Drawing all the things

So, apart from doing some local conventions and shows (which I probably won't be doing any more, because it makes me cranky) I've been busy drawing lots of things.

UysFaber held an artist contest for their SunDragon title, and I did a couple of designs for that, which you can check out at their site.

I've been going to lots of life drawings, mostly Toons on Tap and The Drawing Room, and have kept up my daily sketch challenge sketches every weekday and anatomy studies on the weekends. I've been doing that so much that most of it isn't even scanned  because I haven't had the time.

Steampunk Vixens is chugging steadily along, with new updates every Friday. (Vixens Vendredi!)

I've done a few small commissions, and still have a couple left on my "to do" list before I'm ready to take on any more.

I've finished a couple of line art that I don't completely hate, so that's progress.

 

And apart from that, I'm working on a 12-page story for Steampunk Originals, not sure what would come of that but if nothing else I'll have a nice set of sequentials and some fun new designs in my portfolio.

So, all in all, keeping busy and trying to stay productive.

Speaking of which, I have a few commissions to finish, and some comic pages to lay out.

An assortment of etchings

Okay, wow. I've been so busy drawing that I haven't had time to write an update about what I'm drawing!

But here's a character turnaround I did for Holmes Inc 3, which is just about to go to press (more on that next week).

I've still been sketching every day, and going to life drawing sessions as often as I can, although looking at my online art files it seems like most of it hasn't been scanned yet.

I'll do a blog post on different life drawing sessions before the end of the year, but for now here's a sketch based on a 2-minute pose with a model posing on circus hoops. 

Here's a couple of sketches from a "30-day original character challenge" that I did in June.



And now here we are at just under two weeks until FanExpo, and my first big show on my own. Am I excited? Yes. Am I more than a little terrified? Absolutely.

It'll be fine. Right? Sure. It'll be more than fine. It'll be awesome.

Fingers crossed  that it all goes OK. I'll be doing sketches, selling prints, and promoting my next project, Steampunk Vixens. You can keep up with that at www.steampunkvixens.com or follow the project on Twitter  or Facebook

 

Back to Work

Ok, May got away from me. Over the spring I've been trying to learn how to write, so there hasn't been a lot to see.

Compound that with the fact that I have vehemently hated pretty much every single line I've put on paper all year , and I came perilously close to hanging up the pencils and calling it quits.

But, like the blog says, I can't stop drawing, even if my work is utterly lacking in merit or potential. And, in any case, I'm not the type to quit just because I got to the hard part of the learning curve.

So, instead of quitting I study harder. I copy stuff from anatomy and life-drawing books until I understand what I'm looking at. 

For my daily sketches, instead of working on character likeness, I spend a few weeks working on anatomy and construction.

I keep drawing, every day.  Eventually, it's going to have to get better. Right?

References:
http://www.amazon.ca/Constructive-Anatomy-George-B-Bridgman/dp/0486211045
http://www.amazon.ca/Figure-Drawing-Andrew-Loomis/dp/0857680986
http://www.amazon.ca/Atlas-Anatomy-Artist-Stephen-Rogers/dp/0195030958
http://www.amazon.ca/Anatomy-Complete-Artists-Joseph-Sheppard/dp/0486272796

2011 - the year in sketches

Well here we are at the end of the year. It's been quite a ride. I've done a sketch every day, which have ranged from atrocious to pretty good.

The full year's sketches - even the bad ones - are posted on deviantArt in my Daily Sketches gallery.

And for those of you who really want to check out my personal hall of shame, there's the Blooper Reel gallery. Because I'm secure enough to laugh at my own mistakes.

Here are my favourites by month, and a little bit about why I like them.

January

Immortus - I llike how the hands turned out.

February

Static - Dwayne McDuffie tribute sketch

March 

Dr. Seuss - World Literacy Day sketch

April

Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen tribute sketch

May

Daredevil - I just like the energy of it 

June

Concrete - Liked the mood of it. I was also satisfied with the texture.

July 

Man-Thing - This one's all about the textures.

August

Nightwing - I like the energy, and had enough fun with it to come back later and drop in a bit of colour.

September

Black Panther - I picked a really hard pose, and like the way it turned out.

October

Giant Monster - another one that is all about the textures

November

Black Cat - Swishy hair and relatively correct proportions

December

Samwise Gamgee

This is not only my favourite from December, but also my favourite for the whole year. Everything just clicked for me that day.

That's it for 2011. Happy New Year, everyone, and hope 2012 treats you well.