Art Dump

Merrrmaid

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Oy. So I needed to do some art for myself tonight...but now I think I'm done with that for a while.

Photoshop, with my trusty lasso tool yet again :)

Where have all my words gone?

2012-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ever since I got an iphone I've been trying to catch up with the rest of the world by gettin' my Words with Friends on. So far I've played a lot of games and won...well...very few. It's starting to make me worry a little....

But if you want to play, find me on facebook! Or search my username: Missliao (...someone stole my blog name already! D:)

Qpop Thailand Benefit Show

2012-01-08T23:18:00.000-08:00

This Saturday (Jan 14th) at Qpop there will be a benefit show for the Thailand flooding. Terrible flooding during the 2011 monsoon season affected millions and caused billions in damage. If you are in the LA area this weekend, please come and support this cause!

I'll be donating this piece for the show:

gouache on colored paper, 5"x7"

rough

framed

my messy workspace :)

Hope to see you there on Saturday!

Here are some other artists' contributions!:

What If...

2011-12-07T11:43:00.001-08:00

I am super excited to be participating in this year's Micro Gallery Show--titled "What If...?"--at Nucleus. Tons of amazing artists will be exhibiting delightfully tiny art, and you should definitely check out the opening on Saturday! It also opens the same night as the Jim Henson Tribute Gallery, so that's double the arty fun!

I did two pieces for the show. It was actually surprisingly hard to think of a good "what if..?" idea, and in the end I just went with "what if everyone could get along?" which of course equals a salmon tea party. They're both in watercolor, which scans notoriously poorly so sorry for the cruddy image/color quality!

My roommate Megan and I spent a couple of late nights painting, check out her awesome pieces!

Also I finally added a 'recent blogs' list so I can stop snooping on other people's lists :I

Daaa-lek

2011-12-05T19:10:00.001-08:00

Ever since Rad and I started watching Dr. Who, I've constantly gotten the Daleks' Favorite Catchphrase--"Exterminate! Exterminaaaate!"--stuck in my head. We started thinking that maybe they could expand their vocabulary a little, and try saying some other things. Rad thought up most of these :)

You have to imagine these in that charming mechanical Dalek sound, it works better that way!

Celebraaate! Celebraaaaaaaate!!

Percolaaate

Caffeinate...Caffeinaaaaaaate

Furminaate! Fuuuurrminaaate!!

Morning Pup

2011-11-21T08:58:00.001-08:00

quick little update...I did this for a friend's birthday. I need to catch up on my gift art backlog. The next few weeks will be super busy at work but hopefully I can get a few more done.

PS It was really great seeing everyone at CTN! I got to say hi to a lot of old friends and meet twice as many new ones. I also spent way too much money haha :(

CTN-X & giveaway!!!

2011-11-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

So... the CTN-Expo in Burbank is coming up really quickly, and lately all I've seen are expo posts on all the blogs. There also seem to be a lot of people doing some very cool CTN-X giveaways...which inspired me to do a giveaway of my own!

Now obviously this is very last minute so it's not going to be nearly as neat as some of the other awesome giveaways out there...but here goes.

To celebrate the arrival of CTN-X, I'll be giving away ONE HUG. That's right, ONE HUG. Here's a preview:

You can enter to win by leaving a comment on this post.

If you win you can get your hug at the CTN expo! I've provided a map in case you have trouble finding me:

The red dots mark where I am! I could (possibly) be at any of the locations at any given time.

(By the way, does 'Opportunity Alley' sound kind of sketchy to anyone else...?)

Now, I know that a hug doesn't sound like much...so to boost the credibility of my giveaway I offer some testimonials:

"OMG it was amazing!...I almost cried" -- Tiffany

"The special-effects were awesome!" -- Chester

"Wait.....What...?" -- Kevin

"MrrrrroooowwRRRRRrrrrr" -- Chaos

There you have it! Don't wait, you still have three days to enter and WIN!

(Forgot to add: If you win the hug and cannot make it to CTN-X, you can absolutely raincheck the hug. However, the hug is not redeemable in cash (pft, like I have a million dollars just lying around. Hahaha!....I'm just kidding.)
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Seriously, though...I'd love to meet people at the expo! Are you going to be there? If the answer is yes then let's find each other and say hi! :)

________________________________________________________

And the hug winner is....Aminder!!! I will deliver your hug when I next see you! I like everyone, though, so I will be giving consolation hugs to all the people who didn't win (if they care to receive them, that is...). But I'll make them way tinier than the Winner Hug in order to validate this contest. It's only fair.

