stuffed with sketches

Weekend Sketches

2008-09-02T02:34:00.002+03:00

A marked improvement from last week's work...

2 girls and an old dude

2008-09-01T14:09:00.002+03:00

Some sketches from last week.

Summer Sketches

2008-08-19T16:25:00.003+03:00

Yes, I did, in fact, see a tank.

You talkin' to me?

2008-07-09T01:59:00.001+03:00

Not much to say about this.

Drawing Words - Writing Pictures: Chapter 1

2008-07-02T16:08:00.014+03:00

Ok, this is going to be a long post with mediocre art (even by this blog's standards). Consider yourselves warned.

I bought Drawing Words & Writing Pictures after Bryan Lee O'Malley recommended it on his LiveJournal. It's essentially a textbook for making comics, complete with activities, assignments and homework.
Unfortunately, I'm working through the book on my own (as a "Ronin") and seeing as there isn't a lot of material online for people like me, yet, I decided I might as well upload my work here (and, hopefully, draw some traffic in the process >:D).

Here we go.

Chapter 1
Activity: Drawing time
Part 1
Where I'm supposed to draw 5 moving objects from a list.

1. I tried to show off with the running guy, using perspective and stuff like that but a stick figure would have probably worked better. It's also harder to draw speed lines from that perspective.
2. The car, considering my limited car-drawing abilities, turned out pretty good. It's leaning towards the front, slightly, and the wheels are distorted which works nicely. Perhaps I could have added a blurred background (like so) to give an even stronger sense of velocity.
3. There's some amazing examples of falling balls at the official site that make my attempt look plain lazy. Which, I guess, is true. Still, it is a ball, and it is falling.
4. My staggering person is where I failed completely, something also mirrored later in my tripping person. Maybe if there was more context and I used some emanata to get the message across. Drawing people in unbalanced positions is hard.
5. Finally, I'm quite happy with the newspaper. I guess I could've made its shape more wobbly, but I'm not sure if it'd still be recognizable. The little leaf is a nice touch that someone also used in the official examples.

Part 2

Where I'm supposed to draw 3 specific scenarios.I had some trouble with the composition for this one, struggling to fit everything inside the panel borders, but I managed pretty well in the end. Admittedly, it's not very clear that the dog is jumping into the panel -- The fact that I went against the "usual reading path" (right-to-left) gives the impression that he was already there. Flipping it around helps a lot:Ta-dah!

I mentioned the tripping scene, earlier. I really could've done a better job at this. The only thing clear is that the first guy is laughing. The other guy looks like he's frozen in mid-air, rather than falling, and it doesn't "feel" like he actually hit the lamp. Oh well. The examples on the site aren't that great, either :P

Now this is satisfying. Stick figures get the job done because they allow you to leave out any unnecessary details. Note the chandelier's ominous shadow. Perhaps I should have moved both figures a bit lower in the panel, so I'd have more space to show the chain being cut. Or, I could have just drawn the bullet leaving the frame.

Homework: Drawing in Action
Where I'm supposed to draw a scenario of my own.

I thought my first attempt wasn't "action-ey" enough, seeing as it lacked speed lines, so I drew this, instead:
Which is, well, fairly straightforward. The eggbox looks awful, though.
Checking the examples made me realize my first attempt (which I like better) was just fine, though, so here's that, as well:
It's hard to get a peaceful breakfast around here.
I'm just not sure how obvious it is that Dracula is appearing out of thin air to scare him.

Hm... These are a lot harder to critique than the ones with a specific goal.

Final Thoughts:

After reading the online critiques for the first exercise I understood that the first chapter really emphasizes getting your intended message across as clearly as possible, using speed lines, exaggerated expressions, emanata, sound effects etc. I realised that, over the past few years, my own style had evolved to make my comic panels look more like stills from an animated film. I have a tendency to avoid using these mechanisms that I sort of consider "cartoonish crutches".

I think I better understand the importance of getting a crystal-clear message across, now, as well as the fact that these "tricks" definitely have their place.

Cecilia, once again...

2008-07-01T22:05:00.004+03:00

The linework for this.
Unrotated, it looks like she's preparing to sprint.

how about a bouquet?

