Illustration Friday: Space

Well, here's my Illustration Friday post for the week.  The topic was "Space".  In fact, I just checked and I see that this topic is still active so I guess my submission is not technically late yet.  Yea!  Normally, I'd awake on Friday to find a new topic posted and accumulating submissions already.  I try to check-out the topic early so I won't be influenced by other people's ideas.

Illustration Friday.  The topic is "space".

The week's topic was a bit of a struggle.  I guess I just wasn't inspired.  I thought about "needing one's space",  about having a lot of space (as in a huge home or on a long sofa or in a prairie), about having precious little space (as for storage or in a box or tiny apartment), about parking spaces, and cosmic vistas.  I just couldn't seem to find an angle that seemed original or inspired.  I was gonna quit.  Give up.  But,  I knew that if I failed to post something this week, it wouldn't be long until I gave in to perfectionism or procrastination and dropped out completely.  So I manned-up and drew this.  Although it might look like an evil space alien is threatening our planet, it's not.  It is a scene from a creation story in which the elements of our solar system are juggled around and around in their orbits by an enormous space octopus--not so much of a stretch if you allow that Indians, Chinese, and First Nation peoples share a creation story in which a giant tortoise walks around bearing the Earth upon its back.  The scene depicted is actually quite benign--a divine octopus doing the Harlem Globetrotter spin with our planet.

As usual, I learned a lot by doing this work.  I learned that masking fluid is useful for protecting the foreground while you work on the background.  But, I also learned that masking fluid does not yield easily when used on cheap watercolor paper purchased in a tablet from Fred Meyer.  I also learned that ink does not dry well when it is layered onto masking fluid and will smudge everywhere if you are not careful about (somehow) drying it up.  I learned (relearned, d'oh!) that taking the masking fluid off with an eraser will erase your pencil sketch from underneath.  And then you won't have any idea what the lumps and bumps on your drawing are supposed to be and you will end up drawing some weird, unintentional bits and pieces onto your space octopus. 

So, that's it--another Illustration Friday DONE!  

Illustration Friday: Twisted

The topic this week, for Illustration Friday, was "twisted".  I chose to draw a soft pretzel.

Illustration Friday: Prehistoric

This week's topic for Illustration Friday was "Prehistoric".  I went with my gut and drew the first thing that came to mind--"What happens in prehistory STAYS…in prehistory".  It was a drawing that took a long time to complete and even though I was not happy with it, I stuck with my new focus on finishing projects instead of abandoning them at the first moment of dissatisfaction. 

However, because I was unsatisfied with "What happens in prehistory…", I went on to draw a second picture in a very different style.  The second is first (below)…

Baby Dino

This piece is part of an ongoing experiment in making textured backgrounds to accompany simple, childlike illustrations.  For this piece, I used multiple watercolor washes, salt, alcohol, and various resists. I have yet to discover an appropriate tool for doing the line work--the paper gets roughened by all the watercolor activity and pens or brushes tend to catch and wreck the line.  Then again, it's been quite a while since I last picked up some of these tools, so maybe fluency will return with practice.  And I'm also thinking that maybe I should just draw a little bigger so I have more room for movement and can work with bigger, bolder tools.  The scale issue has stymied me before, so I should definitely experiment with going bigger…or smaller…to get it right.

But...there is still that first effort to discuss--"What happens in prehistory…."  

What Happens In Prehistory STAYS…in Prehistory

This was my initial idea--a thoroughly debauched dino partying like it's Vegas!  I like the idea, but not the execution.  There is a lot of linework, so I thought I should keep it light but that decision didn't work out so well for me.  I wonder, now, if I could have simplified the line and made it thicker and more expressive. I also had problems with the color. If I were to do this over, I'd choose different colors AND different products to work with.

All in all, I think I see another iteration of this drawing in my future!  It kind of kills me to put these less-than-perfect drawings out there for others to see, but it is part of my new commitment to letting go of a need for perfection that has, until now, prevented me from finishing many works at all.

:-)

Illustration Friday: Exotic

The topic for this week's Illustration Friday was "Exotic".  I decided to draw a pineapple.  Although I got to know the look of a pineapple pretty well by the time I drew this, I did not produce the picture that I'd envisioned.  However, as it is my intent to use Illustration Friday as an encouragement to complete artwork, I finished it up and I'm calling it done.  Now I can finally eat that darned pineapple!

Illustration Friday: Disguise

So, this is shaping up to be a humbling experience.  

I've decided to participate in Illustration Friday--a weekly, on-line challenge to illustrate an assigned word or idea.  I hope that making a commitment to regular participation will give me an incentive to complete more art. The word for this week was "Disguise".  I drew this 60's-style girl chic-ly trying to disguise her appearance with coat collar pulled up and hat pulled down.

Version #2--Edited to add this revised picture.  The original appears below.

 I began this illustration a day or so ago and felt pleased with it right up to the end--then I started to have trouble with the nose.  I tried and painted over…tried and painted over again.  I tried using black, rosy colors, a shade deeper than the skin...Before long, there was an accretion of paint which prevented me from drawing a crisp line.  And the use of line seemed out of place.  There had been more line-work initially but I reduced most of it in pursuit of simplicity.  So I tried to draw the line of her nose more like a shape.  Still not loving it but I have a deadline to keep, so when I got to this point I decided to call it "done".  

"Disguise"--the original image.

But…oh, man.  Scanning brought out a whole new level of ugly!  Lines that look reasonably crisp on the original are horribly ragged on the scan.  Sheen and shadow are highlighted in an unattractive and unintentional manner.  Clearly, this should have been drawn in a graphics program…if I owned a graphics program.  Or maybe I should have cut friskets and airbrushed…if I owned an airbrush. You see where this is going.  

It's pretty clear that this won't be going into my portfolio but, on the bright side: 1) I gained practice; 2) I pushed through the difficulties and finished the project instead of abandoning it (my usual MO); 3) I finished on time--ready to see what new word tomorrow will bring.