drawnblog: (via INCIDENTAL COMICS: Draw Like You’ve Never Been Taught) I really could have used a simple guide like this back in college. Unfortunately I had instructors who made drawing so damn complicated that it totally sucked the life and fun out it. So I graduated with a BS in Urban and Regional Planning instead of a BFA in Studio Arts. I really enjoyed drawing as a Planning major but by the time I graduated and was ready to go out into the field, all drawing was being done on a computer. I love drawing by hand. It gives me the feeling that I’m really creating something. I find that it’s more intimate and personal, something I just don’t feel when I’m creating stuff on the computer using software.

drawnblog:

(via INCIDENTAL COMICS: Draw Like You’ve Never Been Taught)

I really could have used a simple guide like this back in college. Unfortunately I had instructors who made drawing so damn complicated that it totally sucked the life and fun out it. So I graduated with a BS in Urban and Regional Planning instead of a BFA in Studio Arts. I really enjoyed drawing as a Planning major but by the time I graduated and was ready to go out into the field, all drawing was being done on a computer. I love drawing by hand. It gives me the feeling that I’m really creating something. I find that it’s more intimate and personal, something I just don’t feel when I’m creating stuff on the computer using software.

thoughtballoonhelium.blogspot.com

I’m Live! …Again I’m the kind of person who has to try something 2 or 3 times before I get it right. So after working out the kinks of finding a good way of doing my own prints, figuring out the most efficient shipping flow and spending the past two days tweaking code and listing products, I’m live with my own store, again. You can now purchase small (4x6) prints of my art at an decent price. Check out the World of Lil’ Dots store on Bigcartel. (I think I got the hang of it now. Yay!!!)

I’m Live! …Again

I’m the kind of person who has to try something 2 or 3 times before I get it right. So after working out the kinks of finding a good way of doing my own prints, figuring out the most efficient shipping flow and spending the past two days tweaking code and listing products, I’m live with my own store, again. You can now purchase small (4x6) prints of my art at an decent price.

Check out the World of Lil’ Dots store on Bigcartel.

(I think I got the hang of it now. Yay!!!)

Color Stippling - A Basic How-To Here’s a simple visual how-to on color stippling. This works great when your drawing calls for mostly primary colors but when you get into skin tones and the such you need to be a bit more creative when it comes to choosing the colors to create your shadows. When you need for your colors to be deeper, place your dots closer together. When you need for them to be lighter, place them further apart. A rule of thumb is don’t use black otherwise your shadows will look too harsh. Then again, once you get the hang of this, rules can be broken. Other than that have fun and play around with the colors to see what works for you but if you’re looking for a starting point work with primary colors until you get comfortable and then explore from there.

Color Stippling - A Basic How-To

Here’s a simple visual how-to on color stippling. This works great when your drawing calls for mostly primary colors but when you get into skin tones and the such you need to be a bit more creative when it comes to choosing the colors to create your shadows. When you need for your colors to be deeper, place your dots closer together. When you need for them to be lighter, place them further apart. A rule of thumb is don’t use black otherwise your shadows will look too harsh. Then again, once you get the hang of this, rules can be broken. Other than that have fun and play around with the colors to see what works for you but if you’re looking for a starting point work with primary colors until you get comfortable and then explore from there.

The Games That We Play

The Games That We Play

Eshua iPhone & iPod Skin | Society6

Eshua

iPhone & iPod Skin | Society6

Never waste your time trying to explain who you are to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.
dream hampton (via thechanelmuse)

trulyquotable

For about five years now I’ve had this little wooden manikan tucked away in my drawing table drawer. I got it with the intentions of using it to get a general idea about the human form in the absence of a model but I can’t say that I’m really fond of the idea. I admit, I prefer reference photos but as always the little voice in the back of my head keeps saying “Draw from life.” Ugh! Well, this is as close as a can get to life for the moment. I really do wonder just how useful these things are for drawing. Guess that will be something that will remain to be discovered. (That pole up the middle looks painful. Not to mention the bite marks I found on it’s head.)

