Christmas Sketches and Commissions

The week just before Christmas I was working on a commission piece (Not pictured here) which turned out well, all in pastels no less! Then I flew home to Montana for Christmas (Kiiiiinda stressful since there are not so many flights headed that way anymore, for about an hour I thought Raul would see my parents and I'd wouldn't) and slept for about a week. Also rubbed my sister's tummy, got kicked, ate birthday cake and saw 47 Ronin. Seriously, that's about it besides sleeping. I did somehow manage to sketch the above fancy bear in the meantime (The additional non-bear sketch is a month or so old, but I realized I may not have posted it then because I was coloring it) for catching back up with my Magic Box lessons. Working on another piece I hope to have ready for posting on Monday - and then I've got to really hunker down and start a project due in March. Hint: Ducklings. ;) 

I hope everyone had a good holiday. I'm very much looking forward to an exciting year with fingers crossed that everything goes at least half-way according to plan. lol 

Reference 1860-1865

I've been doing a fair bit of research (also a commission unrelated to this - don't know if I can post it yet) and while I didn't intend to post any of these sketches, Raul told me to and many people have found it helpful on DA. So I'm posting it here as well. In case it's not super obvious what I'm focusing on, it's the years 1860-1865 and comparisons between Japan and generalized Western countries. Dozo...

This and That

The Bar Tender. Who *spoilers* dies and causes Lola to become an alcoholic. After drawing so many girlies, it was a bit challenging, but also fun. Surprisingly so I might add.

Most of the working weekend was actually spent sewing.

Yeah, sewing. I shrank an existing pattern I had waaaaay down and attempted to make a miniature corset. It's been a little while since I was able to do such a project and I enjoyed it immensely. I think it shows that I'm a bit rusty, but I'll post the in progress photos...so you have an idea of how tiny I'm talking. lol

Also at the bottom is the progress on the face-sculpt I had started a while back. The character design has and is still evolving so I've stopped working on it for now - until I settle on something that works. 

Anyways, that's all for now! Going to do some Magic Box homework, so that will be fun. ; )

Archangel Michael Sketch

Recovering from Holidays Round I - lol - and didn't quite get to where I wanted to be with the next planned post from the Copacabana mini project, so I decided to take a bit more time on it, start over and really make it nice. Therefore, I present a doodly-sketch-thing of Archangel Michael. Just with pencil, no fancy digital tweaking. Had thought to revamp the Angelic War Storyboards that I did my last semester of school for Barry's class, but it will have to wait since I have some Magic Box lessons to get caught up on AND some big portfolio plans on the horizon. ; )
Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving/weekend!!

Her Name Was Lola...

...She was a showgirl - with yellow feathers in her hair and her dress cut down to there!

Riding that post CTN high as long as I can - here is Miss Lola from Copacabana. She's got all the potential in the world, trying so hard to keep things together and be a star. But she's still young at this point, still a bit clumsy and insecure with her body. She's much more at ease when her Tony is around.

I was inspired to start this mini project when listening to John Barrowman (Captain Jack! ^^ ) singing the Barry Manilow song about the tragic romance of Lola and Tony. It's also combining a few challenges that I received from Chris Oatley and others at CTN. It won't be nearly as involved as other projects - just doing the three characters named in the song - from there the number of additional illustrations or a storyboard will depend on where I'm at with other things. 

Very nice change from all the billowing shirts and crowns of the last set. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to all the research I did for her, so if anyone wants to attempt that hairstyle...good luck and let me know how much hairspray that took. ><

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. I know I'm looking forward to some good food and hopefully some family time too. : ) 

Saints, Sinners and Survivors - Mourning 3

While not quite as intellectually impressive as wives 1 and 2, Jane was a skilled artist - an avid embroiderer. Fairly conservative, she was far more concerned with decorum than political maneuvering - perhaps discouraged by the fate of her predecessor. 

She was betrothed to Henry one day after Anne (A distant cousin) was beheaded and the only of his wives to be buried as a Queen of England, earning the final resting place beside Henry, but never actually crowned queen. 

She proved compassionate when reconciling Mary with her Father, and even achieved her goal of restoring Mary to the royal succession. She died in childbirth - the only wife to give Henry what he wanted - a male heir - Edward VI. Many remembered her fondly, some used her to further leverage themselves in court - such as her two brothers who both met rather dismal ends. 

I noticed rather quickly that the actress who played Jane in the Tudors was switched out in between seasons - but was rather surprised when my mother didn't notice this. Guess it goes to show how thoroughly they covered their tracks when starting up that third season. 

