Marker Challenge: Days 17-20

On to the new second theme for this little challenge. In general, I have switched over to logos, badges, and icons because I wanted to have some fun with graphic but potentially fun images. This theme will have a mix of original and fan creations, with probably more fanart at the start.

The first set is the Kanto Region gym badges from Pokemon. I enjoyed the game and the badges are probably familiar to many people. I decided to do the badges with representatives of the corresponding elements behind or surrounding each one. These combinations would allow me to play with backgrounds and design and a few elements.

I probably enjoyed the Cascade and Thunder badges the most of the ones I've done so far. I wanted to play with doing water around a pile of sand to refer to the original water gym, and I think it turned out well for one of my few attempts at water. I am also pleased with how I was able to convey lightning for the Thunder badge. The only downside is that because of the design elements, the badge is smaller than the others. Oh, well.

Marker Challenge: Days 13-16

The first days of my marker challenge were centered around the theme of terrariums and plants. I decided to next move to something a bit more graphic, so the current theme is logos and badges. The plan is to do a mix of original designs and existing ones, but for now I'm doing some fanart of existing images. The first set includes the Lantern Corps rings from DC Comics. I felt it would be boring to have just one a day, so I paired them up.

In the first themed set, I did use various templates and rulers to help get curves or straight edges, usually for either the sketch or the final drawings. Those templates, especially the circle templates, were used a lot for this theme because there were so many circles involved. If I did it again, I would probably use the templates for both the sketch and the final inks.

Another challenge I wanted to address was getting some sense of form across in the rings, that they had raised and lowered edges within the insignias. I used simple darker strokes to indicate shading and a white gel pen or color pencil to do highlights. I might be tempted to come back to these later and try doing a better job at getting that depth across.

Marker Challenge: Days 8-12

Still going on with the daily marker drawings, and I'm finishing up the first theme, the plants and terrariums. I'm not dismissing opportunities for coming back to it. In fact, I look forward to doing more of them when I've learned more about drawing plants and using markers. But a topic can keep me interested for only so long.

Below are the past five days' of drawings. There is more playing with colored pens for inking and "line-less" elements.

Marker Challenge: Days 1-7

I've been interested in markers, namely Copic markers, for a few years. I began my collection when I went to my only San Diego Comic Con around 2005 or '06, and I've added to them over time. I think I've got a good enough colors to do pretty decent pictures. But, as with so many things, I've been pretty slow to use them, which means I haven't gotten very good at them.

I've tried to learn from various online tools as well as some books on it. The online resources are good, but the books have largely been older (and some new) rendering books that focus on design and not the illustrative artwork I've seen by many artists. Thankfully, I've found a few instruction books that give some more illustrative advice, such as iii Academy (which just published the first collection of lessons) and the Intro to Coloring with Copic Markers, both from the North American distributor, Imagination International. Those resources helped me get a better grasp of the basics and to go from there.

But I still have to practice it, hence a challenge: draw a simple marker illustration every day. I've done pretty good so far,  having finished my first week.

 I sometimes start with a thumbnail sketch in my planning sketchbook, and sometimes I go without a clear plan. I have been using references for ideas, planning, and colors. I then pencil in the sketch on Strathmore artist tiles, currently the sketch artist tiles. They aren't the greatest paper for markers, but I chose them mostly for the convenient size; at 6x6 in., they aren't so large as to be so intimidating that I can't put something down or finish easily, but not so small that I can't get detail in. I then ink with the various marker pens I have before going into inks.

 If you wish to follow on a daily basis, you can follow me on Instagram.

Fan/Gift Art Walkthrough: Secret Santas

I love creating fan art, and I don't do it enough. I also enjoy creating art for others, which is why I've frequently taken part in fandom secret-santa exchanges, mostly in Portal and Slayers fandoms. This time around, I approached them a little differently.

Normally, when I do a piece of art, I draw it all on one sheet of paper, pretty much going straight through on it. The downsides of that method is loosing the original sketches and being harder to correct if there are errors. This time I opted to use my lightbox and do the final pieces on fresh pages.

Both drawing were drawn on the back of some manga paper that I had, about 10"x14", to avoid the guidelines. As you can see below, I drew the rough lines for each picture in red and blue erasable color pencils.

I then inked each piece on a clean piece. For the Slayers image, I stopped at inking with Copic multiliners. For the overall piece, I drew inspiration at the recipient's request for "Netflix and chill," a more literal interpretation, and Candyland. My idea is that the gang found a visual archive while searching for some treasure and artifacts and have been bingeing on some history vids for the last day or so, only to be surprised by some twist that everyone, except for Gourry, was not expecting. The Candyland ref comes in the form of the figure in the "video." Guess who it is.

For the Portal image, I pushed on to coloring it in Photoshop. I really wanted to make it clear that poor GLaDoS was covered in Christmas lights, which I couldn't pull off in black and white. It really gets across the ridiculousness of the situation.

