I worked with Sara from iHanuman (a community of yoga teachers) to illustrate her new logo. Hanuman is named after the Monkey King Pose, Hanumanasana, and Sara really wanted to feature the strength conveyed through the pose. This was a fun illustration because I was able to study and capture the balance of the human body needed for this split pose.
another graphite portrait for a very sweet friend!
Since I have limited space to store inks, each color is mixed by hand to order following the Pantone mixing guide. As many times as I’ve done this, im continually amazed that hundreds of colors can be created by combining different proportions of just 14 base colors! Here’s my most recent print job (designed by our dear friends at Rock Paper Scissors) and the deconstructed ink and drawdown.
Here’s a little drawing for a very good friend whose dog passed a couple of weeks ago. I hope his smile brings one to her each time she sees this drawing.
I attempted a gridded drawing and looked carefully at shapes, lines, and tones as related to the grid I laid out. This was a challenge for me since I usually look at the subject as a whole and break it down into simple shapes and then move to more detail from there. I loved the way this turned and was very methodical and precise as I laid each mark.
Here are the drawing specs:
for me, graphite renderings take a slightly different approach than a lot of my other drawings. yes, i still start in my sketchbook to study the subject a few different ways to start to understand scale, proportion and be aware of any areas that need special attention.
similar to other drawings, i’ll first break down the drawing into simple shapes like circles, ovals, rectangles, and triangles. if it’s a person or animal, i’ll also pay special attention to things like the spine or proportions of a face. with those light guide lines in place, i usually add more details across the entire drawing. but with a graphite rendering i really have to be careful about smudging with my hand, so i tend to work top to bottom and left to right (i’m right handed). this is really different from what i’m used to because i tend to create drawings with the intention that at any given moment, i can put the pencil down and have a ‘complete’ drawing. one that encompasses a complete thought or study of the subject. and although i think ‘in progress’ graphite renderings are thought provoking, a lot of times these feel so incomplete to me until i’m done with the entire page.
Here’s another snapshot of a portrait of my son. This is from one of my favorite photos from the day he was born. He was so peaceful resting in his hospital bassinet with the morning sun meeting his tiny face. Who would have guessed that that moment would be the foundation of so many more wonderful memories to build upon. You are so loved my beautiful son!
a little toddler scribble in my sketchbook might have upset me a few years ago, but i try to look at all sketches in progress and i love the fact that my 18 month old was trying his hand at a self portrait.
for lent this year, i gave up dining out for weekday lunches. i LOVE lunch out because it’s so convenient and my toddler son loves to people watch so it becomes a fun and engaging activity. but, i wanted to give it up for lent this year not only to save money and put it towards other parts of our lives, but also to challenge myself to find fun fresh ideas to engage my son.
and then i thought to myself, why should the season be only about sacrifice and feeling like something was being ‘taken away’? why not also ADD something positive into your daily routine…something that brings joy or makes you a better, stronger person? so, in addition to giving up lunches out, i’m also challenging myself to pick up my pencil and draw something everyday for 40 days.
it could be a diagram, my dog(s), a favorite flower. it could be a quick napkin sketch or a longer more detailed drawing. i’m hoping this establishes a habit of putting ideas down on paper and allows me to become a better designer by strengthening my hand and mind.
here is today’s sketch: 2.15.16 bright smile
2015 was quite a fun year…i mean how could it not be with a toddler running around? i learned that while raising a baby, everything turns into a game. so when it came time to design our yearly holiday card, i decided to incorporate that too.
here’s our holiday card game board packed with highlights and illustrations from our year. wishing all the best to in this new year…which geez, has a month already flown by?
studioTEN15 