Pretty Girl

2011-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

...for Rad.
I asked Rad what my first drawing on my new cintiq should be. I ended up NOT using my cintiq for this, but here it is anyway.

I guess it's the princess and the frog, before she met the frog. That's for another drawing!

Chaos

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

I realize I'm dangerously close to joining the Crazy Cat-Lady Club with this, but bah, I say...bah!

This is Chaos. He is chubby and adorable, and he likes lying on his side and showing off his moobs.

I never realized how truly nice it is to have a cat around the house, until he came to stay with us. Now I think all houses should have cats (except birdhouses)!

He likes galloping up and down the hall for no particular reason, which is puzzling (though Megan and I have speculated that he is celebrating how light he feels after he visits the litterbox).

He also likes being slapped on the butt repeatedly. I think he's a fan of the tough love.

2011-09-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try out bloggers new interface (I know I'm way late, WHATEVER), but I didn't have anything to post...until I remembered that I had some old lifedrawings scanned. And since everyone is posting their lifedrawz, I might as well, too! So here you go, my really old art!:

I'll have something new soon, really.

And yeah, his fake gun was that tiny.

Cats are awesome

2011-08-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

oh no! I told Rad I would update my blog by this weekend if he updated his (and he proceeded to update right away with some awesome gestures, the bugger). I got caught up with stuff and totally forgot my end of the deal, so now this is late and a doodle that is pretty much not in any state of done-ness... :(

but a promise is a promise, and yes, cats rock.

08 Shark week! -- Great hammerhead

2011-08-01T00:36:00.000-07:00

Huzzah! It's shark week!! So...every year when this blessed event happens, artists unite to draw these magnificent creatures all week. First up is the Great Hammerhead!

I tried doing some watercolor sharks first, but they turned out so awfully that I gave up and did the rest in photoshop. The paper just didn't agree with me, but I put them up anyway.

If you want to be part of the shark-drawing party, check out the shark of the day at:
http://sharkweeksketchjam.deviantart.com/
Share your sharks! :)

Other Shark Bloggies! (if you did a shark, let me know so I link your beautiful art):

Megan Nicole Dong
Mike Nassar
Eric Wu
Nate Villanueva
Tiffany Ford
Ian Abando
Alejandra

07 How to Choose Your Watermelon

2011-07-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

(took a break for comic con, will keep at the daily sketches in a bit :D)

I always love watching people pick watermelons. They gently bounce the fruit, pat it, look very intensely at it....It seems like everyone has their own method or secret for picking the very best one.

My dad was generally the one in our family who chose the watermelons, and I remember almost all of them being delicious. My sister and I came to think of him as some kind of...Watermelon Whisperer. I, too, wanted the magic touch! So recently one night (after eating some of yet another perfectly tasty watermelon), I asked him:

"How do you pick your watermelons, Dad?"

A good watermelon?

to pick a good watermelon you need to look for three things

"A good sound when you pat it!"

If you listen closely to that sound you can tell how juicy and thick the watermelon will be.

"The scars! The scratches! If a watermelon has some of these it will taste better"

Huh? Why?

Well, you see....

Animals can tell when a watermelon has a lot of sugar in it, so they're always clawing and trying to get into the sweetest melons. That leaves the scratches and scars.

Really?!?!

HAhahaha

No.

"You see those little black dots in the scars? Those are beads of sugar that have oozed out of the melon! You can tell that it will be sweet."

Now, the last thing you need to look for is the bu--...button...buh--...

...buh...

"The butt, Dad?"

Yes, the butt of the watermelon.

You see, right here?

The butt.

"When you push on the butt of the watermelon, you should feel some tension and it should bounce back a little. It will tell you how firm and juicy the watermelon is" heh heh

So:

"The butt!"

....Aaaand that's how I learned the three, completely unscientific secrets of good watermelon-picking. I haven't tested them myself, so I have yet to confirm their accuracy....but I'll be sure to let you know if I do!

06 wee foxes

2011-07-21T02:22:00.000-07:00

some more quick watercolor practice. it did not scan well :(

and for fun, my palette:

05 witchy

2011-07-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

I stopped liking this one halfway through and kind of gave up on it, but here it is anyway. eeeehhh.

I think "eating fingers" is in the official Witch Job Description.

PS. shoutout to kyle and beth, my boot-color designers :P

04 triple crown winner

2011-07-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

always bet on the unicorn!
prize steed, indeed.

03 prize steed

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

this sweet unicorn was used to great effect by Rad. I fully support anyone who wants to get this as a tattoo. Email me for a hi-res copy haha.

