I do quick warm up drawings every day, but today I did a little hour long painting I want to share in remembrance of a favorite illustrator and influence.
I’ll eat you up, I love you so.
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Author Archives: divelbissdraws
Vagabond Indie Craft Fair
On Sunday, May 5th, I will be selling all sorts of goodies at the Vagabond Indie Craft Fair (1371 9th Ave, Inner Sunset, SF). Come by to pickup my handmade soaps, lotion, lip balm, cards, and original art. It’s very rare that I sell my original art without a gallery commission attached, so on Sunday you will be able to get original art at a steal (basically 40% off). What a deal, and just in time to pick up something for Mom, for Mother’s day next weekend!
Illustration Friday 4/20/12- “Heights”
I haven’t posted for Illustration Friday in ages, but when I saw the IF subject I thought of a bunch of space illustrations I did for the book “Eat Your Breakfast or Else!” You can’t fly any higher than space, so I think it works for the theme.
On this page the main character is imagining that he is basking in the glow of the sun. The book is available on amazon.
Sneak Peek
No matter how hard I try, I still can not keep hours like an average person. I prefer to work from 8pm- 7am , then have any needed meetings/ phone calls and sleep for a few hours in the afternoon. Art school made me this way and even now 6 years after being completely done with schooling I still can not break the habits I formed in school. I guess I’m just going to have to stop fighting it.
I’m still woking on that bullying project I mentioned earlier, but I have managed to sneak in some painting time too. So here’s a sneak peak at what I’m woking on, just the background so far…
Painting Process
Brief Painting process from my newest work.
I often get asked about the steps involved in painting a piece . Above is a photographic breakdown of the steps and below I’ll try my best to explain painting the Shielaugh way 
Steps Explained:
1. I started by painting over the original drawing, because I wasn’t a fan of the size of the subject for the panel, using yellow ochre and added a swirling texture with the sharp end of my paintbrush. (I sharpen the ends with a pencil sharpener for use during texturing.)
2. After the base color dried for an hour or so I dry brushed some Cadmium Red Light and Cadmium Yellow Light over the ochre. I then used a thinned Cadmium Yellow Light to create the dripped texture, I let this all dry overnight.
3. I created the honey comb pattern first using varying mixtures of Cadmium Yellow Light, Red Oxide and Titanium White then I roughed in some color on the nurse, I kept the ochre for the base under the bee.
4. I painted the face ( my skin color mixtures are complicated to write down, so I’ll go into that another day). I was once told I paint like a laser scanner because I basically paint an area from top to bottom in a finished layer rather than build up many thin layers. It works for me, but I found it doesn’t work for others this way. My art boot camp (aka freshmen year at CCAD) made me discover this technique and it helps my cut the drying/ waiting time between each layer.
5. I painted the bee, the laser scanner way, and added some texture into the hair. For black hair I like to add blue highlights so it looks shiny.
6. I added the wings and dry brushed them with white for a translucent quality. I finished up the highlights in the face and a final glaze to round it out more. I also added shadow in the clothing and the gold leaf honeycombs.
7. Finished the last of the clothing and finished the highlights in the hair using white. I aded blue pin-strips onto the dress as the final step. Then it dried overnight and was framed. Done!
Shameless promotion for my handmade soap
For those of you that don’t know, in addition to my illustrations, I make soap. I am rather proud that my “Give Good Face” soap is doing rather well and is well received. You can purchase some at the Laughing Devil Designs etsy shop. Most people that have tried it have never gone back and say that it leaves their skin soft and smooth.
I’m excited to be making a new batch this month and a matching lotion that I have been testing for year. I also have finished testing some fun scented novelty soap like “Pirate’s Hideaway”.
I make soap in small batches (I only produce 24-48 bars at a time of each) to ensure that I can produce a quality, ph balanced soap that closely resembles the ph of skin. My soap is handmade from raw ingredients and not made from any type of purchased melt and pour base. Even those with the most sensitive of skin-types can usually use this without irritation because the base of each of soap consists only of saponified plant oils and natural extracts and does NOT contain synthetic ingredients, artificial dyes, perfumes or and preservatives (parabens). The color of the soap is a direct result of the various oils, butters and extracts. Each recipe is tested on myself (I have ultra sensitive skin), my family and my friends.
