Sculptures Completed!

Yay! The monsters from Phone Case of the Month are done :)

From left to right, we have Anita Beer, Tommy Gun, Astronot, Fred, Chris Cross, and Dr. Hanky.

They look kinda rough, and still have my finger prints on them. But I am satisfied with the final result. Acrylic paint was used, which I love working with. I ran out of white though, so I substituted with gouache white (what a pain in my ass). Must remember to get more acrylic white!

Anita Beer was the easiest, Fred and Tommy Gun came out the best in my opinion.  Astronot was the most difficult, followed by Dr. Hanky.  Astronot's feet are supposed to be small and cute, but there was no way I could support his big head with such small feet as the base.  So I took some artistic license and gave him bigger feet (hope you don't mind +Andria Smith :).  Dr. Hanky was fun to do, especially his tongue (that sounds so weird, lol) but his glasses kicked my ass from start to finish!  His coloring came out a little too saturated also, but I gave in.

I really dig sculpting, I get so lost in it. I'll have to do it more often as a hobby/therapy.

Check out the home of these lil monsters at http://www.phonecaseofthemonth.com :D

Sculpting: 2nd Session

Anita Beer and Dr. Hanky are formed! Fred is no longer lonely :)

The process was much faster this time. However, I fought with wire and super sculpey trying to make Dr. Hanky's glasses. I lost :p So I'll try again tomorrow.

November Appreciation: Days 11-17

Shit happens.  This is a good time to reflect and appreciate.

Day 11:  Support

I'm blessed to have support from family and friends.  These great people have always been around when some crap was going on, through the idiotic temper tantrums I throw to the serious nitty gritty stuff.  Whether I wanted the support at the time or not, it was given to me regardless.  For that, I am truly thankful.  Because even if I didn't want it at the time, when I look back I'm glad it was still offered.

Day 12:  My Brother

My oldest brother is such a jerk, and that's why I love him so :)  He's taught me so much, and he's the perfect protective older brother because he keeps an eye on me without me knowing it.  He shows love through sarcasm, and picking on me :p  I'm very fond of him, I worry about him a lot, and I'm quite happy to have him so close.  We're 16 years apart, so even though my mom says he loved me so much when I was small, I'm pretty sure I've pissed him off enough.  I may be responsible for his premature hair loss!  But when I finally stopped being the annoying little sister and was old enough to understand, I could see just how much he loves me.  If he read this, I'm sure he'd deny it ;)

Day 13:  My Niece

My brother's daughter is such a riot, she's always making me crack a smile or sending me into giggle fits.  I'm only 10 years her senior, so I consider her a sister more than a niece.  She doesn't call me aunt, per my request.  I've had the opportunity to witness her grow up, and for all the entertainment and life lessons she's taught me through experience, I'm thankful to have my lil (18 year old) pickleworm around :)

Day 14:  My Dogs

I am such a dog person!  I like cats too, but dogs are better in my opinion :)  My first pet was a white cat when I was 5, but I consider my first dog as the true first pet.  His name was Kibbles, and we grew up together.  He was a Valentines gift from my mom when I was 8, and he lived until I turned 21.  Ever since he passed I always thought I'd get a Sheltie Collie when I get my own house.  The two dogs I have now are Siberian Huskies, and these brothers are quite the pair.  Steel is the older one at 12, our beautiful purebred rescue.  Inuki is the happy-go-lucky younger one at 9, and he's mixed with Golden Retriever.  So I may be losing a dear friend soon, when Steel passes.  It's so sad but at least I know he's lived a full life.  I'm always giving these two hello and goodbyes as I come and go, they really brighten up my days.

Day 15:  The Human Will

It's not something everyone has readily available.  Resilience is a trait I desire, and yet I only exercise it half the time.  There have been difficult situations that I have dealt with and bounced back from with little effort.  And there are other harsh situations that I failed miserably at keeping it together. So whenever I see someone that shows resilience time and time again, I have great admiration for their indomitable spirit.  Their sheer will validates my hopes, my beliefs and feeds my optimism in life.  These people inspire me to believe that anything is truly possible.  This thankful post refers to a man that has continually bounced back from terminal illness, someone that I hold dear and close.  Keep fighting the good fight, and thank you for everything you've taught me.

Day 16:  Movies

A night at the movies is a getaway for me.  There are very few movies that have disappointed me (for I am a simple pleasures kind of girl).  I've only walked out on one movie, and fell asleep in one as well.  All others have been enough to capture my attention for that time being.  I am thankful for the silver screen, because I get absorbed in the story and sympathize with the characters.

Day 17:  Reading

I am a bookworm, that I am :)  I love to read for the same reason I love movies, they take me away from reality to so many different places.  There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea.  I mostly read Fiction or Science Fiction, I also enjoy Fantasy or Travel books as well.  And of course, I love manga (Japanese comics) and comic books in general.  As for magazines, I'll read anything.  My favorites include the girly magazines, and the Smithsonian, but I'll pick up GQ and have fun reading it.  I didn't become part of the digital age right away, I just recently acquired my Kindle this year.  All my physical books still remain, most of them in bookcases, and a few still in boxes.  Thanks for taking me away, little words.

