Creating Characters...

I really identify with Leonardo da Vinci.  Not that I'm an artistic genius - I wouldn't claim that title at all - but I once read a biography about him that described his love for the process of creating.  He sometimes left projects unfinished because he lost interest.  His light shone most bright while working through his ideas and the bringing of work to completion was more tedious.

I do like to finish work.  In fact, I can't wait to see how things end up.  But, I totally understand the energy that comes from the invention part of the process.  I think that's my favorite part as well.

Anyway, this brings me to the characters that I've been working on.  In a video by Will Terry on developing characters, he talks about identifying the characteristics of an animal (or whatever your subject is) and then using those points to create various characters.  It reminded me of how I used to take field guides into the breakroom when I worked at the bookstore and would sit drawing various animals (on my lunch break, of course).  I've posted many of them here in the past.


So, I thought that would be a wonderful thing to return to, but then turn those animals into characters.






My daughter had a "Koalas" Zoobooks from the library and I found them quite interesting - especially the TWO opposable thumbs!  They were also pretty easy to draw - all rounded and fuzzy.


On the other hand, anteaters where much more complicated.  They just popped into my head, so I went with it.  Then, in my online research, I discovered that there are several types with some stark differences.  That meant, I did several studies...

And, while their long faces and noses are very unique, their tiny mouths make some facial expressions difficult - I had to consider the eyes/eyebrows and body language to tell more of the story.

So, what animal is next...don't know yet.  Or, maybe I'll do something else...

First Day of the New Year - First (Real) Steps Down the Illustration Road

Had I been thinking more realistically as a young adult, I would have majored in illustration at Cal State Long Beach instead of going with the Drawing & Painting specialization.  There's a lot of overlap in the requirements, but there were a few classes that I missed out on - mainly those on rendering, character design, sequential imagery, and of course, anything having to do with computers (that all came rushing in as I was on my way out of college).  A lot of these things are topics I've been looking into and practicing on my own over recent years along with practical, real-world, business-end topics.

I've been plugged into YouTube for the past couple days, soaking up everything I can possibly find on illustration and the business of it (the scary part for me).  I was delighted to find quite a bit online. Most notably, Will Terry's Channel seemed to zero right in on most all of the information that I've been seeking.  And, upon visiting his website, I found his video series that included rendering, character design, storytelling with imagery, and the real-world topics of marketing and submitting work!  The series costs about $30, but well worth it as it was just what I was looking for.  And, I appreciate his honesty and experience.

Last thing I'll mention is Will Terry's video on How to Set Up Your Illustration Portfolio - that was very helpful as well.  I felt as though I've been floating around at the whim of an artistic breeze lately.  This helped me to have a more deliberate direction to move in.  And, in turn, the ideas are flowing freely.

Work in Progress - hopefully I can finish in the next week.

However, hands-on art for me at the moment consists of a painting that I'm doing for our church (those with young kids in AWANA might recognize this guy).  It's not a commissioned original design or anything - just something from the Cubbie book to brighten the walls.  And, it's nice to pick up a paintbrush again.

Forgive My Absence...But, It's Time For Some New Releases!

I've found it very difficult to get to the creative work recently - it's always hard this time of year with the ending of the school year and trying to get things completed, the end of the Family CoOp and related celebrations, the end of spring soccer seasons and it's related celebrations...if I never have another pizza it will be too soon!!!

"Spring" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original pencil drawing, 9"x12" $50.00

Anyway, during this hiatus from actual art production, I did manage to FINALLY have some new prints made!  They are lovely quality giclee prints from the only place around here that seems to do them (and Les does a wonderful job) - Palette Arts in Nipomo.  They are available directly through me (if you want a signed limited edition, quality guaranteed) or through my site at Fine Art America (which would not be signed and they print on demand on various sizes and surfaces, however I am unable to check the quality against the original - looks good on screen, though).

I'm sure long-time visitors will recognize the drawing above - the first to be released in a series of 4 seasonal drawings.  Obviously, this one represents spring - my goal is to try and release a new one during each season until the series is complete.

"Tweet" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original gouache painting, 6"x 8" $40.00

#2 in the series

#1 in the series

You'll also recognize this little guy - part of a series of 3 kid-friendly, primary color images that were originally done in gouache.

"Still" Signed, Limited Edition giclee print on paper
of original acrylic painting, 9"x 12" $55.00  OR  16" x 20" $65.00

Of course, my favorite is the recent painting "Still."

Last but not least, I have some 9"x12" prints of the chef study that I used for the mural.

Spring Is In the Air...

