Mary's Legs

been working on this on and off for a while now. i'm posting just to make sure no one thinks i'm dead or anything. i still don't know what to do with it.

Sketches are all i live for now

I was talking to Mike Dutton the other day and rediscovered gouache. this is what happened to my sketchbook as a result:

testing out gouache and acrylic medium. it's fun so far.


true story: i was looking at the "J" in this for a while and felt that it was kind of strange but didn't know why. it only took me two days to realize that I HAD DRAWN IT BACKWARDS. yes, i've written my own name at least several times during my life and i'm not illiterate...but this typo only dawned on me AFTER i had penciled and painted it. i'm wondering if all of my schooling diplomas were a scam. gouache and ink:


lia marcoux likes cameos and i've been thinking about them recently. they're out of my system now. gouache:


in other news, i was fortunate enough to nab free tickets to Cirque du Soleil's "Ovo" in San Francisco earlier this week. IT WAS FANTASTICALLY MIND BLOWING.

New Doodle in China

http://google.cn: New doodle for the birthday of "The Rocket King," Qian Xuesen.

Vacation!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :D

New Sketchbook

i've been noticeably absent from the internet lately-- and also overwhelmingly present. i'm ALWAYS online but never really heard haha.

anyway, i bought a new watercolor moleskine and here's what i've done TO it since i lovingly stripped it of its purity. (yes, i realize how disturbing that sounds haha)

1. i was tired of working with tight vectors and pixel-level detail...and i threw a brush and paint at the first page. i wanted to make the subjects look like they were awkwardly standing next to each other...but maybe it's just an awkward sketch in general.



2: Ok, i can explain the following. i saw "This is It," the Michael Jackson documentary, on monday and though i'll spare everyone a long-winded retelling of how it was the closest thing i've ever had to a spiritual experience i WILL acknowledge that it has triggered an unforeseen (and certainly unanticipated) fixation with the King of Pop. it's also allowed me to work in brush and ink (which i haven't done for...ever??)

(note: pretty obvious what hanging around Aaron has done to the way i work.)

Water on the Moon Doodle!

I read the big news this morning and boy was it a busy afternoon :) Check out the doodle here: http://google.com

Day of the Dead

New doodle up in Mexico here!

Loy Krathong

Doodle up in Thailand: here!

my art needs me time

i guess i'm facing a common problem for artists who draw for a living-- i don't have time to do my own work anymore. anyway, i'm fighting my way through this one right now, but i don't know what will become of it:



also sketched this out earlier tonight after realizing that i haven't worked from life or in pencil for a LONG time:



the text reads "me as seen by me, for now. october 28 2009." i drew it in a moleskine that i accidentally purchased for nearly $20. i say accidentally b/c i didn't know that i was buying one with "plain" paper-- aka CHEAP ASS PAPER. $20 for cheap paper....i wanted to kick myself. alas, the damn thing is in my possession so i might as well make the most of it :P this was my first moleskine ever too...i don't think i've learned my lesson though. i'm buying another one with watercolor paper.

Turkish National Day

Doodle up in Turkey: here!

Netherlands Multatuli

Doodle up in The Netherlands! http://google.nl

here are my previous doodles so far:

10/13/09 (Netherlands)
9/3/09 (Japan)
9/2/09 (Global)

Japanese Moon Viewing Day

Second doodle is live in Japan: http://www.google.co.jp/

Update: My manager just informed me of something crazy today-- one billion people saw my gandhi doodle today. one billion. i don't even understand more than 20 people seeing my work. WEIRD.

First Google Doodle! Gandhi!

My first doodle is live in half of the world! Check it out here now: google.co.uk

It will be on google.com at 12 am Pacific time tonight.

I'm slowly beginning to realize how many pple use google...it's quite overwhelming.

