Fan Art Free Week #4

Today FAFW is celebrating two milestones that happened this week! I've been waking up a little early to lift weights in addition to my exercise routine. This is a big deal because I hate exercising, but lifting weights is necessary for a strong body and healthy bones! The second milestone is that my hair grew a little bit and now I can put it into a tiny ponytail! Pictured on the right is an accurate depiction of me. ha!

The image on the left is the outfit that I wore yesterday. A solid black button-down dress with a skinny belt, striped thigh-high socks, plaid hat, and sneakers. I wish I wore different shoes, but I don't have better options since I walk a lot. I'm not a person who suffers for fashion anymore.

Tomorrow is the last day of FAFW for me!

Fan Art Free Week #3

Good morning! Its time for another FAFW! I'm halfway through this project and its been really fun so far! Its not too late to join! Originality is always welcome, in fact, its encouraged!

I'm not sure what this is about. I think I just needed to find a reason to draw a giraffe. I'll be back tomorrow!

Fan Art Free Week #2

This is my second submission for FAFW and I'm going strong so far! I'm continuing with the watercolors. I'm really having fun with this medium and I prefer them to markers. I like how the colors spread out with the brush and that the colors layer easily without looking harsh. 

Today is a steamy bath scene... ok, not really. When I was drawing this I was thinking about how nice it would be to take a nice hot bath or bubble bath. I think its the best way to forget about a stressful day! 

(If you know what that blue and white thing is, than you can be my friend)

I highly recommend the bath bombs and bubble bars from Lush Cosmetics. They make baths a lot of fun with aromatherapy and fun-colored water. I've been buying things from that shop for a long time and I'm still figuring out my favorites. There's a lot to choose from. I really want to try the Sunny Side bubble bar because it has gold glitter in it!

I hope you're enjoying FAFW so far. I'll be back tomorrow!

Fan Art Free Week #1

Hi Everyone!

Its a been a while! I am sad to report that I have been having some major computer problems. The past couple of weeks have been very frustrating. Its been one thing after another with my computer from fickle programs (no Photoshop?! What?!) and other annoying things like Youtube or any website that uses flash not working, then iTunes erasing everything in my iPod and refusing to put anything in back in it. Its a total mystery to me! I've decided to throw in the towel and retire this old machine for a shiny new one. I'm not completely upset... Even though I have been having lots of computer issues, thank goodness that none of my important data was erased! I don't know what I would do if I lost photos of my grandma! I'm still saving a little bit of extra money and backing up my computer. I hope to be fully operational in a week or two.

In other news, I'm happy to announce that this week is FAWF! Which is an initiative to color the internet with original work. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to participate. All you have to do is draw something original and post it online. The best part is that its free! This can be better explained in the original post by my friend Zack Giallongo. I hope it will catch on! I will do my part by participating this week. Yes! That is five days of original doodles by me.

Here is a doodle of an outfit that I wore last week. I've been into dresses lately since the weather has been so nice! 

I am wearing:
- Cherry printed dress
- Pink cardigan with a tiny poodle embroidery
- Orchid hairclip by Retro Rocket Girl

I used watercolors which I think is really fun but also very unforgiving. If you've ever worked with watercolors, you'll quickly learn that there is no "undo" button. hahaahaha!

I'm not sure what else I will draw for FAFW, but I wouldn't mind doodling a whole week of outfit posts!

I hope you guys participate too! Please let me know if you are, I'd love to see what you post.

Doodle cats and hot dogs

I've been working on some more illustrations for fun :) I polished up some of the drawings from my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project. I think its pretty neat to give an old drawing a second chance.



This is what the finished illustration looks like:


And here is the sketch:

(Can you find the cats that I used?)

Red Riding Hood

I've been working on a lot of personal work recently. After The Sketchbook Project, I missed working digitally so I made a few illustrations for fun. I love illustrating versions of children's tales because everyone is familiar with them and there are so many interpretations. This is my version of Red Riding Hood:

The Sketchbook Project: On its way to Brooklyn, The Mothership!