For about five years now I’ve had this little wooden manikan tucked away in my drawing table drawer. I got it with the intentions of using it to get a general idea about the human form in the absence of a model but I can’t say that I’m really fond of the idea. I admit, I prefer reference photos but as always the little voice in the back of my head keeps saying “Draw from life.” Ugh! Well, this is as close as a can get to life for the moment. I really do wonder just how useful these things are for drawing. Guess that will be something that will remain to be discovered.

(That pole up the middle looks painful. Not to mention the bite marks I found on it’s head.)

Finding Inspiration Lately I’ve been on a bit of a vacation from my art. It hasn’t been so much that I needed one but rather I haven’t been too inspired or motivated to draw. It’s inevitable that anyone who is in the craft of creating art will have such moments. For me, it happens about twice year; I’ll open up my sketchbook or drawing pad and my mind just goes blank. Sometimes these moments will last for a day or two, sometimes for two to four weeks. Eventually I come out of it but it can be a bit agonizing when the desire to create is there but you just can’t come up with anything. Here are a few things I do to get through my creative slums. Doodle - Sometimes it just seems pointless and I admit, at times I feel a little silly when I step back and look at my “doodling” and think “What the hell is that?” But there’s just something cathartic about taking a pencil, holding it like a three year old and scribbling like a mad woman or aimlessly drawing circles and squiggly lines. It helps get out some of the angst and frustration that comes with trying to get ideas from my imagination to the paper. I like to call it “mental dumping”, getting rid of useless energy so that I can free up some room for more creative and productive energy. Relax - Like I mentioned before it’s inevitable to have moments like this. The worst you can do is fret over it, which I’m guilty of. So I go out for walks, go out for a nice meal, visit friends or take a nap. It helps to keep me from worrying about whether or not I’ve lost my creative mojo. Change - Try something different creatively. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to try then try it. Or if you’re like me and have other creative skills then switch to one of your less prominent skills. I’m mainly a pen and ink stipple artist but I also like carving linoleum blocks, digital drawing, flash animation and sketching. If I’m having a slump with my stippling switching to one of my other skills for a little while helps to get my creative juices going again. Other Artists - There’s nothing that inspires me more than looking at the art work of other artists. I LOVE drawing so a big treat for me is when I go to an artist’s website and they have sketches from their sketchbooks up. I like all the “behind the scenes” work that goes into a painting more than the actual painting. I’m the type of person who will buy books like “The Art of Star Wars” not so much because I’m a big fan of the movie but because I want to see all the sketches that went into the concepts of the costumes, the stage setup and what-nots. Music - Nothing transports my imagination like music. When I’m listening to music I like to create my own videos inside my head to express the meaning I think the song is trying to convey. I typically come away with some good ideas for a drawing. Some of the music genres that work best for me are: trip-hop, downtempo, electronica and world. Movies - Watching visually appealing movies are another source of inspiration for me. I get all into the lighting, mood, design of costumes, colors, art direction and imagination that goes into a film. If the visual imagery is captivating than the plot doesn’t have to be much for me to like a film. A couple of my favorites are The Cell and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, particularly the ending credits. Just Draw - In the end, when all else has failed the only thing you can do is just draw. Sometimes you won’t find the inspiration. If all you do is sit around and wait for inspiration you won’t get much art created. Sometimes the inspiration comes before, sometimes in comes during and sometimes it doesn’t come at all but don’t let inspiration be your down fall. Creating art is more work than inspiration so in the end you just have to grin and bare it, pick up your pencil and get at it. Now, with that being said let me go grab my sketchbook and get to scribbling.

Finding Inspiration

Lately I’ve been on a bit of a vacation from my art. It hasn’t been so much that I needed one but rather I haven’t been too inspired or motivated to draw. It’s inevitable that anyone who is in the craft of creating art will have such moments. For me, it happens about twice year; I’ll open up my sketchbook or drawing pad and my mind just goes blank. Sometimes these moments will last for a day or two, sometimes for two to four weeks. Eventually I come out of it but it can be a bit agonizing when the desire to create is there but you just can’t come up with anything. Here are a few things I do to get through my creative slums.

