Trouble Lurking ala Tara McPherson

I'm on an odd roll this week... O_o

I tried to go for the very limited color palette McPherson uses for her poster work, as well as generally mimicing her stylization and slightly macabre subject matter.

I'm still really frustrated with the linework though. I don't know how to take my lines and smooth them out to be more vector-esque so what you see are just the straight pen-lines. Or rather, fuzzy pen lines?
Anyhoo. :)

Y'know, the idea came to me very quickly... but as I drew, I realized I was facing some serious logistical problems. However, I went ahead, just because I thought the image was amusing.
The shadows are _impossible_ and I know it...

The coloring also didn't go so well--I think it might be a good idea for me to just sit down and invest in a tablet? I don't know...

Anyhoo. I'll see if I can make a drawing in a style I admire too.

Theme 2

awesome to see everyones sketches up this week! im really excited to be getting into a regular pace with this.

ready for this ya'll?
the next theme is

Trouble Lurking

and an extra challenge if you want it is to do two sketches. one in your style and the other in the style of an artist like / envy / are amazed by and try to imitate them with the same theme. you can either pick their whole style or just a part of it ( how they do line art, coloring, presentation).

and dont forget to comment! were here to help each other and keep each other going this summer!

good luck!

~shelley

Breathe again

So yes. i am... not entirely sure if im happy with this or not. i had to edit the origonal sketch alot and im not happy with the fish or the underwater part because besides the color it does not seem to be underwater-y enough. i didnt mean to color it, but i liked it enough that i didnt just want to leave it as a sketch. i tried a new idea this time by leaving the origonal pencil sketch and lines in there with the computer inked lines. i was trying to go for a style like hers http://bluefooted.deviantart.com/ who i am incredibly impressed by. i love her art. she is just as awesome as alphonse mucha to me. but i find it hard to work in such desaturated color palettes... -_- i just cant make myself do that. its so hard! anyways i learned alot from trying to imitate her.
any suggestions? still not completely hapy with it but it will have to do. you can see a larger version here http://sorapyper.deviantart.com/art/sketch-a-week-126209181
<3

Sketches Again

Another DnD character portrait. Quick and dirty, but effective.
Click the picture for larger view...

1st pass - Breathe Again

OK here is my sketch which I will develop and finish later.. and hopefully paint on my computer? :D

So if you can't tell what it is yet, it's a girl breathing air from a ... lopsided...vile.. jar? and the air is going into a glass sphere where a fish is enjoying all those bubbles of air.
I haven't finished her arm, yet.
So, tada!
I will be done with finals in 2 weeks and I will have so much more free time...so I definitely intend on posting more than sketches. lol.

Allison: Lazuli the Half-Orc

I'm playing Dungeons and Dragons, 4th Ed. with some friends, and figured, I ought to do quick portraits of everyone so we have an idea what we look like. XD
I'm playing a half-orc ranger... but I didn't like how the internet portrays half-orcs so I kinda came up with my own design.
Part Shaak Ti from Starwars, part... lots of other random stuff. (Er, why yes, I am a nerd... how'd you guess? ^_^)

I didn't intend for this to be anything more than just a quick sketch, but I figured I might like to color it for kicks and giggles.

Things I didn't like:
The pencil lines weren't very carefully considered and I didn't ink her again before scanning.
Also, her neck really bugs me. It's just... anatomically not correct? Or maybe I'm being picky.
Her dress wasn't very well colored either. I tend to shut down when I start dealing with fabric, I don't know why.

Things I did like:
Yay for highlights on metal! That turned out better than I had expected.
Her expression came out pleasant rather than angry or creepy, which has been difficult when drawing this character...

Anyway, I know it has nothing to do with the theme but I figure, until we get some more theme stuff, I might as well post the other things I'm doing :)

Allison: Breathe Again

Sorry about the delay!
Summer school got out, then I couldn't get a scanner... then my internet went kaput. Clearly it is trying to eat me.

Anyway! This is a pretty simple image. I was just playing around with round shapes and this is what came about. You draw circles, you get... turtles.

