Untitled

This drawing was done from a Polaroid photograph taken back in the 1970s it looked like. Not the greatest quality, but apparently I could work with it. I was hesitant to do it, because it was a small picture, fuzzy quality, kind of faded.
The guy who commissioned me to do the drawing hasn't actually seen the drawing yet, I work with him so hopefully when I get back from lunch today I'll see him and can give it to him and get some feed back.
The picture is actually of his mom. I couldn't figure out what to title it, so I'm going to leave it "Untitled" as the title.

Rhonda's Love

This is The latest and greatest in a series of drawings of the little girl, this one just happens to include the mother of the little girl as well. I guess it should really be titled "Jon's Love" since that is the dad's name, but I have this weird little superstition that it's like a tattoo, you name it one thing and the planets will collide and reek havoc on our souls and we're all doomed so let's just name it what comes naturally. This pictures Rhonda and her baby, so we'll name it "Rhonda's Love". Not too shabby if I do say so myself...not to toot my own horn or anything but TOOOTTTT!!!! :P I think it looks pretty sweet. There's a few more drawings to come in this series, but I haven't drawn them yet- although I do have to take a slight break in between because I have a few other contract jobs from co-workers to tend to.
Well that's all for now.
Questions, comments, concerns....Post now or forever hold your peace... :D

striving for something more...

Ok, so while doing some research while at work...ok, so really, while looking up the name of a company a friend of mine might go work at, I found a website, which many people have probably already found called www.conceptart.org AMAZING! That's all I have to say. I now want to do that, to be 1/2 as talented as the people are that are logged on to that site. Just the art work that I saw in the 20 minutes that I spent on that site alone was enough to make me want to go home and rip up everything I've worked on in the last 7 years. Ok, well not really, but it did make me want to go home and work on some drawings of my own. Not that drawing from photographs isn't completely rewarding, but seeing these totally gruesome drawings, and great expressions on the faces of these creatures people draw! Awe, it was fantastic and phenominal all at the same time! Mind boggeling!

Being on that site definitly made me realize that being the receptionist, while it does pay the bills is very temporary. My heart will always belong in movies, or tv, or games (or I can be the receptionist at a movie house, a tv studio, or a gaming company...but not at a security company for long, unless they'll let me work on my own art projects all day long, like this place) :P

I just wanted to post that up, I can't believe I've been under a rock...ok, well not under a rock, living a lie, I know I've heard of that website before from my AID days, I think I even used it as an example once in a class, but it's changed so much since the last time I visited, that it just blew me away. I didn't pursue concept art when I was at AID because you had a 0% chance of graduating as a concept artist, and zero social life (not like I had one when I was there anyway...but that's a story for another time :D) But yeah, my goal now, DRAW, DRAW, DRAW! Draw 'til my fingers bleed man! (ok, maybe not that bad), but at least until I can be producing some "quality" stuff that doesn't look so damn cartoony. (Not that there is anything wrong with cartoony concept art...I just want edgy is all, and lord knows my concept art is far from edgy.)

But, now with all that being said, I do have to say, that I have 3 more drawings to do for the family of the little girl I drew below...and then One major drawing for them as well for their wedding. I'm super excited about those as well- It's practice, experience, stuff for my portfolio, and that cute freakin' girl, and the super photogenic parents to boot. Once those are out of the way, a the few contract drawings I have coming from a few people I work with, then it will be smooth sailing, RIGHT?

"Noodle Bug"

Here's the new drawing. Same girl as the last drawing post, just a different photograph to draw from. I'm not sure how I feel about this drawing. I think it didn't turn out as well as I had hoped it would have. The last one was just so cute. This one is a little dark...I will make this note that I've noticed...This was drawn from a black and white photograph, for some reason skin-tones no matter what nationality the subject- always turn out darker than the actual subject and therefore I draw them darker...it's retarded. Especially if there's something white in the picture- take her dress for example in this picture. She looks extremely dark where her dress looks super bright. (Granted her parents can probably tell that I darkened the hat too...but there really wasn't anything to the hat from the photograph)
But anyway, I'll email it to the parents and see what they have to say...they were extremely pleased with the last one, so that's great!
Anyway...just wanted to post that.

