Blog Things that are Art Things that are Social Things

I was going to name this post “What I’ve learned as a late adopter to the blogging game, six months in.”  It’s a bit wordy. And it might, at another blog, lead to a section on the art of titling posts. But I’m not sure I have much insight in this area.  I believe key words related to your post are important for web search algorithm thingers, which is to say, gibberish will not be helpful (except in rare cases).

Anyway, I decided the world wasn’t ready for my six-months-expert blog advice.  And anyway, I wanted to talk about three Blog-Art-Social things I’ve recently joined. Many people who find themselves here are already familiar with these things – but if you aren’t, I recommend them! I thought I would give my thoughts about each one, because I have seen other people’s thoughts about them, and I find it very interesting. If you don’t find it interesting, I would skip this post and read the previous one, which is an art progression post (one of many!) with Copic Markers. You know, if you have any interest in that sort of thing. (Alternatively, you could skip to the bottom of this one and see the strange bird illustration I included).

And now, without further ado (though I do love my ado):

1. Web of Whimsy, a once-monthly challenge in which you can use the suggested prompt, or not use the suggested prompt as you like.  Further, you can submit more than one entry. I am currently doing a second month and the average number of entrants seems to be 25-35, with a variety of styles and skill levels.  I have found some artists I really like there, including a very entertaining Australian artist named Gay McKinnon (who is not terribly fond of wombats). The best way to participate in Web of Whimsy (aka Whimsy Lines) is of course to visit all the other entrants’ blogs which is quite easy at this size of project.

It’s so interesting what you find yourself coming up with when given a prompt in this way.  I think it expands your imagination.  The “whirlygig” prompt for October helped inspire this steampunk rabbit!

2. The Sketchbook Project. Such a really cool idea.  I got my book in the mail over a week ago but I am totally over-worrying it.  In addition to worry about content, I am also worried my Copics will bleed through the thin pages.  One is allowed to substitute paper as long as the final book remains under a certain size, but I don’t have a lot of interest in re-making the book. I think the main reason I haven’t started yet is that I can’t decide if I want a cohesive narrative or a looser structure. Also, I don’t want it to suck. I really love stumbling onto a post on some blog where someone includes examples of their current Sketchbook Project work.

3. Illustration Friday, a once-a-week illustration challenge with prompt. One is allowed to post old works but new work created for the prompt is preferred by many. This thing has been going on since early 2007, and has something like 800 entrants lately (probably more, because most don’t do it every week). Holy cow.  Many of the entrants are working illustrators with amazing portfolios. I am on my second week, and I’m getting double my previous highest comment number (about 20, small potatoes still!) Both weeks I have commented on 80+ posts of others, and although only maybe 10% respond in kind, the fact remains that I have visited a whole heck of a lot of blogs more than I had been. And found quite a few really inspiring artists doing these challenges that I am doing also! Which is pretty cool.  Lots of nationalities represented, which is great!

One result of 800 entries over seven days is they get some links that don’t have anything to do with the challenge (they do seem to be removed fairly quickly). Then there are the people who are doing the challenge but also doing a hard sell on whatever they’re selling (which isn’t so great, imo, but isn’t against the rules). There is an enormous spectrum of new, part-time doodlers, to very established artists in a variety of fields. Children’s illustration seems particularly well represented, which I love! Mostly, I’ve just found so many great artists and great blogs that I would totally recommend doing it, particularly if you’re looking for art blogs rather than craft blogs. And that’s only because I’m more interested in people who are doing work that is more like work I am doing/trying to do.

Egad that all makes for a long-winded post. Here is a strange bird beast I did a while back and haven’t decided whether to revisit. (This was in response to a Doodlers Doing Doodles challenge with the prompt “Dragon’s Tears”. My idea was a creature created when a dragon’s tear hit the forest floor. In some future post I will tell you about my final entry):

Kiwi Bird Beast, Copics

Thank you! Nice to see you! All thoughts on the above welcome!

 

Steampunk Anteater, a Cautionary Tale (with Progress Photos!)

