The Derelict Carrot

Metropolis tone and color

2010-04-17T12:26:00.000-05:00

In a (not completely successful) attempt to save time I employed the grisaille technique for the final stages of the Metropolis project. Grisaille involves painting first in grayscale and then overlaying a transparent color wash. The idea is that by being able to focus on value removed from color considerations, one will be able to crank through the initial stages of the painting very quickly. In my case, I didn't push my values far enough before adding color, and this resulted in some of the panels looking washed out and underdeveloped. (I used the color blending mode in Photoshop.) That said, I think the more simplistic look of the colored page is acceptable for sequential art. A good exercise if nothing else!

Missing You, Metropolis

2010-04-16T09:50:00.001-05:00

The first two stages of the Missing You, Metropolis project I've been working on the past few weeks. Graywolf Press hired me to produce a graphic treatment of the title poem from a soon-to-be-published book by Gary Jackson. The book focuses on the interplay between the imaginary worlds and characters found in comic books and the very real, often difficult experiences of the author growing in rural Kansas. The concept is to depict snippets from the poem in the format of a page from a graphic novel. This 6x11" illustration will be included in the first run of galleys sent out to editors, reviewers, etc.

The rough illustration is intended to demonstrate my visual concept to the client. Once this is approved, I redraw the panels and refine my linework. (Thanks to my aspiring photographer buddy Diarmuid Kelleher for helping me snap a few reference photographs for this stage of the project.)

More from life

2010-04-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

All 15 minute poses this week. I remain frustrated with the quantity of information I am able to record in the time available, specifically with respect to light and shadow. If we moved to 30 minute poses I might be able to more clearly indicate form, finish hands and feet, etc. (I refine my linework at the conclusion of each pose.)

Life drawing

2010-03-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting to post my sketches from life drawing, so here are a handful from the past few weeks. Looking forward to further improvement tonight.

Walk or Bus?

2010-02-25T11:50:00.006-06:00

The Walk or Bus? iPhone app has officially been released! Download it from the Apple store. The app calculates whether you are better off taking the bus or walking based on a number of variables, including how long until the bus arrives, your average walking speed, and how far to your destination. A very cool gizmo. Brainchild of Dana Boyd and Chris Mueller, coding and implementation by Peter Edstrom. I helped with the visual identity.

Painted PixelChef logo

2010-02-01T23:14:00.000-06:00

Round 2: painted logo. Font is Univers. I failed to come up with a pixelation effect that I was happy with, so decided to omit it. The next step is to adjust the logo for readability at various resolutions. Suggestions are welcome!

Pixelchef logo - rough draft

2010-01-23T22:50:00.000-06:00

Here's a rather rough first draft of the new pixelchef logo for my forthcoming web site. I am satisfied with the pose, but everything else is off. The colors are not sufficiently bright and cheery, and I am beginning to think the warmer color should be the dominant hue. Neither pixelation effect is working, either, but I want to continue playing around with the idea. Haven't thought to much about the background yet, but I may throw in one of those (admittedly overused) sunburst deals.

Groundling theater geometry

2010-01-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

My current "Robot" task is to model the Groundling theater. The base symmetrical geometry, weighing in at just under 7000 polys is nearly complete. I will start work on the asymmetrical bits next, followed by baking details and painting textures.

Two more

2010-01-10T17:49:00.002-06:00

More biology posters, this time covering the Calvin Cycle! These complete the set.

Christmas tags

2009-12-28T13:26:00.001-06:00

As usual, I waited until the last minute to make my Christmas cards and gift tags. Fortunately, Dad (professor Robert C. Brown) had been looking for an excuse to try out his trusty new watercolor set, and so we found ourselves busily making art on Christmas eve. He painted the tags as I finished drawing them, and I even managed to coerce him into painting his own card! Who needs Hallmark anyway? :) Painting credits: Robert C. Brown

Final figure drawings of 2009

2009-12-15T15:36:00.000-06:00

After taking a 6 month hiatus from figure drawing, I decided to trek over to the last MCAD-hosted cooperative of the year. It's within walking distance, only $5, professionally organized, and the model last night was exceptional. I was also glad to see many people in attendance on such a cold night.