I need advice on inking though--people use pens but all the "pros" I've looked into use inking brushes, and I have NO idea how you'd ink with a brush... what am I missing?

(Click the thumbnail for larger version...)

Midterms :D

Hey guys! So I think we should extend this theme for more than a week, because I have an awesome idea, but I also have midterms on wednesday and planning this art show just became crazy! After midterms I will paint my idea because Im super excited! :D I will edit this post later with a life drawing I did this week so we can get some art up here!
-
Alina

first theme

Breathe Again

The next theme will be up on Sunday.
Im excited to see what everyone comes up with :)
Tell me if this is going to slow for you all this week.

Rocky Bio

Racquel "Rocky" Ormsby currently resides in her fox-den in Pasadena with her brother. She plays the drums in various bands. Past bands include: Rambling Rose and the Bitter Rodeo, Broken Hat Machine, and Corpse Weaver.

Recently graduated from Art-Funk Central Circus of Designining (Illustration major, and Starving Arts minor), she is pursuing a career in the Entertainment field, creating storyboards and comics.

As Meowkernaut of the First Order, Rocky is preparing for her funkadelic flight to Anime Expo at the moment. Liftoff begins on July 4th weekend... Stop by so you can get a ball of fur--Or perhaps some artwork! Right now, kitties and froggies don't really mix, so drawing is priority #1. She just can't get enough of that golden crisp!

Don't forget to log onto the space-atarium at rocky-o.com! Where all the girls have pink hair and polka dots!!!

Shelley Couvillion

you all know me :)
i love fish
and terquoises
im working on my graphics design AA,
but would rather be doing illustration.
i hope to do something productive this summer.
heres to hopeing.

My name is Alina!

Ok, so I am Alina.
I am a pre-illustration student at Cal State Long Beach. I spent 1 year at the Art Institute in Orange County then left, one year working at Aaron Brothers, and I just finished my first year at CSULB. Since none of my credits transfered, I find myself a sophomore, which I am perfectly fine with. The past 2 years I have really taken a break from my artwork, but this summer I am in (what I like to call) "art boot camp." I am taking 2 summer courses at IVC each 4 hours long and 5 minutes apart. So from 9am to 5pm I get to sit in a drawing horse. Woooh!

Honestly, I love art and I love a million styles. I have a hard time sticking to one style or another. I mostly draw, since it's what comes naturally for me, but I would love to be a better painter.

I run art workshops for youth (ages 13-20) all summer long, that focus on how to unify your spirit and artwork in order to glorify God especially in an innovated way. Actually, the workshops are in drama, writing, dance, music AND art. I specifically run the art workshop, but I also am the leader of the team that runs the other workshops. At the end of the summer this year there will be an art show exhibiting all the work the youth have done. However, the artwork can be submitted by anyone under 30 even if they are not part of the workshops. So I'm assuming you guys are under 30, so all of you could submit work :D.
I am putting together a website with a downloadable submit form. When it's done I'll post it here.

I don't know what I would like critique on. Anything I guess.
I think it would be great if we came up themed months or weeks or something. Anything that encourages me to draw at all, is good. lol. That's what I need to most, encouragement to begin something. lol.

Bio Post: Allison

Hey! I'm Allison.
I'm an intermedia arts major at Biola University, in my Super Senior year.
I draw and cartoon as a side hobby, an interest I've always maintained and hope to perfect after I graduate and (maybe?) pursue a second undergrad degree.
My interests have mostly been centered around photography: www.allisonoh.com and some animations: my animations but I'm looking forward to having fun working on sketches over the summer.

Things I'd like to have commented on:
The effectiveness of the stylization (too Disney, too anime, too "wtf?" etc.), the coloring technique, and ways I could ink better. I'm still really foggy on how to ink properly.

Im excited :)

im excited :)
i know everyone doesnt know everybody else but we have

Alina

Allison

Khrystina

Racquel

Me

if you havent introduced yourselves to eachother yet, i'd suggest posting a bio blog sometime this week. if thats not too corny :)
im out! cant wait to get this shindiggey started.
~Shelley