Finals... and stuff.

Here's a few more pieces from my last semester of college.

This one's a colored pencil piece (the first of a set of three). I had planned to finish all three, and then some, but that didn't really come to fruition. I hope to someday finish off the set and complete the story. ^_^

This is my Multiculturalism piece- made for the presentation I had to give to a trio of business professionals. It also made it into the December Art Hop! ^_^




This was my final for my Life Drawing class- it had to be a large format, and include three figures, one of which could be an animal. There is an animal in there- it's way in the background, about in the middle. XD I spent a total of three days on this sucker, and it includes four different mediums- Pastel, Colored Pencil, Prismacolor Art Stix, and Pen & Ink.

This final one was just me messing around in Life Drawing class. I was drawing a model and out of boredom, I decided to turn him into a Satyr. XD I actually tried to turn this into a Threadless T-shirt design, but as per usual, it got voted down. *Shrug*

A Small Respite...

A piece I've been meaning to do for a while, but couldn't due to time once college started up again. (I kind of ignored my homework to do it. XD)

This is Ruubi, with her two brothers- Aleron (on the left) and Magiren (on the right.)

I tried to make this one have some kind of an internal story- as opposed to a random spot illustration.

I really like how the green lighting turned out on this one- it makes it feel kind of sickening and freaky, which is what I was going for. ;)

Life Drawing

It's been a while since I've posted anything here... I've been so busy with classes that I haven't been creating much of anything personal (I've got some projects planned for my Portfolio class in particular, though nothing's come to fruition quite yet) but here's a few pieces from my Life Drawing class. One of them *is* technically naked, but you can't really see anything. Except maybe her booty. XD

The black n' white pieces are done with charcoal, the rainbowish figure was done in ink and pastel, and the two real-life colored pieces are charcoal and pastel.

The Minotaur Revision (Finally!)

Yes! It's finally completed! :D

I finally finished the revised version of the third piece in the Minotaur series. Granted, it was more or less a portfolio class project (I wanted to fix the series before sticking in my final portfolio), but still, I finally did it. ^_^

I went back and looked at some of my old thumbnails, and decided on the re-do from there. I hadn't originally taken this one into the rough stage, but I felt this one had more potential. It squeezes in more of the events taking place in this part of the myth. (Plus, I'm a lot happier with the way the characters turned out this time. ^_^)

A Skarrgly Update

Yesh! I re-did Skarrgle's background. ^_^ The whole scene with the cave entrance just wasn't doing it for me, so the other day I fiddled around and gave him a new scene (or lack of one) to be sitting in.

I suppose since he's more or less a spot illustration, it makes it hard to throw him in the middle of a scene and have it make sense. Either that, or I'm just too lazy to think of a scene for him. XD

A Revision and a Newcomer

A couple more dragoniod pieces to add to the pile. ^_^

I went back to Wally and totally re-did his background. The giant pink lily wasn't really working at all- I liked it, but it over-powered Wally too much. So, I instead did some layering of some recent photos I took over at Milham Park with a cutout filter on them. Those yellow flowers took forever, just because I couldn't figure out any other way to remove them from their grassy background other than carefully erasing around them. -_-

They look good though. I like the triadic color scheme I've achieved with this new incarnation (me n' my fancy artistic expressions). The background is interesting but also allows Wally to shine. :)

The second is what I've dubbed an Orm. I realize that "orm" is one of the many titles used in place of the word "dragon" for the same creature (mainly in ye old England and Scandinavia, methinks), including "wyrm", "worm", and "hornwyrm".

But I thought it'd be interesting if an orm was a subspecies of dragon, same with say, a wyvern, a hornwyrm, a firedrake, a drake, etc.

"Orm" has kind of an earthy feel to it, at least to me, and reminds me most of an earthworm. So I went with a subterranean dragon, using several tunneling/digging creatures as inspiration (naked mole rats, moles, earthworms, pangolin, armadillo, etc.). I threw in some insect-like attributes too, just to accentuate the "earthworm" theme.

Hence, we end up with this. It looks pretty alien doesn't it? XD

I'm not entirely happy with it's back legs, but the head detail makes up for it. :D I'm thinkin' about doing a head study with one of these so I can get in a lot closer.

Gettin' Emotional

Another two emotion pieces, based on roughs from a previous class.

The first one is titled "Frustration", and I can definitely feel it emanating from it. This is the second attempt at this particular one and I'm glad I didn't just go with the method I was going to use. See, in the original two I traced the line work in Illustrator, using the brushes therein to create different line qualities- I also did that on the second set. When I started "Frustration" the first time I was just using a tablet to trace the line work and the results were just plain sloppy.

Today while on campus downtown I took a few minutes to use Illustrator for the line work- definitely a big difference.

The second and third are the same piece, "Creativity", one with the color layer turned off. I finished it off with the circles and swirls colored, but went and turned them off out of curiosity and was intrigued with the result. I like it both ways. ^_^ I'm going to have to go back and adjust the glowing circle, though. The fact that it's almost off the edge of the format throws the piece off a bit.

