Some Artwork To Show

[Guest Michael J.]

I always get all fidgety when I think of slamming drawings onto the table and going "yeah, this is where I'm at in academics" - but I've been getting into a habit of taking some pride in where I stand artistically while going to school. It's a learning process?

So I thought I'd share some stuff here considering I like to mention that it's what I'm going to school for (it's hard, I swear, but so fun). Some of this is a little old in the realm of a few months, and a few months in artist-years feels like an eternity, but I tried to dig up some more recent things. I tend to sketch a pencil out my drawings, then go digital (or just paint digital straight through) which I know isn't quite as romantic as, say, oils on canvas. I can do that too, although digital certainly has its merits and distinctions.

Work in Progress - WIP for one of my classes this quarter. We have a portfolio piece due every two weeks based around figures (it's a life drawing class). I've done a few quickies in need of refinement for the upcoming piece due, but this is the one I've decided to run with.

3D Modeling Final Exam - Last quarter, I'd taken a 3D Modeling class on basic Maya. We didn't get too involved given it was a beginner's course, but this was my final exam. The original render isn't glamorous. It's actually quite boring, and so while we had some extra class time, I was messing with the render in Photoshop and adding details in to change the render into an actual picture rather than just a shoddy bird without a feather-texture. The majority of this is Maya, but a good chunk of the finishing touches are just Photoshop.

Creative Writing Final Exam - We draw 24/7, no lie. Even in a writing based class, there are sometimes assignments like 'do something related to your major'. I wrote a story in non-sense Jabberwocky format about someone waiting for their love in a flower patch. A friend told me to make the lead character a squirrel, so I went with it and had some fun. The flowers are nothing but scribble marks, but, admittedly, I decided I liked that and didn't go back to refine detail there.

Dastardly Villain - Something like five, six months ago? I was in a character design class and we were designing characters based on fairy tales / altering fairy tales and creating original stories in an inspirational sense. I picked the Jabberwocky and expanded on the story itself by creating a little world of people who live underground and fear the surface because of the Jabberwocky. A horrible, if not incompetent, villain travels to the underground town with his henchman to steal the town's sacred artifact - a bowl that always burns and supposedly 'contains the souls of the dead'. In the mean time, he tricks the two children who are suspicious of him into going to the surface, where our main lead encounters the Jabberwock.

Heroic Hero - The aforementioned hero above. I wish I had the female heroine, as she's my favorite of the entire lot, but I hit a rough spot and never finished my illustrations for that class. Regardless, this kid's name is Tipton. The villain above tricked his friend, Ella, into going to the surface, and Tipton set out to find her when he found out she'd left the underground. By far, Tipton's not very bright. He's resourceful, but incredibly rash and I wouldn't say mature or sophisticated.

Cleaned Concept Sheet - Or part of a cleaned concept sheet. We had a requirement of four poses to go on the sheet, and these are just some random ones for Tipton's design after I'd finalized from my sketches.

Riding a Subway - Something I did for a Drawing/Anatomy class. I picked a Subway theme and went with it. I had never ridden a subway before, though a month after this project I finally got to ride one and see that they're not so grungy, even if they are undoubtedly that negligent and passive.

Portraiture Practice - I make funny faces, and occasionally someone will get a picture of it when I'm off guard. I had a nice little collection at one point and decided to paint a few for practice because I was working on improving portraiture accuracy. I'm still not very good at it, although this one came out looking like me all things considering. I'm am undoubtedly that horrifying to look at, and yes, my skin is completely that color of green. I'm an alien here to abduct you all with my UFO fleet!

Pastels on Card Stock - this picture is extremely old, almost two years old, to be exact. I'd finally gotten my very first set of pastel crayons, and the first thing I did was jump on the bright colors like a hungry lion on a gazelle? The pastel is literally an inch thick on that thing, but this is one of my favorite things. I just thought I'd post it in here because there was a time where I worked strictly with non-digital mediums and I still love my pastels and thick-cake-blotch-spot attitude with them.

Figure/Speed Practice - This, admittedly, wasn't speedy. I wanted to document my painting steps for what would ordinarily be a 15-20 minute process, but this is the final product. The reference is out of Getty Images. Here for anyone who wants to know. I link my reference, hey! Although I did some tweaking while painting. I like the color blue, so I'd been working that way instead of black and white. I have the steps for this one too, if anyone's actually curious what I did.

Steps Pg. 1 - To the above.

Steps Pg. 2 - To the above.

I have a lot, lot, lot more sitting around in places, but I don't want to do some massive flood-drop off of 'and this is what I drew in kindergarten!'. I just wanted to grab a few things out of my folders and photobucket, so, there we go. Maybe I'll share some more later. But, admittedly, I completely feel guilty that this feels like my first post.

[Guest Charlene_Leona]

Michael

You work is wonderful, you have a bright future as an artist. Keep it up, I'd like to see more of your work. I'm a professional artist and it's the most rewarding career a person can have. Your gonna do great in this field!

[Sally]

Hey Michael,

What a wonderful talent you have - I have never been very good at art so I tend to stay with words, music and photography it helps to satisfy the need to be creative but I still wish I could draw, sketch or paint.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Michael J.]

Aw. Thanks to the both of you.

I'm really happy to hear that you think I'll do well, Charlene. It means a lot. :] Art of all kinds has always been my favorite thing. For as physically exerting and complicated as it seems to be, it's already been rewarding for me. Completely love my academics, and I'm definitely looking forward to a future career and wherever that might take me.

Sally, I'm always jealous of anyone with any kind of musical ability. Ha, ha. I've never been very good with music. I understand it, but the application of that understanding is kind of on a disconnected cable. Always wanted to play piano or something. Right now I occasionally practice an ocarina, but even that's proving a little in-depth with a disconnect in regurgitating what I understand. :'D I love photography too, though - and the written word? Aw, man. Good times, and fantastic things.

[Guest Robin Winter]

Um.......Wow....

These are amazing...

[Guest Astro_Liz]

Wow, thats really good! I love seeing how a piece comes together!

[Guest Angel21]

your work is amazing wow

Angel

[Guest Jean Davis]

Wow you are really tallented.

Good luck on your future career.

LUV

Jean

[Guest Ariana]

These pictures are too beautiful for words alone...

I would feel mean to say anything, this work is so amazingly... I don't know what to say. I give up. It's too amazing for me to describe.