cranberry bogs

For fun, and because I think some part of me goes crazy if I don't do any watercolor for a while


Painter still life assignment. I don't think I really pushed myself, just kind of played around with the program. It's fun, I'd like to play around with my watercolors in there.

I'm pretty sure my brain has been gone for weeks. But now that it really is almost over, I'm scared of how much stuff I have left to do.
I'm ready for a break from this place.

cinnamon

Sometimes reference is really fun. I got a neat camera for christmas and it really has made me enjoy the photography process again. I think reference in general is pretty interesting at our school. We have a lot of people at our disposal, and we find ourselves in some funny reference situations. I think i've been like 3 dead girls, beauty from beauty in the beast, thumbelina, and lots of old ladies
Some fun shots from the past few months


jane helped me shoot reference for self portrait stuff. not using this one, but I like the light. She made the point that most pictures of me, if you stuck on some type like "anxious? worried?" would make great antidepressant ads. awesome.


for an illustration due friday about a girl who hasn't seen the sun for like 5 years, and is locked in a closet when it finally does come out. Caterislegs :)


I use Adam a lot for reference because you can turn him into a lot of different people easily. This was some of the reference for the bamboo man illustration.


Over winter break, when I had first gotten my camera, I got my sister to pose outside on a really cold stormy day. I liked this shirt she had, but she wasn't crazy about wearing it in the 30 degree weather. Probably the funniest photo shoot ever for me. I like natural light, but it is so rare we get to reference in it.


Reference for Drew's painting. I think reference wise, we put Watts through the most hell

I'd love to see everyone elses reference from the past semester. I'd also like to get a lot of reference for the break, so that we can have lots to paint from.

Also, no luck on American Greetings or Hallmark, so I'll be returning to Precollege. I'm kind of relieved in a way, and I'm excited to make some other plans (san diego comic-con, boston) to hopefully have this be a fun summer.

little miss bikeweek

George Pratt had us design wine labels. These are probably not quite done, but I had fun nonetheless. I did drunk writers (hunter s. thompson, hemingway, fitzgerald) for mine. Apologies to Mr. Dalluhn for messing up the good doctor.


And a few of the more finished sketchbook pages lately
I've been working a lot in my sketchbook, but it has become more academic than expressive. This year, I think my favorite sketchbook was actually the one I started over the summer. It was small, maybe 4x6, and had that brown recycled paper. I could fit it in my pocket or purse pretty easily, and I feel like the stuff I did in there was a lot more fun and honest. Smaller sketchbooks feel more personal for me, I guess, since I can get down a lot of information quickly.

During our whole time at ringling, it seems there has been too much emphasis on sketchbooks, and on having cool sketchbooks. So many professionals don't even think about it I bet, trying to make cool sketchbook pages. It's probably just "a place to draw" for them, and in some respects, that's what it needs to be. I think James Jean's sketchbooks, and all the other cool sketchbook artists, created a kind of benchmark that everyone is kind of mistakenly takes as "how your sketchbook should look". The result usually ends up being just a completely self aware attempt at making james jean style sketchbooks. Maybe?

Maybe not. Either way, I like drawing. I like seeing my friends' drawings. I don't mind doing bad drawings, if it means that some of them will be better in the future. Too much emphasis on the perfect sketchbook, or too many "hey can I see your sketchbook"s and everyone will be scared of doing bad drawings. And that would be a shame. Bad drawings can be pretty fun too.

adieu

glowy bits

For my digital illustration class. I had to illustrate an old japanese folktale about a bamboo cutter who finds a little fairy thing in bamboo and brings her home because he always wanted a daughter or somesuch.

More later! End of year makes me sleepy.