Character Study Reveal : "The Gift" - Feedback Welcome



The Gift

As promised, this is the character study that I've been working on.  Together, the images tell a story that I've entitled "The Gift."  This was done in ink and gouache

The Perfect Gift...

Done with a simple dark background to
emphasize her despair at the realization.

I guess this isn't EXACTLY simple - like I was originally planning. The character is, but I still managed to include more details in the surroundings.  I created a family photo wall (instead of having the story images stand alone) and kept the background black/white/gray so that they would stand out.  It just occurred to me that I didn't put the brown dirt smudges on her clothes that I'd intended before photgraphing this, but I'll get back to that.

Oh Happiness! (with a plan in mind)

This...is...perfect...(grunt, heave)...

I'd appreciate any honest comments and criticisms from those in the illustration biz as I'm not a part of any critique groups.

It's for you!  Don't you like it?

Illustration #5 - I Sorta Took A Shortcut

Ok, I'basically had 1 day to do this last drawing since we're leaving on a family trip tomorrow and my son's going to turn his project in before we leave. Soooooo, rather than redrawing the original sketchbook drawing, I just went over it in ink with very few adjustments. Therefore, I'm now noticing an issue with the position of his legs and foot - not quite right. But oh well...

Do I still have my pouch of ammunition and gunpowder? Yes, I do!

One thing that I'll take away from this little mini-commission is the importance of time management. I need to expect to do multiple drawings for a single illustration - in some cases, probably lots! But, this was fun - hope I get an "A."

Now, it's off to Disneyland. I plan to take the sketchbook as we'll have to take turns waiting with the baby for some of the rides - I'm guessing she won't make the height requirement for Space Mountain.

4 Down - 1 To Go

Illustration #4, again, would be a decent 1st draft. I like the proportions of the foreground figure (for the most part). But, there are several things that I would adjust if I had time to do it again.

He got up to the shed and almost screamed as he almost walked right into the path of an armed guard. But, he realized the guard was asleep.

As I'm rapidly running out of time - we leave for Disneyland tomorrow afternoon - I'm working even more quickly and letting things go that I normally might spend more time on. But, I still have one more drawing to do, laundry to put away, suitcases to pack, dogs to bathe...

Short Story Illos #2 & #3

I managed to knock out a couple more illustrations over the last couple days AND still get some dishes done.

#2 was a quick one since it's a distance shot - little detail to worry about. I wish I hadn't used the thicker pen in the background trees, creating that darker line. Should've just stuck with a thin line, atmospheric value. Oh well...

One day on the farm, when Jake and his brother were plowing the fields...

#3 there are aspects of this that I really like, however the proportion thing is still a bit of a struggle. The table is too short and so the soldier looks at bit cramped under it. Also, the boy is a bit too young looking - proportions seem to work BUT they fit a younger age than I intended.

The recruiter was a Colonial Regular and had obviously been in many battles for he had scars on his face and a bandage around his head.

I actually have one more almost completely done - just not photographed. One more to go. I'm getting a little less meticulous as I really only have one or two more days to work on them. Wish I had time to add a watercolor wash!

Illustration Friday: "Crunchy"

"FEE-FI-FO-FUM- I smell the blood of an Englishman" (Mmmmm! Nice and crunchy they are, too!)

This happened to be a doodle that I'd recently started and it worked out quite nicely. But, since it started as a random doodle, there're some things that I would do differently - better center the image so it fits on the page, mainly. I think I'd like to redo this one for the portfolio and maybe add a watercolor wash.

I didn't think I would have time to really work on this. But in the warm comfort of my car during the soccer tournament this weekend as the baby napped for over an hour, I was able to make a lot of progress. Gotta love those long naps!

Illustration Friday: "Drifting"

Here's my take on this weeks theme. Simple composition, but I like it. However, now I'm thinking I should have put some boxes (or something) in the boxcar behind the figure - just a few off to one side for more visual interest.

I like working with the ink and watercolor - I get the detail I like and the coloring is quick and easy.

Just for fun...

Just on a whim I started some doodles, using the same shapes as a jumping off point for each - the circle within 2 circles as shown at the top of the page. Even though I didn't have a specific idea of what to do most of the time, I would just build on the shapes and see what they became. Inevitably, once you eliminate the obvious, you just build and build, but it doesn't really become anything in particular (i.e. the thing at the bottom). Still, it's pages like this that can lead to future projects.

I Guess My Art is "For the Birds..."

I've been flipping through some of my old sketchbooks that I have from back in my college days (these ones date from 1988 to 1992). It's funny because I would never have remembered some of those pictures if I hadn't seen them again. However, once I see them I can remember where I was, who my friends were at the time, etc. For some of them, a lot more memories come flooding back - where I was at the very time I drew them. Some were studies for college assignments (most meaningless) that came and went and I never saved. I even found the recipe for an oil varnish mixture that I used and wondered what I did with. However, I guess it really doesn't matter now because I'm trying to work with acrylics now.

Anyway, I've noticed that when it comes to doodling and just playing around in my sketchbook, birds seem to come through over and over. I'm not sure why. I've never considered myself a "bird" person - maybe it's just something about their features. Or, perhaps it's the variety of birds that is sort of freeing - you can get very creative, ornamental, or abstract and still end up with a bird.

Here is a drawing done in ballpoint pen from back in '88. Apparently, I did several sketches with this tool back then (it was always handy), but until I saw Andrea Joseph's work, I don't think I ever took it seriously as a medium (check out her stuff and prepare to be dazzled). With the variety of colors available in ballpoint these days...

These other 2 were more recent doodles.

Of course, I've already posted the chicken drawing and the "Invitation to Dinner" (dialogue with bird and worm).

And there's a couple birds in the doodles of about 5 posts back (I think you can handle the scrolling).

Illustration Friday - "Enough"

At first I wasn't sure what I'd do for this, but the first thing that popped into my mind was a song called "Enough." Then I remembered a sketch I'd done about 4 years ago - I was doing a lot of stained glass back then and it was a design for a glass panel (entitled "Ascension"). It also reminded me of one main aspect of my faith - that Christ's death and resurrection were "enough." The debt is paid in full.

When designing for stained glass, you have to consider things like how to divide up the picture into pieces that aren't too impossible to cut out of glass (which prefers to break in a straight line). In this drawing, I was able to disregard some of those restrictions, such as allowing the hand to extend beyond the frame. Being a religious theme, however, I thought it appropriate to keep the stained glass design quality in the shapes.

I never got a chance to make the panel, but I would like to someday. I did not add any color because I intend to use different textures of clear glass or very subtle colors. Maybe some day...