02 our gnoments together

2011-07-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

inspired by chenny's awesome girl-gnome drawings ;)

01

2011-07-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

okay, with some encouragement, I'm going to try the daily sketch thing*. Hopefully it'll force me to draw more! :)

I never could get the hang of hacky sack.

*except i might take some breaks for longer posts

the woman wonder

2011-07-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

a little something I drew for Rad, since he seems to have been on a bit of a Wonder Woman kick

girls

2011-07-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

...and their hair.

We have a nice little studio gallery here at Nickelodeon, and this month it was dedicated to art by the R & M crew. I am, of course, biased (hehe)--but I thought it was a really great show. I'm lucky to work with such tremendously talented artists :)

Here are the two pieces I did. They came out rather small (both under 5x7''), and were done in watercolor (acrylic for the girl-inking). And because I thought it was interesting, I've included the color palettes for their respective paintings. I got lazy and mixed right on the paper, those were all the colors I used. The scanner killed some of the colors :(

And the original sketches, if you're interested:

my gift to you.

2011-06-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

Fat mermaid

2011-06-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

morning doodle warmup, inspired by Rad's mermaid

they have to stay cute and chubby somehow...

nonsense!

2011-06-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

A group of us artist people recently started a blog, and if you're into silly things drawn by silly people you should absolutely check it out! -- Blog of Nonsense. All of us sometimes feel burnt out drawing for work, so it's nice to draw some random fun (and there are already quite a few posts, so clearly, we have a lot of silliness to work out of our systems).

But fear not! I shall continue to post quality art here! Like, so:

A proud moment from yesterday

afternoon slump

2011-06-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

(^for heather)

i'm having trouble focusing today.

that's a cintiq, by the way. that's right, i drawz good.

Wildlife Waystation!

2011-05-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

On Sunday I had the opportunity to go drawing at the Wildlife Waystation with good chums Alice Herring and Megan Nicole Dong. It was really incredible to get to draw all sorts of animals up close. The Waystation has done a lot for so many animals and is a really wonderful organization, so if you have the chance I definitely recommend visiting! (thanks for the invite, Alice!). Sketches!

(yes. this actually happened.)

more ladiieeees

2011-04-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

everyone was so nice about them, so here! Have some more messy doodle ladies:

here's a page of mess-ups. most of my notebook pages look this messy:

...actually the response to monkeys was even better, so here's a bonus monkey.

OK, NOW THERE IS ART.

2011-04-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a class at the union and it's more of a lecture class, so I fell back into my old habit of doodling in my notebook. For some reason I find it a lot easier to get into things when I'm drawing on lined paper. I guess the vast, pristine expanse of a sketchbook page intimidates me ha.

(her face was so weird after I scanned it in and flipped it around. I tried to move things around but it still doesn't look quite right. franken-face.)

I don't advocate smoking, but I like drawing it. Makes the hands more interesting. C:

HA, NO PICTURES FOR YOU.

2011-04-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

I should probably update this thing.

[edit] I just realized that this will show up on people's link lists as the lamest blog post ever.

Monkeys, our friends

2011-03-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

Nickelodeon has a gallery space with a new show every month. February was the "studio gallery". I had no idea what to submit, and somehow I just ended up with monkeys.

It was an awesome show. Everyone here is insanely talented!

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...and here are some observational monkey sketches. I find that they behave in a more natural manner when they think no one is watching. Monkeys are funny things.

windy

2011-02-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Thinking about trying the daily sketch thing...perhaps it'll motivate me to draw non-work stuff during the week.

a very special update for you

2011-02-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

I got tired of looking at Christmas cards.

I like the 2nd drawing because it looks like the corndog is talking. teehee.

Wait, it's not Christmas...cards.

2010-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

I never seem to post my Christmas cards in time--mainly because I never finish them on time--but here you go!

I do feel a little silly since it's so late, though...so I thought I'd give it a little update:

Now it's holiday-appropriate AND I'm ahead of the curve!

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I wasn't very good with cards this year....I mainly just gave them out to co-workers and anyone who sent me their address. I was also a little over-ambitious and tried to do four different cards. That didn't work out so well. Here are the rejects (I am rather sad about cutting the whale :C ):

Hope everyone has a very happy new year!

The most wonderful time of the year...

2010-12-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

...OR IS IT?

Ah, Christmas. When I think of Christmas, I typically think of bright lights, that crispness of the air, time spent with family--really, just a general, gingerbready sense of joy and well-being.