recent interest-no pictures on this post

I recently started a new job and during that job I have lots of "free-time", my boss told me that I can do what I want, so I was working on the "sister" picture to the below picture (it's the same little girl, just in a different pose)- and the people at work really enjoyed the drawings. It made me feel good. Working at my last job (ok, I worked two jobs in between this job and the one I'm actually speaking of, I just don't mention the two in between jobs because it was basically like working for Satan himself), I began questioning my artistic ability being around so many talented people on a daily basis. I started losing my focus and wondering if I was "good". Coming to a "non-industry" related field (and by non-industry I simply mean it's not movies, it's not tv, it's not commercials, it's not gaming, I'm a receptionist at a corporate company), I got the smile put back on my face having people have astonished looks on their faces, people telling me that it was "amazing" what I could do. I really enjoy drawing realistic drawings from photographs, I really do...but truly, part of me, would give almost anything to be able to come up with concept ideas out of thin air like the people I worked with at my last jobs. Those people are truly gifted and talented. I was truly in awe of everything they could do. I do love doing what I can do, I wouldn't give up my gift to have what those people have, but it makes me appreciate what they can do so much more.
But anyway, I guess where I'm going with this is, in all of my blogs I haven't put anything about contacting me, not that I'm pimping myself out or anything for jobs, I get enough jobs as it is, but if you see something you like, and you want to contact me for something, a drawing, a painting, or what-have-you, please don't hesitate to contact me, leave a comment and I'll contact you. I know I've been harsh as of late to some commentors, one being a spammer, the other-Titan, is actually a friend-it's how we joke. I don't want to leave my contact infomation on a blog for all of the world to see because a spammer can just take it and run with it and then I'm doomed for all eternity, so you can see why the secrecy. But please, I'm more than happy to draw for anyone, almost anything, anytime (almost...do give me several weeks notice, if not several months notice as I do have several projects going on at the same time). I just wanted to put that out there, since it dawned on me that I haven't actually said anything on here about that.
Anyway, that's enough of this random blog for today, hopefully I'll get the other picture up later today or later this week.
thanks.

Re-do on NattieBug

Ok, here's a not-so-cross-eyed version of my friends' very adorable daughter...and yes I use Mozilla Firefox for anyone who gives a rats-pattootie. :) And no I don't care what you use or anyone else uses...and no I don't want to buy anything...I don't care who your long distance provider is, or what kind of cell phone you have.
I do care what kind of art work you like, or if you think something doesn't look right on something I've done...feed back on my drawings are welcome.
Thanks for stopping by :)

Warning, Warning!!! Danger, Danger!!!

Thanks for the comment long99722420 and the sales pitch, but your preaching to the choir- please find another venue to sell your preference for web browsers at. And for that matter, anyone who wants to post a comment on my blog is welcome to do so as long as it's pertaining to what I posted, or at least will make me laugh...yeah I've got rules...oh, or you can post as long as you're willing to be ridiculed in the following blog-post.
My blog, if you're willing to leave a comment, is for critics on art matter, and randomness in other areas. In fact I'm the type of person that, even if I completely agree with you about Mozilla Firefox, the fact that you came on to my blog and decided to sell me your opinion on a web browser, which has nothing to do with my blog makes me want to switch back to internet explorer- yeah it does, I'm that kind of person. In fact, if you really want to sell me something, you may as well use reverse psychology because that's the only way you're going to convince me that you're right. Well that is if you can convince me that you aren't really using reverse psychology...because if I catch on, then you're just being stupid for using reverse psychology.
Now if there really was a reason you decided to post a comment telling me why you "loved Mozilla Firefox", like maybe that's why I could have been frustrated with blogger for the last few weeks because I was using a bad web browser- then finish your thought before posting- because see, now you've sent me on a tangent- an entire blog dedicated to you and people who leave irrelevant comments on people's blogs.
But I won't leave it in a huff- I apologize if you left that comment without finishing your thought, you had some bad grammar, I've had my fair share of moments like that- If you were trying to help me out and telling me to switch to Mozilla Firefox so I could utilize blogger easier then thank you. You're about 3 weeks too late, but thank you. And now my advice to you and everyone else out there (and yes I was given this advice once myself) - finish your thought before hitting send, read what you wrote, re-read it, makes sure it sounds how you want it read, if need be get someone else to read it to see if it makes sense.
And now, I'm prepared for the backlash. I'll probably never get a comment again. :P
But I'm so sick of spam- if that was a spam comment (I don't even know if blogger has spam comments) I'm going to snap! Like I really want people reading my blog if they just want to get me to download something? It's like, "Hey, great page, I really took the time and effort to look through every detail of every post, now here go do something for a complete stranger because I recommend it and because you should trust me" WHA??? Why? It's like peer pressure in High School all over again...it didn't work then, it certainly won't work now.

