Don't Be Lookin' At Me!

This was an analogous color scheme portrait we had to do for Color & Design class. The outline was called "angry", so I made it with reds and oranges.

There's a blank outlined face we have to work from, so it's kind of like painting by numbers, only no numbers.

I thought it looked a little van Gogh-ish once I was finished with it.

Anyway, you could say it's my first real painting, so hooray! Doug made a dirty-looking caked-on painting for class!

After coming down a little from the chiaroscuro compliment, I've realized that I've been neglecting deep shadows lately. Most of my anatomical sketches and drawings have been really light and could show better detail if I shadowed them a little darker. Mainly, I'm a big fucking procrastinator, and at the last minute, I decide I want to draw everything, but run out of time easily. So, I stick to vine/willow charcoals, which are easier to smear and shade with, and neglect the compressed charcoal which gives me those deep, really black shadows that I love so much. So, this is me saying that as of the skull below, I'm going to make a more concentrated effort to darken my pictures and further bring out contrasts between darks and lights, as well as to accent the anatomical features better on my figures.

SkullBurritoMoneyGouacheChiaroscuroWasherChickenBMFmania (or, Our Weekend)

The actual fossa of the temporals looks too smooth, but otherwise, I like how it turned out for an hour's work. It was a bit hasty, but oh well, at least I got it turned in on time.

Anyway, we had a very busy weekend. About 6am on Friday morning, I was sitting there bored at work, so I decided to check my bank account. Our timing apparently couldn't have been better, because we were heading to DL for the weekend, and our car needed an oil change bad. Not to worry, because my automated bank teller informed me with no enthusiasm that our tax return had come in. We're finally able to pay off the last of our bills, and we've got some mad money left over to spend--I can also buy my stupid gouache paints finally.

We went to DL to help Kevin & April move the rest of their stuff. Kevin had a little less trouble than Amadon in obtaining a U-Haul, and we managed to get everything loaded in about 5 hours, unloaded in 1 1/2 hours. The girls snubbed me & Kevin because we both wanted to ride in the U-Haul, but they wanted to ride in a car together. After we got everything unloaded, we went to Mike's to celebrate April's official arrival to her new "home", then went back to their place where we watched our old band practice video that had been lost for 4 years, and April miraculously found. It featured a sans-facial hair me with no concept of tone, a jittery ADD-ridden Amadon with dyed-black hair and no timing, a quiet Derek with spikey orange hair and bass tablature, and the voice & drum of Kevin, who did not appear in the video due to the placement of the camera (we'll get you in there next time, Kevin).

Today we did some more shopping--Karissa got her Qdoba's queso burrito, I got a couple graphic novels, Kevin & April got some stuff to make a chicken dinner which turned out really good. Then we installed his washer & dryer, then went home where I frantically finished my drawing only to find out the time on the school's discussion/submission board is an hour off, and I had an extra 45 minutes. But, like I said, I don't mind how it turned out, I think I did okay on the chiaroscuro concept, and it's in.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be posting a painted assignment for Color & Design.

Chiaroscuro

My anatomy instructor commented on my assignments yesterday (see the drawings below), and said he thought I was getting really good at chiaroscuro (bold contrast between light and dark). This might not mean much to you guys but once I found out what chiaroscuro meant, I thought it was a huge compliment, especially since that's what I often try to get out of a rendering, and it ends up becoming one of my biggest stresses when drawing, and also often ends up looking all wrong. I have a lot more to say, but I'm going to post it another time.

By the way, if you want to see the video I posted, you have to scroll down and click the play button. I highly recommend you do it!

Skin & Bones

Two more sketches, I also have to do a full skull rendering. The skull will need to be done in 90 minutes, compared to most of our other assignments which only took about 30-40 minutes. But, I'm excited about doing a skull shot. In the meantime, these two below are all I have to show for what I had to do last night.

I could have done much better with her, but I really wasn't into it when I was sketching her. Not the worst job I've ever done, especially because I did show some key anatomical features, but overall, unimpressive. 

In spite of the job I did on his forehead, I like how he turned out. Facial hair is really difficult for me to do, and I think I pulled it off (not literally). The photo of this guy reminded me a little of Sid Haig.

Oops...I Arted...

These were a couple of drawings done for our assignment in Anatomy last week, just thought I'd show you how some others approached it.

Looks a little saturated, and there's a lot of hard lines, but really good highlights & depth of muscle. 

This one looks like a lithograph, but the shading is also done really well. 

Focal Point

This was actually due a week ago, and I finished late because I was having issues with making thumbnails that accurately conveyed symmetry and focal point placement. Or something to that effect. Anyway, this is my last B/W assignment, next I get to work on color--that is, if I can acquire all my stupid paints on time. I really have to get a hang of straight lines and NOT bleeding over into another color. But at least the focal point is in a good place, and it's definitely a stand-out from the rest of the picture.

No Bones, But More Anatomy

This was just a simple assignment we had to do for Anatomy. The point is to show how the legs work in a standing position, and also to show anatomical features through our shading. I fucked up his face, but the rest of him turned out pretty well for a 30-40 minute exercise.

