the end of 2010

So, this year is coming to an end. Honestly, I am glad. 2010 was a terrible year. It started off pretty cool, but on a whole, it's a year I am more than ready to put behind me. I've got a lot of huge changes happening in January that I won't get into here just yet- only to say that I am putting a chapter of my life behind me. So enough of that talk. On to the art.

I've been kind of stalling on finishing the last few things to be done with Chapter 1 of Ravenstar. I'm pushing myself to get it all done this month. It'll be satisfying to have that one project finally complete. I'm also pushing to finish up the Sketchbook Project. It needs to be postmarked by Jan. 15th, so I've got some work to do! Unfortunately, I'm really really liking how this is coming out. I'm gonna be a little torn sending it away forever. But I'm sure the Brooklyn Art Library will take good care of it. And it is exciting that (hopefully) a lot of people will get to see my work.







I'm going to take this new year as a time to re-evaluate where I am and where I want to be heading. It feels like a good time to set some new goals, find things that will work for me, and reinvest in myself and my art. I'm excited for 2011.

Checking In

So these last few weeks have been very strange for me. We had a death in the family that put most of my work on hold for the most part, but I'm starting to get back on track now.

Previously, I signed up to be part of Ohayocon's Artist Alley, which is a non-fanart alley (which seems weird to me, being an anime convention and all) So I've taken the opportunity to design my characters as adorable little chibis :) Not sure what I'll do with them yet... magnets? Stickers? keychains? any ideas? who knows... but look how cute!



I've also thumbnailed through Chapter Five! How accomplished! Right now I'm finishing up the watercolor panels that I had to re-do for chapter one, and it will be complete! That will feel good to have it finally fully finished.

On another note, I recently had a little breakdown (as all artists do) on the direction (or lack there of) that I am going as an artist- and a person in general really. But I've taken this as an opportunity to change things in my life. I'm currently looking into a new waitressing job at a more upscale establishment which will provide me with more money in less hours, opening up more time to dedicate to my art. Right now I feel like all I do is work at the restaurant, come home, and sleep. I also got offered to room with a few friends of mine, but considering my financial and home situations, I've decided now is not the best time. Perhaps next spring I'll finally get out on my own again. That will be nice.

In other news, I have also been wasting my time drawing fanart. So it goes...

Let's Get Motivated!

Recently I've come to the realization that I am in no way nearly as productive as I could be. I don't want to say I've been in a rut, because I have been creating art... It's just that I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. I've been at a standstill with one project in particular, my graphic novel "Ravenstar". It's weird, because I'm really excited about this, but I feel like I've been dragging my feet with it.

Over the last week I've talked with some people about this problem (face to face and via the internet) and one of the conclusions I've come to to keep me going is to start posting everything somewhere where I can be held accountable to keep showing more work and also to receive feedback. Therefore, I'm going to start using this blog in that fashion.

What'dya say guys? Will you keep me motivated and on task?


This is an illustration I literally JUST finished. Hot off the presses! I'm using it as a cover image for the first chapter of "Ravenstar" (text to be added later) I cannot tell you how long it took me to get from start to finish with this piece. I never ever want another work to take as long as this one did. It's time to start MOVING and getting stuff done. The wheels of progress are in motion!

Chapter One is pretty much complete, for the most part. I do have to go back and re-do the first four pages, because I altered the story after I had already finished those pages, and now they don't really make any sense with the story line. So that is my project for the week! I will check in next week and let you all know how it's going. Hopefully everything will be done by then and I'll have some awesome stuff to show you all!

Until then, please continue to kick my ass into staying on top of things!

this and that

Digital Color! I'm learning! Those of you more skilled in the digital realm, what do you think? I'm pretty impressed with how it came out, so I'm happy :)

I know I've been doing a lot of fan art as opposed to original work lately, but it's fun and keeps me entertained so I'm not going to stop. I just need to work faster to have more time to do everything!

On that note, I did finally get my airship for my comic more or less figured out. I showed it to my Dad who went to school as Mass Maritime Academy and thus knows way more about ships than I do. He had some good input that helped out a lot, such as:

"What is that?"
"The Kitchen."
"The what?"
"The Kitchen."
"The WHAT?"
"....the galley?"
"There you go."

Still needs some tweaking, but this is the basic final version... I think, haha

Ravenstar Chapter 1

These are the thumbnails for the first chapter of the new comic story I'm working on- "Ravenstar". It's a fantasy comic about sky pirates and witches. I really just wanted an excuse to draw goggles on a bunch of characters, and viola! I've started sketching and inking the first few pages (page 10 still doesn't exist, I have no idea how to lay it out... details, details...)

I want to have this first chapter done and printed and ready for the Maine Comics Arts Festival in May. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to have it done, just have to stick to my schedule. I also have all of chapter two thumbnailed, and half of chapter three. Thumbnailing is probably my favorite part of the comic making process. I need to stop doing that and actually get into the process of making the finished product.

I also commissioned a deviantArt artist, deathofrats to do a small watercolor of one of my characters- Princess. She made her look so much prettier than when I draw her, lol! I am very happy with it! You should all check out her work, amazing stuff!

brushing up

I've recently ditched my dip pen and started to work more with my brush for linework. Partly because I was going through a ton of pen nibs, and partly because the pen was starting to feel really restricting. I was finding I kept getting the same lines over and over. There was no excitement or movement.

Now that I'm using my brush, I'm getting into a lot of accidents, and that's awesome! This piece for example has so much more life in it than if I had inked it with my pen. I've been using the brush on sketches, finished work, and even my comics. I can't wait to keep going with it!

The Witches

finished watercolor piece. I'm really happy with how it came out. Of course now I can spot at least five things wrong with it, but whatever. I like it.

These are all five of my "weather witches" for my comic project I'm working on right now. Perhaps I will be using this as a cover/title page illustration. It brings me back to those days I used to draw Sailor Moon pictures with everyone squished in, lol. I dig how the hairstyles came out the most. The center sister is my least favorite.

love

first piece I completed start to finish in the new studio. YAY!

some pirates

these are a few character sheets of some pirates. I've been working on this story in my head for a while, and I'm now finally getting somewhere solid with it. It's kind of an action/adventure/romance/fantasy. Kind of expanding on the little four page short I did for the recently deceased AniMECA project. I'm pretty excited about the whole idea- and the characters are just so much fun to draw!

AniMeca

Behold! my 4 page comic from the AniMeca book. Yay!