Hunter

I got an idea for a short… here are some concepts.

Hairy Monster

I was doing some sketching, and here is the hairy thing that came out.

Santas Lineup

I found it an interesting idea, worth spending some time on.

Advent Guide

The cover for an annual project. More later.

Positive and Negative Shapes

A Little Something on Design

As I mentioned I’ve been experimenting with things, trying new ways of working, for me that is. I’m definitely not reinventing the wheel. Never the less, I am finding things out for myself, and I’m having fun while doing it.

This is my first attempt to inking an image and it really gets ideas flowing. The moment the line becomes a shape things start making sense. Sure you might have read about it in Graham’s book “Composing Pictures” but it isn’t the same until you do it. As always we need to see thing in practice, we need to get our hands dirty for the concept start gelling, and that is when things start happening.

If anyone out there has a hard time dealing with positive and negative shape I invite him or her to pickup some ink and tackle this beast with it. I assure you that the next time you are to do a layout you’ll be a lot more conscious about the shapes you are putting down and how you are going to work with them later.

P.S. Graham’s book “Composing Pictures” is excellent, he breaks down the mechanics of design and analyzes each element. Last time I got my copy it was out of print, but I think heard it was reprinted.

Pushing That Gesture

A Reflection on Design

We know that before we put a pencil on a piece of paper we need to have an idea, even just a hint of an idea will do, but next is the gesture. Not just any gesture will do, but a one that has something to say. We need to push the gesture, fight that vertical, and at the same time keep it simple; just an ‘s’ shape and nothing more . We want to keep things moving, dynamic where needed, but definitely: always interesting.

These drawing really get the point across. The character is practically a volumetric line. It’s primary gesture is an ‘s’ shape, but what power. The gesture is pushed, yet not to the point of becoming awkward instead “we buy it”, it makes sense. Wasn’t Richard William that said something about mastering the basics would give exceptional results? So, if the gesture is the essence of a drawing then we really need to be concern to get it right.

So lets get that idea, draw the gesture on paper, then add those volumes. After that, lets do it again and again until we get the right.

One of my life drawing teachers once told me fill those trashcans with drawings, a genius is a genius because he made more mistakes then you.

Our viewers are our gods, and masters. After all we are here to please them. So, let’s push that gesture.

A Trustworthy Doc

I’ve been playing around and getting, more and more, used to the tablet. This one was done digitally from the beginning, with some prior sketching on paper to get some ideas flowing.

More Santa

Here is an other test.

Santa Is Coming

I’ve been playing around with the tablet. I usually do my designs with Illustrator, but now that I have a more intuitive way of working with the tablet; I’ve been playing around with the production flow, what kind of looks I can get, and how long it would take me.

Because of Season being around the corner, I have been sketching more and more Santas, this one is more of a generic one, but it got me started.

Painting Again…

It has been a while since I last picked up a brush, I mean the paintbrush, canvas, and the whole get up, mixing the oil paints, preparing the medium, getting the thinner out. I remembered it use to take me 15-20 min to get ready, plus cleaning up.

Well I just got my hands on a Cintiq and I feel like I’m painting again. It is so intuitive and direct you click and you have the color no more time spent mixing. It used to be the thing that drove me crazy the most, color is one of those thigs. I guess that is why I like drawing better. It is a lot more immediate, but who know… know that I have access to a Cintiq things may change. I started making some color thumbnails for the annual Christmas card, and man, it is fast and clean.

On the other hand, it might just be the excitement of a new toy. I guess time will tell. One thing is sure, for me, nothing beats sketching.

Feedback is always welcome.

What you are looking at is a first version of a board for an ad.