Gift of Life

This is an illustration dedicated to my mom, Eu. It's still a work in progress but I'm really proud of how this turned out, especially with how I painted her face. In case you're wondering, the baby is me! <3 p="">

Catching Air Sketch

So, I asked my sister to give me an image off the top of her head and she gave me this snowboarder making a jump. I like to test my ability in sketching on command without reference. I was pretty damn close to an actual photo that I looked up afterwards, but had to adjust her right arm. This is a quick paint, about 3 hours. It's not perfect with the board in an odd perspective. Done in OpenCanvas 5. I love the colors which my sister helped me pick out for the jacket and hair. I had fun with this one and it's fitting for the weather!

Enjoy!

Messenger

One of my resolutions for this year is to complete my portfolio and start working on my own website. So far, so good. I am trying to be as productive as possible during my free time. I know there was a lot that I promised in my previous posts about new artwork but I've decided to focus on works that I started last year. This piece is one of them. Done initially in Photoshop CS4 and will be completed in Open Canvas. I love fantasy and I'm a true believer of guardian angels, which makes this one of my favorite illustrations. I plan on having fun with the background on this one, filled with little creatures (the closeup is a preview). I am happy to say that I am almost finished with this! The final, of course, will be posted on my future website. Thanks for viewing and I look forward to comments/critiques.

Edit: After a lot of thought, I've decided to exclude my angel character and create a new image with her. My sister and I agreed that she looked out of place while looking at the image as a whole. I have great ideas for the illustration I will place her in! 

Enjoy.

Dog Fishing

So...the program that I used to create this piece, is OpenCanvas. It was the very first program I experimented with 10 years ago and you can check out my old portfolio on DeviantArt that I started in 2004. I don't know why I didn't think to use it again because it's just so awesome! I was fixated on using the more well known and more expensive software when this one works just as well. It doesn't have a lot of effects, tools and options as does Photoshop and Painter, however, having less means I can be a little more creative with colors and technique. Not to say that there's not a lot you can do with it because you absolutely can! The unique thing about OpenCanvas is that I could save my work as an event and playback my progress. Plus, I was always a fan of the watercolor brush. Opencanvas has definitely improved a lot since I've used in 2004 and has the same feel that I'm used to. The price is what seals the deal at $59 versus having to spend hundreds or thousands. I'd say this a good program to start with and build a portfolio.

Enough about that. It's been a crazy week but I still manage to work little by little on my art. A lot needs to be done with this piece especially with its composition. I like my work but it's always the composition that gets to me. I wonder...what can I do to make this better? All comments are welcome.

Enjoy.

Rainbow

Here is the sad truth: I love this program (Corel Painter X3) but my computer cannot handle it. This is the trial version and I am trying to save up to buy it! I would have to get a new video card to run this baby too, but, it's not my main priority right now. I am going to try to learn this program as much as I can in the time that I have with it. My other trial for Sketchbook Pro 6 has run out and I'm pretty much painting on trial software in the meantime. I guess I should start showing you my actual sketchbook with pencil drawings which are a lot more fun to look at in my opinion. As for this piece, it's titled "Rainbow" as you can see, unfortunately, the only rainbow you'll get to see is on the color palette. My computer will explode if I work on this even further. Until next time!

Enjoy!

Gravity

Inspired by the movie "Gravity" directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock. I love everything about this movie! It's a must see. Anyway, this is not an actual scene but it's close. Obviously, there is a lot that needs to be done here especially with the background. Looking at it now, I may have to use perspective on her body and make it look as if she were floating in space. So far, this is just a quick sketch and setup of color (which is looking pretty bland right now). All comments are welcome! Enjoy.

Self-Portrait

Hi there! This is my first digital cartooned self portrait. I didn't use any references and I made myself look better than I actually look. Ha. It's been a long time since I've posted something. I've been going through a lot in my life and this drawing shows pretty much how I've been feeling lately. This shows me dwelling in the past but you'll see me in my next self portrait as a new person. It will be a little more creative, bold and brighter. I learned a lot this past year and I am happier now than I was back then. Since today is my birthday, I look at it as a new year/chapter in my life. My mom was a huge inspiration for me this past year and she has helped me see life in a new way. There will be a lot of drawings dedicated to her coming up. I really miss this, drawing and all. This time, it will reflect a lot of my emotions. I look forward to this new year!

Also, the program that I'm trying out is Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro. So far, I like the simplicity of it. It does lack in options with brushes and there are no crazy effects or adjustments I can make on color but that's the point. It's mainly for sketching but this sort of forces me to try harder with colors. Haha.

Please check-in or follow me so you'd get an update on my posts. Critiques are welcomed.

Thanks.

Enjoy!