Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 31

View halloo, peoples!

Here it is, the LAST piece for the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day Project!! I'm thinking of doing this project again later in the year, but, for now... I'm DONE! :)

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the daily sketch offerings! Thank you for joining me, and, if you commented on any of the art this past month, I have no words for how much your feedback and encouragement has meant.


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



The End


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Monday, January 30, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 30

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It's time for Day 30 for the Sketch-A-Day Project.... we've one more day to go!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



Another one of those "older sketch revisited" pieces... been in a few different sketchbooks (in various forms) since 2004.... still need to figure out a proper background, but once I do, it will probably end up a finished piece.


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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 29

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Day 29 is now posted!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



I'm pretty *meh* about this one, but I guess they can't all be winners. I had a general idea for what I wanted when I started, but it just didn't happen.... oh well, there's always tomorrow!


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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 28

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It's time for Day 28's Sketch-A-Day Project offering...


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Another one of those "scribbled out in note-form" concepts that just never made it to paper as a drawing... not because it's complex, but more because it was always changing.

Originally the angel figure had arms AND wings and her wings were staked out to a wall behind her... clearly, I have changed my mind. I think I like her better with arms FOR wings.

I should have shaded the background behind the column, so it didn't look so flat.... oh well. This will probably become a finished piece sometime this year, so I'll work it out then. :)

Pay no attention to the fact that she'd never be able to actually USE these wings, as not only would human bones have to be significantly lighter, but our musculature would have to be drastically different in order for people to fly... it's fantasy, people... go with it. :)



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Friday, January 27, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 27

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Day 27's offering posted!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




I've tried to explore this idea once before, but was unhappy with the result, so I took another whack at it. It still needs work to get it where I want it to be, but I think I'll have another go probably sometime later this year...



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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 26

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Day 26 offering posted! Nudity and mild m/m sexual content, so probably NSFW!






I am in SUCH an "I hate everything to do with love" mood right now, that I have even less than no idea where this came from. If I had to guess, it's probably a pining-for-what-I-can't-have hiccup that escaped my control and spewed itself onto paper. Sometimes, I hate it when my brain does that.

Anyway, due to the obvious m/m content and nudity, I put this behind a cut in case viewers are at work or in the company of tiny eyes that might not be ready for an explanation of what's going on here.



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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 25

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Day 25's offering posted ahead.


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



Something a bit more pastoral today, and dare I say it... cute!

I rather like this general concept, and if I can sit down and expand the detail and amount of time of the initial drawing without driving myself batty, I might just end up revisiting this sometime for a finished piece.



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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 24

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Day 24's offering ahead.


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




This piece is just kinda here for me... I'm getting rather burnt out on this project at this point. But, seeing as there is only a week left, I will do my best to keep the remaining sketches at the work level I've been posting so far.


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Monday, January 23, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 23

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Day 23 posting ahead!


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size file*




More wings.... I know, what a surprise.

Another, "I like this concept, but execution needs work." I think if I take this one to a finished piece, I'll change something about the pose... I'm not real happy with the way the figure is sitting in this particular sketch.



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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 22

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Day 22 posted!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



This is another one of those "I've had written notes for this idea for AGES, but never drew it out" images... I still like the concept, but I'm not as confident about this result as I was about the dragon/unicorn mural. I'll probably let this one sit a while longer.



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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 21

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Posting the offering for Day 21!



*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*





So, back to the experiments for possible future finished pieces, I decided to revisit the Drow priestess drawn for Day 19, only this time with a bit more inherent dynamic movement 9and from the front.)

Not much to say about this one, really... I do rather like the flow, though. She'd need a background and environment if decided to take her a finished piece, as I envision her sort of appearing from mist and smoke in the middle of the cleared out floor.



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Friday, January 20, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 20

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Day 20 of the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day Project now posted!!


* * *

A little long-winded background before we get to today's offering... this was prompted by a discussion on Twitter last night with some friends, and it became something of a personal challenge.

So, I dropped the fantasy illustration possible-fodder-for-future-finished-projects approach and got to work on a small portrait.

While working on this, I realized a lot of the initial shading was cross-hatching, not something I do very often. The longer I worked on this, the more I wanted it to have a Drew Struzan-type feel. For those that don't know him, Drew Struzan is an incredibly talented artist, probably best well known for the 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' franchise movie posters. The original pencil sketch is done on white drawing paper, scanned into Photoshop, and toned.

All in all, between the pencil sketching (and erasing) and toning in Photoshop, this piece took about 75 minutes.

This project reminds me that my portraiture skills need a LOT of work. This sketch should not have kicked my ass the way it did, but it is always harder for me to draw Real People (as opposed to making stuff up) as I will ALWAYS nitpick and tweak and NEVER be satisfied my rendition is accurate enough. But, that could just be me.

