Three Bees: A Re-make

I decided to play around with an old piece of line art that I scanned in a while ago. I think I dig it.

Details: hand drawn ink (can’t remember the pens now but I’m betting on Microns) then scanned in and digitally colored.

IF: Sail

For some reason I’m finding a lot of work challenging lately. I think I’m still narrowing down my style… which can be frustrating and somehow restraining. One moment I’m not sure what I want to achieve and the next I am eager and ready to work with a million and one ideas in my head.

I think if I could have chosen a profession for myself I would’ve picked something a bit more consistent or at least less motivated by emotion. I wish I could be those artists that are all about technique and mechanics. I’m just not that kind of artist. For me it’s all about moods and feelings and dreams. And being that kind of artist makes it hard to do anything else. I have to make art. It’s not a choice.

Details: Hand drawn in ink (prismacolor liners 0.05, scanned, digitally colored.
Illustration Friday: Sail

IF: Garden, Chartpak Markers, Etc.

Here are a couple of Garden Girls for Illustration Friday’s topic this week: Garden. I really like the color combos and line work. As always I love me some feedback and welcome your opinions. Read below for more info.

I went out and made an investment in some Chartpak AD markers. There is nothing else like them out there. The end results are really great – hardly any noticable strokes at all. Just be prepared to get a little high while using them. I can typically stand the smell for a little bit but lately I have noticed a distinct belly ache after using them for too long. That could be due to a recent battle with the flu though. Bottom line: If you’re easily offended by smells then these are not the markers for you. Stick with Prismacolor and deal with the dried-out-marker-stroke-look. If you can tolerate something smelly for art’s sake then Chartpaks are the way to go.

The line work is done with Prismacolor Fine Liners. I love them. They are waterproof – and really are waterproof – plus they hold up against the solvent base of the Chartpaks without running or smudging. Nice! They come in about half a dozen colors and all the standard fine line sizes. I prefer the tiny .005 over anything else. The illustrations above have some blue, green, and brown – all .005 line widths.

Oh, I tried the recommended marker paper as well – Beinfang Graphics 360 – and I’m not crazy about it. I have been using archival, bright white copy stock instead which these two pieces are done on.

Edit: Beinfang seems to be a great drawing paper. It takes ink without bleading and is transparent enough to trace with. I’m just not thrilled with how it handles the Chartpaks. They seem to make the paper more transparent then it already was – almost a glassy, vellum kind of thing happens to it.

Random Illustrations

These don’t really apply to any of the Illustration Friday stuff lately so I thought I would just post them here for the simple sake of sharing them. As always, feedback is welcome and appriciated.

On the new art front… I’ve got an idea for a new series that I am really excited about. Yeah, I got a little bored with the angel thing. I may revisit it again but right now I am inspired to do something else. Oddly enough the inspiration came from a samsonite disply at Macy’s. Sketches to come soon.

IF: Another Tale and/or Legend

Yet another image for IF this week. It’s inspired by images of Indian (Hindu) female deities and the idea around the possibility of them being everyday women. I’m calling this one everyday Shakti.

IF: Tales and Legends

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is Tales and Legends. So yeah I went with the cliched myth of the mermaid and twisted it a little in an effort to make it my own.

I’m just not sure how I feel about this one. At one moment I like it and the next I really don’t. I just can’t seem to find the look I am trying to acheive. Ah well… practice makes perfect so I am back to work. Feedback is always welcomed.

IF: Plain

The Illustration Friday topic this week is plain and for some reason my head went straight to bagels. Or I guess they could be doughnuts or something. Anyway, the ink drawing came out okay but I am still playing with the color and texture after the scan. Still trying to get the hang of my new graphics software.

New Series: Angels

This is a new series I’m working on. I’m hoping to complete a full series of 20 within this theme and style of varying sizes. They are all done with latex interior house paints – recycled from the local paint store – plus acrylic and ink line work. Yes, I do work with a ball point pen. I have a million of them but only a select few get to be my favorites. Right now I’m using one that was left lying around the house with the words eCompany Store written on it. It’s big and I am in love with it. Ah… the simple things in life. Who says you have to spend a fortune in paint and other materials in order to make art?