Artastic

 This assignment was fun. We were presented with a poem called "Raven" by MGM (not The Raven by Poe). We were asked to do a quick thumbnail of a character from the poem. Later, we were asked to come up with dialog for the character.  I wrote the below internal dialogue: First betrayal cuts the deepest. It sunders the mist of childhood and reveals with harsh light the hard edges and textures of the larger world. The stories of my childhood, beloved and believed in a state of innocence suddenly seem disconnected from the deeper realities of life. Trust - once given without thought - becomes precious; hoarded like rubies. Their blood red sparkle holding the potential to cut my soul. Should I loosen my grip? Perhaps one. A hand outstretched, forcing my fingers to part. The ruby tumbles, shining and entrancing as it falls into the void. I can not see it now. Will it be treasured, as I treasured it? Will it even be noticed? The wings in my chest flutter, ready to take fli...

 Hi Everyone, I have spent some time gathering items for the textures challenge. Shopping the after-Christmas sales for decorations has been a great way to pick up some spherical objects. The pet section also had a few interesting items. I now have a variety of items to paint that I keep in a little box.  I am still taking time to rest, so although I am trying to do a little painting each day I don't get fussed if I feel to tired.  I also have some reading I plan to do between semesters. I visited the College library before the break to get some books that would not be found at the regular Ottawa library. Have a great holiday season everyone!

 In my digital painting class we learned about a challenge that an artist named Jonathan Hardesty created for himself to paint 500 textures as a way to improve his skills. Apparently a lot of other digital artists are taking up the challenge.  Sine I am still very new to digital painting, and the method we learned was very different from traditional painting I decided to give the challenge a try. I am nowhere near being able to do one a day, but hopefully with the extra practice I will be able to work faster and with more confidence.  My first two textures worked out very well. This was my first. This was my second. I have a small box where I am collecting items to paint during my time off between semesters.

 When handed the assignment of designing a room I decided to tie it into my creature design assignment. This is the laboratory of the mad scientist that has been designing "Swamp Things". In this scene one of the creatures that the scientist has created managed to escape from the incubator on the platform. I am hoping to find time to add more props to the scene later. The elevator required a lot of work.

 We were given several prompts to choose from for our creature design assignment. I decided to design a "Swamp Thing".  I included some unusual characteristics in my design. My Fargle can glide like flying frogs do, by spreading the membranes in it's hands and feet. It can also run across water like the Green Basilisk Lizard. His facial features are similar to a Potoo bird, which has a very silly face. The end result turned out very well. We then were given the option of making a trading card for our creature. I decided that my creature is a finder of lost things. This is what I created using a template we were given.  I need to determine why the colours change when I post this image. When I open the original JPG image it looks the same as the original. There is always more to learn.

 For this assignment we had to create an illustration that was built around the concept "designing a better downtown". This assignment originated with the Creative Team at Ottawa Magazine. My career goal is to illustrate children's books, so I used this opportunity to explore that style. Here is the rationale that I submitted:

 We were asked to create a brochure for any company, real or imaginary. I decided to go with something comedic. My teacher may die laughing or regret allowing such latitude in the assignment specifications. Fans of Sir Terry Pratchett's Diskworld series and the Rocky Horror Picture Show should get a kick out of this. Marty Feldman of Young Frankenstein is in there as well.