Love for Ink

Psychic Consultant

2011-12-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

I worked on this business card and poster design for my friend who needed some representation visually for her palm and tarot readings. Henceforth, her business card! If you're in the Bay and need some psychic advice or consultation, don't hesitate to contact Madame Dragonfly! (dragonflyshan@gmail.com)

A Feast

2011-12-07T16:12:00.001-08:00

Aha! Some work!

Here is an illustrated attempt for a book cover for the novel "A Feast for Crows" by George R.R. Martin. Now don't let this mislead you; "Feast" is still my least favorite book of the series and took some time to get through all that Cersei, and yet whom do I draw?! Well, I had a sketch from a life drawing class some time ago which I liked and it reminded me of Cersei so I started a random drawing on some bristol and when my final for a SciFi/Fantasy class came up.... Henceforth what thine eyes see!

I'm learning and gaining some comfort in Painter and I must say it's surprising for me to not be yelling at the computer nearly as much when working on it, much less begin to think of working digitally! Gasp! I know, I who struggled so hard against it, am becoming very entranced and interested in working digitally. The time has come.

The drawing was still traditional. ~_^

House of Leaves

2011-11-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

Cover for book "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

and I also drew an interior illustration as well (the scene where Johnny falls down the stairs with the tattoo ink after facing off with the creature in the dark; his fall covers him in the ink and he feels himself becoming lost in the darkness)

This was for the Midterm for my Digital Painting class, which, I must say, I am intensely happy that I ended up taking. Learning a lot and actually getting excited about working on the computer! Gasp!

Figure Drawing

2011-11-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share with you all this lovely site which provides both nude and clothed figures in various poses. You can set the timer for 30 second gestural warm-ups, 1 min, 2 min, or even 30 min. I look forward to the site expanding their images but even where it stands now, it's a pretty damn useful tool.

Here are some sketches I did from the site a week or two back.

Now let's all get drawing!

War Days, First Comic

2011-10-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember years ago (okay, maybe it was just one year but you know how procrastination and self-loathing can stop a gal from drawing and inking) I mentioned I wanted to make some comics about my experiences going to Catholic grammar school? Well, the first comic is done. Hopefully it won't take me another year to do one more because that would be pretty damn pathetic.

King in the North : Reprise

2011-08-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

And so came the time for me to finish the drawing inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire, "The King in the North!"

The sad part was that the sheet of bristol the drawing was originally on (drawing on the left) started falling apart after the first wash and lifting of whites. Yikes! So I had to transfer the drawing to some hot press illustration board I had. So begins the laborous process!

Since I lack both the epic light table I so desire, as well as that fancy stuff called transfer paper, I went the old, cheap faithful method I learned from Fred Nelson: graphite on the back, then trace over. The only thing is it was exceptionally light, and of course I needed to work on the line art again anyway, but now it REALLY needed more definition.

However, I must say I like how his expression and face came ut better this time. Watch the drawing appear out of thin air!

Tada! The finished line art in H pencil with shadows. Now for that sweet, sweet ink....

Blue wash in process... this was what the bristol just would not stand for...

Finished blue! But I wanted to add a touch more color; I do enjoy working in a limited palette but I wanted the light source to have a bit more feeling.

The finished product! I ended up going over some parts with a black carbon pencil to darken up, add more contrast and attention to the main points of interest. I plan on experimenting how different pencils, pastels, and charcoal hold up with ink wash. Time for further experimentation!

The King in the North ; Winter is Coming.

Drawing Dump

2011-08-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

It is as I said... and here, a dump of drawings from the summer.

One of my last from Anatomy... finally starting to get the hang of white charcoal pencil on toned paper.

I really enjoyed drawing this model. She had a lot of energy and beautiful curves (including her lovely hair!)

Loved her hair cut and the look-away.

I now have a thing for drawing backs... mmm, back muscles...

Something about this model (and I've drawn her a few times in varying classes) reminds me of Brienne of Tarth... (yup, still hooked on that crack)

Ba-da-bum-bum, Ba-da-bum-bum

2011-08-17T13:02:00.001-07:00

That's meant to be the opening tune to A Game of Thrones.. phonetically sung via type.

Yes, you could say I'm a bit obsessed... absorbed... but there's nothing like getting swept up into a new series and taken away by it.

Having said that, of course when the assignment of a still life for my Expressive Drawing course came up, I was in my A Song of Ice and Fire throes. And so I give you... "Winter is Coming"

One of the most interesting things I learned about this Summer semester was the wonder that is Matte medium and collage. Of course this technique sprung to mind when I thought of my still life subject matter. Words! Glorious words!

And here is the finished result.

Art Reproductions Now Sold (at German expense!)

2011-08-11T16:11:00.000-07:00

Hark!

I'd like to share some sweet news. You can now purchase various reproductions of my selected works from Art Flakes!

For those of you interested, check out my store at Art Flakes.

And just so this post isn't merely promotional, here's a Master Copy of a Michelangelo drawing I did this summer.

I used india ink and a Hunt 105, maybe with a bit of a 107 too. Lots of fun and really got me thinking of those crazy overlaps and folds of the figure. My favorite part... the unfinished turkey leg. Yeah. It was like that.

And Another is Vanquished!

2011-08-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Summer semester has finished once more! I must say, this has been my favorite semester at AAU yet. Anatomy for

Artists and Expressive Drawing... both classes nurtured my favorite things about drawing--the human figure and experimentation! I'm happy to say I've learned a few things, be it muscles of the body or the wonder that is matte medium.

So, what happens after the end of every semester? Lots of scanning, photographing, and re-working! Uh, not to mention drinking copious amounts of coffee while sitting at home, basking in the freedom of each day.

For now, take a gander at these life drawings done on toned paper. More to come as the digitization proceeds.

The interlocking of forms is something I've heard before when drawing the figure, but this concept really was hammered in and made more sense to me now. Check out that ankle.. aww, yeah.. interlock into that foot.