As usual, my first half dozen gestures were abysmal. I don't know if I will ever be able to shake a handful of bad habits that consistently pop up when I am drawing people from life: poor proportions, over-reliance on line, inability to sense form. I suspect this is partly due to the remarkable human ability to sense even the slightest anatomical error in renderings of people. But I also sense a certain anxiety when I know I'm about to draw a human being, an anxiety that is absent when I attempt to draft any other subject. Weird.

What they see

2009-12-08T22:36:00.000-06:00

More refined compositions for the Kenneltraz project. The idea is that our pets' perception of the world is considerably more dramatic than ours--e.g. the local strip mall dog pound is seen as a creepy prison island. I still struggle mightily with value, but I'm starting to understand the whole painting thing. I've also learned that while the "mirror" test is invaluable and not all that scary during the early stages of a drawing, it becomes increasingly terrifying the longer one works. In the case of the animal gang picture, I was nearly finished with the painting (and out of time) before I worked up the courage to flip it. It was not a good experience.

More geese

2009-12-06T11:00:00.001-06:00

Finished full-color cover and penciled interior illustrations for the goose project. I scanned the last two drawings before adding value, and I plan to add color to them in the near future.

Kenneltraz - first draft sketches

2009-11-22T22:39:00.000-06:00

First round of sketches for the Kenneltraz project.

Prison isle take 2

2009-11-01T17:11:00.002-06:00

A completely different take on the prison island concept.

Prison isle

2009-10-28T19:01:00.001-05:00

A prison island inspired by Alcatraz (lighthouse, smokestack, water tower). I must have had The Curse of Monkey Island in mind as I drew this. Remember the Plunder Island map with those dramatic cinnamon roll clouds? I might try a darker, more severe version next.

Architectural identity crisis

2009-10-22T23:18:00.003-05:00

A value study and more detailed sketch of the lab set for scene 1 of the virtual play to be staged in the aforementioned classical/byzantine-esque theatre. The play is about robots, and it's rather edgy. My kind of drama. Presently reworking the architectural flourishes to make it a bit less Victorian (although I'm definitely keeping the Frankenstein-derived "lightnining bulbs") and a bit more art deco. At least, that's the idea.

Groundling theater

2009-10-13T11:34:00.001-05:00

A structure/lighting concept for a virtual theater to be used to stage interactive plays. The concept is a somewhat dilapidated (derelict, perhaps?) ~200-year-old theater from the turn of the 20th century. Barrel-shaped, with a dramatic dome a la the Hagia Sophia or Pantheon. Three-tiered gallery pays homage to the Globe.

Treehome

2009-10-10T17:13:00.002-05:00

My third and final rough for the Goose project. Having trouble making Oliver stand out against the background. I'm also unhappy with the overall sense of light and shadow. Perhaps if I knock back the value throughout the image and then selectively bring back key areas--Oliver's silhouette, the edge of the stack of books--I'll achieve the look I have in mind. Right now, I think there is a bit too much ambient light.

Book cover

2009-10-09T16:28:00.003-05:00

My idea was to mimic those old promotional air force posters from WWII. I got the idea to put billowing clouds from this war bonds poster.

Goose update

2009-10-08T22:02:00.002-05:00

A WIP of one of the illustrations I'm working on for the Goose book. This is a 1/3 resolution rough sketch with a bit of colour thrown in to give me an opportunity to play with value, and as an excuse to practice :) After I get this approved, I'll blow up the drawing, transfer it to board, and redraw the scene without all those chicken scratches. Critiques are, as always, heartily welcomed!

Sketch roundup

2009-09-11T18:49:00.008-05:00

Geese! I'd forgotten how fun it is to anthropomorphize animals.

Mascot sketches for Groundling Games.

Ever have a sudden urge to draw but all you can find is a magazine cover featuring Brad Pitt? Well, that's what happened.

Another round of sketches from India

2009-09-01T16:09:00.003-05:00

Antique cars and motorcycles on display at Chowmahalla Palace (near the Charminar in the old part of Hyderabad). I was focused on quickly sketching all of the cars until a high school-aged student approached me and requested we draw a motorcycle together. Ironically, he chose the "Indian Chief"--a cycle of American make prominently featuring a native American on the front fender. Also: a limeade vendor and his cart. Limeade in Hyderabad (and perhaps all of India) is very salty, very sweet, and just a little bit sour.

