Dry Ace

Completed No. 5 Illustration. I felt like this didnt take as long to complete as other projects Ive done in illustration. This is probably because I did it digitally, Which meant it was really easy to edit and revise things and also I didnt have to scan it in or prepare it to print :)


I liked the theme of Five aces I went with in the piece. I think the thickish outline on the hand and cards really help to bring it into the foreground. The Chips in the background were NOT fun to do.


On a somewhat related note, The S key is beginning to die on my laptop. This isnt good.

Midterm Portfolio

1st Traditional Line Art


I chose this illustration because I thought it was one of the best from the many we did. All three of my line art choices are the three I redid on Illustration Board. So anyway, This was an observational piece of my headphones. I tried to use Directional line to give a sense of proportion and definition. I thought the lettering and the Form parts of the drawing came out best.

2nd Traditional Line Art

This was a broken line style picture of a person walking away. FYI, I have no clue who this dude is. Anyway, I tried to go for something different with this piece, mainly because drawing people is not my strong point. I thought it gave an interesting effect, and helped to show where some light fell. Probably could have done with some heavier line quality on some points, but otherwise its one of my strongest line arts.

3rd Traditional Line Art

This is my strongest line art piece. You wouldn't believe how soul destroying it was to do all the little symbols. So yeah, this is a observational nature piece, where I imaged the surface of the tree using symbolic lines. The heavy outer line really helped to define the tree from the background.I considered adding more to the background past the horizon line, but I felt that anything more would have taken away from the tree.

1st Watercolor

This is the 20x30 watercolor we did, The first one. This is the definitely the best watercolor Ive done to date. I chose a landscape that interested me and limited myself to yellows, golds and browns to accomplish the piece. I really think the heavier gold shadowing around the horizon line helped define the difference between the sky and the reflections in the water. I struggled with the stones underneath the water for quite a while, but I think after messing around with them a lot I eventually go them kinda right.

2nd Watercolor


This was done in our first class session with watercolors, Seems like forever ago. I took my time, and got it done right. I deliberately left the background pale and very undefined to keep the foreground tree as the focus. I thought I captured the Color and density of the leaves quite well, using a sponge for the effect. The only annoying thing is that I can see the Branches through the leaves. Learn and let live I guess.

1st Traditional Color and Line

This is a butterfly on some leaves with a fairly washy background. Of this portfolio, my color and line is probably the worst. Looking through what I had, I couldn't find any really good ones. Anyhow, I liked the colors I used I used for the patches on the butterfly wings and the line effect I got from the pen.

2nd Traditional Color and Line

This is a Mountain which is reflecting itself in the water. I used a few washes and added some small shadow detail on the sides of the mountain to give it some form. The line art was used to give it some definition. I really simplified the illustration down to make it work with the wash.

3rd Traditional Color and Line

So yeah, This is a random book....Even says it on the cover! I was just messing around with washes and what I could do when line a was added.  I felt this was a good piece, as the wash contrasted well with the book, and the line helped to give it grounding, definition and form.

Gouache Illustration

I chose the Lincoln illustration I did mainly cause the other Gouache painting Ive done is the the three image montage and it SUCKED. I used a Gesso spray before painting onto the watercolor paper and it really helped with blending in this piece. My favourite part of this one are the Blood and its reflection and also the floor boards (surprisingly enough) This took several hours, but thankfully I chose a simple illustration and had a good composition. 

Digital line Art

SO. You may notice, but this looks familiar to my watercolor landscape. I really liked the image, so It was my first choice for trying out the Wacom tablet. I really liked the effect I could get by getting in close with the zoom and laying down some directional line. That combined with how the stones underneath the water turned is why I chose this illustration.

Digtal Line art with Color

This is for my Number 5 project. Its still in need of some correction before hand in time, but I think its far enough along to warrant a spot in my portfolio. I particularly thought the hand and cards were coming along well. Being able to blend colors in Sai is really handy, and can be used to get come good effects. The designs on the cards are actually easier to make than I thought they would be.

Artist Choice

Couldn't help but include this little bomb, one of my comps for the life and death project, It was done in Sai with the wacom tablet. I chose to do something resembling cartoon bombs found in the likes of loony tunes for example. Therefore when I went into Sai to do this I knew exactly what I was doing, and put this out a lot quicker than my other comp. I thought the shadow of the bomb and the lighting really brought it to life. I also loved the little Skull Face.

                                                                                  

These are the three Life and Death comps that were due to be judged by Rusty on Monday the 17th. I didn't really find it hard to come up with three ideas for this, As it was a fairly loose problem to solve. Out of the ideas the bomb was definitely my favourite, and also coincidentally came out the best when I illustrated it. Rusty also gave his Stamp of approval on the bomb which is good.

The cocoon idea was cool I thought, but it didn't get illustrated well. The melting wax candle would have been interesting to paint, as I'm sure I could have created some interesting visuals in Sai, But I'm in love with the Bomb. I based it off the cartoon style 'Looney tunes' bombs (http://gestaltist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Bugs_taz_bomb.jpg) same with the comical explosion marks.

Smokin' Aces update

This is the progress Ive made so far on my number 5 illustration which is due in on Monday. Rusty gave me some good advice on what to change and touch up, but otherwise I think its looking good. Once I get some more definition on the Hand and fix some of the perspective issues with the poker chips we will almost be done.

Alan managed to ask me if the hand holding the cards was African-American because the he was gambling. What racism!

Smokin' Aces

Here are two comps for the 5 illustration. The idea is having five aces in as your hand in poker, So you can't lose. Rusty liked the idea, Gave it a stamp of approval, But said to change the had with the cards over to the left and add some more piles of chips, to emphasize the winning steak with the hand.