Steampunk Anteater has issues.  I was planning to tell you up front, but instead I am going to post the progression photos and you get to guess the problems! (And let’s be clear, asking why I don’t do illustration digitally – thereby bypassing many of the problems to which you will shortly be witness – is not worth any points.) And now without further ado (I am actually quite fond of ado):

Tree Anteater by Maladjusted-Platypus at deviantART

Steampunk Anteater sketch

Some questionable moves up front. But that often happens! It was going to be a male but I did a male horse last. This one didn’t *have* to have hair but it does, in certain cases, help a great deal in matters of gender identity. (Also, I liked the hair on the llama and kangaroo. Used to similar purpose.)

Steampunk Anteater ink

Steampunk Anteater color 1

 

Steampunk Anteater color 2

Steampunk Anteater color 3

Steampunk Anteater Final (?)

Oh, here are two versions with simple digital backgrounds that I tried in the hopes it would improve my appreciate of this poor anteater:

Steampunk Anteater, Mustard Background

Steampunk Anteater, Purple Gradient

I do think the backgrounds improve the overall drawing, but not enough. So. Did you spot the problems? Ugh, so many:

1. Not enough attention paid to gadgetry. Not sure why I lost focus there. 2. Muddying of colors. I’m just not happy with some of the color combinations, and part of that is because I tried to change the palette partway through. 3. An eyepiece without a lens.  Yikes.  I really needed to decide on the design of the lens instead of initially coloring the eye as if it wasn’t covered by anything. 4. The body color and hat were too close in color all the way up to the end – changing the hat to red was the last thing I did. 5. The brown I used to swirl shadows on the yellow/mustard was a really bad choice, too dark, wrong family.  Arrrgh! 5. The dark stripes on the upper body look a bit like a shrug or stole.  Actually, I guess I don’t mind that. But I was hoping those stripes would help identify this  beast as an anteater.   6. Hair color – not sure this was the best choice. 7. I am not sure she has a lot of life to her.  Sure, she may be the quiet, brooding type, but a hint of personality is always nice.

And so concludes tonight’s cautionary tale.  tl;dr* – here is what we’ve learned:

Take your time. Plan ahead, at least a little. Try not to change colors midstream. Test color combinations before muddying things up! Take your time – it’s worth mentioning twice!  I know deadlines can be killer but in the end, you want to be happy your name is on the thing, right?

Thank you for visiting – bonus points if you read that whole damn thing. :o)

*tl;dr – acronym for “too long, didn’t read”, i.e. here is a summary of all the preceding text that you didn’t read. [Most of you already know this, which is why I put it away from the action, in a footnote. But some of you did not know, and it is to you I direct this note. I know I appreciate it when things of which I am ignorant are spelled out, instead of the norm – which seems to say unless you know these obvious things your opinion doesn’t matter.  Well listen, your opinion DOES matter.  (And so concludes your positive affirmation for today.)

Illustration Friday – Shadow Puppets and a Wild Imagination

It’s Illustration Friday again. Today, in fact, and the topic is “Scary”. As I begin this post, there are already 153 entries on the list. Yikes! I didn’t actually check last time – (last week – Fuel – being my first IF week, woooo!). Last week I did my illustration on Saturday. But this week, because I have other plans for Saturday, I started when I got home from work and now I am done. (I think some of it must be the enthusiasm of a noob. I’m ok with that.)

Not the Shadows She Expected

Last week, the topic inspired a drawing that in turn inspired a little story with a lot of potential. This week, the topic inspired some stylistic choices outside my standard repertoire (darker colors – though maybe not even dark enough for shadows, and people – I have a hard time doing people!  I have cleverly avoided having to do the face, as you can see). I’ve yet to declare a verdict on its success (or lack thereof).  I’m leaning toward “lack thereof” but I did do a few new effects I rather like and will use again.