So, where've I been?  Well, busy as usual - getting one child ready for high school graduation and another enrolling in high school, proofreading the annual research papers for my 5th and 8th grader, running my mother-in-law to and fro on errands...the usual.  Not to mention daylight savings - can't get used to that one!  I've actually been productive on some art projects with some newfound springtime motivation - I just haven't been able to get the laptop away from my teenage daughter lately to download my pictures.

Kids presenting research paper summaries to the Writing CoOp

The weather is getting to where I can work in the garage again, so I spent all day yesterday clearing out the piles that have built up and reorganizing the workspace (post-mural).  I picked-up a 30"x40" canvas for the study I recently did (shared in the previous post).  I wouldn't be able to work that large in the corner of my small bedroom.

Garage work space ready for new projects...

I actually did have a request for some artwork for a friend and the charity organization that she's involved with.  There is an upcoming fundraiser for Royal Family Kids and she asked me to do a design based on their Old West theme to be printed on placemats along with their logo.  Maybe a little something for the portfolio...

Drawing Baby Joshua

A busy Saturday taking a group of seven giggling, sugar infused 10 year olds to the bowling alley for a belated birthday celebration (September is bad time for birthdays in our family - soccer season followed by the holidays...next thing you know, you're having a birthday party in January).

So, I didn't think I'd be getting much in the way of art done this weekend.  Certainly, no painting endeavors.  But, as it turned out, it was my turn to be in the nursery at church.  We have one baby there, and he was kind enough to let me sketch him.

Top: The "I'm growing weary of these toys" look
Bottom: Sleepyhead

He was actually a good model as far as babies go - he was fascinated by the scratching of my quickly moving pencil so he would hold his position for a decent amount of time.  But, it's always challenging to draw a moving subject.  However, sleepy time came quickly and then drawing is a whole lot easier.  You have to grab drawing opportunities wherever you can find them sometimes.

Now, I'm off to read some chapters for a literature study I'm leading with my homeschool group.

You're Once...Twice...

...Three times a lady...

If you recall, I'd completed and study for my summer tree/woman and was well on my way into a "final" version.  I thought it would go quickly - and the initial drawing did - but, I really got stuck on some things.

First of all, I did the study on a different paper than the one I'm using for this series.  It was a very smooth texture while the final has a bit more tooth.  It's always a bit of an adjustment, getting used to the different result.  But, the hardest part was that it was more difficult to get extreme darks that came so easily in the study because of the texture - the white of the paper shows through, lightening whatever value I put down.

I also struggled with the palm fronds, for some reason.  They came together so easily in the study - not so for the drawing that followed.  And then, I realized that I had really confined myself to almost only B-range pencils.  I really didn't use the the lighter values that I like to use in my drawings.  I flashed back to a college drawing class - I'd spent weeks on a poster-sized detailed still life and the professor commented that it appeared to consist mostly one value.  When I realized that, I started erasing to see if I could fix it, and this resulted in dirty, smudgy-looking work (not consistant with the other drawing in this series and rather sloppy for the subject matter).

So, much to my chagrin, I knew that this second drawing was not a final but another study.  There were elements in both drawings that I've taken and put into what will hopefully be the final drawing.  This time, I've started by laying down my light values - 4H, 2H, and HB - on the palm fronds.  I'll insert more dark shadows where needed, but I'm in the building of values stage.  This will take some time, depending on how much time I can carve out in the next few days.

In the meantime, I will continue to chip away at the mess of toys, shoes, and family stuff that always seems to pile up too quickly.  I'm teaching our writing co-op tomorrow - it's my turn and it's research paper time.

From One Season to the Next

Well, yesterday was a celebration of my oldest daughter who turned 14!  And today, it was back to school. We started with about half the subjects - I like to go in light (for my benefit as much as theirs).

Of course, last night - the last possible night of vacation - I actually sat down to work on something more than just sketching and doodling.  Well, I can't say that it was a new project - it was really one that I'd posted about before when it was almost done, and it sort of hung in that state ever since.  So, since diving into a major new project seemed unreasonable on a Sunday evening before the start of school, I just worked on fine-tuning the old so that I could call it "done."

#1 in the series - Spring

You may remember the "Mother Nature" doodle I did years ago, and this endeavor was simply finishing a re-do of that.  It is the first of a series of 4 woman/tree drawings that will represent each of the 4 seasons.  This first one is spring and I'm really excited about my idea for summer. I did do a little planning in the sketchbook on that one, but I won't reveal anything...yet.

