Adobe InDesign
Monday, February 27, 2012
logo for Nomad Art Project
I figured to employ the icon of the tent, since its going to be an actual tent gallery that houses people's work. I had lots of ideas around it, but I guess I wanted something simple and recognizable. I hope this logo gets him places!
Photoshop
Friday, February 24, 2012
A Letter from Señor Salme
I’m quite certain I don’t deserve being anyone’s favourite illustrator, but thank you! That’s very generous from you.
The “style” question is a tough one. Here’s what I think about style, obvious as it may be. When you are drawing, you are taking decisions all the time (should I put more detail? should this line be thicker?). On average, and in the long term, those decisions are consistent between them because they all speak of yourself in a way or another. That appearance of consistency becomes what people will call “your style”, maybe much to your surprise. But anyway, I’m on the side of those who recommend to just stop worrying about style. Style will happen, like it or not, because you can’t help making similar decisions once and again.
I know the feeling of wanting to mimic someone else’s style. I guess it may be enriching to some extent, but just for a while. If you are too absorbed by someone else’s style, you’ll end up basing absolutly every decission you make while drawing in what you suppose this other artist would do. I think that should be avoided. But hey, who am I to say that? I’m still guilty of that in many ways.
And now, your technical question… For most of my final drawings I use bristol board, which is extra-smooth. Nevertheless, I sometimes use sketchbooks with a slight texture which is actually visible in the scanned image. In this cases you can easily get rid of this texture by slightly adjusting levels in photoshop (go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and try moving the white slider to the left). If the texture is way too rough then maybe this won’t work, and it will be wiser to leave it just as it appears.
If you want to make corrections while leaving the texture (something I wouldn’t recommend in the first place!), I’d suggest trying the clone tool in photoshop instead of the eraser. Just select a clean area (i.e., an area where nothing else is present apart from the texture) as the origin of the clone operation and try different kinds and sizes of brushes until you get what you are looking for.
I hope something of what I said makes some sense to you. I’ve tried my best.
End note: I’ve taken a look to your tumblr and I like your taste.
The “style” question is a tough one. Here’s what I think about style, obvious as it may be. When you are drawing, you are taking decisions all the time (should I put more detail? should this line be thicker?). On average, and in the long term, those decisions are consistent between them because they all speak of yourself in a way or another. That appearance of consistency becomes what people will call “your style”, maybe much to your surprise. But anyway, I’m on the side of those who recommend to just stop worrying about style. Style will happen, like it or not, because you can’t help making similar decisions once and again.
I know the feeling of wanting to mimic someone else’s style. I guess it may be enriching to some extent, but just for a while. If you are too absorbed by someone else’s style, you’ll end up basing absolutly every decission you make while drawing in what you suppose this other artist would do. I think that should be avoided. But hey, who am I to say that? I’m still guilty of that in many ways.
And now, your technical question… For most of my final drawings I use bristol board, which is extra-smooth. Nevertheless, I sometimes use sketchbooks with a slight texture which is actually visible in the scanned image. In this cases you can easily get rid of this texture by slightly adjusting levels in photoshop (go to Image > Adjustments > Levels and try moving the white slider to the left). If the texture is way too rough then maybe this won’t work, and it will be wiser to leave it just as it appears.
If you want to make corrections while leaving the texture (something I wouldn’t recommend in the first place!), I’d suggest trying the clone tool in photoshop instead of the eraser. Just select a clean area (i.e., an area where nothing else is present apart from the texture) as the origin of the clone operation and try different kinds and sizes of brushes until you get what you are looking for.
I hope something of what I said makes some sense to you. I’ve tried my best.
End note: I’ve taken a look to your tumblr and I like your taste.
— srsalme
Keeping this forever
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Figure drawing is fucking hard
Each Friday, while every other college student is sleeping (or if they're unlucky, working) I haul myself out of bed, pull out the first shirt+pants+shoes I see and leave for school (without breakfast, mind you) to get to room Art 260 and draw some lovely nude model for five hours. Why do I do this, besides for the pleasure of seeing live nudes in front of me judgement free? Because it's definitely worth the struggle, to sit down and commit pencil to paper the movement, the essence of a human being. I want to venture into illustrating my own comics, so this is the best class to get the sense of gesture, value, and bodily expression. I tweet my progress sometimes, but i might as well post some of my favorites here. (more to come, i'm sure)
charcoal pencil on newsprint
photos are from my blackberry camera phone
I'm my own worst critic (and my teacher Mara doesn't seem to give me much attention besides correcting my negative space and proportions) but I'd say these are cool. I'm not going to post all the gestures I like, but these are recent enough.
This is definitely the hardest class I've ever loved.charcoal pencil on newsprint
photos are from my blackberry camera phone
Friday, February 10, 2012
CicLAvia, October 2011+ Occupy LA
Los Angeles has an event every so often called CicLAvia, which is a day where the streets are closed off to automobile traffic and people are encouraged to bike, roller skate, walk, skateboard, etc. in the streets. I didn't take that many photos of bikers, but coincidentally, the Occupy LA movement was going on not too far away. Since we had a class assignment, we didn't get to venture too deep in the Occupy trenches, but I caught some shots of LA, and people biking and taking over the streets.
a community event interspersed with a protest that was still in its early stages.
black and white 35mm
ISO 100
black and white 35mm
ISO 100
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