Figured it out

I think I know what my main issue is: I've been doing things backwards! I've been trying to create finished pictures before I know the rudiments of anatomy, the elements of composition, or even the basics of color.

Time to do something else. Time to start with the basics. The sort of stuff they never really teach anymore.… Time to break out the anatomy book.

Works In Progress

After reading a few blogs (more on that in a later post), I have decided to post a list of works-in-process. If all goes as planned, I'll re-post this list from time to time, with some projects updated, others crossed off (and therefore completed), and new ones added.

WIP List

Title - Project Type - Next Step

Eclipse - painting - transfer sketch to canvas
Pride - painting - finish
Look, Magic - painting - base color
Greenbird - painting - sketch
dozens of other, lesser, paintings

To Lend a Hand - poster - finalize sketch

Random Character Generator - design - transfer sketch to design
SOMA - magazine - re-do cover

New Moon - novel - continue writing
Berk - novel - continue writing
The Sword - novel - continue writing
Secessionaire - novella - continue writing
Flat 664 - Graphic Novel - convert script to sketch

Things I've learned...

...over the past few months:

1. Being able to make a choice (food, how to spend my time, what to wear) is not the same as being forced to take the worst/easiest option.

2. Owning a book is not the same as having mastery over its contents.

3. Having the tools for X is not the same as having the time (or attention) to become good at X.

Being an adult means learning these sorts of things.

20 Minutes, June 12

Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - Defensive Line

20 Minutes a Day

I had actually begun this two days ago, when a friend suggested that I draw an action shot, and then another yesterday. The one limitation was that - since it would contain two characters, I only spend 20 minutes on each drawing (10 minutes for each guy). I enjoyed it, and had decided to do a third, when I read something that made me think.

The Sept/Oct 2011 issue of HOW Magazine had an article discussing self-promotion via the Internet, and specifically linked Jessica Hische's "Daily Drop Cap" and Noah Scalin's "Skull-A-Day" projects [page 104-105]. I had considered doing a ___-a-day project before, but always felt that school would get in the way, or had cast my net so broadly that I ended up flailing (and failing). But this, this could work.

I want to be hired by an animation studio as a character designer, sketch artist, or storyboard artist, and therefore need to improve my drawing skills. I need to be able to create believable characters, who occupy a realistic (or at least consistent) space, and move within the bounds of physics. So, retroactively, I have decided to begin a 20-minutes-a-day drawing project, picking an action shot (most likely based on a sports photo) with two or more characters.

I will use a mechanical (.7) pencil, a kneaded eraser, and a stack of 9" square paper I have left over. I will spend no more than 20 minutes on each day's drawing. I will aim for anatomical accuracy, a sense of dynamism, and unique characters, as though these were single storyboard frames.

Here are the first three I have done, including today's:

Saturday, June 9, 2012 - Ram Tackle

Sunday, June 10, 2012 - Turkish Oil Wrestling

Monday, June 11, 2012 - Orca Discus

Commission: Ana, 2

A continuation of Commission: Ana, 1
As promised in the earlier post, this is stage 3, initial block-in. Working color-by-color.

First, blue:

Then green:

Then more green:

And a little more brown:

At this point I tried to use glazes to modulate the base colors, but it wasn't working the way I had intended. So, instead, I decided to pre-mix my palette (yellow into brown into green into blue) and painting alla prima. These are the result:

I gave them a day to sit, and gave them one more pass. I'm pretty pleased with the way they came out:

Now it just remains to see how the client likes them.

I'm greatly beholden to James Gurney for his idea of Sky Panels, and learned quite a lot in the process of painting these. Thanks Ana!

Commission: Pauline

Thanks to my roommate's relatives, I now have two commissions. This is the second (the first one begins here: Commission: Ana): a single 36" x 48" painting, in acrylic.

Several layers of dark paint, glazed on to create a sense of depth behind the foreground-to-be. Pauline wanted the painting to be pearlescent, with gold paint. Naturally I obliged.

And the final piece:

I have enjoyed working on this piece, and hope Pauline enjoys owning it even more.