Planning for the next one...Summer

Of course, for better or for worse, drawing and painting (or any other creative process) is energizing to me.  So, working into the night last night has its consequences - it was impossible for me to "wind down" and fall asleep for quite some time.  Not good when I had to get the girls up to do lessons this morning.  Still, I'm glad to be moving on from a lot of planning and idea exploration into actually producing something - it's invigorating.  But, I'm anticipating many more sleepless nights coming up.

Memory Lane Always Has Its Surprises

One of my daughters is involved in a group of girls putting together a dance for an upcoming Fine Arts Night for homeschool families.  Today was the first day that I was able to sit in for the hour that they meet - I usually have art classes going on.  It was a great opportunity to do some gesture sketches - something that I'm not particularly good at.  Unfortunately, I had to be off to the side and it wasn't the best vantage point, but I got a few things down.

Last night I flipped through sketchbooks that I have going back 24 years to my college days.  Sad to say that I only have 7 complete sketchbooks for all of those years - testament to how I really dropped out of art for a significant period of time, with only occasional drawings between 1993 and 2007 (albeit I was doing stained glass through much of that time - something I'd love to get back to one day).

I had expected to come face-to-face with an artist who was very different than the one who is sitting here typing this.  In many ways - socially, politically, spiritually, etc. - I am very different.  However, I came across about 10 pages of writing from 1989 where I outlined my approach and artistic philosophy that was pretty much identical to what I do now - beginning with doodles and responding to them, the desire for balance, the need to work representationally... things like that.  I remember doing most of the drawings and why, but a lot of it was pretty bad and would never go anywhere.  Overall, they were very dark and angry, advertising the lowest point in my life that those directionless years embodied.

This is one of those experimental drawings that I did in 1989 when I first started exploring my
doodle method of drawing.  It would be one of the last times I felt good about what I was doing
creatively (in drawing/painting) for the the next 18 years

I referenced some drawings that I'd forgotten about (and I still have a few of them tucked away).  Those were probably the best that I'd done from that time period, but I had never really had the time to follow-up with them because of the demands of the classes I was taking for my degree.  It makes me wonder what would have happened if I would have continued on along that route back then.  Instead, I guess I picked it up again - refreshed - in about 2007.

Page one of the sketchbook I started keeping in 2007 where I was determined
to draw "for fun" - I used the same doodle method I'd forgotten about

I guess I've picked up where I left off and it's exciting.

Transitioning...

It's a bit crazy how we can jam-pack the fall season with so much busy-ness!  This is the first weekend where I've been able to relax (a little), although there's still a ton on my plate - soccer season is in full swing with end-of-season parties & all-star tryouts on the horizon, the Horizons Family CoOp that I coordinate meets this Tuesday along with one of my art classes, and so on...

Students busy in the California History class!

I've slooowwwlly been painting layers of exterior varnish sealer on all sides of the mural.  I did the backs and now I've been laying them out, one at a time, on sawhorses in order to do the fronts and all 4 edges (that way I don't have to keep turning them - they're a bear to move).  I'm doing 3 thin coats on each and I'm close to being done with all 5 panels.

Panel laid out on sawhorses in order to seal all edges.

Part of the reason that this is taking a lot longer than I thought is because of the fall craziness mentioned above.  But, another reason is that the city is changing its plans on where it will ultimately go.  Looks like the Gottchalk's corner is out, but I have not yet heard what plan B (or C or D...) is.  I know my contact has been busy with the recent Grapes and Grains event, as well as other fall festivities, and I've been grateful to have the time to get my homeschooling and art classes off to a solid start.

Studio "corner" - the garage is too cold in winter and there are too many
spiders!  I have plans for some bulletin boards and wall-hanging holders for
pencils and stuff...I'll get there eventually.

I know that the mural project is at an end as my mind has been buzzing with thoughts of other art and writing projects.  It's time to transition backin to new creative work - not sure what exactly, though.  I still don't have a lot of free time, but I did clean off the old drawing table corner of my room in preparation.  Now, joining my drawing space is a caricature portrait that I recently acquired of my Granddad who passed away about 20 years ago - I think it was given to him as a retirement gift (or something like that).  It's a nice addition to my workspace.

Granddad watching over my work :)

Back to Work...

After a wonderful Easter Vacation where I was able to spend big chunks of the day working on the mural, an unexpectedly extended trip out of town and the start of schoolwork again makes it feel like I've been away from the mural for a long time.  We found out as we drove into Lancaster (after 4 hours in the Friday downpour) that all the State Cup games had been moved from Saturday to Sunday - soooooo, since we were already there, we ended up staying longer than planned.

