Practice, practice, practice.

I don’t have much to say about today’s posts except that my new love is my Prismacolor marker set. ❤

I don’t completely hate this one

Normally, I finish a piece and am completely disappointed in myself but I think this one isn’t a complete disaster.

Also, I would like to apologize for all of the self deprecation and what might seem as overly harsh self criticism. I acknowledge I have this problem and it is something I am actively working on when I am actively thinking about it which is actually almost never.. almost has to count for something…. right?

In case anyone is actually reading this, I would like to note that the steps in my process have changed a little (see Oct 16). I now fill in color then do the outline 🙂

Obsessions- New Sketchbook

I find that I am absolutely obsessed with horns, masks, animal skulls, snakes and demons/gods and what they represent…  so I began a new sketchbook to fill with just that. I wont post all of my sketches from this book as they are more personal than the rest. Also currently into:  Sigur Ros, gladiators, coffee, being tipsy in the daytime and In N Out.

An amazing short writing by Rory Wood.

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random work..

Haven’t posted in a while. I have to keep talking myself out of deleting this whole blog because I just dont like the memory of past crap work.. But I think I am getting better and seeing the progress is the entire point so here’s some more recent stuff.. for now. x_X

On a side note: I have moved on past my comic art goal for now, it didn’t feel natural and I believe I am not technical enough for such grounds yet.  I do hope to one day return to the idea but for now admiring the works of a living art god, Mr Adam Hughes, shall suffice 🙂

Jan Sketch 2

envelope goddess

Sketchbook

I haven’t posted anything in a while so I decided to share pics of some of the pages within my sketchbook both old and new.. some referenced but most are not.

Here is a glimpse of what my process looks like(for now).. Basically, sketch the idea, mark in the outline and add color. This one was done with graphite, sharpies, ink and watercolor.

To be honest, I am not happy with the finished product. I don’t like the way her face turned out and her tattoos suck..  I am planning on redoing it but I may just move on.

P.S. I know the pictures are crummy. I am a terrible photographer and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Below: The one on the left is a portrait(second attempt) of a friend who is a really amazing musician and doesn’t believe that she is but she should because she is… and she frustrates me very much .. a lot.  The one in the right is referenced from a random picture with a sexy gal. They are freehand drawings: graphite, sharpies and watercolor.. Oh, and some whiteout 😉

Tip.

A new addition to my learning process: tracing paper.

In the past, I have always been against using  tracing paper because it made me feel like I was ‘cheating’ myself but I was recently advised by a professional tattoo artist to use it for practice. He said that by tracing I would learn the lines and curvature of any given subject and he was completely right. Since Ive began using  it my work has been more consistent. I trace a picture over and over until I get bored(about three times) then I draw it freehand.

I highly recommend this method. Try it, you’ll see. 🙂

Below is some freehand work after having practiced by tracing the original.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of drawing from reference for practice. Sometimes it’s just nice to use my imagination.

I crave color.

I find that I am often discouraged from my urges to add color to my sketches and I really don’t understand it.  Don’t get me wrong, I love graphite or charcoal work but in my opinion as far as my own is concerned, color always comes to the rescue.

The late French artist Fernand Leger said it best:

“The craving for colour is a natural necessity just as for water and fire. Colour is a raw material indispensable to life. At every era of his existence and his history, the human being has associated colour with his joys, his actions and his pleasures.”

I have gone back to add color to to some of my past sketches. For the most part, I used Sharpies(love em!) but I have also used color pencils, inks and acrylics. The second one below was a disaster at first (I should have taken a picture of the mess I had made) but somehow I managed to make it work, well, sort of. I had to completely chance her face with layers and layers of poster paint.