New Sketchbook, Same Goals

There's something special about starting a new sketchbook. I'm pretty sure many artists feel the same way. Maybe it's the anticipation of starting fresh, or the possibilities of future drawings that will go in it.

The first page of the new sketchbook, Oct. 24, 2015.

Each sketchbook seems like the start of something, so I know I tend to treat it as a big deal. I tend to start one with a promise to fill it up with as many drawings of all kinds as quickly as possible. I admit I tend to take forever to do so, with the last page usually dated almost a year or more later than the first, depending in part on the sketchbook type and the time frame. I keep trying not to take such a long time, but the challenge with learning art is that you have to practice, and practice isn't always that fun. We know we need to do it, but we often don't. I know I tend to do the minimum, just enough to say that I drew for that day. But that attitude is not going to help anyone. Doing the minimum means not pushing yourself, not doing the in-depth studies you know you need to do, not putting in the focused study that will help you grow.

So new sketchbooks have the promise of that dedication, that desire to do more and get better. And maybe this time, you'll put in the real effort.

So here I am, coming back to this little blog to resume the practice and the sharing. I like to share my detailed thoughts, and my Tumblr doesn't seem to lean too much for introspection, or I don't want it to. Expect more thumbnails, drafts, and ramblings: I like to share my thoughts on this whole art process.

Working on Digital

It's been a while since I've posted here. Most of my art has shifted over to my Tumblr blog, which is where I'll post most of the work for the Daily Sketch Challenge artwork and finished pieces. But I'd like to continue to use this blog as a place to document in more detail my artistic growth, including my personal frustrations and inspirations.

This currently includes working on overcoming my block when it comes to doing art digitally. I have used digital tools for years for coloring and adjustments, but I have never made the leap to drawing and really painting on the computer. Hell, I'm still working on learning this stuff in traditional media. Trying to learn both traditional and digital at the same time is probably asking for trouble. But I am really tired of not taking advantage of the tools I have, namely the strengths that come from using art software such as Photoshop and Manga Studio. To help with this, I've started some self study and some lessons over at the Chris Oatley Academy (as in just started getting familiar with the site and community, not even doing the first assignment yet).

FYI, the below are pretty much on my own and are not a reflection of any of the lessons at the Academy. These were attempts at just getting used to drawing on the tablet.

 Pretty bad aren't they? But someone has to start somewhere. The greatest problem I have, be it traditional or digital, is where to start. What should I practice? Should I work on portraits? What about landscapes? Anatomy? Perspective? Tone and value? Master studies? Still life? Too many options to choose from!

I have a lot of resources to choose from, both self study and with the Oatley Academy coursework. I will get a handle on this. I will do studies and I will apply what I learn to personal work. I will get better, and I will get past my block when it comes to digital.

Starting 2013

A new year has started, and here are some of the first images I've done for the year. About time, really.

I've done some gestures, but I wanted to share some drawings I did of a mug. A simple, white coffee mug. I did some timed "gestures" of a minute, then moved to a page of it one position at one minute, two minutes, and five minutes before I did a larger ten minutes sketch. See, I've always been pretty lousy at drawing form and value, and I want to work on that over the year. Consider these as my baseline for later comparisons.

 

What probably frustrates me the most is I can see the way the values change, especially on the rim of the cup, but I can't quite get that on paper. More experience and longer practices should help with that.

Shyir and Amala Rev

I'm a pretty moderate fangirl, and I don't tend to do all that much artwork for the series I really like. I want to do more, but you can probably tell which series have hit me the most by the amount of fanart I do for them. Green Lantern: the Animates Series is one of those rare series. It took a while for me to let myself get into it, but even from the first couple of episodes it was inevitable I would fall for it. It takes a lot for you to fondly remember a character that was (spoilers, but this was in the movie/first episode!) set up pretty much to die. But the fandom and I really liked the character of Shyir Rev and his family. He's the first Green Lantern of the Forgotten Zone that we get to know, and his actions have an effect on Hal, Kilowog, and Razer. A great, warm character with not that much fanart of him.

Below are my attempts to rectify that, even if it's only a little. I started with some studies from the paused video (at the time, I only had my digital copy, so no screencaps that way). Shyir and his species are tricky to draw.

 I then moved on to the picture proper. I'd had the idea, one of a couple, really, for months, so not much time was spent on planning. And the image is pretty straightforward. Amala is tending her father's minor cuts and bruises with loving, youthful exuberance. I started with blue pencil roughs, first of Shyir, then I put in Amala.

 The final picture was inked with a Maru pen nib and FW Artists Acrylic ink. The Maru was used because I started with the intent of finer lines, but that didn't last long. This was my first time really using FW acrylic ink, and it worked very well overall. The only draw back is how often I had to clean my nib and brush because the ink would dry a little on both and build up, preventing the nib from flowing well and the brush got a little stiff. Nothing pen cleaner or water didn't fix up.

I scanned it in, evened out the black, and below is the final picture.

I'm Still Alive

Still drawing. Not as much as I'd like, but drawing.