Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Predators...

I did another entry in the Ellie McDoodle style. They aren't really the style I like or am use to, but I sure can finish them quick.

Yes, my wife did slip, fall, and have one of her feet go in the water as she skipped rocks. Her sandal almost floated away too, but I saved it. She was a good sport and laughed it off.

Since this first one went so quickly I had time to do another in my usual style.


"Predators" is going to be an awesome movie... I hope. The second Aliens vs. Predator movie was pretty bad, but I thought the first was passable. Hopefully this one has been handled well and will live up to its potential.

I'm taking a printmaking class towards my Masters this summer. This might be the image I go with for my intaglio print. It's drawing from a picture of me when I was a kid.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Ellie McDoodle...

I'm doing an independent study about visual journaling for my Masters. For part of it I'm researching different ways for kids to possibly journal. I'm looking at books they read and other artists that I like. One of the first kid's books I'm looking at is Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel.

Here is a page from her book that I used as inspiration.


Here's what I created.
My wife is insane over sushi. She'll beg, plead, and "convince" me to drive 20 minutes away to this place. For amazing sushi, all that food, and just paying $23.00, it's a pretty good deal and I always enjoy it once I get there.

Lazy cat...

Emma's a weird cat. When she did this for the first time I thought she might be sick, but she was running up and down the stairs after her mouse the next day. She must just be getting lazy... or maybe smarter. I don't know.

Check out I can has cheez burger for some hilarious cat pictures and cat speak. You'll have a good laugh, promise.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Artistically frustrated...

Today was a good day. Was a little bummed after trying to work with brush and ink the other day. Decided I need to get over it and just draw whatever I wanted. I feel much better now.


Random scribbles while at Alterra with my wife and friend, Jason during our open house. I made a rare impulse buy at Barnes and Noble a few days ago and bought Street Sketch Book. It's one of the best buys I've made and I was looking through it for inspiration as I drew. Tried playing around with textures a little too.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Ink brush...


I don't know about brush and ink. I'm use to being able to control my lines a lot more. I'll try it a couple more times, but pens might be for me.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

House Hunting...


House Hunting is always an adventure. We saw about 5 houses yesterday. None that really fit what we need or are looking for.

This specific house had a tiny basement you took a ladder to get down into. I already knew I didn't like this house, but who can resist climbing down into a dark, scary basement like this? My curiosity got the best of me.

It's hard to describe, but it was about the size of a small room. Along one side was a cinder block wall about four feet high. Over the lip of this wall, there was crawl space about three feet high that went under the whole house, which was long and narrow. It was filled with gravel and everything smelled like wet cat pee.

The funniest thing, depending on how look at it, was that this door was in one of the kids' rooms. I don't think there are many kids that could sleep with this entryway in the middle of their floor. I wouldn't have been able to. It's worse than closet monsters!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Nature is merciless...


This all happened at my parents house. Baby birds are some of the weirdest looking things you've ever seen. You often hear people say that all baby animals are cute. This creature hadn't quite gotten to that stage. With no feathers, transparent skin, and a huge blue belly this thing was far from cute. I still felt bad for it. He probably would have just baked on the concrete. Hopefully he just fell out and wasn't pushed out by mom for some reason. I'd ask my parents if they ever saw the bird on the ground again, but they'd probably lie to me no matter what and say it lived a happy fruitful life. I'm fine with lies.
My wife snapped a shot of me putting the bird back in the nest without me knowing.


Some warm up sketches as I watched Jumper.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Ultimate Fighter Finale...



This is a little late, but I'm at my parents' house and I couldn't figure out how to use their scanner. Now I'm in business.

I used some reference from the show. Great night of fights. The fighters who I wanted to win, won for the most part.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

I love my toys and they love me...


My wife's cousins talk about how they go to garage sales and find ridiculously awesome stuff for real cheap. They'll spend a whole day going to garage sales and make it a family event or even a date. My wife and I have garage sales every summer and I was skeptical that other people would sell anything more exciting than what we had. Not one of my deepest thoughts, but there you have it.

It's summer vacation for my wife and I and she heard from her cousin about a garage sale put on by a retiring art teacher. Her being an art teacher and us both liking art, this sounded like the mother load of awesome. Ended up being lame, but on a whim we decided to hit up some garage sales on the way home.

Well, this was a life changing event. I now understand how people can fill there houses with stuff and appear on an episode of Hoarders. Let's not dwell on this though. Let's talk about the cool stuff I found for next to nothing.

Sixteen vintage Star Wars figures and a carrying case. All for the low, low price of $10! In the blink of an eye I owned more Star Wars figures than when I was a kid. What a bizarre event it was too. We walked up to this meager garage sale and strike up a conversation with this 21 year old girl who owns the house and just won't stop talking. My wife mentions I'm looking for Star Wars figures and she invites us into her house and up into her steaming hot attic that is full from wall to ceiling with boxes that were apparently her grandpa's. While digging through crappy Star Wars puzzles the lady is going on and on about how she has no pores and can't sweat. I pull out the stuff I bought and she says, "How about $30?" It was obvious she didn't care about the stuff and I talked her down to $10. (Thank you to my wife. She's teaching me how to haggle. It's an art I don't understand.) The lady tells me that when we walk down I have to lie to her mother-in-law about what I bought. I stuff all the figures in the case and sure enough the mother-in-law asks what's in there. "It's a carrying case," I reply. Technically not a lie. My wife makes small talk as I resist the urge to run.

I can't remember the last time I had a rush like that and I am now hooked on garage sales.
My haul.

We'll see you tomorrow folks. Time to go watch The Ultimate Fighter Finale and have a glass of wine out of my giant Rumple Minze mug (Cost me a whole $1 at a garage sale today!).

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Apples and Peanut Butter...

Visual Journal for today.

Trying to work on movement, clothing, and just drawing full figures. I find myself just drawing faces most of the time. Watched a few minutes of "Jumper" and would pause and draw sporadically. I'm trying to fill up more of my page when I work in my sketchbook. I came across this guy named Rob Laro and his sketches are insane.


Experiments in watercolor. Inked a quick drawing and just messed around with watercolor. It's very frustrating. I know so little on how to use color, but I'm going to keep at it.


Sunday, June 6, 2010

Poolside...

Another fun Drink and Draw! GPS's are awesome.


Sat out at our gym's pool today. With one week of school left it was a little tease of what's to come. I can't wait!