Monday, January 16, 2012

New background

Lookie, new background! I made it real quick by sketching it out with a grid, then coloring it on watercolor paper with some pens and paint. I haven't really made anything like this before so it wasn't perfectly aligned and it took me awhile to fix on the computer with Gimp. Hopefully this will just be a test background until I can make a prettier one. Did I mention I love jackelopes? Hehe.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Back to school

Spring semester starts for me in a couple days. I'm going back to homework, quizzes, exams. Back to becoming organized, back to learning how to learn and back to fretting about the millions of things on my to-do list. Back to exhaustion, exasperation, a fear of failing. Back to a chance to succeed, and a chance to prove myself.This is the life I've chosen. Break was wonderful, but reality beckons.
I won't be uploading art much, except for maybe some sketches and doodles, though if I get my camera fixed/replaced I can take a picture here or there. Aaaaah, the student life. Still wouldn't trade it for anything right now though. It'll be worth it in the end. I have to make it worth it.
 It's strange to think that I basically will be in school straight through until the end of the summer, since I'll be taking all three terms of summer school again (which is partially my fault, I'm retaking one class). I wonder what I'll think in 2013, looking back at 2012. Only one way to find out: welcome, 2012, and all you bring!

Bears

My grandmother sent me the reference I used for this, asking me to paint them. It's been a long time, maybe a year but I finally had the time and motivation to do it! I kept it simple, the reference didn't allow for much creativity of background, etc. I know polar bears are really yellow-ish in color but like I said, it's simplistic!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Decisions

This took at least six hours, mostly straight through. I really challenged myself with this cause I have always wanted to paint a forest and rarely succeeded, but now I can say that at least I've done it! Acrylics, you do not scare me. I had to take a picture cause its too large to scan, so some corners/edges got a little clipped. 11x14  acrylic on canvas board.

Monday, January 9, 2012

More Adventures in Sculpting

Since the Titus sculpture, I tried some different kinds of clay. The first I tried after Titus was an old clay I had and I found it to be too soft and impressionable. So after that I found some at an art store and it was perfect.
I don't know what I'll sculpt next, sculpting is so challenging! But for now, I shall share the fruits of my labor:
Adding texture to the fur really helped, I think.
I don't really like the fish...

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

For Doom

These deer were sketched out a long time ago, and I now finally had time to paint it. I suppose this is dedicated to Doom, for putting up with me. Hehe. 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Raven


Birds are hard to draw. Moss is hard to paint. But despite all the frustration, I had fun. I gotta paint more while I still have time! And I must remember not to be afraid to challenge myself.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

The Year that Followed, The Year to Come

I suppose I should dedicate a post to the New Year. Looking back, 2011 was a constant challenge. I never felt like I could breathe except for those blissful two weeks during the summer when I finished summer school and drove with Doom to the midwest to just escape it all. I've learned quite a bit over the past year, about relationships (still not perfect at those but I try!), about my own goals, about school and about my own abilities. Though this year was rough, I feel more prepared for 2012, and all of its challenges. Self motivation is a skill I've been working on this past year, I feel like it will be my ticket to the future. I know its easy to just sit and struggle with yourself about getting stuff done, about studying the right way, about trying something new, and I want to just leap into it, and get everything done.
So for 2012, I must ask myself if I want to make some resolutions. I hate the thought of making them and not following through, how lame is that? However, maybe it will be good for me. I've never tried it before. Well.... self-motivation, let's give it a shot!
  • Losing weight has always been something floating around somewhere in my mind, yet in the midst of exams and pressure and everything else, I manage to push it aside. When it comes down to it, its just gonna be something I just have to bite the bullet on. 
  • On that note... eating healthier in general should definitely be a goal! Doom and I eat out too much... and pay the consequences. It would do our GI systems a big favor if we tried. 
  • My doggies... I studied so much last semester, I neglected them a bit and they got mats in their pads! That's never happened before. And its unacceptable. I need to find time to groom them when they need to be groomed. And play with them more. Cause I love 'em to death. 
  • I've already set this goal for myself, so it's definitely a resolution: I'm going to try to not get behind in my classes. Its the worst feeling ever to feel like you're drowning in exams and quizzes and homework. So to accomplish this, I shall be ULTRA-organized. I'm talkin', write-everything-down, plan-ahead, organized! (my GPA will thank me for this later)
  • Hmm... I know I don't work but I'm a factor in mine and Doom's spending habits, so saving money sounds good, eh? 
  • Seems like a decent list to me so far... So to top it off, I must remember not to forget the little things, like art. It makes me happy.