'skine

Got a new Moleskine.
One of my classes is requiring us to draw 100 sketches from life (20 minute minimum on each image) by the end of May.
so, ill be posting them here!
Ive tried to get a head start, so i did about 17 this week.
I usually dont keep a sketchbook, as Ive said before, but who knows, this could start a new habit!

What ive noticed so far is that its really keeping me from getting rusty and pushing me to attempt new things with my technique so that I don't get completely bored...

the past

Already getting back into the swing of things. I am currently starting work on two new pieces and FINALLY finishing up a project ive been patiently working hard on with a friend.

but for now i wanted to post an image that I did back in highschool (I think either freshman or sophomore year?) which i still consider to be the best piece I've done. I jokingly say all the time that going to art school has completely ravaged my creativity and forced me into methods that are stifling....but i kinda do believe it.

I mean, dont get me wrong, art classes have given me a whole new world of opportunities by building my technical skills, but i always feel like something was lost. I always feel too confined, and always comparing my style to those of professionals...
oh well. I guess you just need to fight through that feeling sometimes.

Anyways, i had a dream about this image and when I woke up I was like "i have to draw this..."
So i used a tree branch and a bottle of ink. No planning, no sketches, no comps, just dove in. THATS what i miss.

fresh.

ahhhhh a new semester at school.
i definitely needed a solid week of 0 drawing. well, ALMOST 0 drawing. Im posting some sketches of people i drew at Borders. I havent gone out to draw people in such a long time and I totally forgot how fun and good for the soul it is. Ill need 100 life sketches by the end of May, so ill definitely be catching up on some well needed field sketching practice. and of course, posting them here.

I also won in the Student Illustration Category in this upcoming Creative Quarterly issue 19!
Super happy :]

Also, you can check some of my stuff over at Meathaus.com

I honestly wish it was part of my nature to keep an ongoing sketchbook. Hopefully ill try and change that this year.

Spring Break

Its break. Done with finals.
I didnt have anything to post, but ill throw this image up from about a month ago that i hadnt posted yet. Its one of the 5 countries I did in character form. This one's Saudi Arabia. I still have 3 more to post, but I can't yet due to some binding contest rules (ha, which im pretty sure im not going to even win) but i will put them up as soon as i can.

I also wanted to give a shout-out to Janet who runs an etsy shop here. I wanted to buy a sweet mood ring for some one's birthday and Ive never met an online seller so gracious and awesome as Janet was. Seriously. So if you ever want some awesome service, check her out.

Also need to find a job for summer. Dang. I need suggestions

The Station

So this illustration is a poster for a dance production that one of my roomates is in. The director approached my class with the synopsis and his thoughts on what he wanted, and heres what I came up with. Basically its about a train station and the main character can predict the future. oh and its based in the 50's.

Im usually pretty terrible with type and fitting it into my images, but this one turned out alright.
Done in 2 days, charcoal and chalk on stonehenge (looooooove!) paper, 11 x 17 inches

One more illustration for finals that ill be finishing up tonight and then... SPRING BREAK. ahhhhh. feels good. i just need to get over this cold. blegh.

Damka

Im sick and its finals week. ugh. perfect combination.

Anyways, i just finished a piece for a show my class is having (which ill post pics of later from the reception) and i am pretty happy with it considering i had to finish it in 3 days because i accidentally screwed up another painting which is actually on the BACK of the paper...

Its acrylic and colored pencil on toned paper. Im trying to loosen my drawings, because they get too tight all the time, which makes them look too calculated. so in this case i did 0 planning and just dove in. Im really happy with it, but i cant help but think that it turned out the way it did with some luck involved. ha, i wish i could just blow prelims off all the time! ohh welll

In the past 4 days i havent slept too much, so im not entirely sure if this post will make sense in the morning, but to hell with it...

The last picture is to show the toll it took on my hands after working for 14 hours straight. notice the 2 blisters beginning to form. hooray.

Finals Begin

Well the title of this post pretty much explains why i havent been able to post much this week. 3 Illustrations are due next week and i have only started one of them, so i will be putting them up once i have the time. GET EXCIIIITED. ha, i know i am. not.

well, kinda...

For now, heres one i did for a mock natural history museum ad for "Uncovering the past"
I wasnt entirely happy with the finish, but i was a little rushed :/