Sketchbook

Update on the latest stuff I've been working on.

I've had a bit of ennui lately when it comes to design, and I've been wanting to get in touch with my illustrative roots. I've been playing around again with drawing and doodling and let me just say that it's fantastic. I'd forgotten why I had really wanted to be an artist in the first place: to capture & create (like Pokemon master meets deific powers, pretty much). 

I'm hoping that I can begin implementing more of my work into my design endeavors, but time will tell. 

I'll keep you guys posted. 

Faulkner Book Series Preview

A screen shot of a corner of my cover designs for a Faulkner series.
This particular one is for Absalom, Absalom! which is my personal favorite (both the actual book and my design for it).

I'll be playing with animal metaphors and deconstructed copies of 19th century etchings (which is when all of the books take place).

H MAGAZINE redesign

Well, after half a semester of work, I've finally finished my H Magazine redesign project.
The feature's on the actor, Michael Fassbender.

It's been a very long process, but I'm happy to begin my next projects.

Up next? Faulkner book series and some cheese packaging*

*subject to change.

Head Painting

Just another painting done from-life, alla prima, and in-class.

For the record, painting from life is excruciatingly more difficult and frustrating than painting from photos. Also, if you want to know the palette, it's the same as the previous painting post.

I took this exact class last semester, but from a different teacher, and it's been interesting to compare how and how much I've grown in those two courses. This particular teacher is Robert Barrett and our focus is usually on color and light/shadow quality. This particular model was lit with an incandescent (warm light), with open north-facing windows (the coolest of natural light). The colors are, of course, slightly exaggerated, but whatever. It's all about the process of discovering and depicting them. It's a bit like a child learning a word for the first time and then yelling ever time that s/he sees it written: that's me with color right now:
WHAT? WHAT?! IS THAT A CAD ORANGE I SEE??? IT IS!

It's a lot like that, actually...

Lip close-up

Nose highlight super-close-up