doing digital art exclusively(which reminds me I need to start again) so her cosplay was a learning experience for me.

She was ecstatic with it. You can find it here if you go through my archives. Since then I’ve drawn her several times. Her friendliness and openness gave me the courage to approach other people about their cosplays, which lead me to where I am today.

This picture of her really doesn’t do her full justice. But it’s my small token of thanks for someone who helped me get started. 😊

Harmony

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Rarely do I actually get permission to post a commission!

Like I said, I drew a LOT of images for #inktober…

Some racier than others…

Friends with Adversaries

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Sometimes I can slip in a picture at work and this is one of those times. Think of it as an art study, the kind teachers usually put on a person the middle of the room.

The drawing itself wasn’t the hard part. I knew the translucent quality of the bottle was what would try to kick my ass, so I begin by gameplaninng it first.

Of course I couldn’t ignore the headphones! Getting the textures right proved to be technically easy. Harder edges with more separation in values gave things that hard plastic sheen.

Now came the bottle itself. I began by laying out my mids and leaving highs as page white for now…

…after which I begin to add reflections by using a darker red. It gave the illusion of a highly reflective surface, which made for a good starting point.

From there I chose the original color I used to create my mids to add gradation to the bottle. It helped create the outline of the other speaker, as well as the twist grooves for the cap.

Finally I used Deco Peach to go over the entire thing and add a bit of glossiness to the bottle. A white gel pen created the lettering and logo and it was done!

I hope you guys like the end result.😊

Autumn Warmth

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This weekend I did absolutely nothing. I drank a lot. Slept. Watched the Crossfit Games on tv. I’ve been really active for a while now and it was a welcome break.

It was something my dad told me once, “work smarter, not harder”. Sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that if we redouble our efforts we can improve our circumstances. “Always be on your grind” is the new catchphrase. It’s bullshit, of course. How much of that effort is simply wasted energy?

So instead I sat, rested and thought. I organized my ideas, set goals and made a plan. I’m giving myself six months to achieve my goals.

I have a lot of artwork, both digital and traditional. There’s no reason I shouldn’t be presenting it in the best light. Hell, last month alone I made 38 pieces!

So I took a weekend to be lay about and consider my near future. Today I’m doing my business plan. I’m going through my social media and determining which pieces got the most responses. That’ll help me find my audience. I’m also going to set up an artist page on Facebook. But first I need to make sure my chosen product is in its best light.

Thanks for being here while I built up a portfolio. But don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere! You guys are valuable to me. You help clear my head and allow me to talk about my life. I need that sometimes. So you get to continue being along for the ride.

Buckle up.😉

Love Sores

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Happy Halloween! I’m in a pretty good mood because I can get back to normal work after today!

Of course, I did more than a drawing a day. It took a lot of effort, but the sense of accomplishment makes it all worthwhile. I know one thing; never try that again unless I’m completely on vacation!