I feel like that was a type of bonding we did when I was younger - watch various shows and movies and make the connections almost like a game - "Oh yes, she was also in this and this where he also co-stared, etc." I suppose this is why some people think I am a walking IMDB. lol 

In regards to Jane herself, I do imagine she was quite the epitome of grace and prudence...but maybe a bit dull otherwise. 

 

Welp, that's all folks! Henry VIII did not in fact have VIII wives, only six. Thank you for joining me on this mini history lesson. For more information on these ladies you can watch the Tudors - not 100% accurate, but oh so entertaining! Now I am moving on to other projects, other times, other places...to be revealed shortly! Exciting times!! :)

CTN 2013 Reflect

I forgot my camera. : (

Day One:
Raul and I left early Thursday morning and met up with Katherine at the airport. (Thanks Matt for dropping us off!) The plane ride went well and it was a comfortable 82 degrees in Burbank when we landed. We walked across the street to the Marriott - which was already bustling with convention-goers way more than I remember from 2012 - and relaxed a bit before meeting up with the Oatley Academy crew. It was really great meeting everyone I had been chatting with online for the past several months. Such awesome people!! : )
The van we were hoping would fit 12 people only sat seven...so my color coated ride chart wasn't much help. BUT we squeezed everyone in and set off for the Getty art museum. On the way we drove around *literally* the Disney lot which wasn't exactly on the way, but had to be visited. The Getty was beautiful! Much like DCC earlier, we mainly talked about the European Art and had planned on the cafe being open...but it wasn't...so we departed to find food. At this point I was separated from the Party Van and rode back with Tommy and David - passing Nickelodeon on the way. Why I was dubbed navigator, I don't know. I am directionally impaired, don't own a smart phone yet, and yeah...somehow we made it to a Chipotle and then back to the Marriott to eat and chat.
Chris then initiated "family time" and we talked about the upcoming year - which was very exciting! - and did a little exercise to keep everyone's positivity levels on high - very touching. My main take away from that was 1. I can't wait for Painting Drama to start up in the spring 2. Finishing Magic Box will be challenging, but very rewarding and 3. I am Hermione Granger. Pretty cool.
Ernest and Celestine was cancelled. : (
Around 9 or 10 we walked back to the airport to collect Owen and then cabbed to our hotel. (Marriott was booked solid AND so was ours so even though we had to cab back and forth, I thought it was worth it) And thus ends Day One.

I am really kicking myself for forgetting the camera. 

Day Two: 

Since we didn't get back in time for early registration on Thursday, we cabbed back early to the Marriott for Friday registration. Which wasn't too bad. Got to see Jon again - missed that afro! But couldn't stay for breakfast. I helped Chris and Travis set up the Oatley Academy booth. I started a rave with Josephine in the booth across the isle. I pretended to be Lora Innes so I could get into the VIP lounge and figure out when Chris's demo was that day and collect all the Speed Talent buttons for the booth. (I love you Lora, I represented you with dignity and gracefulness!) The booth was PACKED. Chris was constantly talking to people. We were explaining the classes and community online and handing out the new postcards with the new class offerings. Sarah Marino was also in the booth reviewing portfolios - she and Shane are so sweet! And there was a crazy amount of energy!! 

I managed to pull Chris out in time for his demo. There were some technical difficulties and it was difficult locating staff to assist. I tried the best I could with my IT experience and generally felt quite silly. This being my first time out of the booth, I poked around the new talent tent to say hi to my friends there. The layout seemed a bit odd to me since I was used to the studios all being in one area, not so spread out. Very crowded. ><

I got to wear a Speed Talent button most of the time, so I got to give feedback too, which was great. Some of the portfolios I was shown I recognized - "Hey...I know you! So great to meet you!!" - and some I'll have to start following too. : )

Afterwords it was nearly five, so I ran out to eat and grab Chris food too since once he got back to the booth there was no time to even sit. At this point I was feeling a bit tired and while eating had helped some, I was ready to go at 6 when Katherine needed to head back to the hotel. I was pretty much out by 8pm. 

Oh caaaaaaaameraaaaaa! Where are youuuuuu?