Not quite there...but closer.  Photos can help you see
flaws that you didn't notice when you were working on it

Today, I had a full day of CoOp, art classes, mom-taxi, and dinner-making, but I was determined to get out to the garage and at least make some adjustments.  In my last post, I explained how the scale of the toasting figures was a bit on the wimpy side.  So, this evening I figured I'd start reworking the proportions.  Not only did the figures have to change, but so did the barrel.  To understand the changes made, if you look at the male figure, the top point of the hair of the original guy fell just below the jawline of the current guy.  In other words, he gained a whole head in height.

Cheers - his chin's a bit skinny, but I'll fix that...

It's very "cartoon-ish", but I'm just trying to get the shapes the way I want them.  It's not quite there, but it's closer than it was.  And, having to draw this out REALLY made me appreciate the projector I had at the beginning. I was constantly stepping back to see how it actually looked and it made me wonder how Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling - it's not like he could easily take a step back every few minutes to see if the proportions were right.  And, he did not have the luxury of a projector to transfer his design.  My hat is definitely off to those Basilica-painting masters!

Revisiting the Old, Tweaking and Refining

Current Work in Progress

I've reached a new and exciting milestone on my path to actually being more of a participant in the art field!  I've finally had some work made into giclee prints that I hope to be able to sell!  In fact, I will go and pick them up today!  Can't wait to post them...

Anyway, while I was going through what I had to choose from, a couple of issues came to mind.  One was that illustration doesn't just fit in any house, so my selections were limited.  Of course,most of my work would probably work best in a child's room.  The other thing was that, upon closer inspection,  many of the things I had considered "done" really weren't up to the "DONE and ready to present to people" level. 

As a result, I started to consider some redo's on some of my favorites.  I'll post some of these upgrades as they happen starting with this one:

Original "doodle" from the sketchbook

Actually, the original of this one had been a doodle and nothing I would have thought to be portfolio worthy.  I guess I always new that if this drawing were to go anywhere, it would be redone - the doodle was just a "brainstorm."  But, redoing this one sparked an idea to make a series of it - all 4 seasons that I would release as a print on the first day of that season.

A Productive Christmas...So Far...

The cookies are baked, the presents wrapped (and now opened), and as the holiday chaos winds down I've actually been able to work on a new project.

A little doodle

Out of the many doodles in my sketchbook, I'm not sure why this child in a raincoat suddlenly caught my attention.  But, I've been trying to think of some designs (past, present, and future) that I could have made into prints this spring.

Ink with a little cloud - works alright with this drawing
but didn't hold much weight in color

Once I figured out the initial composition, I did a couple of studies.   I could picture many things so, at first, I really wasn't sure if I was going to do a moody pen and ink, tried-n-true ink with watercolor wash, or ???  Originally, I didn't have a background at all, but I felt that the child needed to be looking "at" something. The cloud started off small, but once I saw it in color, the cloud needed to be more substantial.  I can't decide if it's too big now, but it seems to work.

The end result in gouache and color pencil

But, as I've learned in the past few years, a drawing or painting will let me know what it needs - what materials are best suited for it and what direction it will move in.  It reminds me of what I need to do day-to-day when it comes to "listening" to God - I may have one vision of how my life should unfold, but if I take care to observe and address the situations that arise each day, then I tend to encounter the unexpected on my way to a beautiful outcome.  Sometimes (a lot of the time) it's scary, aggravating, or delightful, but always worth it.

Ultimately, this image called for the softness of gouache washes and the detail that could be achieved with color pencil.  I don't know how I could have envisioned it any other way.

So Ungrateful.! Why did I bother?

We're coming up on Christmas Vacation and I'm excited about having a little extra free time.  Maybe I'll get to work on a more personal creative project.


In the meantime, I'm continuing to sketch my sermon notes at church.  This last Sunday was a little different because the text really came together for me in a single visual.  I'd had a few sketches and notes about Deuteronomy 32:15+, but when I came home I found that a particular character kept popping into my head rather urgently.  The result is below...

Normally, my notes are what they are and don't change much from the original sketches if I revisit them at home.  However, even though this character demanded to be brought into existance, you can probably tell that he has little to no appreciation for his creator.  He's probably annoyed with how long it took me to finish (not too long, really) in spite of the fact that I took great care in expressing every detail.


For clarification, feel free to look up the verses. Note that Jeshurun is a reference to Israel in a time that they "grew fat" from the provisions from God yet had an attitude of "scornful esteem" - rolling of the eyes, so to speak, like an impertinent child.  The translation of Jeshurun as "The Upright One" I thought was a striking constrast to the the countenance of the character (which, I think, is a key point to those verses).


Overall, it was a fun drawing to do - artisitically speaking, I think I've come a long way in rendering the figure, body language and expression.

