Posts tagged art

I’m not sure if this marks the beginning of my artisthood, but I feel like participating in holiday themed drawing is a true sign of an artist.  This year I was apart of, “The Very Merry Super Twitter Secret Santa Art Trade,” which is a random-Christmas-themed-drawing-swap. I have to say that it was awesome!  I learned a lot, I finished a piece, met some really talented people, and I had fun doing it.  I wanted to post a few pictures from process.  Also wanted to mention Genevieve who organized it along with Cale Atkinson who did an amazing job coordinating the whole shebang!  Anyways here are some images.

the setup

this was one of my first attempts, I still like this one.

a few more.

I really liked this one after I finished it, and I went to show a few sony friends (andre medina and aaron spurgeon)  who were helping me through this piece and they both agreed I had lost the initial pose.  After they pointed out the angle of the arm, the straightness of the gesture, and the shoulder overlapping the head I agreed, I had lost the pose a little bit, partly due to tightening up.  It’s funny how little those things are, but really make all the difference.  Anyway, here is the final piece.  I like it, but I feel like the furry stuff on the coat got lost with such a thick line, and the carpet is just flat out wrong.  Oh well.

last but not least, a tumblr with everyones creations! 

Coming to Sony was possibly one of the best choices for my tech and art career.  Although I am still a “techie,” I was able to find a group of Sony artists who helped push me to grow and create.  I think this year I produced more art work than I have in the past 4 years.  I’ve seen growth and am getting more comfortable creating art, although 90% of the time I hate what I create.  Although I felt stagnant at times, I had people to ask for guidance.  I can’t stress how important this next sentence is. “You have to put the work in yourself.  Don’t expect them to make you better at drawing, but they sure can help push you along the path when you get stuck.”  I’ve been very fortunate this year, here is to another…

Now if only I started posting what’s inside these books…

People always say, “it’s always the hardest to put down the first stroke.” or something like that.  For me, it’s hard to put down every stroke, as I’m always second guessing myself, thinking I’m going to put down the wrong line, and generally not being confident about my drawing.  Part of this is based on the fact that I draw in sketchbooks a lot and people look at them.  They also judge them, and that scares me.

Fast forward…at sketchclub, there are many great artists, but there are some really exceptional ones too.  It’s funny to see everyone’s sketchbook and tools of choice.  When I first saw kendra and bretts, they were drawing on a clipboard with a pile of white printer paper.  Inside I laughed, thinking, “who draw’s on a clipboard, and on copy paper?”  But don’t kid yourself.  These are amazing artists, so I dug deeper.  Thinking why do they draw on white paper?  Why not a sketchbook like everyone else?  A few days later, I was looking at a box of printer paper at home, and was reminded of their choice to draw on simple printer paper.  I grabbed 20 or so sheets and just stared at them.  What draws these artists to draw on this shitty paper?  So I grabbed the closest pencil, and just started drawing.  At first it seemed the same, what’s the big deal?  Seemed the same to me, then I made a mistake.  I drew the wrong line, or shaded the wrong plane.  Damn.  I hate it when that happens, then I realized, I can throw this away.  No one will ever see this mistake.  It’s like it didn’t even happen.  BAM, that’s why white paper is such a good choice for a sketchbook.  It encourages growth.  I began drawing like a mad man.  I drew page after page, not even caring what the drawings looked like.  I was experimenting with shapes, contours, and lighting that I had never before considered.  I kept drawing, until I had filled up all the pages.  ”Wow,” I thought, that’s the secret to drawing on copy paper.  No fear.  No insecurities, if I mess up, I don’t have to tear a page out of my sketchbook, or worry that everything I draw is supposed to be perfect.  Anyways, I think it’s awesome that I’ve found a way to get over my fear of a blank page, and I wanted to thank the people who I initially misjudged.  Copy paper rocks.  Marcello says, “You have to love your sketchbook, make it your best friend.”  I’m beginning to understand.

In other news, I’ve been drawing quite a bit.  Here’s a photo to prove it.  This stuff was drawn in the past week.  Marcello, gave me an assignment, draw the silhouette in black, go over it in highlights.  A simple lighting drawing.  I was having trouble seeing the different values and assigning them accordingly, so he said, “sometimes you just need to limit the things your studying and focus.”    This has helped dramatically, and I’m feeling more confident.  Anyways.  Have a gander.  I’m going to try to pick a few of my favorite and re-work them.

also of note, I found this webpage.  It’s pretty sweet and relates to the copy paper idea.

I’ve seen a few blog posts on this, but a month or so ago, I was suffering from what I’ve deemed “over-inspiration.”  I’ve defined this as when an artist or individual is so focused on viewing other peoples work, they just can’t bring themselves to create.  With the age of digital distribution, the internet, and countless number of resources, I find a lot of times I spend all my time consuming, and not actually doing.  This is both a blessing and a curse.  Lately I’ve come to believe the more great art I look at the worse off I am.  I shouldn’t compare myself to great artists who have been doing this 50 years day in and day out.  But it’s hard not to want to be like them, to steal their styles, and hurry up and get to the good stuff.  I’m not 100 percent sure why I go thorough these periods of self-doubt, but I believe it’s because I’m so worried about screwing up, taking a wrong turn, failing.  I also believe it’s because it’s always easier to view something someone else made, rather than your own.  It’s easier to critique it, to see the errors, to judge.  But that’s part of being an artist or programmer, or whatever.  You make mistakes, but you learn.  You don’t learn by watching someone code, or by watching someone draw.  Sure it can be extreemly helpful, and you can learn great things from it, but you have to pick up the pencil, or peck on the keyboard.  Don’t always judge yourself off of the greats, they were once in the same boat as you. They are no different from you.  Keep up the good work, plow through the tough times, it’s not always going to be easy.  And if it was, you would move on to the next thing.  Keep your head up.  Also, read this post.

