Photoshop illustration of Chuong

A few weeks ago, month? I forget. I drew my sister, it's several posts back, lots of pink if you'd like to see it. Well, it turns out that her boyfriend really liked it and asked if I could draw him too. I said sure. So, my sis sent me a photo that he really likes and I drew this image. I really like it and it was really fun to create. A lot of why it was fun to draw is this: my sisters pic was really soft and completely pink - not a hint of any other dark color, and there were butterflies in her hair. How do I apply that to a man? Clearly a different approach was in order, but, it had to have the same sort of feel. In the end, I just went with different colors, rust, black, yellow. Used the same florishes, swirls, specks, etc. that I used in my sisters picture. I kept it a bit more grainy too, less blurring and smudging. I think it turned out pretty cool. And they both really like it, at least so they say, and I guess that's all that matters.

Adobe Photoshop line drawing of a girl with lots of inky spots and swirls

I seem to spend longer these days on pictures than I used to. In the past, the idea of working on something for more than one session was abhorrent. The idea of getting in the groove, and then stopping midstream and picking up again later was completely unfathomable to me. But, more and more, my drawings are completed in several shorter sessions over a period of several days. It turns out that this is really fun to do. It makes it so that I think about the drawing I'm currently on while I'm not working on it. When I am anticipating the next phase I feel like I'm reading a really great book. I just walk around feeling like I'm 9 and tomorrow is Christmas morning. It's really fun. And for an added bonus, I get to look at each picture with new ideas and fresh eyes, see what isn't working and implement all the ideas I came up with between drawing sessions.

Anyway, I added a ton to the background in this picture, swirls, indications of wings, splats, and the baseboard. I love the watercolor look of this picture, the dark areas, the look of the subject's face, the line and sway of her body, the movement of her hair, and how smeared bits melt into others. This one was really fun to draw.

If you click on the complete full body picture, you can see details better. It's a bit sad that I can't put up pictures any bigger, so many details are lost when they are small like this, grr. But, hey, it's free to be here on blogspot, so I won't whine any further and just say thanks instead.

Boots, not made for walkin'

The other day we were doing on a project for Skechers at work. I was doing some really fun illustrations (fun to me, they didn't end up picking them. They did pick others of mine but not my funky line drawings, oh well, win some lose some as they say) of shoes and feet and I got thinking that it would be REALLY fun to draw some books in in this style. I found a great pair of boots and started the illo, then realized that Skechers doesn't make boots like these. Doh! BUT I loved this pic so finished it over the last couple days here and there. I think they are really fun, but not as the old song goes "made for walkin." They are made for standing and looking pretty. I created a new pattern for the background and I think it's fun and adds a new dimension. It's fun to think of ways to fill empty space sometimes. In a way that doesn't detract from the subject that is. So, anyway, happy January 18 everyone. Take care and I'm off to breakfast.

Andrew Wyeth dies at 91

Andrew Wyeth, of the greatest American painters of all time, has died at the age of 91. As reported by The Boston Globe, he died in his sleep in his home in Chadds Ford, PA after a brief illness. In an article on their website, The Boston Globe has this to say about My. Wyeth: "Perhaps no American painter has ever had as strong a hold on the popular imagination as Mr. Wyeth did over the course of his seven-decade career. As the critic Brian O'Doherty once noted, "Wyeth communicates with his audience, numbered in millions, with an ease and fluency that amounts to a kind of genius." Go here to read more about Mr Wyeth.

He was an amazing painter, very inspirational to me. As I am an artist myself, not in his league by any means mind you, I can't seem to come up with proper words to describe his wonderful paintings. So instead, here are a few of his paintings, they can speak for him, better than I ever could. I used to think that R.I.P inscribed on headstones or whispered to those who have died was a bit lacking and morbid. Now, I think it sums everything up well. After all, peace is what we all hope for. So, to Mr. Wyeth, Rest In Peace. May the grass be green, the skies blue and the wind soft where ever you are.

Portrait of my beautiful sister

Ok. So, I wanted to draw my sister like I drew myself a week or so ago. Clearly, I didn't end up going that route (see 2 posts down for the pic of me). I hope she likes this, I went a bit nuts. I think I made her look a bit younger than she is, but then again, I don't think most of us mind looking younger than we are. Not that she's old or anything. Heaven forbid. If she's old, what does that make me as her older sister? Horribly ancient. Nice. I saw some really cool illustrations about midway through this portrait and it influenced this picture. The illos that I saw had lots and LOTS of messy bits around the subject's face and I thought it looked awesome so I added lots of messiness and lines and swirls and dots to this picture (and butterflies). I did keep with the pink theme though. I love the idea of messy pink. Mostly when illustrations (at least lots that I see) are messy there is a lot of stark color, lots of black involved. So, to me, trying to achieve this affect in pink was lots of fun. To my sister, thanks for letting me draw you. I hope you like your picture. You are an awesome sister and gorgeous to boot, sweet.

Self portrait using Adobe Photoshop and old newspapers

New year, new attempt at a self portrait. I wanted to try for a "less is more" approach. The nice thing about this approach is no blemishes or wrinkles end up in the final product, nice! Instead, all details, overlapping, patterned, messy, blemished parts are part of the background, at least in the case of this drawing. I do think that I ended up looking a bit sleepy in this, but I think it turned out fun anyway. I love the range of pink in this, how colors go from soft pastels to fuschias, really cool how they can live in the same world just fine. I love the dark pink spots, I think they add a neat depth to things and are pretty. I also like the pencil looking lines, especially around my neck.

Gnarled Tree 2

I had to go to "driver awareness" class last night to have some points recently acquired on my drivers license removed. As I was fairly angry that I had to be there I took my sketchbook along and sketched this tree instead of listening wth rapt attention. Sort of like hight school; I spent many hours in school doodling trees very much like this one (along with the requisite eyes, feet, and hand drawings all high school artists spend time drawing). The accident I had to work off: someone cut me off getting onto the freeway. I slammed on my brakes. They froze due to my car not having anti lock brakes. I lost control of the car and hit a concrete barrier. I was treated like a liar and a piece of criminal garbage by the HP officer so I am feeling bitter about this experience. But, now, it's time to take a deep breath and let it go and just enjoy that out of this experience I now have a lovely new gnarled tree drawing....nice. I would have spent even more time drawing this but my pen ran out of ink. Drat!

WKRP in Cincinnati

Hello Johnny Fever. It's the first day back to work after the long holiday and I thought Johnny Fever summed up having to go back to work just right "Booger!" (If this doesn't sound familiar, Johnny Fever is a fictional dj on the radio station WKRP in the the 1970's tv series WKRP in Cincinnati. Johnny got fired from a previous job for saying "BOOGER" on the radio.)

We gave my parents season one of WKRP in Cincinnati for Christmas. We watched the first few episodes with them and I suddenly felt like I was 8 or so again, total memory lane. What a fantastic show. I'm so glad my parents watched such stellar tv shows with me when I was a kid. Thanks guys!

Guest Artist

My mom, LeeAnn, is a great artist. She has been exploring/painting with watercolor for many years now and has created some awesome images. She recently took a book binding class and for a final project had a great idea. She painted on the side of the book she bound, I think it turned out really neat; so, I wanted to put it up here. Thanks to her for letting me put up her artwork, it looks really amazing. Side note, she also made the paper, really pretty!