Phoenix

For Wet Media Kitchen. We have started using gouache, which I don't have much experience with. Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm doing when I paint with gouache, but I'm liking it. The creature in a phoenix: magical, long-lived bird, reborn from fire etc. 9in x 13in, gouache

Prompt: Pet

Alison's choice of prompt this week. Looks like finally did a prompt that wasn't a pretty lady. But I'm sure I'll get back to that next week since it is my choice. Here is a little girl and her giant magical whatever-it-is. 5in x 7in, gouache, ink

Illustration Concepts

So I got a little behind on posting stuff, but I am determined to get back on track. Here are two pieces from my illustration concepts class.

First: illustration for a book cover of the short story collection Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link. This scene is from the story Flying Lessons. 13in x 17in, watercolor.

Next: Poster for the Fall of the House of Usher by Poe. 11in x 17in, gauche and ink.

Kirin

From Wet Media Kitchen. The background is done with xerox transfers using a photo of trees on top and in the bottom one of fish which you can't really make out. The creature is a kirin(or qilin or Chinese unicorn): body of a giraffe, scales of a fish, antlers of a deer. 11 x 14in, acrylics.

Zoopsia

Assignment for my Illustration Concepts class. We were supposed to illustrate a word. The word I ended up choosing was zoopsia, which is a visual hallucination of animals. 11.5 x 17in, watercolor, ink

Prompt: Pin Up

Hitomi's choice of prompt this week and the theme was pin-ups. I had lots of fun drawing this girl in her extremely practical astronaut outfit. I also got to use my new ink in my favorite color: magenta. 9 x 12in, ink

Swan Maiden

For Wet Media Kitchen. This week we used something called the fugitive ink technique, which is where you paint the surface with ink first, then gesso over it, and then paint you image on top. The ink is supposed to bleed through and tint your picture, but it didn't seem to be doing anything to my painting. My teacher did say that sometimes it takes a while to show up, so maybe if I wait a week all my colors will be screwed up. The subject is a swan maiden: women who could shape shift into a swan when wearing a swan skin garment. 11 x 14in, acrylic

Prompt: Steampunk

For this week's prompt Caitlin's chose steampunk. I had a really fun time doing it, since I got to add a whole bunch of crazy details and not worry if they made sense or not. I haven't done steam punk before, but I like the style. I want to do more. I also want to color this piece but I am incredibly busy this week so maybe some other time. 9 x 12in, ink

Roc

Another piece for Wet Media Kitchen using the sanding technique. This time we had to let the different layers dry naturally instead of using a blow dryer. The creature is a roc: a gigantic bird of Persian mythology. 11 x 14in, acrylic

Manticore

For my Wet Media Kitchen theme. Were using this technique were you build up a bunch of layers of paint and then sand them down for the background. The creature is a manticore: body of a lion, head of a man, tale of a scorpion. 11 x 14in, acrylic

Prompt: Military Uniform

My friends and I are taking turns to think of a different prompt to illustrate each week. The first week was my choice of military uniforms. 9 x 12 in, ink

Super Team Up!!!

Character Development homework. The assignment was to draw three to five characters working to accomplish some activity. I was inspired by the old pulp science fiction covers. Also I had been looking for an excuse to draw a dinosaur and the space suits were fun to design too. Overall it was rather fun to draw. Inking it at three in the morning, however, was less enjoyable. 14 x 17 in, sumi ink

Griffin

Second homework assignment for Wet Media Kitchen. This time using matte medium and some collage elements. My interpretation of a griffin: half bird, half lion creature.

Hippocampus

First homework piece for Wet Media Kitchen. We had to pick a theme for all of our homework pieces to follow. My theme is hybrid animals. So every week I chose a mythological creature and paint my own version of it. This one is a hippocampus: a half horse half fish creature. My first time working with gloss medium which I rather like because you get to build up lots of layers. Plus it makes everything shiny! 11 x 14 in Acrylics

Marika is actually going to update her blog as she does work this year. And she really means it.

First character development assignment: draw a character playing an instrument. 11 x 14 in Watercolor and ink.

The Hot Dog Tap Danced Under the Bridge with a Troll

For my illustration II class. 11''x13'' Watercolor.We played the exquisite corpse game but with words in order to make up sentences to illustrate. Other choices included: That chocolaty goodness fornicated with flowers in Times Square. Sexy Lexy dug through underwear drawers in the Meyerhoff Private Dinning room. and Johnathan Taylor Thomas contemplated life's meaning over the rainbow. to name a few.

Let There Be Light

My other favorite pieces from my Let There Be Light Class. Mostly because I already have good photos of them on my computer. All there were done in chalk pastels. The first piece is me dressed up as a fortune teller(because I'm the easiest model to get). I used my light box for the table. Thanks to Caitlin for providing most of the other props since I was running out of interesting objects to draw in my own room. 30x48in
In class work. The model was supposed to pretend to be murdered. 22x30in
A self portrait in costume. 20x30in

This the first drawing I did for that class that the teacher actually liked. We had a model lying in front of a Buddha statue outside. 24x36in

Circle Collage

The in class work from my last collage class. We were allowed to do anything we wanted as long as it in some way involves collage. Not sure it's quite done, I had to rush a bit at the end because we were putting our work up on the wall.

The Explorer

Fall semester 2007 30x40 chalk pastels. I got(by which I mean forced) my younger sister to pose for me. We scavenged my house for all the clothes and props for the set up.