2008-07-01T01:18:00.002+03:00

I'm growing very fond of this Wee Folk princess. I imagine her as being very feisty and hard to get.
The kind of girl that sends suitors on quests to prove their devotion, then screws someone else while they're gone.
I'll call her Cecilia.

full moon

2008-06-30T18:09:00.004+03:00

Pretty generic as concepts go, this is one of the loosest sketches I've ever done. It still works pretty well, though.
I'd be pretty angry, too, if I had no genitals.

the wee folk

2008-06-26T18:19:00.001+03:00

I like the way the girl turned out more than the guy.

He loves the race course

2008-06-25T16:37:00.003+03:00

More is coming your way...

Still Alive

2008-06-25T00:17:00.003+03:00

3 months. Heh. I'm still here. I'm doing artwork and I'm still alive. I think this daily thing obviously failed.
I've been sketching on and off for the past few weeks. I'll upload some of the resulting sketches over the next few days...

Zombie Process

2008-03-17T11:02:00.002+02:00

I used a photo of me as reference for the linework, which I then flipped over because it looked better that way. I went into a lot of detail shading the skin (mostly copying the photo) and it looked really good until I had to add the blood. After that I just slapped a texture on the background and called it a day. Meh.
A Blank Page Manifesto project.

Ahoy!

2008-03-10T21:55:00.003+02:00

Woo! For last's weeks Blank Page Manifesto. This was fun!

Damn fun topic

2008-03-10T03:38:00.004+02:00

This week's theme over at Blank Page Manifesto was retro style pinups. This is a preliminary sketch that I didn't use in the end. I still think it's fun, though :)

He seems bored

2008-03-09T02:50:00.005+02:00

But if you look really carefully, you'll realize he's plotting.

(this is actually kind of old, but I really like it)

Requiem for a Poster

2008-03-08T14:31:00.004+02:00

Dimitris Dimopoulos is doing a One-Man-Show!

Easily Impressed

2008-02-29T01:47:00.002+02:00

... is what I am.

Bodies Are Where You Find Them

2008-02-25T04:20:00.004+02:00

I find it ironic that I made so many different attempts but still ended up using the original one:

These are for my new project with Spawn. Check out the end result here.

sluuuurp

2008-02-21T15:07:00.001+02:00

I was just looking for an excuse to draw the coolest ring I've ever seen.

OMG new sketches!

2008-02-20T11:39:00.001+02:00

I used to be able to draw quite acceptably.

Tentative

2008-02-19T14:58:00.001+02:00

... it's been a while...

turn me on

2007-11-20T23:17:00.000+02:00

All I drew yesterday were three hands so fuck that. Here's a hot chick for today.
I lost my desktop computer to the onset of spam, so I'm trying to backup anything I can in order to start from a clean installation. I might be offline for the next few days, but I'll keep sketching!

how can i be of assistance?

2007-11-17T20:02:00.000+02:00

Drawn yesterday, at work.

animation?

2007-11-15T23:58:00.000+02:00

I just remembered that at some point today, I decided I'd draw the image of a guy trying to rip his face off for today's post. In the end, all you get is some random dude's different expressions. After yesterday's hand-throwing thing, I decided to take a slightly animationatory approach to the next few posts. It's something I've been meaning to try for a while, now, so why not?
This has not been a good week. Hopefully, things will start looking up starting tomorrow. Even though the week won't be over. Yet.

*sigh*

class is in session

2007-11-14T20:24:00.000+02:00

The new semester has started, which means I get to doodle in classrooms and lecture halls again. I filled a whole page with sketches, but they sucked, so I decided to try something completely different once I got home. I guess it's not bad.
Not feeling especially optimistic right now. Not sure why, but the fact I've missed half of the deadlines for enrolling to this semester's labs coupled with the fact that I seem to have a hard time finding teammates probably has some sort of connection.

Zeppelins are back!

2007-11-13T23:59:00.000+02:00

More females emoting.
Also, for anyone who reads the titles, zeppelins may be making a comeback. I find myself oddly excited! Airships are the only mode of transportation that's extinct.

