Work, Draw, Paint, Bike

A Classic Joke :)

2012-01-21T01:01:00.001-06:00

Printing!!!!!

2012-01-10T13:27:00.001-06:00

Alright, so here's my project for today (sort of - I have a ton to do today but this is pretty important)

I am attempting to print out a few cards for potential clients with whom I've already made contact. Sounds simple? It's soooooo not.

I have Photoshop CS5 which was a bit daunting to find out the printing presets. I thought it you poked around enough, you'd be able to find the crop marks options. Here's a shot of when I finally found them at the far right. The default seems to be Color management (where OUTPUT is). Now, I'm using some pricey paper and thought it'd be a cinch to get this printed out and it look satisfactory but that is not what is happening.

This is what I"m getting. Now if it were only the image that were blurred, I'd know it was because the printed isn't stable, but the crop marks are as clear as you'd want them to be. Print two, the crop marks are getting blurred. Print three, it's all blurred.

This photo is not as large as I'd like it to be when you open it up. I think it is the blogger settings that I need to mess with as well. You can't really tell and I'm now wondering why I even bothered posting that photo. :/

I've now run a Smart Sharpen filter on the image and am hoping that will make it look better? I'm trying to run the align and clean part of the inkjet utility. I didn't think of that right away as the crop marks looked great. The printer "align" test requires a scan. I pressed the scan button, heard the scanner running and then....nothing.

Now, I'm getting a nicer print, magically.

I'm grateful that the software engineers have built it in such a way that all of this can be figured out without me doing all that much. ?

Scary people

2011-11-17T01:23:00.000-06:00

Here's another installment in what seems to be quite a line up of frightening people. I caught a glimpse of this woman on a reality tv program. She was wall eyed and had the worst looking dark metal lip ring with a ball on that ring which just made the wall-eyedness look even more prominent. Oy

ANother Netflix Envelope!

2011-11-08T22:48:00.000-06:00

So, I'd bet you can't guess what was in this envelope.

Thanks to "The Expendables" I know what a cauliflower ear is, which the White fighter does, indeed, have!

I still stand on my platform for wanting the smell of Sharpies to be changed. Ugh, what an awful smell....blech....I mean, the stench has permeated everywhere in such a little use. I have no idea how that happens.

I tried to "sign" it, digitally using my trackpad but it doesn't look all that hot. I like the way this turned out. I was drawing this while being as lazy as I could have been. If anything was NOT within reach of my right arm, I wasn't using it. I am really super tired from work today (a 13 hour day- work plus travel) I drew the envelope before I watched the Best of 2010 for UFC. It's a fascinating sport and it looks really really hard to do. If I weren't old as dirt, I'd try to compete. Ladylike, right?

Halloween!

2011-10-30T23:50:00.002-05:00

Alright, one of my really good friends got married this weekend and I was helping out with the wedding and such. You understand time was scarce. I wanted to draw this picture as it was very apropos for the season. Girls screaming, looking seriously scared.

Why are they screaming?

They look seriously upset and terrified (kind of how I'd react if someone did something horrible and nightmarish in front of me.

I'm curious what your thoughts are.

Are they seeing someone get shot right before their eyes?

Is something on fire?

Did someone tell that that Sephora was giving away free lip gloss?

Maybe we'll never know.

I actually do know the answer but I think someone just might guess it.

Tribute to Flight of the Conchords

2011-10-10T00:48:00.000-05:00

I do love this show. It's the best show that HBO has ever done, (other than Band of Brothers) in my humble opinion. I hope that the fans will somehow demand a comeback and they may find time to do another season one day. Hey, it worked for Arrested Development!!!

BOts Netflix

2011-10-01T01:31:00.001-05:00

Expendables Netflix

2011-09-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Wow, can I preface this by saying, I loathe the way Sharpie markers smell? It's all on my hands and I haven't even marked myself. It's not as bad a dry erase markers....blech. Anyway, I miss my Black AD marker with the half inch tip, holy moly that thing will black out anything. I have to drop another 5 bucks to get another one. Hopefully no one steals this in transit as I've announced what movie is in the envelope. I wonder how that is working..I mean, someone steals the movie, they have ME charged.

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton Netflix

2011-09-22T13:46:00.001-05:00

Another Netflix envelope. I really try to make the most of getting these mailed to me so I run through them as fast as I can. I don't think I'll put in the effort like I did on this one. I just had more fun drawn Josh D than anything. It's not the best medium to work with as there are wrinkles that the pencil hits at unexpected places.

Doodle on Netflix envelope

2011-09-20T00:17:00.000-05:00

I had to jump on the bandwagon of decorating the Netflix envelopes. I did this while I was waiting for a download (that eventually pooped out) The cat is slightly cross-eyed in the reference which is why this was one of my favorite pictures that I found on my favorite website. This picture is just hilarious to me that the pets are so comfortable on the owners' bed; that they are so comfortable with each other. It's the epitome of cute.

Andrei Arlovski

2011-09-17T10:43:00.000-05:00

I did this for our Saturday sketch blog but will post some other stuff later on. I'm a little worn out from today already and it's only nearly 11 am

This pen is really a mic!

2011-09-04T00:25:00.002-05:00

Guessing the best names for little Neil or Ramona junior for when the blessed moment arrives.

2011-08-19T17:38:00.001-05:00

Guessing the best names for little Neil or Ramona junior for when the blessed moment arrives., originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This is what I do, draw really fat babies....For fun, not for profit.
I was trying out some baby names for my friend, Ramona. Now,...I'm not one of this baby crazy people. I mean, I like baby humans as much as the next guy but don't want to be confused as forcing my friend who will be newly married at the end of October to Spawn forth a great multitude of child. ALthough, just to be funny, I thought I'd keep not-so subtly mentioning babies every so often to see how annoying I can get. I was over Ro's house working and decided to try to make Neil laugh by leaving a drawing for him near the refrigerator.
I hope it did the trick or that baby is FIRED!

2011-08-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

I'm going to take another stab at drawing this, I got some better reference as this was from a low res screen shot, you can see how the drawing suffers from the lack of info.

Be afraid

2011-07-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of looks that one can choose (being a lady) The "No eyebrows and white hair" look was the one this woman chose, I thought I'd draw it.

janitor_trashcan_Watermarked

2011-07-20T20:46:00.001-05:00

janitor_trashcan_Watermarked, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

One of the many icons that I drew that day (last Wednesday) I liked the way he turned out as he was after I had warmed up a bit.

Bunnies

2011-07-09T01:30:00.001-05:00

bunnies, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Yes, Bunnies. I got to see about 11 baby bunnies and one grown up bunny on a recent bike ride to my delight. I always love bunnies. Even if they do something horrible like steal my car or egg my house, I'll still think they are the most adorable animal on the planet.