My sketchbook contribution for The Sketchbook Project is complete! This has to be the most gratifying project I have ever endured. I have to admit, it was tough for me. There were days when I had to force myself to work on it even when I didn't want to. Filling eighty pages required a drawing stamina that I almost didn't believe I had. But I am proud to say that I finished it!

You're Invited to The Sketchbook Project!

Hello Bloggateers! Its been crazy the past few weeks but I'm happy to announce that I'm doing well and I have lots of exciting projects that have been keeping me busy. I want to extend an invitation to you about one of the personal projects that I have been involved with: The Sketchbook Project! I've heard about this a few years ago when it was new but I either couldn't devote the time, or I chickened out! I've always wanted to participate and luckily I was browsing online one day and found out that the project is still going strong!

So... what is the Sketchbook Project? In a nutshell, for a small fee, you're sent a blank sketchbook from The Art House Co-op, a Brooklyn-based artist community. Then your quest is to fill up the sketchbooks with wonderful things and send it back by January 2011. Then the books will tour the United States as a traveling library until it makes its permanent home in the Brooklyn Art Library. Pretty neat, huh? I'm announcing this with just a few days to spare. The last day to sign up is Halloween, October 31, 2010. The deadline has been EXTENDED to November 15, 2010!



I signed up for the project back in August and my book was sent within 2 weeks. Included in the packet is a blank Moleskin sketchbook, a library card, and an instruction sheet. The neat thing about the project is that you get to pick the color of the sketchbook and the theme of your project. I chose burgundy and my theme is "Its raining dogs and cats". I have so many ideas for my book! Unfortunately, my book still sits blank because I had a few craft shows and prior obligations, but now that my schedule cleared up a bit more I can commit more time to this project. I've been itching to do this so badly but just didn't have the time. I kept my sketchbook right in front of my keyboard to keep myself hyped up about the project :)

There are a few things about the sketchbook. Its not a typical Moleskin book. The size is a lot larger than the famous hip-pocket books. This one measures 5.5x8.5 inches. The cover is made out of cardstock and includes a back pocket. The pages aren't as thick as the typical Moleskin pages and because of this, I've heard a lot of people complaining about inks bleeding through the pages. This was further investigated by fellow blogger, Maken Art, where she tested different media effects on the pages. I don't think this is the end of the world because there are other ways to approach this. Although, the thin-paper issue effects me because I plan on experimenting with water colors. I've decided to rebind my book with heavier pages. I'm so happy I took a book-binding class in college! It comes in handy for things like this. Huzzah!

I will be posting my progress for the Sketchbook Project on my blog. And if you guys are participating, please comment and let me know. I'd love to check out your sketchbooks too! Don't forget, the last day to sign up is November 15, 2010. Anyone from around the world can participate! Please check out the official site for more info. Thanks for reading and good luck to you all!

Top 5 Tuesday: Things to do in a tropical island

I spent last week in the beautiful island of Curaçao. Where is Curaçao? Its an island in the southern portion of the Caribbean Sea. I think I may have found the friendliest people on Earth. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, is always smiling, singing, and dancing. It was beautiful! Its hard to describe things that should be experienced... so I illustrated my week on post-it notes.

Here are the Top 5 Things to do in a tropical island.

1.Snorkel



2. Dig your toes into the sand



3. Look at seashells



4. Be lazy



5. Drink lots and lots of virgin piña coladas
My brother and I would chant, "Its piña colada time!" and disappear to the bar.

That's my week in a nutshell. <3

Techniques and Training

I really wish I could go back to school. College was some of the best years of my life. I loved the energy, meeting so many people, hanging out, and being an art nerd. I remember being so scared to leave because I felt like there was still more that I wanted to learn.