In other news, I find myself very sympathetic to the WGA strike. It looks like they're really being screwed. I don't think I'd feel this way if it was, I dunno... truck drivers on strike or something. I wonder how I can show my support (other than, say, not writing on my comedy blog :P
My friend Tyler covers this a lot better than me, so go check it out (bear in mind, it's in greek)!

Giiiirls

2007-11-13T00:04:00.000+02:00

Yup, I missed an update last Friday. I really didn't feel like drawing this weekend, and I wasn't home, either, so... yeah. I guess it happens.
More chicks, today, mostly because I've noticed I have a great difficulty in drawing expressive female characters. They mostly end up looking like porcelain dolls.

The Firing Squad

2007-11-08T20:01:00.000+02:00

I'm late for stuff, again.

Strawberries, cherries and an angel's kiss in spring

2007-11-07T21:09:00.000+02:00

Remember this? Me too.

I am the itch you cannot reach.

2007-11-06T23:56:00.000+02:00

... Let's get dangerous.

I decided to interrupt my alphabetical titles.

I am the terror that flaps in the night, I am the fingernail that scrapes the blackboard of your soul. I am Darkwing Duck! Man, I used to love that show.

Only the Lonely

2007-11-06T03:55:00.000+02:00

Today we have deer. Stags.
I find it incredibly interesting that yesterday and all day today, when I was supposed to be studying, I kept feeling hungry and sleepy, whereas now that I'm done with my exams, it's 4am and I'm still wide awake.
Of course, the fact that I've been sleeping all day today and yesterday probably helps, too.
But I'm still going to be incredibly tired when I wake up for work in 4 and a half hours.

notice anything, lately?

2007-11-03T23:19:00.000+02:00

Today we have feet. Legs. Lower extremities. I'm obviously a lot worse at this than I am at drawing hands. I need a lot more practice, so I guess I should warn you to expect more along these lines in the immediate future...

Mmmm... finger plate

2007-11-02T00:16:00.000+02:00

The lack of living models in my bedroom has forced me to look for different ways to improve my life drawing skills. I stumbled across some photographs of undressed ladies in various poses on my hard drive and thought "hey, I should draw just their hands". This approach seems to be working. As long as I manage not to get sidetracked...
On other news, Joss Whedon is coming back to TV! This is crazy good news! I can't wait!

Laugh at the Monkey

2007-10-31T21:03:00.000+02:00

There's something written on my scanner bed. I don't know what it is, and I don't really care, either, I just want it gone. Anyways, I'm performing again, tonight, so that's been on my mind. I didn't bother thinking up something original. Sue me.

Keep to themselves

2007-10-30T23:56:00.000+02:00

This is Aunt Lily, from Pushing Daisies. I used a reference, obviously. You have to watch this show! It's amazing! That's pretty much all for today.

I just realized how absolutely AWFUL friday's image was

2007-10-30T19:45:00.000+02:00

This was actually drawn yesterday, I just never got around to uploading it.
My brain's completely fried, right now. It's nice how short daytime naps (when you're incredibly tired) have the capacity to totally fuck your cortex up. You wake up feeling brain dead. Like a zombie chicken.

Half-heartedly

2007-10-26T16:56:00.000+03:00

Today's my name day! I'm planning a big party tonight, so I barely had time for sketching. Her face is a little off, and I wasn't planning on including the one on the right, but it looked ok, so I said "why not?"
I'm starting to wonder whether this blog is simply forcing me to accept mediocrity in my work, rather than helping me improve.
Quality updates will resume come next week. Please stay tuned.

Goodbye my love.

2007-10-25T18:09:00.000+03:00

I don't like how this turned out. I need to work on my anatomy skills. A LOT!

Fatal Attraction

2007-10-25T00:02:00.000+03:00

Not much to say. I wish I hadn't rushed this so much, I love this pose, someday I'm going to do it right.

Emily said four words I didn't know.

2007-10-23T20:58:00.000+03:00

Remember when I said Mel bought me a book on Drawing Crime Noir? She gave it to me yesterday, so I decided to give it a try. Expect more along these lines for the next couple of days.
I love the look of hard shadows, but it's hard to pull off correctly.

Don't Look Into the Weaving Room

2007-10-22T19:49:00.000+03:00

I've been listening the The Crane Wife by The Decemberists a lot, today, so I guess this isn't what you'd call "unexpected".