Bunny Sketch

2011-07-06T22:38:00.000-05:00

Here is another in the series of what I'm working on. This is the rough part of the process as I'm just trying to figure out how this should go. This bunny is a compilation of about 3 different baby bunnies that I had reference for. I'm still looking for more views. I HAVE seen about three on my bike rides this week but my brain can't work fast enough to take a mental picture of them scampering away.

elements

2011-07-05T00:04:00.000-05:00

Wolf sketch

2011-06-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

Not that I'm crazy into wolves or anything but I drew this, as well as other parts of this sketch that I wanted to do. It does have a point, although, looking at this, it seems that there is not one.
Of course. You know...I'm not feeling so hot and am probably not making much sense.
I'm heading home but since we have no WiFi at home, I figured I'd do this before leaving as I feel like doing nothing but sleeping at this point.

Anyway, I want to get this little drawing done (maybe colored) soon.

Murphy's Law Day (i.e. Wednesday)

2011-06-23T21:44:00.009-05:00

From 2 different pictures/same area, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This pictures says it all.
It's confusing.
It's pointless.
It's not even all that nice to look at.
Such was my day yesterday.

I'll explain:

Since the area I live in was wracked by storms that flooded streets, shorted power, and splintered trees most of the traffic lights were out - giving every one's morning commute a good hour plus of aggravated driving. My fifteen minute commute was over and hour and a half. Walking would have been twice as fast.
Needless to say, by the time I reached work I was tired and very quiet.
The day before, I had made a doctor's appointment for THIS day at noon. That office was in Hoffman Estates which is a half an hour (in good circumstances) away from where I was working that day.
I set out, expecting dragging traffic, only giving myself about 15 minutes lead time. I was pleasantly surprised to see the traffic moving along very well. I also noticed (not so pleasantly) that several temporary signs for construction on 90 West were knocked flat over so that no one could read them. What they said was something I needed.

Left Lane: Express, Right Lane: Local.

I never saw that sign but realized that was what I missed once it was too late.
Just before the exit for the hospital, I noticed the road splitting into two lanes surrounding one lane in the middle lined with cones. It was about a foot drop in the center so there was no chance to making a last minute decision. My passage to the right lane to the exit was blocked by giant trucks so, optimistic me, I stayed in the left lane hoping for a chance to exit somewhere soon down the road.
It turns out I was too optimistic.

Twenty minutes later of driving 65MPH, I finally get a chance to exit about 10-12 miles away from my original exit.

Now, I'm officially late.

Thanks to GPS, I can navigate a way back to where I needed to be.

I finally arrive at the hospital/ doctors offices. It had started raining again. I parked and walked towards the group of buildings where I need to be. While crossing the road, an elderly couple practically mows me down with their land yacht (a Cadillac) obviously annoyed that I'm keeping them from getting out of the parking lot while I'm being blinded by rain. I guess I deserved being honked at while in the pedestrian crossing.

I get to the office to see no one familiar. After some confused conversation, it seems that the group of doctors I made my appointment with have moved and the assistant I spoke with the day before neglected to tell me. I make a joke about it and we all laugh at the ridiculousness. I warn them about how bad 90 is right now.
The nurses at the office where I was told me that had been happening quite a lot. I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one but, at present, that doesn't help the situation much. They help me out of kindness and try to find information from the previous office but only have a phone number.

The nurses call, then hand me the phone (after they had been put on hold for a while). The girl on the phone tried to tell me that it's my fault that I didn't know that they moved. After all, she did ask me the telling question, "Have you been here before?"
That was her way of letting me know the office had moved within the last week.
Sigh.
I am handed some paper by the competent and friendly nurses at this office so that I may write down the address and head off to see the incompetent girl at the office where I am expected.
I start to wish that this were the place I was scheduled to be.

We all have a good laugh, they wish me luck and I go on my merry way to get the new location.

However, I get a call on my phone (from the incompetent office) that the doctor I was supposed to see (again, I wasn't told the name of the doctor) was called away for an emergency and could I reschedule?

I'm driving out back to the highway and tell the girl on the phone "Sure, go ahead and reschedule". Side note: I am trying to be a responsible adult and get these things taken care of. But, there is a problem, I am a freelancer. The time I spend driving around all creation is time I could be making money. I don't get sick pay, nor does anyone care if I need to take time off that I need to.

I call back and cancel that appointment and hope for some down time so that I "waste my time" when there's not a deadline.

One coffee break later (and trying to entertain everyone at Starbucks with my hilarious tale), I head for 90 East. I'm on the on ramp when all of the sudden there are cars coming towards me.
Hold up.
Did I drive mistakenly on an exit ramp? In my state of confusion and aggravation did I ignore a "Wrong Way" sign?
My view of the highway below changes and I see the sea of cars simply parked on 90 East.
I turn around and notice that I was not wrong, I had turned correctly. This situation before me was just a line of cars who decided, like lemmings, to join the lead car to exit illegally and endanger others (like myself) based out of their own selfishness. There was no cop letting them off. To make it more confusing, one of the drivers (male) looks at me, incredulous, and gives me that "What the (expletive deleted - hahah) do you think you're doing?" look, like I'm the one that was at fault.

I ignore him.

I turn around to exit the on ramp simply wanting to get out of my car and inside where there are no cars, no drivers, no traffic lights and no one crazy and lacking logical thought.

Back to the picture:
The picture was from me leaving the first office to get to the office that had moved. I thought it very apropos, being so confusing.

Was this God's way of testing my patience or refining me in another way? I know that since God controls all things, even if it were just being in the wrong place at the wrong time at all times that day, He allowed it to happen.
I was trying to remain joyful throughout. Besides, what good does losing one's temper really accomplish?
Not much, is the answer.

You can really tempt fate by blowing your top too many times. I've seen that. I've had to live with that. I refuse to act like that.
I admit, I've had my failures in times like this, but, becoming aware of that, I change for the better.

Of course, I could have been nothing but rude and impolite to everyone in my path.
Of course, I could have shown nothing but contempt to everyone who was being rude and selfish towards me.
Of course, I could have tried to take out my frustration out on someone else...

....but I did not.

I've been on the receiving end of that and I was nothing but confused as to why the anger was directed at me. It wasn't fair for someone to do that to me. (Of course, life is rarely fair)
I do not want to do that to anyone. It's not loving.
I choose to think that something good will come of this. I may not see it now, but I will in the future.
After all, God works all thing to the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purposes.
Romans 8:28

I also can display the fruits of the Spirit in times like this.

Galatians 5:22-23

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

I've had worse days, and I'm sure I'll have more days like this in the future. Plus, I can always get a good laugh out of that and get others to laugh right along with me.

2011-06-18 13.11.49

2011-06-23T00:09:00.001-05:00

2011-06-18 13.11.49, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Once again, i went on the same bike path, as itwas another hot day. Due to the high EMF, my head did feel like it was going to split open ONCE AGAIN,. however, I spotted some patina-ed wire and shot it. I just can't seem to steer clear of the transformers. It's a good thing I'm not tempted to climb one of those as it's covered in barbed wire!

stadium

2011-06-21T15:29:00.001-05:00

stadium, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This was just one of many storyboard panels needed for the last week and this weekend. I just colored it after hearing from the client that they did want to see it colored.