Bored at a sheesha bar...

More sketches from India

2009-08-27T10:14:00.006-05:00

A sketch made from a rooftop terrace in one of the nicer parts of Hyderabad. The distant skyline was interesting, if a bit smog-obscured, but I was more interested in sketching the boulder field occupying the lot across the street. In the following weeks, I began to notice the boulders in other parts of the city. I saw a troupe of laborers working over a particularly massive stone with pick axes and jack hammers, and although their efforts did not appear to be affecting the stone in the slightest, the scene made me a little sad. Another hastily erected, nondescript commercial monolith hardly seems a suitable replacement for the massive, ancient, precariously stacked stones that in recent years have become an increasingly rare sight within city limits. But in the grand scheme of things, it's just a rock... right?

Who doesn't want a portable lotus pond in the shape of an elephant?

I met an amiable bonsai pro at a large outdoor garden festival who seemed to equate my interest in drawing bonsai--a perennial favorite subject of mine--with a deep understanding of the craft. I tried to explain that I had never actually miniaturized a tree, but he was already inviting me to tour his private, not-for-sale bonsai forest. I ran out of time and didn't get to see the bulk of his work, but the 50-odd trees on public display were pretty neat.

View from the window of my bedroom. The purpose of the cage wasn't clear to me; perhaps it keeps out the birds.

India sketchbook

2009-08-24T10:02:00.011-05:00

I didn't obtain access to a scanner until the day before I left India, and then I was so busy gorging myself on a final round of dosas, stuffed lady fingers, and parathas that I ran out of time to post the scans. Bummer. Here are a couple of images from the little spiral-bound (+ pen and tiny watercolor set) I carried with me everywhere I went.

Imaginative sketches made during my "Delhi belly"-induced confinement.

Inspired by the craggy hills surrounding the village of Palampur.(I didn't have time to make a sketch on-site, so I had to rely on memory.)

Statues from the home I stayed at in Hyderabad. The Shahs had countless antique paintings, carvings, and statues lining the walls, floors, and ceilings.

And a quick sketch of one of those bloody autorickshaws that contribute so much to noise, pollution, and traffic deaths in India. But in the middle of the night on a crowded freeway lined with 8" speedbumps, riding in the back of one of the little devils WAS an experience...

a question of style

2009-07-21T09:05:00.008-05:00

So, I can't decide if I want to illustrate all 100 fruits + veggies for "SeasonalChef" in Illustrator

or Flash

I guess I could switch between programs depending on the visual complexity of each consumable, but I was rather hoping to stick with one application. I'm sure this is directly related to me being familiar, but far from adept, with both drawing programs. The mesh gradient tool in Illustrator is a godsend for knobby, elongated, twisted, or otherwise funky veggies. But I really like how Flash gives the ability to localize alpha channels in gradients without messing around with masks. What a tragic dilemma.

Learn cell biology in 10 easy steps!

2009-07-20T16:18:00.007-05:00

The set of posters that will be on display in India. Thanks again to Will Schneller for assembling and rendering many of the 3D assets.

assorted sketches

2009-07-14T22:01:00.004-05:00

A few sketches I've had lying around for a while. I re-penciled the "steamobile" for the book, eventually hope to paint it and make it into a proper illustration. The first scan is a little card I made for a friend who was kind enough to buy me lots of flour on her last day at Whole Foods (employee discount!) I have more bits and pieces on my drawing table, but I need to find motivation to draw before I can hope to be moved to scan anything in.

Plant biology posters

2009-06-22T10:31:00.006-05:00

I am working with a couple of people at Iowa State to assemble a series of posters that will be used to supplement high school-level plant biology instruction. These represent the first half of the set of 12-16 2'x3' posters. (It has been frustrating to observe my aged system feebly grabble with the massive 7200x10800 Photoshop files. 2GB of RAM seemed like so much two years ago...)

