Back to School

School is great. Challenging, but great. I missed it sooooo much!

Admittedly, it was a rocky start. It was like going to a new school all over again. Illustration in particular scared me because I hadn't had the teacher yet before my 'hiatus,' and my classmates and him all knew each other and I didn't really understand what was going on work-wise. To shorten the story, it made me cry after the first couple days. Part of me wanted to drop the class. I was alone and didn't think I could handle it. But the rest of me didn't feel like giving up. I hate giving up. So I didn't, and now Illustration is my favorite class, even though I still barely know anyone in there and its 3-hours long and COLD.

Two of several journal pages.

Our current project isn't what I expected from an Illustration class, but it's been an interesting one. I'm not sure how to explain it (or what its called), but it involves paper and layering. Our theme was something childish involving toys. I chose the tongue twister She Sells Sea Shells as my main theme, using a matryoshka doll and pull-toy crossed with jack-ina-box. It became an interesting coincidence while doing some research to learn that the tongue twister was inspired by Mary Anning. One of the dinosaurs she discovered was once described as "a snake threaded though a turtle shell"(even though it had no shell), so I found it somewhat fitting for my little doll girl to keep her turtle toy thing.

The illustration will have the matyroshka and turtle toy on a beach set. The jack-ina-box will feature something of a narrative piece for its top. The story shown has nothing to do with my research, I just wanted to provide something of a backstory to help with designing the setting. I've kind of been winging it with my project and going off suggestions from my teacher, who seems pleased with what I've done so far. Although, I'm beginning to think I've thrown in too much color, or maybe the colors are just too noisy for me. If I can find the time at home, I will probably try to make alternate versions of the doll and her turtle (sorry for the blurry photo).

The doll herself may end up featured in more little projects later on. I found myself doodling a little sketch of her while waiting at the library for my dad's class to end and I'm growing fond of her design. Our next Illustration project will involve pen and ink. Hopefully I'll be able to fit her into it.

CP experiment1

Finally got around to playing with Corel Painter. I love the watercolor brushes. I only used two colors for my little test (a dark blue and a coral pink), everything in between was from blending or erasing with four brushes: broad water brush, gentle wet eraser, new simple water, and salt. I'm definitely going to keep experimenting with this. :3

Struggles

Spending hours into the nights to finish a birthday present and I'm realizing some things.

I'm struggling with:
- fabric folds
- lighting
- hands

I used to think these things weren't a big deal. Good thing the last of my tuition will be paid off in two months. I can't wait to go back to school!

Sketching

To help me get on a "normal" schedule, my dad decided the other day that I must do two things everyday without fail: exercise and practice my art (I don't show my parents my digital work, so they're never sure if I'm actually practicing, hence why these are done in pencil). This is supposed to make me tired by the end of the day so I'll sleep normally. Quite frankly I don't mind. My sleep aids have been giving me palpitations.

So yesterday I did some life drawing, by drawing two of our pets. It was very difficult. Lacy, the dog would only stay still for a few minutes before shifting and the bird was dancing the whole time while fluffing and flattening her feathers in a little display of excitement.


In regards to poor Molly over there (our/my macaw), the reason for her rather... strange bulge is because she has no feathers on her chest. She started this over a year ago and when the feathers grow back they irritate her so she plucks them again. So far the only solution I have that doesn't involve a neck cone is to make sure she's happy and give her a bath regularly (which is actually more fun than some might think).

Preparing for V-day

An unfinished sketch, one of a few I plan to do for Valentine's.

I've rediscovered how useful my manikins are, even though they aren't as flexible as I need them to be. I've also again confirmed to myself that my anatomy needs loooots of work.

bigger IS better

I think I'm in love with working with large images now.
My lamp so far, not full size of course.

Lamps and Screens

Hit a block and can't bring myself to pay attention to the drawings I should be working on. So I decided to draw my lamp. I also decided to try and draw big. It's 2000x2600 and it amazes me that that translates into only 6x8 inches. I'm not sure how professionals can stand to work even bigger than this. I saw an illustration by someone today with the original width (or maybe it was height?) of 7000.

But I suppose I won't mind sitting around for extended periods to work on giant works once I get a flat screen monitor. I'll be able to tolerate sitting up for much longer because my neck (which already gets recurring pains because of an injury last year) and shoulders won't tire out from me looking up all the damn time because this current manila behemoth of a monitor is so INMAHFACE. Literally. It's not even a foot away. I can only view about the bottom half comfortably. It's also so old that occasionally the screen will get this pink or blue (or both) tinge to it and I've also noticed the display changes its position and size every other time I turn on the comp. Needless to say it makes me paranoid that any day now my screen will be kaput.

Back to toying with my lamp.

wip 4

I'm improving!

a box

I'm laying down watching tv. The others are outside. I don't know all their names, only my brother's, but they are all familiar. Sense of danger. I get up and go outside. They tell me to look at the sky. It's so clear you can see the milky way. There are masses of stars surrounded by pale clouds. It's strange and abnormal. They tell me they saw something flying. I look but it's not there. The feeling of urgency. Something wants to attack us. Something will attack us. An animal? Something else? I tell everyone to come back inside. Most do so, some linger. I start locking the entrances to the house. Finally I tell the stranglers to come in. One man asks if some women can come in. I don't recognize them, ask who they are. They're basically whores. I let them in, wonder if it was a good decision. It's raining, there is thunder, but there are no clouds. I don't go out to see why. Finally I lock the last door, it was troublesome. I go make sure my brother is safe. He is. I go to the kitchen and ask a woman where the secret entrance is as I can't remember. She starts looking for it. We find it, it's strangely blocked? Or just altered. Feeling of urgency. We run to another another room. Another girl joins us. I don't know her very well. We come across many small pieces that look like small plastic or glass coffins? with the image of a man. They're not connected. They have wires coming from the bottom pieces and keyhole like openings within. Some glow red. Some don't glow at all. We start trying to connect the pieces. I struggle. The girls figure it out. We connect the pieces. Suddenly some glow blue and a cabinet door opens on the far left of the room. I rush over and look inside. There are many small objects and containers that look antique and maybe valuable. I recognize one as a jewelry box my father gave me. I ignore it. It's not the one I seek. Feeling of urgency and relief. I pick a box up. It's a dull golden color with patterns around its body. On one side is an elephant's head and shoulders and what seems to be a man, maybe a chair? Before I can remove the lid I have a sudden splitting headache on the left, front side. I try to fight it. Must fight it. Can't fight it. Everything disappears. I wake up, fully awake. The headache is gone. The dream lingers. I can't fall asleep. I draw and write what I can remember. What was in the box?