Summer Projects

Well it's finally come, the end of the semester. What's a girl to do with her vacation? Stay in darkened rooms and draw all night and day is the answer. I've promised to present my new and updated protfolio to several artists so the work has begun, via my new set of prismacolors that I scraped some cash together to grab. My first drawing with them is not on paper, but the top of the old cigar box that I keep my charcoals and pencils in. It's a warm-up to finishing the mural in my bedroom and my portfolio. I really liked how it's starting to shape up so I offer you a link for critique. Also by posting this I hope to keep up to the dates I set for myself to be done with everything, sort of a summer resolution. Take a look at ye olde box and let me know what you think! ahlyn http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/cigarbox.jpg

Hey D!...Haven't heard from ya in a while and was just talking about you with the ol chicken slayer Jwerk...Hey have you ever played with Aquarelles? Or any of the water soluble colored pencils?...They are a lot of fun and blending is soooo easy! Well I had better scoot...I'm working on Jwerks color sleeve tonight ...he is a big blob of hamburger tonight but he loves it...I will send pics as soon as its a little further along.. Congrats on gettin through one more semester girl!!!! You're gettin there! Okee dokee...stay in touch!!...TAz

Meh, slather some bactine on him and tell him to take it like a man! No I haven't tried them yet, but in the tin of 48 prismacolors that I got there was a coupon for free color fast colored pencils, I'm excited to see what they're like. To be honest, fading never really entered my mind, but I guess if you have your stuff on display for a long enough time it's a factor. I also got that blendy marker thingy, it looks neat, and yet probably has the potential to ruin a picture, so I think I'll slather it on something I don't like and see what happens. What were you guys saying about me anyway? How wonderful and cute I am? Of course that's what it was. You need to send me a picture of that angel too, don't forget. One semester down, one to go, the accumulation of braided rope to hang around my neck continues. Power to ultimately worthless yet extremely expensive credentials! ahlyn

Well of course we were saying you were cute and wonderful and intelligent and charming and ok dammit you get the idea! You should give those Aquarelles...they'll open up new worlds for ya!I am stoked about Jwerks arms! The left is full color (well...will be when its done!)...The "good side if you will...the lower armhas masks representing the elements...fire, water and,earth (stone) all entertwined in a pseudo oriental mood right above the crook of the elbow is a realstic human fetus in the embryonic sac surrounded and more or less embraced by two highly stylized angels...by stylized I mean that graphically they are both hybrid cubist/abstract/realistcrepresentations (difficult to explain...ya just need to eyeball them) this arm is topped by an abstract cross... The right arm ( evil side) is 100% black and gray washdone in my specialty...biomechanical...no way possible to explain in the written language!...To get an idea go to my "myspace site(www.myspace.com/bullangel) and peep the biomech sketch there. We have put in about maybe 20-22 hours at least so far and its comming along very quickly now..I am quite anxious to finish...this will quite possibly be my final set of sleeves and I am taking great pains to insure they will be memorable indeed. Enough blabbing for now D...Lets see some more artwork!...TAz

I can only offer you an update of my doodle box for artwork. 20-22 hours for both arms is pretty good, I just feel sorry for J, it must be a pain to heal them while he's trying to draw and junk, after my first session I kind of laid around on the couch and moaned and had people bring me things. I'll hit up those crayons/pencils, I need to attempt pastel type work again soon so that seems a likely candidate. My goal for the portfolio is about 20 sheets/pieces....I won't tell you where I'm at right now, heh. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/cigarbox2.jpg

I've started another flash page for my portfolio, and in keeping with never posting anything finished (sorry!) I give you partially colored Storm, my favorite X-man. The next up is Mastermold. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/stormsketch.jpg ahlyn

Good for you D!...At least SOMEBODY is doin their homework.but so many are not...Nutty, Ant and JWERK for instance....they are lettin me down and I am kinda disappointed in all of them... Ah well ya know......

Well, they're all tattoo artists or tattoo artists in training and have full portfolios, I'm way down on the totem pole. But thanks, encouraging words are always appreciated. D

And here she is all done, of course she's much more vivid etc. in real life, still I think my favorite about this drawing is the wind wrapping around her, I modeled her outfit to unite the theme as a sort of vortex that always surrounds her (via the arm, waist and boot straps). ahlyn http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/stormsketch.jpg

D you are improving with every piece!!

