drabble, doodles and practice

most of my friends know I'm a Transformers fan, and that I am currently following the IDW G1 comics More Than Meets the Eye and Robots in Disguise (mostly MTMTE, though) and to be honest, I don't think I've read a ongoing comic that has affected me so greatly.  I got into it [MTMTE] thinking, "oh good, this looks like it will be a fun adventures and mishaps in space!" I was thinking Red Dwarf or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... you know? Oh how quickly that changed. But by the time it did, it was too late, I was invested in these characters and their stories. It's not a bad thing…it just HURTS… that's all... (Abandon all hope, ye who enter here…)
anyways, I drew a mini narrative of my reaction to the last issue (#32), and it's been a month so I don't have to worry about spoiling the story or anything now:

We'll see what heartache Roberts has for us fans in #33, when it comes out next week…

and been practicing expressions. here's one of my favorite pages so far (along with notes to cover up a not-so-good sketch):

woop woop … yep, there it is.  Hopefully I'll be back in the habit of posting more art soon.  Thanks for dropping by!

And there goes the Summer

been awhile since I posted, and while I didn't get all of my summer goals met, I did meet some.
One being to have a job that revolved around art, and I got to live it while working at the Laguna Beach Sawdust Art Festival.
I was a dunce, however, and didn't really take pics…just kinda got wrapped up in the whole thing. But, oh! I had the opportunity to take over what was called Kids Art Alley on Local's Nights, which involved having various artists come in for a couple of hours those nights to teach the kids some of their art skills, as well as having other side projects lined up to do those nights. It was really fun, exausting, but really fun. And I let my manager know that if they did this again next year, I'd be up to doing it again :)
Here are some art projects I was able to do along the way:


oooh the Nature Prints! this one was done during training, and was the first time I had used a press.

Wet Chalk Painting: this project easily became one of my favorites. All I kept thinking was: why was I never introduced to this as a kid!?

and more printing! This time etching the design on plexiglass and then using water-soluble crayons…Have I mentioned I'm a Transformers fan? I bet I have, but in case you didn't know, now you do *awkwardly laughs*

Watercolors! Not exactly the project I was hoping to do to fulfill my watercolor goal for the summer, but it will do, and it was fun doing something more abstract. Though, during the class, some folk kept getting frustrated, then I told them to think of what they were doing as painting space nebula, and then people started having fun :)

Mixed Media: haven't really done something like this is a loooooooong time…we did smaller ones too, which I have yet to find where I put mine (and I'll post that when I find it), but there were these pics of goldfish, and Curiosity pics/articles…and then this pic of James Cameron (please please please, forgive me by the way!!!) and my cartoon brain went and took over. And well, you see what happened…

Abstract Acrylic: abstract in watercolors is one thing. I'm use to that media letting it have it's own way as I paint. I'm much more inclined to be a control freak with oils or acrylics, so this was a good lesson in letting the media have its own way (the teacher was local artist Hugo Rivera who taught the class). I think this is the first time I was able to accomplish something truly abstract in acrylics…so there's another media goal tick :) however, my scanner is juuuuuust a little too small, so I'm afraid this will be blurry. I'll try and get a better scan on school campus.

And another Wet Chalk Painting: this one from the Kids Art Alley, while waiting for kiddos to show up (most of the schools had started by now). And this particular project was titled Imagine and headed up by artist Joni Cresci. The title is based off the Beatles song and the project was thought up for Beatles Day…and I just happen to have a favorite Transformer that has been referenced to John Lennon once or twice……I'm such a hopeless geek…

And that's about it.  Like I said, I kinda just got caught up with work (but it was fun work!), and I'm going to miss it. But there's always the Winter Fest, and next Summer!

thanks for stopping by :D

it's 7-11!

it’s 7-11

which also happens to be a name of a popular quick-mart/convenience store

so of all the days i choose to draw something for…it had to be today…done in the few minutes before heading off to work this morning, so please forgive anatomy issues

all hail the slurpee! but fear its cruel counterpart: the sugar-crash! XD

Better Late Than Never

Yep, I had actually started this last month, and only picked up again today to finish it. *facepalm*

Here I was attempting to keep the visuals at two panels, since there were only two sentences in this "scary story".  Not sure how well it comes across, but it was an experiment.  As I read it now, I should have changed the angle of one of the hands to how I originally planned, and it would have implied something a little more sinister… oh well.

used:
Col Erase crimson pencil
Watercolors
and Photoshop

hopefully I can get back on track for my art project goals for the summer now :)

thanks for dropping by!