I wanted to post a short link to my Daily Draw.  It finished last month, and although I was going to keep going, I have some programming work to finish.  I have been drawing quite a bit though, have no fear.  Still only drawing heads.  I’m starting to get it, but I still have quite a few bad drawings to make.  I hope you enjoy.

Also a couple of lazy pics from the sketchbook.

well I managed to not blog again for a while, but on the upside that means I’ve been busy! Busy with what? DRAWING! I took a challenge, draw a drawing for every day in Feb. I missed 2 days, but I managed to get a lot done drawing wise. I really was practicing, studying models, skulls, poses, techniques. The last month alone I progressed. Even though there were times when I couldn’t see it, one day something like 22nd, it hit home. Shapes were flowing, contours needed no erasing, volumes were protruding. It felt good. It made me happy. I’ve actually been drawing 1 hour a day since january, and so far only missed 4 days or so. I will be taking a little break for march to finish a website, but I need to keep up with my drawing. It’s hard work, but working every day seems to be the way to go. None of this bullshit, 8 hours a week in one setting, you can’t cram everything into your head in one night, it doesn’t work that way. slow and steady wins the race. anyways, here my february drawing thread. enjoy. http://satellitesoda.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=5359&sid=6132e89d7f327e31bc3cbdb367402d81

If you haven’t read Malcolm Gladwells, “The Tipping Point,” stop reading now and pick it up.

If you have, then I have to say, I believe I’m at that tipping point.  To what? I Don’t know.  The space where you break into another realm, open passages never before found, take mental strides you never imagined.

I’m also at the point where I’m feeling tired, trying to keep up with rigorous personal scheduling.  I’m working hard at work, and it’s a great experience, but I’m having doubts about my future.  The same doubts I’ve had since college.  The doubts of whether or not to follow what I do well, or what I want to do.  You see, the thing is, the things I do well, I loose interest in, and the things that I don’t excel in, I try to immerse myself in to become better.  Sometimes I spread my self to thin to keep the journey alive, and I probably don’t ever invest as much time into a single thing as I should.  Being at Sony has given me opportunities to meet some amazing people, artists who are hailed as some of the greatest artists still alive.  To know them by name, drop by their offices, go sketching with them is a dream come true, but I guess I wonder if I’ll ever be one.  Will I be a nobody?  What will I be remembered as?

Its funny, I’ve been drawing a lot recently, hardly programming.  Today was the first day I felt I needed a break from drawing, but it’s funny, a break meant drawing for an hour instead of 3, or 4, or 5.  I think I know that I’ll never be a character designer for major films, but I also know that programming will never be a creative enough job for my life.  Somewhere in the middle?  Storytelling?  Maybe.  Who the hell knows, I don’t try to pretend any more.  All I know is hard work pays off, and in the past 2 months, I’ve grown to new heights.  It’s good for me to have a regimented schedule, something to work on.  Something to own up to.  Something to gauge my abilities.  I think I’ve tired to fool myself for a long time thinking I could be happy programming.  And although I do enjoy it, I know I will never be satisfied inside.  I believe I may have taken the plunge into art.  Call me a dreamer, but I’m just hoping those 10,000 hours pay off.  I must keep growing, and practicing.  I must not quit, not now.

Jae Emerling once said, “You’re not an artist, unless your sacrificing your life,” in class.  I never understood it, but I believe I’m starting to now.

I’ve made a new years resolution this year.  Draw for at least 15 mins a day.  Here are some of my favorites from the first 2 weeks.  I’m really enjoying this, and my drawing is getting better already.  Not as scared of faces anymore.  Still have a long way to go, but damn it feels good.

@manlymanton posted this the other day and it got me thinking.  I’m really scared of drawing.  I’m not afraid to admit it.  I consume a lot of great art over the course of a single day, and a lot of times,  my stuff sucks compared to the stuff I look at.  I compare my art to the great art I see, and  It’s not right.  It hinders me from developing better stuff.  I get scared, I fear it, and I don’t draw because of it.  I’m doing my best to get over it, but it’s hard.  The past few days I feel I’ve done a good job combating it.  I normally make a brush stroke and run to Clint, and ask him what he thinks.  I’m too old for that shit.  I don’t need instant gratification.  I need to finish, and ask questions after I’m done.  btw, this is a concept from Creature Box’s Sketchbook #3.  Kinda a goofy set of teeth, but it’s all good.

I wrote this a while ago, but never posted it up.  I had to learn MEL, blarg…so I figured I’d do something fun in the process.  Can’t say that it was super enjoyable, I’d rather be pythoning it up, but here it is, kinda made something cool.

After I finished it, I decided it would be cool to add a random material to each box, so with a few line changes, it randomly picked one of your materials for each box.  Kinda has a matrix-like quality to it.