Day Three:

First thing Saturday was my portfolio review with Disney. I was under the impression that I was on Standby, but my name was in fact on the appointment list, so I didn't argue there. Took a while to find the line I was supposed to be in and then the list was not alphabetical, so everyone was a bit confused and several people were still hoping to get in even though they weren't able to confirm a seat online. Honestly, the organization was rubbish and the eager determination of some, while admirable, wasn't helping. But I got in and reviewed, so all's well that ends well. I thought the review went great, lots of actionable things to focus on and push further. When I went back to the Oatley booth Chris was swamped. Justin Copeland was there too reviewing portfolios and informed me that my Disney review was rubbish, so spent a good amount of time going over things with me that helped me better understand how I can improve on what Disney said I should do. Which was AWESOME! The next chunk of my Saturday was spent shopping. I had specific booths I wanted to hit and I got more EXCELLENT feedback from Brett Bean, connected with Helen, Elsa, Isaac, Liana, Brittney, Claire, Jessie, and everyone I follow. Though I did admittedly miss a few that I wanted to say hi to and poor Tom got sick. : ( 

The last portion of Saturday was spent in the line for Laika. I was really anxious about this one since I love this studio so much and while the line appeared short and to move quickly - I was still there for 3.5 hours. Apart from the cold weather, it wasn't bad. We were regularly checked in on by the darling brand manager Alise - she gave us little sketch books and chocolate croissants. I got to chat with Marisa in recruiting which was really fun. : ) And art director Alan had awesome feedback too - I took notes! After that was food and then huddling in the front of the hotel to chat more with the Oatley crew. Chris told us more stories - some a bit alarming. We debated different kinds of art school/learning styles, concept versus technique. I got even more feedback which was helpfully critical, but encouraging. Everyone was so proud of my progress and I felt like I was blushing the entire time. I love making other people proud! 

Then it was time to cab back. Our first two cabs were stolen by jerks, and the third was driven by a very funny Russian man. 

If you can't tell, I'm upset about forgetting my camera. 

Day Four: 

I was back in the Oatley booth Sunday morning after stopping by to see Victoria and Mike. It was much calmer, but that was understandable - and nice since the energy of the last couple days was INSANE. I very much doubt they'll try to squeeze CTN there next year, but who knows. If they do I'm booking waaaaay earlier. lol Our flight back was around two, so we headed to the airport a little early to eat before take off. The ride back was a little turbulent which stressed Raul a bit, but the landing was smooth. We played train hopping games in the terminal - at first unintentionally, but then just for fun - and Brit came all the way into the terminal to pick us up! We went out for dinner and shared the spoils of war and then decided that it was best to head to sleep since Raul had work today. 

And that, my friends, was CTN 2013. 

I am most glad to have today to regroup a bit - do laundry, sort my Select Shelf where all my favorite CTN spoils go, and most importantly start the attack planning for next year! I feel like I have an achievable goal for my next portfolio and enough direction to help me along, certainly enough people holding me accountable. (You guys are seriously the best; I love OA!) I'm very excited to keep powering through and have a very positive feeling about the future!! 

I hope everyone had a great time too - and for those of you who couldn't make it, I hope to see you there next year!! (When I will hopefully remember my camera) Until then, keep working hard, following your dreams, and if you need a hand - let me know! : ) 

Onwards!!

CTNX 2013 – Game Prep!

This will be my third CTN eXpo and they just keep getting better and better! : D

This year I will have the opportunity to see the Getty Art Museum with the incredible Oatley Academy crew. If anything like the DAM trip that accompanied this year's Denver ComicCon, it will prove both fun and educational. Post Getty, I have tickets for the screening of Ernest and Celestine - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ1rmOYLr2U - a gorgeous French animation that will be shown in English here for the first time. (Normally I don't like dubs, but I don't understand French at all so this time is okay) At the convention I will make rounds to visit all the super awesome peoples I've been meeting/keeping tabs on and make my purchases – got a pretty tight budget this year so while I want to buy everyone's sketchbooks – I probably will only get a max of 3-5. : / I have applications in to two studios at the moment, so I plan on following up with their recruiters. And I also plan on getting feedback from my artist friends! I didn't sign up for any workshops this year because most of my time is going to be dedicated to the Oatley Academy booth #B51. I have my official Academy Tshirt packed and I'm stoked to represent this amazing school and the Magic Box course!! Some of the students will also be selling their work, but I think I'm going to just take orders this year – that is if anyone is interested. I'm easing myself into more and more booth activity so next year I might have my own CTN New Talent Table. ; ) I will do a full write up (Hopefully with pictures) the Monday when I get back – to encourage everybody who couldn't make it this year to come next year and to share any big announcements that might be coming up – so stay tuned for that!