2011-06-07 17.39.53

2011-06-11T01:01:00.001-05:00

2011-06-07 17.39.53, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Here's my very cluttered workstation. You can see on the monitor what the camera is showing. I was trying to hurry to get all these elements cut out so that I could film them.
I just got news today that I made a typo and will have to reshoot a frame sometime this weekend that is, IF we can find someone to let me in the building, come up with a card that I can record and send the files along to the Producer so he can edit the video back together. I was so tired that I can't blame myself for making an error (I left an "R" out of "Insurers" messing up a frame altogether.) Ugh! What a mess.

Freelance work

2011-06-10T02:15:00.004-05:00

5813415841_837c6a585d_o, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

The life of a free lancer usually means you spend a lot of time alone doing your work until the wee hours of the morning. I thought that I'd document some places that I work as not many people know what it is that I even do.
Even when I was a full time person, people would still ask me within the company what it is that I even do. Anyway, there's a lot of work that goes into making the video for this client and a lot of it goes unseen as it is back work until it's filmed. A lot of ideas are usually cast aside by some other idea so all the drawings are rendered useless. I actually did the drawings and the shoot for this project (as that rarely happens as its grueling for the artist to prepare the work and do the shoot which is too time-consuming usually. I take a few hours to get the work ready for whoever will be shooting the actual video. The drawings get printed out, cut out for the hands to pull into the video OR we draw elements live.
We do all the lettering (save the logos that are shown) and that takes a lot of time. Companies are the only ones that see these and they are shown in a few countries other than the states. This one will be shown in India this round. I was having to re-shoot 19 of the 26 frames as the client changed their minds on a lot of things (this is why we do rounds and rounds of storyboarding to NOT have that happen) but this time it did. One of the frames was from an error that I made (as I didn't use the right kind of car in one of the sequences and the executive in charge spotted that)

It may be needless to say that I'm tired but...I'll go ahead and say it, I'm worn out. In fact, I'm so tired that I can't go to sleep. It's that being on call feeling that prevents one from relaxing, I'd suppose.
I did, however get one more call for a change that needs to be made so maybe I"m not crazy after all for being on edge.

Hot bike ride today

2011-06-07T00:41:00.002-05:00

2011-06-06 13.35.57, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

My goodness, the temperature was high, the asphalt was scorching and I was having problems keeping hydrated. I went through three bottles of water and have no idea where it even went (as in - it went to the air, basically) I was resting up between alterations to a set of storyboards which were in the review stage and felt lazy. I wanted to sit, rest and relax but I also wanted to enjoy part of the day. Needing to get a few items and hit the bank, I decided to get on my bike and just go. I had to get the right shoes, my bike lock and thought I was all set, not realizing I neglected to place the pin in my front tire that secures it via a quick release clamp to the front suspension. The entire ride, I hit more bumps and curbs and what do you know, the tire stayed put. It wasn't until 2 hours into the ride, leaving Target, when I went down on a curb did I realize that the pin was still in my car. I'm not sure what the actual term for it is, so correct me if you will. I'm already feeling silly for having forgotten it.
The ride wore me out. In order to get to the two places I needed to go, I had to take this route that is lined with transformers. Needless to say, I still have a headache from it. Stopping to take this picture not only made me want to keep going cool down with the wind resistance, but it also made me realize my head felt like it was going to split in two. Yes, the wind was up and against me most of the way but I don't think it was making all that much of a difference.

The final hour of the ride, I realized my seat post needs tightening and I was slowly sinking into the frame. I hope to get a handle of the newness of my bike so I can enjoy more rides from here on out. Today wasn't so much fun.

Forgotten artwork

2011-06-03T21:35:00.001-05:00

A drawing I did years ago is now on a six story building.

I did this for someone (who I'm certain took a cut as she paid me through her own bank account) I've since not wanted to have much to do with her as I don't trust her. I did this for under $2000 a few years ago and sold them the illustration. What am I going to do with a drawing of the Taj Mahal and that prayer tower thingie? Nothing.
They had been wanting me to do the actual painting of this, I told them to find someone else. Painting outdoors on that scale is not something I ever want to do. The client was M Seddiqui or something like that. I have no idea where the contract is. I only saw this as there was a Yahoo.com news story about it and when I clicked on it, while navigating away from the page, realized I had done this artwork for that community.
Hilarious.

Mind you, the article was about how the structure is a confusing parking structure that no one seems to like even though the comments underneath it say otherwise.

Lee Marvin

2011-05-30T03:12:00.002-05:00

busterkeaton

2011-05-24T23:58:00.001-05:00

busterkeaton, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

:) I had to piece this together as it ended up being too big for the scanner. of course, using the biggest sketchbook that you own will allow that to happen. Yes, that is a puppy hanging out of his pocket.

Kitty

2011-05-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

New Frame!!!

2011-05-04T00:29:00.000-05:00

Alas, my trusty bike, formerly my main form of transportation, has a defective frame. The great news is that Gary Fisher has a lifetime warranty on the frames. In order to get the frame replaced, I had to take it over to a licensed Trek Dealer as GF was bought by Trek (which I didn't know until recently) The news came back that I needed to locate and provide the original receipt as that is how it works. I had to prove I was the original owner.

I was distressed as I have items from my life spread in two states and around four different places. I am working hard to get that down to at least 2 :)

But, I digress.

I prayed heavily about finding the little piece of paper from about 11 years ago, but upon looking, produced nothing. Then, last Saturday, after injuring myself rooting through my storage unit I produced two bankers boxes filled with my old receipts and tax returns. I took a few hours to pore through about thirty files, seventeen envelopes of receipts. I opened one white envelope and the pink carbon receipt from "Johnny Sprockets" - in Chicago, practically jumped into my hand. After several shouts of "Praise God" and one scanning of the receipt later, I was in business.

I anxiously await my new frame.

I have the smaller wheels but...whatever doesn't kill you only makes you a better cyclist as your torque for pedaling is harder than most.

Fast N Furiouserer

2011-04-30T22:57:00.001-05:00

FFurious591, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Couple with Cats

2011-04-25T12:00:00.001-05:00

Couple with Cats, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This is just horrifying and hilarious all at once.

TheKing

2011-04-23T23:44:00.002-05:00

TheKing, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I was just talking to someone about this painting the other day. It was on the tough side to really paint this scene. I don't have the best camera for shooting the painting but...close up, the torn up, shredded skin of Christ is just plain hard to look at, much less paint in detail. I try, as an artist to make things more beautiful and I could not really do that, nor was this painting supposed to represent that way of thinking. I knew this would be an ugly painting and that it would be hard to look at. I also never considered that anyone would ever want to buy this painting. It is, of course hanging in Pastor Lee's office, who I consider a friend. That is the only appropriate place for this scene. While painting it, it felt like I was capturing something right but, seeing it frozen in time felt, somehow wrong. If anyone reads this, and not many do, you may not know what I'm talking about. If you do....I know you understand. It is a great reminder of the greatest sacrifice in history.