Illustration Friday: "Contraption"

Well, I've been wanting to get to this all week, but I've been too busy.  So, here I am - sleepless on a Thursday night. Well, I guess it's actually Friday morning, so there'll be another topic soon.  I've posted this one before, but it's perfect for the topic.  I've been working on another project which I hope to share really soon!

Illustration Friday: "Mysterious"




Rupert was beginning to think the mysterious woman was never going to throw one of those balls...

  Since I’ve been working on a painting project over summer, the only drawing I’ve had time to do is on Sunday mornings (see previous posts). So, I was delighted when I finally carved out a little time to focus on the more detailed drawings I like to do. I worked on it a couple of days last week and then discovered that it fit this week’s IF theme quite well.
I drew this in my sketchbook and the funny thing is that I didn’t notice when I started that the book was upside down! So, it’s quite a surprise as you’re flipping through the pages. You’d think I’d notice that the wire binding was on the right and not the left, but that’s how focused I get when drawing.

It’s Springtime!

That means it’s time for the annual realization among homeschoolers that the school year is running out followed by a refocused effort to reach goals, complete work, and get curriculum in line for fall. That also means that drawing projects are pretty much impossible for me right now.


However…I’ve found a few opportunities to work in the sketch journal, It’s forced me to seek and find something to record from the “everyday” without all of the extra planning and thought that goes along with an official project.



My 2nd effort during a trip to Barnes & Noble with commentary by the big-eyed redhead
(who noted that I was still doing a lot of writing and little drawing)

 
I prefer to work in pencil “on location” and then return to it later to ink and/or wash with color. I wouldn’t call my pages works of art in themselves, but I have thought about what a neat thing it will be to pass through the family. Perhaps it will end up in the hands of a great-great-grandchild who has never met me but will have this illustrated personal record of people, places, and things in my life. I like that idea.



At the park with Lindy.  Not colorized yet - maybe I'll get a chance once summer gets here.

 It’s also just nice to be able to keep up the drawing.

Illustration Friday: "Trail"

Lots going on this week and I didn't think I would be able to get anything done.  But, then I remembered I had this bear drawing from a couple years ago - PERFECT!

Illustration Friday: "Equipment"

If you want to successfully steal the cheese, a mouse must have the right equipment.  Now, are there supposed to be extra parts?

Time sure goes by quickly these days! The end of the school year is closing in so we’re trying to keep on track, although spring fever is hitting us all pretty hard.

I have a confession to make…I have been cheating on this blog. That’s right. It all started so innocently. I was browsing the want ads in our local paper, and that’s when I saw it. It was an ad for an opportunity to write at home and - just maybe - earn a few dollars. Well, since I am currently unemployed and I enjoy writing, I guess I caved to the temptation.

So, I’ve been writing a few articles at HubPages to try to supplement the income…of course, it really takes time to build up any change. I’ll probably only make a dime in the end and won‘t see a cent for years…but it’s been fun.

In the course of my recent writing, I started browsing the works of a few still life artists that I like. One of them is 20^th Century artist Giorgio Morandi. I first encountered his work in college, but I don’t think I was as impressed then - it was my vibrant German Expressionism phase. Morandi’s work was completely opposite of my interests at the time, but I really appreciate it now.

Perhaps in my hectic and noisy life, his still lifes are a quiet and uncluttered refuge. I like the neutral tones of his paintings and the minimal details which are so contrary to my own style. The linework on his drawings adds life - a very nice balance to what would otherwise be considered bland compositions.

Another artist whose still life work I enjoy is Wayne Thiebault. Again, I am drawn to him for his difference from my own style. I always liked the thick application of paint and his colors (or maybe I'm just hungry). I’ve always wondered how painters who work so thick financed all of that paint (at least as a student)! In college, I always worked small and thin since I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to buy more paint when I needed it.

Well, I don't post other people's work that often. My plate is pretty full at the moment (and not with cake and ice cream). Summer's coming - things will change to some degree...although my toddler is getting clingy and busy busy busy!

Animals...and the End of a Sketchbook

I really appreciate this family image.

I really enjoy drawing these animals - it's so much easier now. Not because my skills are so much better than when I was in college (although there has been improvement). It feels more psychological than anything else. It's a lot easier to relax and enjoy when you're not rushed by deadlines or have grades looming over every project.

Anyway, this set of drawings brings me to the end of my sketchbook. I started it about 10 years ago and this is its last page. I've filled other sketchbooks in the meantime. I set it aside many years ago when I was doing other types of art and little-to-no drawing. I found it and its many empty pages when I finished my last sketchbook (musn't be wasteful).

A whole book of blank pages awaits...