On a surprising note, I never thought I would actually come to LIKE charcoal. Accept, begin to grasp its benefits, sure... but actually think about using it in my own time?! Toned paper, charcoal pencils, and white pencil.... pretty sweet. Now to experiment with colored pencils as well.

Oh, and have I mentioned how sweet Sanguine pencils/conte is?

The King in the North! The King in the North!

2011-06-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Drew this yesterday in my Expressive Drawing class. I've been pretty obsessed with The Song of Ice and Fire series after getting hooked from the tv show---I know, I know, I'm late to this fantasy party train full of weeping, but the show Game of Thrones is the best damn adaptation I've seen. Hence, Robb Stark as the King in the North. My scanner cropped it a bit since the original is a bit too large, but I have plans for coloring this bad boy in the future.

THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH!

Quest for the Night Wisps

2011-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

Next Illustration down! My final for Watercolor class this past Spring has been fixed up and is good to go. I illustrated a scene from Phantom, by Terry Goodkind.

First I illustrated the scene after some thumbnails and color roughs. Once the composition was chosen, I had my wonderful boyfriend pose for me, scoured the internet for references, visited the Redwoods here in Oakland to get in the forest mindset (and to take good reference photos), then drew the basic illustration to size, working on getting proportion, scale, etc all right.

I was told about this sweet technique for watercolor in which you use a H pencil (MUST be Hard, and Bs will just smear) to draw and shade however much you'd like, then lay the watercolor over the pencil for a nice texture to show through. Definitely will be doing more of this.

Then a wash of blue for the underlayer....

and a whole bunch more until the finished product (probably should have taken more process shots, but it was the frenzy of finals afterall...)

"In the moonlight, Richard immediately noticed that there was something wrong with the trees. It looked as if they were all dead. The fat, squat trunks were twisted and gnarled. The bark had started to come away in ragged strips. The bent and distorted branches looked like claws reaching out to snatch anyone who dared enter the place" (oh, and

there's a lot of skulls and corpses everywhere, too).

~ Phantom, The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Sexy Bear is Sexy

2011-05-27T15:41:00.000-07:00

I present to you my favorite in class painting from my Spring semester at AAU. Sexy Bear is sexy. Once my instructor added that bear prop with the girl I was intrigued; when he put the mask on the bear I was hooked.

This is the first of an onslaught of work I'll be posting from the Spring now that I've survived. There was an ASSTON of painting and I must say... oil painting is difficult. I do enjoy the process and experience of painting and will continue to paint in the future, but I feel like it may just be for pleasure for now. Until I experiment a bajillion times more with the medium, I'm not confidant to call it my own.

My experience with watercolors on the other hand.... There will most definitely be more of that in the future.

Now, without further ado, more pictures.

He's watching you....

Aaa....

2011-03-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Lots and lots of painting! And I'm still not that good at it... but gotta level up my oil paint skills somehow. This semester is pretty crazy, so it's impossible for me to make a coherent post right now. I hope you enjoy the in process painting photos (and random model set-ups/pretty flowers).

Yonder Forsaken

2011-01-24T09:56:00.001-08:00

Here are linearts for illustrations I've been working on/had in line to finish correcting and developing. However, it may be due to looking at them and fudging with them one too many times but I've decided to abandon these drawings in lieu of just starting over with completely new concepts. But there were still some qualities about them which nagged at me not to abandon... so here they are for your viewing pleasure alone. I doubt they'll see the light of day again, but each allowed me to learn a lot in the process of drawing it.

Attempted Illustration: a one point fantasy city scene

What I liked about it: the fact that it's a background heavy illustration. Also, I am still fond of the figure walking away with the cat. I also enjoy one point perspective for bringing the scene in on a specific point.

Why it's getting trashed: there are one too many little things to correct which makes me just want to start anew. The details in the infrastructure can be better. Also, the figure in the left peaking around the corner has one too many anatomical things wrong with it so I feel it'd be best to start from scratch.

What I learned: Detail, details, details. I need to be more patient and take the time to add some for heightened realism, as well as visual interest. Personally, I find those things impressive and inviting in illustrations--particularly background-heavy ones. But I can certainly say I feel 100% comfortable with 1 pt perspective now with all its little nuances.

Attempted Illustration: a scene from the book Phantom in The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. This is one of the main characters, Kahlan, trying to save a little girl from the Sisters of the Dark who just slaughtered her parents.

What I liked about it: all the details in the clothing, which I still feel is pretty decent. Also, the pose of Kahlan (the woman grabbing the girl) is still pretty good to me.

Why it's getting trashed: Not seen here is the background I incorporated. It was a little too wonky with one too many perspective issues (I believe it was a 3 pt or 2pt vertical). Background aside, the pose of the girl still has some problems--the foot in the foreground is bothersome. Also, I feel that I could have made her look younger. The anatomy isn't terrible, but it could be better.

What I learned: Motherfucking boots. Look at those sons of bitches. Awesome. You should see the lumpy, formless rainboot it originally was. I also worked pretty hard on the proportions and pose, but still feel that it falls short. I made some ground, but there's still more to do.

Attempted Illustration: Space Future, Go! a take on a scene from the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast

What I liked about it: Look at that beast! How cute is he? Also, it was so fun to draw all those tentacles and I think they came out pretty good overall. I also like the clothing and pose (mostly) of the Beauty. The overall concept of the illustration I'm fond of, even if there is no remaining Beauty and the Beast storyline elements at this point (in previous versions there was more furniture and developed background)

Why it's getting trashed: I started coloring the illustration but just couldn't get over those knees on the girl. Also, her face is... meh. I wanted to be able to work on the drawing larger in order to correct these things, but was already somewhere around 12x18 or 18 x24... I'd already worked on transferring and correcting the image for so long that utilizing my frankenstein-way of transferring a larger version with the supplies at hand just felt too daunting. Wasn't sure if the illustration was worth it.

What I learned: how to draw a squid-octopus monster. And that part was awesome.

There it is. Now these folders of drawings will go to the terabyte harddrive in the sky....err... living room.