Scanned Sketches

2011-04-04T19:23:00.001-05:00

scan_simonco, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Finally, I got to scan some of the sketches from last week while I was away from my scanner. They're on the Flickr site if you click on Simon's face, it'll lead you right to it (run on sentence, - apologies)

Last One

2011-03-31T12:41:00.002-05:00

kirkFranklin, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Kirk Franklin :) I had to shoot this with my camera phone in very low light, not much technology wise is working, even this ethernet connection. I don't know what to say about that. It's frustrating to say the least.

Sketch #24, Day 30

2011-03-29T23:49:00.001-05:00

2011-03-29 21.35.45, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Terry Jones, another MPFC member, also director of quite a few of their films and others.

SKetch #23 Day 29

2011-03-29T21:17:00.001-05:00

Michaelpalin_small, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Michael Palin.

Sketch #22, Day 28

2011-03-28T20:40:00.001-05:00

simoncowell_small, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I miss my scanner. I have no white balance option on my cel phone which is sort of surprising as it's one of them new-fangled smarty pants phones. My original sketch was supposed to be someone else but I have no idea which house it's at right now. I'm away from the office at home and miss my scanner, did I mention that already?
This was from a magazine that was laying on the vast island in the kitchen. I flipped through it to find something that I could mock, ever so mildly. The other sketch I was going to do was more like a tribute (kind of like the Denzel Washington one- or Anna Faris, I like them both and don't want to be misconstrued that everything I draw, I'm mocking.
I'm trying to get people to understand that even when I'm talking. Not all the time am NOT being serious. There are moments when I am. Honest.

sketch #21, DAY 25

2011-03-25T01:12:00.001-05:00

anna, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Anna Faris once again. Since I'm away from my scanner, I had to take a picture using my phone. I just don't have the best lighting for drawing or for shooting.

Sketch #20, Day 24 Marilyn

2011-03-23T23:49:00.001-05:00

263122505small, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This is supposed to be Marilyn but then again, I just want to sleep.
She's "Lorelai" when she is musing.....the vacant expression must have been hard to do, which I think it brilliant. Marilyn was no dummy and I love that she could play an air head and make me laugh years later.

Sketch #19, Day 23

2011-03-23T00:31:00.004-05:00

Sketch 18, Day 21, Denzel Washington

2011-03-21T23:09:00.001-05:00

DWash572, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

So, who doesn't love the Denzel Washington. I mean, who can't like this man? He's great to watch onscreen and from what I gather, he's a stand up guy off screen as well. I know I like him and after drawing him, I just want to watch pretty much all of his movies. One of the rare things about him is when he does smile, you know that he's looks truly happy.
I was very much aware that if i didn't get all the distinctive characteristics of the way he looks, he'd be unrecognizable.

Sketch #17 Day 21

2011-03-21T00:09:00.002-05:00

gwh571, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I love this movie. You may not know what it is or where it's from. That line was spoken, the camera then reveals the guys are getting bombed at a little league game which is just plain sad and hilarious to show in a movie. I'm feeling a bit tired so it didn't turn out like I wanted it to- the next appeal of it was of the hands. hands are tough to draw but I like any opportunity to take a stab at it.

Sketch #16, Day 19

2011-03-19T13:25:00.001-05:00

ladi_home_jour570, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Ladies Home Journal, I think from the 1950s. I bought a lot (not enough as they are a gold mine) in the late ninties and they are very precious to me. Not only are they incredibly sexist and at times, pretty racist, they just are so goofy. So much to mock and grieve at the same time.
This girl was matched up quite poorly with a mother that looked nothing like her. They just look like two random people, wearing really stupid looking clothing, showing off their collars for a bleach ad. I toned down the hideous clothes quite bit for anyone that might be looking at it.
You're welcome.

Sketch #15

2011-03-18T17:15:00.002-05:00

sketches, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Boy, I think I"m off on my numbers. This is actually from work yesterday. So...I'm sort of cheating. I'm needing to go outside and walk around:) This is five of the six drawrings that I got done. If you can't tell, the majority was machinery which did take quite awhile. The Magic 8 ball had a patch for the other side, on the left, there.....The only sketch that is missing is a bunch of beer glasses. As it was on St. Patricks Day, it was very apros pos in a way. My arm starting hurting so I had to call it a day.

Sketch #14 sketch

2011-03-17T23:58:00.002-05:00

girlawalking568, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Backpacks and what we carry in them are getting entirely out of control these days.

Sketch #13 Fats Waller

2011-03-15T23:28:00.001-05:00

fatswaller566, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Oh, how I love hearing this man play. I'm not too happy with this sketch but there's always another attempt at it, so I'm not unhappy.
I often wonder what it would have been like if Fats had lived at a different time in life. He would have liked today more than his time, possibly. It might've been easier for him - workwise. Plus, I would have liked to hear him live, somehow (as I'm not really up on what's happening now, by the time I find out about something, it's sold out, the band's broken up or something to that effect) I'm okay as long as there's a recording of it somewhere. I can just pretend that he's still out there somewhere, playing the piano.

Sketch #12 Ubercaffienating children

2011-03-15T00:02:00.003-05:00

ubercaffienatedchild565, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

As much fun as that sounds...the title, I'm sure it's not all that great an idea. I used to work for a coffee chain (well, several coffeehouses) in the past and this usually comes to mind when the yuppies would order coffee drinks for their children. Tweaked out seven year olds are tough to wrangle. You'd think parents would try something more along the lines of a legal sedative for children, but....whatevs. Caffeine is really bad for kids as well as Sugar Free gum. I know this and I'm not even a mom.
Poor kids.

Sketch #11

2011-03-14T00:58:00.003-05:00

tongue562, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

The subject of what we say to others has certainly come up A LOT lately.

I had a few more ideas on this, but want to figure out how to execute so it's a better visual point. I had a before and after which I will post, as well.

Sketch #10

2011-03-13T03:51:00.002-05:00

My original sketch wasn't all that great so this is a replacement for that. On another subject, this text is linking right back to the sketch in html. I'm not certain why. Maybe because when we lost connection with the internet, I uploaded this via my cel phone.

Sketch #9- the 70s line up

2011-03-12T02:53:00.001-06:00

70slineup, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I had this picture from a long long time ago as I really dug the colors that were going on in everyone's hair, clothing, etc. I believe the front people are Ringo Starr, Lulu, David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust get-up and some unknown, hippified, be-anglo-ed man (not an afro, an anglo) I'm not sure what's going on with David Bowie snorting whatever's in that glass? and quite obviously, he's being prompted by our man, "Angela Davis" It's just a fascinating "party" picture. Ringo and Lulu seem to be figuring out who the person is that Lulu spotted. The "woman" in the back kind of reminds me of whatever I've seen of Lady Gaga. A sketch is one thing but the color version would be so much fun.

