Hey, if you saw Friday's post, I just put some pictures of an illustration and printed posters. I didn't get time to put out a description because my school was hosting another halloween party but it was this week instead of that Halloween week. I have no reason why they chose the 25th but who knows, it was a nice break from all my homework and the pouring rain for days.
Anyways first picture were practice pieces for Typography 1. For his project, we had to do research on a particular typeface and create two specimen posters for that typeface. The typeface that I was assigned to was Bodoni, created by the Italy designer Giambattista Bodoni in 1798. The influence of the typeface was inspired off of Baskerville and Didot typeface, combining thin hairline strokes to thick bold strokes to contrast with. The two bottom ones were suppose to be the posters with all the information about Giambattista Bodoni and his font. The three on top were posters that would show off the typeface itself in an artistic way. When printing these out there was an accidental mistake on the colored on top because it only printed the center of the composition. It actually worked out for me because it is appealing to the viewer's eye with the interesting negative & positive space with the typeface Bodoni in play.
Then the illustration below is the Mysterious slime illustration done in black watercolor and gouache. It was very difficult to render the texture of the slime because I'm not even sure what it should be. But after a while, I just though of any sort of slime and long wet hair. I had to make a couple changes from my original sketch like illustrating more stuff in the environment to make it more relatable, adjust the light source and making hint of a narrative.
So what I have been working on is mainly another illustration, a sequel comic. The theme for this comic is escaping from something, danger, stress, or something symbolic. So I decide to do something from the Halloween spirit but also something that fascinated me in England. When visit the Tower of London, which took an entire day, I visited one of their towers titled "Bloody Tower". It got it name from the disappearances and murder of the two princes. Twelve-year old Prince Edward V and ten-year old Prince Richard of Shrewsbury were declared to be next to the throne until their disappearances that made Richard the third the heir to the throne. It is likely that King Richard was their murder, and it didn't take long before their skeleton bodies were found in the tower in 1674.
So what I wanted to do was having their spirits escape from their skeletons so they can leave the tower and move on. Mainly I want to be vivid with the environments while simplifying the characters designs. I don't means to make the ghosts cute like chibi or casper but I just don't what the comic to be so details to not see at all. I'll post on Halloween day the comic and other illustrations possibly.
Here I will post my experience at art school and share my artwork I create. I regularly post every Friday and Sunday of the week.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Today Free Drawing!!
All ahead on homework so I get time to stress me out. So I wanted to sketch with watercolor and figure out what to draw. So yesterday, I was looking at some awesome work being produced but they were very cartoon like, much like Gravity Falls, Steven show, the newer cartoon network animation. I honestly, I don't want to draw like that because it is a style that is already made and I don't want to repeat it. But since I'm in an art school, I'm suppose to experiment and try new things. So this is that.
First off, these two sketches are inspired by the artwork by Catherine Unger, who did the art direction of the game "Detective Grimoire". I love her digital art and the illustrations she draw, blurring the cartoon and three dimensional stage. Check out her blog here or check out her games:
Next these are my illustrations for fun
Coming up, Mystery Illustration :)
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Thumbnail values, 1"x 2", Gouache |
Friday, October 17, 2014
Unknotting one self
Coming back into to this hasn't been easy. I thought I would get more time to relax when I returned back home but I really didn't. I majority of my time was put into an art video of disruption which I now need new footage for, extreme time of Illustrator to create type logos, coming up with mysterious illustrations and rereading my short stories for midterm isn't the piece of key lime pie I was thinking of.

The second one is pretty easy to identify; mysterious slime, goop or essence dripping down from the ceiling. The idea came to meet during one of my english classes when I looked at the ceiling missing panels. I couldn't see what was going on in there but it came to me what could inhabit the space above our heads (classic horror story plot). But I didn't just what it to be dripping down like a waterfall, I wanted it clump at the bottom to make the viewers question more of the essence: Is it creating something? Is it consuming something? So this is the strongest image because there are just more interesting questions from this image. Right now, I focus is to put in more values in the illustration and how the essence is suppose to look in this environment.
I know it not the end of the world, since my sister is going through a pain amount of world to get into her college. Everyday, I'm thinking of her and praying that she's make it through to Winter break. That's will be the production to tying the end of your year.
Also I did get the time I wanted to be with my homies, or best friends from home I never get to see. An interesting night with a roasting fire pit and guitar strings playing was just I needed. Already I miss it but I wish you all luck with classes, jobs and such.
So, here are the illustrations I came up with for my assignment.
The first one is a girl seeing typed up words burning in a fire but the words reappear in the fire. Mostly the question for the viewers was what was so important in the fire that it would do this or why is it reappearing in this manner. You could say that it like the fireplace could imitate the communication tool used in J.K Rowling's world. However I was struggling a lot with light source reflecting on the figure. I was aiming for the fireplace to be the only light source but it was tracing it onto the human figure was difficult to render.