Hammer Another One In, I'm In a Flavor Box!

Sounds like a political statement, doesn't it? Actually aside from the "magickal" uses for coffin nails, all the slang meanings involve cigarettes or tobacco products, so it's really not that much of a stretch. I just thought it was cool because I was watching 3 Stooges this morning while Is was eating, and Curly won the "Coffin Nail cigarette contest". Apart from the outdated nature of the slang, what a cool brand name for cigarettes! So I got out my pens and sketched myself a simple little pack of smokes with long, thin lettering. I figure a box of Coffin Nail cigarettes should look a little morose but without much flash, kind of like a pack of Lucky Strikes.

A Bunch of Art Meandering With a Side of Lo Mein

In case you haven't noticed, I haven't shown too many of my assignments since December. January's been slow, and since school started up again, I haven't really done anything presentable, except this ribcage, and maybe an anatomical sketch or two. I'm pretty sure there won't be anything from my Color & Design class just yet--I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed about starting color this week. I tried doing a lighthouse last Fall with watercolor pencils, and it turned out pretty terrible.

I'm watching the movie Kinsey right now, and I definitely recommend it. It sheds a lot of light on people's sexual hang-ups and knowledge (or lack thereof). He basically states at one point that people are so hard-groomed in their social restraints that they will betray their own nature to maintain them. The guy managed to conduct a survey of sexual behavior with his own father, who was a very religious and strict man!

I decided to conduct a search for Gouache (pronounced Gwash) in GF. Gouache is a type of paint like Oil or Acrylic, but is apparently better for beginners for its particular color qualities and general adaptability. It is also apparently endangered in GF, because I had a hell of a time finding it. I did finally find it at Art & Learn, although the tubes looked used. I was happy to find it, and I also finally decided to see what Artsplace was all about. Some of you might remember the building with a large bra sculpture out front. I wandered about inside for about 10 minutes, seeing someone in back doing something, but not seeing anyone I figured would be an "employee". Finally, I left, and was just about to get into my car when I heard the store entrance open and someone calling hello to me. I explained that I was just there to see what the place was like and to check their supplies, and he invited me back in.

The guy who owns the place is Frank Kelly, a local artist who used to teach at UND. He lives upstairs, runs a gallery/art supply store in the the front, and keeps a big studio in the back. He showed me a lot of his work (mostly lithographs and collages, which I don't really like), and works from other local artists, including some paintings that used to adorn the walls of Lola's before it closed, and a photo of Abraham Lincoln which I don't really remember the actual origin of. I never did get to see the studio, but I did find out he prices his supplies below many other stores, being that he is a private owner, an he also used to let students present their BFA galleries in his store, where they could actually have wine (a typical staple at gallery openings).

I also learned about the story behind the bra. One of his former students did it back in 1996. You might remember when our benevolent government higher-ups decided to cut funding for the arts. No? Hmm...well they did it again last year, so think of that. Anyway, below the bra (at the moment under a foot of snow) is a large drain. The title of the piece is "Support For the Arts is Going Down the Drain". Kelly projected the thought that a jock strap didn't seem to hold quite the same meaning, to which I remarked maybe now is the time to add it (huh, what do you know, witty art conjecture).

On Sunday, Karissa, Is and I went with Kevin and April to the Great Wall Buffet. I hadn't been there since it was reopened. It was really, good and Kevin got me to try the Mongolian Lo Mein bar. Mainly we picked stuff to go on top of the lo mein noodles like bean sprouts, garlic, sauces, chicken, beef, etc. Then we watched this guy take all the cold food and toss it on a big frying table for about 2 minutes and give it back to us smelling really yummy.

So that's been the last couple of days.

Bones in Various Contexts

Bones under Muscle: This is a little off-topic from my usual crap lately, but remember when I was talking all that gibberish about plastination and the exhibit going around the country I wanted to see? Well, glory be, Body Worlds (www.bodyworlds.com, Van Hagens' website) is coming to St. Paul! The exhibit is from May 5th to September 4th. Tickets are about $26 per person, and they're on sale now. I get the feeling I'm one of few excited about this, but I don't care. I want to do whatever I can to get tickets for this, I don't know what date yet though. Kevin, Karissa, I think you guys want to go!
Bones under Pigment (okay that's a stretch): I'm watching White Man's Burden right now. If you haven't seen it, it's a really good, fucked up, "shoe on the other foot" story about race. That's all I'll say.
Bones (literal): My Intro to Anatomy teacher wanted us to discuss our thoughts on the function of the Scapula, so, true to my form, I'm extending the discussion to you guys. You wanna talk bones? The question isn't just "what is its function?" It's thoughts on how it functions, especially in relation to other bones, and why it's shaped the way it's shaped (just google the image, I'm not gonna post it).
Bones (money): Also, I've got a good trivia question for anyone with access to bigger denomination bills: How many people are visible on the back of a $50 bill?

Should I Be Worried?

