Tuesday

I’ve been working diligently on getting myself up to speed for my job … today. After three weeks.

For the record, I’m sorry about that. I’m going to get a lot busier here, getting things done. I have so much to try and figure out, and don’t even know how to begin. But, starting tomorrow, the guy training me is going to have to ask me to assume more of a lead role in about four projects. One in particular is critical, because the client is the largest (and therefore the most income-generating) client we have; and she has a deadline of the end of the month.

So, I’m still working on it. I have to; please pray again. And I, in return, am praying for all of you.

Artistically, I’m doing something that I’ve known I should do but haven’t been doing for a long time. I want a “realistic cartoon” style of art, right? Been saying that for weeks now, and all o’ you have read my belly-aching. Now, I have started working with spheres. It’s no big deal, but recently, I’ve started dreaming about art. Once in a while, I dream about art technique. I don’t put a lot of credence in these things, but occasionally, they actually work. This is one of those times.

By using a sphere as the BASE for a head, I can make the head conform to a lot of different shapes, all depending on the stuff I add TO that sphere. In other words, the sphere is only the beginning, and not the final shape, as I previously understood. No, I CAN use the sphere that way if I wanted to, but that’s not the end of it. With some creativity, I can append other shapes onto the sphere and form heads in any shape I’d like.

Now, this is nothing new to anyone who’s been drawing for more than a few months. That whole “egg-shaped” myth is the biggest draw-back to getting started in drawing heads consistently and from any angle. What I was doing last night was starting with a sphere, then using a “crooked U” shaped jaw that was anchored on the sphere to correspond to the mandible. When I do it this way, and make sure to draw THROUGH your work for later reference, the head seems to turn out consistently.

Now, during a small “I need to think” break, I tried it again on a pad with a pen. No such luck. I struggled just the same, and MAN do I need to work on noses. But then, after I got home, I realized that I wasn’t doing it RIGHT. I was still using the sphere as the whole thing, with the jaw contained within the bounds instead of added atop the sphere. So I experimented at home, and voila! – the results were there.

So now, if any of you animator-types out there want to tell me what I’m doing that seems to flatten my drawings, I’d be eternally grateful. I want a rich, fullness and body to the drawing (sounds like a beer commercial, don’t it??), but I can’t seem to get there. Tips, anyone?

Anyway, I’m happier. I’m going to try and do a couple of the assignments from my animation book tonight and see what happens. I have to get started on the VB.NET stuff, and that’s going to happen soon, but right now, I want to break out of this slump I’m in, and try to reach a new level.

On the home front, things are good. Nothing really new to tell you; I’m terribly unhappy with the Conan “drawing” I posted, and I’ll be pulling it out soon. I’m going to actually replace it. Once in a while, I still want to do something very realistic (I won’t even get into “photorealistic” dreams at this point), but my heart is with the animator style. Joe Mad, you’re the man. A nice blend of both worlds, and I would give a lot be have that ability.

Writing. Nothing so far. I did a couple of things on DeviantArt, but nobody read it. If they did, they didn’t comment. And I haven’t had the time to sit and just … write. There’s so much more stuff that has to happen, and I wish I could do it more seriously. I want to do it. I want to do it bad. Somebody let me do it!! ;)

All right, kids, baby’s fussing, and unpacking doesn’t happen by psychokenesis, no matter how I try. Take care, behave, and be happy.

God bless each of you.
-JDT-