9/14/10 - Speaking of fixing it- here it is! ^_^

Wolfdrake Challenge

Here's another couple pieces using the wolfdrake (a different sketch this time). I challenged myself to try to take the colored sketch, place it in an environment, and make it seem like it belongs there. I think I accomplished that pretty well with the night scene, but I'm still a bit unsure on the daytime.

One of these days I'll go back and fiddle with it some more. ^_^

It's a Character Bonanza!

Yes, yet more random characters. XD They seem to be what's drawing me lately (lol pun!), so I've obediently followed my whimsey's guidance. Plus, I love giving myself more opportunities to use some of my own photos for backgrounds. ;) My random picture-taking days in the park weren't a waste after all!

First up is Willow- my elf character- who's supposed to be adjusting her bracer when something catches her attention...

Her eyes ended up being a bit bigger than I intended... XD

And I'm not quite sure about the position of the hand that's doing the adjusting- it seems a bit too delicate a gesture for her personality... I may go back and change it some time in the future.

The second is another portrait of Fiona, this time with a background. Something is really irking me about her face...
It might just be her headband- it makes it look like she has a huge forehead. XD
I'll probably come back to this one too.

More Characters

Here's a couple more character related pieces.

The first is Ruubi again- you'll recognize the upper portrait from an earlier post. I decided to finish off her whole page. ^_^ You'll be seeing more of her and her family shortly. ;)

And the second is a portrait of Fiona Vaeleno, the Satyr. Its pulled off of a character page similar to Ruubi's- though I don't really like the way the other portrait came out on it and I'm not totally happy with Fiona's figure position. So that one won't be finished in it's entirety. XD I might whip together a character page with separate drawings instead, though. I've got another pic of her coming up too.

I was a busy, busy bee today. @.@ I finished off four drawings all while half watching Destination Truth and Star Wars. Kinda ended up with a headache from it, but I'm glad I finally just got to have a drawing day.

Starting tomorrow I'm gonna have a full plate though. o.o The fall semester is already here!

A Relapse of Dragonitis

Well, it appears I've relapsed. XD ...Kind of, anyway. This isn't a true dragon, though. Only part. XD

This is a creature I've created for the world my novel is set in- a wolfdrake. It's based off of an animal from heraldry, I think. I came across it in one of my fantastical creature books and thought it would make for an interesting (and ferocious) addition. So, I've been trying to come up with the right combination of both wolf-like and dragon-like features ever since. I wanted to keep the fur, since it lives in regions where snowy winters are regular and it would probably be to it's advantage to be warm during those months. XD

I've got two pics here with different backgrounds- one with just a red, rough texture, and the other with a nighttime forest scene. The forest is actually a photo I'd taken on a walk though a nature preserve last fall with its colors tweaked and with a "cutout" filter on it.

A Couple of Characters...

Here's a couple more characters- human characters. ^_^

There's a portrait of Ruubi. It's part of a larger drawing (which is actually on my Reoccurring Characters page) which I plan on finishing up a bit at a time. XD I'd like to finish some colored versions of all my characters at some point...

The second is Jasmine, who's the daughter of Landon and Dahlia. I've tried drawing her in this pose dozens of times - I like the pose apparently- and I think I finally got the feel I've been trying to achieve. Not much going on in the background- another "thrown in at the last minute" one.

Feelin' Experimental

Today I spent all afternoon making an experimental animation using Photoshop Elements and Windows Movie Maker.

It was... interesting. It only ended up being 17 seconds long, consisting of 172 individual frames. A lot of work for not much to show. XD

It was fun anyway though. When I have some more time I'll probably end up extending it. I'd be nice to turn it into at least a full minute cartoon.

Another Novel Idea

Here's another piece inspired by my novel- this is Landon, who's another main character.

I seem to be preferring scenes in the dark lately, huh? o.O

Anyway, the background was basically thrown in at the last minute- I figured since I'd given Dahlia a background, Landon should have one too. Although there isn't as much going on in his.

I think this is the first time I've ever put layers OVER my line work - i.e. the grass- but it's really effective for placing him in the scene.

Through dinking around with this I've discovered a great way to do fog! (Not that I've included it here, that's supposed to be light, lol.)

A Snowstorm in August

A non- dragon and a non-cat related piece! Oh the humanity! XD

This is Dahlia- she's a character in a novel I'm in the process of writing... (and beleive me, it's a long process. >.<) This is basically the opening scene in the book so far.

I really struggled with getting the atmosphere of the piece to feel right, as far as the blizzard goes... But I think I got it. ^_^

It ended up being really dark, without much detail work, but it's nighttime in a snowstorm. XD What do ya want? Details are gonna be fuzzy- as far as my reference pictures say.

Misstress Autumn

I decided since I was on a roll to go back and re-do Autumn (she's on the "Past Projects" page). The first version of her was a quick sketch done more as an inside family joke- and I wanted to go back and make her better. :D

And I'm sure I accomplished that. ;) She's got much more personality this time around. That, and her fur color is more accurate.