Greed:	Very High
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Medium
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Medium

Wow, those are some high levels...that can't be right...Well, the greed part I agree with, I am partial to money and all the great things it can buy.

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

I Finally Did One of These!

A-AVAILABLE? Yes...no, I mean no!
B-BEST FRIENDS: Karissa and te O'Briens
C-CRUSH: Myself
D-DAD'S NAME: Thomas
E-Easiest Person to Talk To: Karissa
F-FAVORITE BAND: Oh Goooood, I have to pick just one? Fine, Dusk.
G-GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS: Snickers.
H-HOMETOWN: Devils Lake, ND
I-IF YOU COULD MOVE, WHERE WOULD YOU? Duluth.
J-Apparently there is no category J. Weird.
K-KIDS: .8
L-LONGEST CAR RIDE: The one where I say something that starts a fight.
M-MILK FLAVOR: Cow
N-NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 2
O-ONE WISH: To have more than 1 wish.
P-PHOBIAS: I'll just say the dark. Anything else will be used against me by an archnemesis.
Q-FAVORITE QUOTE: "..."
R-REASON TO SMILE: Isabella being Isabella.
S-SONG YOU LAST HEARD: Master of Puppets
T-TIME YOU WOKE UP: 8:10 this morning.
U-UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I have to turn any can or bottle I'm drinking from so the label faces me.
V-VEGETABLE YOU LOVE: Ummm...Corn
W-WORST HABIT: Talking during KARISSA's television shows.
X-X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: None. Cancer Free!
Z-ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius: Waterboy, seeker of light.
So take that and shove it right up your ass!

Beef Dip: What You Do Before Sheering the Cow?

Karissa just told me that she isn't giving out her beef dip recipe, so you guys will just have to live with eating it but not knowing how it's made.
The answer to my question is 6 Stooges, total. Moe and Larry were there from the beginning. Next is Jerome (Curly). When he had a stroke, Shemp (who was actually the original third stooge, but went down his own road and was replaced my Curly) stepped back in. After Shemp died suddenly of a heart attack, Joe Besser was hired on. Once Besser's contract expired, Moe and Larry found "Curly Joe" DeRita, possibly the only non-Jewish Stooge (unsure of Besser). So there ya go. 6 Stooges in all.
I guess I have to cut it short, Isabella's doing her weird shit again. So is her mom.

Rain Storm!?

About 6 this morning, I was looking out at the falling frozen rain--yes, it was too heavy to be snow, and was making noise when it hit the ground, which I could hear from within the motel--I saw a quick flash in the sky, followed by an ever-so-slight flicker of our lights. I found out later that just about everything north of DeMers Ave was out, and many others had seen the flash. A rain storm? In the dead of Winter? Come on, weather, make up your mind!
Anyway, I forgot to include a trivia question on my last post, so here's one:
3 Stooges: How many were there in all, and what were their names?

The Last Sentence Has Been the Only Recurring Thought For the Past Two Hours.

Most of this is just rambling. I've been wandering around the motel for the past hour trying to get through my routine. For some reason, I just feel really restless, but I don't know what to do about it. I want to draw, but I didn't bring my big sketch pad, and the particular subjects I wanted to draw I want on the larger size. I can't do any of my assignments for school yet, because my supplies haven't arrived yet. I did, however, finally learn the difference between Gouache, Oil, and Acrylic paints. I didn't realize why any one would be more important than another.
I've been trying to read, but I can't concentrate at the moment on reading. Too much pop, I imagine. Plus all the books I'm reading are non-fiction, and I really have to force myself to read nonfiction.
We took Is to her first Baby Gymnastics class tonight. I made Karissa do the participation stuff this time, but we're switching off every week (one parent can accompany their child onto the mats, the other has to stand behind a partition and watch). She did okay, but hardly paid attention to to what we were trying to get her to do, and instead wanted to go play with stuff. But it's her first time, I imagine that she'll pick up the routine after more visits. I've still got to get used to the idea of acting like an idiot in front of strangers. It was cute seeing other little toddlers there, running around and hanging on stuff.
I'm currently watching the movie Elephant on HBO. I've only ever seen the ending, but it's a really disturbing movie that reminds me of Columbine. If it's out on video yet, I'd strongly suggest renting it, it'll fuck with you. The school clicks are not amplified or overly stereotyped--it is eerie how accurately they've nailed the dialoque of high school kids.
Ernie (Travelodge owner) left his office late tonight, and dropped off a magazine for me called The Artist's Magazine. I've actually already read a few issues of it and am familiar with its content. Anyway, I ran across an article about James Gurney, who created Dinotopia. Turns out this guy graduated from UC Berkeley (my UND advisor's alma mater) with a degree in Anthropology, then studied drawing & painting at the Art Center College of Design.
He's not really anywhere on the same path as me--he's into "imagined realism" and and studied fine art, I'm into "real realism" and am studying illustration. I just thought it was cool that this guy studied Anthropology as well, and used his degree the same way I am using mine.
I think that's about it. Wish me luck on getting rid of this restlessness.
I could really go for a salad right now.