Couple of Drinks

2007-10-20T19:04:00.000+03:00

I'd been thinking of drawing something in my old, less brush-y, more cell-shaded style for a while, now.
That being said, when I started this, it was just another throwaway sketch for the blog. I was attempting to draw someone sucking in smoke from a cigarette and that went on to become a hand drawing study (many of my "sketch sessions" end up being hand studies). His left one gave me trouble... One thing led to another and I ended up with a fully colored image. I didn't "think" about using my old coloring style, it just... happened. Which was nice, and unexpected.
I took my time with it (something like 3 hours) but it turned out nice :)

The texture on the hat is from Mayang.

Brain farts

2007-10-19T00:39:00.000+03:00

I started acting classes (or going to my acting group) again, today. Hadn't realized how much I'd missed it... The first lessons are always the most fun (since we play various improv-style games) and I missed the people there a LOT.
I'm a bit conflicted about how I'm going to fit it into my program, but I think I'll manage, in the end.

A friend also told me she's starting her own studio. Or art space slash workshop or whatever, which is amazing in a universe-conspiring-in-my-favor way. I was thinking that, next year, I should name some place outside home my office (I was actually thinking of Project Athens, until recently), and go there for a couple of hours every day to "work" on art-related projects. Associating a place with "creativity" would really boost my productivity and help me focus, compared to drawing at home where I tend to procrastinate and keep getting sidetracked.

Also, Mel bought me a book on drawing noir comics! How cool is that! I can't wait to read it...

All Quiet on the Western Front

2007-10-17T23:57:00.000+03:00

Once again, it feels like I've drawn this already (millions of times). I need time and practice to get to the point were I can feel proud about my work, again...
I was going to upload a sketch of Buffy (the vampire slayer!), too, but upon scanning it, I realized it sucked very badly and decided not to. I might remake it at some point in the future.

I've always wondered why some people keep drawing the same characters again and again in different situations. If you're not going to do a comic, why bother with fleshed out characters?
Lately, I realized it helps a lot. For one thing, if a character has personality, you can think of various situations to draw him in, rather than repeating the same couple of poses again and again.
Not to mention, if you ever feel like actually doing a comic-style story, you've got characters ready!

The Office

2007-10-16T21:38:00.000+03:00

I'd like to take this chance to plug two artists that I think are absolutely amazing.
The first is Makani (aka Heather Campbell). Her work is pretty much everything I want my work to be. The lines are clean and the colors are bright and vivid. Her (or, let's face it, J.K. Rowling's) characters are cartoonish, yet not exaggerated. And most of all, her art looks so alive! Her panels are like screenshots from an animated film. It's as if motion is their natural state, but someone has forced them to a standstill.

The second artist I wanted to mention is Vera Brosgol (you might have seen her comics in the Flight Anthologies). Her work is, at times, weird, sweet, cute or just plain adorable. I could keep on linking to images I like, but I've run out of epithets.
It feels like she's bursting with fun concepts. Bird hats? Turtledogs? Her use of simple lines and just-enough detail might look simple at first, but it's that particular quality of her work that allows it to so clearly and powerfully convey all her ideas.

I was meaning to write this yesterday (notice the title was "transitional period"), but I got sidetracked with my thoughts on what deserves being uploaded to the net.
I've been feeling, lately, that I'm at one of those points in my life (or in my evolution as an artist), again, were I need to change my style. My characters' poses are stale and it seems like they scroll through the same 3 expressions. Seeing other people's work only makes these feelings stronger. Maybe it's time I started taking life drawing classes. I'll have to ask around.

