Andrew Loomis - art instruction

to get one of my amazon xmas orders eligible for free shipping I bought the above book on supe-artist Joe Dillon's recommendation.

Loomis talks about form and line and their function on making an interesting image but quickly he mentions going into creating interesting compositions and i come to an art assignment?!

Mostly i want to share these paragraphs as an exercise in creating or finding interesting compositions.  Something i certainly need help with.  As i go through this book i'll share any exercises or findings or revelations that i may come across.

step 1: make a picture finder

step 2: find interesting compositions or just shoot your camera in random directions like i do

step 3: draw what you see (i think i went a bit far with the shading where the exercise might be to see how the forms interact to form an interesting composition.)

Loomis shows how the line itself, shapes and letters can be seen in some of the compositions you may encounter.

Creative Illustration is just another interesting book that I haven't yet finished, like...

and (recommended by another talented artist, Zafer Louisa)...

as well as...

DnD 09-11-12

a mashup of what i sketched at this month's Drink and Draw in Bethlehem, Pa

Blog not dead update~!!

My aunt passed away today~!  She was a big inspiration to most people she met and mentioned to me last year how she was keeping up with me by checking out my art.  I dont want to disappoint her by not posting and not pursuing my dream and what makes me happy~!!  So here's some art:

A preliminary Captain America piece (how ridiculous this sounds to me like it'll be hanging in some gallery, but at the moment i cannot think of a proper term) done completely with photoshop using just the shapes and tools available in the program.  I basically spent last friday night and sat morning cranking this out and i'm satisfied with the results.  I want to go back and add more detail but I'm proud that i strapped in and this was the end result. =)

Getting back to my roots, I drew a pretty girl.  Decided that I was fed up with how my day went so I went back to the nearest bookstore = Barnes & Noble(s) (RIP Borders) and grabbed a tattoo mag, Inkgirls i think.  This was on the last page and she happened to be drinking my favorite beer.  Currently darkening the lines and thi'll be in my portfolio soon.  I'd like to make a print out of it for the upcoming artwalk tho.

The idea I had came from a phrase that bangs around in my brain now and then: 'Draft Beer, Not Me!'  I cant remember how or why or when i hear this phrase but i think it's a fun play on words and a nice anti-war sentiment.  Ofcourse it didnt fit much on this drawing since she's taking a swig from a bottle. 

Bottle Beer Not Me, may just have to be the title?!?!?

Drink & Draw 5/11

I did the local May Drink & Draw this past week and it was probably the most social i've been and i think i've drawn my favorite sketch (headshot below)

I think i've mentioned that i'm not upset that these events have mostly famale models.  I'd like to have more time to do a partial study of details or shadows (which ive tried more this time) than the normal gestural sketching i've done.

Been busy and neglecting my art lately so it was good to settle back into having time dedicated to drawing.

I suppose the lesson is to set aside time for the things that make you happy.

Drink & Draw - 2/8/11

I havent been to one of these in months and they moved to a better location so i'll most likely be attending for the next few months and plan on increasing my mingling and communication and networking instead of just sitting and drawing to my hearts content.

There were mostly younger female models, which i dont mind drawing but the challenge isn't there.  I still had a good time sketching and hopefully the practice will help me develop my hand control, drawing speed and accuracy as well as my critical eye.

Blog Resurrection Update

I havent been here in a while.  Mostly because of life getting in the way, but i took some quick pictures of sketches that i've been doing lately:

this isnt a sketch but certainly how i spent this past weekend other than watching the UFC fight, Superbowl and playing COD:BO

a rose i made in my coffee =)

some initial sketches for me, matt & greg for an idea that I may never decide to work on and practicing drawing matt's dogs, an integral part of the same project that i may never produce

head studies for a character named ashish & scott based on my friends named ashish & scott

my first attempt at a webcomic, starring me, scott and ashish, this will hopefully vault me toward producing the previously semi-enthuastically mentioned project

studies for an upcoming personal project involving my cat

30 characters & art update

here are some prelim & planning sketches that I did yesterday for character #17

i plan on putting a book together with my 30 characters when i'm all finished with notes and my process thinking in a sketchbook format =)

ive also been doing some 15 min sketching for the penciljack.com forum

speed sketches

from the penciljack forum, it's a speed sketching exercise, drawing in under 15 min, i used strictly pens because i do these during work downtime

I really like the detail of the barn. I think that it helps to draw these at a smaller size so that you have more time to get the details in

Update 10-14-10

some quick ink sketches, 30 min, ballpoint pen

inspired by the penciljack.com weekly sketch group #181

Arguments & Sketches - 09/22/10

Some last week sketches from my 3.5x5 Sketchpad

The coworker that challenged me to create some of these sketches without reference, I drew her as an gator, she was getting on my case about my art using too much reference. I tried to explain to her that how can i draw something if i dont have any idea how it looks?!.

Where at first she didnt want me using reference such as poses and backgrounds then it evolved into not using any reference whatsoever. I kind of understand her logic because her big argument was being original. But how can i draw a bunny in a racing car (should have been a carrot car in hindsight) or a cat eating sushi pasta dinner if i've never seen a cat, pasta, a bunny or a carrot.

I guess it's easy to create a scene when you can imagine it's components, but if i were to try a hippo on a unicycle i'd be lost as far as accuracy without reference. So i'll practice more challenging things in order to improve~@!

Update 8-24-10

'The reports of my demise were greatly exaggerated' - someone said that and I always liked the quote but unfortunalely I cannot remember whom so i cannot give credit

a month and no update, i've heard missing a month on a blog is practically killing it


so i have to build back up now and make this a place worth visiting



unfortuntely the last month i've had some personal issues and havent gotten back into my artistic groove, i've also been going away on minivacations, so whil i am not back to full strength artistically I should be able to update this atleast weekly, sorry for anyone that was taking the time to check this out
Well i've gotten a little further on this but it's far from complete. I'd like to keep the cloak thing completely page white and tone the background and flesh and hair so maybe in my spare time i'll build this up a bit or it'll stay like this in the portfolio, let me know what you think

I have an artwalk this sat that i'm horrendously unprepared for but expect a couple more updates before sat =)

Art update 6/26

A big Thank you~!! to anyone who took the time to talk with me at the Art Walk in downtown Bethlehem yesterday~! It was nice hearing all the kind words and supportive words. I will continue to pursue art as a creative and relaxative outlet =)

Here's an ink sketch:

Lance Armstrong was what i was going for, i think it comes across a little, in his machinedness

also here's the world cup piece i'm working on, the flags in the outline in watercolor pencils, slow process only because i keep pushing it aside, like now...to watch the Blind Side
updates soon =)