sleeping disorder

this week's project is to create an editorial illustration on a sleeping disorder. it could be anything from night terrors to insomnia to narcolepsy, anything goes! 

i recently have been somewhat frustrated with art... i just CAN'T seem to accomplish exactly what i'm going for! each piece is ALMOST there, but i just don't know how to pinpoint what's off! SO for this week i've decided to do something a little bit more... abstract!? 

i'm going to do a rough, raw illustration of an abstracted woman who has had NO sleep. she suffers from insomnia. life appears beastly to her because she can't focus or function due to her lack of rest! 

here are a couple of rough sketches!

 

i want her to appear grotesquely colored and twisted. there's a "frame" around her to represent a mirror. this isn't her TRUE appearance, this is just how she looks to herself. then i debated putting in a couple of other abstracted characters in the background

the HAPPIEST man in the world

brother burr, my dear digital illustration teacher, asked the class the other day, "who do you think is the happiest man in the world?" without hesitation, in unison, the class said, "SANTA CLAUS!" 

this week's assignment was to do a painting of Santa Claus being the happiest man in the world! we were to illustrate WHY he is so happy! after sketching out some rough thumbnails i decided that i wanted to paint a grandfather reading the Christmas story to his grandchildren, with Santa flying by in his sleigh through the snowy Christmas eve! 

i painted and painted through all thanksgiving break and i think i've come to a pleasing finished product! there are some things that i would still refine, but for the MOST part i'm content!

i'm really REALLY quite content just to be DOING christmas-themed work! because that means it is time for CELEBRATING! that means snowmen, hot chocolate, christmas trees, caroling, MISTLETOE, and that most WONDERFUL feeling in the world! it's time to spread the good word of the Savior's birth! time to bless and be blessed!

my mother my friend :)

today is my WONDERFUL, fantastic, lovely, beautiful mother's BIRTHDAY! :) i've been reflecting this last week on the relationship that i have with this incredible woman and the lessons that i've learned from her. what a BLESSING it is to have her in my life! 

my mom's one of those ladies that you feel an INSTANT friendship with. she is one of the warmest, most charitable people i know. she can strike up a conversation with just about anyone! she has found a way to overcome the "natural woman" within her and not pass judgment on those around her. she looks past appearances and people's downfalls and sees them for who they TRULY are. she loves people the way i aspire to love people. 

she's made me who i am! she's one of my very best friends! we've laughed and cried together! we've hurt and forgiven one another! we've truly grown together through my twenty years of life! she's established a firm testimony of our savior Jesus Christ in me. she's set an example of service that has become a part of my very being! i am indebted to this woman for everything that i am! 

:) what a woman! what a blessing to have her in my life! love you mother :) happy birthday!

wedding bells

OH MAN this piece has been an emotional one! faces are SO frustrating to paint! they're just so subtle, and being even very slightly off in a proportion can COMPLETELY change the look of the face! i eventually had to just settle and call it done though! painting the head will improve with practice and time is all! check out the work of THE one-and-only jessica schaack at raeportraits.com! i used some of her INCREDIBLE photos as reference! thank you muchly schaack attack :) 

not much left!

all that's left now is the face, flower, bouquet, and RING-A-LING! :) doesn't sound like much, but that's the hardest part! oh BOY here we go

wedding painting is on it's way :)

 

 

 

this week's assignment was to create an ILLUSTRATION! AHHH our first story-telling, problem-solving art piece! all that we had to go off of is this saying... "nothing ventured, nothing gained". i wanted to do something that represents me, something that i relate to, but still has a story related. 

i did some sketches, pondered on the options, and FINALLY i came to something that i found interesting. i think that getting married is the most WONDERFUL, happy thing in the entire world! the joining of two people into one, creating a family from individuals! i ALSO think that getting married takes a HUGE leap of faith! the thought of devoting oneself ENTIRELY to another can be so scary! 

marrying my husband has left me SO completely blessed :) i would not change anything. i took that step into the unknown and can REALLY testify that if you don't venture out, you will gain nothing. 

this bride here (upon being finished) will be contemplating, nervous, and SO in love. it's a subtle illustration, but hopefully her face will portray the story. this came from photo reference taken by the BRILLIANT jessica schaack! view her incredible talent at raeportraits.com

halloWEEEEEn

we had a fun little experiment in digital scratchboard for the holiday of HALLOWEEN! :) oh GOODY! i went with frankenstein.... scratchboard is NOT my forte, but this was a great little test to tackle! AH

TEXAS MAMA :)

this memoir to my mother is COMPLETE! all i needed to fix really was just a little more variation in the hair and curls, like different sized brushes, different slaps of color, that kind of thing! now that i've added that in, i think i'm satisfied! it's funny how those little final touches can bump up a painting to the next level! 

now my big-hair, bug-eyed, lip-stick's-best-friend painting is DONE! my mama's from texas and she KNOWS the true meaning of BIG, so i grew up seeing beautiful HUGE hair! sadly, i have extremely thin, fine hair to the max so i can't quite accomplish the big-texas-hair look in real life! but lo and behold dreams come true! i can see that look on me through ART!..... and now that i see it i realize how unattractive it would be! don't want it! THEREFORE, art has saved me from a fatal day of really bad hair! THANK YOU ART :)