(no subject)

My plan for today is to do some art work, but first I need to wake up properly.

This is proving problematic. While I am awake in the most basic sense of the word, I am yawning constantly and beagling my way through the remains of my cigarette packet. I am halfway through my first coffee, but I think I may have to send another down to find out why it hasn't reported back, yet (blatant Douglas Adams reference). In the meantime I am intrigued by the activity of my tear ducts which appear over night to have gained the efficiency of wind screen washers.

Every time I yawn, the tears run down my face like streams; it's like my jaw has been hooked up to a stirrup pump, and my eyes are like water pistols. As superpowers go, it's an odd one and I have yet to work out how to apply it to either crime fighting or world domination.

There we go again. Must leave keyboard before it shorts out.

(no subject)

My plan for today is to do some art work, but first I need to wake up properly.

This is proving problematic. While I am awake in the most basic sense of the word, I am yawning constantly and beagling my way through the remains of my cigarette packet. I am halfway through my first coffee, but I think I may have to send another down to find out why it hasn't reported back, yet (blatant Douglas Adams reference). In the meantime I am intrigued by the activity of my tear ducts which appear over night to have gained the efficiency of wind screen washers.

Every time I yawn, the tears run down my face like streams; it's like my jaw has been hooked up to a stirrup pump, and my eyes are like water pistols. As superpowers go, it's an odd one and I have yet to work out how to apply it to either crime fighting or world domination.

There we go again. Must leave keyboard before it shorts out.

(no subject)

I am taking a break from drawing. I have been working on and off all afternoon on a piece and am getting somewhat frustrated that I can't get the picture out of my head and pin it to the page.

I don't think it's going to be in the manga style after all; I can't get into the mindset that requires big cartoon eyes and no-detail pictures. I am probably being unfair to the genre with that generalisation, but I have discovered very quickly that it's not a style I can do without putting in more effort than I wish to - it's too far removed from my natural method. What I end up producing will be far more influenced by US comic books and European bande dessiné. Given the hassle I am having transferring the picture to the page I think it is sensible to stick with a method I feel happy with; although maybe if I keep on with the drawing/painting I shall try a further attempt at a manga style picture somewhere down the road where I feel less rusty, and the actual practice takes less time.

Since the picture is based on ashenkat's portrayal of Columbine at NWO Rome, you will be unsurprised that the picture inevitably requires a figure. That means that I have to draw it before I can worry about painting, and for that I have to come up with a female figure that is proportionally correct (not necessarily for Kat, I hasten to add, before anyone tells me it's too fat/thin/tall/short) and recogniseable as such. I seem to have forgotten everything I knew about basic anatomy. I mean I know when it's right, but just sitting down and conjuring a believable figure out of thin air is proving more difficult than I remember.

Once I have managed an outline figure I am happy with, I am hoping that the clothing and background will be easier to achieve.

I have decided to scan the picture at various stages to give myself a record of the various stages before completion. Provided it all goes to plan, I shall post them up for comment (or for you to ignore) as you feel fit.

Anyway, back to the paper while my enthusiasm is still there.

I'm sure it never used to be this hard.

(no subject)

I am taking a break from drawing. I have been working on and off all afternoon on a piece and am getting somewhat frustrated that I can't get the picture out of my head and pin it to the page.

I don't think it's going to be in the manga style after all; I can't get into the mindset that requires big cartoon eyes and no-detail pictures. I am probably being unfair to the genre with that generalisation, but I have discovered very quickly that it's not a style I can do without putting in more effort than I wish to - it's too far removed from my natural method. What I end up producing will be far more influenced by US comic books and European bande dessiné. Given the hassle I am having transferring the picture to the page I think it is sensible to stick with a method I feel happy with; although maybe if I keep on with the drawing/painting I shall try a further attempt at a manga style picture somewhere down the road where I feel less rusty, and the actual practice takes less time.

Since the picture is based on ashenkat's portrayal of Columbine at NWO Rome, you will be unsurprised that the picture inevitably requires a figure. That means that I have to draw it before I can worry about painting, and for that I have to come up with a female figure that is proportionally correct (not necessarily for Kat, I hasten to add, before anyone tells me it's too fat/thin/tall/short) and recogniseable as such. I seem to have forgotten everything I knew about basic anatomy. I mean I know when it's right, but just sitting down and conjuring a believable figure out of thin air is proving more difficult than I remember.

Once I have managed an outline figure I am happy with, I am hoping that the clothing and background will be easier to achieve.

I have decided to scan the picture at various stages to give myself a record of the various stages before completion. Provided it all goes to plan, I shall post them up for comment (or for you to ignore) as you feel fit.

Anyway, back to the paper while my enthusiasm is still there.

I'm sure it never used to be this hard.