Quilt Museum Project, The Basics

Link to all related posts here.

I will explain my current project (as revealed here) as the process goes, as well as share some of the behind-the-scenes pictures.

For a big project, what you first need is a space to do your work and supplies. I just happened to have a large table, and a drawer-set full of art supplies.

[Yes, those are chalkboard walls]

From the beginning, I knew I needed to stock up on paper. For the last project, my supply budget was pricier, so I ended up using huge sheets of 300-lb. watercolor paper. This time, I figured I could scale it down on the costs and be more careful with the paints. I just had to figure out how many sheets to get--and this required measurements of the space in the museum, as well as those of the rendered buildings.

One problem with this was, even though I photographed progress on my last street-view project, I forgot to take / save meticulous notes on dimensions within the art. So, I had to do some sleuthing: I knew the painter's tape I used was 1" wide, so I measured, and did calculations from there.

[Resized the images on screen to match and calculated dimensions--this took a while]

Next, one needs reference pictures to work from. Since this current project is basically larger version of one I had done before, the reference photos and sketches still work.

[Rough sketches with pen and some notes]

Once I got the paper and figured out the "work space" on the sheets, then came the fun part of sketching guidelines, and then actually roughing out the buildings from references. This is what is taking a lot of time--some buildings are wider than one sheet, so drawing between two pieces I have to make sure everything will line up in the end result.

In reality, these two buildings are no where near each other. While saving paper, though, these two were the perfect size to fit on the same panel without encroaching on the margins to help with painting in the future.

Essentially, this is where I am in the project. Once I have all the pencil roughing done for all the panels, then I will ink each one, and finally paint. Keep an eye out for updates--I hope to really get creating in the next week or two.

New Project: Background Info

Link to all related posts here.

I've been keeping this one in the shadows for literally the last year, but now that the project is actually rolling along--and I've gotten the go-ahead from the people I'm working with--I will shed some light on it. Also, to counter a deluge of links over words, there is a list of links at the bottom of the post.

So, last year (June 2010) at the Museum of Northwest Art's annual art auction, I did this piece*. It is a three-part painting of a section of downtown La Conner, from street-view. This was a big step for me, as I have never been really interested in architecture / buildings in general--that is until I stumbled upon BLDGBLOG. To my surprise, many people liked it, it sold, and I was approached by some people from the local Quilt & Textile Museum to work on a project with them.

What they wanted, was a very similar view of La Conner, but of the section of town that would showcase the Gaches Mansion, where the museum is housed. Part of this project was in part inspired by an old, Japanese scroll showing many houses and shops all lined up as you walked the road. This then inspired local quilters to do a similar thing, but with part of Anacortes--a neighboring city to La Conner--in a quilt, of course.

After a few meetings, we worked out that they wanted me to do larger paintings of buildings as I had done in my auction piece, and then those would be used as references for quilters to create a full, quilted version of my paintings. Right away, the Museum had told me that the show they wanted it for was in July 2012, which was when they would be hosting another exhibit of Japanese quilts, which fits, because all of this was initially inspired by an old Japanese scroll.

Very early on we made a rough timeline, where we would discuss the project fall 2010, I would complete my paintings by around summer 2011, which gave the quilters from fall 2011 to spring 2012 to create their quilt replicas of my work. Also, we agreed it was a good idea to have my paintings available for when the show opened in July 2012.

At the moment I am working on roughing out the buildings, inking, and painting several parts of the project, but I still wanted to let everyone in on the secret while I have a little bit of down time. In the next few weeks I'll update with some behind-the-scenes pics and explanations, so stay tuned, and enjoy the links below.
-----

Museum of Northwest Art's homepage.
* My original piece
La Conner's Chamber of Commerce page
BLDGBLOG's page -- lots of scrolling and exploring
Quilt & Textile Museum's homepage

Tattoos

I didn't do a First Try Friday last week because no one posted suggestions, and I kinda forgot in a rush to get home for the weekend.

I guess technically this can be a First Try Friday, but in a strange way. Just go ahead and look at the images for yourself.

Vector image of the typewriter tattoo (Inkscape)

Now, for the reveal. All of the above images were edited and manipulated.