 

Shadows and Imagination Sketch

Shadows and Imagination Color 1

Shadows and Imagination Color 2

Not the Shadows She Expected

Original 8″ x 10″ Illustration with Copic Markers and pens on Illustration board. The background and a few minor adjustments were done digitally. I was going to scrawl some text across the dark spots, something like:

“Stop trying to scare the dog!”

“Oh my god I’m not trying to scare the dog!”

Aren’t dogs the best? (If you happen to need a dose of the cutest dog on the planet, feel free to look at a few choice photos of Wilson, a.k.a. Boo.)

Odd Thing in the Cupboard, a Progression Post

Odd Thing in the Cupboard

So, the theme for a team challenge at Etsy was “The Thing in the Cupboard” – and this is what happened. I wasn’t too happy with the sketch but I didn’t have another idea immediately, so I just kept at it. Here’s the unimpressive sketch:

In the Cupboard, Sketch

I don’t even know what that is.  Some kind of lopsided, gypsy-styled, alchemy chest (with a vaguely steampunk hat on top) – a thing with potential but poorly executed. And why is it in the corner of the kitchen? The whole thing got worse before it got better, with a bit of color. (Copic markers and pens, of course).

In the Cupboard, Color 1

So, I used a ruler for the cabinet/counter, but didn’t use any rulers for inking. Which shows. I know it. Maybe next time I’ll go with the ruler. But with more color and more detail it was beginning to have a little personality.

In the Cupboard, Color 2

And then more detail.  I particularly like (as I’ve said a few times), fine details in colors similar to the background color. There is probably a better, simpler and/or more technical way to say that (Feel free to share, if you know it!).

I have a fair number of colored fine liners.  I have the primary Copic colors mostly, but also some Micron and Prismacolor fine liners.  I need a few more colors.

In the Cupboard, Color 3

I have to say I am a big fan of these colors.  I wish the scans were more consistent, but that’s mainly user error. Even so, I’m so pleased I have this scanner (acquired recently for a very reasonable price, though it only does letter size) because, as I’ve mentioned once or twice, I love progression picture posts!

(Click to Enlarge)

An Odd Thing in the Cupboard or, Attempts to Avert Crockery Disaster

The spotted critter on the left, a Leaper named Cymbal, is the familiar of a very accomplished conjurer. She has quite a few magical skills of her own, and so is not particularly unnerved by the unusually large reptile materializing out of the kitchen cupboard.  In fact, she is not even remotely unnerved by these developments because this particular reptile is only the third largest creature to materialize in the kitchen this month.

For the creature, however, it can be a bit of a shock to find oneself in a stranger’s kitchen, and Cymbal wants to try and sooth the beast before he starts pulverizing the crockery. Cymbal’s job involves far more unglamorous crockery cleanup than she would prefer.

Illustration Friday and a Strange Goat

My first entry for Illustration Friday.  This week’s topic:  FUEL.

My first thought was to do a robot shaking an empty gas or oil can into his mouth (or into a receptacle on his head, or wherever the oil entry point might be).  But I have been on a colorful farm animal kick (most recently steampunk farm animals, several of which you can find in recent posts!), and I have been liking goats. So I thought, what silly thing can I show a goat eating?  Perhaps some long johns or socks. So I had a plan.

As you will see, this plan fell apart during sketching. I did not leave enough room for a recognizable sock at the bottom (not a giant one like I wanted) but I did leave some room at the top.  So clearly the fueling would have to take place above.  I thought about giving him a beer hat contraption (ah, a few weeks late for that topic, I know!), maybe with something silly in it like orange juice. But I didn’t want to cover his face with a straw.  So I decided another creature would be on top of his head, fueling him through a pipe in his head.  I’m not sure why I thought this! Here is the result:

Green Goat Fueling Up

This seems to me prime fodder for a trick I found while browsing last week’s entries: Bella Sinclair’s Doodlespot, in fact, in the following query to her readers, “What do you think is going on here?” So, I would do that, except I am a first timer to IF and I do not know if people will get a chance to visit me, straggler entrant #673 or whatever number it may be.  (But if you do, feel free to let me know what you think is going on in this picture!)