A BIG THANK YOU to Matt and Brittany, who volunteered to drop off/pick up Raul and I from the airport in Denver, and to our hotel roomies Katherine and Owen. You guys are the BEST. : )

Saints, Sinners and Survivors - Praying for 1

As daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, Catherine was destined to be a great queen. She was married first to Henry's older brother, Arthur, who sadly died months later. Denying that the marriage was ever consummated, she was then married to Henry. Their only surviving child was Mary - later known as Bloody Mary - and as no male heir was produced after many attempts, Henry grew impatient and distracted by Catherine's ladies-in-waiting, particularly one - Anne Boleyn. 

 

Catherine was a strict Catholic, fighting for her marriage and love until Henry installed himself as head of the church in England and annulled the marriage himself so that he could wed his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Even after, she firmly refused to accept Henry as having authority over the Pope and considered herself still his rightful wife. She was a much loved figure by the peoples. 

 

She was sent away from court and forbidden to communicate with her daughter. When Catherine died there were many rumors of poison being the cause, but modern medical experts suspect it was cancer. She was the eldest of Henry's wives to die at 50. Henry did not attend her funeral and Mary was again forbidden. It is believed Anne Boleyn miscarried a son on the day of the funeral. 

 

Catherine was probably my favorite of Henry's wives. From most every account I've seen/read/heard of her she was regal, respectful and very devoted - to her people, her daughter, her husband and her faith. Even those not so much her friends at the time had great admiration for her. In the Tudors the brilliant Maria Doyle Kennedy embodied these traits - and did what I thought was a convincing Spanish accent...which amuses my boyfriend to no end since I think he originally thought she had a lisp. >< 

Saints, Sinners and Survivors - Disarming 2

 

 

Daughter of Thomas Boleyn and Elizabeth Howard, Anne was educated in the Netherlands and France. Plans for her first marriage (to a cousin) fell through and so she became a lady-in-waiting to then Queen Catherine of Aragon. She was sent home by Cardinal Wolsey after a second betrothal (to a gentleman at court) failed. Third time was a charm though - she attracted the attention of Henry and the chase began. 

As her older sister Mary had been Henry's mistress before her, Anne refused to be so easily used. She held her ground and became so great a desire to him, Henry took control of the English Church and annulled his previous marriage 5 days before wedding Anne. Their first and only surviving child was Elizabeth - afterwards known as Elizabeth I. After three more miscarriages, Henry had moved on to courting Jane Seymour. Anyone sensing a pattern?? 

In April 1536 Henry had her investigated for high treason - the charges of Adultery, Incest, and Witchcraft tenuous at best. None-the-less she was found guilty and beheaded on May 19th of that year. During her daughter's long reign, she was honored as "the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had" due to her involvement in the English Reformation. And she is still quite the controversial figure. 

I'm not sure I feel quite as bad for Anne as for Catherine Howard. Catherine seemed to be young, careless and not terribly bright to begin with while Anne was well educated, exacting and indulgent. It was again amusing to watch my boyfriend react to Anne in the Tudor series because of her abruptness (See reaction to finding Henry and Jane together towards the end of the second season or the overly paranoid Mary-could-be-Queen scene in the first/second season) and "creepy mouse mouth." Obviously as we are both fans of Catherine, we are a bit biased against Anne. But I tried not to let that come across too strongly since she is my own sister's favorite.

This one goes out to you G! : )

Saints, Sinners and Survivors - Not Interested in 4

 

 

As their marriage - lastingly only 6 months - was never consummated,
Anne of Cleeves was never technically a Queen of England. Born in Germany,
she came to England and married Henry on January 6th, 1540. Both she
and her younger sister were in consideration for the position of wife number
four. 

Having no formal education or aptitude for cultural adaption, Anne was
just as displeased with Henry as he was with her - readily agreeing to
a divorce and the distinction of being the King's "Beloved Sister." She

never remarried and enjoyed managing the households gifted to her by
Henry - one of which once belonged to Anne Boleyn. 

She outlived Henry (And Catherine Parr, the only other wife to do so)
and lived to see Lady Mary crowned Queen. The Lady Elizabeth was
also a favorite, being included in her last will. 

There's a bit about her learning to play cards - and getting very good at it -
in the Tudors. Cards were one of her hobbies, so that is her designated
activity in this sketch. 

I often feel like this Anne is overlooked. Though it was tempting to skim
over her (She's not my favorite) I actually spent a great deal of time
trying to do her a little justice. I scrapped 5 earlier versions and am content
with this one. Her silhouette is still a bit dull - but it's hard to do much with
billowy skirts. : / 

 

I was going to originally wait to post this until Sunday or Monday BUT in the
holiday spirit...ta da!! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween! : )

Expanding the Universe!