But lately it seems like Christmas is less about fuzzy festivity and more about

SHOPPING SPREES THAT DEVOLVE INTO OPRAH-LEVEL INSANITY:

"The Last. Reindeer. Mitteeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn"*

PRESENTS. PRESENTS. MUST GET PRESENTS FOR EVERYONE, WHAT DO I BUY?!

RELENTLESS BOMBARDMENT OF CHRISTMAS-THEMED PRODUCTS!!

Remember this?

Yeah, neither do I.

I think all of this has played a part in my complete lack of Christmas spirit this year. Usually my Decembers look something like this:

But this year I seem to have had a complete Christmas meltdown. I change the station when holiday music comes on. I have no Christmas tree. I'VE BAKED NO COOKIESSSS. My December has had a noticeable lack of holiday cheer:

I've pretty much ignored Christmas this whole month, but even I can't escape the inevitable. As the date draws near I'm increasingly aware of things that I MUST DO and presents I MUST BUY. I'm feeling the pressure of the holidays. It's almost like something is...following me....

'WHOOOOOoooooooooo....cookie tiiiiime.'

But I do I think I'm starting to break (I've bumped my number of peppermint hot chocolates up to three! Go with The Coffee Bean's).So now I'm rather desperately trying to conjure some of that ol' holiday spirit, since I have to play catch up with gifts and such. It's okay though, it's only December twenty-something! It's not too late, right?

Right?

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FYI: I actually started this post about 1.5 weeks ago. Yet another victim of my holiday procrastination! I'm not actually trying to buy all my presents on dec. 23rd...and in fact, I do feel a little more Christmas-y, thanks in part to my wonderful family and co-workers. I DID feel this way, though, so everything here is totally legit (I didn't want to waste a post, OKAY :[ )

*fun fact: a lot of these expressions were taken from actual oprah audience screencaps. Oh, Oprah...you so crazy.
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edit: hehe

distractions!

2010-11-28T02:52:00.000-08:00

Preciouusss

Soooo....I was totally planning to update this thing, but then I got distracted by the Hunger Games series! I borrowed the first book from a friend (I had to see what all the hype was about!) and immediately bought the other two after I finished. I don't think it's as flawless as my friends describe, but it's pretty compulsive reading. I think I might be hooked.

I know I'm kind of late to the whole thing, but I'm determined to catch up! Probably no more arts until I finish the series. Here are some book-related sketches, though:

I haven't been doing enough non-work drawings...I am majorly rusty :(

Happy Belated Halloween!

2010-11-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

I've been at Nickelodeon for a few months, and honestly it's the best place I've ever worked (okay, the bakery was a pretty close second. how can you argue with free baked goods every day?!). One of the perks is that they take Halloween very seriously (though that seems to be the norm with all studios?), so they always throw a fantastic party. So...for the first time in many years Halloween did, indeed, feel Halloween-y. Cheers!

To legitimize this post, here is some kinda-halloweeny art:

I got a little frustrated with it, so it's pretty much urggghh/unfinished but whatever. Need more painting practice :( It was nice using oC again, such a fun program. Anyway, after I gave up on it:

Smile!

...more like commuter's vent

2010-10-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've been commuting to work for about 2ish months now, about 1 to 1.5 hours each way...AAAAANNNND I end up having a lot of time to think while I'm on the road. Two hours is a long time to fill, y'know. I'm not cultured enough to listen to audiobooks, and taking naps didn't work out so well, so I'm reduced to pondering about deep, philosophical issues....like "What am I going to have for dinner...? Did I turn off my computer...? Does maple syrup expire if it's never been opened...?*" I also think about traffic, since once in a while I have to pay attention to what's going on around me.

I usually find my commute to be ever so lovely and refreshing, and there are a few patterns/things I've picked up. I generously share them here, in order that you, too, may have an enriched commuting experience. I PRESENT:

(to one very small section of California)
*COMPLETELY UNSCIENTIFIC*
by Carrie Liao
21 year California veteran

You wouldn't take jogging tips from a crocodile, so in the interest of full disclosure:

take that for what you will.
ahem.

So, as everyone knows, you generally have 3 - 4 lanes + carpool (if you only have one lane open...well...good luck). I never take the carpool lane (because I'm so...so alone...). Now, in really heavy traffic lane 2 might be a good option, since people are always moving out or in to it--at least it'll be moving. Stay out of lane 1 because of incoming cars--pretty much no one does the zipper merge so you'll be stuck. I usually stick to lanes 3 and 4 (I know that in reality they --i think?--count the lanes from inside out, but whatever. I gave you a chart--follow, friends!).

