Memory Portrait

This is a portrait of my brother. We had to do this from memory, and it could be stylized, so I did a slightly worm's eye perspective because of my brother's height, and then used a heavy outline and minimal hatching for a cartoony, graphic look. I did the initial line work and then went over it with a quick wash. I think it's a pretty successful image.

Illustration time: 2 hours

Microns and Sharpie and Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

8" x 10"

FINAL 3 Image Montage

Ugh. After three tries, I'm finally getting the hang of this technique. I like the way my penguin and banana turned out, although perhaps the spots on the banana could have been done slightly more realistically. I was having a hard time with the spots and the shadow on the banana peel, and I think it's because I had too much mat medium in my gesso mixture and the paint was lifting too much. That was why I had a lot of trouble with the lego piece, too. I would try and get a smooth texture, but as I tried to smooth out the brush strokes, the paint would lift off rather than blend. And my strokes on the side closest to the penguin are not directional, which gives the appearance of a trapezoidal lego, rather than a rectangular one. But overall, I am pleased with the result.

Illustration time: 3 hours
Gouache on Hot Press Illustration board
10" x 14"

Postcard

My postcard changed from my comp, but only by rotating and cropping it. I kept all the same elements, but used the space more effectively to create a more dramatic composition. When I "finished" the postcard, it looked really flimsy and lame, but after adding more color density to the piece, I think it looks pretty good. I had a lot of trouble with controlling the bleeding of the clouds, but after I stopped and let it dry and added some definition, it worked out.

However, Rusty didn't approve my design, so I'm going to work on it. Everyone seemed to like my original comp better than my full size, so I might go back to that and develop it further.

This is the final version of my postcard. I think it's a lot more successful than my previous attempts. My favorite part was the splatter at the base of the tornado that suggests debris. I also like the cloud on the left side, but I think the rest of my clouds look too... "nice." They look like storm clouds, but they are not as ominous as the one large cloud on the left. However, I think my illustration does a good job of conveying the scene and I am satisfied. I have a hard time with small-scale watercolors, because there isn't much space for the watercolor to run and blend without losing definition and clarity of content. But after several tries, I'm happy with this version.

Illustration time: 2 hours

Gouache and Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

4.25" x 6"

Midterm Portfolio

Midterm Portfolio:

This was the first project we had to complete and I think it was quite successful. I had to combine line art with a watercolor wash in Photoshop. I had not had much exposure to the Lucy until this project, but I found that it was tremendously helpful, particularly in getting the facial features correct. This was a lot of fun to ink, but it drained my Micron pens, because I built up the tones in the hair (though when it was scanned, that detail was lost). I also think my watercolor was successful in accenting the line art.

This piece is my favorite piece of line art. I think it clearly resembles my shoes and shows a range of values. I am not entirely satisfied with my shadow, but the rest of the shoes turned out very well.

This piece is one of the watercolor exercises, where we had to do 10 of the same image. I think this one is my most successful sketch, because I used a layering effect for the fur and also glazing. The bleeding in the lower section was really successful as well. I was also able to evoke a sense of detail while not using much detail at all.

I like this piece, mostly because it's adorable. But I also really like the background. This was my first successful background attempt, because before, my backgrounds looked like random colors rather than an intentional background. I also think the fur is effective as well. I think the shading and the grass are also nicely accomplished.

This is my product illustration. I think it was successful, because it looks realistic enough while still maintaining the illustrated aspect. My favorite part of this piece is the shine by the toe of the shoe.

I think that the portfolio is not only a representation of my best work, but also a good sampling of the work that we have done so far. I have enjoyed this class so far. I do not like the gouache pick-out technique, but I like gouache better than watercolor, simply because it's easier to get a denser, brighter color. My favorite technique is wet-on-dry. I still love line art, simply because you have the greatest control, and yes, I am still a control freak. I had never appreciated watercoloring before, because I didn't realize the variety of things you can do with the medium, and the effects you can achieve.

3 Image Montage - Take Two

Because Rusty thought our first attempt sucked, we had to do it again. I chose to do an orange (that I painted yellow/as a lemon), upside down lips, and three smokestacks. I had a lot of trouble with the smokestacks and especially with the smoke, but I was really pleased with how the lips, orange/lemon, and background turned out. But we have to do another one, so hopefully I'll be able to pick images I can actually paint.

Illustration time: 4 hours

Gouache on Watercolor Paper

10"x 14"