Transitional Period

2007-10-16T00:08:00.000+03:00

Just a quickie I managed to squeeze out right before my self-imposed deadline expired. It's not great.
Which sparks an interesting debate about what is "worthy" of uploading to the internet.
I've been casually perusing Your Webcomic is Bad and you Should Feel Bad lately, where, while I get what John Solomon is doing, I don't really agree with the way he does it.
In any case, he makes a very insistent point about not uploading to the web stuff that is - to put it frankly - shit.
And, after all, it's hard to think of a more illustrative example than webcomics (which, I just noticed, Firefox doesn't recognize as a word).
I find a lot of merit in the opinion that you should polish something as close to perfection as possible before presenting it to the world. The fact that you can upload your crappy scribbles where anyone can see them doesn't mean you should.
Of course, other stuff factor in, as well. Intent, for example. Obviously, I'm wondering how all this pertains to my blog.
Let's face it, this is not good art. Then again, this is a completely personal project - I don't believe it appeals to anyone but me and (perhaps) a few close friends. I'm not trying to gather a following, I'm not trying to prove anything nor is this blog going to be my big break. Just as advertised, this is a crutch, a promise I've made to myself to help me improve my art. Nothing more. The only reason it's online is to help give me the sense that I'm accountable to more people besides myself if I ever miss an update.

Maybe that's the key. Improving oneself. The whole reasoning behind this blog. I know my art isn't great, but I'm working on it. As long as I have that self-awareness I'm fine, and anyone who accuses me of adding to the shitty side of the internet is just missing the point.

One of those days again...

2007-10-12T23:20:00.000+03:00

I had a lot of trouble drawing something acceptable, today. Once in a while, a day comes along when, no matter how I try, everything that comes out of the end of my pencil is just ugly crap. Proportions are off, ideas are unoriginal, the lines themselves look... wrong. Usually, I just give up.
Today, thought, I managed to push through the mediocrity and get through to the other side. It took me a couple of hours to create something... nice, but I'm especially proud of it. Without this blog, I would've just stopped trying.

Are you coming?

2007-10-12T00:12:00.000+03:00

This is what happens when I remember about the blog at 23:45... Still, considering the circumstances it's not my worst work. I gotta admit, though, I blatantly ripped off some french guy.
Have a nice day.

Magnifico

2007-10-10T23:48:00.000+03:00

... or not so much. At least I tried a speedpaint again. This time, start to finish completely in Photoshop. For 30 minutes' work, it's really not that much. But practice makes perfect, I guess.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not... mature enough to be happy. Other times I just think my keyboard needs cleaning.

Soon I Will Be INVINCIBLE!

2007-10-09T23:49:00.000+03:00

I'm still not really enjoying Soon I Will Be Invincible. The writing is... weird and, at times, hard to follow. Not to mention I have yet to find the "humor and attitude" it's supposed to be filled with.
And yet - possibly because I'm supposed to be studying - I find myself oddly compelled to read more.
Forgive the image's bad quality. I've switched my pc off, temporarily, in an attempt to lessen my distractions and concentrate on studying. I'm writing this on my dad's computer. I had to use Microsoft Image Editor to resize the scan.
Aaaanyways. Back to work.

Aboard MY ship?

2007-10-08T23:22:00.000+03:00

If what I draw is a reflection of what I'm thinking about, today I've been thinking about elderly spaceship admirals (and yes, it might not be obvious, but he's commanding a spaceship, not a... well... sea ship)
He actually started or, at least, another sketch -which you're not going to see- started as a supervillain. You see, I bought Soon I Will Be Invincible (just what I'd do: buy a fun novel during my exam period).
I also haven't managed to start studying since... well... two days ago. I go way too easy on myself. I need to get my ass in gear.
I've noticed that my sketches tend to look like they've been stretched vertically. I imagine it's because I draw on a table (or in bed) and not on an angled drawing board. I'll have to see what I can do about that.
It's nice that the fact that I'm producing a lot of work (or, at least, more work than I used to) makes it easier for me to spot the things I need to work on while allowing me to make general statements like the one above about my art.

Nothing to see here

2007-10-05T21:31:00.000+03:00

Nice to know things are back to normal. The planets have realigned. I spent all day procrastinating, I failed another class, and I'm still an antisocial self-hating fool who would rather feel sorry for himself than take control of his life.
Also, my drawings are too stiff.
Have a nice weekend.

MUSE! LIVE!

2007-10-04T18:46:00.000+03:00

Gotta run! See you later...

Zippadeedoo

2007-10-03T19:38:00.000+03:00

Hey there! Where've you been? We haven't talked since yesterday! I missed you! Why didn't you call?