After taking some photos of my arm (all slicked up with Egyptian Magic for effect), I think tinkered around with the vector image converted into GIMP. Mainly I used scaling, rotating, perspective, layers, duplicate, transparency, blur and IWarp to get the effect right.

Enjoy!

FTF - May 20

Today is the first of what I hope becomes a weekly tradition for a while: First Try Fridays!
I will be taking random requests from readers and passerbys on what I should draw; the thing is, I'll only draw something I haven't attempted before. This could be a single item, animal, place, person, etc. that I haven't attempted before, or a few things composed together in a way I haven't before.

This week's is the latter; as I have drawn both a lily and a dragonfly before, but never together, or as "a lily turning into dragonflies."

[Pencil and ink]

I'm like 98% I haven't drawn a hedgehog before, and that's good enough for a first try in my book. A single stroke to define the eyes turned out to make him mad. Maybe cause he's alone?

[Pencil and ink]

Please, don't be shy of commenting or emailing me suggestions of things to attempt!

New: First Try Fridays

I've been trying to think of a way to keep this blog updated on a somewhat regular basis, and in a way I'd be motivated to do so as well. Last night while sketching, I came up with this idea called First Try Fridays.

Basically, I'll draw something that I've never done before, and post up the results regardless of quality. Depending on time during the week and what my actual Friday looks like, I may even attempt a few things at once.

So please, if you have any ideas of what I should do, leave a comment on here, and if you suggest something I've never drawn before, you'll probably see it soon. Suggestions can be as mundane or crazy as you'd like.

Examples:

• Lionfish
• Inside-out soda can
• Horse wearing a tutu
• President Bush karate chopping Vice President Cheney.
• etc.

Morbid humor

Inspired by my friend's awesome comic series, Deadcat, I've been thinking more and more about the afterlife; and how humorous it probably is. Instead of Death being this depressing and sad thing, I wanted to put a jovial spin on things and touch upon the lighter (and possibly laughable) side that the holiday, Dia de los Muertos, invokes.

What started as an idea for a series of illustrations similar to the 1880-1920s era, my mind is leaning more and more towards a comic adaptation--with a possible shoutout to the 1880-1920s era in a few moments. Whether it'll only be one collected volume, or a continuous series, I am leaving up in the air at the moment. One thing is for certain, though, it is entitled Posthumorously: Ridiculous Stories of the Afterlife.

 For the moment I have written two full, very short parts for this story, and so far it revolves around one man's experience with the Afterlife. But as the title discloses, there are many stories to tell. Since this is my art-related blog, I thought I'd post up some sketches on here, and if you're still curious, you can go check out the typed up stuff on my Seattle Blurbs blog, specifically this post.

Original sketches of this story, before I even started typing. So this was the springboard that I jumped off of during a bout of boredom.

Brief rework / continue from last page. Also, a few looks at the Hallway Elevator, a brief moment with it interacting with memories, and the Phone Book.

Another moment with the Hallway Elevator and memories. Mock-up for spirit-based smoke.

Some sketches of a recurring character, Caretaker. He's the one that greets and councils every soul as they "fall into the Afterlife." Very laid back, and is almost always puffing away at the Spirit Hookah.

Views of Caretaker's office, and some more Hallway Elevator.

A brief insight

Wow, I haven't done any thing on here in a while. I'll let you all peak into my mind--here's what I have going on in there; to show you all, and for future proof I was thinking of it about now:

• More artwork for Binarpilot (...once inspiration hits for it again...)
• Nature Reclamation Project: Basically, making things to look like nature and install them in very urban / non-natural places. Still in infantile planning.
• Completing a graphic to correspond with kills during this quarter's game of Humans Versus Zombies at WWU. (See my series on said game).
• Quilt Museum project. Hush-hush for now until later this year / early next year.
• Groups of animals and their corresponding group-name (Troop of gorillas, parliament of owls, etc.)
• Expanded / Deconstructed buildings - Illustrating buildings from a single vantage point. Makes them look like paper models.
• Possible collaboration with Deadcat creator, Kate Laster (still way up in the air at the moment).

And just for kicks, here are some random sketches I've done lately. I was very fascinated in my teacher's hand movements, as well as those of my fellow students.