Another trip to the Cloisters

Went back sometime in July.  It's really a beautiful place, especially along the when it's not sweltering.

Hudson (from memory, truthfully):

One of my college roommates (SG) was visiting, so a bunch of us decided to meet up to go (EC, MB, and myself).  It was frustratingly hectic: she came in at 34th and we were going to meet underground on the A Line at a certain time (to prevent us from waiting forever for someone forever only to find out they were on the other end of the platform, we would just meet at the Cloisters after that particular time).  EC and I left MB behind at the L Line (my fault), and then she didn't think we were meeting below ground at 34th, so we had to go up and fetch her.  Then we waited for SG, hoping she would find us before the departure time: she was wandering up and down the opposite side of the track and we called across to get her attention.  The last bit of misadventure was forty minutes down the drain spent waiting for the right train to arrive.  We got there eventually.

ICON7 in Providence

ICON is the big Illustration Conference that happens every two years (if you didn't know that, it's ok: I didn't know what it was until after I turned in my volunteer application).  Everyone who is Anyone is usually there.  People like Linda Barry, Matt Groening, Jillian Tamaki, Yuko Shimizu, Sam Webber, the people from Etsy, Victio Ngai, Soojin Buzelli, etc... BIG NAMES I HOPE THIS WILL BE MY FUTURE FAINT WITH NO DECORUM.

I was a volunteer (which means I didn't get to hear most of the talks because we were worked like the cheap-and-willing-student-slave-labor that we happen to desperately be).  But I did help with Fred Lynch's sketching workshop, and got to listen to a few other lectures (while I wasn't cutting out giant letters and posters, moving boxes, manning tables, and other things I can't remember).

Jillian Tamaki:

Sam Webber, Irene Gallo, Greg Manchess, Jon Foster:

P.S. I had no idea that Jon Foster was a RISD graduate...

Killer Project

In my final semester at RISD I took Mary Jane Begin's Portfolio class: it focused on the creation of a homogenous portfolio geared towards your industry of interest (gaming, publishing, licensing, editorial, design, etc...).  I'm interested in publishing, and I chose to illustrate a favorite young adult book: Sabriel by Garth Nix.  I planned on making black and white spot illustrations for all the chapters and wrap it all up by illustrating a cover (NOT that I don't love Leo and Diane Dillon's illustrations, it's just with any publications you do both inside and outside art... good practice and yada yada ya).

I didn't realize how long it would take to do over THIRTY 4x6" illustrations... it nearly killed me, AND I didn't even finish.  I think I got about half-way through.  Thumbnail sketches:

 

If I find the time (which will probably be within the next few weeks), I would like to finish them. You can find the finished spots on my Weebly.

Gone over to the Dark Side

I did it. I got a Tumblr... watch my life go down the drain.

It's supposed to be a supplemental sort of thing to this blog... more people, less places, etc...

Seriously, if it becomes totally overblown crap, you're welcome to send me a scathing message or two: "where the hell is your art, numbskull!?" "shameless" "integrity = zilch" "mouthwash has better taste than you do"
Etc...

http://adistantroar.tumblr.com

I won't talk as much over there... good thing/bad thing?

Mistborn

Oh, hey, it's been a while.  School was really rough after that last post -- EVERYTHING happened: Anime Boston, portfolio reviews, senior show... I only just started picking up the pieces of myself by the middle of May.

And then Graduation happened just as things started rolling again.

I've had a lot of free time lately as I search for employment, so I should be able to update a little more often.

Sketch: Vin from Mistborn

I reacquainted myself with Mistborn (Brian Sanderson) and have been making my way through the rest of the trilogy.  The first volume is really good and I recommend it to anyone interested in scifi-stuff.  I'm only half-way through the third installment.  The world is fully encompassed in the first volume: you can stop there, or you can see what happens to everyone AFTER the big showdown, which is what I'm doing now.

I was introduced to Brian Sanderson's writing with Elantris (also really good): what really hooked me (besides his excellent and informal grasp on the English language) is the way he is able to create a fully-functional, believable world and environment.  He also makes supernatural elements logical with rules and guidelines to their applications while still being magical and mysterious and everything you love about things not normal.

88 Apples

For class one week we had to make 88 Apples (any media, any concept).  Here are some that I liked (and some other people liked too):

The Artist of Skye

My good friend Sam Garvey has been making little figures out of cut paper and as an art trade I drew a couple of her original characters posing and acting all fierce and pretty.  I think by her overall expression of thanks via enthusiasm she must have liked it.

It started out with a couple of character studies:

And progress to the final:

For the hell of it, I finished by getting the image printed on good cardstock from Alphagraphics.

Thursday, February 16

 

Here's a view on the Providence River at an industrial building: the city recently tore down a highway overpass that bridged the river at S. Main and Wickenden.  It's nice because there's more green space and you can see these old factory buildings (with arched windows... I have a terrible weakness for arched windows...).

I've been wanting to go sketch like I did in NYC, but as Providence is much less exotic and it also being February... predictably, I'm rather uninspired to go out.

BMV 2010

Some images from the air port (going home for the winter break) and from the BMV in Licking County (I had to renew my driver's license).

Featuring the T.F. Green shoe shiner and airport patrons:

 

I was lucky and only had to stick around the BMV for bout two hours.  About half an hour in this larger fellow in an OSU sweatshirt came in.  He was one of those people who hate silences: oh, I was here for four hours yesterday and when I go to the counter I didn't have the specific document with me so I had to come back today.  Anyone want to trade numbers?  Hey, are you sketching me? How's this?

Y' know.  At least it wasn't a boring two hours.  He kept harping me and made me laugh when I was getting the ID photo taken (that's why me license sports an image of a tomato instead of my face).

Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day
Howl's Moving Castle