Going to go watch Giant Robots battle

yep, I finally got my paychecks, so I'm celebrating by going to go watch Transformers 4… even though my expectations for the writing and characters are pretty low… and the movie is going to be about 3 hours… and I'll have to be in at work early tomorrow… I don't care, I'm catering to my inner child's need to watch giant robots…and giant DINOSAUR robots…'nuff said :P
didn't bring my camera to take any of my pre show drawing though… so those pics will have to wait till another day
if anybody's planning on coming down to the Aliso Viejo Edwards Stadium to see the movie look for the curly-haired girl with glasses who is probably too focused on either her book or sketchbook and that's more than likely me :)

<EDIT>
just some sketches while waiting for the movie.  here's some back story:
just some sketches while waiting (used photo booth to capture…and got plenty of weird looks from the Starbucks patrons here) Yvonne was a bit of a lonely kid till she discovered the TF cartoons, and latched on.  it gave her an outlet for her brimming imagination and taught her to take care of those that are weaker than her - which came in handy when some bullies at school were beating up a kid on the playground.  Taylor was forever grateful and the two of them became fast friends.  Once Taylor discovered that Yvonne liked Transformers too, he introduced her to the comic series.  They can often be found up in his treehouse (which they've dubbed the Ark) reading his extensive comic collection (which inspires Yvonne to start her own)

</EDIT>

Chicago Trip Sketches

I was at the airport 3 hours early and took the time to do some sketching:

tried working with my pen first, then I dropped that and went back to the pencil

I ended up sitting by the guy cleaning his glasses here

I couldn't believe how many people were on their phones…

certainly made ninja sketching easier

then there was a little bit of sketching on the plane, not much, but some:

 and then a little bit (and I mean a bit) when I met up with the family and we got to the hotel:

I just don't know why my camera did that to the color…I even changed the settings for little light/inside photos, oh well

More sketches from the wedding and some photos to follow :)

some Sketches, a Surprise Sale, and the Importance of Sunscreen

I haven't had a weekend off in about 8 months between work and school, so yesterday was a treat.  I decided to take advantage of this and headed down to the local beach to work on some watercolor sketching - I however got some severe sunburn age on my legs (I've never really had to use sunscreen on my legs except for the back! seriously, getting them to brown is like hammering a cube through a round hole) but I enjoyed being out non-the-less

forgive the quality, going up and down stairs is a little difficult with the sunburns (and my scanner is upstairs) so I had to use Photobooth for these:

the first pic was becoming tedious until I realized I wasn't letting myself just have fun with it, and it started coming out much better - though I got a little liberal with the foreground color and will have to fix the sea-spray and foam with some gouache

the second was the real reason I had come to the rock I was sitting on (and burning on).  I was really liking how the water was reacting with these boulders.  Of course as I was starting to finish it up was when I realized I was getting a little more red than I felt was comfortable. So I still have a bit to finish up here.  I also used watercolor pencils along with my travel watercolors for this one.

The next one I have no picture for, because my camera had died and I didn't have my laptop with me (no way I was lugging that around when I had no idea if I was going to be hiking over natural sea barriers) but I was just doing some life sketching at Starbucks (got myself a Carmel Frap because it was bloody hot and I needed a respite before the last half part of my trek back to the car) and was so excited about them that he asked for a picture from me.  For a moment I thought about quipping back with "only if you are willing to pay for it", but his absolute and honest enthusiasm convinced me otherwise.  I finished the pic and gave it to him (Merv was his name, and unfortunately I've forgotten his friend's name).  At which point he offered to pay, and as I was too flabbergasted at the fact that he was wanting and willing to pay for it, he offered me $20. This for a 5x7 angel sketch.  I was both taken aback and filled with gratitude.  It felt great knowing that someone felt my art had worth.

Today the sunburn is only hot-pink and stead of lobster-red, and I'm feeling much more inspired to work on some projects. So far, a really fun weekend :)

as always, thanks for stopping by!