A Day Late and More Than a Dollar Short...

This month has had many ups and downs... and as per usual, my job situation is still giving me a rather lovely stomach ulcer... I shall name him Frederick. Anyways, while the work is really fun and rewarding at leap frog right now. Not knowing if it will still be there the following week is taking it's toll on my morale. And while most of my friends are just now getting benefits at their shiny new staff positions, I'm left wondering why all I can find are non-committal companies offering work that just evaporates before it starts... Or freelance jobs pretending to take an interest in me, then suddenly ceasing to return my calls. If anyone out there has a suggestion for what the hell I'm doing wrong in my career, let me know. I feel like I'm back in the teenage dating scene and I'm sincerely inching closer and closer to the conclusion that I'm not cut out for the art biz.
I'd like to take this moment to blame my previously described malaise for why I have neglected to post this month's lady. She's almost done, I just haven't been up to finishing her in the past few days. I've either been super busy, or super exhausted. But I'm sure no one really gives a shit anyway, it's just a painting.

Meme: Draw yourself as a Teen!

An art Meme started by davario I just did after a friend showing me the massive slew of other awesome ones here. After seeing all of the awesome artists up there I had to do my own, here's me at 17 and then at 23... wow. quite a change. I'm not nearly as bitter as I make myself out to be now, though I do involuntarily tend more to pessimism than I prefer these days. Still, I think it's hilarious somehow. Enjoy!

Lady of the Month!

Man, just barely too! I've been so busy this month with work and other distractions, I almost didn't get a lady out, but here she is. This one was inspired by spring and the renewal it brings, I also just built my own box-garden and am growing a small amount of produce from seed. Otherwise, I've been REALLY getting into Leonetto Cappiello lately, hence the absinthe poster art below... and now this one. well, it's late and I have to go to work in a few hours, so I'll end my rant before it really gets started... I hope you all enjoy this month's painting! :)

Jeez, he's gone!

I've worked on and off at Leapfrog for no more than a year and a half, and in that ridiculously short period of time I've already watched the company shift gears from an in-house design and animation studio to a completely outsourced one. It's a strange perspective to be brought in for a few weeks work at the exact moment that the last of the animators/art directors have left... first Min Lieu, and now Mike Daley. there are still some great people here and there is one last art director (Michael Mattesi), but Mike D was the last of the original crew. The one's around when I started at least. and it's a strange sign of the changing winds here at Leap Frog, and hell... the bay area art scene for that matter. I could write a book about this... but I'll spare you my home-spun opinions of our rather myopic economy and the 2D side of the industry... this post is about Mike D. A good friend and co-worker, that while I'm confident I'll have the privelage of working with again one day... it is still sad to see him go and leave a place that he brought so much fun and inspiration into. I sent him this quick and small, farewell sketch on Friday as was, once upon a time, customary in this company... Have fun out there Mister D, and never stop drawing you bastard!

Painting Update

I haven't touched this one in a little while, I guess I've been distracted. I can definitely say that this one is moving so slowly, I feel like I'm hitting some rocks with my gouache sensibilities... I can't believe how rusty I still am. so much of it used to come so much more naturally to me... oh well keep on pushing I suppose...

Another Sketch

I'm so addicted to drawing in Sketchbook now and on my cintiq at work, I wish I could just stay after hours and draw away on it. This is just a little doodle that came into my head today while on my lunch break. Maybe I'll develop it further!

Absinthe

This was originally going to be a sketch for my next April Lady, but I liked it so much I wanted to do something else with it, so I'm making it an absinthe illustration. I sketched this one out on my lunchbreak, using my cintiq at work and Alias Sketchbook Pro. Love that Cintiq! I want one so bad!

I'm not entirely sure where I'll take this one, as I said this sketch is super rough. Give me your thoughts.

Sketchbook

Yikes! I haven't liked anything I've sketched in a long time. I think it's just been a while since I've forced myself to keep a sketchbook, and given time I'll scrape the rust off. Nevertheless, here's a spread in my moleskine that I like more than others for some reason, just a a bunch of pseudo- life-drawings/caricatures of strangers. enjoy!

Somethin' Goofy

Here's a new self portrait I started yesterday. I'm tired of looking at the profile button picture I made almost a year ago (that doesn't look anything like me either), in every online avatar thingy, like gtalk, aim, and even blogger. So on that note, I decided to make something better, something funnier, more graphic, more fun, but most of all, something that would creep the hell out of anyone who has to look at it in their chat menu... I think I remotely succeeded. It would have been done tonight, but I somehow left most of the file's progress at work and emailed myself an earlier progression. so the final version will be up tomorrow morning... otherwise. I hope you enjoy these progressions.... YEY!

On a Spring's Sunday Afternoon

Just a random illustration inspired by spring and the artist Jen Wang. This is the rough sketch on illustration board. Now I'll be cleaning up the line and applying several passes of gouache/watercolour... and it'll be done! Not sure how many progressions I'll record but I figure I'll probably end up doing a few more. Enjoy :)



....a few hours later:

and here is somewhat revised version of it with line clean-ups. I've already started painting it but, I'm tired, my roommate with the expensive digital camera is asleep, and I don't feel like piecing together a scan. I also have to work tomorrow... *sleeps*