The Queen's After Party

2011-01-19T16:02:00.001-08:00

And finally, here is the last of the pastel drawings from my class this past Fall semester. These are of the model as a queen at a party... drunken Queen FTW! Very fun to draw... I mean, who doesn't like a sloppy, drunk Queen spilling wine all over herself?

There are some drawings which I was going to develop and finish, but have decided not to for some reason or another. I'll be posting the lineart for these rejects soon, should anyone convince me otherwise to rescue them from the eternally unfinished bin.

Snow Bunny (w/o snow)

2011-01-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to working toward 2011 being a productive, creative, and fun year!

But first, one last post from my past semester. This was my final for a Head Drawing class at AAU. Enjoy!

The assignment was to draw from a chosen reference pool of our fellow classmates. Since my camera sucks, most of the time I have to base my decision more on which photo isn't blurry, but luckily this particular shot came out well. How could I resist a bunny hat?

There's something I like about the simple, flat shapes in this beginning stage.

Acetone splatter!

And here was the final I turned in for class. After some critique from my instructor, and my own realization once it was up on the wall and I was feet away, there needed to be some changes made. The brightness of the hat was too stark and drew away from my desired focal point of the face (namely eyes and nose). Throw that sucker back up on the drawing board!

Here it is with corrections. I lightened up the face and darkened some areas more to enhance the contrast, hopefully negating some of that surging bright power of the white bunny hat. I'm satisfied with the drawing overall, and have come to appreciate charcoal more after this class. Of course, once I found out about splatter textures my relationship with charcoal deepened that much more. You will never take my acetone!!!

Color! Oh, Color!

2010-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

The best thing I gained from my Figurative Concepts class this Fall semester was an experimentation with color via pastels. See, color was an elusive she-beast to me and is only now starting to come around. Previously, I worked mostly in a limited color palette, usually even purely monochromatic. This isn't to say that I'm necessarily going to vastly change my color appreciation and I'm still a hardcore sucker for monochromatic illustrations... but the explosion of color I experienced was a nice diversion from my norm.

We each placed our five best drawings on the floor of the classroom the last day and the scope of it all was pretty cool.

Pastels are actually pretty awesome and fun to use. They provide bold, vibrant color and are a relatively flexible medium--at least more so than my usual inks. Here are a few selections of my work with pastels these past months. In the future, I'll be adding some of these to my Etsy shop so if anything strikes your fancy, keep an eye out.

Ah, pastels. How you have worked your way into my heart... and my hand.

Merry Winter's Solstice, everyone!!

Enjoy your holiday festivus winter celebrations!

A Master's Copy and Awesome Portrait

2010-12-15T13:29:00.001-08:00

FALL SEMESTER VANQUISHED!!!

Now there's nothing but time to post some artwork from the semester, photograph work, and draw, draw, draw in this month and a half I have off until Spring starts! So, without further ado.....

This was a Master Copy assignment from my Head Drawing class. We had to copy one of a Master's drawings (from a selection provided). I tried my best and think it turned out alright in the end... definitely the revisions I made from my instructor's critique furthered it much more. Also, drawing a child?! Whaaat....

Here you can see the real essence and evil soul emanating from those dead eyes... or it could be that the drawing's just been started...

This was how I first turned it in. Definitely not as finished as I would have liked it but I thought it was a good start. My instructor, though, was clearly able to see what I had missed and give me some pointers.

And there's the final, final version! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out... at the very least he looks like a human child minus physical deformities. Below is a closer look at the drawing followed by the original reference. I don't know who the Master artist was since it wasn't listed in the file... if anyone recognizes it let me know who it is!

For the final in my Head Drawing class, we had to draw from photo references of our classmates taken with a primary and secondary light source. There are still some revisions I want to make to my final, so I'll post that in a couple of days, weeks or so... but a fellow classmate, Katy Fox, happened to have drawn me for the final. At the end of class she asked me if I wanted the portrait... do I want an awesome, multi-colored, textural drawing of myself?

HELLS YEAH!!! So thanks a lot, Katy--not that you read this blog--but her style is quite awesome and she did a great job. Check it out and be inspired by mah face.

(via some light Googling, I believe I found her website too. For more of Katy's work, check it out here. )

Late November Doodles

2010-11-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

Where has the month gone?

Man, that went by fast (and yes, I know there's a couple days left in the month but still... dayum). I have about three weeks left in my semester and a healthy helping of drawing lying in wait ahead. I'll be going over some of my classwork and posting drawings in the next couple of days or so. Until then, sketches ahoy!

Thunder Thighs in Pleasures of the FLESH!!!

2010-11-17T11:32:00.001-08:00

Very fun commission for a friend Sergio of his original character "Thunder Thighs". She's a superhero with awesome pheromone powers and the ability to explode any and all who do the nasty with her. Awesome superhero, hands down. In this scene, she has been taken hostage by the evil Dr. Colossus and multiple superheros have tried to save Thunder Thighs but find their ends in a burst of pleasure. Next is the idiotic, entranced former president George W. Bush. Will Thunder Thighs ever escape?!

Head Drawing Midterm

2010-11-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

There's something about the initial sketch's looseness that I like which, unfortunately, gets a little bit lost in the final version.

This was neither the first nor last of the reconstructive surgery her lovely face underwent.

Final! Not the best, but I definitely feel that my drawing skills are getting somewhere a little further down the road... and charcoal is no longer my enemy.

IAmOscarGrant.org Poster

2010-10-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is a poster for the community organized IAmOscarGrant.org, a non-profit style organization started by Kimberlee Webber in response to Oscar Grant's murder by Bart officer Johannes Mehserle. If you don't know what any of that means, I highly suggest Googling those names; it's a murder of an innocent man on the Bart by a Bart cop--yes... the transit system in the Bay Area has its own police officers. Terrifying. The trial happened over the summer with some pretty sub-par outcomes.

This poster was originally made for an event held September 25th, but was never really used as the flyer which was the original purpose. Alas. However, it was fun to create and I thought I should share.