If you have been kind enough to visit and read this far and don’t want to have to come up with a story for the above, this is how I see it:

The pink creature is one of many thousands of similar creatures on a small planet really, really far away.  About four hundred years ago (our time), a garbage scow from earth was picked up by this civilization, and the only item they kept was an old picture album depicting life on a farm. They were completely enchanted by the farm animals, which became very popular subjects for their art.  So popular, in fact, that when the time came to re-design the planet’s power plant, they used goats, chickens, and llamas as decorative statuary to hold the massive tanks and wiring.  In the picture above, one of these enormous goats is getting a shot of oil that will keep him in perfect working order for another seven months or so.

Oh! (Sorry, this is probably too long, lol) I wanted to post the initial sketch and some early coloring (with Copic markers):

Topic Fuel - Initial Sketch

 

Topic Fuel - Color Progress

I used Copic markers and pens for this 6″ x 9″ drawing on 150 lb. smooth drawing paper.  Thank you so, so much for dropping in!

Steampunk Horse with Copic Markers

Steampunk Donkey Horse Original Art

 

Seriously cool update: Ok, so the seriously cool Copic folks actually used this post (most of it, plus some other things) as a tutorial on Copic’s official site!

More steampunk.  More Copics.  Another progression photo post! As you can see, the colors are somewhat more subdued than they have been, which was a conscious choice in an effort to replicate a little bit of the flavor of older, maybe even colorized, photography.  This horse is not living in modern times, after all!

Figure One - Steampunk Donkey Horse Ink

I was referencing a photo of a donkey but as I said in the last post, the narrowing of the face seems to have made a horse instead. I added a pipe but I was not sold on it yet, so it isn’t actually inked in Figure One. (Ha!  Figure One!  Delusions of text-bookishness? I think I will use it for the whole post and try to decide its dork quotient.)

Initial ink with a 0.1 multiliner SP. I actually had to replace the nib in my 0.1 after using it for about a day, but I learned my lesson! It seems I’m rather hard on all my pens and markers, which seems to be part of my style, but I don’t recommend it.

Figure Two. Steampunk Horse Color One

Figure two.  Initial application of Copic color.  I don’t own as many greys as I would like (are you a “gray” or a “grey” person?). This will be N1 and N4, and the browns and blues are Y26 (Mustard, love it!), Yr24, E35, B04 and BG000. The peachy color is E93 (Tea Rose, another favorite).

Figure 3. Steampunk Horse Color 2

More of the same colors, with a couple more greys C-3 and C-5 (but I only have Ciaos and they are running out!) I started using the Colorless Blender (Sketch size, which I believe I got in the Blending set.  Used a 40% off one item coupon at Blick’s for that set!) You can’t buy the Sketch size Colorless Blender, just the Ciao (at my Blick’s, anyway).

Added some YR12 and YR23 to the E93 try to capture that strange reddish, yellowish tinge to a donkey’s face.  Yes, I’m still working with a photo of a donkey for my horse.

Figure 4. Steampunk Horse Ink 2

One of my favorite parts is the initial outline with a 0.8 multiliner when the drawing begins to come more to life. Also 0.3 and 0.1 for some details – and inked the pipe so now I’m stuck with it! It’s a little too low in the frame and I wish I had more space for more of the barrel of the pipe.

Figure 5. Steampunk Horse Color 3

Additional browns added: E08 and E53. Although I always do the swirl pattern, I often add some flowers.  I decided to forego the flowers this time and see about doing only swirl patterns – the idea being that the eye piece, the goggles, the pipe and the tubing would be enough in the way of finer detail. Started adding even finer detail with the 0.05 multiliner SP (I have a few SPs, but mostly the disposal multiliners currently.)  You can see the 0.05 in the horizontal lines on the goggle lenses and on the eyepiece.

