Age and Self-Cartoon Portrait

Hello! Sorry this post is a bit belated; yesterday time got away from me and by the time I was ready to post it was bedtime.

Without further ado, here's some more work from my Character Design class this past summer semester:

Voila! Watch me age! The assignment was to do an aging of one character from toddler to child to adult to senior. I decided to draw myself since the first half of the assignment would be some good practice for my semi-autobiographical comic about Catholic grammar school (which will be worked on more!). I definitely want to fill in the age blanks for the younger ones... draw pretty much each grade--I'm thinking that second one is me in fourth or fifth grade. Also, for my senior one I figured it's gonna be the future and damnit I want a rocket rocking chair!

I decided to re-work and color the adult one as I can use it on my site and business cards. Our instructor went over digital coloring methods both overall and for lineart. So I felt it necessary to at least throw myself out of my comfort zone of black lines and to color them. Here's the colored lineart version:

I did like the effect to some degree, but when looking at it next to the black lineart I still felt drawn to the dark, inked lines. Also, probably due to my method, but when I colored the lines they became a bit fuzzy and that just pissed me off; I love crisp and delicious lines, what was happening to my good lineart?! I'm going to need to solve that problem in the future since I would like to integrate this technique into future work. But for now...

The finished product with black lineart!

What do you guys think? Do you like the colored lineart better? Does anyone know why my lines became fuzzy? If you have answers, let me knoooow~~!

Until tomorrow!

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...