Times are tough right now and going back to school for a second degree or possibly grad school is always an option, but I know I can't afford it. Financial plights won't stop me from learning! I've wanted to do some really colorful illustration work using paints after watching Brian Stelfreeze do a live commission at this year's New York Comic Con. I couldn't get that scene out of my head. It was haunting me in a good way. I saw him paint Lucy Liu's character from the movie Kill Bill. And if I recall correctly, he did not have any references on him and the image looked exactly like her! He mentioned that he was able to do it because he studied her face a lot. She appears in his sketchbooks more than a couple of times because he found her face interesting. I guess Lucy Liu must be his muse.

Not only is he an amazing artist, but he's a really nice guy and a great teacher! All the while he was painting [he's super fast too!], he was having full conversations with everyone that said hello. Hey, he's a professional! He gave me some great advice and I took those words to heart. Ever since that day, I've been exploring different ways to approach art. My newest adventure is painting!


I picked up these two books at the library:


I've read my fair share of technique books and these are really good!

All About Techniques in Acrylics is a really good reference book. Its nice for beginners, but its not too watered down for people who have painted before.

The New Acrylics is exactly what the title says. It explores all the advances in acrylics. Have you ever gone to the art store and felt overwhelmed by all of that stuff on the shelves? This book tells you exactly what they are, how they are used, and the difference between all the different products. The photography inside is beautiful, actually, I might have to use the word "sensual". There is a section in the book where they explain the consistency of mediums through pictures of food. Paint is described as whipped cream, honey, and melted chocolate.

This is the first technique book that is actually written for the artist by an artist. It has all the technical talk, but also the encouraging warmth of a very good art professor. I renewed this book to keep it longer, but I might have to buy it someday!

I didn't exactly start with acrylics. I started with gouache instead. This is one of my mixed media experiments in my sketchbook:


It felt good to be painting again!

Here are some other pages in my sketchbook:

I like drawing creepy girls with sad eyes. They appear a lot in my sketchbooks. I find them interesting to draw. They're definitely inspired by Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, and Arthur Rackham's version of Alice in Wonderland.


I drew this a while ago, but I colored it yesterday with my markers. I'm pretty happy with the image except that I really really wish I didn't draw that pelican! It was the first thing that I put on the page and with [permanent] blue ball-point pen! I drew it because I saw it at Sea World. But now it sits on top of Rivers Cuomo's head for all of eternity.

Finished art:

Here's something I submitted for Illustration Friday. I don't think I shared it with you guys yet.
I posted it on my Deviant Art a while ago.

here's what the sketch looked like:


That's all that I have for now!
I hope I have more cool stuff to show you next week! <3

Metamorphosis

I didn't believe it when I first heard that a sketchbook can be used as a tool to discover things about yourself. I've been trying to reinvent the way I use my sketchbook to enhance my creative process. Its not an easy thing to do, so I needed some help. I love taking a peek at other people's sketchbooks. As if it holds the secret to coming up up with great ideas and the amazing power to be set free.

I was inspired by San Smith who was inspired by Gala Darling and since then I've been on the hunt by other positive artistic bloggers to stay inspired :)

I found this little gem when I was looking for info on sketchbooks. And boy was I amazed! The artists inside use so many different techniques and there are so many unique minds! I don't even know how to describe it... you'd just have to take a look for yourself if you get the chance.












I tried to reinvent my sketchbook back in January and I'm disappointed to announce that I haven't gotten too far since then. It got too difficult to keep up with that darn calendar that I set up. I decided that that's not how I wanted it to be. It was too constricting when I wanted to think freely. I picked up my sketchbook months later with another approach and I came up with this:


I know it looks negative... but this was a huge revelation for me. I realized how unhappy I was. And then I thought, what makes me happy and what can I do about it?


I needed something to look forward to! So I'm planning 2010! These are pretty vague, but the most important step was to figure out what I want. Now I just have to figure out how to get there and I'll be using my sketchbook to help me!

I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've finally figured out what I want to do. I can't reveal my super secret project yet. Its taking a lot of planning but I have a good feeling that my project will finally get me off the ground! And I can't explain it, but I also have this feeling that there is no room for failure. I really hope I can find success in it. Ah! I'm so excited!