I am still attempting to settle on a consistent visual style. Right now, the posters don't complement each other quite as well as I'd like them to. Deciding how to handle lettering has been one of my biggest challenges. I rather wish I had taken a typography course at university.

Life drawing update

2009-05-27T15:42:00.006-05:00

I'm training myself to take down lots of information very quickly while in-session with a model, and then flesh out the details on my own time. The only problem with this approach is that my lack of visual memory sometimes results in cartoony faces. That last one especially suffered from the "I forgot to record the facial features" syndrome. I also started a self portrait the other night, but when I realised it looked nothing like me I threw my pencil down in disgust and refused to do any more. It was very dramatic.

Veggie vectors and a soybean leaf

2009-05-26T12:45:00.005-05:00

Here's a concept sketch and first drawings for the iPhone app I am working on in conjunction with a group of friends. These will be displayed both as small icons in lists and more prominently on individual fruit and vegetable pages.

I've been working on this (nearly complete) composite of a soybean leaf cross section for a while now: the underlying 3D model last summer, the normal texture in the fall, and most recently the composite for the set of posters I'm helping to prepare for display in Hyderabad, India in a couple of months.

Biological illustration

2009-04-20T17:56:00.006-05:00

Some biological "sketches" for the biofuel book. I feel like I'm back in school...

Co-op in jeopardy

2009-04-09T07:59:00.006-05:00

My co-op organizer sent out an email over the weekend imploring us to recruit more artists. Apparently, attendance has not been high enough to recoup the model's fee. And I was considering skipping this week! Fortunately, Monday's model was very good and she even held a couple of longer 30-40 minute poses. I'm still way too slow, but at least my drawings weren't terrible this time around. I hope the co-op is still around come next Monday!

A rather unfortunate perspective, but it gave me a chance to work on feet. I also decided to bust out the conte for one of the gestures:

And a page from my sketchbook:

Yes, more bread

2009-03-31T16:56:00.005-05:00

I baked a rather sad round of French loaves for my master class last weekend. So sad, in fact, that I have taken it upon myself to bake every day this week in an effort to improve my skills. My first order of business was trying more French bread--see above.

In addition to solving the mystery of appalling crust pallor that had plagued my previous dozen or so loaves (my steam pan, stupidly placed above my bread, must have insulated the tops of my loaves sufficiently to prevent them from browning!) I also proved to myself that very wet dough is not as terrifying as I once thought. See ciabatte:

I promise I'll post something sketch-related in a day or two.

Pesky carbon dioxide

2009-03-16T10:06:00.003-05:00

I decided to completely rework the "Carbon burden" graphic that has been tormenting me these past few weeks. My inspiration: board games! I decided to make each of the drawings look like playing pieces set on a board, all sharing a common perspective. I'm not yet 100% satisfied with the clarity of the illustration, nor am I convinced I should leave the pencil drawings unshaded. The primary reason I haven't painted them in yet is because I'm afraid they will compete visually with the other more important graphical elements--like the arrows or the CO2 molecules. More later.

Sketch dump

2009-03-09T13:57:00.003-05:00

A handful of studies for illustrations I am presently working on, as well as random drawings from the last couple of weeks. Horses: two of my projects require me to draw them, but when I sat down and attempted to sketch one from memory the poor animal looked awful. Sort of a cow-meets-wolf abomination.

Sour cinnamons

2009-03-07T11:05:00.003-06:00

A half-eaten batch of sourdough cinnamon rolls, shown here on my all-time favorite platter. My last batch didn't turn out very well, probably because my apartment was frigid. I also used less WW flour this time but added a bunch of wheat germ for texture. Very tasty.

Figures

2009-02-24T09:31:00.004-06:00

Two more 30-min drawings from my Monday night co-op. I had a lot of trouble making headway on the second drawing in the studio--I'm still not working as fast as I would like--but I got enough information down to do a little touch up after the fact. Face is still wonky and I didn't record any lighting information.

More bio illustrations and a bug

2009-02-23T17:16:00.005-06:00

Working on an illustration after a design by Prof. Robert C. Brown. The idea is to tie together two illustrated "vignettes" that tell the story of fuel production from differing perspectives. These are a few of the nine illustrations I put together for the piece. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble tying the piece together into a cohesive whole. I probably just need to spend more time with it, but I'm also worried my paintings differ too much stylistically.