I'll post when I have other doodles up in the future :)

update

my job is awesome. i should have my first big doodle going live on google next month. look out for it and i'll tell you if it's mine.

i want to do my own art too.

i'm alive.

the lady or the tiger

scratch that, i finished the painting in 3 hours the other night. so much for not finding time.




and just for context, here are all three paintings lined up :)!



in other news, i'm really itching to do a series of black and white ink paintings before i leave. unfortunately, i have an annoying guest over who demands attention until i fly out. we'll see how i work around this scheduling inconvenience. (:P)

de laydee or de tigah

third piece in the series-- pencil drawing and color key. i don't know exactly when i'll be able to actually paint this...i really want to finish this series before i leave but the scheduling is getting a bit tight. i've already cut foam core for the first two paintings so i can float them in my new apartment.



the time is pressing...i'm starting to get anxious and nervous about relocating! wish me luck.

roar again

second painting in the series!

Roar!

trying to keep myself busy by creating paintings that will go on my new walls (where ever that may be... apt hunting is giving me anxiety.) anyway, here's the first painting in a 3-part series!



this is pretty small...about 5.5 x 8.75?? anyway, they're quick and keep me working.

the lady or the tiger

working on a small triptych that was originally inspired by Frank Stockton's The Lady or the Tiger? . it obviously veered from that reference point, but what are you going to do? here are the first two drawings/color keys:

Colorblind Senior Color Technician finish

been kind of overwhelmed lately, but i managed to sit down and finish this yesterday. painting many small circles is surprisingly not horrifying...it might have actually been fun (in a masochistic kind of way). in any case, i really enjoy using very graphic elements...can't help but feel my love for klimpt playing a part in that though.

leaving the nest

i guess i'll have to put my dreams of becoming a broadway star on hold for now.

the wait is finally over-- i received my official offer from Google to join them in Mountain View, CA as a new web designer/illustrator. i receive the documents in the mail by the end of the week and while i'm very excited (and flattered, and grateful), there's obviously a lot to deal with in light of this news.

living arrangements:
finding an apartment is difficult. finding an apartment with another person (whom i haven't yet found) on the other side of the country is significantly more difficult. i'm looking to live in san francisco...which is expensive. i have about two weeks to straighten this out...but i'm praying that another RISD alumnus finds him/herself in the same situation so i have a trustworthy roommate.

personal ties:
it's obvious i'll be leaving my family, but they will always be family. i also have to leave all of my friends AND my colorblind senior color technician behind. making a new set of quality friends is difficult. it took me 22 years to find mine. i hope i'm not 44 when i find a good group on the west.

recent purchases:
while in italy this past winter, i invested in a new pair of beautiful italian leather boots. how will i ever wear them on the west? this is surly my biggest problem.

in any case, i was supposed to revisit my painting this week, but craigslist and facebook have suddenly taken over my life. here is what i managed to do last wednesday night:



wish me luck...or send me leads on an apt haha

Colorblind Senior Color Technician

started drawing up a new piece yesterday and did the digital color sketch today!



this one should be a lot of fun...and a major pain in the ass with all those circles. i don't know why i want to paint them by hand.

Beloved Drone

so i'm back from my trip and i finally managed to sit and finish this painting yesterday! i'm having a problem with acrylic lemon yellow...it's much more electric/cold than oil lemon yellow. i know i should just mix in some cadmium yellow but i can't bring myself to do it. i also work at night under a very warm lamp so that off-sets the color when i'm working. bleh, whatever. i'll be more careful next time.

other than that, i'm relatively pleased with it.



i think i should offer a comment regarding my choice of imagery (since almost everyone finds this fairly creepy). the decapitation is a bizarre symbol of affection-- by disembodying the cherished person, i eliminate everything about him/her that is material/physical/irrelevant, and therefore represent only exactly what matters to me (the intellect, the personality). the bees actually made its way into this painting b/c i really wanted to work with hexagons-- however, the mouthful of bees hints at the use of the beloved object as a hive, or more frankly, a "home." the use of the word "drone" in the title, however, is just my joke with the subject. it's sarcastically condescending, but that's how we roll.