I think what makes my soap so special is the particular attention paid to the use of sustainably sourced non- gmo oils and organic (often local) herbs and extracts. It is important to me to provide a great product while simultaneously being conscious of our planet. So try some you’ll love it.
Happy 2012!
So I’m a month late wishing you all a happy new year, but since today was the start of the Chinese New Year I think it can still count.
As you can see, I have moved my website and blog together, which has consumed all of my free time in the new year so far. So I haven’t done any extra art to post yet. Soon though I’ll update with some new art.
2012 looks promising. I have a few pending offers out there that I hope will come to fruition and I’m continuing to work on my bullying graphic novel for middle schoolers. This is an exciting project as it is my first project that will be presented as an e-book only. New formats are always exciting and I have been learning a lot along the way.
I have lots of personal projects, portfolio facelift projects and mailer ideas planned for the year too, so stay tuned, it’s going to be a busy year.
Art show, workshop and portfolio facelift
So I have been working on my “Sirene de la Mer” (left) for a local art show, that I can never say no to because I like to remember my roots. No matter how in demand my work ever becomes, I’ll still enter this community art show and price things accordingly. She is also part of my portfolio facelift and I think she’ll make a cute summer mailer for next year.
I have also been asked to lead my first workshop on October 15th, it which I will demo how I make this collages and 30 participants will get to hunt through my found object loot to create their own reclaimed/ found object collage. I super excited and have a reason to visit my favorite, “found object loot” finding spots to bring all sorts of sweet stuff to the workshop. Hopefully someone will come take pictures for me so I can post it.
Anniversary and Update of Sorts
Monday, August 15th was my 2nd Anniversary with Chino. Having been busy this summer with lots of things I can’t show yet, I created this drawing for him and printed it on canvas, to give to him as an anniversary gift. Last year I also presented him with a drawing and hopefully I can make it become a tradition, we will just need more wall space one day.
Aside from enjoying a much needed day off at the lake with my love, I have been teaching art this summer to children age 5 though 14 and working on a huge interactive graphic novel that addresses bullying in middle school and high school. The bullying graphic novel is a departure from my regular style and work, but I have been enjoying it. I have been also working with a group of middle schoolers to make sure it is visually appealing to their picky age group. It has been a rewarding and eye opening experience, and I would love to do some more work geared towards tweens and teens in the future.
I have new mailers coming out this month too. I veered away from my normal back to school mailer and used my cute little swimmer. August – October are actually the best months to take swim lessons in California, so I always equate swimming with back to school since this is when the East Bay and San Francisco has the best weather of the year.
Next I’ll be working on my ”Don’t forget my name promotion” I’ll be sending out postcards that are themed for various holidays.
Asleep- Illustration Friday 5/27/11
There are 2 champion sleepers I can think of when I think of sleeping ( something I myself do not do nearly enough). Those sleepers are Rip Van Winkle-who sleeps for 20 years and Sleeping Beauty ( aka Briar Rose, Talia, Aurora)-who took a short
nap of 100 years
For this week’s Illustration Friday I present Briar Rose, Talia, Aurora whatever name you give to Sleeping Beauty, doing what she does best… sleeping.
So this is of course not done, it’s my color comp for the piece since I once again ran out of time this week to produce a finished version. The final will be coming soon as part of my portfolio facelift series. She’s based on how I sleep, so that may not be very princess like. I feel like I need to fix her little claw like hand.
I love all the versions of Sleeping Beauty. One of the darkest is Basile’s “Sole, Luna, e Talia” Basile’s version, the sleep did not stem from a curse, but was prophesied. The prince did not wake Talia from the sleep with a kiss, but raped her, and when she gave birth to two children, one sucked on her finger, drawing out the piece of flax that had put her to sleep, which woke her. That is a crazy version.
In Perrault’s version The Prince wakes up Beauty, they get secretly married, have 2 children, the Prince ascends to the throne and her now mother-in-law is found to be of ogre lineage and wants to eat the children and her. Luckily the cook substitutes the meat with lamb, goat and hind. The ogress finds out the trick and preps the tub in the courtyard and fills it with vipers. Of the course the King returns in the nick of time and the Ogress throws herself into the tub of vipers. What an ending, What a Happily ever after!
Man! Disney, you forgot all the awesome parts that would have scared me into submission of being the best child on the planet, FOREVER. I digress… but fairytale origins are AWESOME!
Time for a nap…