A little sketch for a quilting project my grandmother is working on. She asked for a 'B' with a bug.

More figures

2009-02-17T11:40:00.004-06:00

A couple of 30 minute drawings from co-op last night. I like the variety a bunch of shorter poses provide, but I am never able to move beyond a simple line drawing in half an hour. An additional fifteen minutes, maybe thirty would be sufficient for me to put in more interesting varied-line and basic shading. Something to flesh these out a bit more. Or maybe I'm just too slow. Many of the other attendees add tone almost immediately, but I can't stand shading a drawing with bad proportions.

Steamobile

2009-02-03T11:45:00.005-06:00

Working on a concept for an illustration depicting two notable relics of the automotive industry. I really have no idea why the steam car isn't still with us today--I'd happily commute to work in one of these! The final illustration will include a fission car on the right from a similar perspective. I haven't yet decided if I want to paint the entire illustration or first draw the mechanical bits in illustrator and then paint in the happy people. My sketch is pretty wobbly, and a couple of mathematically precise ovals couldn't hurt...

Le Petit Prince redux

2009-01-28T10:10:00.003-06:00

A first draft cover for a book being written by prof Robert C. Brown. The text is all FPO. I wanted to play around with combining vector art (the planet) with a painted character. Ideally, I'll be able to use a similar style for all of the illustrations in the book. I think I want to give the planet more character, make it bumpier like the "Loomis" planet a few posts down. I also need to add more woodland, push the distinction between cropland and forest, and maybe add a little painted texture to the planet.

A few early sketches (+ a smiling farmer lady & a funky birthday cupcake):

Tiny bakery

2009-01-27T09:19:00.007-06:00

Don't tell my employers, but I've been baking like a madman! Last week was another sourdough week, and while my boules turned out nicely my "seeded sour" was aesthetically lacking. The dough dried out in the fridge overnight which prevented the loaves from caramelizing properly during their time in the blazing inferno.

This week: croissants!

Co-op-y goodness

2009-01-26T10:53:00.005-06:00

I finally got around to searching the Cities for a good figure drawing cooperative, and found one within minutes! It's in a nearby neighborhood that also happens to feature my favorite food cooperative. So: 2 hours of drawing followed by perusing aisles of turnips and quinoa! What excitement!

I arrived late to last week's session but still had fun. Most of the poses were 10-15 minutes, which was fine for getting back into the figure drawing groove. Unfortunately, my drawing for the only long pose of the evening looked like this

So I've opted not to share it.

Sourdough pizza!

2009-01-23T23:35:00.011-06:00

I am obsessed with tasty pizza. Last week, I became so overwhelmed with the work of Peter Reinhart and Nancy Silverton that I decided to develop my wild starter (an offshoot of my mum's Ames colony) into a pizza dough. The results were unexpectedly delicious. Those busy little Twin Cities fungi and bacteria produced a crispy yet chewy crust with surprising sweetness and the slightest hint of acidic tang. Combined with a sesame-parsley pesto, it was a near-perfect pizza experience!

For all you neo-Neapolitan pizza aficionados out there, here's an ECU of the burnished crust:

as well as a bad photo of the porous, slightly transparent crumb:

Coloring book

2009-01-23T23:10:00.006-06:00

This little image, inspired by the brilliant Mr. Loomis, needed some color. So I colored it in. The experience made me realise how long it has been since I did a proper painting with my tablet. Time to get busy!

Saucy pot

2009-01-19T17:44:00.004-06:00

Holy smokes it's been a long time since my last sketch number. To appease the blogods, and to begin working towards new year's resolution #6, here are a couple of monsters, a cowboy (name that film!) and a bubbly little pot. I'm gearing up for a few largeish (by my standards) projects, and will post progress updates.

Graphite scratches

2008-10-27T08:16:00.006-05:00

A few unrelated sketches. I'm trying to work out the kinks, get back into the habit of drawing regularly. A couple more weeks of this and I might feel up to taking on a single, unified drawing. Maybe.