To be continued.

Sculpting

I enjoy sculpting and painting for one reason only:  zoning out.  I get completely wrapped up in the piece, and it feels good to do some artwork for myself.

The problem with that... I am extremely inefficient in that state.  I'm a slow-poke naturally, but I cause myself to spend a ridiculous amount of time with these projects.  I'll obsess over small details, and not pay attention to the time.  So I guess that's what turns me off from sculpting or painting.  I'm not particularly good with those mediums, but I keep at it for the therapeutic value.

Case in point: this lil guy took me 5 hours to do, and I havent even finished him yet!

Meet Fred, one of the cute lil monsters from Phone Case of the Month !  He took me so long because I screwed up on the proportions, and I was obsessing over his mouth and teeth.  Still needs work, but I'm done for the night.  I've got to walk away and come back to it before I screw it up worse.  After that is the baking and painting.

This was so much fun though!  I'd like to make a couple more and gift them to the creators of Phone Case of the Month :)  I just hope I can get it to them before Christmas! :D

November Appreciation: Days 8-10

So it continues, my attempts to show what I am thankful for.

Day 8:  Co-workers

Let me paint the picture for you.  Most of my time is spent at work, my job.  I work over 40 hours a week almost always.  This rings true for most people working for the sake of money, at a job, not their chosen career.  It's not so bad, but what helps me get through the same ol' stuff are my co-workers.  I already spend so much time here, it's natural to form bonds with the people around you at work.  They keep me laughing, they offer great conversation, and they listen to me bitch (a lot).  So thanks to my lovely co-workers, work husband and work wife ;)

Day 9:  Pet Names

I love pet names, they make me feel special, cute, and cuddly!  I'm 29 years old and my father still calls me "princess" or "child" (my alltime favorites).  My mom has so many pet names for me it's pointless to list, but I'll respond to them all.  Among the favorites from my mom are "corazón", "muñeca" or the simple/classic "niña".  The funniest ones refer to my halfbreed status, when my cousin calls me "Casper" (because I'm his only white cousin) or "burrito" (beaner on the inside, white on the outside).  Sounds kind of mean, but that's how we show our love.  If you've ever given me a special pet name, thanks for making me feel loved!

Day 10:  Music

Who isn't thankful for this?  It's such a broad subject, so I'm refering to the music I listen to.  I suppose I'll get more specific and mention other aspects of music as the month goes by.  There's so many genres that I like, I love paying attention to lyrics, and I like the different emotions music evokes.  I listen to it in the car, at work, at home, set it as background noise, or sing along to it.  Lately, I've been stuck on the band "Keane" :)  Music is definitely something I try not to take for granted.

I'm digging on this train of thoughts.  As I walk around, I'm more aware of what I'm thankful for, and I decide what I'll be writing about for the day.  I have yet to post the sketches, but I'll go back and do so soon.

November Appreciation: Days 1-7

Many people on Facebook or Twitter are posting something they're thankful for each day in November.  I've seen this done in the past, but never participated.  So this year, I'm gonna do the same in this blog.  Hopefully I'll incorporate lil sketches to go along with these.

Of course, my procrastinating ass is already 7 days behind.  Better late than never, though :)  Here are the days I missed, and what I'm thankful for.

Day 1:  Health

I'm thankful for my health in general.  Even though I have a long way to go, I still appreciate and love my body.  It's the only one I have, and when I see people with serious ailments or disabilities it puts my stress and issues into perspective.  There are people that have it so much harder than I do, and they manage much better than I do!  I thank those people for inspiring me to better myself and teaching me to appreciate what I have to work with.

Day 2:  Tea

I drink this stuff every day, and it sure beats water when I want some flavor or sweetness.  Tea helped me break my soda habit, too.  I was always drinking soda as my first beverage of choice, never anything remotely good for me such as juice or water.  As I replaced soda with tea, I reaped the health benefits, and it helped me consume more water as well.  Now I use tea as a pick-me-up, on a physical and mental level.  The stuff just makes me feel good!

Day 3:  Daylight Savings

One extra hour of sleep is always good to me.

Day 4:  Sushi

It can get expensive, but it's definitely my preferred way to eat fish / seafood.  I could consume this daily and not get tired of it.  This food also makes me feel good, and it usually results in a satisfying sushi coma.

Day 5:  Soup

Canned or fresh, ramen or stew, I love soup all year round.  Yes, even in the blazing summer heat, I will eat soup.  It's so nostalgic for me, just like tea, so I always feel better after eating it.