anyway, i'm still waiting on a response from a job application so i'm trying my best to not get antsy. in the mean time, i think i'll start another painting today...either about a friend's color blindness or the abominable snowman hehe.

haitus!

i'm about to take a week off with me ma and disappear, but before i go i have a slightly blurry photo of the progress i made after a couple hours of painting today:



i really enjoy where it's going but i must vanish for now. ciao everyone :D

My Dear, Beloved Drone

working on a new painting (which may or may not seem to have representations of known persons)! here are some images from my process:







the last digital color key is what i will (supposedly) work towards...generally speaking. i've already deviated from that though haha. i never really stick very close to my original plans. anyway, i'm trying really hard to stay away from turquoise...but i'm not making any promises.

in other news, here's the final photograph of "Cecilia"

Oh, Cecilia and Beloved Drone

i took a few days off this past weekend to celebrate independence day in MA with my second family (:D), but now i just want to get this thing OVER WITH!



i tried my best to fiddle with a poor quality photo-- i'll photograph it again in daylight. anyway, here's a few things i learned while working on this piece:

1. drawing type is very difficult
2. keeping the original shape of your type after 4 layers of paint is even more difficult
3. acrylic is not well suited for type, that is why i have the computer
4. i want a pangolin of my own

think i'll start a new painting tonight...i want to narrow my palette this time.

thanks to everyone for the feedback :) (and please, no comments on the kerning)

update:

actually started the next painting!



i realize that this is ANOTHER beheading piece...i assure you that i'm not more-than-reasonably-mentally-unbalanced! i'm just really attracted to this theme for some reason...probably b/c a lot of beheading tales involve some kind of sexual conquest and romance.

Cecilia Process

thought i'd post an image of Cecilia in progress:



i managed to find an old sheet of hot press paper from freshman year (score!)...so that was exciting since i've been working on cold press all year. anyway, so far it's in watercolor and acrylic...but i anticipate having to dive into some gouache for the type-- which is incredibly tedious to work on.

i also realize that this is pretty far from the first color studies i posted. in actuality, i've been fighting this piece on the computer for a few days before i finally decided to just attack it in real life (thank god). there are so many more possibilities with real media...not to mention significantly more control over my palette. as a side note-- the photo i took is a little off in terms of color accuracy. i'll shoot it again in daylight when it's done.

Cecilia

in recent news:

i've graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with my BFA in illustration and have been doing that grand old tradition called "job searching." in my search i've had to contend with a few problems:

1. jobs are few and far between
2. my only offers/prospects are in california
3. i may have to come to terms with leaving my friends and family behind
4. i've developed an unexpected closeness to a few of my friends that i'm not very willing to give up

right now, though, i'm waiting on a response from a company that i've been in communication with since april. in the mean time i've been cleaning house and working on this:



these are just quick digital color studies before i attack it with watercolor and acrylic. i'm trying to do a darker/cooler palette so it's giving me a hard time. anyway, one of my goals for this piece was to do some hand-drawn type. i've been hanging out with aaron a lot so i'm constantly exposed to design.

in other news, aaron's Design of Obama is officially available for pre-order on amazon! what's cooler, though, is that i'll actually have a credit in it-- i'm listed as "design assistant," but i really wanted to be "design assistant and supreme color technician extraordinaire." apparently you can't always get what you want...

sam elliot

new zbrush business-- i was going to model javier bardem (he has a seriously wild face) but by chad's recommendation, i decided to base the new stuff on sam elliot instead. i decided to clean him up a bit (cut and neaten his hair). now he looks really authoritative...one would argue: nazi-esque.

wolverine- netsuke

first of all, Jon Foster just told me that he read my blog so:

HI THERE JON! i totally fixed the sword :P

secondly, here's the final piece for his class:



i had a lot of fun making it-- i've never used a chinese calligraphy brush before. gesso and ink on wood.