Let me tell you about my day, today. It was a good day. I went to bed at 2am, last night, and woke up at 5 to study for my Internet Applications exam. It went pretty well, so that's nice. At 12 o'clock, I rushed back home, checked the internet, then had to look after my baby brother. He was sleeping peacefully, so I joined him and napped 'till 2pm. Then back to the University for an Economy exam I was completely unprepared for. I still managed to pass, I think (with a little help from my friends). In fact, I might even get more than a passing grade.
I'm not sure if it's because of my change of attitude, but this exam period is starting to look especially promising.
I haven't eaten anything apart from a slice of apple pie and a donut, so I'm pretty hungry - still, not hungry enough to try my mother's spinach pie.

I totally default to cute chicks whenever I have no inspiration. I like her shoes. Her hair is nice, too.
I love fall fashion. And spring fashion. I think it's because of the variety. My eyes love diversity. Autumn, like spring, is a sort of transitional period between airy summer attire and warm winter clothes. Women have a lot more freedom to improvise and mix and match what they wear, and I get to enjoy the results. What can I say? I'm a sucker for girls with style ^^

This has been done over and over and over again

2007-10-02T23:37:00.001+03:00

... still, it's a nice concept, and this blog was never supposed to be wildly original, anyways.
She looks more disgusted than sad, though, so I pretty much failed at that. In any event, I'm pretty pressed for time (it's hard to tell, but it's true) and, considering the circumstances, this is more than acceptable quality of work.
Today wasn't a good day. I failed a class, got a parking ticket (80€ although it could be 40 if I pay it in time), and spent hours lazily surfing the net when I was supposed to be studying.

This stops now.

As soon as I post this, I'm turning off my internet connection and picking up my books. Procrastination ends tonight!
... temporarily. At least until my exams finish on October 5th.
I'll still be able to use the internet at work, and I've allowed myself an hour every night (I have to keep updating this blog, after all) but that's it. Let's see if I can make it. I'll feel a lot better about myself if my exams go well.
Wish me luck!

the people I see

2007-10-02T16:34:00.000+03:00

This doesn't count as late, since I sketched it yesterday, before midnight. I still need something for today, though. Maybe later. I'm beat. Today is not a great day.

Can I Keep Him?

2007-09-29T00:27:00.000+03:00

You people HAVE to see Ratatouille! It's Pixar's masterpiece. The story is captivating, the animation is stellar. Just... go see!

One Month Old!

2007-09-27T15:50:00.000+03:00

This is inspired by a scene from Caddyshack which I watched at 1am last night. Fun movie.
By the way, I made it! I have officially reached the one month mark. Huzzah for me! A few updates were a bit late (usually on Fridays) but even so, I stayed true to my word. I haven't missed an update for the last month.
Considering how disorganized and, well, lazy I generally am, allow me to consider this a great achievement. Onwards! To the half-year mark!

She's stealing all your french fries!

2007-09-26T20:42:00.000+03:00

I wonder if I'll manage to get to the point where my use of the brushpen is at least competent, or if I'll just get bored and move on to something else.
I'm supposed to be learning Java, right now, and I'm going out later tonight, so I'm not going to write much more.
Still, in the unlikely event that there are people who follow my blog, but not my DeviantART Gallery, I'm going to mention it here, as well:
Pretend You're a Time Traveler Day (even though right now, it seems to be down).
Essentially, prepare to pretend you've come from the future (or the past) on December 8th. The trick is to look out of place without being too obvious. And you mustn't reveal to anyone that you're a time traveller.
The possibilities for crazy fun are just endless...! Bluthan, for one, is crazy excited.
Spread the word!

reach up

2007-09-25T22:42:00.000+03:00

Usually, whenever I have trouble updating it's because I can't come up with anything to draw, not because I can't translate my ideas onto paper.
This blog is really doing me a lot of good. It's helped me find ideas. Or, at the very least, become less critical of the ones I had. It helps me stop thinking and just... draw.

I tried a slightly different technique for today's sketch and I'm pretty happy with the result. It's essentially inspired by my friend Dora's sketch with one line.
I've already mentioned my problem with "stalling" while I draw. Whenever I have to draw something slightly more difficult than my usual stuff I have the tendency to go over the same lines again and again (making them look "hairy") while trying to work up the courage to move forward. I think it's one of the main reasons I work so slowly. The "one line" technique really helps with that. It somehow lets another, more subconscious, part of my brain take over and stops me from worrying so much about placing my lines at the precisely correct spot.