When traffic gets nasty (which is every day) and you can no longer weave in and out, it'll move in blocks like so :

(H for head, B for back!...of the line). Once you are in one of these lanes I've discovered it's a good idea to choose one (like a favorite child, if you will) and stick to it. It might seem slower at times but when people start switching back and forth between lanes--which they will, in a desperate attempt to be in the fastest--you will make up the time. To determine the flow of your lane, pick a Marker Car in the other lane. Throughout your commute, your position relative to this car will help you gauge the traffic flow.

This chart describes the usual movement within these blocks:

If everyone were a MIRACLE DRIVER then the start-stop effect of these blocks would be reduced, thereby maintaining flow of traffic (as well as my sanity). Unfortunately absolutely no one in California is actually good at driving.

There are three notorious types to look out for:
-Lane squatters (exception: old people)

These people think that life is their highway, and they're going to ride it at 35 miles an hour. No amount of honking or...um...finger-pointing will convince them otherwise. An all-lane offender.

When they're old people, though, you just can't stay mad at them. Well, I can't, at least. Look at them! They're so cute. I do think the freeway is a bit too dangerous for them. I think they'd be much better off if they stayed home and fed their ten cats.

-Douchebags

It's a really flexible definition...but usually that one that cuts you off while using the electric shaver and texting with his toes. You understand, though...don't lie...you've been that douchebag at least once in your life. So have I.

We've all been douchebags.

-Big GAPPERS

The cousin of the Lane Squatter, and the MOST VILE. These people feel like they need to maintain a gap of 5 cars no matter how clear the road is at the moment. THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY PUT ON THE TEST, DID YOU TAKE IT? Really, I'm all for safety/maintaining a distance, but if you're moving at 15-20 mph and you can't stop within a smaller gap, then you're a little simple.

Honorable Mention:
-Wishy-washies!

CHOOSE A LANE ALREADY.

Last tips:

1) Have A/C and snacks, especially if you have passengers. Or they will look like this:

oh, water's good, too.

2) Just give up, you're never gonna win. Welcome to California
disclaimer: these observations are generally contained to my experience with the 210, 134, and 57. if you hit the 101 and 110 all bets are off.

*DOES IT?!

Kiss

2010-09-29T00:21:00.001-07:00

Kinda hastily done--colored up some old lineart. I just had to work on something for myself tonight :(

I'm not very good at working out colors. TOO SLOW.

here's the black-line version. I'm not sure which looks better hmmm

hopefully it won't be another month before I update again. ha. ha.

i love work, but it's just...

2010-08-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

...one of those days.

erudite baboon

2010-08-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Just an illo I did for a friend--it was done pretty quickly (it was late) but I had a lot of fun with it.

...and if you find such things interesting, this is the sketch I used. Scanned into CS4, cleaned-up, blahblah

Life is good :)

Rest of Shark Week!

2010-08-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

Forget the porbeagle, the basking shark is obviously the cutest shark out there:

look at his little grin!

early sketches:

and making up for Thursday & Friday::

................

.............

a truly beautiful friendship!

Frilled Sharks!

2010-08-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

oops...late again. Anyway, here! I gave them goofy eyes and their anatomy is quite possibly very off, but they were fun.

Apparently, frilled sharks are a pretty rare sight. That's because people haven't been using the right bait.

Going for the white gummi bear! Smart shark--the white bears are the best.

SHARK WEEK MEGAPOST

2010-08-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

It's SHARK WEEK!!!

I wanted to participate this year? month? (how often does shark week happen?) because I've been wanting to do a week of consistent updating, and sharks seemed as good a topic as any. Also, sharks rock. Tragically, I haven't had cable since I was...around 12...but if I can't watch 'em, I might as well draw 'em!

I'm pretty much late for Sunday and Monday, so I'm just going to put them with Tuesday's shark for one big post!

Sunday:: sand tiger shark

Monday:: port jackson shark!

This shark is so cute! Its mouth area reminded me of mustaches...and then mutton chops:

Tuesday:: zebra shark

They are so named because juveniles have yellowish stripes, though they eventually take on a more spotted appearance. Ha, I'm learning so many things from this...the more you know!
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Maybe one day the cookie cutter shark will be featured?

they're kinda dinky, but wonderfully creepy!