Sketch # 8 - John Cleese

2011-03-11T03:55:00.003-06:00

John Cleese, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

So, one thing I don't like is formulaic caricatures, I mean, I really don't like them. This one looks as much like a cookie cutter formulaic drawing but that is only becuase of the position of the head. No offense to any one who decided that caricatures of people all need to look the same, i.e. big chin, etc. but i hate that style passionately. Everyone is so different and they deserve special treatment or else it's not going to look like the person you're drawing. May I further rant by saying that when I'd draw like this in college, some yahoo would compliment me, then, tell me that I should take a class on how to draw caricatures, I'd answer "What is the point, I already know how to do that, why waste credits on that?"

Sketch #7 Anna Faris

2011-03-10T02:03:00.002-06:00

anna552, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Wow, I wish I would have been able to draw something today but...the messed up schedule combined with my inability to relax really threw a monkey wrench into everything. I think I got work done, then fled the premises to run some very crucially important errands. I had the whole kit and kaboodle to get a sketch cranked out.,,...pencils in box with sharpener, reference, sketchbook, but...alas, nothing came of it. I've been running around with my office in my backpack from pillar to post attempting to "catch up". I often wonder if, possibly, I might be ahead, after all? That question may never be answered.
So, here it is, the wee hours and I'm getting this done now. I'm tempted to do another but the dull ache in my head tells me it's time to rest.
This is Anna Faris in a photo shoot (a rather high fashion one) I love the posture so so much. It's much like I would respond were I asked to do one. Anna, stay excellent!

Sketch #6

2011-03-08T19:22:00.003-06:00

nosleep_sketch, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I'm on very little sleep, finished up with work (I think)
Now that all is quiet on the western front- so to speak- I could actually try to get some sketches in. I'm really late for the day but...I'm still trying to recover. Watching Pros Vs. Joes and then Bully Beatdown inspired this sketch. :)
yes, those are stink lines.

The other one is just to follow in the vein of loose fleshy looking subjects. I'm not super happy with either, just super super tired and wanted to keep up with drawing. I can see that exhaustion is just not my best setting :)

Sketch #5 - :)

2011-03-07T17:41:00.002-06:00

scarydude542, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I don't know what prompted this. I didn't have a whole lot of time. :)

Sketch #4- A Tribute to the Fivehead

2011-03-04T14:37:00.002-06:00

Avril, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

One of my favorite "jokes" that one of my friends said in a Ralphy Wiggam type voice is "That's not a forehead, that's a fivehead" referring to one of our male friends who was self-conscious about his ample forehead. Not that it was noticeable, it was just already determined that he was not a mutant and we were joking about it.
To this day, the memory of it still makes me laugh, ......if not quietly.....to myself.

You can skip this part if you want:

Okay, so while watching a few shows on modeling, I heard about the way foreheads are measured. Usually, the four fingers on your hand (when placed above your brow), are supposed to be the width of your forehead. Some people have 5 finger foreheads which, I supposed, in the modeling world is deemed an issue. You have to do some tricky maneuvering with hair and make up to hide that if you're trying to sell a product. No client wants anything competing with their product so the view of beauty has gone over the top a bit.

Sketch #3 March 3rd

2011-03-03T13:19:00.002-06:00

haus528, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

House was on today while I was making lunch, or, rather, waiting for it to be cooked. I love this look as on one hand, you know Hugh Laurie;s character is kind of a crazy person who's default mode is introspectively angry. One the other hand, he's an actor who is playing a part and not really all that tormented a person as much as his character. He can leave that so it reflects in his eyes that he is, indeed normal, which is why we can stand to watch him longer.

Sketch #2

2011-03-02T20:52:00.001-06:00

For some reason, this was the way to go today :)
People with very distinctive facial features, LOVE it!

ON the late side but I have three clients that need work first thing in the A.M.

March 1st, 2011

2011-03-01T18:17:00.002-06:00

Hopefully I can do a sketch a day in March. I'm hoping to and want to be up to the challenge. I've been needing to sharpen my skillz for awhile now. Today, I had to sort of cheat and post a sketch that I did earlier, but with some recent shaping. I'm on a tight deadline for tomorrow but wanted more than anything to just fire off a sketch. I've seen other artists become very prolific with the new digital tools that we have and I want to jump on that bandwagon.
I've got three clients this week and there is much need to get everything completed, of course, so this is a short post :)
March 1st, 2011, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

BeachPeople Progress

2011-02-07T21:46:00.001-06:00

BeachPeopleprogres_small, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Here's the latest. It's all I could do with all the other work that is going on. I've been retouching choir pictures in my spare time. Back to this illustration. I still have some work to do, I need to work on the sand, of course.

Koreen Randall and I

2011-01-25T19:08:00.004-06:00

Koreen Randall and I, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I just see now that I drew myself ever-so-slightly cross-eyed. Ooops.

This is my fellow college friend, Koreen Randall. We kept in touch the most after college. She was a friend who commuted in but was still cool enough to hang out with us "dorm" folk. Her, Rebecca and I would hang out in Canada a lot. It was much nicer and the air wasn't so foul in Canada. I remember, of these outings, plenty of semi-angry Canadian citizens who liked to drink, then vent grievances of us ignorant Americans who knew nothing of Canadian culture, politics, or TV. I think they were just plain irritated as they mainly saw people who lived over the border, from Detroit. You can't blame us. We had other things to focus on, like, for one, our schooling, which was a little on the brutal side. Another point we wanted to really get good at was staying alive, un-mugged, and un-kidnapped. Some of us weren't too lucky in that department so....we had to up our game.

Now, after reading that, you can stop criticizing me for the look that I have on my face ( and by extension of that, Koreen's expression)

We had a little bit more to worry about than the normal teenager/early 20-something college student. I mean, yeah, we were aware that some things might happen in college, the usual stuff, like stress, cool parties, stupid parties, fighting potential alcoholism, date-rape, regular rape, Freshman hazing, bad roommates, etc. etc.

We had more things like; car-jacking, seeing more than 3 guns per semester, tripping over a dead body, grief at seeing all the hookers, walking by a crack house, breaking into a crack house and running into an actual crack head, being set on fire, getting mugged more than once, getting hassled for money, running into more than ten gang members a year, hitting a Top40 club by mistake, getting hassled for being White, 4 hours ANYTIME you went to the grocery store- no exceptions, witnessing a shooting, getting kidnapped, getting shot, hearing gunfire at all hours, having your car stolen/jacked, getting punched by a street person, losing your School ID (which meant NO access to the school or dorms unless someone vouched for you), catching leprosy from one of the city fountains, getting screamed at by locals while running around abandoned buildings, getting cut on something almost ANYWHERE in Detroit, getting rollerbladed over one of the white folks who blade en masse downtown.....at the time., having your apt. broken into, smelling the fumes from the Incinerator, living in the projects, wild packs of dogs running you down or chasing you. I could go on..............