The Cosmic Jingle Universe just got a little bigger!

I've started a Pinterest account to better organize and collect reference images for my projects. (Since my drop box is almost full ><) This also allows me to share those collections too - so if you're working on a project and can't find something, you might check out my boards to see if anything there would help you. :)

 

This is also a great way to get a special sneak peak on future posts!! (*Gasp*)

You can follow this link to get there OR there is a link to the right in the Manifest Destiny slot.

 

See you there! 

Saints, Sinner and Survivors - Lamenting 6

 

Is it irony that Henry's last wife was named after his first? Catherine Parr's 

mother was a close friend and attendant to Catherine of Aragon - which 

also explains why Parr sought to befriend the Lady Mary, becoming a
member of her household before accepting the king's invitation to marriage.
(That friendship lasted until Parr remarried after Henry died - very controversial) 

 

Henry and Catherine were married on July 12th 1543. Parr had been married twice before,

with no children from either marriage - unless counting step children. 

She had no children with Henry either - her only child (Mary) was with her fourth
husband, Thomas Seymour (brother of Jane Seymour). Parr died much in
the same vein as Jane - from complications after childbirth. 

It is probable that she was a reformist - judging by her book Lamentation of a Sinner
among other habits - but she managed to dodge most trouble by being clever and
lucky. I believe she was a rather good fit for Henry in his later life. 

 Go watch the last few episodes of the Tudors that have Joley Richardson as Parr. It is my opinion that she was a wonderful pick for the role. Other than that...no particular
inspirations to go along with this one. : /



Fast Forward from 2008

YAY!! You've successfully made it to 2013!

Back in fall of 2008 I started attending art school - our first assignment was to draw/express our Selves on a 6x6" canvass square. I was so determined to do something awesome. Something that combined my love for creating stories, my recent exchange to Japan, my general quirkiness, etc.
And I thought I did a really good job with just acrylics. Our squares were collected and stitched together in a quilt that hung at the school until recently. (Apparently I'm old now?)

Since I spent so much energy on it and didn't want it sitting in storage forever, I requested it back. The school was happy to accommodate me. I remembered it as being better than it was...luckily I already had plans to revamp it digitally to go along with my new(ish) branding - and I really love how it came out. This is due to having worked my butt off to finish school and my continuing education/mentoring with Chris Oatley. (Go sign up for Magic Box - it's awesome) : D 

I will make prints of the renewed image (above) for my family and the school (If you reeeeeally want one I might be talked into it) for this Christmas. The old piece (below) I will keep in my suitcase of Japan - that is the suitcase I had to buy there to bring back all the things I bought or was gifted. 

I think I made some progress, don't you?? 

As a parting thought...some of you may know...this March I will be an auntie. Today I learned that I will have a niece. Very excited to meet the adorable girly in 2014!! : )

Saints, Sinners and Survivors - Marry Me 5

A "Rose without a Thorn," daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and first cousin (once removed?) of Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard married Henry Tudor on July 28th, 1540 at the age of 19 (Henry was 49) becoming his 5th wife. She rekindled his enthusiasm for life after much torment from losing Jane Seymour and divorcing Anne of Cleeves (to whom she served as lady-in-waiting). She enjoyed dancing and other such courtly indulgences.

 

But having a reputation before her marriage in terms of numerous lovers (including music teacher Henry Mannox) and a vivacious nature that called her fidelity into question, she was accused in November 1541 of treason/adultery. Her accomplices, Thomas Culpeper (a distant cousin) and Francis Dereham, were executed in December of that year while she was placed in the Tower and finally beheaded on the 13th of February, 1542. Happy Valentine's Day, Henry.

 

A bit of inspiration to go along with this post - the song Marry Me by Emilie Autumn on the album Opheliac relates Catherine's perspective in what I like to think is an entirely plausible tone - both grimly hopeless and fluffy minded. Understandable teenage behavior, and since she was after all very young in the scheme of things, well...she is certainly not amongst my favorite of Henry's queens, I do have a bit of sympathy for the girl. A good reminder that things can spiral out of control quickly if you aren't conscious of your decisions and refuse responsibility for your actions and are generally promiscuous. Also of note is Claire Hummel's Historically Accurate Disney Princesses. Delightful revisions of the classical fairytale ladies. While I wasn't exactly aiming for the level of historical accuracy that Claire was - I did fancy the style. Combined with what I've been learning in the Oatley Academy (Which I need to catch up on ><) I think I've made great improvement! : D More to come soon!!