Here's another random page from my sketchbook:

I've been trying out different techniques every week. This is when I was learning transfer techniques. Last week was watercolors. Next week I think I might continue on with the watercolors. Its really fun so far!

Here are a few other artists that I like to check out:
• Julianna Swaney
• Clever Nettle
• I don't know her name but her work is awesome!
• Skottie Young

Its only Monday... let's make it a great week!
<3 Sarah

Watercolor attempts

Some new drawings! I'm excited to take on the challenge of learning how to watercolor! This is one of the New Year's Resolutions that I made for myself back in January. I think I can grow to love watercolors. I like the unpredictability of this medium. Gosh... you should hear me paint. There's a lot of "oops" and "uh-ohs" being said!

A friend gifted me this tiny watercolor set years ago that looks similar to this one. The paints aren't as pigmented as I'd hoped and the colors are a little bright for my liking. But this set is easy to mix your own colors. I'm still learning, so I don't need expensive paints right now. I found this neat article on watercolors if you're looking to get started.




Draw the SPACE GIRL VERSION of yourself!

I think the recent Star Trek movie has been influencing a whole bunch of us artists. I've been seeing so many space-themed artwork and doodles out there that I wanted to jump on the bandwagon too! My space influence actually came from a Ren & Stimpy episode that I saw the other day. The duo ended up getting sucked into a deep black hole and the environment changed them. Crazy things happened in this episode like they grew extra eyes and fangs. Their flips floated away from them yet they were still able to talk.

This is exactly what I would look like in outerspace! I would have blue skin and hair. The planet would have three moons so the daylight would be screwed up. I would need special yellow eyes to see. My body would be stretched weird from zero-gravity effects. I would be part of a team of sexy space girls and our job is to eliminate space pirates. Ahhh! I don't know, something like that.


Rapidash and Ponyta from Pokemon

Here are some other drawings from my sketchbook that I didn't get a chance to share


Elephant


The Squid and the Whale
(click image for large size)

That's all for now. I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Imperfections

I put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to have "good" drawings every time. I get intimidated by a blank page. Oh gosh that first mark on the paper! I know a sketchbook is for ideas, but I've always had this thing where I don't want it to get messy. Isn't that silly? Over the last few years, I've been trying to break that boundary and not care, although its going SUPER SLOW! Like.... the drawing above. I wouldn't have ever drawn on the backside where the marker bled:
A) I would think that its ugly
B) Its hard to see where the new lines are going to be.

I like seeing other artists' sketchbooks and wish mine were more like theirs. I like how they have writings that mean something only to them. Then all the cutting and pasting of found objects. I've kept sketchbooks for years and mine still doesn't look like that. I don't even like looking at my old sketchbooks! One of my goals for 2009 was to have a sketchbook that's more than a sketchbook. It would have ideas and plans and something to be proud of at the end of the year. I wrote about it on my blog [Click here for source] and although I haven't kept with the calendars and whatnot, I've been writing lists and things.

Its a process.

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School with Raquel Reed

Hello everyone! I had a fantastic art weekend! Last Saturday I went to a figure drawing event for Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. Don't you just love that name?

It was a real treat because the model was local celebrity, Raquel Reed!

This was a photo taken from the event. She looks absolutely gorgeous in person. Actually, she didn't seem real. Raquel looked like a doll brought to life! I think she did really well for a first time model for a drawing class. Holding poses sure isn't easy!

The theme for the class was a tribute to cupcakes! With cupcakes sponsored by Glittle Cupcakes. The Poor girl spent the entire night baking six dozen cupcakes! I was following her Twitter the day of the event. haha! There were also cupcakes sponsored by Cupcakes take the Cake. CTTC sure comes up with some interesing flavors. On their blog, they mentioned Spicy Mexican chocolate cake with cinnamon buttercream icing and red hots. OMG! I'd love to try that!

Here are my sketches from the event:

One minute poses
Boy did I feel rusty using that charcoal for the first time in years!


More one minute poses


Two minute poses


More two minute poses
I'm starting to feel comfortable drawing again.