Seriously this post is meant to be in good fun, people who know me should know that this is how I joke, I have a very dry sense of humor, I did laugh at the comment that was posted. Even though I don't know the person, the fact that it made me go on a long winded tangent made me like the person- I'll stick with Mozilla Firefox, but only because it made me laugh, it has nothing to do with the fact that it works well, or is lightning fast, or is way better than internet explorer :P But seriously if that was a spam comment, no more please, spam sucks, especially the food, but the mail and comments, really really suck.

Have a good day. :)

"NattieBug"

This is my friends' daughter...and yes, after scanning the picture I realize the drawing makes her look cross eyed...but the drawing itself doesn't look that way, I don't know, maybe I need to calibrate my scanner I don't know.
Anyway, this little girl is so freakin' cute it's ridiculous.

On a side note Blogger has been giving me fits for like 3 weeks now, that's why I haven't posted anything. I don't know why today was different, but I figured that I would just post something while it would let me. So my apologies for the lack of posting.

I want to add a note to the last post...

hehehe...
I meant that the convertible mitten in the picture was made from micro-fiber yarn, not my internet explorer :)
And also, the picture of the fingerless glove on the hand, that's what I've been knitting, it's called fingerless mittens, it's 1/2 of the convertible mittens that I've been making in my spare time, which I've had alot of in the last 6 months...it's been really fun.
ok, well I just wanted to clear that up- I know the smart asses that read my posts would be all over me like white on rice about my internet explorer being made of micro-fiber yarn...

knitting

Just a sample because too many pictures on my last go around made my internet explorer freak out and shut down :( It's made from micro-fiber yarn...feels great, my friend almost didn't get them as a present...oh well. But that's what I've been up to, when I'm not moving to far away destinations and looking for work. :P And now here's a picture of what I think of my internet explorer:

animating finally!!!!

I can't believe it, with the new year brings animation! It's a new leaf I tell you. I haven't been this excited since I found out they were building a Culver's in Flower Mound!!!

I can't figure out how to upload the playblast so everyone can see it...but maybe I'll post up some stills later on when I have time.

I'm so excited!!!!!! Animating!!! Woo!!!!

just a post for now

here's a new pic....just finished...I've been busy knitting so I haven't had a chance to draw anything lately. Maybe I'll post pictures of the convertible mittens I've been working so hard on. :P

"Pinwheel with Mistake"

Yeah that's right, that's the name of this one. There's really a mistake in it- I dare you to look for it ... it's actually pretty obvious if you ask me, but on this black paper it's really hard to see lines that exsist and which lines you've already erased (actually it's really easy to see the lines that you've erased). So I actually screwed up without realizing it until I was already done with one color and moving to the next- I actually laughed out loud and then cursed the whole thing. But I think it doesn't look so bad ... who knows, if I do enough of these maybe I can actually sell them to someone?

What do you think? Any comments, besides the obvious mistake?

Painting progress

Picture #1:

This is how my painting started out ... my appologies for the lighting on all of these pictures, it's really hard to get a good picture when lighting in apartments sucks so bad.

I started drawing this for my mom. She wanted a flower painting for her room and didn't want to spend a crap load of $$ on a painting that I could do for her for free ... you gotta love being related to an artist, right?



Picture#2:


This is after I had gone over most of the painting with highlights and shadows ... Since I wasn't working from anything that I could see, but mearly my imagination it's hard to figure out where to go and what to do.

So between the first picture and this one is several weeks. Did I mention this is a mamoth painting? It's going to take me forever to finsih!





Picture #3:

So this is today ... 3 months after I began work on this painting. I added some more shadow to it.

I've got some flowers to go by now to get shadows and shapes and what-not. I'll be happy to see how all of this turns out. I'm actually growing quite fond of this painting myself, since it's been sitting on an eisel for 3 months in my dinning room/office.

It's funny, painting is not my strong suit. I can actually only work on this painting for about an hour before I get bored and go "hey, what's this feeling? Can it be that I actually want to draw something???" So yeah ... see next post, I've got another one of those great little geometric drawings ...

"sunflower"

Here's the latest art work, it's titled "Sunflower". I was bored...you know that happens quite frequently when you're unemployed ;)

So I started drawing, and the ruler and protractor were calling my name, so the geometric drawings that started this blog out came out again.