The second one is pretty easy to identify; mysterious slime, goop or essence dripping down from the ceiling. The idea came to meet during one of my english classes when I looked at the ceiling missing panels. I couldn't see what was going on in there but it came to me what could inhabit the space above our heads (classic horror story plot). But I didn't just what it to be dripping down like a waterfall, I wanted it clump at the bottom to make the viewers question more of the essence: Is it creating something? Is it consuming something? So this is the strongest image because there are just more interesting questions from this image. Right now, I focus is to put in more values in the illustration and how the essence is suppose to look in this environment.
Monday, October 6, 2014
MICE Expo 2014
Yes, I finally get the time to talk about this year 2014 MICE Expo in Boston. Last year it was pretty exciting for my very first time, where I was able to talk to the creators and purchase small independent comics. So this year, I got to see some familiar faces in the enormous crowd and pick out a few new ones to follow online.
First off, I was really excited to see a good illustrator, teacher and friend to know is Joel Gill. I know him through New Hampshire Institute of Art, where I took a pre-college program of his illustrating graphic novel course and the history of graphic novels. Those classes I really got a good grasp on what the comic book medium could obtains to. Also, Gill got me to gain a lot of benefiting techniques as well that I now use in my illustrations and drawing media. So it is always great to see him, continuing to create more comic book novel while teaching. I did get both his newly bonded books that are about to be sold in book stores and will be very excited to see what he talks about. Big shout out to, thanking him for benefiting my upcoming style to comic book layouts, and wish him luck for this year.
While I was on my hunt through the expo, which was more busier than last year, I got to collect many free business cards and a few couple comic books. Usually I like to enjoy a good story plot but also like to inspire off of page layout, color scheme, mark making, and the artist technique quality. But what I also learned that they are now selling scans of their sketchbook along with their books. It might not be fully sequences stories but people get to see what they typically like to draw and what their studies look like. Inspiration for illustrators and artist can be produced out of other's sketches, making them thing about what they should experiment or look toward. So for the summer, I might do that to for people to have a physical copy of my concept studies.
Then I got introduced to a independent novel called "Maple Key comics", a collaboration of illustrators producing their sequence artwork that is promoted each month. It's a great project that should be strongly supported, mostly likely I'm going to follow the production since their is a regular subscription. But I also bring this up because right after the expo, I am again involved in a in the Comic book club at my school and their strongest goal that they want to accomplish finished comics to sell and promote the awareness of my art school (mainly at comic-cons). This is a great goal to look forwards to and I'm hoping that it comes true. It's all about the time management and balance of school work. However, I kind of feel this would be good to promote my upcoming webcomic (which is still in production) or just the art students out into the art community.
Lastly, I did attend a comic book panel "Developing the Graphic novel" with featuring illustrators, Emily Carroll, Paul Hornschmeier and Raina Telgemeier. Mainly they discuss their perspectives about their transition from the webcomic medium into the printed novels sold on book shelves. These are a couple of my notes that I thought might be interesting.
Ques 1- Why they created webcomics?
Paul- Wanted to should his progression and development of style
Emily- Think of picking up a book to leave a strong impression on the readers, supporting her passion to create comics.
Raina- Began to making webcomics to promote herself and the interesting stories that happen around her.
Ques 2- What they get to do with publishing books & graphic novels
Paul- Mainly gets to experiment with the writing structure, reputation and placement with the readers' emotions
Emily- First began as an interactive webcomic structure that guided the general plot until she had to put more clarity in printed books.
Raina- The transition happened when her audience began to grow so she had to change from black and white to digital coloring changed the page layouts to fun rhythm pacing in her pages.
Ques3- Transiting from webcomic to graphic novel
Emily- Has to create real excitement and thriller feeling through the comic medium, especially the page pacing for horror sensation.
Raina- Didn't have much changes because already structure her layouts as a book, only needing to color and highlight particular imagery in the stories.
Ques4- more set up of comics and stories
Paul- Stories paced as textured story structures , where he mainly focused on the overall emotion quality from the readers.
Raina- Her stories were very realistic and interesting that it makes her readers do overall discussions of the upcoming page
Ques5- How different it is from illustrating and writing
Paul- Work with other artists of writers, either to produce or reproduce your narrative to their interpretation
Emily- Has a way to control the comic stripe, as well as working with other writers and narrations
Raina- Open news doors to view the production of making a story plot
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Illustration of the Beach, Baby and Truck
Sorry for not being on my regular schedule. Doing homework ahead of time, more stuff put on my plate that I have to figure out later and went to the MICE Expo (which I will talk about later).
Here's the final design of the illustration from the final sketch.
Here's the final design of the illustration from the final sketch.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Heating up for Fall
Hello all!! So big hug and kisses to my Mother to enjoy her birthday back home and hoped she had beautiful weather in Cape Cod. And I also want to say Happy Anniversary to my parents as well!! I don't really have an art piece ready but I have one in mind. I do hope you enjoy this sketch I did of you and Dad :) Always my favorite picture of you two.
So quick update is that I'm doing homework as always, mostly of writing papers and drawing two more illustrations for tomorrow morning. This time the assignments was to arrangement three particular sounds into a creativity narrative. The one on the top was my first piece, of a pickup trunk carrying a crying baby, producing the ocean scene trailing behind them. The one on the bottom is a realistic scene of a baby being chased by a remote control trunk at the beach. Don't really know what everyone else will have but I'm hoping to be part of the creativity side of the group tomorrow.