Thanks...it feels like I'm remembering more than improving...I stopped drawing seriously for over a decade and focused on school and sports, it's nice to remember old skills..

And now MM in process http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/mastermold.jpg

MM done....I think he's pensive, sometimes you need a break from wanton destruction. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/d6fb264f.jpg

And again d...this one is better than the last...keep it goin girl!!!...TAz

Corner of the sheet...it was looking blank, and the clouds provide a way to unite the whole, I have Archangel left, and some housekeeping and then I'll be on to the next sheet. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/corner.jpg

Archangel's sketch, it looks pretty crappy to me, but I think I'm going to pull him together in the coloring. I'm sick too, so I'll blame the general crappiness on that. I J-pop'ed his hair because he has several different styles (and uniforms) and all of them were pretty lame (to me anyway) he'll be in his blue/white unifrom, sans techno-organic wings, just going for the straight feathers (although the metal wings are pretty boss). http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/aasketch.jpg

Might think about lengthening the arms a bit, but good start

Here he is done, I think I recovered pretty well, now just as soon as I figure out what to do with that giant blank spot in the lower right corner I'll be done with this sheet. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/Archangel.jpg

Here he is done, I think I recovered pretty well, now just as soon as I figure out what to do with that giant blank spot in the lower right corner I'll be done with this sheet. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/Archangel.jpg

And the next theme is.....garden! Sort of stuff...kinda. I've been sketching all day, and to make me feel like I haven't wasted my time here's the goddess in the middle of the garden. I think I finally figured her face out. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gardengoddess.jpg

I woke up this morning with the knead eraser stuck in my hair. The sickness continues, occasionally I wake up and try to do something with the coloring, here's as far as I've gone. I feel another nap coming on... http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/ggcoloring.jpg

I've not gotten too much farther, but I think I always want to have a daily post on this thread, not because I really think anyone is looking at my stuff, but because it helps to hold me to doing something every day. So, yeah...here's how far I am on her today, in my defense, the green in her halo and clothes is much deeper and more complex in real life, so it's not so overwhelming. *sigh* Do your worst I guess? http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/ggcoloring2.jpg

Cool color blends in the fan thingies

I'm digg'n the color burst and the spiral. Cool Stuff.

Hey thanks guys, I really appreciate your input

What are you using to color with? Prisma's? What kind of paper are you using? Why can't I ever get my prisma's to look solid like that? WHY? -runs off crying, hands limp and waving girlishly-

Yeah, just regular prismacolor's, and then those verithin ones and crayolas if I want a hard edge that won't blend that much, on acid-free 70lb drawing paper. I guess I just use alot of colors and keep blending and blending, like, I used 6-7 different shades of pencils on the skin. I like that creamy feeling, and I go over and over and over the same area so it takes me a long time to color anything..I guess that's why I'm glad that I've got two sheets done. Anyways I guess I do 4-5 layers of coloring, then I spray it down and do more highlights and stuff. I guess the short answer is alot of layers? Personally I wish I was doing better, but I really do appreciate the compliment.

Hmm, anytime I try to layer on the color, it tends to muddy up my details. I had the -huge- set of prisma's which sadly, most of them seem to be missing >.< Maybe its just me though, I seem to have a real problem getting contrast, I think I overshade things and I draw things way too small so the details get mooshed. If that makes any sense. Last time I had a good teacher hovering over me, he was forcing me to do everything in -ink-. Just black and white, which makes shading VERY interesting. I reallly have a great love for pointilism now, but it takes forever to finish anything ;/ But yeah, I love how you have your color nice and creamy solid. I'll have to dig out both sets of my prisma's as soon as I move, hopefully between the big ones and the small set, I'll have what I need. Nice to see your work!

Those primas are fucking expensive aren't they? I never realized until I started buying them en masse, you're lucky to have a large set. I've gone through 2 whites just doing what I've posted so far. Starting large always helps I think, I usually start really big and scale and scale down. The smaller you get, the more one movement can have the potential to fuck up everything. I should know, I fuck up alot. Alot.

