I'm Back - Sortof

Why have I not been posting?  Well, simply because almost every piece of artwork I do is top-secret, cannot be published for a time, or in the case of my former employer, cannot be published EVER, even when it's become public.  It's then quite hard to maintain a sketchblog (even though I know you're all saying, "yes, but don't you sketch like ALL the time?" .. no, I don't)

Anyway, I thought I'd put up a couple drawings I have been doing for myself.  I'm a product designer by trade now - I design figurines, toys, storybooks, wedding invitations, posters, costumes, clothing.  All of it is made into a consumer product, something to go to market and be bought and loved.  Some is done for various companies, some is done for myself.

Here are some clothing designs I've done for myself.  It's not so much that I yearn to be a fashion designer, but more that I just can't help myself.  I sew costumes and clothing for fun and sometimes for profit, and I have a great passion for it, so naturally I had a go on a website called Garmz.com, where you can submit drawings of your fashion designs, put them to a vote, promote them, etc., and if a design is popular enough, it has a good chance of being accepted for prototyping and then manufacture by the Garmz company.  The end result is your fashion design, made in all sizes, for sale in the Garmz shop, internationally.  It's quite exciting.  Here are some of the designs I've done for their site:

This is my latest one, inspired by Mad Men 1960s New York Fashion.
If you like this design, please vote for it by clicking the image and
going to its listing on Garmz.com

"October Foxhunt."  This design became the
#1 most popular on the Garmz site, and was
prototyped and released for sale on
December 8th, 2010.  They did a really beautiful job!

"Raindrops."  This designs has received 527 votes! It's
the #2 most popular design on Garmz.

"Holly Day Dress," a mid-century look with a
boat neck, made up in heavy satin, with quilting
at the hem.  If you like this design, please vote
for it!

"On the Thames" coat design.  I know it's a silly name!  This one's doing
alright in terms of votes, but it still needs more - it's #4 top voted right now.
Please click the image and vote for it, if you like it!

I know these aren't outstanding works of art, but working as an artist in "the real world" can sometimes do that to you.  Art as Work comes to have a specific purpose - if it's for a product design, it needs to be simple, effective, straightforward, able to be understood by manufacturers overseas.  There's not a lot of glamor in product design, especially when it has to be done THAT fast.  The glamor and satisfaction come when you see your creativity on the shelves of a retail store.  On the other hand, artwork done for poster design, invitiations, decal onto something like a photo frame or a ceramic base, etc., has to be top notch.  I'll have more to show you later with regards to "real" artwork, if you like :-).

Self Portrait 2010

Look, I made a picture! I haven't done a self-portrait in AGES. I like this one :-) Of course, I don't wear my hair like this at all...I'm actually sitting in my pajamas and haven't brushed my hair today...so...hey, it's ART!

Skadi - Snowboard Apparel For Freestyle Girlies

I know, I know, I never update this blog and nobody reads it anymore! I've been putting all my energy into other blogs, of which I have maaaannnny, and into running my businesses.

So, the news today, is that I've mini-launched another clothing line, this one for women's snowboarding apparel. The cool thing about apparel is that it involves graphic design and illustration, funneled into a different venue than hanging-on-the-wall, or published-in-a-book.

Right now it's all about the buzz. Please visit the Facebook page and become a fan of Skadi. We're on Twitter too, and I've put up a blog (needs work, but it's there). Go, follow, join, enjoy!

American Duchess Apparel

Did you guys know I started a clothing line? American Duchess Apparel creates graphic tees that interpret the whimsical, natural, and feminine ideals of the past, with a particular focus on the 18th and 19th centuries.

It's getting towards holiday gift-giving time, so here's the flier to let you all know that the online ADA shop is up, running, ready to receive orders:

www.AmericanDuchessApparel.com

It's a pretty cool experience as an artist, working up a brand from nothing. I've done all the t-shirt illustration, of course, but also the graphic design on the fliers, labels and tags, and website (and coding too!). The business side - the world of wholesale and garment manufacture - is fascinating as well. I'm hoping to do well enough with graphic tees to release three new designs each season (once I get rolling), and to expand into other kinds of apparel, like jackets and hoodies.

Photo Post-Processing in Photoshop, featuring Avi

You don't have to be a good photographer to end up with a great photo. Well, it certainly helps, but if you don't know what all the little dials on your camera do, there is hope for you yet!

I worked with what I did know - composition and basic lighting knowledge - to snap this picture with my Not-a-DSLR Kodak camera. Popping it into Photoshop, I cropped it to create a more interesting composition, then lightened the bright side of her face, and darkened the other, using the dodge/burn tools. I made sure to keep the eye on the darker side a little lighter. I sharpened some areas, where I wanted the focus to be, and blurred other areas, such as her feet and the background (more). To punch up the color, I upped the contrast and saturation slightly. The last bit was to create the faux "lomo" effect around the edge, using the burn tool.

Introducing the Great Basin Costume Society

Anyone from Reno/Tahoe/Northern Nevada, go have a looksey at the new blog for The Great Basin Costume Society!