Then while doing typography homework, I been recording particular sounds through out the house just so it can be arranged in a sequence narrative without any visuals. There is a lot of choose from it just making sure the audio comes in flesh and clear. I could also say that I pick up a money opportunity for film one hour lectures. It not easy but it was a skill that I wanted in my job application.
So quick update is that I'm doing homework as always, mostly of writing papers and drawing two more illustrations for tomorrow morning. This time the assignments was to arrangement three particular sounds into a creativity narrative. The one on the top was my first piece, of a pickup trunk carrying a crying baby, producing the ocean scene trailing behind them. The one on the bottom is a realistic scene of a baby being chased by a remote control trunk at the beach. Don't really know what everyone else will have but I'm hoping to be part of the creativity side of the group tomorrow.
Then while doing typography homework, I been recording particular sounds through out the house just so it can be arranged in a sequence narrative without any visuals. There is a lot of choose from it just making sure the audio comes in flesh and clear. I could also say that I pick up a money opportunity for film one hour lectures. It not easy but it was a skill that I wanted in my job application.
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Time in England Part 4
Okay, these are the last of my watercolor sketches I did on my England/ Scotland trip.
Best thing about England are the number of beautiful churches and chapels that were build in during their day. Then seeing their ruins makes it more beautiful.
One of my favorite places in Scotland is Edinburgh Castle!! Those "you need to go see it to believe" landmarks.
These series of paintings were of Hadrian Wall, the few parts of the wall that borders along England and Scotland.
Here is a view of Stonehenge, in fact it is the only view I got to see them. You want advice, don't visit Stonehenge. The place is totally fenced off for outsiders while prepaid people have to take a paid bus to see it some what "up close. It much better to be stuck in traffic and grab some picture of the road, it is much more cheaper.
Lastly, this was soda beverage that I casually drink in Scotland. I would say it is like a sport drink but more sugarly. My brother even though it smelled like the bubble gum flavor goo that dentist use for teeth cleaning. To bad they don't service it here in America because that would be my college drink.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Four Word Illustration
Second main Illustration project was to pick out four words on a particular English Dictionary page and then draw them together in a narrative. Yes it was difficult, especially when choosing the words that you would see fix together in a one creativity image. There were a number of times that I would have to swap out some word but my final choice was : Looking Glass, Looting, Loosing, and Looby (another word for clumps, or clumsy).
The one on the left is pretty much my favorite, as it illustrates the two main robbers looting the house through the view of the looking glass. From all the vivid textures defined in the scene to expressing the characteristics of the main characters make this illustration amazing. I do feel bad that I couldn't figure something out for the area below but I feel I put enough information inside the looking glass.
Lastly the one on the right is a basic comic book page where I pretty much had fun playing with negative and positive space, panel arrangement to having a silent narration tell what happening. If you cannot tell, basically the Looby robber accidentally gets scared by a dusty mirror and sends it down onto the other robber. There is result to him have a bloody nose and loosing a tooth. Mostly, I enjoyed intimated the dark areas for indicate the nighttime zone as well as illustrating the textures with different mark making.
Overall, I put a lot of time into these illustrations (which I mean staying up until three in the morning to put them together) as they successful display the selections of words in a unique manner.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Mermaid illustrations
Here are some of my mermaid illustration I done in the Summer and the beginning of this school year.
These are a series of sketches I want to do, not sure what media yet but hoping out it with my time management schedule.
Also here are some of my people illustration I been doing, of my friends and people I think of.

Monday, September 15, 2014
One Year Anniversary
Hey!! Today is my first one year anniversary when I started this blog and my first entry, "Day 23_ Another Island" (Basically talking about my first day of art school and my views of my new environment).
It really is a great accomplishment for me to keep this blog going, especially when there are so many projects that I never finished. This blog does allow me to record and sharing my experience as a upcoming artist to any future thinking artists. So I want to thank everyone for keeping up with my entries and sharing it throughout the network :D Sorry that I didn't get time to do an illustration, but you do you get this enjoyable gif of Jean Ackles. See you everyone on Friday!!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
The Time in England part 3
Hey, here are more watercolor sketches I did from England.
The one below is of the Tor in Glastonbury, Uk. It holds up the legend of St. Michael's church, the resting place of Richard Whiting's execution and the mythology place as the "Isle of Avalon" where King Arthur would awaken from. Again, this was one of my favorite place to explore, when conquering the steep hill to the overwhelming view of the valleys. People say that being at the highest altitude can better your health, and when reaching that point I felt amazing to look upon.
Here are some natural landscapes I did when hiking throughout England. One those places was the Limestone pavement, filled with beautiful rivers, cows and breath-taking bird eye views. What's really cool are the textures left in the limestone. They somehow remind me of snakes or walking along a cracked fraction of land.
Another large castle was Goodrich castle, probably the brightest and large one to walk around in. The atmosphere itself really reminded me of the medieval times. Perhaps because it wasn't surrounded by a city but in the middle of the forrest where it was more peaceful. It is very close to clashing with Edinburgh castle but it gets to go on my favorite landmarks list.
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