Happy Christmas everyone

2010-12-23T16:17:00.001-06:00

Happy Christmas everyone, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

2010 Christmas Card

2010-12-16T02:36:00.003-06:00

2010ChristmasCard, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

For this year's card ( even though I don't do them annually but....you can forgive me for that) I wanted to use common Christmas themes that we see/use in present day decorating. The origins aren't usually talked about but after seeing a few cooking shows and some other documentaries or shows, I saw that there were lots of Biblical reasons behind some of the traditions. I mean, they are usually symbolic in nature anyway so it's tough to see why we do them. For one thing, dragging a pine tree in your living room and decorating it sounds like that actions of a crazy person of course until you really break it down and assign the why to the action.

I thought it might've been a good way to show that, whether or not people are going to pick up on it or not, it's there, along with the scripture that closely ties the Birth of Christ alongside explaining the symbolism.

I'm still waiting for these to come out from the printer's but until then, I printed off a few to pass out, mail, etc. as the cards may not be ready in time. I've had my fair share of having to do handmade cards inthe past and even though I'd rather have them on hand, I should have gotten the artwork done a few weeks ago. If all else fails, I can send them out next year as I'm stocked for Christmas Cards for LOTS of folks.

I know some that may be reading this may not realize that the reason we even celebrate this time of year was the humble birth of Jesus Christ. The word "joy" makes a lot more sense when you do some research on Jesus and what He did for us.

Beach Illustration Progress

2010-12-16T02:22:00.002-06:00

IMG_6417, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I'm almost done with this then it can become a mailer.
I have a few things to add to it, then, it can be used. Yes, that man to the right IS wearing a diaper under a speedo. You're welcome for that image. :) I just want to flesh out some more of the people (so to speak) then, it'll be ready to really look at.

Flat Tire= either too fun of a ride or no fun at all.

2010-10-24T23:01:00.002-05:00

I almost forgot I got another flat tire. I'm starting to wonder if there isn't something wrong with the rim of my rear wheel. It can't possibly be anything I'm picking up on the road. There's never any puncture, it just seems like a slow leak and then it goes completely flat. There's usually time until the last I of PSI goes away. I dont' like or trust the previous bike mechanics, and am frankly annoyed with their overpriced crap version of a "tune_up" I'll definitely never go there again. Because of the flat, I almost wiped out in middle of Palatine and Windsor's intersection while turning left with some very impatient cars. It rolled on my with about 30 PSI left. That is when I realized my rear tire was gone again. Third one this season :(

Windy ride today

2010-10-24T02:36:00.001-05:00

IMG_5740, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I know this is a rather old photo but this was my view today while cycling. If you can picture the fall leaves and give yourself a headache from the high EMF- you're almost there. I wanted to get some things but didn't want to lost my parking spot. The way to the shops was incredibly windy. I had to fight it tooth and nail for about 8 miles. It gets better when I change direction. Even though it's healthy to cycle, I can' imagine being so close to these transformers as such a great idea. I'm at a loss for a better route at times, so....I'll figure it out later.
As my bike helmet is really really old, the foam padding (which is black) has been breaking apart and sticks to my forehead. So you can imagine that when I remove said helmet, I tend to forget that I might have great bits of black foam stuck to me making me look like a coal miner. My first stop was to ULTA and don't you know that none of those beeyotches who were staring at me bothered to tell me that there was black schmutz on my forehead. So much for the bonds of sisterhood. I packed my backpack way too full and ended up having a very painful ride home. My shoulders were about ready to fall off my body in protest, there was so much packed.
I had to forego a few stops to just get home.....I'll never carry 50 lobs of stuff ever again. Ouch

kitteh

2010-10-19T00:04:00.002-05:00

kitteh, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Proof that this is NOT a tattoo. I had to - with deep regret- put this to the side until later. I have work to do that requires the whole of my drafting table. I will be picking it up once again and trying to finish two illustrations. I hope to get back to this and another illustration very soon. One to work on for awhile, then I can change it up and work on a different illustration. What I mean is,....once you get tired of looking at an illustration (and with as much time as I spend on mine, I certainly do) you just swap out another and start working with fresh eyes on the next one. It's better than pointlessly laboring on something that you're stuck on, haven't solved a portion of...etc. I'll be trying to finish the illustration of all those leathery-plastic people on the beach. Hopefully I can avoid overworking the idea. :/

Packaging

2010-10-15T01:13:00.001-05:00

Image0035, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Yay! I got to redesign a package and I think it turned out pretty well. This is a camera phone picture of my little mock-up box. I had to mock it up to make sure things were in the right place. We're almost done with it, I think.

More sketches for radioactive kittens

2010-10-09T12:44:00.002-05:00

IMG_6188, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Purposely a horrible looking pictorial representation of a drawing in progress- this is the start of a drawing. Well, this is actually the idea before the drawing. I'm not sure how to do those hypno rays, really. In order to put any kind of perspective in this, I'm going to have to muddle that one out somehow. I thought green would have been a great color but...I realized that maybe that's not such a good idea as the setting was to be in a field. I'm not sure if I should just keep it urban. That poses some issues, though.

Cafe group of kids

2010-10-09T01:44:00.001-05:00

Cafe group of kids, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I can recall that while drawing this, i had to make the people in the reference photo look good. They needed them much younger and I had to add some stuff on the table. In fact, I think that I had to take about thirty pounds off of one of the women in order to get this to look appealing. If you have an issue with that, then take it up with Corporate America and leave me out of it :) If you're offended that I didn't represent all nationalities? Relax: it hasn't been colored yet. That is the only way anyone looks like they are the nationality that they are in SKETCH form. I can't tell you how many times I draw a black gentleman and get the note that he doesn't look black. Well, of course he doesn't look black because A) The reference probably sucked in the first place and B) wait til you see him colored up and ready to go. Its rough to sell a small sketch of someone's face as a nationality. If you don't believe me, try it, then get back to me with a centimeter tall head and see if you can convince me he's really an Indian businessman like you intended.

huddle

2010-10-09T01:39:00.001-05:00

huddle, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This icon was done a while ago. I can't remember at all when. This one, I think turned out fairly well. I think the reference that I was given was pretty good, clear and on the larger side. It's rough going when I have something that's like 12k. Having to bring some information out of that takes work and thinking and those are just hard to do without a gallon of coffee beforehand. Too much coffee makes me sick so...I ave to gauge these things accordingly. Okay, so back to drawing this: I get a bit nervous when drawing groups. You have to mind the size and proportion of everyone in relation to everyone. If that doesn't make sense to you, it never will. Trust me, it's hard. It's a hard thing to do when you only are able to spend about two or three hours sketching, getting it fleshed out, making sure it's in the right style drawing, scanning it and moving onto the next one.

