Is my face doing the right thing?

Hello!

As we are getting dangerously close to an entire year without posts, I just wanted to do a little blog to say how sorry I am for going totally awol. I don't really want to go into it, but for a tldr version: when I'm not happy, I can't art. I'm sure I'll be happy and arty again someday (soon I hope).

In the mean time, I would urge anyone and everyone to read Hyperbole and a Half, as the author manages to put into words (and pictures) something I could never describe!

x

ACEO #12 - The Alchemist

Here is the third ACEO for my little steampunk ladies set - and probably my favourite one of all! Mostly because I think I managed to do purple and yellow without reminding me of a Cadbury's Caramel bar. 

I just love thinking up steampunk characters so much, I'm not quite sure I can stop at 3 of them...

 

 

ACEO #11, Time for your Medicine

A little ACEO that's been a sketch since the last MCM Expo, though after someone on DA pointed me to the resemblance  I'm considering renaming this to "Herbert West's Grandma."

Double -Drawing Sunday!

OK, so maybe I just forgot to upload some little bits. oops! Here is a birthday present for the fantabulous Fran of Penny Blackfeather fame (www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk):

And, here is page 3 of Marci Chapter 2! The months of hiatus on Marci is due to me freaking out over the words and dialogue, as the story is complex enough now that they've become necessary, but at the same time it's taking me farther and farther away from my original intentions of the project. So I've decided (although it will mean some reworking of the first 2 pages) that Chapter 2 will be a sort of "storybook", with pictures taking up the majority of the page, and then any accompanying words underneath (unless the odd one fits in nicely like they do in this page). This now however presents a slight problem as my online comic viewer majigger doesn't allow descriptions in which the accompanying text could sit, so any suggestions about how best to display this online would be most welcome. Anyway, on to page 3!

"Use the bloodhounds, but have them bring her alive. Lead them yourself- you understand what's at stake here. Now, GO!!"

Etsy Shop Launch & Doodle

Life has been busy and turbulent recently, and as a result I've had neither the time nor the will to paint- This painting has been a kind of sandbox for me over the last week, to try and get me back in to the swing. Also, freckles rock my socks!

In other news, I did manage to actually put up all of my current prints and ACEOs and things on to Etsy! I hope you like :) - http://www.etsy.com/shop/parfay

Marci, Ch 02 Page 02

So, FINALLY it's page 02. I had real trouble finishing this one, and all but scrapped one version. Huge thanks to Francesca, creator of the gorgeous Penny Blackfeather ([link]) for her constant nagging- without it I'm not sure how long it would have taken me! 


I'm still struggling with a comic that requires words, so I've switched to a font rather than handwriting... I'm so concerned about people not being able to read it, but at the same time I want it to look scratchy and not "KABLAM-y"... argh!

The price of Dragons

Uh oh, someone's been reading too much game of thrones! 


Seriously, it's still like reading "Dan Brown goes to Mordor" and i hate myself a little bit but i JUST CAN'T STOP, and now it's infected my art-brain! argh!

Quick Marci Portrait

A quick portrait of Marci to get me back in to the swing of painting, after a really long block. the first digital painting of Marci ever! I hope it looks like her. 

New Marci!

So here we are, the very first page of issue 2! Text and words and things are all very new to me, so I'm trying to keep it simple and retain the painty feel by handwriting all my lines. The only problem is... I'm not sure people can read my hand writing! So, if you feel my penmanship is too sloppy to make out at this size, please do let me know and I will tidy things up quick smart :)

Anyway, on with the Marci- new people, new locations, NEEEW!

Masquerade ACEO

Only the 1 upload this week, a little something I did in between paint drying- next week I really hope to be able to show you page 1 of the second issue of Marci! It’s taken a lot longer than expected, but I really don’t want to rush it.

Mini Marker Monsters - 4

This is my final little monster for the time being, I won’t say much except that she was intended to be the sister of number 1 

Mini Marker Monsters- 3

You know, I did make up little background stories for each of these ladies- but I'm too embarrassed to post them! So please, just enjoy the pictures and make up your own imaginings as to their lives, and why so many different races have all come together for this Monster's Ball :)

Mini Marker Monsters – 2

All of this little series is mixed media- markers, colour pencils, gel pens and metallic paints. Working so small was really tricky, but looking around at some other ACEOs some people manage to cram whole backgrounds in- how do they do that!?

Mini Marker Monsters – 1

OK this is attempt 2 of doing some ACEOs. Muuuch less madness when I cut the cards out before starting 


These ACEOs are crazy fun to do, for 2 reasons-
1) You get to poke your tongue out at all the teachers who, throughout school, chastise you for drawing too small. These babies are a teeny 2.5″ by 3.5″ –  the picture below is bigger than actual size!
2) Because they are small, they take about 2.5 hours each to do. That’s pretty short for drawing, so you get a really quick positive feedback loop and that lovely feeling gained by completing a picture. It’s kind of like those first few levels in WoW, where killing 1 blind boar gives you a bazillion levels and you feel like a god.


Anyway, here is number 1 of a group of pictures themed around a Monster’s Ball. Apparently that phrase comes from medieval England- prisoners awaiting execution were called monsters, and the ball was their last meal- grizzly!

Mini Marker Elves: Winter

And finishing with Winter! It really was nice picking a little theme to go along with for a while, but I don't think I'll be trying out horoscopes or the entire female contingent of the Wheel of Time series just yet :)

Mini Marker Elves: Autumn

Back on Track with my Mini Marker Elves, here is bountiful and brazen Autumn.

Mini Marker Elves: Summer

Today is, i must admit, my least favorite Elf- before they go to Expo she’ll have to be redone to fit in the series better.


Still, here is Summer; and tomorrow, Autumn!

Mini Marker Elves: Spring

Here is part 1 of a  little series of seasonal fairies done over the weekend- on a little bit of a marker rampage! The alternative theme for these is “barely covered nippleage.”


I say little because these were meant to be ACEO sized- 2.5″ by 3.5″. However, drawing this small is a lot harder than I gave it credit for, so these are just under postcard sized, to either be ruthlessly cropped down, or… not.


Today is actually my favorite elf, Spring.

Tomorrow, Summer!

Happy Birthday Philip!

So it’s the fella’s Birthday today, and in honor of his enormous hair (and his love for space cowboys), he gets this:

Markers & Bristol Board with a bit of coloured pencil. Cowboy Bebop Characters (c) Shinichiro Watanabe & Keiko Nobumoto

Marci Rebellion

As is always the way, as soon as you *need* to get on with 1 project, you become flushed with inspiration / distraction / procrastination… must get on!
Shout out to amazing concept artist Josh Atack http://badgertracks.net/ Who gave me some invaluable pointers on my last pic, I hope I’m going in the right direction 
Anyway, back to the world of Marci. Things are about to get pretty awesome!