Random Post is Random

2010-09-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Glorious. But still off. This is my first assignment from a Figurative Concepts class at AAU. The class is very fun and engaging; we're working strictly in color pastels for the beginning of class and it's a new, overall pleasing, experience.

But this drawing definitely needs a lot more work... at least a couple hours. It wasn't until I looked at the drawing next to the reference that I noticed the boobs were off.

See? The angle is all off... which is pretty disappointing since I had fun rendering that right (technically left) breast. :/

I guess that will make it all the more fun to draw it again...

I got the reference photo off Deviant Art on Eva Pechmarie's work. You can view the original here.

Sketches and Space

2010-08-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hello out there, Internets. How's it been?

My summer semester has officially ended (well, actually a week ago now but productivity is just barely kicking back in) and I am fueled and energized to draw some mother-ouffin' comics! So just you wait!

In the meanwhile, some doodles and my new work studio--super under development.

7 Deadly Sins Entry

2010-07-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here is my entry for a contest awhile back called The 7 Deadly Sins Contest. Although I didn't place, the winners were quite awesome and I was happy just to participate and create the piece. If you'd like to see the winners, you should check them out here (scroll down a bit to the April 13th entry).

2pt in Blue

2010-07-01T20:26:00.001-07:00

Here is the lineart of my 2pt Perspective assignment from last semester

(funny enough, the same assignment I'm working on again -_^)

Here are the color thumbs of different light sources and shadow plotting. That pink one still calls out to me.

And then.... plotting time....

Which brought me to the finished illustration before you:

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the illustration. ^_^ It was fun to draw and I like how it turned out. I'm thinking of making prints of this once I have more ink for le printer.

That is all. Now, to procrastinate no more....

Well, Holy @!#*

2010-06-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hark! Yes, time sure has swept us by now, hasn't it? Prepare for a lengthy post, friends.

Firstly, I have made the trek cross country with the boy and friends to Oakland, CA!!! The road trip was "hella" fun and an experience I won't forget.

The latter part of Wyoming, Nevada, and California were the funnest parts of the drive simply due to the gorgeous landscapes.

Now that I'm finally feeling settled in (somewhat) to my new environment, it's time to get back to drawing! Here are a couple new sketches. More work to be posted in the future!

I haven't forgotten about my Catholic grammar school comic. Here is a sketch of my previous principal of that time... the scariest nun of them all.

This started as a sketch of a window and chair in my living room. I'm still playing around with the concept and may develop it further into an actual illustration.

Until next time!

11 Days and Counting!!!

2010-04-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

Eleven days left in Chicago!

Freak Out.... Commence. Mainly since I haven't started packing yet.

Not to leave you completely lacking any visual, here is the nude version of one of my recent assignments. I have to make a few corrections to the final version where they're clothed and placed in a setting....

SUCCUBUS!!!

More updates will be coming and I'll try to post more regularly. Once corrections are made, I'll post some more finished drawings and most likely will update my Etsy shop with more prints and original art in the next month.

Right... So...

2010-03-31T00:35:00.000-07:00

I know and you know... it's been too long. And I'm sorry. I really am. You know, I could make excuses... say how busy this semester is, how much work each class really takes out of me, how moving in one month is causing me to begin slight freak-out mode... but no.

Just have a picture.

And try not to hate me too much. ^^

Above is my latest finished assignment from my Chiaroscuro class.

There are a few drawings from my other class which I need to make a few small corrections to and then I'll post those here as well.

As for my comic... well, alas. I really, really wanted to get the first issue done before leaving Chicago so I could drop it off at Quimby's and Chicago Comics, but that just isn't going to happen. It will be made, but most likely not until early this summer between semesters when I'm out in San Fran broke as hell with no other distractions in life.

Perspective Kicks Me Arse

2010-02-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

But I will take it down! My "Drawing From the Imagination" Class at AAU is a killer... but definitely worth the stress, complete lack of social life, and tearing out my hair.

Lookit my 2 Point Perspective Drawing!

I think it came out pretty well considering it's difficult for me to draw a straight line even with the use of a T-Square and 90 Degree Angle thingamajigger.

Thoughts? Flames? Complete hatred and disdain?

Sorry for lack of posts...

2010-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

My second semester at AAU started and it's a doozy. Learning perspective is extremely helpful as much as it is challenging. I'll be posting work from my classes, as well as some other drawings soon.

In the meantime, here's an in-process sketch of my DnD character, Tempest Brookshire.

She's a Shifter Shaman. Badass.

I am Disappoint

2010-02-02T23:54:00.000-08:00

I know you all have been frantically checking back to hear about the first part of my comic, War Days..... and I have failed you all.

x.x

It is not done. I have not started.

Sawwies.

Life kinda happened, combined with a smidge of writer's block, added with a dash of procrastination to really leave me unable to get it done on time.

BUT

it will still be done. The first issue will come out beginning to Mid-March AND NO LATER.

I swears.

Lazy Sunday with possible sketching in the future....

2010-01-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

But in the meantime, here's an illustration I recently finished from my Crossing Borders class last semester. Enjoy.

AGENCY

(in contemporary theory) whether individuals can freely and autonomously initiate action

whether the things they do are in some sense determined by the ways in which their identity has been constructed

First Sketches of Yonder New Year

2010-01-12T13:58:00.001-08:00

I might develop the last sketch into a color illustration/possibly painting. But I'm not sure how strongly I want the "you suck" to be.... hmmmm......

Oh, and a Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

2010

Kinda forgot to say Happy New Years and all that. So a good new year to all! I hope everyone out there has some optimism, however slight it may be, for this year ahead. Myself, I'm looking forward to moving out West (California, here I come!) and exploring a new city. Expect nostalgic Chicago drawings April-Mayish soon to be followed by road trip drawings and those of the San Fran area in this upcoming year.

Meanwhile, I finally have developed, organized, cleaned, and am satisfied with my studio area! Starting off the New Year right... and justifying the hours of playing Valkyria Chronicles I am about to do.