More Icons

2010-09-27T11:16:00.003-05:00

These are two icons I did last Monday. For some reason, my right arm was just giving me a lot of problems and I completely hit a wall at around 330. These were drawn earlier in the day, of course. I didn't have proper reference of either so they are both frankensteined from several pictures. The best reference for Sherlock was from a statue that stands outside the Baker St Underground station. For the female, I found a coat that was on a flickr site and just dressed this other woman who was a normal 21st century woman fixing a bum power socket.

Being sick- montage

2010-09-27T01:15:00.005-05:00

Any time you happen to catch a cold, you are usually flooded with unsolicited advice from people who basically care enough about you to repeat advice on how to recover from being ill. This time, I didn't really run into that. Maybe I've surpassed that somehow.
One thing I've been trying to do when I hear someone is sick is RESIST the urge to tell them what they already know. I understand that I can tend to forget those things by the time I am in the throes of illness. There are things I just don't want to do, like gargle salt water to alleviate the sore throat. No thanks. Sitting in a steam room? NO thank you. I'll stay at home so I can have a cold in peace. There is no need for me to be in public. Of course, I had to as I ran out of everything. I only had medicine for a cough type cold but this was not it.

I know more about over the counter drugs and can diagnose my own symptoms pretty well, these days. I was grateful not to be needing antibiotics as they wreak havoc with my system. Sleep was the main component and drinking gallons upon gallons of water.

Tightrope walking

2010-09-27T01:03:00.002-05:00

Since the previous jpg was on a larger scale, it doesn't really show that I did some real work on the man on the tightrope. He had a really odd look on his face for the actual reference so I tried to tone it down a little for Corporate America, who this is for. The don't like things to be too strange. It makes sense, it has to be palatable for an audience; just make the point simple enough. If there is a slightly strange expression, it must be changed. A lot of times, I'm working so small that it's rough going trying to change an expression on someone's face. One company that I work for definitely does NOT care for ugly people. The line is very clear on that.

Man on Rope

2010-09-22T23:50:00.001-05:00

Okay, I am attempting to type this and have it not look like some giant link, but,,....it refuses to cooperate. I drew this for a client last night. I'm hoping that it did the trick. I'm thinking I needed to add some poles to the ends of the wire.

Choir Logo :)

2010-09-01T23:02:00.002-05:00

The choir has a card, and a new logo :) I handed them over tonight.

salvationbracelet_small

2010-08-31T01:35:00.002-05:00

salvationbracelet_small, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Thank you, David Lee for buying two paintings :)
We like when people want a painting and follow through. That is what is known as professional behaviour. :) Artists like to work with people who know what they want. Having said that, I always insist in those cases for the buyer to make sure they are getting what they want. If they hate something, let me know, I'll change it. After all, they're the ones having to look at it. If I can make it look ever better, then I'm happy to do that.
In some cases, a recipe for disaster as there is a chance to overwork but that will lead to more commentary and I need to get to sleep .

THE bike path to be on....

2010-08-30T00:45:00.001-05:00

THE bike path to be on...., originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I went on this path again today. it was the hottest day and I had no energy as I'm in some sort of emotional turmoil. Being female, I'd suspect this will happen from time to time. I'm cycling a bit more timid these days as I found out from the bike mechanic guy that there is a crack i n my frame. I'm anxious about that as every time I hit patches of bad pavement, it's a concern that I note once again in my head. This ride was the first I've done sans helmet as it was far too hot. i'm still chugging water as it was a debilitating king of heat.

Caricatures in Church

2010-08-30T00:38:00.003-05:00

This is a rare moment for Pastor James. He is usually a lot more lively than I have depicted him here. It was just a moment in time. I had to scan this for posterity as I have far too much paper laying around.

Low Res drawing :)

2010-07-10T01:58:00.001-05:00

Low Res drawing :) , originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Newest Illustration Progress Ever!!!

2010-06-16T00:05:00.003-05:00

Newest Illustration Progress Ever!!!, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

More saggy butts, more floppy skin, more leathery dried up husks of human beings. It took all day yesterday to get any progress on the sky. Lots of scribbling and attempting to get that blue dust in order and where it needs to be. The people are the easy part. It's like a vacation working on them. It's the water and sky and beach that 'll be the issue on this one.

Progress

2010-06-10T00:30:00.001-05:00

Progress, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Moobs: Revisited.

2010-06-02T00:36:00.001-05:00

Illustration progress, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

May I borrow from a popular title and slightly tarnish it.
Yes, it'll be getting much much worse from this point on :) .......and you're welcome.

2010-06-02T00:33:00.001-05:00

I was called for another caricature of someone today. This is the result. I was glad it went over very well. :)

Corporate Caricature Frenzy

2010-05-18T00:01:00.003-05:00

These are people who I drew recently for a video thingamajiggie. I have my personal favorites but dare I show partiality. These went pretty quickly as I was nervous about them. Most times, I'm hoping that they all know what they pretty much look like and have no demands to look like a SuperModel of any variety. If so, it causes me to prematurely grey.

2010-05-12T00:34:00.003-05:00

Ah, One of the most horrifying sights in this Earth is man boobs. Even worse, is drawing them in detail.

Bull RIder

2010-04-28T23:41:00.001-05:00

Bull RIder, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Here was a sketch that was trickier. There were giant chaps to remove as the reference that was given to us was small and had lots of fabric going on. You can't really see that the rider is holding onto the harness in front of him. I had to change up the bulls head significantly as there was no shape or movement to it. Of course, any bull that would be in a rodeo would have the horns NOT sharp and pointy like that. They would be dulled down. I think I had bad reference for the rear legs but I did my best. Anyway, it's only going to be really looked at for a few seconds then ignored....so...I'm not too concerned. Should this have turned into a painting, there would have been more care given. While I'm on-site, the focus is more getting as much work done as well as I can as quickly as I can.

A&D whitepaper

2010-04-28T23:35:00.001-05:00

A&D whitepaper, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I put together a few of the illustrations that were used for an Aerospace and Defense White paper for Grant Thornton. There was a really nice Design that I saw the Designer working on that involved all of these illustrations placed. I had assumed it was for the cover. Perhaps it was rejected by someone internally because it was just too well done? I liked what she had worked on (from what little I saw) Keep in mind that I drew about ten of these in one day as they were some really simple ones. The Mig, the remote airplane, the helicopter, the battleship, (pictured later on in the Flickr.com stream) took very little time to render as they were supposed to be in the messy Grant Thornton style. I had drawn the globe way earlier. The gavel might've been in the same week/month, I can't remember. There are so many that I draw that I don't bother getting a copy of simply because they don't strike my fancy.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Grant Thornton

2010-04-24T22:44:00.001-05:00

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Grant Thornton, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

Finally, I get to draw the great Dr. King. I've always wanted to and I finally had the chance while at work at Grant Thornton. They had mentioned it weeks before to me and how tough it really is to get a good piece of reference (as they are limited) Also, the people that wanted the drawing done were pretty choosy about the pose they wanted. I drew two suits for them in the same position in case they needed another type of drawing. I didn't want it getting rejected for something silly like too much rendering on the suit part of the illustration. I wanted to spend some time getting his face right but I don't think I quite got it. In fact, I know I didn't get it right but only I can say that as I drew it. I'll draw another one someday soon once I find a really nice piece of reference.

