Round two...

Ok, so like I was saying in my last post I am going to try to get a better grip on this colored pencil process I am trying to develop.
Here is the new monster I am going to try it on.




I've named it Hexaped. "Hexa" being greek for "6" and it having six legs. My creativity astounds and abounds.


Anyway I've also decided to look towards the past and learn from those who came before me.




This is an example of Alan Gordon's sketch book work. Notice his link off in the right column. He was my first art teacher when I went to community college, he also graduated from RIT and was one of the major reasons I decided to go to RIT. He uses Prisma color grey scale markers, Prisma color pencils, acrylic, acrylic washes and various other mixed media in his work. He obviously knows how to use the media and I plan on learning what I can from him. I really love the solidity and depth his shadows have. They are part of his piece and I feel that I don't know how to achieve that yet. This also nails and establishes a wonderful sense of light in the image, something else I haven't quite gotten the hang of.


On a final note I based my concept for Hexaped on an old sketch I made from when I was fifteen or so. I am glad that I have the literal pounds and pounds worth of old sketches and things but sometimes I think I may be using them as a crutch for my creativity. I maybe wrong though.



So good night and good luck fellow toilers!

ciao,
Matt

What I am doing?

I recently started working with colored pencils (Prisma color) on toned paper. It's great! I have seen it done before by other artists here and there and it was definitely a good move on my part. My understanding of color, form, and shape is much more solid. So here is what I have come up with...




This is the Sharkalo... and here is the finished colored version.




This us the final product. I need to pay better attention to areas like the shadow. I can see now that I rushed it. Some of the form of the head, shoulders, and arms is kind of sketchy. That's what I get for not getting good or any reference though. All in all not too bad. I have to noted improvements on the next one but I am quite please with how this turned out.

For the next round I have already started the character I will be posting. This time it will be more step by step, which I am doing so I can look back at my process and keep refining it.

'Til next time!

ciao,
Matt

That is right...

For tonight all the changes I am going to make are done. Blog title, personal imformation, links I am going to add, and a small other snippet or two. So done!

On a side note I want to point out that yes I did link to JAMES GURNEY!!! I am such a fan boy. There is even a picture of me in his blog from when he visited RIT. Honored. Beyond. Description.

Also I got Carly, Doug, Bobby D, and Alan Gordon. Success!!!

That little light went on.

So I surfed around the blogoshpere to learn what I could, as I said I would, and have come back better for the journey. I figured out how to link to other blogs which was something I have been struggling with. I feel like I may be one of the last few people from my generation who will never become fully integrated with technology. It feels like I am pulling my own teeth sometimes when I try to do what I think will be a simple task. For example I have NEVER sent a text message. I have tried but seems like a waste of time. Oh well. Next I want to get the format of my blog to be wider but that will take some more time. I have to go pick Greg's or Leffer's brains a bit and see if they can help.

Hopefully as my grasp of what I am doing improves I will be able to use my blog for it's newly realized potential: personal retrospective, art review, and networking.
'Tings are looking pretty good.