Progress, not liking the eye

I need to get this drawing done soon anyway because I should be getting the photo for my commission soon. Also I have to finish this soon, because starting to get really frustrated. I did a great job on this fish, I think though a few thins don't look quite right to me. I think they work though. I just don't like the eye right now though. I'm wondering if I've completely screwed up and if I've done something wrong. It just doesn't look right and I don't know what it is. It's like that moment in my freshman art class; Teacher: "Something's wrong I don't know what it is, fix it." Me: "I don't know what it is either." (Needless to say it still looked wrong when I turned it in).
I'm going to work on this more tonight, but I needed to vent a little bit of frustration about this.

Zazzle vs Imagekind

I'm thinking of just having some prints available through an online service. I like the idea of having control over my prints and limiting how many can be made, but I feel that both Zazzle and Imagekind offer a ease of use, and a bit of security for the transaction. First though I have to decided which to to use.

With Zazzle I like the amount of control in creating a product and I have used them before so there is the familiarity. I also know that they produce a great quality in business cards. Though I was hoping to be able to pick standard sizes and have more than one size available at once. I wouldn't unnecessarily crop the artwork but I could create the white border on the prints to accommodate. I did make some changes to an old Zazzle account of mine (new username and all), and I did explore a few options in prints.

I did just create an Imagekind account too. So far I'm just confused. I'm not really sure how you set up a store to sell products. I started creating something and I do like the options but I don't know how the store is set up. So far it looks like I'm going to go with Zazzle unless I can figure out Imagekind and it's absolutely dazzles me.

Yes right now I do have a prints available link, but I've been looking at the two options of Kinkos and an online service to be able to fulfill any orders that way. I think Zazzle though taking me out of the equation in the middle might make ship time a little faster. Also it should keep costs of prints down since I don't have to charge for shipping.

Bit more progress

I got quite a bit of work done between yesterday and today. I'm really happy with the fish, now if only I could be that happy with the eye. I think it's the eye lashes that are bothering me the most. I'll fix those when I start filling in the rest of the skin. Ideally I'd like to finish this by Friday but we'll see how that goes. I think it wouldn't be so bad to at least be finished by May 8.

Progress and self explorations

I spent a good hour working tonight. It's not much really in the grand scheme but it's all I can afford right now. I think I spent my hour well. I'm really happy with how this is turning out.


I just started reading Lives of the Artists. I've only read the preface, but I'm already impressed. It got me thinking as well. Tomkins talks of getting to know more about the artist's lives to understand their work and I can definitely agree. I didn't really care for Pollock's work until I learned more about the man behind the work. Now he is one of my favorite artists and I love his work. It really made me think about myself as an artist. I feel that for someone who spends a lot of time drawing themselves; I sure don't think much of how I look. I just spent an hour looking at a photo of myself, yet I really wasn't seeing myself. I look in the mirror to brush my teeth, do my hair, but rarely do I really look at myself. I sometimes surprise myself when looking in the mirror. And usually find flaws straight away as well, "I'm fat... my face looks weird.. my nose is big... I hate my teeth..." I think in my artwork I'm searching for that beauty in myself. Especially with my more recent drawings, I haven't avoided my teeth. In "Day at the Zoo" I considered editing them out, but in "Part of Me" my mouth was the only part of my face in the composition. I confronted that piece of me that I just am not fond of and tried to find the beauty in it.

I've also considered writing an autobiography someday. I think some parts of my childhood are pretty interesting, and they've definitely influenced some of my work. Like Tomkins said, artists with interesting work usually had interesting lives. I've like to think my art is interesting, and I think my life as been interesting. I think I have some things about my life I'd like to get out at some point in written form, to catalog a bit of my childhood. If not in a full autobiography, then just in a word document that will sit on my computer. I work through some issues in my work, celebrate parts of my life, and explore parts of myself. I also take inspiration from music, media, and art history.

I got a little bit of work done tonight, and I made a few changes to the first line of scales. I think it's definitely looking better for it, and I'm really happy with the gold color.

New Prismacolor website

http://www.prismacolor.com/

Prismacolor, revamped their whole website. There is a new feature, Studio, you can upload a portfolio of your work. You can show your work get some feedback and maybe find a little inspiration too. The whole design of the site is really eye catching, clever and beautiful. I think I'll definitely be spending more time on there now. I think I might even create a portfolio of my own in their studio.


**I created a portfolio of my own: here.

Small update

I'm actually pretty happy with what I did tonight. I think maybe some of my proportions may be off on the fish head/eye area, but I don't think it really makes a huge difference. I didn't use the gold pencil and I really like the gold color that I was able to create with the yellows.

I did come across something that confused me a bit. Some colored pencil work is considered drawings and others are considered paintings. I thought because of the nature of the media, my work would be considered a drawing. I pretty much use the same technique I would use with charcoal and pastels (would I use pastels). I consider my charcoal and colored pencil work because I consider them a dry media. Though I did get an email explaining two colored pencil painting techniques. It would seem that the technique that I use would be considered painting. Though I'm not sure why. I think I'll definitely have to find some books on colored pencil. In school (high school and college) colored pencil was never formally covered. I've kind of gotten into this media on my own, so I don't know a good bit of the technical side. So if anyone has an opinion on the subject, or has some knowledge to share, I'd love to hear it.

