The Good Thing About Science is...

The next scientist portrait is finished: Neil deGrasse Tyson! A whole lotta Star Talk radio and Cosmos was listened to and watched for the making of this illustration.

As always, I start with research, sketching, and thumbnailing.

Can you tell I was excited to draw him?

Sketching ideas and compiling quotes

 

Hey, guuurrrll...

After deciding on the composition and getting a sense of drawing Neil, it was onto the finished drawing which I would ink from. I broke up the different elements of the illustration separately--Neil, icons for the border, planetary orbits--since I knew I was going into Photoshop for everything after inking.

Finished drawing. I don't want it to be super refined since I'll be transferring and inking it, but I want the right shapes and features defined.

Sweet, sweet ink...

Then all the inking and all the coffee.

I scanned everything, cleaned up my line art, and got to work in Photoshop.

Then the final finished product:

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a sassy guy.

This will be available as a print at APE in October along with the Carl Sagan illustration. I'm going to take a break from this series while I finish up my comic before the convention. Hopefully I'll have time to make some more before APE. I also plan on doing author portraits, but I want to do at least one female scientist before moving onto the authors.

Until next time!

We Are Made of Star Stuff

I'm a big fan of science. I really enjoy reading books about future science, breakdowns of theory, and larger metaphors that science brings to humanity and life. Last year for APE I wanted to create some scientist portraits for prints but didn't have enough time. It shan't be so this year! I just finished the first in the series... one of my all-time favorite scientists, writers, and thinkers... Carl Sagan.

get them thoughts on paper

First was a lot of research and ideas. I had just finished reading Pale Blue Dot, so Sagan's voice and ideas were fresh in my brain. I also watched a ton of Cosmos while sketching.

notes and sketching

draw all the Sagans!

Once I had the idea down and drew Sagan a bunch of times to get a feel for his facial features and attitude, I settled on a pose and layout. Time for drawing and inking!

finished pencil drawing

After I settled on the drawing and liked how he looked, it was time to transfer to some bristol and get to inking.

love me some croquill dip pens... Hunt 102 for life!

completed inked portrait

There were other elements I needed to execute traditionally before getting digital. I painted a watercolor space sky with stars and a violet/red color scheme. I also wanted to have a border for the illustration with icons from the scientist's work and interests.

billions and billions....

After I had all the elements traditionally inked and painted, the power of Photoshop was needed. I colored digitally, messed around with a few different concepts, and settled on the final illustration.

I'll have prints this October at APE (Alternative Press Expo) so come out if you want one! Next on the roster... Neil deGrasse Tyson, of course!

Better late than Never

Haha! You all thought I was already going to miss posting regularly, eh? Well, I guess I'm saying that because I thought it myself earlier today but furiously worked on and finished what I wanted to post....


a self-portrait a year in the making!


When I say a year, let me clarify. I started working on this last Spring of 2011 as a Portrait Painting assignment. I really worked hard on it but even felt it was lacking when I turned it in. I was determined to work more on it, but, you know... life. And so it was that it sat with the other paintings, waiting to be re-worked or painted over for future attempts.


I still really liked the painting and needed to strengthen my painting skills as well as my portfolio for my impending second Midpoint Review. Henceforth, I set to painting. Below begins the process.

Blocked in the darks...

...and then painted furiously because there were no more in process. This was the final version I turned in as the assignment. Sorely lacking, but it was the best I could do at the time with the time I had (what I learned that semester: three studio classes were too much for me, thanks).

working on it some more...

Clearly I realized, there's not that much color in my skin! Who was I kidding? White paint with a tiny smidge of skin here I come! (also had a much stronger light source)

And there it is! The "finished" product! I'm much happier with it and think I like it... I just need to look at it in the morning with natural light and when it's a bit dry--it's super shiny, shiny!

What are your thoughts? I was thinking of adding some freckles details, even though that wasn't in the photo ref., but I'm not sure if it will detract too much. : / 

Must ponder.

I feel much stronger about my overall painting and drawing skills, but also, of course, want to further improve. It seems that just when I start feeling comfortable again I realize that no, wait, you suck.   =_____=

Having said that, each drawing and each painting is that much more practice. I am constantly learning and that's what's exciting.

Also exciting... my blue hair from last year. I want to go back, but I don't have the strength in me to do all that dying again.

It sure was sweet though...

Snow Bunny (w/o snow)

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!!!

Head Drawing Midterm

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.

More Charcoal! And a Deadline!

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.