My poor blog!

I'm the worst updater on the planet, apparently. I will try to do better this year. D:

2011 was pretty rough on me; lots of stuff fell by the wayside. I'm trying to get back on track. So to start, here is a dump of 2011 some pieces that never got posted here.

Khuiia


Hart (pencil, 6x8. I am trying to do more small drawings like this. So fun!)


And a few sketchier images for various ImaginFX Q*A columns:






I'm holding on to one more 2011 image, a commissioned work for Peter V. Brett. It's already been released to the public, but I'm writing a long-overdue post for HIS blog detailing the process of creating the image. So I'll post the image once that's done so I can plug you in directly to the walkthrough. :)

The Veil

Here's a portrait I did for an ImagineFX workshop. The issue just dropped in the UK. It's #73. Check it out! :)

IMC 2011

So, the Illustration Master Class.

I went in with tempered expectations, as is my nature, but I was secretly hoping for the best week of my life, in which I’d learn more than the entirely of my college career taught me. (Not that it’d be much of a stretch.) The verdict? Yes and yes.

It’s hard for me to put into words what I took away from the IMC. The illustration community is absolutely amazing, and there is an osmosis of energy and inspiration that happens when you stick so many dedicated and passionate people in the same space for a week. But most critically, something in the lectures and demos fundamentally changed the way I think about creating images… both academically and emotionally. I have been caught in a serious roadblock with my art ever since I graduated college. Now, I finally know how to get past it. It’s an amazing feeling.

Top lessons:

-There is a difference between practice and Deep Practice. Practice makes the familiar easier but can be mindless. Deep practice takes you out of your comfort zone and requires intense focus. This is how you learn and grow.

-Stay true to yourself. Paint for you. It’s the only way to guarantee you do your best work and are happy with what you accomplish. When a client gives you an assignment, don’t be afraid to make it your own. Try to insert the things you are passionate about into every image. People who know your work can tell when you didn’t enjoy making something. If there is an image in your portfolio you dislike, take it out and paint a replacement that you love. Clients want to hire you for YOU, so make sure that they will.

-The planning stage is critical. Even if your first thumbnail is perfect, make 20 more just to be sure. The best paintings capture the perfect moment in a narrative. Find that moment, then find the best angle. Take the time to perfect your composition, to figure out visual flows, to figure out your colors and lighting. Don’t waste anything, and don’t rush. Make every brushstroke and piece of “real estate” on the canvas count.


Of course, a big part of the IMC is painting an image while you’re there. I decided to try oils, which I haven’t used since high school (i.e. when I didn’t know how to paint.) I only got halfway done (another lesson, from the great Boris Vallejo: Take the time to do your best, instead of rushing to finish and ending up with something mediocre.) But I’m very happy with how it’s coming along. Once I’m done completely I will make a post about the full process, but for now here it is as I left the IMC:

The Witches

New portfolio piece:





My brushwork is slightly looser in this image than usual for my finished pieces... it's a path I want to explore further, the line of clean but free, without becoming sloppy.

Also, god I hate painting water.

I leave for IMC tomorrow. I'll try to throw up my sketch here before I go. Cannot believe it's nearly the middle of June...

Acrylics WIP

I'll be attending the Illustration Master Class in a few weeks. I'm equal parts excited and nervous. Amidst all the lectures and demos, each student has to complete a painting during the class, which is a week long. I promised myself I'd get back to my traditional roots during the class... problem is I literally have not painted traditionally in years. Here is a practice piece I've been working on, hoping to get my groove back:

Pencil sketch on tracing paper


Under painting on board. This is new for me; I'd always painted on canvas but I want to try board.


And a progress shot.


The palette is coming out very differently than I intended. Laying down colors is still a huge weakness of mine, one I can easily work around digitally. Going back to traditional is making me confront it without shortcuts. But the good news is that in the years since I last painted, my color theory has improved tremendously, so at least I can work with whatever colors I end up with.

I am still doing thumbnails for the image I will be painting at IMC, but I am already mentally compromising. Whatever ambitious elements the image might have, the palette is one thing I will keep well within my comfort zone!

Turiehn and a cat

I've been neglecting my blog!

I painted one of my cats today for an IFX q&a. Her name is Lydia; her nickname is The Pest. She is obnoxiously affectionate and always looks a tiny bit annoyed at the world.


It makes me want to do a series of all of them. I try not to discuss my cat horde that often, but truth be told--we've got 15 of them. (Indoors only, big house, clean, all in pristine health and spoiled rotten; don't worry.) My family went on a rescue/adoption spree when I was a kid and they are obviously a big part of my life. It'd be fun to immortalize them all.

I also finished up a personal character work a few weeks ago.


The portrait bug always bites me when I'm juggling a lot of small commissions. I'm working on some more complicated images now, mostly sample pieces--and glad for it! Stay tuned....

Free bums

An anatomy study done for an IFX question. 4.5 hours. Had bundles of fun with the skin tones.