Leveling Up

 

I love those shoes.

 

A friend of mine that I met through Oatley Academy - the amazing Chris Conlon - started the IlloLifeRPG on Facebook a week ago. This is my initial character sheet for the "game" of leveling up my skills and I'm pretty close-ish to leveling up soon, so I'll have to update that. (Maybe include the pair of shoes I just bought which are also cute) lol It's been really fun and challenging. I also LOVE some of the other character sheets I'm seeing. Lots of talented people out there!

 

Seriously, check it out: here.

 

In other news, I think I've finally beaten this cake-coma and had the very last piece of red velvet this morning for breakfast - so I should have much more to post in the upcoming weeks. ><

Tall, Dark and British...

My dear lady friend Miss Britt has been working very hard to get her first novel finished. I fondly remember reading through an old, unfinished draft and I am STOKED to read the next finished draft soon. I don't do fan art very often, but I think the occasion called for something special. So I present for you: Gabriel Arevale, Lord of Derringham!

We joked for about 3 years that I was dating Gabriel as I spent so much time staring at the fancy portraits she did of him. What can I say? I dig the tortured souls. lol I even got this fantastic birthday comic: http://terrizae.deviantart.com/art/Gift-for-Zenuva-150665656 which he was so gracious enough to participate in for me. Fun times indeed.

It's a fantastic story that's historical, romantic, mysterious, and thrilling! So definitely check out her blog for updates and beg her for more teasers: http://authorerinlounsbury.blogspot.com/

Renewed Attempts

 

Incorporating more of my research...I'm taking yet another approach to this character. I still have much more development needed, but I feel like I'm getting much closer with this page. The finished "page" for her will probably be several pages long. XP
 

I had been close to finished on another important piece for a while, but then I had a break through (On a Sunday evening no less, so very hard getting myself to go to sleep for work the next morning after that epiphany) and scrapped it. Now the redraw is super close to finished and I feel super energized about it, so the painting will go speedy fast!! :) (Teaser below)
Then I should get back to that Fancy Bear...and some trees...lol 

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!!