Okay here are some very rough sketches that I did a couple of years ago when I was trying to get the feel of my deer and boy character, along with his cat.  I was trying to capture movement and stances.  None of them ended up in the final product, but it did help me to get an idea of what didn't work.  :)

(Oh, and as I look back over the blog, I realize that I reposted some of my pictures; which was a total mistake.)

Learn, laugh, grow

_forge

Discarded Kitty

So, this is an earlier incarnation of my title character and the the previous post.  As you can see, this character is just as ugly, but not as cute as the current illustration.  I'm very happy that I revisited the character, because I think the new character is a little more approachable.  I also like the way I depicted the character and the way he holds his cat.  The cat in the previous post look like it is in more distress then the cat here.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Here Kitty, Kitty

This is an original drawing of my character.  I drew it last year and I think it is a precious image of him with his cat.  The scan is in black and white, but only by accident.  The original scan was hand colored, using prismacolor.  Of course it is going to be revisited using Corel Painter.  Still, this black and white image is great.  

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

White Face?

This is one of my crappy first attempts at coloring one of my illustrations.  I posted one of the better versions on the first of February.  As you can see, I was totally sucking at blending.  I still sort of suck at it, but not as much now.  Now, I think that I am at least good enough to get by.  I'm no where near where I would like to be, but I enjoy the fact that I am not committed to a skin tone or clothing color.  ALthough, these are still pretty much the colors that envisioned for my character when I first thought of him.  

I think with this particular picture, I was still attempting to use the detail air brush.  As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure of it, because I was going by the step by step guide that I had found on line.  Of course then I decided to try out a charcoal and I was in love.  I am committed to finishing these illustrations before the end of the year.  I know I can do it, if I just stop all of the procrastination.  

Since my client has not bothered to call me back, I have put his cover on the back burning until he knows what he want.  Until then, I am all about getting my own work done.

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Down the Wrong Track

So, I sent my supposed client the line drawing below and ask him to contact me by phone if he has any revisions.  Instead of calling me, he sends me an email saying that it is not what he envisioned.  Okay, that's cool.  He is the client.  He knows what he wants (I think).  However, the sketch is totally on par with what he and I talked about.  I refined it a little, because you don't want anything too flashy on a book that is suppose to be about enter prospective.  I think the darn thing is going to be a winner.  Maybe not as good as I would do by hand, but pretty darn close (I hope).  At the end of the day, I had to send him an email, with this amount of progress, asking him to let me know if he does not want me to continue in this direction.  Let's face it.  I am not now, nor have I ever been a quick artist.  I am going to be putting in a boat load of man hours to make this thing sing for him and that is with the learning curve, since I have never do this before (and the damn thing has crashed on me three times while I was working on it, causing me to lose all my work and have to start again).  Not to mention that I am putting the illustrations for my own book on the back burning to get this finished for him.  

At the end of the day, this is the ultimate 'long distance' relationship.  My client is in California and I am in Texas, so the only way I can show him my progress is by sending him emails of the work thus far.

I gotta say, I am a bit disappointed.  I thought the concept was on point.  Now, to be told that I'm on the wrong track.  WTH?  Whatever.  I think....scratch that, I know this is the reason why I don't normally take commissioned assignments.  First, you have to try to think like the client.  Second, you have to put you own artistic ego to the side.  Third, nobody ever really appreciated the time in effort you put into bring their dream to life.  I rather do work for myself, that way if you like it you like it and if you don't, you don't (I didn't do it for you in the first place).

I think Erykay Budu said it best. "I'm an art and I'm sensitive about my shit."

Damn, this journey is making it difficult to.....

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge

Got Your Number

Okay, so I finally got the serial number I needed to down load my Corel Painter 12.  For the most part the people at Corel are really helpful (once you get through).  Anyway, I am not working on my Commissioned Cover Art.  This will be the first time I have attempted to draw a realistic character using this particular medium, but I think I am up for the challenge.  At least I hope so.  I guess we will see.

I initially was not going to post this picture until it was approved by the author of the book, but then I thought, "bump that".  If I get this to work out right I want to share the triumph and if I screw it up, I can share the pain as well.

For the record the Author told me the concept of his book and let me know what he was looking for and then I took his idea and turn it into something much better.  I emailed him this line drawing, which I completed today and am waiting for his input on it.

So, here is how I started off.  Just a simple line drawing, using the 2b pencil in Corel Draw.  The next step is to move to charcoal and see if I can make the image pop with realism.  I gotta tell you, it is hard to do, since I am use to being able to work with the whole image and not just pieces of it at at time.  I'm afraid that my demission might suffer, or maybe equal shading.  Only time will tell.

Learn, laugh, grow

-Forge