Cherries again

2007-09-24T23:48:00.000+03:00

I'm working on this...

Cherries

2007-09-21T23:53:00.000+03:00

This is just an idea. Sort-of-a-story. I might even polish and finish it someday. The pacing is a little off, but I think I managed to portray the general feeling.
I like little boy - little girl stories. I think mushy romance works better with children. Simple things, like a kiss on a cheek, can take on much greater meaning. And there's always naiveté and excitement.

... Also, this looks a lot better on the computer screen than on paper.

Creative Days

2007-09-20T18:35:00.000+03:00

I've decided to give Twitter a try. Go ahead! Start twittering too!

I sketched a lot today, I'm feeling really inspired. I wanna color something, now. Visited a friend at her job and we posed for each other and talked art, and it was pretty fun. This is a drawing I did of her that I inked with my brushpen.

Fire Dancer (remix)

2007-09-19T23:57:00.000+03:00

I decided to remake this. It's less polished (because I was rushing to meet my deadline), but I like this pose more.
I think this idea is too good to stay a sketch, so I'll probably come back to it, later.

On other news, I always used to pride myself on the fact that I had a few very close friends and avoided being part of a wide social circle of acquaintances (people you sort-of know and sort-of like, but can't really talk to). Lately, though, I've been feeling like what I've dreaded, happened: I've got loads of friends, but almost noone to open up to.

pale stranger

2007-09-19T02:02:00.000+03:00

I don't like this. Let me say that right off the bat. It took me something like 2 hours to color (I had the sketch lying around for something like 2 years...)
Still, I want to be able to do "acceptable" speed paints, and there's no better way than to practice (even if it means being late with my updates).
Anyway, I hope that it makes up for the lame sketches I've been serving you for the past few days.

What cat? (finished)

2007-09-17T22:28:00.000+03:00

This is what that sketch a few days ago was for.
We painted a friend's wall Brazil Green, and then I drew this. I don't have a scanner and I didn't sketch on paper today but I've decided that this counts. So there. Normal updates resume tomorrow.

That's all, folks!

2007-09-15T23:55:00.000+03:00

Basketball's been on my mind the last few days. The greek national team just lost to Spain. My mind's kind of empty right now. I'll write longer posts once I'm back home.
Elections tomorrow! Everybody go vote!

These old friends of mine...

2007-09-13T09:18:00.000+03:00

Here's a cast of characters I hadn't drawn in a while.
My brushwork needs a lot of work. But it's fun, and looks good with minimal time and effort.

I'm in a hurry, again so we'll talk later. Maybe.

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!

2007-09-12T22:03:00.001+03:00

... no time to say hello, goodbye
I'm late I'm late I'm late!

And that's why all you get are some rushed figures (albeit done with my awesome Pentel brushpen).

Talk to you later!

Half-remembered names and faces...

2007-09-11T21:26:00.000+03:00

Today I discovered that it's immensely fun to watch other people's faces in the lecture hall. We make weird expressions when we're concentrating. It's amusing and I should observe people a lot more often. People watching'll help me widen the range of my characters' expressions. Right now they all smile, laugh, frown, yell etc. exactly like I do. I'm working on that.
It's amazing how I'm never "good enough". There's always something in my art I can evolve.

Ok. Lot's of things.
Stop laughing...

Still, this was fun to do. I managed to sort of pay attention to the lecture as well (albeit barely), so that's a plus.

Let's Burn...

2007-09-10T23:48:00.000+03:00

I was reading an article on Wired and this photo looked so cool, I just had to completely rip it off.
I'm exhausted. I've been running around Athens all day long.
It feels like, suddenly, there's tons of things I have to do. Our "House Project" suddenly gained momentum, and I hope we can get as much done as possible before we run out of steam (and money) again. We need a fridge. And something to cook with.
I've got a term paper to hand in sometime this week (or maybe the next). Plus I should really start studying. That'd be a really good idea.