Figure 6. Steampunk Donkey Horse Original Art

Went a little swirl-nutty.  One effect I particularly like is a colored multiliner over marker from the same color family, like on the bird’s body of the eyepiece.  Also used some sepia multiliner on the goggles. I added a little B02 (Robin’s Egg Blue) to add a little depth to the blue. Tightened up some more details, then did the swirl thing with the 0.3, 0.1 and 0.05. Sometimes in the same place, if the color effect wasn’t as dark as I wanted. And though I usually leave some light spots with no swirls, the swirl-nutty fever was on me and I swirled the whole damn thing up (with the minor exceptions of the goggle band and metal tubing.)

I like the effect of the subdued colors. As usual I am not sure about whether I want a background. At one point toward the end, I had actually sketched out a stripey design for the background, intending to use only black multiliner detail for the entire background, but then I decided against it. Holy cow, long post. Thank you for sticking around! What do you think, compared to my others (if you’ve seen them)?

Steampunk ACEO Beasts, Copic Markers

Well, I’m not sick of steampunk yet!  In fact, at the end of this post I’ll post the initial sketch for my next 8 x 10.  But mostly I wanted to post some ACEOs I’ve completed since the steampunk bug hit.  And their intensely engrossing stories, of course (*cough*).

Original ACEO Steampunk Llama

Chaz the blue llama is an inventor, first. The bird shaped device he is wearing over one eye is made of leather, brass and various other metals. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, he is particularly proud of the tiny wing fashioned from an orange washer. The mechanism, with a cable connected to a power source in his front pocket, has both long-focus and enhanced night vision capabilities.

Original ACEO Steampunk Goat

Dean starting inventing eyepieces in seventh grade. The first had a rudimentary long-focus device which he made in order to better see Eliza, a popular and adorable Nubian, across the playground. Yes, of course they had a playground in seventh grade. These are farmyard type creatures, after all. Need their sunshine. Just like people actually, but that’s another story, isn’t it?

It is many years later now, and in that funny way life has of going in circles, Dean and Eliza are now dating. She doesn’t even remember him from seventh grade. Which he couldn’t be happier about.

Dean is also Chaz’s roommate (see above). They have a blue and green cat named Phil who has about as much interest in their inventions as he has in other cats, which is to say, absolutely none.

Phil the Cat, Original ACEO

It may be no surprise to many that I am a dog person, and as such have been somewhat hesitant about drawing cats. Cats have an extremely long history in art (see Bast ).  Anyway, I wouldn’t say Phil has a particularly animated expression.  But sometimes that’s the way it is, with cats.

Original ACEO Steampunk Ferret

The very latest is this fine steampunk ferret. Or possibly a related rodent of indeterminate origin – which is to say – I’m not sure it looks exactly like a ferret (color notwithstanding).  He is a terribly friendly fellow, but I haven’t been able to make heads or tails of his squeaky language.  Anyone speak ferret?

And finally, the next steampunk beast. It was modeled on a donkey but the cheeks kept getting narrower so it may be a horse. With very tall ears.

Steampunk Donkey Horse Sketch

Decided to do goggles (currently quite lopsided).  Continued attempts to make quasi-mechanical seeming devices in the shapes of birds.  Added a pipe.  Not sure about the pipe.  :)  Thank you lovely people for stopping in!

Giraffe with Copic Markers, Steampunk on Safari

Steampunk Giraffe Original Art

This is Sid. Although I do consider him the latest in my steampunk beast portrait series – it wasn’t actually a “series” until I typed that just now- he is not currently displaying any of the Victorian fashion elements the other beasts have had. Partly because sticking a scarf right under a giraffe’s chin seems silly. And once again the creature insisted on being so close to the camera I had no room for even a little hat. Particularly with those pesky ossicones (giraffe’s horns, made of cartilage – thank you Wikipedia).  In fact, he does have a hat.  A sleek, black top hat style thing with brass studs and a microscope device of some sort. But it keeps blowing off. It’s at quite an altitude when he wears it, after all.

At 9″ x 12″ he is slightly bigger than the others, and also slightly too big for my scanner, which only does 8.5″ x 11″. Here are some progress photos, from sketch to completion.  I am a big fan of blog posts with progression shots (if you hadn’t noticed).