Day 6:  Voting

It's our civil right that people fought and died for, so I am very thankful for this.  Some people think it doesn't make a difference, or it's a pain in the ass to wait in line to vote.  It's a freedom we have, why not exercise it just because you simply can?  Don't get caught up in the complications, just vote because you can.  This is one way you can show your American "arrogance" in an acceptable manner :)

Day 7:  Freedom of Speech

In particular, I'm referring to people voicing their opinions through various channels.  It's important for me to absorb people's opinions objectively, whether I agree or not.  For the election yesterday, I specifically avoided Facebook because I didn't want to see everyone's (negative) opinions on the candidates.  Twitter seemed to be a lil easier to stomach, which I think is due to the character constraint in the tweets.  Short and sweet!  I thank everyone for standing on their soapbox and having the courage to shout out their views.

Ah, all caught up :).  I'm sure I'll fall behind again, but it's not from a lack of interest.  Quite the opposite, actually.  I want to express the various facets of life that I appreciate.

Advanced Typography Final

I forgot how much I like typography.  My first typography class was 8 years ago (yikes!) and I'm taking the Advanced class now.  It's been very fun though, I didn't have to worry too much about my learning curve.

So now we have our Final Project to work on:  create your own typeface.  I was completely lost at first, but this is the sketch I came up with:

I wanted to do a Western theme, and as I researched most of the typefaces are bold serifs.  I went with a script typeface, but I wasn't sure how to make it work with the Western theme.  What I came up with here is a metal dipping, similar to the bold typeface Cast Iron, and the crosshatching or black part of the sketch will be Victorian lace of some sort.  The filigree portions will be metal as well.

My goal is to get the Western male and female aspects into one typeface.  I thought of one of those well dressed ladies toting a lil gun in her garter :)  Hopefully this translates well as I scan and work on it with Illustrator.  I'll post the final product soon.

Life Drawing Tool

Well well, I came across this useful tool while researching for my Interactive Media class:

Zygote Body

I'm using Google Chrome to view the link.  Zygote Body is a web app that uses HTML5 and WebGL, and shows the anatomy of the human body in 3D.  You can search for certain parts, too.  This would have been so damn handy to have while I was in Drawing and Anatomy.

What I like in particular is the muscle view.  As you move the slider you can see where different muscles fit into others, or where they attach to the bone.  This gives you a better understanding of what muscles tuck in where, which greatly helps with drawing the human body accurately.

Drawing and Anatomy was my favorite life drawing class.  Knowing your muscles and understanding how they work definitely gave me an edge in drawing figures to look more realistic.  It helped me think in volume rather than just outlines and shades.

Life drawing has always held my interest, and I'm happy to have this web app around for reference. :)

Come Undone

Oh my, I'm in love with this lady's sculptures. I'd love to see them in person!


 


"Come Undone" by Beth Cavener Stichter

Out and About

Sketching and filling in while waiting for my car at the dealership.

I use an H pencil to sketch, instead of softer pencils. Since it scratches the hell out of the paper, it teaches me to have a lighter hand.

Kids are such a challenge for me to draw, because their proportions are different and I make them look older than they actually are :/

I start school again on Tuesday for Graphic Design. I'm trying to loosen up and evaluate my strengths and weaknesses. Excitement and anxiety hit me at the same time :)

Playing with Painter

Finally, I got my ancient tablet to work with my mac! It may be old but I'm attached to it. The sentimental value is great, especially decorating it with the various quotes I liked at the time :)

I was testing it out on Painter 12. I see some people were having lag issues, but I haven't experienced that so far. Then again, I only had the chance to do a quick warm-up.

I'm looking forward to doing more with Painter :D

Just Like Pre-Production Work

Well, it's almost been a year since I've last posted on here. I was using this blog for a class at AiLV. Since then, I have been on hiatus from school. I will reapply in March and hopefully be accepted again to return for Summer Quarter.

It's almost been a year since I have touched any of my art supplies, or even sketched anything. I had so much anxiety regarding my artwork and education. I was truly scared of the career path I chose, wondering if I could really hack it and achieve something worthwhile. My designated spot for all my art stuff was caked in dust and pushed out of reach. It's all in need of some serious attention from me. Since I have neglected my precious art stuff for so long, I used my weekend to do some deep cleaning and soul searching. How cheesy!

I'm really putting myself out there by posting these pics. They truly show how much of a piggie I am, and just how long all this stuff was sitting there. Here goes the panoramic view:

This was the original spot for all my art supplies. Behind my bedroom door and crammed in every way possible.

My lovely computer desk.

To the right of the TV is my drawing desk, buried in my class artwork and notes.

A little further to the right reveals the rest of my artwork (on the floor). The empty bookcase was supposed to be used for my class notes. The full bookcase has all my personal books.

It was definitely time to rearrange my room and reorganize. Here are the final results of approximately 12 hours spent moving, cleaning, and organizing:

My drawing desk is the only work in progress.

I have relocated my art supplies to the small bookcase, and I'm using the large bookcase for my textbooks and class binders.

For the most part I'm satisfied with the work I've done. I'll feel much better when I organize all my notes in binders, and stow my artwork in a better manner. Once my drawing desk is free, I can work on big projects again!

My next goal for this blog: post some sketches so it can be considered a legitimate art blog. :)