Rebranding

I'm currently auditing a class that focuses on branding, social media, etc. And I think this time around I have a much better handle on things. Let's face it, your last semester of Senior year isn't the best time to be faced with the question: WHO ARE YOU? (artistically) With everything else I had going on, this wasn't high on my priority list.

 

But it should have been.

 

Which is why I'm retaking the class now. Some of you may have noticed a shift in presentation - which will continue on through until mid December when the class ends - and while some things are staying the same. Others are definitely not.

 

I am sticking by Cosmic Jingle. The idea is still important to me. But the logo has changed, pretty drastically which is fine. I feel like it fits me better. I am unfortunately still not of Asian descent, but I draw much inspiration from my stay in Japan and several current projects focus on that experience. What happens when I finish those projects? The inspiration is still there. I'm not going to ask everyone to go back to spelling my named Becky. Still Beki here.

 

What are the red characters then? A while back I looked up the meanings of my last name(s) and translated the meaning over. Black was pretty easy. Gliko was more of a challenge. I've been throwing this on pretty much all of my artwork since...well since 2008 because my name's too long to write out on the bottom of a piece. (Too long for most official form lines too and most don't recognize hyphens either) This way I also avoid confusing people with multiple initials. Hallelujah!

 

I understand some people's opinions about using your real name on things. I agree that whenever possible one should try to use their names and take responsibility/credit for what they put out there. But I can also understand how in certain situations this is not possible. Some people have more common names and are unable to get the identifier they want. Some people deeply hate their name. Some people have awkward names. Some people didn't plan on being a public figure and are stuck with nicknames they picked when they were 12 years old. (Although to that I have to question their understanding of how the internet works...?) Some people are in Witness Protection or another similar situation. I am still surprised how many Facebook friend requests I get from people who think I am that Friday girl, so it's nice sometimes to get away from that mass of trollers.

 

Anyways, that's my two cents on the whole branding/rebranding.

Expect more changes in the next couple months - including some new art up on the website. ; )

Thanks again for stopping by and giving this post a read!!

Onisan Update

Two more pages of Onisan content: Julia's family and the Yosei who is disguised for most of the narrative as a house servant named Moriko. Still hoping I can at least get Oni ready by the CTN portfolio deadline this Oct. 13th. Had plans for two additional illustrations, but one they wouldn't get done and two...my brain exploded.

 

Why?

 

Linchpin by Seth Godin.

 

Chris Oatley recommended I read it and it kind blew my mind. I realized that with Onisan I had finally made a push with a personal project that was closer to being personal, but I could still push it further. It made me realize a lot of other things too - mainly though was this notion of giving/sharing and being genuine - being truly indispensable. So I started sketching...

 

 

These were mainly from photographs of when I spent a summer (2007) in Japan with YFU. It was absolutely brilliant. I'm now trying to figure out the best way to share this experience - utilizing my abilities and passion. Who knows, maybe when I finish I'll do a New Zealand follow up??

 

Seriously, go read Linchpin. Or get the audiobook and listen to it while you're drawing. Good stuff!: )



Sketch Break II

Here's a scribble I did while watching some TV on Netflix.
All seven fabulous seasons! : )

Sometimes I pretend to be this lovely lady while I'm at work
and hum the theme song...makes the grey cube slightly more
tolerable.

I don't do "fan art" very often - this was a spur of the moment
doodle. Not supposed to be very polished, surprised it even
made it to color.

Yep.

Oni

Very early stages of the next Magic Box lesson - concept for Oni, the Beast to Miss Julia's Beauty. A while ago as I was learning Japanese (The hardest/best way - by total immersion), I thought it was amusing that Onisan (Older Brother) sounded like Oni-san (Mr. Demon) and I call my sister's then fiance that since I didn't really have older brothers growing up. I still think it's amusing - that older brothers are secretly demonic - but more importantly it inspired a moment in my imagining of the fairy tale - a moment when Oni asks Julia to stay with him, to love him and she responds that he is more like a brother - like an Onisan - still like a demon. It was touching to me, so it will be illustrated as I build up this project. : )

Sneaky Peak!

I wasn't going to post this - but then I saw the weekly theme on Girls Drawing Girls was Victory Rolls - a coincidence that I am with that hair-do right now? Maybe, maybe not, but I thought I'd post it up. : )

Girl Power!!