Praise Thee, Jebus!

2010-01-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

BELIEF.

Funny. It has "lie" in it. Ah, yes, there's my atheism and bitter hatred of the Church surging up a bit.

There be the colored image for Chapter Two of War Days. I've started work on the first chapter which I'll start posting teasers of soon. In the meantime..... That's it.

Odalisque: Now with Extra Color Boost!

2009-12-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

So after taking a look and thinking about "odalisque" for a second, the colors looked really faded to me from the original scan and version. I decided to take it into ye olde Photoshop and tweak it a bit. Here are the fruits of my five minutes of labor.

BEFORE

AFTER

Thoughts?

It has abruptly realized to me that tomorrow is Xmas Eve and Friday's Xmas. Where the hell did December go? Time for family hangin' and presents. Hope everyone has a good holiday, whatever it is you're doing. At least it's a day off or two from work!

Feliz Xmas and a Merry Winter's Solstice!

Remainder of Terminology Illustrations

2009-12-21T13:53:00.001-08:00

ODALISQUE

female slave

SEXISM

There you have it. Those are the ones I liked from the project... there's one more but I still need to work on the lineart for it; didn't finish in time for posting for class. With my first semester of grad school behind me, I embrace the month+ break! There will be updates on my comic and the first chapter will be released February 1, 2010, so keep checking back. I promise it won't suck. At least not too much.

I have not forsaken thou!

2009-12-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

I am just in the throes of finals. And speaking of which... here are a few of the illustrations that I created for my final project for Crossing Borders. We had to choose terminology and then illustrate/visually depict their meaning. Here are a few of the ones I drew which turned out... okay? Better than expected?

ALTERITY

derived from Latin term "alteritas" meaning "the state of being other or different; diversity; otherness"

in post-colonial theory, alterity is used interchangeably with otherness and difference

__________

FEMINISM

Often concerned with the ways and extent to which representation and language are crucial to identity formation and to the construction of subjectivity

__________

NEGRITUDE

a theory of the distinctiveness of African personality and culture developed by African francophone writers such as Leopold Sedar Senghor and Birago Diop, and West Indian colleagues such as Aime Cesaire in Paris in the period immediately before and after the Second World War

* * *

The negritudinist critics insisted that African cultures and the literatures they produced had aesthetic and critical standards of their own, and needed to be judged in the light of their differences and their specific concerns rather than as a mere offspring of the parental European cultures

* * *

The concept of negritude implied that all people of negro descent shared certain inalienable essential characteristics--both essentialist and nativist

* * *

What made the negritude movement distinct was its attempt to extend perceptions of the negro as possessing a distinctive "personality" into all spheres of life: intellectual, emotional, and physical

All information on terminology is taken from the book "Post Colonial Studies: The Key Concepts" by Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffin

More Charcoal! And a Deadline!

2009-11-30T22:14:00.001-08:00

Charcoal is still far from being my favorite medium. I just feel like it's so hard to control... not impossible or as hard as other mediums, but I just have a difficult time. I need much bigger charcoal. These hands are way too big for tiny, pointy charcoal.

What is fun about charcoal is the mess. I always look forward to seeing how ridiculous I look after a drawing.

This was only after two drawings. lol And not even those really dark ones (the first in the post). Mah face is dirty....

ALSO..... DEADLINE!!!
I've decided that the deadline for the first chapter of my comic will be February 1, 2010. This gives me my break between semesters to work on it, and that should be enough time. So I'll be posting teasers on here, but all of it won't be available until the physical minicomics are made.

New Comic and Feeling Better!

2009-11-27T21:58:00.000-08:00

Last week was a blur of sickness. The flu kicked my ass, as well as the boy's. I finally started feeling better earlier this week and can safely say I am back to about 90%.

Sorry for the lack of updates. I could blame my sickness, but I've been a bit neglectful of you, blog. I won't do it again, I swear.

Here's a lame comic. It was fun to experiment working with a brush.

Prints Now Available!

2009-11-06T14:29:00.001-08:00

Well, make that print. As in singular. I ran out of ink today and need to hit up an Office Depot tomorrow.
But check it out; they're cheap! ^_^

Long Time, No Post

2009-10-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Regrettably I have not posted in over a month. :/ And I was doing so well! Alas, school got ahold of me and awesomely enough, I worked with Unbundled on a storyboard project. Them's my excuses.

I will be setting a date for the first issue/release of my comic (the still Untitled one about Catholic school) pretty soon and let you know when that will be.

Also, I'm going to be switching servers and re-designing my website so once that's up and running, I'll notify here.

Lastly, I'm working on some prints to sell in my Etsy shop. I need to test a few papers, printer settings, etc... but hopefully within the next two weeks I'll have prints up for sale!

In the meantime, enjoy some head/portrait drawings which I drew this week for class. I must say, this Clothed Figure Drawing class at AAU is IMMENSELY helpful. I've learned a lot more about drawing already. At least I feel that way... let's see if I can digest, remember, and pull from everything so that my drawing reflects this... haha, easier said than done.

Sucks to My Assmar

2009-09-20T20:15:00.001-07:00

So, as it turns out, I am developing asthma at the pleasant, adult age of near 25. Not 10. Not 11. Not 13. 24, heading to 25. My adulthood is going to be awesome.

(also, you can tell I'm new to the asthma thing.. I realized I completely drew my hand wrong on the inhaler... hello! Need to be pushing it down!)

Visual Passport

2009-09-15T18:17:00.001-07:00

One of my assignments. I had to create a visual passport presenting myself to the class. So here it is! I took a slightly different approach to the illustration in the sense that I posed and directly drew from a reference. Shocking, I know! I do like how the drawing turned out though. I'm also liking the overall look and feel behind the finished illustration with the textures and physical elements (scanned hair). Makes me want to do a series of mythological or fairy tale illustrations in a similar style.

Hmmm...... we shall see.

