Me, Myself, and I

It seems this semester many of my illustration portraits are centered around "the self" and self portraiture. One of my teachers said that the reason he is having us do various self portraits is to have us focus more on experimenting with different techniques and materials. Since one knows oneself best, all concentration can go towards the image, rather than worrying of how to properly represent someone else.=P

Anyhow, here are a couple of self- portraits that we were supposed to do from the same sketch/reference:

9 x 12" | stretched canvas | acrylic paint

8.5 x 11'' | hot-press watercolor paper | watercolor paints | inspired by vintage fashion posters

And here is my reference sketch:

and reference photo:

Memories in Acrylic

Illustration Iconography class project #2
The idea was to create two pieces which illustrated two of our memories which we have a strong connection with.  The pieces had to be 11 x 14 inches and we had to use acrylics.

This 1st piece is a memory of me going out to feed the ducks ever since I can remember.

And this 2nd one is of me and some of my friends taking breaks on the steps that lead to our art class. The friends' facial resemblance isn't too strong, but oh well, I didn't have references=P

So to sum up:
11 x 14 inches
Acrylic paint on Canson illustration board
hours spent...many

8 Random Facts/Tips

8 Random Facts/Tips about how I work:

1. I use a synthetic big powder brush to brush off erasings and pencil dust/debris off my pages while I draw and colour. That way there is no smearing!

2. I always have a clean scrap of paper underneath my drawing hand when I’m illustrating – to once again avoid any smearing.

3. I paint my detail work with a 0/3 sized brush.

4. When doing painting of any sort, especially illustrative colour detailing, I have a paper towel nearby to soak up excess paint after each new brush dip. Nothing worse than an unanticipated glob.

5. I also try to have a scrap piece of paper that is the same type as the one that I’m working my piece on (next to the paper towel) to test colour and make sure it’s the precise shade I want. Different paper will make a difference in shade.

6. Recently I’ve been preferring to do sketches in coloured mechanical pencil lead, rather than the standard gray. I find that it’s a great simple way to lighten the mood and make drawing/sketching more fun rather than work. Plus, if they’re “roughs” – then it looks neat when you laver them with black pen ink.

7. I prefer to listen to music while I work through the speakers, rather than headphones or earphones. The wires can get caught and tangled in all the stuff lying around, causing spills and other clumsiness, so that’s why they’re a “no-no”. Also, I find that through the speakers the music pleasantly surrounds me and I can feel it better. And, I also advise putting on lengthier playlists – to help maintain focus on the art at hand. A need to constantly change the son can be too distracting.

8. When using references, I like to have them open on my computer screen and draw/paint from there, rather than have the images printed out. It not only saves trees, but regardless of blurriness or pixilation when zoomed in, helps me better see the details. However, in the case of Celtic knots and designs, I have discovered them more readable in printed form. Plus, you can color code them overtop to make them easier to discern, particularly when free-handing.
   

Hawk of Achill

Here's the 2nd project of the semester.

The objective was to create two illustrations based on a piece of text that relates to a culture. The two pieces also had to relate to each other.

So..due to my love for all things Celtic. I illustrated the following pieces on the Celtic Hawk of Achill.

The information I used I found on this Celtic Symbols page which said:  

Celtic tradition lists the oldest animal as the Hawk of Achill.  As with many other birds, the hawk is a messenger of the various worlds. However, it is noted as being more skillful and stronger than most others of its species. To hear the cry of a hawk during a journey is an indication that it would be wise to be alert to upcoming situations that require boldness and decisiveness in order to keep from being thrown off-balance.  The hawk was considered a noble bird that brought the sun within his feathers, and enabled recollection and the ability to progress.

size: 8.5 x 11 inches | colored inks & watercolor

size: 8.5 x 11 inches | colored inks & watercolor

some detail

another detail shot

 How much time did I spend on these? Well...let's just say they were my priority and sleep was not an option, haha

1st assignment of 2011

Whew! It's been a busy week for me. I'm pretty beat, considering I've been staying up late working on my various illustration projects, especially today when I got 1 hour of sleep, haha. Anyways I'll begin to post my work slowly in the upcoming days.

I'll begin with my first project of the spring semester for my Illustration Essentials class.
It's a visual metaphor portrait of another student we had to "interview" or get to know during class.

4 x 4 inches | 0.05 micron ink pen