NFP Survey- Grant Thornton

2010-04-24T22:41:00.001-05:00

NFP Survey- Grant Thornton, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

This seems familiar like I've blogged this before. In any route, I'm re doing it regardless. I had to re draw a few people in this group. I don't think I have the updated illustration or not. I'll check and post it.

Racehorse- Grant Thornton

2010-04-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

Racehorse- Grant Thornton, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

I did this a few days ago while at Grant Thornton. Honestly, I do know a bit about horse anaotmy but there is always more that I can learn. I didn't really have the time to be really careful so if you have insults to hurl at me, please restrain. :) If I'd have had the time to really get involved, I could have corrected the obvious mistakes. As this was for a client and they are not so concerned with the anatomy being Spot On, I didn't worry about it either.

This was the first thing I finished off that day. I had been able to sketch it out the Thursday before and picked it back up on the Wednesday. I had to, of course, make it messier and sketchier in order to match the style of Grant Thorntons icons. I scanned this as it was first low res, then made is messier to match the style, then just scanned it in for their library. Of course, while it was scanning, I worked on the next sketch as sometimes it can take a while to scan. Most of their icons are at 1200 DPI. I scan at 300 usually for my files.

Boxing Painting #1

2010-04-23T11:04:00.001-05:00

Boxing Painting #1, originally uploaded by jodydraws.

1749 views!!! An exciting day for internet searches!!!

2010-03-31T02:54:00.003-05:00

This painting, I did in a few days for our Good Friday service at Harvest Bible Chapel. This Friday, the church wanted more of a visual artists' take on what Jesus did for us. This is still not a finished painting as I had to overly simplify some things. This is an 18 by 36 canvas, the ratio was great for something more cinematic but I chose to do the vertical composition this time. I'm starting to like green a bit more but am not entirely convinced I should work too much in it. I dropped this off today just in the nick of time. Thanks to Erica who was able to show me where to hand this over to. If I hadn't known what to do, I would have left it in the reception area and it would have most certainly been ignored or caused confusion as to why it was there.
Anyway, the reference was hard to come by for this and I had to work off my computer (as my printer is not hooked up) so no print outs to work off of. I shot this at too much of an angle from the bottom up so it looks a but morphed, sadly. I'm pleased enough with it that I could bear for others to see it but it is not finished just yet. I have to settle in to a new apt and get my life in order (not talking about moving but many many other things) before I go back in. There are still more projects for me to finish and I fully intend to get those on their way before anything else.

Revised

2010-03-25T23:36:00.002-05:00

Here is the further revised illustration (as you can see from the earlier post). The people on the left were drastically changed. I had zero to no reference to work off of. I just tried to ethnic-a-size up the people (as I wanted to in the first place but I think we were hoping that no one would notice as finding the reference for this grouping was difficult to near impossible) Please understand, in order to get the illustration to look half way decent, we needed good reference. It's a slim chance to get one of those that people aren't being thoroughly bawdy in and it's an even slimmer chance that we'll get a mutli-ethnic group (like we prefer) I'm not a big fan of drawing nothing but white people but when it comes to tail-gaters, that seems to be the one race that is representing BIG time. The reference is tricky and leads to a certain type of illustration style. The poorer the reference, the illustration becomes a different style altogether. I had to maintain some sort of clarity and wanted the same for the replacement people. i didn't get that, however and was forced to make it up as I went along. Well , I"m happy with the way that it looks, anyway.

Portraits :)

2010-03-16T00:05:00.002-05:00

Doing outdoors portraits isn't really the easiest thing to do but when you have such wonderful subjects as these two, it works out lovely. They were the best drawing I'd gotten done in the day. I don't know who they are but they were a delight to do a portrait of. This was for our church for the "Connect" ministry (20's aged people). Back to the two pictured; They stayed really still and drawing them both was super easy. There were others in the day that was not the case, sadly and it just takes forever to make some sense of the sketch in general. I was supposed to do another event like this for the High School Ministry on Valentines Day but my part of that was canceled as they thought not many of the H.S.-ers would be there.
In any case, it's rather nerve wracking drawing when there are swarms of people around and you don't know what is happening behind your head. I had the "Toss a Baseball" as hard as you can, Game behind me. I tried to just tune it out and keep drawing. In any case,
the one pinned in the background turned out really well (of Jen? Jenna?) I'm getting worse at names these days.

Grant Thornton Illustration

2010-03-14T11:05:00.004-05:00

The notes on this particular "icon" were really hilarious. I walked into work one morning and saw the reference of this tailgating party with red sharpie saying, plenty of edits but on in particular made me laugh: "no belly, no beer" referring to the girl on the right. I had to shave around 50 pounds off of each of the guys and take about 20 years off of them as well. I tried to clean up the girls from being slightly hoochified to being a little more clean cut. The poster of the girl on the left is not really ideal but....I ran out of time to really get that done. I knew there was going to be more edits later on as this might've been meant for some pretty particular people at Grant Thornton. Sure enough, there have been changes already. I have to find that one and post it as well. What I found hilarious from the Art Directors notes were "make the men younger, less creepy" The Designer is hilarious!

Painting In Progress

2010-03-14T10:53:00.004-05:00

I haven't really had all that much time lately but wanted to post a painting that I'm trying to get finished for one gallery. I have two Koi paintings already started. This one has already been modified as far as toning everything up but the other one will need to hold off until I can locate my reference. There are some missing elements that are important and I can't leave that information out.

This is a smaller painting, around 2 feet square).

I'm using Acrylics as I don't have the time or the space these days to do oil (space for the reason that I don' t want the smell to bother anyone nearby) Oils are going to have to wait until I have a space to do them. In the meantime, I'm trying to get these done and hopefully they will sell really soon. I'm wondering if I'm too bright and happy painting wise for the city. Surely there might be someone who will want to stare at these :)

2009-12-06T23:10:00.001-06:00

Illustration of TREX skeleton for GT

2009-12-04T23:20:00.003-06:00

I did this, as requested, a few weeks ago for Grant Thornton in Chicago. It was a little more complicated than the usual icons but...got it done, nonetheless. I send it and they clean the file so this is more the super raw scanned version. I can already see the haze on what is supposed to be the "white" paper.