Clothed Figure Drawing

2009-09-11T20:23:00.001-07:00

So my first assignment for my Clothed Figure Drawing class online at AAU's grad program is complete! Woo boy that was a long-winded sentence. It was pretty interesting to already learn some new techniques, such as sharpening the charcoal.

Now, this may be obvious to some of you, but Columbia's Fine Art department was hit or miss. I guess I got through not really being told about this phenomenon. For those who are still in the dark, all you do is take an X-acto knife (or any good knife for that matter) and shave it down to a point. It makes a mess, as you can see, so make sure you're more prepared than I was. I really love the patterns the charcoal makes as it's shaved off though. After cutting it down, you're supposed to smooth it with sand paper but since I am lacking that now, I just worked with it as is.

This was the first drawing I did after some warm-up exercises. I'm also holding the charcoal differently now--against my fingers and held with my thumb so that I can gain more movement and flexibility when drawing.

Also what was different this drawing around was that I started with the eyes and related everything to one another as I went, as opposed to roughing the entire form in all at once. I think it came out ok? lol It was definitely a different experience.

All in all, working with charcoal again was lots of fun--especially with new techniques. However... there was one thing I forgot about charcoal.

The photo doesn't do my face justice as to how ridiculous I looked. It was all along the side of my face and on my chin.. haha...

If anyone happens to still be reading too (I know, crazy right? Of course I'm just talking to myself and the internet), due to my renewed love and interest in charcoal and drawing the clothed human figure, if anyone wants a quick drawing of themselves then by all means, let me know!!!

Send me a few photos of yourself.... CLOTHED. And let's keep it somewhat decent.. at least try. I mean ultimately it's up to you but know there's a chance it'll be going up on this here blog so you may want to keep your privates to yourself. E-mail me at melisa.desrosiers@gmail.com, include a photo or two, tell me a little bit about yourself, and I'll get to drawing. Then I'll e-mail the drawing to you as a high-res file just in case you want to print it out or anything. If I decide to post it on my blog, I'll let you know first before doing so.

Alrighty! I shall await your responses.

::crickets chirp::

The Early Years

2009-08-30T21:19:00.001-07:00

Here it is! A more finished illustration!

This is the first of a series of illustrations for the comic I'm working on about my days as a little Catholic school girl... not the stripper kind.
I'm thinking that I'll divide the stories up with my progression in beliefs and age.. since they both coincide really. This is the first one, which would be the first chapter header.

Here's the non-colored version:
I'm working on the next one and should have it up in a few days. Once I have all the headers done, then I'll start drawing the actual comics. Still not sure how I want to present them online, really. I'm thinking more of the physical versions first, but also want to have it available to read online for free. It definitely will have to wait for my new site since the design that I'm currently using from Columbia is shite for comics. Ideally, that shouldn't be too long.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated. ^^

Random Doodles

2009-08-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

I promise something a little more finished/developed within the week, but in the meantime here are some doodles from my last Storyboarding meeting.

Unknown Foot Pain leads to Pot Documentary and Doodling

2009-08-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

So my plan today WAS to go downtown and work on more storyboards with Dalila Droege for her new film (being shot next week!) Voice Lessons.... but I woke up this morning with terrible pain in the bottom of my right foot so I decided to postpone and stay home. Made the arduous trek to Dunkin' for cheap coffee, my free donut (I filled out an online poll) and breakfast sandwich, then skimmed the Netflix to find something to watch.

Ended up watching The Union: The Business Behind Getting High, which was a pretty good documentary on marijuana. I've seen a couple, and this one was pretty informative apart from what I've seen. There was a lot of information on Canada, British Columbia in particular, which I didn't know too much about. Of course the same arguments were there about marijuana not being nearly as harmful as tobacco, alcohol, or even caffeine; however, there was insight behind what American Government drug-particularly marijuana-tests actually involved (specifically a test under President Reagan in the 80s which led all people to believe that pot can kill brain cells... turns out they just suffocated the monkeys tested with pot smoke and the brain cell damage came from the suffocation. No scientific connection to the pot; they performed the test in a horrendous way and twisted statistics). Also a lot on the prison system, decriminalization vs. legalization, medicinal marijuana, and tons of politics that make me want to strangle our policy makers, as usual. I also greatly appreciated the editing and use of stock footage. Unfortunately, a lot of times marijuana documentaries look cheap and are kind of too flashy or boring visually; this one was different in that sense.

I watched the documentary instantly on Netflix, so if there are any Netflix users you can watch it there. Apparently it's also on Youtube in parts: here's Part One.

So if you're bored this fine Saturday afternoon, consider a pot documentary! You'll be sure to learn something.

New Sketch... at a Price...

2009-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a sketch that I colored and messed around with. I tried experimenting with colors that I don't usually use and think I like what came from it.

UNFORTUNATELY, like an IDIOT, I overwrote the 300 dpi colored version with the web version I saved for the blog. >.< I am literally, mentally, kicking my ass so hard right now. Granted, it was just a sketch but still... I may have wanted to print it. Now I'd have to color it all over again. aaaaaah.....

Alas. But here's the sketch:

I was thinking that developing the concept a little more might make for a good Threadless submission. Any takers? Sound good or more in the realm of, "Who the hell would want to wear this shit?" I appreciate honesty.

And if I do decide to develop it for threadless... at least I won't feel AS BAD for overwriting the high-res file.... T_T

Runny Noses and Dashed Hopes

2009-08-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

That was my day yesterday--snot and videogames. I was going to add a delicious yellow for the mucus and on the screen to communicate Boomer bile... but meh.

Today... Snot and the realization that getting loans for grad school isn't going to be as easy as I thought...
Needless to say, the 2+ hours I spent looking for non-certified loans so that I could get my supplies and whatnot was for naught. Thanks, economy. Now I just hope that at least I can still get a certified private loan alright....

But it all hasn't been too bad! The day started out better; I'm working on more storyboards for Dalila Droege's short film Voice Lessons. Once they're finished and the film is shot and out, I'll post them. I think there's some nice boards already.

