After the mess with hurricane Irma, and thankfully avoiding the worst of it, I’ve been pretty busy focusing on my YouTube content. I also had an event to attend with my local reptile club last weekend. I will be making a video on that soon, so check out my YouTube channel for updates – My Channel
Firstly, let me post the latest content from the past week or two.
Here are some color pencil tutorials.
Product reviews.
And a new type of video where I discuss things that inspire me as an artist. These will be uploaded monthly.
I have a few things I’m working on at the moment, but for now, this is all I can show. It’s my first piece doing Uromastyx lizards.
And lastly, the latest Patron-Only tutorials posted to my Patreon account. Head here to become a Patron.
I thought I’d add a reminder since the end date is just around the corner. As it says above, please subscribe to become a Patron to avoid losing the benefits of Patron-only content! There are three tiers $1, $5, or $10 per month to gain access to content and rewards!
I’m in the process of growing my YT channel to coincide with my Patreon, so any feedback is appreciated. Please check out the tutorials and other videos there, as I upload about 3 videos per week; A review, a tutorial, and a video of how an artwork goes from concept to creation. I periodically add videos of timelapse, nature walks/ herping, and personal causes. Let me know your thoughts!
As stated before here is a list of free and paid content.
NOTE: I decided to make the Product Reviews and Videos Highlighting What Inspires Me part of the free content. I felt that the reviews would be more helpful to a wide range for people, and the inspiration stuff would give my audience more insight into who I am.
Free content will include :
Simple Tutorials (Quick Techniques For Drawing In Graphite/Colored Pencil)
Finally got the last few details in, and officially launched my page. I will be offering free content for the first two weeks to give people a chance to see what I will be producing. Right now, the videos may not be top notch but I intend to improve that as I go along.
I would love if you would join me in this venture!
My first piece of content is just a basic overview of the tools and supplies I use.
Here is My Patreon. Check it out, and please know that I’m definitely open to feedback and ideas if you have them. Leave any thoughts in comments below.
Before I get to some of the artists I enjoy, I wanted to let everyone know that I’m building a Patreon for my work. My goal is to provide more interactive content than I can provide with just a blog, as well as other perks that come with membership. I’m working out the details now, but I will be aiming to offer something unique for people who offer support. I will post as soon as things are ready to launch, so please keep a look out.
In the meantime, I wanted to make time to share the work of other artists that I admire. A great deal of art types has influenced me over the years, and also mystifies me in how they are created. I can’t imagine how long it must take to complete some of these pieces, but they were all well worth the effort.
Josephine Wall’s artwork is both mesmerizing and inviting in a way that draws you in to every detail. I have a calendar with her work in it, and I’m hoping to get another for next year. Not only are there a myriad of animals, but often gorgeous environments and mythical gods and goddesses.
Out of respect to the artist, I will not post images here, since I see no disclaimer stating whether or not it’s permitted.
However, Alex Ries has been one of my favorites on Deviant Art for a few years now. I absolutely love science fiction, and the artwork and concepts this artist creates are truly and wonderfully alien. Please check him out here
This amazing 3D experience was created by Android Jones. It is some of the most intricate work made using software. It’s a combination of drawing with three dimensional elements blended. It is psychedelic and spiritual in nature, so don’t be too surprised if you get a chill when watching the video. There are prints, apparel, tapestries & holograms available through his site here http://androidjones.com/
Masamune Shirow’s“Ghost in the Shell” manga will forever be one of my favorite pieces of artwork. I own most of the issues released by Dark Horse back in the 90’s. I bought them around 1996 when I was about 14, and the concepts and details of this story have stayed with me ever since. The animated movie is also another great masterpiece which sticks faithfully to the source material. I loved Shirow’s style, and cherished the few full color pages that graced each issue. The black and white illustrations are also beautiful, and even the silly slapstick moments between characters draws you in. It makes me really appreciate the artist’s humor breaking through in those scenes, especially in something of such serious subject matter. Aside from the visual end, it’s definitely the idea of redefining what it is to be human that appeals to me so much.
I got an art book by Boris Vallejo & his wife Julie Bell on a whim at a Barnes & Nobles many years ago, and I was quite impressed by their work. I believe they both do mostly fantasy work, and use oil paints. I love the realism and detail in the work, and the use of vibrant color. You can visit their site here http://www.borisjulie.com/
I’ve been busy working on a commission that’s taken me at least a month to finish, among other things that have been going on in my life.
As much as I dislike Facebook, I broke down and made a page for my professional work as an artist in order to gain more exposure and connect with other artists and potential clients.
If you are interested in my work and goings on, friend me and drop a line to say hi.
The commission project was a series of 6″ x 8″ illustrations intended for an educational pamphlet for rural African villages about pollution and keeping things clean. Here are a few of the pieces from my recent commission for your viewing pleasure. 🙂
Here’s a little look at the process of laying down colors in a colored pencil artwork step by step.
Step 1. For establishing light and dark, I use Indigo Blue for shadows, and White for the brightest areas.
Step 2. The Cream pencil is used to shade in the under belly areas on the dolphins. The Black pencil is used to touch up some of the darker spots on the body.
Step 3. More colors are added, including grays, blues, and two shades of pink-lavendar colors to accentuate the water reflections.
After the background was finished, and occasionally using the colorless blender pencil, this is the finished piece.
8″ x 10″ Prints of this piece and others are available in my shop here