Five minute pose


Ten minute pose
(this was my favorite drawing out of the bunch)
Her arm is a little wonky because she moved. hehe


Dr. Sketchy Challenge!
"draw with your less dominant hand"


Ten minute poses

It sure was fun! I'm definitely going to go again! They gave out some prizes too like indie comic books, Etch-a-sketches, and free drinks. I didn't win anything, I was just happy to draw and be around other artists.

Thanks Dr. Sketchy!

Hanging out at the Big Apple

Hi All! I hope you're keeping warm wherever you are. BIG NEWS! The Secret Identities comic that I worked so very hard on last year is having two panels at New York Comic Con this weekend! You should check it out if you're around!


February 6-8

Saturday 1:30PM "Asian Americans and Superheroes: Secret Identities" panel in Room 1A18, SI editor-in-chief Jeff Yang and editor-at-large Keith Chow will be joined by Greg Pak and Bernard Chang (creative team of "The Citizen"). The panel will be moderated by Anne Ishii and will also feature the world premiere of the first Secret Identities trailer. (Room 1A18)

Sunday 11:15AM "The Multicultural Mask" panel, moderated by Jeff Yang, will feature Greg Pak, Jann Jones, Danielle O'Brien, Perry Moore, and Stuart Moore. (Room 1A17)

In other news, I've been doodling here an there. I recently saw an old movie, "The Professional" and was inspired to draw this:

Its a really good movie! It features a very young Natalie Portman. I had no idea she could be so fiesty.

A New Direction!

Happy 2009 Everyone! I'm excited about this year because I get to start over! I'm going to try something new, something I haven't done before which is to break everything down and structure my goals. I used to be like this when I was in school - but when school was finished... I got kind of lost. The structure they made for me was gone and I had to manage on my own. Scary!

I got the idea from fellow artist and blogger, San Smith, where she outlines how she created a "Visual List" for 2008 because things weren't going so well the previous year. And it looks like its been working for her so far! I've been following her blog last year and she's done some amazing things! I hope this method will work for me too.

I was originally going to get the popular 3.5 x 5.5 moleskin book, but then I saw the 5.5 x 5.5 square notebook and I was sold! Just to be safe, I wanted bigger paper for big ideas. Its still small enough to carry around too!

I started off by writing down all of the art related things I want to accomplish this year. Now that I've written it all down, it doesn't seem as overwhelming because I can just look at everything all on one page. Before I had a constant worry about all the stuff I want to do. Now I don't have to think about that stuff because its right here:



The cool thing about it is that I realize that its a busy schedule, but I think its very possible to do most, if not all of these things by 2010! When they are completed, I will cross them out. Vague things like "doodle" and "etsy"... it'll be hard to determine when these are accomplished. The best way for me to gauge when these are done are when I'm happy with my progress or if it starts to become a good habit. I left room for more stuff, just in case I finish all these.

To keep me feeling motivated, I also listed small daily goals. I like that feeling of accomplishment when I cross them out (p.s. Sharkey and Jetta are my pets hehe!):



And most importantly I pasted in a small calendar and I list important events and how many daily goals I did. So at the end of the month I can say, "Whoa! I was awesome last month" or, "I wasn't so productive, I will just have to try harder next month".



I am also using this as a reference guide. I'm going to paste in some of my influences and things I like to look at. Thoughts, feelings, stories, sketches... whatever comes to mind.

Animals!

I've always enjoyed drawing animals more than anything else :)
Hooray for nature studies!

On to new things...

Last night I was working on a few concepts for the project I mentioned in my last post. I'm super excited about this!




Still a little wonky on the anatomy, but the one thing I want to focus more on is SPEED! Which is something I haven't really pushed myself to do before. My friend, Pinki mentioned that I made her hand backwards... I think she's right. haha!

I'm really grateful to have some art friends to join forces with on this project. I've always worked alone - not by choice, but because it always happened to be like that. Or maybe no one was really interested in the same ideas.