My big set is -wince- 12 years old, so it's really no surprise that it's dwindled down to less than half of what I had. I've got a smaller set, I just wish I knew where it was! I know that when I was packing, I saw them, and I must have put them in one of the "things I still need" crates, but I think they got put into storage. Bleh! Yep, my old teacher was trying to HAMMER into me that I diddnt need to draw things SO small. He said, The smaller you go, the more detail you need. Can't help it though, I keep doing it anyway.

It's a habit, I do it too *shrugs* I haven't broken it so much as I consciously make myself draw larger than I want to. Oh, and I finished her halo, which is going to be it on her for awhile, because a number of things have to go "behind" and around before I can commit to the lower half. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gg3.jpg

After yesterday's flurry of activity I guess I wore myself out, and have so far, only tied up a few loose strings. In reality I'm hoping to finish the left floral display with bleeding hearts and some foliage by the end of tonight. Also, I've taken down almost all the links of my process stuff when I go past it, so most of the links on this posting don't work anymore, heh. The finished products remain up though, I thought this might be an enticement to tell me what you think as soon as possible! Anyway, here's where I am just now. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gg4.jpg

And here's where I am now! http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gg5.jpg I thought I deserved an exclamation mark, I really had to push to try and make this part of the flash happen. I don't know why, blocks come and go. Even though that scan sucks balls, it really compliments the center image, and looks to me like something you could wrap nicely around the hip, or something.

Ok, so I took a break. I had to dominate in croquet...it's a life calling. Anyway, here's where I'm efforting right now, lillies and a dragonfly..I should be done by sometime tonight I think. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/lillies.jpg

Here's the same lily with the petals stamen and pistol finished. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/lillies2.jpg

And I'm done. The scan sucks but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. The back lily is much more wilted than the just opened front one, I think lilies are one of the few flowers that almost look better dying...in a way. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/lilies.jpg

And here's today's section, an ivy and forget-me-not chain. I anticipate being done sometime tonight/morning as usual...perhaps a little bit early. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/ivychain.jpg

Here's the ivy component done http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/ivychain1.jpg

All done for the moment...I think I'll do another pass of white on it later on actually but, at least I finished before 4am (sort of) http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/ivyandforgetmenots.jpg

I like your eye for color and contrast. The ivy looks great. :)

Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. The forgetmenots are a little too dark, something I'm going to fix tomorrow I think, but otherwise I'm pretty happy with the ivy.

All I have to say, is that clearance day at the craft store makes my heart sing. So I'll be at my semi-neice's graduation from 8th grade tonight so no updates until later on. So *BUMP* write about how much I suck whilst I'm gone. Critique me! Humbly yours, D

It's tying up loose ends day before I move on to the next sheet. All the major objects are done, so I've finished the legs and skirt, started the river and embankment etc. I'm hoping to move on by the end of tomorrow. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gg6.jpg

Here's the river and one bank done. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f10/ahlyn/gg7.jpg

And now that entire sheet is completely destroyed. It still exists in some sense, but in reality, is completely destroyed. Thank god I scanned everything obsessively, at least I have something I can sort of reconstruct in photoshop...sort of.

WHY????????????????

Well, ants, also spray fixative, mothers, weddings, the screaming wails of unattended children. In essence all of these things caused me to totally fuck up that sheet, which I had been working on for about two and half weeks. I sprayed the fixative a little too thick which caused everything to flake off with the color, then ants who were apparently drawn from the sweet smell of the spray made a lovely scent trail to the picture (while I was gone) and then died in the still sticky area. I am totally not making this shit up. Only me, whose life is so fucking weird, could have her artwork destroyed by flaky fixative and dead ants. The wails of children and mothers and weddings, besides the twenty other things I'm worried about caused me to totally freak out and attempt to save it with my mad skillz, which of course were in no way affected by complete and utter hysteria. Right. So now I have two sheets of flash that have been edited in Photoshop with no originals to back them up. Since I posted all of the pictures on the internet no one in their right fucking mind would ever think I -actually- did those pieces without the originals, and I'm sure as fuck not going to put the original of that sheet into anything any professional would see. So, what I'm going to do right now is light my hair on fire. Maybe have a rice crispie treat afterwards.