I also finally got a regular, blank-page sketchbook (I've been using a regular notebook recently which is alright but I could use some nice, clean paper) and have already started sketching. Some will be posted once I digitally add color.

Until then, I bid you adieu.

Oh, my! Nurse...

2009-07-27T14:54:00.001-07:00

My second experiment with Painter X! In the form of this hot nurse, a little deranged since she is cutting her own tongue and all. I want to play around more with the brushes and sensitivity in Painter, but at least I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere.

Oh, there's also a panty-less version of this. XD Just thought I'd post the somewhat less R-rated version. Enjoy.

EDIT: I tried defining the pattern in the top of the stockings a bit more, as well as her freckles.

War Stories Sketches

2009-07-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

So I finally got around to sketching some characters from my next project--which I intend on actually completing, that is--tentatively entitled "War Stories".... there's going to be a definite change, but I'm thinking of incorporating that phrase into the title somehow. The phrase comes from how me and my older sister would describe all the stories we have from growing up in a strict, Catholic grammar school. And that's pretty much what the comic will be about.

So, without further ado....

These are just pencil sketches. I was trying to find my yearbook to reference the teachers, principle, and priests... but couldn't find them. I'll have to do an all-out hunt for them soon since I know they've got to be around here somewhere. Right now, I'm mainly trying to get down style for how I want to draw the adults vs. children, as well as overall drawing style. Next up will definitely be some ink!

Unemployed (recent college graduate)

2009-07-15T19:39:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the fruit of my lazy ass getting into gear. Eat it up, for it is juicy.

Sexy Lady...

2009-07-06T19:22:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th! Fireworks are still going off in my neighborhood; I'm sure they'll continue at least for another week.

I have a comic concept underworks... soon there will be character sketches and buildings/environments drawn up. So keep an eye out for it, especially anyone who had to go to Catholic school and didn't so much like it.. more to be revealed soon.

In the meantime, here's my first actual illustration using Painter X to color it. Not too experimental with Painter, but I'm still getting my footing and basic understanding of the program down. If anyone has any good brushes or Painter tips in general, I am all ears.

Why I don't want to live to 100...

2009-06-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I entered in this contest by Phil McAndrew in which you had to draw yourself at 100, no excuses since technology has made it possible or what have you. Here was my sketch.

I was going with the "Why the hell did we invent this technology?" feeling. Cause man, I would not want to live that long and age the horrible way I would. Enjoy and hopefully have a laugh at my expense!

Heaven Gallery Work

2009-06-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

The two pieces I had in "Let Them Eat Cake" are now up on my site. I made a few more pieces too that weren't in the show and I don't necessarily want to include in my site/portfolio, but thought I would show them here. So, with no further ado, the rejects!

Last sketches from this Sketchbook

2009-06-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

So I've finished yet another sketchbook. Although, now I'm going to use a clipboard and typing paper as a makeshift sketchbook, since I can't really afford a new one. I've been a bit obsessed with Etsy lately and have found a few cool sketchbook there like this one and this one especially.

Now on to the last of Sketchbook 08-09's doodles:

this was when I was waiting for Marie Ullrich, the director of Faster! since I was going to do some storyboards and concept art for the film. Was not too cheerful until I had some of that coffee in mah belly.

This is a sketch of Bill from Left 4 Dead. There were a lot more lines but I kind of brightness-and-contrasted them out... were I to color this he would be covered in boomer yuck. I thought of doing all four and went on to sketch Louis but man... he was not looking right. So I abandoned it... haha...

Until I blather again!

Let Them Eat Cake

2009-06-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the gallery exhibition/fashion show "Let Them Eat Cake" at Heaven Gallery.
I had, or was planned, on having four pieces in the show. Really, I only saw two. And when I got there, they were on the floor.

After talking to one of the guys at the door, he kindly pointed out another artist who had to hang up her work, and said I should just ask her for help. So I asked her and she was kind enough to let me borrow her hammer and nails. After some banging and adjusting, my work was up!

I still have no idea where my other two pieces were hanging, unless a) they were somewhere I didn't know about, or b) the woman just didn't want to tell me they weren't put up. In reality, I would have liked to just be told if they weren't put up, but who knows.

Apart from the disappointment when I got there with the state of my work, the show was pretty fun! There was a good amount of people, some interesting work on the walls, and a pretty good fashion show with work by Justin White.

Now I shall be off to pick up my work from the gallery. It was a fun experience, and I'm definitely looking for more gallery opportunities. Really, the show made me want to host/throw an art gallery/apartment deal, but unfortunately I live in a basement on the southside... not really the best place for one. But if I do get an apartment in Chicago, you can bet I'll be gearing it for some arts stuffs.

Color Test

2008-11-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

I found this on Drawn:

Color Hue Test

It was pretty fun and by the end my eyes were starting to cross.... but I scored a 16. Not that bad... but it probably could have been better.

Also, here is an illustration and poster submission I did for the horror film Perkins' 14. The contest deadline made me kind of rushed.. I really like the illustration; however, it isn't the best movie poster which I understand. Hence me not making it to the final for the competition. : /
Ah well... I still like the illustration

Ad Illustration

2008-10-07T00:18:00.001-07:00

Here are two ads for my Advertising Illustration class.

Ok, so I lie...

2008-09-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

So my drawing a day didn't work out so well, and now I'm back in school-my last semester, finally. I will post work from this semester as I make it, rather than posting it all afterwards. Also, I'm determined to work on my mini-comic and to finish it. Not to mention, by December (hopefully sooner) I will have my own website so that there will be a gallery and a place to check out my work any time. The blog will stay, but will be like an artist's journal/wip type of deal... pretty much what it is now actually.

So changes are coming and I promise new work. I just became a bit more preoccupied this summer than I thought I would be. Keep an eye out for more posts in the future; I haven't abandoned the blog yet.

