New Semester, Old Semester, Potato, Potatoe

So here's my final project for my first semester at NC State. They are 34'' by 11'' two page spreads that I made in Photoshop. I got deducted "points" (we never really saw any grades, art school problems I guess) because I put it together a bit haphazardly. I just didn't have money to go and get it nicely printed and bound so I just printed it out and glued it to bristol board so it would be sturdy. I realize that the price of materials is basically being substituted for books in the case of an art (well in this case, "Design" School) school education, but I just didn't have enough money at the time (Christmas!) to do so.

We had exit interviews with the Professor and I got a talking to about my attitude about art in general (I don't take this SERIOUSLY), but I feel like it could have been a lot worse. I've learned to just not talk at all while in school because it never really helps. A lot of the time I think about how I've kind of dug a hole for myself and I can either keep on digging (leave school, have aspects of my life become worse as a result) or just quietly and calmly climb out of the hole without complaining (just finishing school, getting a degree, and getting a job).

Two weird things I've noticed about going to the College of Design at NC State...

1. The students are kind of scared of the faculty. It's weird, they are just teachers, they aren't going to put you in art jail. I don't mean this in a rebel against authority way or anything, but just in general. Like a hushed reverence maybe? "Oh no, it's professor B!" I guess this ties into me not taking this seriously? I'm probably the weird one I guess.

2. People don't draw as much as they should. Lots of people have blank sketchbooks when the Professor is talking. It just seems so strange that a generation of students who can use 3 different devices at the same time while driving a car can't doodle while someone is talking.

Something of random note for people who like animation is how I realized that John K (the guy who did Ren + Stimpy) was actually right for saying new animation is bad. I used to think he was just being a dickhead because he didn't like Dexter's Lab and what not, but when you think about it's depressing how we have all this technology now and the animation done in the 1940's with cels was so much better. Maybe this is due to the cost of 2D animation compared to 3D or just the overall move to 3D animation (which has become fantastic overall) in general. I enjoy Adventure Time and the lot, but everyone is just made of smooth tubes now. It's just confusing being in a place filled with people who love art but don't take time to learn about the past.

I kinda don't want to be an animator, and I guess I'm not one to talk because I never finish anything, but that just seems so strange to me. We have so much more, but we are doing less. Maybe Baby Boomers were right and we are ruining America?

I have some unfinished sketch things I can post, but I'll do that later. Seeya later Blog, you are almost at 10000 views!

Now its a full body picture!

Basically that guy is talking to his sword's spiritual representation while being under deep water. So all the cloth will be floating and it gives me an excuse to fill up negative space. Since its anime that lady has huge boobs, I wanted to show them because I am a bad person, but the way she is floating behind him it would be impossible. Unless I broke a bunch of anatomy laws or made them (her boobs) enormous. I just stuck with trying to draw it right, so this is what I have so far, yay!

So winter break is quickly approaching and I'll have time to work (or most likely not work) on non school pictures again. Why do I do so much fan art? Why does it take me so long? I guess it IS good practice, like by taking my time and working out the kinks I am slowly improving. I think I am?

Well I have a lot of pictures to choose from to finish...

Thor, this Bleach picture, that other Bleach picture, Namor, the Live.Die.Repeat lady, Chrono Trigger pic, that not so great Law picture, so I mean I have a lot to choose from.

It may be smart to not start a new fan art picture and try to finish at LEAST one in the like four weeks I won't have school.

Maybe I should work on my own characters instead of drawing my version of other peoples creations? Man, that requires effort though, booooo.

Thanks to whomever (whoever?) is reading this. No one comments, and I really don't think anyone uses blogger anymore, but I still appreciate any visits. I'll try to finish one picture completely during break, key word "try".

Chipping away mistakes at a snails pace

So here is a picture of a character from a comic for teenage boys involving ghosts. It is taking forever because...

1. It involves layers of clothing and folds, I am bad at drawing clothing!
2. I kinda want the picture to look nice, so I am trying to get all the details right. Man when you type that out it reads pretty whats the word, pretentious? Am I even using that word right? Basically I am not good enough at drawing.

I'll have to make the picture bigger because I want to put his swords in, maybe it will be a whole body picture because why not? He is also underwater, that's why things are randomly floating.

Design School of Rock(s)

Two months, no posts. Why?!