I'm going to do my best to actually keep up with the rest of shark week, but I only have a little free time left and suddenly it seems like there's way too much to do. auuuggggh

anyway, YEAHHHH, SHARK WEEEEEK!!!

oh, the beautiful sea

2010-07-31T04:30:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach a few weeks ago, and I certainly saw some interesting things. I enjoyed the Majestic Ocean, the pounding surf, the lovely shoreline, and of course, the people:

Now, I believe that the beach is one place where people should be free. Eat everything! Wear whatever you want (...though please wear something)! There is No Judgment at the beach. This seems to be a universally held sentiment, so you usually see some unusual sights.

...but it was this stunning creature that caught my eye that day:

She had applied the makeup gun generously, and was fully decked out in a gold lamé bikini and extremely strappy shoes (they might have been platforms, the sand hides things well)

It wasn't really her looks that got the attention, though (okay, that was part of it)--she was clearly having a very good time at the beach. She would prance around joyously, pausing once in a while to bend over or pose for no particular reason

She also liked to showcase her dancing. Pole-grabbing and gyrating were a large part of her repertoire.

She was clearly a fun-loving, friendly young woman.

Very friendly.

Most people seemed to take her in stride, though at SOME point she might have sent the wrong message, because someone stuck a dollar bill into her bikini bottom.

She seemed to really enjoy that.

oops.

2010-07-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

...that turned out to be a really long detour. Two months...I think that's the longest I've gone without posting.

Recap!

MAY::
I graduated!

yes. a monumental event.

After graduation, I felt pretty good about life. Who knew what the future would hold? I was on the path to GREATNESS. I would cure cancer! I would fix the BP oil spill! Anything was possible!!

JUNE::

...LATE JUNE::

First signs of life. I decided to take on some responsibility in my life and I adopted a basil plant (can't risk the goldfish, yet. baby steps!). Started cooking more. Thought maybe it'd be a good idea to draw.

JULY::
I remembered I had a blog.

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so yea, not much. I've mostly been really really lazy. BUT I have made significant progress toward employment, so I am absolutely using that to justify my laziness. My last summer vacation.

oh and here is a picture of my plant:

yes I did take a picture with it.

a brief detour

2010-04-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

...for some dancing.

And dinner.

Stealth Sketching, Part 1

2010-04-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to be more artistically responsible these days, which means 1) carrying around a sketchbook ALL THE TIME, and 2) drawing everything. I'm really not so good at keeping a sketchbook...I try, but usually when I break it out this happens:

I miss all the good stuff.

After going to the grocery store to pursue my new goal, I realized: it's not easy to sketch on the sly. There are certain things you have to remember...

1) Camouflage

2) Maintain your distance

3) Try to get a good angle

Part 2-- What happens if you're noticed?

Twigs are no fun to draw.

2010-04-09T00:42:00.001-07:00

Had the most lovely, curvy model at lifedrawing on Wednesday. Unfortunately I didn't get a lot of good drawings in, but it was fun practice :)

2010-04-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

painting practice! hmmm

LOST IS BACK!!

2010-02-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

To celebrate, have some crying Jack! He sure does love to cry.

oops, forgot his angst beard:

I had an impromptu Lost premiere party (with...2 other people)
My last-minute Lost snacks: fruit, goldfish (for the fish biscuits!) and dharma-bear s'mores (which kind of failed ha).

Girls rock.

2010-02-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

Updated my blogfolio!

& just to add some color...
I forgot to post my 2009 Christmas cards

one for the girls and one for the boys!

2009 was the first year I drew Christmas cards--or sent Christmas cards, for that matter-- so my batch was kind of small (I probably missed people, ack). It was fun, though! Hopefully it'll become a regular thing.

playing in photoshop!

2010-01-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

trying different things :B

special double-post!

2010-01-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

HEY IT'S RAINING IN SOCAL!

Bring on the typical SoCal reaction!
.....

Also, I can't be the only one who thought of this when I heard the tornado warning:

Roland Emmerich, the Visionary!

YEA, MOVIES!

2010-01-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

I watched Gattaca today. It's one of my favorite movies, and every time I watch it I notice things I've never noticed before. If you've never seen it, you...should. Summary (in the words of Ebert hee):

Gattaca is set in a future in which genetics determine your social status. Genetic engineering--which embraces the idea of 'designer babies', eliminating chance for disease or 'prejudicial elements' of obesity/myopia/etc--is favored over the traditional method of procreation.

Vincent (Ethan Hawke) was born in the old-fashioned way, and his genetic tests show he has bad eyesight, heart problems and a life expectancy of about 30 years. He is an "In-Valid,'' and works as a cleaner in a space center.