Anyways, I'm going to Thessalonikh for the elections this weekend, so I hope that I'll be able to relax a bit there. I'll also have to find a way to update while I'm away...

You'll be sleeping with the fishes, see?

2007-09-08T22:03:00.001+03:00

I'm late for the second Friday in a row.
It's not that I didn't draw yesterday, I just forgot my sketches at work. Then I went "to the movies" (Zodiac) and, well there was no time left to draw again.
Anyways, I've had this strange compulsion to draw fish, lately. As much as I hate eating them, I realized that, alive, they're really very beautiful creatures. Colorful, gliding effortlessly through the water. With their gaping mouths and their stupid wide-eyed expression.
Still, who can control inspiration's form? When the muse comes it is my duty to listen, and create. And this time, she said "draw fish". And I drew fish.

Blow my mind

2007-09-06T23:42:00.000+03:00

I just watched the Greek party leaders' political debate. I thought I'd be more inclined to comment on it. Turns out I'm not.
I feel like my mind's empty. I guess listening to politicians for 1.30 hour will do that to you.
Anyway. I wanted to draw a guy with his head blowing off. I didn't have the time to look at pictures of explosions for reference, so this is all you get...

Maria and me

2007-09-05T23:13:00.000+03:00

So I was driving back home, late one night, and there were two kids (a brother and sister, I assumed) in the car ahead of me. They were staring and giggling unashamedly as only young kids do, and they reminded me of a time I only remember from photographs and my parent's stories. A time when I was a lot younger, and our family a lot smaller...
It also inspired me to do this piece, which I intend to color. I think it's very symbolic of the kind of brother-sister bond I've been lucky enough to grow up with.

Dedicated to my (little) sister.

It's just sleeping...

2007-09-04T21:48:00.000+03:00

Damn. That's pretty morbid, isn't it? It was, I dunno, much more harmless in my head. I had to get it out, though. Poor kitty :(

I found a loophole in my "post a sketch everyday" project.
Barely a week in! *proud*
In essence, according to the rules inside my head, I'm supposed to post a sketch everyday before the stroke of midnight, and it has to be a sketch I drew the same day, not something old (believe me, the temptation is huge).
But, having to post before midnight means that anything I finish after that counts for the next day. So that helps with (not) missing updates.

On other news, my good friend Spawn has taken up the challenge of sketching every day, as well! Check him out!

What cat?

2007-09-03T23:09:00.001+03:00

I ran through MacHall's archive today. For the nth time. That's where I got the idea for the cat-on-the-head. I've got every single strip saved on my computer.
I'd actually forgotten how much I admire Ian McConville's work. The way he keeps evolving. Outlines, no outlines, beautiful colors, everything. It made me want to draw a comic strip again. His work has been a huge inspiration to me. He made me want to color in Photoshop in the first place.

Finally, the weekend.

2007-09-01T00:00:00.000+03:00

I really don't feel like drawing tonight. I'm tired and I have a headache, and I feel completely uninspired and this sucks hairy donkey balls. Fuck. I'm starting to not like the idea of posting art that's totally awful online where anyone can see it.
Also, it's really hard to do Grim Fandango fan art. The characters are so blocky that it's practically impossible to make your own interpretation (I'd be glad if you proved me wrong) while still keeping them recognizable. I might try again, but it feels like making Lego fan art. There just isn't a lot of creative wiggle room.

Have you ever noticed how...

2007-08-30T23:38:00.001+03:00

I want to do a banner for my comedy blog, so today's sketches are for that. I'm starting to have a few doubts about my ability to keep updating this blog daily (or even 5 days a week). Already. Anyways, we'll see.

The Boy Who Lived

2007-08-29T20:12:00.000+03:00

I'm going to check out Order of the Phoenix (the movie) tonight. Yay!
On other news, I really shouldn't drink half a liter of beer and two shots of mastiha in the middle of the day.

Go House Ravenclaw!

Superfriends

2007-08-28T22:30:00.000+03:00

This is for a strip I've been planning to do for my comedy blog for a long time, now.

I like drawing hands.

2007-08-27T23:45:00.000+03:00

So. I hereby proclaim the beginning of my sketch blog. Hopefully it'll get me to draw a bit every day...