Loss of confidence, yet gain in inspiration

This fish is driving me crazy. I'm not really happy with the color right now. I still don't like the angle of the body. It measures out right but still the angle seems a bit off to me. I'm also trying to figure out my eye based on the fish. I'm not sure I'm doing the color justice but from a distance it doesn't look that bad. This seems to happen to me a lot; I freak out, nearly bring myself to tears then take a photo and decide it's not that bad. I think it's just my way of backing away from it. We were told to do that every now and then in high school, but I almost never do that now. I only really back away when I take the photo to critique it and talk about it here.

Anyway while I was freaking out about this drawing I took another photo of the fish, this time in my hand. I was hoping to get a new perspective on the fish, but I had a bit of inspiration. I've been trying to do a bit of a "jewelry" series, but I think I could easily move into a series based on this fish. Provided I ever want to look at it as reference object again after I finish this drawing. But if I could stand drawing it again, drawing the fish against different backgrounds might be interesting. I'm not sure though, we'll have to see how that goes. I did have some ideas left for this "jewelry" series. It's nice to entertain the idea for a bit.

Also on another note I'm debating using the gold metallic pencil I have in my set. I did a little test spot on my paper and I'm not really happy with the color or effect. I am wondering if I could get a good effect with just yellows and browns. I didn't use the metallic silver in my other drawings, so it might be good for consistency to leave it out.

For better or worse though I'm hoping to get some more work done on this drawing soon and really put a dent in it. I feel like I've spent all this time sketching for nothing. I did finally figure out the fish eye though, and start filling in the head. This piece is such a challenge I just need to be patient with myself. Though I do keep seeing my deadline coming up in the distance. I may be ahead now but I get behind so quickly.

New piece

It turns out that this fish charm is rather difficult just to draw. I'm working partially from life with this. I've been needing a better look at the fish. I've drawn and erased the whole thing about 3 times. I'm starting with the fish because it's so complicated, then moving on to the eye. I'm just trying to get the angle of everything correct right now. Also just getting the base rendering of the fish in. My knee really hurts right now, despite the two Tylenol I took. It became a bit too distracting or I would have worked more. Having it propped up is helping a bit but I can't really draw from this position.

I've noticed something lately. It seems like everyone is making a fan page on Facebook. I tried before, I couldn't understand how to set it up. I think I have a better understanding of Facebook now, but I'm wondering if I should try to set up a fan page.

Completed drawing, "Part of Me"

It feels like I'm finally getting around to posting this. I took the photo earlier today, and I've been taking care of some cleaning, then I had some trouble editing my blog subscriptions. I've complained about that enough on my other blog though. Long story short the problem is fixed now.
Anyway I'm not 100% happy with this, but when am I ever 100% happy with anything I do. I do think it's good enough, and it's time to move on to the next thing. I have some really interesting ideas I want to investigate later for some new reference photos. Maybe I'll be getting the new drawing started by the end of this week. Also I'm not sure what to title it. The only thing I can think of is "Wedding Circle," but maybe "Family Circle." I'm not sure really. I'll get my site updated with it as soon as I can figure out a title.

**Just came up with a title and I edited the title of this post to reflect that. All previous ideas were rejected in favor of "Part of Me."

Good Progress

I'm about 1-3 days worth of work away from finishing this. I need to drop the shoulder back down a bit, and make the arm a bit wider. The necklace needs some work, and everything just needs to be filled in. So I'm saying 1 day if I push and 3 if I'm lazy. Still that's not bad as long as I can work for the next 3 days straight. That also means I'll have to start thinking about my next piece soon. I was thinking about using my fish charm in the next one but I'm not sure. I think something more close up next time too.

Another update

I don't think the color is very true to life and that throws it off a bit. But I've mapped out the dimensions and I've started in on the neck. I'm still not happy with the shading on the face. I think a few things need to be darker and some need to be cleaned up a bit. I'm going to work down into the neck then finalize that chain on the necklace and get to work on the pendant. I think I'm actually working rather quickly with this, and I hope to be back working on it tomorrow. I did some experimental swatches at the top as some options for the background. If I do the background in gray it will be the one in the middle. With the gray I don't want it flat gray I want maybe some sort of cloudy looking mix of tones. I'm not sure if that's what I want though.

Some progress

I feel like I'm so behind because I've been sick, but I think I've made some descent progress. Of course I still have issues to work on. I think I need to lighten some of the shadows toward the front of the chin. The transition into the next just isn't working right now, and I just noticed that I think the next comes out a bit too far. I'll just have to trim a bit off. I think I may edit my hair out of the finished drawing. I don't think it will work well for the composition. I think I'd rather have the uninterrupted negative space, though I'm not sure what color that negative space will be. Right now I'm thinking maybe a neutral gray. Other than the few issues I have though I think it's coming along well, and it really is odd to be using the mouth as measurement for everything rather than the eye.