  1. Doodle - Sometimes it just seems pointless and I admit, at times I feel a little silly when I step back and look at my “doodling” and think “What the hell is that?” But there’s just something cathartic about taking a pencil, holding it like a three year old and scribbling like a mad woman or aimlessly drawing circles and squiggly lines. It helps get out some of the angst and frustration that comes with trying to get ideas from my imagination to the paper. I like to call it “mental dumping”, getting rid of useless energy so that I can free up some room for more creative and productive energy.
  2. Relax - Like I mentioned before it’s inevitable to have moments like this. The worst you can do is fret over it, which I’m guilty of. So I go out for walks, go out for a nice meal, visit friends or take a nap. It helps to keep me from worrying about whether or not I’ve lost my creative mojo.
  3. Change - Try something different creatively. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to try then try it. Or if you’re like me and have other creative skills then switch to one of your less prominent skills. I’m mainly a pen and ink stipple artist but I also like carving linoleum blocks, digital drawing, flash animation and sketching. If I’m having a slump with my stippling switching to one of my other skills for a little while helps to get my creative juices going again.
  4. Other Artists - There’s nothing that inspires me more than looking at the art work of other artists. I LOVE drawing so a big treat for me is when I go to an artist’s website and they have sketches from their sketchbooks up. I like all the “behind the scenes” work that goes into a painting more than the actual painting. I’m the type of person who will buy books like “The Art of Star Wars” not so much because I’m a big fan of the movie but because I want to see all the sketches that went into the concepts of the costumes, the stage setup and what-nots.
  5. Music - Nothing transports my imagination like music. When I’m listening to music I like to create my own videos inside my head to express the meaning I think the song is trying to convey. I typically come away with some good ideas for a drawing. Some of the music genres that work best for me are: trip-hop, downtempo, electronica and world.
  6. Movies - Watching visually appealing movies are another source of inspiration for me. I get all into the lighting, mood, design of costumes, colors, art direction and imagination that goes into a film. If the visual imagery is captivating than the plot doesn’t have to be much for me to like a film. A couple of my favorites are The Cell and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, particularly the ending credits.
  7. Just Draw - In the end, when all else has failed the only thing you can do is just draw. Sometimes you won’t find the inspiration. If all you do is sit around and wait for inspiration you won’t get much art created. Sometimes the inspiration comes before, sometimes in comes during and sometimes it doesn’t come at all but don’t let inspiration be your down fall. Creating art is more work than inspiration so in the end you just have to grin and bare it, pick up your pencil and get at it.

Now, with that being said let me go grab my sketchbook and get to scribbling.

Pens and Scissors

Pens and Scissors

This Is Not A Mammal So I’m at it again, stippling rocks, stones and pebbles. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s some subconscious psychological significance to why I like drawing them so much. Or maybe it’s just that I like round things, who knows. I had to work with a limited palette since Microns don’t come in an array of colors. It wasn’t that bad but I really wished I had a gray and a yellow and that my green hadn’t dried out. I broke the rules on working with strict complimentary colors that I learned back when I first started stippling because honestly, I really wasn’t diggin’ the whole orange as a compliment for blue so I mixed in some brown and purple on a few stones to tone it down a bit.

This Is Not A Mammal

So I’m at it again, stippling rocks, stones and pebbles. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s some subconscious psychological significance to why I like drawing them so much. Or maybe it’s just that I like round things, who knows. I had to work with a limited palette since Microns don’t come in an array of colors. It wasn’t that bad but I really wished I had a gray and a yellow and that my green hadn’t dried out. I broke the rules on working with strict complimentary colors that I learned back when I first started stippling because honestly, I really wasn’t diggin’ the whole orange as a compliment for blue so I mixed in some brown and purple on a few stones to tone it down a bit.