Long post no new art

Well 2009 is almost but a memory and I haven't really finished most of my goals artistically. Now that's not to say I haven't achieved any of my goals. Me and my wife bought our first house and the reality of home ownership has been fun but mostly frustrating. we've been in the house for a month now and I haven't drawn a scribble since moving. Granted my studio is still in boxes and I WAS working on a walk cycle before the move. This was and is a goal of mine to make the art of be doodles of characters and then ruff animation of those characters moving, breathing, showing character through there movements. I know that hasn't happened yet. I am not sure WHY I am not drawing? I mean if ones passion is to draw you would think that I would naturally just start doodling once a pen or pencil was in my hand but that hasn't been the case. It could be that I'm depressed or bored or afraid to succeed but the truth is I DON'T KNOW WHY I'm not drawing and this bothers me that maybe I was wrong and all of the people that said I couldn't do it and become an animator was right. Cause if they weren't right I should be working my ass off on animation. I know I am tired of feeling self doubt, self doubt in my abilities as an artist, as a husband and as a father. I get the feeling I'm letting them all down. I tell ya though that blank page is the most frustrating thing to look at and at the same time the most fun to fill when you just let your imagination run wild. one positive note I have blog follower, following this blog. I told my wife I better step it up so I don't disappoint them. Well that's all for know who know I might have something on the blog soon.

Halloween Sketches

My son went trick or treating for the first time this year and was a lion from the Golden Book "The Tawney Scrawny Lion" By far one of my favorite books growing up. Illustrated by

Gustaf Tenggren

I have been reading a lot from Stephen Silvers about motivation and found that when I draw moments from my life I get myself out of drawing slumps. My sketchs are poor quality because i had to use my camera to take the picture, my sketch book is too big for my scanner. Enjoy!

wacom doodle

Here's another sketch using my wacom.

Enjoy!

digidal doodles

been feeling in a real artistic slump these past few days but the conversation a i had with my wife on Saturday forced me to get on my wacom and draw. It felt good too, now that the weekend is over I feel like I haven't accomplished anything. I have to just force myself to think other wise and to just plain draw at lunch with pen and scrap paper, even if it's just a doodle or two it will force me to get better by shear repetition

wacom doodle

about a month ago I got a wacom tablet and finally sat myself down to play with it. This is the first doodle using it. I hope to place my drawing using the tablet a year from now to see how I progress. It's late and I should hit the hay. night all

Sundays Doodles

Been working from a caricatures ref book and these are from that book









Enjoy!

Goals Part Two

I spent the evening watching and listening to Stephen Silver and Bobby Chiu's Art cast and it got me thinking how lately i have been completing my goals and not stressing out about my art. Stephan talked about how to improve ones artwork and how it isn't important to worry about how something might happen between people that may not like your work. Most people won't tell you they hate it to your face and the ones that do are easy because you can fire right back at them, okay what is it that you hate and what is it that you like about it. I found myself picking up a pencil and drawing in my sketchbook while talking and listening to him.

Over at Bobby Chiu's art cast he does a daily drawing challenge like he used to do with people that lived in his area by picking a topic and then coming up with a drawing in a half hour time. Tonight's was big-fat-drooling. at the end of it everyone uploads there drawing and then vote on the one they like best. Mine didn't get any votes but I had fun and it forced me to draw, without talking myself out of it. Hearing Bobby so excited and full of life. I couldn't help but get excited too.
This is the drawing I came up with.


Enjoy!

Fall

The leaves are changing color and the air is crisper, meaning that it's fall time. My fav of all the seasons.


Enjoy!

finishing heads from 100

Here are the rest of the 100 heads that I started back hereMy goal for this week was to get the last thirty heads done and while watching my son in his room play I came up with some more drawings and having fun doing it.Just seven more to go! : D














Enjoy!

Turkey Illustration

Finished a goal of mine to get a doodle I started some three years ago to completion and here it is.






Enjoy!