 

Quick sketch to further emphasize how EXCITED I am to go home this weekend and shop with these lovely ladies!! : D I have many Sistas - of all kinds, and many not pictured here (Do I sense a quick sketch series? What about my Bros?! I can't forget them!!) - but these are the fabulous gals who will join me in teasing Raul. Relentlessly. All over Billings, MT. (Sorry in advance)  

Starting at the left is my biological older sister, Virginia. I'm excited to see her because I haven't seen her since the last time I was home in...March maybe? AND she's going to make me an auntie!! I'm going to be the best auntie ever and spoil her kids. Loves you my Gigi! : )

Center is my new little sister, Rocio. Technically Raul's little sister, but I calls dibs now. She's driving up with us to see what Montana's like. I tempted her with mentions of the lack of sales tax and movie watching. I hope she doesn't get too bored! Loves you my Lulu! : )

On the right is my foreign exchangee sister, Mio. My family hosted her for the year following my exchange in Japan. Not only a great sister, but a great friend too. She's visiting home before going back to Japan now that her college exchange is over. Loves you my Momo! : ) 

SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!! : D

Onisan

Update to the Onisan Project! : ) Much happier with her this go and had fun with the prop design - not normally something I do, but enjoyable. Might be making a tropical pit stop before I continue with Oni himself, which I plan to combine with the Magic Box Month 3 lesson. Learning ALL the things. Drawing ALL the things. Not sleeping much...a fair trade in my eyes...not for the people I work with. lol

PUNKY!

Progress on Miss Punky. : ) I anticipate one more round before I call her finished and start prepping her for prints. At request I will have normal Punks and "Warhol" Punks (4 crazy colored punks in one print) for sale. I also still have some Ancient Beauties of China left - email me at rebecca@cosmicjingleart.com if you are interested in a Beauty or would like to reserve your Punk now!!

Character Sketches

Working on a new character, not "new" new, but new enough? Actually starting to get frustrated with her. I'm NOT a fan of the early Victorian hairstyles in Europe because they make everyone look old, manly and snobbish, so I fudged the historical accuracy hoping it would help make her look younger and a bit more feminine. (Aiming for a sophisticated early twenties) Trying to "stretch" her more and loosen her up since I imagine her as an animated character, but that too is proving hard since the further I try to push her, the further off model or awkward she starts looking. I was told that of the 6 drawings (3 of which I decided to scrap on account of said frustration) all of them looked like different people and were done in a completely different style. No suggestion was given as to how that could be remedied. A turn around was recommended to nail her features in place and give her a standard silhouette, but the first attempt (Not posted here) looked soooooo dead stiff that I felt it in my bad knee, took a pain killer and went to bed early. >< (Yesterday was kind of a nightmare anyway, so it was like...crowning achievement of FAIL)

Punky Update

First draft color comps for Miss Punky. So far so good. ^^

Still chugging away.

Magic Box Fancy Miss Punky

 A bit late, but here none the less! This is what I am working on now - a fancy Miss Punky. For those who don't know - Miss Punky is my boss's PomChi (Pomeranian + Chihuahua) who likes to eat your foods and have her tummy rubbed. She's surprisingly quiet; she'll sit and watch you until you pet or feed her. If she's really hungry she'll do a little dance. Her winter hair cut makes her look like Simba from The Lion King. She's a sweetheart.

The painting above was done by George Romney. I chose it for this project for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of her hat. I felt like Miss Punky needed a ridiculous hat.

This is part one of four (I think), so hopefully before the next assignment comes out I'll at least have part two or three posted.
So far this project has been enjoyable, if not amusing to my boyfriend. : )

In other news, my prints and new business cards arrived for the art market this Saturday and they are looking mighty nice. Well, the business cards are a little off, but all the information is readable which is the important part. The image itself isn't cut off either. And I only ordered 100, so if they go half as fast as they did at DCC I don't anticipate leftovers for CTNX. So the next order should come out better. But the prints themselves are BEAUTIFUL and FOR SALE.

Said boyfriend will also be there at the art market. He will be doing a live painting "demo" of a creature...which from what I've seen of the prep work he's been doing...will certainly be interesting. I won't say more than that since everybody should come check it out!

Water Tower Art and Craft Market

 

 Creature Design by Raul Ramos

Wang Zhoujun by ME : )

Bit of a busy month that June. Denver Comic Con was amazing! Got to see my family. Got to see Raul's family. Got to see Lady Katherine. Got a late start on the next homework assignment for the Magic Box. Hopefully I'll be posting that before the next assignment comes out. >< Anyways, hoping everyone will have a great 4th of July! (And if USA's Independence Day means little to you then have a great weekend!!)