Vincent does not accept his fate. Now Vincent dreams of becoming a crew member on an expedition to one of the moons of Saturn. Using an illegal DNA broker, he makes a deal with a man named Jerome (Jude Law), who has the right genes but was paralyzed in an accident. Jerome will provide him with blood, urine samples and an identity. In a sense, they'll both go into space. The sudden murder of a director at his workplace threatens to unravel their plan.
------------------------------
The film is beautifully shot.

I particularly like the early scenes which highlight Vincent's isolation/separation as a "faith-child" and the contrast between his status and that of his engineered (and favored) brother.

this shot is great, too. Here Vincent is working as a janitor at Gattaca. The escalator is used by the crew members at the company. His stairway up is right before him, but he can't take it.

I thought the double-helix staircase was very clever, as Vincent climbs Jerome's "ladder" to a better future. Jerome, who is paralyzed, can no longer make it up the staircase.

Some more shots:

Another thing that stands out is the use of red/green throughout the film:

all images (c) Columbia Pictures

2010-01-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

A doodle the got out of control. I should have posted it with my icy one hmmm.
It's all wrinkly because I didn't think things through

Current Situations

2010-01-12T00:51:00.000-08:00

As a recent college graduate I've joined my 705019 million fellows in the constant hair-pulling and despair that comes from being unemployed. Actually, I can claim technical employment--I have the great fortune of working part-time in a bakery.

It is a pretty delightful job. I liberally partake of the stock (shh shhh), there's always a delicious aroma wafting through the air, and the Boss Baker even whistles! It's like something out of a movie!

I wouldn't mind working in a bakery part-time forever. Unfortunately it's not something with which I can really support myself...unless...

CORPORATE BAKERY EXECUTIVE. ...Baking? Tasting? CBO. CTO.

Think of the company benefits!*

Not to mention the morning de-briefings...

It better come with an excellent health plan.

*my bakery does not, in fact, make bearclaws or croissants. frittata?

2010-01-08T00:45:00.000-08:00

Just updating for the sake of updating haha....unfinished stuff.

I hope it looks icy.
I also wish it didn't look slightly like an anatomical feature. If you noticed.

Real update soon!

Happy Thanksgiving! (a day late...)

2009-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

Time for my annual hand-turkey!

this year I went for...Pale man-key?

A sketch in which I'm no longer interested.

2009-11-18T00:10:00.000-08:00

look at that floppy hand! what is it doing...

[edit] okay so that hand was really starting to bug me, so here are some hands that are firm and boldly expressive!

mountain...

2009-11-05T23:37:00.000-08:00

...ice mountain?

2009-11-05T00:45:00.000-08:00

Went lifedrawing (dr.sketchy's traveling roadshow?) for the first time in a LONG time, and yeaaaah...

I am so off...but it was fun! :)
I loved the costumes

Watch while you work

2009-10-23T02:06:00.000-07:00

I've been watching:

while I draw. Whenever I watch it, I'm always amazed at how beautiful and diverse our planet really is...they show some really stunning things on camera, but this guy was definitely my favorite.

As nice as it is to just sit and draw, after a few a few hours I start to feel ...heavier. I feel like all my weight is sinking down and pulling me into the couch.

and I'm sure eventually...

I feel this is a legitimate concern. Art is such a sedentary activity.

Also watched Where the Wild Things Are this week. It had nice cinematography. I liked the look. I liked the kid. Yup.

2009-10-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

uggghh taking too long on these

2009-10-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

2009-10-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know that sirens are composed of women and birds (not women and aquatic...creatures)? Ha I didn't

So they really should look more like:

but that is not very sexy, as befits a siren.

Then again, I guess it is better than

back to sirens again

2009-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

them devious man-eaters.

thinking about doing the daily doodle thing, just for motivation.

2009-10-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

You chase that butterfly, Wilford!

Panera

2009-09-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

i love old couples!

some warm up

2009-09-25T12:46:00.001-07:00

Siren

2009-09-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

hi-ho research is fun

weekend in doodles

2009-09-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

card for one of the nice pixar people. hee.

trying to get better with watercolors hum.

2009-08-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

http://colinstimpson.wordpress.com/

So inspiring!

testing...

2009-08-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

Doodle --Trying to get used to CS4/photoshop in general again. hello, obvious gradient and terrible cropping.

Zoo Doodles and People Doodles

2009-08-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

I am so glad to have a computer again :)

zoo drawing and such

2009-06-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

Finally got to go to the LA Zoo for some drawing. Thank goodness it was the day before the summer heat really hit, the animals were still pretty active. Didn't get the ibexes, though C:

saw pandas, too.

must...keep...drawing..