Steampunk Giraffe Sketch

Steampunk Giraffe Ink

Steampunk Giraffe Color 0

Steampunk Giraffe Color 1

Steampunk Giraffe Color 2

Steampunk Giraffe Original Art

Finished.  I think.

Thanks for looking!

 

Steampunk Rabbit Experiment with Whirligig

So I’m on this steampunk kick.  And I had planned on a horse next.  But then I saw this floppy-eared bunny in a pile of prints I ordered from deviantART.

Exhibit one:

too cool to care, by Duckmad

Which led to:

Steampunk Rabbit Initial Ink

Probably should have left the tilt of his head.  Oh!  I should mention the other piece of the puzzle – the whirligig, which happens to be the optional whimsy theme/prompt over at the Web of Whimsy, a neat monthly challenge I joined for the first time last month.  I wanted to give the prompt a shot because I didn’t use it for the last one.

This drawing was much more troublesome than the llama, sheep and kangaroo. I didn’t really like most of the progression of this one.  Not loving the color exactly. And eek, the swirlygig is crooked (I know, I should trace a circle.  But I don’t like to use anything mechanical, generally.  Which is silly.  It’s steampunk, right?) Oh, and the whirlygig should have stayed black and white. But I like some things:

Steampunk Rabbit Final (?)

And then I thought hey, I can fix the swirl and maybe help out the color with a background, after I scan it. So I did. I tried a few background colors, mostly dark, as this rabbit is far too dressed up for the morning. Also, he tends to sleep in quite late most days and rarely ventures out before evening.

Steampunk Rabbit with Digital Help

I think it’s a big improvement, though it could probably still use some work. Maybe a gradient background or some stars or something, it’s far too flat as is. But I must go to bed, alas! Let me know what you think!  Be brutal. I can take it.

 

Steampunk Kangaroo, Copic Markers, and the Tricky Nose Edit

Good morning/afternoon/evening/dead of night, chums!  Thank you kindly for stopping in for another installment of farmyard steampunk animals.  Well, not exactly farmyard, I suppose, in this case.  But that is simpler than “another installment of steampunk herbivores with big, comical noses” which seems to be the more specific genre I am currently mining.  Or inventing!  No, probably not inventing.  :o)

Steampunk Kangaroo Initial Ink

The gadgets are fun to do, as are the Victorian-inspired details (the hair and choker). No hat this time, though I am rather fond of the owl-shaped device on the ear. I tried to get her to tell me the purpose of that particular gadget but she was evasive.  Very secretive, these inventor types.

Steampunk Kangaroo Color 1

Steampunk Kangaroo Color 2

Copic markers , hooray! I have a feeling I abuse them somewhat more than they are meant to be abused.  I have watched a couple youtube how-to videos where talented, soft-spoken young folk delicately paint and dab with their Copics. My own technique could not be characterized as delicate, I must say, with the possible exception of detail work with a 0.05 nib. But of course that is the pen and not the marker.  :o)

After a lot more ink, mostly outlining with a 0.8 and an 0.3 for the smaller bits, I decided I was finished:

Steampunk Kangaroo Final (not Really)

If you imagine her without the hair, she kinda looks like a kangaroo. Or a donkey. Or llama. I googled kangaroos, unsatisfied.  And decided the nose needed to be dark, as she is modeled on a red kangaroo. Which means going over another color and not being sure exactly what would happen. As I type this now it occurs to me I could have experimented on a separate sheet. Bah, caution. Here is what happened:

Steampunk Kangaroo Final (Really!)

Had to do the ear also.  Kind of hard to tell in these scans but the nose is dark grey but kept a pinkish tinge. I’m not sure that it makes it look more like a kangaroo, really. But I like it. So what do you think – should I have stuck to the pink nose?

In case you wondered, her name is Daphne and yes, she invented all her own gadgets. I think she had to outsource those flower-shaped gears, though. (Nice touch, right?) Thank you for visiting!