Again, it's on that amazing black paper and prismacolor colored pencils were my weapon of choice :P

I am having a lot of fun doing these drawings. I never know how their going to end up when I start them. I never know which color I'm going to use next until I see how the last one looked. It's weird to not have to plan out an entire drawing to see how it's going to look, but to just go with the flow and enjoy whatever decides to show itself. I originally, before I even ripped the piece of paper out of the book, wanted to draw a yellow and orange sunflower...instead it ended up being shades of yellow with browns and some reds. I think it turned out pretty neat.

I guess if I can't find a job the least I can do is draw something that makes me smile. :)

something new for me

It's finished...that landscape on black paper I was telling you about. Yeah, it's done. It's quite abstract now that I look at it. Colored pencil is much different than paint, and gives a totally different effect, in my opinion. The drawing was inspired by a landscape photograph taking from the book 'American Landscape' by David Muench. There are lots and lots of really interesting photographs in the book, this one just kind of caught my eye as something that might look good on this black paper that I went raving about in the last post.



According to the book the photo is of a "summer storm, easter slope of Sierra Nevada, California".
I did use my trusty good 'ol Prismacolor Colored Pencils to complete the drawing. It was fun, and a little odd doing a drawing like this. The blue turned out much bluer that I though it would, especially after scanning in the drawing; wow-za!

Alright, back to the drawing board...no pun intended.

Black Paper

So this black paper that I used in the first two posts of this blog has really become something that interests me...or at least gives me a different idea for drawing. I'm currently working on another drawing...this time in colored pencil (Prismacolor Colored pencils and black paper looks amazing), and it's a landscape-something I've never actually attempted to draw (paint yes, never draw). I have a coffee table book with some amazing photographs of landscapes, it's called "American Landscapes"- In it there are some beautiful stormy sunrises and sunsets and I'm attempting to recreate one of these pictures in colored pencil...so far it looks alright. I don't want to post it yet- although to actually be able to see the process and step-by-step nature of art work is pretty sweet...I'm actually doing that now with a painting(taking pictures as I go so I can post the entire process of the painting once I'm done with it- that should be awhile). But I just felt like saying a little something about this black paper. Change the color of the background your working with and sometimes that's all you need to get a boost and have the creative juices flowing...instead of staring at a white void wondering what's going to pop up. So that's that. That's all I really wanted to say. Black paper rocks. -end of message-
:P

old work, new inspirations?

Ok, so the last post, while I believe it's acurate, and can definitly see my grandad, I have been told otherwise...by his daughter. a.k.a. my mom. She seems to think that it doesn't, and to each his own, maybe because I drew it I see something others can't, but she seems to think it doesn't look like him at all, so I'm going to attempt to re-draw it...not now, but later.

But after being given that critisim, it made me want to post up another picture that I received some critisim on from my dad, of all people:

Yes, it's a dragon, and my dad actually told me I drew the scales wrong. When was the last time he saw a dragon? I mean I know he's old, but if he's actually seen a dragon then he's way older than I thought, and he was definitley a craddle robber when he married my mom. :P

Anyway, this is one of my favorite drawings that I've done. Yes I know it's missing a wing, but I like it that way, I don't know why, but it makes me want to look at the picture longer I guess. Plus it gives me ideas for more creative drawings that I need to draw, more magical and mystical creatures and beings that stories have been told about and I've always had some sort of vision of but never seen anyone draw it quiet like I see it in my head. We'll see what comes of it...

a month...

Alright, I have officially disgraced my own blog...I was supposed to post something every week...yet, it's been a month since I posted any comments and even longer since I posted art work. I'm shocked!
But alas, I'll save you the pointless excuses and post something that I just finished moments ago...

I should be posting something else this week (I say that, but I wouldn't keep my fingers crossed).

This piece is called "Grandad". It's actually a portrait of my grandad Oscar, my mom's dad. He passed away back in August 1989. He was my all-time favorite relative. I have lots of great memories of him, most of them make me laugh or at least smile. This drawing has been long over-due.

It was completed with a 2B pencil, today, October 10th, 2006.

post? You want a post?

Ok, my appologies (Titan), for my lack of posting. I think I had explained in my last post why I haven't posted...and now...in a matter of hours I'm leaving for Wisconsin for visiting old friends and family. It should be great fun...I'm hoping. Maybe I'll sketch something while I'm away and post it when I get back...But if it means anything I have started a 2D ball bounce...does that count? It's not done...but I'll finish it and post it sometime when I get back.
Again...sorry for the lack of posting...I promise pretty pictures when I come back from vacation. :P