3D what?!

scared into learning ZBrush-- thanks muchos to Aaron for helping me find awesome tutorials and to Lucas for babysitting me!

a midsummer night's dream

cover to cover assignment for Jon Foster (william shakespeare's a midsummer night's dream) and a dip back into watercolors! after a number of interviews/portfolio reviews, i am going back to "illustration" and experimenting with style for a bit. a few companies told me that they would like to see a broader range of styles from me...so here's my first (half) stab at a style shift. unfortunately, i'm still drawing the actual forms as i normally would, but i'm handling the subject differently (print-esque). i hope to achieve a more drastic change for my next piece.



watercolor, digital.

thanks to aaron for setting my type :)!

boneshaker

This one was a nice break from my normal portfolio work-- cover for Boneshaker, a jon foster assignment. i was finally able to get back to my oils and away from my computer for a few days! what a relief.



i also reworked my white mammoth character a while ago. it was kind of funny to digitally repaint something that i'd already painted in acrylic. i learned a lesson here: pick your medium correctly the FIRST time.

reconsidering color

after taking my cityscape to mary jane's class, i received some really helpful advice on my colors and how that affected the overall tone of the piece...so i readdressed parts of it! hurrah!

mangos and dirigibles

i've been chained to my computer for several weeks now. this is what has come from our abusive relationship:




i realized a few things while forcing more knowledge of color into my brain:

1. black is a crutch, avoid it when you can.
2. mint green, magenta, and violet are BEAUTIFUL together.
3. at least one of the light sources in a naturally lighted scene is the color of the sky. no matter what.
4. rain will make your colors fracture and break on the "edge" of objects.
5. color is difficult. really difficult.

there are a bunch of things i want to touch up in my three keys for the boarding piece (take out the black, fix that damn "rain texture" in the bottom piece...etc) but i have to scramble for time while doing other pieces before portfolio review day.

btw, the best way to live requires a few friends who will eat, work, sing, and bake with you.

Big stuff going on

a couple of things today:



this was for jon foster's "cover to cover" class. he liked it a lot but said that i should change the silhouette of the electric hair (or just make it look less like a forest haha). anyway, i had fun with it. it's oil on paper and digital.



THIS monster of a painting is finally done. i struggled with it for months (witnesses say that i may have even cried and bled over it hahaha). anyway, it's dead and gone. now i can move on with my life!! it's was completely different when i started it...it's actually kind of laughable where it was before:



so yea, i guess i'm happy with how it turned out.

back from italy

ok, so i left the US for the first time in my life to go to italy for a renaissance painting class. we visited venice, padoa, florence, sienna, and rome -- two friends and i also took a day trip to dan gimignano.

i guess i have a lot to say about the experience-- considering the incredible amount of work that we saw on a daily basis-- but perhaps i would go on for too long. i'll just let a few sketches and photographs say it for me.



i didn't do as much drawing as a would have liked-- we simply walked through everything too quickly. these, however, are from times when i was able to sit and focus.


i shot the first two in florence (the duomo and the museum of natural history) while the last one is from the vatican in rome.

a few things that i learned while in italy:

1. when looking at a remarkable piece, ask HOW MANY people worked on it
2. do not take the ease of oil painting for granted when considering the egg tempera technique
3. contemporary people (in general) have no patience
4. comfortable, water-proof shoes are a luxury
5. when looking at remarkable architecture, ask how many years it took to construct
6. a 100% starch diet is a fast way to gain weight
7. a lot of people in countries that don't speak english would rather not speak english
8. breakfast is extremely important
9. naps are extremely important
10. i love america

uh...i also learned a lot about art. i'm sure of it.

i must say, though, that despite having gone on the trip for a painting course, i reacted much more strongly to the sculptures. seeing michelangelo's "David" in real life was an entirely ineffable experience. Bernini, on the other hand, proved to be the absolute climax of figurative sculpture. his works at the borghese gallery were heartbreaking.

though i've seen, breathed, and tasted so many wonderful landscapes, paintings, sculptures, and foods the only thing i wanted after a long trip away from home was a freaking cheese burger. oh how i love america...and her smiling, over-fed, english-speaking children.