I am a busy bee. Design School is neither good nor bad, it just kind of is. We're being taught how to think about what we are making, kinda like a starter class on creativity and how to control our ideas. A big emphasis is being put on telling a story with your words instead of just having your work do the talking. Unless we are making something specific, art feels like it will always be subjective so I'd rather just people enjoy whatever weird thing I am making instead of trying to put an idea in their head and failing. If they think our cardboard wall thing looks like a bad dream they had, but still enjoy it, I'll always take that instead of making up some silly story about the emotions I didn't put into the inanimate object I made.

The illustration work will hopefully come, but I had expectations that we'd be learning how to do better work, faster. What does process matter if you can't accurately render what you are trying to get the viewer to feel? I guess that'll just have to be on me to teach myself. I am no artistic savant, I still have tons of things to learn, but it has just been a little disappointing so far. I keep thinking about how if we're all being taught the same way to be creative, doesn't that kind of render our creativity obsolete?

I am just talking to myself anyway, so I'll just explain what I've posted and be on my merry way.

1. We had to make a wearable object out of paper. I made a cape!

2. We had to work in groups and use cardboard to decorate our space. Our group had a whole wall so we decided to cover it. It was surprising to learn that no one ever did that before, c'mon design students!

3. I don't get to practice my animez cartoon art as much anymore, but here is a rough sketch I did of Law from One Piece. My perspective is all over the place!

Thank you for coming to visit and looking at my slow moving art blog. Even though no one comments, I get a bit warm when the viewership jumps from 1 to like 6.

Few Changes, Few Posts

Hey idiot, her cape wouldn't be going straight back on both sides if her body is turned. LERN 2 DRAW.

Still haven't given up, but have been a bit busy. Sometimes I wonder if I'm truly passionate about art because I'm not making time for it like people always say you will for things you love. I can either feel bad about this or just realize I'm not dead and until that happens there will be time for me to give it my all. Let's go positive thinking!

In the last two weeks I've moved, got transferred to a new job location (which is also in the freezer which is making me sick because I'm not dressing properly), and tomorrow I begin my education adventure at NC State's College of Design.

My goal for the year is to not get mad at the silly world of objectivity/whiny pee pee baby culture that art is slathered in. I would like to say I want to take art seriously, but not the whole "This is art, art is important, WE ARE IMPORTANT" thing that artists can tend to drape themselves with. Learning how to actually do it properly (in my case, MUCH FASTER, and all the other non speed crap I do completely wrong) is something I would hope to achieve with great skill.

Hopefully I can settle down into a regular schedule within the next week and get back to posting constant updates of unfinished/incredibly slow progressions of pictures being finished like the good ol' days.

Every once in awhile I see the little page hits spike to like 41 for a day and I think it might be one person looking at everything. If this is true, hey one person, I appreciate that. I hope you aren't spending too much time looking at my unfinished work. Go watch a movie, maybe Ex Machina. That movie didn't get nearly enough pub for how good it was. Oscar season is a big joke.

Slow and Wobbly probably isn't going to win the race

Top = Previous Version

Bottom = Updated Version

I haven't been not drawing, I just have hit a weird block again where I am not finishing anything. I've been trying to fix this Thor picture and just wanted to get her cape and armor right. It's been taking a long time and I have no real reason why. I just want to draw her Armor right, but its awkward and has been taking forever, I also want to get her cape right both physically and compositionally. I don't want to be negative artist wiener guy, but I mean I haven't been able to figure this out. Maybe this is part of my learning process? At least I'm not just drawing it wrong and being like "It looks fine!" like I used to. The paper is full of white out and tape and is kind of a disaster. Just looking at the picture while I'm posting it I can already tell I need to make the hammer thicker and add some more foreground elements.

Maybe starting Art School in August will help? Maybe it won't? I appreciate people looking at the blog though, whatever it is they are looking at I hope you are enjoying it.

Ayla from Chrono Trigger

So here we go, a finished picture of Ayla from Chrono Trigger. Since it's just Grayscale right now I decided to not go nuts with the foreground so it wouldn't just be a big gray blob. Now I have a picture that I can use to learn how to color in the future.

I have no idea what to do with my life now. I actually finished a mediocre picture. This must be like what Mallory's ghost felt like when his skeleton was found on Mt. Everest.