2009-06-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

Up!

2009-06-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Go watch Up!

I thought it was sweet and lovely and it had me crying in the first 15 minutes. I do think I like the parts more than the sum of the parts, though. There were some little things that bugged me (the "dogfighters" really made the whole thing very surreal), but it was a very enjoyable experience.

2009-05-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

at least according to the free translation machines online.
...c'est un buttprint!

yes, this is the visual representation of all the time I'm spending (and will spend, alas) sitting on the couch, working on my portfolio. Long hours in front of the computer + little activity + tendency to snack= well, not good.

yup.

2009-05-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

...then I started playing around with the brushes in tvpaint. I am greatly amused by the "hair" brush (hehe. hairbrush.) Might try painting something in there.

snowfight

2009-04-30T16:29:00.001-07:00

Updating from work, because I can.

2009-04-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

2009-04-21T22:50:00.001-07:00

Everyone's always telling me to put animation up.

....

OH, I'LL GIVE YOU ANIMATION.

are they not magnificent?!

ink

2009-04-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

Pitching

2009-03-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Pitching is scary.

...but hey, I guess they do it differently at disney now.

Work Doodles

2009-03-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Having some fun during downtime...I can use a nice big tablet here so I can't resist

the guys on Ni Hao have a thing for ibexes.

...it's better not to ask.

I frequently fall victim to the mid-day energy slump. I don't think I'm used to getting up so early.

Women's Facial Hair

2009-02-02T00:07:00.000-08:00

Pirates?!

2009-01-13T23:57:00.000-08:00

I've missed you, col-erase pencil!
man, I'm rusty.

....

2009-01-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

Illustration for class--really simple and quickly done

markers.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

Heeey I haven't updated in forever heeeyyy

the last of the group of illustrations I posted earlier:

I need to get workin' on more personal art!

and, I saw this on ew.com today:

where the wild things are! I'm excited!

Dance Girls

2008-12-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

More Illos

2008-12-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is probably as finished as it'll get:

...and I kind of got sick of this one and just gave up on it:

haaha can you tell?? Got a little too texture-happy.

It's finals! There's no time!

oh, yes...any feedback/crits would be appreciated!

Illo Progress

2008-11-30T17:50:00.001-08:00

UM YES.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

I want to put mint eye drops on my eyes. If only such a thing existed...

SO GLAD TO BE DONE

2008-11-13T23:29:00.001-08:00

Finally finished my portfolio in time for a Dreamworks Studio visit tomorrow yessss
(please ignore the awkward face, too tired to pose convincingly)
I might put it up in its entirety but here's a sample:

My faith in Kinko's is somewhat restored! The poor employee was very kind, even after having to reprint my pages twice.

also, I came home to find this! waiting for me:

this is a very Dreamworks-y week.

Art of Kung-Fu Panda + I finally get to sleep?? I LIKE IT.

Beast concepts

2008-11-10T14:47:00.001-08:00

Some concept work for the same group film mentioned here:

Photoshop. I think I'm getting more efficient? I felt like this took me less time than usual.
If their bodies look strange, I say BLAME THE HYENAS! I referenced each one of those from hyena photos. Those kooky animals.

This one is just for my own amusement:

All the Rest

2008-11-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

OpenCanvas.

I'm trying to decide whether to use the owl or the baboon as a main character hmm

Monster Preview

2008-11-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

still working...

Must update! Must stay relevant!

2008-10-27T14:09:00.001-07:00

Frivolous desire #215 -- My own pack mule

I suppose the beauty of dorming is being able to walk to class every day, but I carry so much stuff that it's a pain. Most of the time I don't even use all of my stuff, but...yknow...what if I need to (someday)? However, it's come to the point where I feel like I'm causing some sort of permanent damage to my shoulder.

My great fear is that I'll build up the muscle on that particular side until I look like this:

real art soon?

Decisions, decisions...

2008-10-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

original font:

I need some help! My friend is helping me build a website and I need to send him the page elements, but I can't decide which font to use. Which one do YOU prefer? (I'm leaning toward #2 & #10)...Feedback please? :B

and here's the 'design' (extra basic!):

Rock Lineup

2008-10-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

more lineless practice in photoshop.
I always thought that flat graphic look was really cool.
I'm terribly slow at it though... it probably comes with time.

Forest

2008-10-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

any crits? it doesn't look quite right to me =/

blue col-erase desat in photoshop