Embracing imperfection

“I find it funny that digital art’s greatest advantage is also its greatest weakness (for me, at least.) In digital medium, the biggest problem and boon is that perfection is possible. Not easy, but possible.

And that drives me nuts.

Because I keep trying for it even when I tell myself not to.

But not so with traditional medium. For some reason, the nature of traditional media makes me expect imperfection and, in fact, makes it more beautiful and interesting.

I guess this is a long way of saying I got some brushes for Manga Studio so I can have the best of both worlds.”

— http://frenden.com/post/79939480253/rheill-i-find-it-funny-that-digital-arts

Saw this post at FRENDEN.com. Couldn't have said it better myself. My passion for drawing has only increased since I started working with actual pencil, paper and ink more frequently. It's taught me to embrace the imperfections, improvise better, and has forced me to iron out and/or confront some weaknesses. Frenden's Manga Studio brushes do the same--just gotta make sure I don't lean too heavily on that Undo button. 

She who must not be looked upon

I thought this would make a perfect pairing. Like the previous sketch dailies entry, I started this one on my coworker's Surface Pro 2. When he first brought it in, he had the default stylus and no screen protector. I thought the experience was okay, but didn't like it more than my aging Cintiq 12WX. 

The next time he brought it, he had a compatible Wacom pen with a felt nib, and a matte screen cover. He'd also tweaked the settings a bit, making Manga Studio more responsive. The new pen and screen cover made a huge difference, offering more paper and pen-like friction. I sketched out the doodle above and emailed it to myself to tinker with later at home.

Add a keyboard to that thing and the Surface Pro running Manga Studio 5 is awfully tempting. Still, I think I'm going to hold out for the Cintiq Companion refresh (hopefully in August/early fall). I want the slightly bigger screen, better processor and amount of RAM the Companion offers. 

PS - If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you already saw this sketch. I'm going to try to start posting them here too with a bit more background behind each one. So come on back if you like peeking behind curtains. 

Sketch Dailies

If you follow me on social media you might have seen an uptick in my sketch posting. That’s because I’ve been participating in Sketch Dailies, a relatively new Twitter account that sends out fresh drawing topics every Monday through Friday. I’ve only done a handful and I’m already hooked.

If you’re at all interested in art, I recommend following Sketch Dailies. It’s a blast of amazing artwork to your Twitter feed every day, all covering the same subject. Seeing how people tackle the same topic with different styles and techniques is inspiring. If you use a third party Twitter client, you can set up a column with the hashtag #Sketch_Dailies and see, not just the art the official account retweets, but all the art people post with that hashtag.

In the past week I’ve discovered a ton of super talented people, learned a few digital art tricks, and pushed myself to draw faster, putting the emphasis on feeling and instinct over thinking and planning (that’s a good thing, I’m usually happier with my art when I don’t over think it).

You don’t need to be a master artist to participate. That’s part of the fun actually. It’s the same reason why I like running half-marathons. What other sport lets you participate in the same event, at the same time, as a professional? I might not ever be at that level, but it’s fun knowing we’re doing the same thing, all in it together.

All you need to do is follow Sketch_Dailies on Twitter and wait for the daily topic. Draw your picture then post it to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #Sketch_Dailies. That’s it! You’re now posting pics alongside Pixar artists, comic book legends, and self-taught goofs like me. 

Here's a quick gallery of the Sketch Dailies pics I've posted so far, the topic should appear in the caption.

Sherlock

Aphrodite

Ursula

Jackalope

Honey Badger

Joan of Arc

Robin Hood

Black Beard

The Survivor

Some art I did for my friend Chelsea. Her sister had a brain tumor, and she handled it like a champ. The entire inspiring story is chronicled on Chelsea's blog through beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching photos (Chelsea's kind of great at making life look amazing through cameras). Go check it out.

All I had to go off of was a Bible verse and that her sister was referring to herself as a rock star for coming out of freaking brain surgery unscathed. I feel like you get to call yourself whatever you want if you can power through brain surgery like most people do cavity fillings. 

I had two ideas fighting for attention in my brain, so I made them both. I also wanted to try out those new watercolor brushes I mentioned in the last post (I actually made these before the bear). I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, and more importantly, Chelsea's sister likes them, which gives me all of the good feelings.

Congrats to you Alicia. Your positive spirit and determination are inspiring. Here's to many, many more healthy and happy years being a rock star. 

Merry Christmas!

Thank you to all those who used me to wish someone else a merry Christmas in the form of a commissioned piece of art. I stuck all my commissions from October to last week in the gallery below. 

I'll be open for business again in January. If you already have a commission in mind, feel free to reach out now and I'll tackle it first thing in 2014. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Also, there was a request on Facebook to post our holiday cards through the years. I've illustrated them for four years now, and it's always fun to look at how our family has changed, as well as my art style.