I like the idea, and I'm enjoying illustrating it in Sai with the Wacom tablet.

He looks this weird in real pictures.

So... Its been a month or two since I've been here (seems a long time) And I've already forgotten what one of my best friends back home looks like.


NOT GOOD.


For being a memory portrait this didn't turn out too horrible. I mean, the eyes are kinda off (That seems to be something I regularly struggle with) But apart from that Its alright. I used a water color wash and line art for this, which seems to have gone done out. his hair and shirt could have used some more definition as well as some more realistic looking eyes.

Pretty flowers

These were two water color illustrations done in Class under rusty's watchful eye. I liked the first one I did, I think though it could do with some heavier red lines for definition. I thought the deep green background helped bring out the foreground a little more. As for the second version I did....Well It looks like its decaying or something. I thought the gold and blue would go well together, but apparently they didn't.

It's spelled 'Colour'... Just saying.

Again, these were done with the wacom tablet and colored in Photoshop CS5. I found it cool and frustrating adding color in Photoshop. It was really hard to get some colors to believably blend together. Ive since started using Paint Tool Sai which I enjoy a lot more. I really just tried some different approaches with each piece, trying to see what I could accomplish with each. I also went for a very different color scheme with each.

I personally liked the Eye the most. I left the rest of it uncolored as I liked how much it made the iris stand out. Rusty commented that I must be 'getting the hang of it' when he seen the flower. 

That means he likes it.

Wacom Goodness

I really enjoyed working with the Wacom tablet to do these digital illustrations. It was nice to be able to zoom in to work on pesky bits, and to take a few steps back when somethings gone wrong. I actually liked all of these except the bottom one... It went kinda crapish. The trees fairly messy, But I was really just experimenting with what I could do. I really like the Landscape rocky spires, I think the crossed line shading worked well on it. Also the sharp details and being able to finally get those damned stones under the water correct!

I also liked the Coke can, But I think the beads of condensation on its surface really didn't come across too well... Looks kinda like it has warts. 

Gonna need a Montage!

SO. I was pretty excited about this, mainly cause we got to pick three random subjects to paint. Of course I then had to include business cat in this mix .
(For the uneducated http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/business-cat#.Tpx6UJsr2so)


I also used a random monster in the background (I think its from the movie clover field) and three stunt planes flying from behind. Apart from the positioning/size of the monster in the background I was happy with my composition and layout. That's when I made the critical error of not using any Gesso or Matt medium on the Illustration board before painting onto it. 


FYI, Gouache is crap without that mix on the paper/board.


So I ended up with 'blocked out colors' in Rustys words and a really brushy background. The saving grace is that the Cat up front looks good... At least in my opinion.

Panthera tigris

This is the second 20x30 watercolor piece we did. I decided to go up a notch and do something that's actually alive this time, An animal. And as we all know, tigers are awesome. 


My first regret was not using all the page, the second was my color choices. I really think a more somber Blue Color range would have worked better. Although the reds should have suited the tiger better.


While not my best watercolor piece its not my worst either, It sort of feels half finished, with not enough definition on the Whiskers. I also think while I managed to keep most of the pattern on the face, I lost it on the Body.

Staring at myself

So these are self portraits done with Watercolor wash and line art thrown on top of it. These...REALLY didn't go to well. First of all, My face is WEIRD. The only one I actually didn't mind is the bottom one where I'm looking away. I feel I captured how tired I was in the photo reference I used, as well as the rings under my eyes from lack of sleep.

If I have the time (which is a big if) I'd like to try redoing a self portrait using the Wacom tablet and the paint tool Sai. I think the end result would be good, Finding the time would not.

Roses have thorns

This is a 9x12 watercolor piece. Its a wash with line art thrown over it to give definition and structure. I feel like this didn't come out the best, Mainly cause I didn't spend a lot of time on it. But it does have a nice washy, wavy look to it. I thought the subtle mix of Reds, oranges and pinks in the petals was good.


I'll try and find the other larger watercolor exercises we did... Wherever I put them.

DC Goodness

This is the product illustration we did with.... I would like to say Watercolor?


ANYWAY, This was challenging cause I had to keep the lines tight, as the illustration is a promotional shot of the product, one which could be found in a magazine. I feel like the Scan maybe made it a bit too light, But color balancing it in Photoshop didn't go down to well. Either way, it came together well enough. I fairly certain I got the proportions all correct, and the color was about right.


I particularly liked the shoe design as well, I mean, DC's are just cool. And Red + Black is tasty. Nuff' said.

Why I dont know Jack about American Presidents

This is the completed Lincoln illustration project. I chose to do a Top hat that's been shot, mainly cause as I'm from Northern Ireland and don't know crap about American presidents. All I know about Lincoln is that he wore a Top Hat and was shot in a theatre. YEAH.


I used Gouache watercolors on watercolor paper, I always Sprayed a couple of coats of Gesso on the paper first. I really liked the blood, and I think it came through well as a focal point of the piece. Overall, I probably spent somewhere between 5-6 hours on this. I think I might have messed up on the perspective slightly, but apart from that I'm happy with this illustration.

F@#% It.

SO.... Yeah. In light of the midterm portfolio that's due in two days, and the fact that my blog hasn't been up to date since the first week.... I'm just going to say F@#% it, and upload the rest of my work in any order. Feels good.


So here's the first 20x30 water color we had to do. I felt that this was the probably the first watercolor piece that I was happy with. I chose a good subject, which had some good composition and lighting. I then limited myself to shades of Yellow, gold and browns to accomplish it. This took me all together just over 4 hours, which felt like a good amount of time to put into it.


The stones underneath the water at the bottom of the picture were quite hard to do. I messed around with it a lot, but I think I somewhat managed to accomplished effect... If you tilt your head the right way.