I had a hard time deciding what to put in the background... so I decided to just go with a textured wall- not too much different than the first, really.

I added the fish on the end of the whip as a last minute thought, but I really like it now. XD It makes it a little less serious.

I've also got one with text, which makes it extra funny. XD

Yet Another Non-Dragon Entity...

Yes, another non-dragon picture. :D Another anthro kitty though.

This is Dylon, our only male cat. He ended up as a disco dude just due to his personality- he walks with this strut and pretends he's a tough guy, but then always does dorky stuff. So I wanted something/someone that pretends to be cool but isn't. XD

Interesting reference pics for this one... (and no, I didn't use Saturday Night Fever XD) I tried to be accurate to the time period as far as clothing style and color go. I'm still iffy about the pattern on his jacket though. It was inspired by a pair of pants, so I'm not sure if they would have put it on a leisure suit. XD It makes him look extra dorky though.

Something That's NOT A Dragon?? O.o

Yes! You heard correct! Something that's not a dragon. XD

I've been kinda obsessed with them this summer, but I've finally taken a step in a different direction.

This is Maggie- well, sort of. Maggie is one of my seven cats- and this is her anthropromorphized into a Punk Furry.

I've done this with two of my other cats so far- Autumn and Ginger- so I figured I'd continue on with the set. I've also got another one coming up. ;) I wanna do each of them with a different genre in mind, just for fun, but still manage to capture their personalities.

The grafitti in the background I did with the help of a tutorial- although I had to follow the instructions in a roundabout way, since I only have Photoshop Elements.

After-work Snacks

A couple more of finished dragony pieces. Basically, I came home straight from work to finish them (a great way to relax, by the way).

Hummy, colored with a background. I didn't want to get as crazy with the background as with the one below- Hummy needed to be the star. ;) I'm really happy with the way he turned out- he looks so much more lively than just as a sketch. ^_^

The colored sketch of Early-Morning Skarrgle. I was debating on putting in a window above the coffee table, but I still wanted the cavern feel (since he is a dragon after all). I'm still wondering if I left the shadows too dark. Hm...

Finished Flyin' Wally

I just finished him tonight, and I thought I'd put him up. ^_^

I like the addition of the flower- it's from a photo I'd taken on my trip up north- but I think it might compete with Wally too much. I tried to lessen the effect by lowering the opacity, but, I'm still not sure. I think it's more the color than the actual shape. I might fiddle with it later.

Dragons of the North

I recently took a trip upstate to visit my Grandparents, and of course, my sketchbook went with me. I didn't draw too much- I spent most of the time either with my Grandmother or traveling around up there.

I drew this fella sitting on the couch in my Grandmother's living room. She liked him. :D I've christened him "Gilbert", for whatever reason. XD

My Grandmother loves hummingbirds, and they do attract a lot of them up there to their feeder. I'd been thinking about doing a little dragon based on a hummingbird for a day or two beforehand, but this seemed like the perfect time to do it. She thought this one was cute, too.

I sketched this one after getting home, but the idea originated while I was up north-a dragon whose body shape is based on that of an Owl. I suppose this guy seems more like a baby, rather than a mature adult, because I made his eyes so huge. But he's so adorable. :D His tentative name's "Ollie", by the way.

Mood Paintings...

A couple more "moody" pieces based on some thumbnails from a past project. I might do some more... 'cause playing with random shapes n' colors is fun. ^_^ The top is "Hopelessness" and the bottom is another "Solitude".

A Couple More in the Works...

Here's a couple more dragon sketches that I plan to colorize in Photoshop at some point.

Another (fairly rough yet) sketch of Wally, this time in flight. I've actually got him inked and he's currently waiting in the sketchbook to be scanned in.

An anthropormorphized Skarrgle, with a mug o' joe and newspaper. I'm not really sure where this came from- the image just popped into my head and I decided to go with it.

Dragons, Dragons, Dragons...

Yes, Dragons. One of my favorite subjects to draw. ^_^ Lately, they've all I've been drawing, thanks to a couple of "How to Draw" books that got me inspired. My dragons needed an upgrade anyway. :P

A pencil sketch of a dragon that I finished off in Photoshop. It started out as just an example for my tutoree (a professor at the college I'm going to, which is kinda awkward) but I liked the way it was coming together so much that I finished it. I've affectionately named him Skarrgle. :D

Another inked dragon finished in Photoshop. I've decided to call him Wally, for some reason or another. XD

These were all seperate sketches actually, brought together in Photoshop on a faux parchment-like background. I'm sure you recognize Skarrgle, here. I'd like to do a color version of the middle dragon too, at some point.

First Post! ^_^

Well, my first post on my brand-spankin' new blog. ^_^
Let's start things off with a bang, shall we?



This is a quick sketch/inking I finished up with a borrowed tablet and Photoshop Elements. I wanted to finish it simply because I thought the lighting situation would be interesting.