Next weekend (Saturday July 13th) I will be sharing a booth with Raul Ramos at the Water Tower Art and Craft Market taking place at the Rocky Mountain College or Art and Design campus. He will be displaying creature designs and possibly doing a demo, while I will have character focused art - and even print cards available of the 4 Beauties of China!! (If you can't make it to the event, but are interested in purchasing a print to help me fund raise for the upcoming CTNX in November, please send an email to rebecca@cosmicjingleart.com, supplies are limited!) Fellow RMCAD alum and Oatley Academy student A.J. "Stewped" Young who I met at DCC will also be there!

Overall it promises to be a fantastic day and I'm super excited to see ALL THE PEOPLE!! So please come say hi! : )

Making Progess with Magic Box

Here's the next step forward!

Chris gave us some tips via video paint over - very helpful since he used my last piece as an example!! So I went back and reworked it - as seen here - and am feeling even better about it.

I sat in my living room all day and painted my fireplace at different points - morning, mid afternoon, late afternoon and night time. Since my windows/doors face north the lighting didn't change as much as I had hoped. < / But it was still interesting to see the tiny changes in shadows and highlights - especially when that stupid cloud passed over my skylight. ><
Still more work to do!

I think the nighttime one is my favorite. Which one is your favorite? 

Magic Boxer WIP Post

                

I am a pair of mystical men's underwear. ^^

...So I joined Chris Oatley's Magic Box - probably one of the best things I've done since the first time I decided to go to CTNX back in 2011: )

I feel like I've already learned a lot and I've barely started. Evidence to the left...yeah it's digital! Didn't think I could do that, huh? And it's an Interior Study no less!! That is my fireplace! (With Raul's katana and Fu dogs and massive fan...all the pretty Asian things...no wonder I love this guy) There are no people! The lines are disappearing! It's almost dimensional! I didn't even get tired of it half an hour in! I just wanted to keep going! I want to do more of these. o.o WOW.

Chris is an AMAZING teacher. He is well paced for beginners and intermediates, super supportive and inspiring. Everyone else participating has been really great too. I am truly in awe of the fact that I am maybe one week in and I have hope again. Hope that I am not stuck after all. And I understand that I still have a long way to go...that progress may not always come this quick the whole 18 months or be as noticeable...but with hope I am hurdling forwards, not dragging my feet. It feels really good!!

Anyways, I'll have more to post in a little while since I'm focusing on practicing these techniques for the class. Probably more studies - but I'll try to squeeze in a few characters here and there, I need to scan my last Four Beauties piece and finish some Tudor Roses before I launch into research mode for the next set that I dreamed up during the boring commute to ze day job. AND WHO CAN FORGET DENVER COMIC CON COMING UP?? Super psyched for that since Chris will be there!! 8D

Yang Guifei

Still feeling bad about the lapse in posts, so here's another quick one before I call it a night!
The last of the Four Beauties - Yang Guifei - so beautiful that flowers would wither in jealousy.
So yeah, that's it for these guys...or not. I may decide to do one last piece with them. For kicks and giggles. Generally pleased with how they all came out this round. Has been very interesting pushing things here and there, trying out a mix of different references.

For the other three Beauties: Diaochan, Wang Zhaojun, and Xi Shi.

And another shout out to she who inspired this redesign with her own artistic awesomeness: Liana Hee. She is so sweet and so talented. Please check out her blog!!

May...May??

 So I don't know what happened to March and April...the snow storms kind of mushed them together somehow. I moved apartments and started a new job (Still not the dream, but significantly more art involved already and utilizes my IT experience) To make up for lack of posts, here are:
1. Diaochan - Another Ancient Beauty of China, so beautiful that the moon would hide behind the clouds in shame.

2. Lady Jane Seymour - 3/6 of a new set of watercolors I started entitled Tudor Roses. and 3. Lady Catherine of Aragon - 1/6 of the aforementioned set. What can I say...I was re-watching the Tudors as I wait for the next season of Borgias. Both are great shows. Not without their faults, but very entertaining.

So I have one Ancient Beauty left and four more Roses. I may well soon have other projects to post (Now that I have a designated, well-equipped art creation space and a rhythm going I feel I will be very productive in the next few months) and if things go well with the work proposal tomorrow I may also have a whole new set to start posting from that too. YAY!!