More doodles from a sketchbook

2008-08-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

More from the sketchbook... this is a girl and my infamous swirls. Whenever I'm bored or can't think of what to draw, I doodle spirals. I think I definately want to develop this one into either a painting or ink illustration.... I don't like the butt though. that definately needs fixing, and I'm going to work with her arm and hair a little more to make the drawing more dynamic. oh, and there will definately be more spirals.

This is a sketch from my book of a girl... just trying to alter my drawing style slightly and was playing around with free-drawing with the Rapidograph a lot on my sketchbook. I think her lower half, hips and legs area could be much better and curvy.... but I do like the looseness of her hair and the quickness of the drawing, albeit that some anatomical things are out of whack. This sketch may get developed in the near future.

One Day Late; Two Drawings!

2008-08-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hello All. The first post of my drawing every day and I'm already behind... but I have been busy. I am currently Art Director and Cartoonist for a new magazine starting up called Pretty Boy Magazine. For more information on Pretty Boy Magazine and its' company, Pretty Boy Enterprises Inc., check the website at www.prettyboyenterprisesinc.com

The following sketch is of one of the characters from the comic I'm working on for the Magazine. She's going to be the manager of a new Pretty Boy Boy Toy whose come to live in this condo/suite, working as a Pretty Boy. However, he's completely new to the situation and isn't all too sure if this is for him. His roommates don't help much to secure his feelings. The comic is still in the works, but I'll definately make a post once the Magazine is out and you can read my strip every issue. In the meantime, enjoy this sketch.

And here is a cat that I drew. It came out in more of an animation look, which I like. I've been drawing quickly with my Rapidograph and occasionally this results in an interesting new style/look. Occasionally.

Drawing/Sketch a Day!

2008-07-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, that's it. I'm finally getting down to it. From today through September 1st, I will post one illustration per day. Now, granted, these can also consist of sketches from my sketchbook, since I don't have all the time in the world. But I've lost the purpose of this blog, which was to get me drawing and experimenting more. And albeit that I have started, I need to do a lot more.

So for starters, this was a drawing I did on the inside part of a matte board cut for a window matte for my final in Photography this summer. I will be posting some of my photos from the class once I get around to scanning them. Enjoy and constructive criticism or comments on if you think this style or technique works well is most appreciated.

Keep in mind I just started free sketching this with the colored pencils... so there was some trial and error along the way but I think it came out kind of cool.

Transformative Penis Drawings

2008-06-05T00:56:00.000-07:00

I found this on Youtube when searching for "vaginas"... it's actually pretty creative and fun to see what the cocks, vagi, and butts become!!

In the Deepest Darkest of Darks...

2008-06-03T18:54:00.001-07:00

... I load film onto reels badly and bubble it up at the ends, killing 17 shots of beautiful newbie photography!!! That's right, folks, I'm in Photography I. So in the coming weeks of my summer semester, I may post some photos along with illustrations and comics. That is... if I do anything good enough to even post...

That being said, I haven't started my Daily Drawings. I know, I know... that was the point of the blog, right? To get me drawing? Well, school has to come first along with work unfortunately. But I will begin Daily Drawings probably next week or at the latest the week after. I am currently working on some concept art for a film by Dalila Droege, a graduate student at Columbia College, and need to get all that finished in time.

That isn't to say this is going to be an entirely text-filled post! Oh no no.... there is... more sketchbook material... (this is a few months old, by the way... I'll be posting more recent drawings soon enough...)

Sketchbooks!

2008-05-21T21:57:00.000-07:00

In an effort to make a post and keep myself from complete laziness on my week break between Spring and Fall semesters, I decided to scan some drawings and pages from my sketchbook. I really like seeing other artists' sketchbooks, and so I figured I would post some of my own. I think it's cool when you can see the thought process of how something was developed... not that I'm going to be showing all that right now, but in the future I might do a post like that where I show my process from thought to finish. We'll see...

In the meantime... drawings!

She was going to be in clothes... but I never got around to adding them. This was drawn in that five/six week period of break between Fall and Spring semesters...

I just thought this sketch was interesting because it's a thumbnail I shat out in a process that wasn't very pleasant; it took me some time to think of a composition or what the hell I wanted to do for this flyer... and the drawing style here doesn't really look like mine normally. I'm going to try drawing quicker like everyone's been telling me to do... and see what doodles come of it.

A comic I sketched out around the holidays.

This is a ballpoint pen sketch of a character for a minicomic I'm currently working on. It doesn't really have a title yet... but I'll be posting some pages of it soon.

And that's it for now. I don't want to overload you with images!
More from sketchbooks later....

where "Daily Drawings" inspiration came from

2008-05-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

two posts in one day! I just realized that I wanted to link to what got me thinking of putting together a blog and starting daily drawing. I've seen several people who have done this before, but seeing Chris Houghton's blog of daily drawings and knowing that he's an illustration student also spurred me into action. Well, at least the action of making the blog. I'll start the daily drawings in a week... I swear....

I also am inspired a lot by the Post It Note Project... even though I haven't done anything yet.

And just as disclaimer... I get most of my illustration/animation/design news from Drawn.ca

So I finally started a blog.. no more excuses!!

2008-05-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for the past... oh... two years? three? I've been talking and talking about making a website for my illustration and work, but i haven't done it yet. I WILL be designing and getting a website up and running before i graduate (this December 2008!) but in the meantime, I've decided that I need to stop coming up with excuses for not posting artwork online. So.... here it is! A blog!

I think once the semester ends next week I'm going to start one of those "Daily Drawings" deals... just drawing something everyday and posting it for constructive criticism and to keep myself drawing. I've found that this entire semester I've only drawn what was required for class and haven't had the chance to just doodle or draw for myself. Since I can't seem to do it myself, having a blog will force me to!

So without further ado... here's some of what I've been working on for classes this semester...

Have I mentioned how much me and computers don't get along? It took me over twenty minutes to upload just two pictures... and I tried uploading a color jpg but every time I try uploading it, the colors get messed up. At a later time, when I'm not at work and on lunch hour, I'll figure out the basics of uploading images....