So, I present you: Michael Weatherly (Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on CBS' "NCIS",) looking suave and debonaire. This IS a sketch, or what *I* consider a sketch. (lots of sketching here, take a break, sketch some more, take a break, lather, rinse, repeat.)


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Photo reference was used. The original image is a low-res photograph taken from the Paris photoshoot edition of CBSWatch! Magazine. Unfortunately, I do not know when this shoot took place, nor do I know the photographer's name. If one of you does, please let me know, so I can credit the photographer.

Photo reference: LINKED HERE


Should Mr. Weatherly ever actually see this himself, I do hope he will take it in the spirit in which it was intended: both an exercise in portraiture, and a tribute to him as an actor and the wonderfully entertaining and dynamic character he has brought to life in Very Special Agent DiNozzo.

(And then I will need someone to Gibbs-slap me from my fan-induced stupor.)

Ok, that's enough of my babble!



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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 19

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Day 19 posted, on time! :)


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



Today's offering is for my friend Toivo and his "buttons." ;) A Drow warrior priestess, courting luck in battle with an ancient sword dance.



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Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 18

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Sorry I didn't post Day 18 yesterday, but I was pretty much off the Net for the day.

So, without further ado, Day 18!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




So... this was prompted by my friend TG and her observation that I never have people riding on the horses I've been drawing (and I've never drawn a pegasus)... and for good reason. that whole seated rider thing? That's HARD!

I had this whole dramatic composition for this when I decided what I was going to do, and this... fell way short.

Oh well.



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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 17

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Day 17's offering now posted!


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*





I have had this idea down in various sketchbooks for YEARS, mostly as handwritten notes since I never thought I was at the skill-level where I could bring it to life as I saw in my head. I'm not really at the point where I can see myself completing this as a finished piece yet... I need a LOT more dragon practice to get this anywhere near like what I see in my head. This dragon is no where near scary or imposing or dangerous looking enough...

I do like this sketch, though, and am happy I decided to go for it and draw it out.




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Monday, January 16, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 16

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Posting for day 16!!



*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



I think this might be my personal favorite so far... MOAR HORNZ!



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Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 15

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Posting the offering for day 15 of the Sketch-A-Day project!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*





I tried to sketch this out the other day, when I first drew the tiger-taur, but it wasn't working out the way I wanted. This version is closer, but still isn't *quite* what I had in mind...



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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 14

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Day 14's offering for the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day Project is posted!


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Uhm.... horns, hooves, and WINGS!

Yeah, I don't really have much more to say about her....



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Friday, January 13, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 13

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Day 13's offering is posted!


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Some more horse anatomy... well, the horse heads, anyway.

This was actually one of the rejected layouts for the horse commission I did for Heather:



I eventually wanted to do something with it when I'd roughed it out for the commission, but never got around to it until now.




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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 12

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Day 12 offering posted here!


*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Back to something a little less personal today... just something fun.



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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 11

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Day 11 offering for the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day project is posted!



*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



There's kind of a title for this one, which really sort *demanded* to be put down on paper, and was finished in about 30 minutes. I'll definitely end up finishing this one as a completed piece, it's just a matter of making sure I get it *right*.




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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 10

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Day 10's offering for the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day Project is posted below.


*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



Condemned: the Accused

This is *sort of* what I saw in my head when the idea hit me, but not quite. It's a decent start, but I don't really feel that I've got the skill level needed to put this down on paper properly just yet... oh well, back to the drawing board!



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Monday, January 9, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 9

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Day 9's offering for the January 2012 Sketch-A-Day project is up!!

*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*




Let Go

Well, it's been a roller coastery couple of days, emotionally speaking. While art doesn't necessarily act as a purging mechanism for me, it does allow me to give whatever is floating around in my head a "face," as it were.



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Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 8

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On to the Sketch-A-Day Project offering for Day 8!



*clicking the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



Augmented Self-Portrait: I Wish I Was Beautiful

Something a little darker today... it's been one of those days.




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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Sketch-A-Day 2012, Day 7

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Well, we've hit the end of the first week of the Sketch-A-Day Project! *whew!* One week down, three more to go!

Recently, I went over and looked at the Sketch-A-Day 2011 Project artwork from this time last year, and noticed quickly that this year's sketches are much closer to more fully realized pieces... more like detailed thumbnails in preparation for eventual finished pieces. I've been very happy with the progression so far, my only hope now is that I can keep it up! Thank you all for coming along on this project with me, and I hope to not disappoint as the month progresses. I have greatly appreciated every comment left!

Well, enough of my blabber, and on with Day 7's offering!



*clicking on the thumbnail opens the full-size image*



The Archivist

This piece is almost cheating, as it is actually a revisit to a MUCH older sketch idea that has been floating around various sketchbooks since 2002... always the same general idea, but I never felt I was at the skill level to bring it to life the way I could see it in my head. I am much happier with this attempt, and this might end up the blueprint for the first attempt at the final piece.

Again, graphite and white pencil on toned, rough paper.



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