Goals

Just got done watching Stephen Silver on his art cast about drawing and working in the animation industry. His advice has gotten me thinking lately about my own goals and what I want in life and how to get it. I know I want to be an animator but I tell myself I don't know how, well that's rubbish. I DO know how. I get animation bond paper out I sit and my desk and I animate something. So For this post writing down goals and making sure each week I write them down and see if at the end of the week I accomplished said goal. This weeks goal finish my goal of 100 hundred heads. I have seventy done and just need a small measly thirty drawings. Should be no trouble. I was keeping my goals in a notebook but I feel I will have better success with using my blog for my goals. So on Sunday I'll post thirty drawing of character heads.

caricature

Some caricature work for about a month ago.






Enjoy!

more heads, 68-70

Memory Sketch

Todays doodle is a memory sketch. I work for an auto auction and on auction day i drive the cars. This lets me see some of the best characters. This guy was wearing a hawaiian shirt and when he talked made some of the best facial expressions. the first is from lunch today the second when I got home because I felt I could do better. I still think this could be better but to stick with my goal of a sketch a day, it will have to do.




Enjoy!

Gorilla, Heads, WIP

Here's today's sketch of a gorilla typing. I'm having fun with coming up with an idea during work and then sketching it out at lunch. Theirs alot that I don't like about this one. First it feels rushed, the head and face are all wrong but there is also alot I like about it. I'm taking an idea and executing it, instead of worry if it will be perfect or not. My speed is improving, and I noticed I'm laying down lined with more confidence. The second is number 65, 66, and 67 of 100 heads and the third is a wip I'm working on. For some reason photoshop is acting up with the opacity setting for the text tool. Once I get that sorted out I'll have this one finished. All critique's welcome.






Enjoy!

Giraffe

Here's today's sketch, I feel I'm getting better at getting an idea and the putting it down on paper. At first I wanted to take this into photoshop and color it but time would not allow it and my goal for this week is to post a drawing each day from lunch, so here it is.












Enjoy!

Toddler

Did this one yesterday, theres something off about his right hand (your left when looking at it)and I don't like how his left hand came out (your right hand) but it is a sketch from start to finish using my understanding of anatomy and remembering how my son looks while sitting in his highchair. Also the goal for this was to draw the stick-figure and then use basic shapes build on top to make the character. I feel that if I keep with this one I can make it better. I however just plan on drawing more and with practice, I'll get better at it, so enjoy!

Character Design

I've noticed I'm getting better at the construction of drawing, but when time comes to add the details things start to fall short. Can't wait till I can take Stephen Silvers Imaginism class. Till then I'll just keep drawing.






Enjoy!

62 63 64

A few more closer to one hundred!









Enjoy!

Cheif Blackhawk

Here in Illinois theres a statue called chief blackhawk, dedicated to the suak and fox Indian tribes. Over the weekend we took a riverboat cruise down the rock river. The statue is way up top on the riverbank, surrounded by trees. That's the one part I feel this sketch lacks and that's a sense that it's high up.







Enjoy!

More Heads 57-61

Heres five more heads towards 100. My fav is the kid with the braces.











Enjoy!

New avatar

Working on making a new avatar and these are some of the better drawings. To see the rejects go to my other art blog. Click on the title to check them out.






Enjoy!

55 and 56

Here's two more to add to the soon to be 100 heads. I am really happy with the top character. So much so I threw some paint on him in photoshop. Nothing spectacular just made some layers and painted over the sketch. The bottom one started with promise but fell short, I know the solution to this and that's more time drawing with a perpose, ie I want to create a evil scienctist and then draw alot of different ideas.

Secondly is to let my pencil wander over pages and create shapes i normally would'nt think of. With some work I know I can make the bottom sketch better and the top one more appealing.








Enjoy!

Art museum

Over Memorial Day Weekend I took the family to the Art Museum of Chicago to see the Bill Peet exhibit, while there I did some sketching too.






Enjoy!

sketches of Collin

Spent a day last week in the backyard with my son and while he played I drew quick sketches of him. He really is a joy to be around, everything is so new to him and he finds joy in the simplest things.




Enjoy!