Black Avies

AHAN.org has posted two dogs for adoptions recently. They both look like black versions of Avi! It pains me that I cannot adopt another dog from Taiwan, especially one that is similar in beauty to The Best Dog In The World. So I'm passing the info on to you.

Taiwan dogs like Avi are quite remarkable - they are medium-sized (about 30 lbs) with long, willowy figures, and beautiful faces. They are extremely intelligent, loyal, and loving. Avi has a very soft coat, which somehow has the ability to stay clean. She does not smell at all, not even her breath, and she is not destructive to the house, just her toys.

Of course, I can't guarantee that all Taiwan dogs are like this, but I can guarantee that all of these dogs are loving and loyal and looking for a better life. If you are thinking about adopting a dog, please consider these two, "Inky" and "Nana."

Visit AHAN.org
Click Here for INKY
Click Here for NANA.

Avi in Fierce Competition... SHE NEEDS YOUR VOTES!

Hey guys, Avi has gone head-to-head with several other cute pets in "The Cutest Crafting Pet Contest," over at The Dreamstress Blog.

She needs your votes!!! Go take a jaunt over to The Dreamstress and leave your vote in the comments section!

CONTEST! What Should Avi Be For Halloween?

Let's have a contest!

What should Avi be for Halloween!?

To Enter:
Create an image (draw it, color it, compile it in some way) of a costume for Avi. Keep in mind her size and body type, and that she is a very active pup. For pictures of Avi, join the Avi Fan Club on Facebook.
Upload your costume idea to an image host like Photobucket, Flickr, or even your own blog, and then leave a link to your image in the comments section of this post.

Prize:
There will only be one winner, and the winner will receive an Avi t-shirt or product of their choice from Avi's shop, and will see his or her costume concept created and modelled by the famous "blog dog" herself!

Contest END OCTOBER 1st, 2009: HURRY!!

Gold Rush Days

Couldn't resist posting it. No, not a drawing, but certainly the inspiration for a future one :-)
Taken at Gold Rush Days, Old Downtown Sacramento, September 2009

OWLstravaganza Embroidery Pattern

One day I sketched up a bunch of owls, all in a row, all different shapes and personalities. I cleaned up the linework, vectorized, and turned them into embroidery patterns, hooray! They're for sale on Etsy if you're into hand embroidery. Here are some love pictures, too :-)

A Friendly Little Poll

A friend asked me to help her with this poll...ladies, please take a second to click an answer!

The Foxes...

...go for a drive!!!

The Snarp Cat

Another Red Kitty sketch....

Avi On the Bed Again

Inspired by that photo I took and posted a week or so ago.

Avi Play-Play

Avi likes to play play, for real real. Typical Avi play play position involves skyward puppybuns, helicopter-like tail gyrations, and enticing gurgling noises. Opportunistic expressions and pumped-up cuteness factor are also apparent.

The AviWorks

Avi's first experience with fireworks did not go well. We had her swaddled in a blanket in J's lap, where she could bury her nose in his armpit. Poor baby! I feel really bad for putting the glow-stick collar around her neck now...

Avigoddro Artiste

I just returned from a week-long trade show at which I saw myriad showrooms choc full o' fabulous home decor, furniture, giftware, and art. I came back with my sense of style re-fueled, and a curious desire to redecorate my pint-sized one bedroom. Luckily for me, the bedroom part of that one bedroom is actually quite nice, with all the complimenting furniture, the pleasingly bold color palette, and the masculine lines with the girly tidbits.

Back in October of 2008, when we were picking out a puppy to add to our lives, color was a factor. In fact, all things were factors, everything from the expected size and body type, to the flop of ears, length of nose, undeniable cuteness factor, snuggle potential, eye and coat color (J doesn't like two-tone eyes, nor two-tone dogs in general!). It's surprising that the perfect puppy came from Taiwan, and is so much a mutt, with such a long mutt lineage, that she and her exotic pack of feral dogs has become homogenized into something called a "Taiwan Dog." How convenient that they are most common in colors black and white.

All that being said, Avi seems to fit perfectly into the color scheme I've somehow compiled for my home decor. These shots of her bored stiff, stretched out in the middle of the bed (sans bedcovers - in the wash), seemed more like art than dog, especially with the hall light casting just enough warmth into the scene. It's like...puppy glam photography of the 60s with sultry, Mondrianesque overtones....

...or just a couple snapshots with one bored dog.

Lady From My Head

I like this one better than the last. I like the limited palette. No reference, just blobs of pixels pushed around.

Regency Lady Paint Scrib

I should paint more. I miss it. I made a halfway decent oily brush in Photoshop and felt compelled to test it out. This lady is out of my head, and I started the Titian way, just splattering pixels on the canvas and working the shapes up rather than making a detailed line drawing first. I only rendered her face, and even that is maybe too much. I like having texture in my paintings, but have a hard time "keeping" it. I most time render things to DEATH, a leftover habit from art school. I should go back to watercolor (real watercolor) to try'n break that habit. Anywho, I left a lot of this squirrely, and I like it :-)

I bet you guys are happy to see something besides a drawing of Avi the Dog, huh?