art

Solving Cat Face Problems

Art

OK, so drawing expressive cat faces is easy when you cartoon ’em up, but difficult when you’re trying to adhere to their natural anatomy–especially those mouths!

But tonight Netflix brought me some nice reference in the form of Thunder and the House of Magic.  There’s a nice hand-drawn sensibility to the cat’s body motion (when’s the last time we had a 3D animated cat?  Bolt?), but that face, that mouth!!  Cute, expressive, natural-looking!

Besides, he looks like my fiancé’s kitty, Pixel, down to the white socks!

Woot!

TF2 Art: Teamwork makes the Dream Work!

Art

teamwork-web
(Click to embiggen.)

A birthday gift for my Beau, who mains a Heavy in TF2. As it so happens, I main a Medic, making this a perfect relationship metaphor.

I got this printed out at 16×20″ at Costco, so he has a mounted poster of it, woot!

Did I mention I hate drawing machinery? All those straight lines and perfect shapes are difficult for me. But I drew some here. That’s how you know it’s true love.

If you ever want to play with us, I’m AesAthena on Steam. Or maybe ASAthena, I don’t know! Look for the icon of Pussyfoot the Cat!

Shapey Animals

Art

Things I like to do: make random shapes, then fill them into make animals/faces. 

Feline-themed:

Kitty and Frenchie edition:

A graphic gryphon (not a random shape)

Shapey Werewolves made while watching Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge, one of television’s finest programs:

Bob Ross Lion is uncharacteristically grouchy.

Hula Kitties and a Bodyguard

Art

Every week I write out my work schedule and put it up so my folks can look at it when they need to.  I drew these kitties to fill in the empty space on a couple of ’em:

Leikitty wears a lei!  My mom’s favorite kitties are the Exotic Shorthairs (you know, like SnoopyBabe!), so my recent kitties have that flava to them.

Shake dat thang, Hula Cat!

And last but not least, I got around to doing a color mockup of Agent Grenera Pālau, a bodyguard from my novel:

 

I thought vitiligo would look good on her.  Don’t think I’ll keep it for her comb though. This also marks the premiere of Genera’s new redesign, based off the American Pit Bull Terrier…yes, I tried to make a parrot alien look like a pit bull. 

 

Thoughtful Links for Writers and Artists

Muse at 11

I’ve been accumulating some nice artsy links, so I thought I’d share them with ya.

First, a nice lady at Pixar posted some story “rules” that will get you thinkin’! (I really don’t like to think of proffered writing advice as RULES…because every piece requires something different, but that’s what the post’s titled.)

http://dimespin.tumblr.com/post/24841702614/pixar-story-rules

Second, if you’re not reading FILM CRIT HULK, you probably should be!  He not only offers some practical writing tips, but also analyses of various movies and such that are all focused around “Does the narrative work?” (Note: some cursing at times.)

http://filmcrithulk.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/the-complete-film-crit-hulk-archive/

Third: ever have those days where your work is just NOT GOOD ENOUGH?  There’s an encouraging post for that!  (This is one I’ll have to re-read myself from time to time.)

http://emmyc.tumblr.com/post/24779890783/not-good-enough

And finally, just for fun…PROMETHEUS in 15 Minutes. Wonderful send-up, you needn’t’ve even seen the film before (I hadn’t!).

http://m15m.livejournal.com/23209.html

Do you have any helpful artsy links you’ve run into recently?  Post ’em below!

Giving up is different than pausing.

Writing

It’s OK to take a break for a while while you think through (or not think through) a tricky spot.  Just remember to come back!

I’ve learned that I get blocked when my subconscious mind is telling me that I’ve taken the work in a wrong direction, and that once I start listening to what my subconscious is trying to tell me, I can work out the problem and get moving again. –Walter Jon Williams

Peaks and Valleys

Muse at 11, Writing

This week I watched the creepy and fantastic Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (which is a German version of Dracula). The first 5 minutes of the film got me to thinking about how contrast works in art.

This version of Nosferatu opens with long, lingering shots on desiccated corpses.  After some minutes, my stomach started to churn.  Just when I couldn’t take it anymore, the scene switched: first to surreal video of a bat in flight, then to Mrs. Harker waking up from a bad dream…then to a pair of kittens playing together!

The kittens were a great relief–but also emphasized the lifeless, dead, and creepy aspect of the opening shots.  (Another blogger has noted the contrast and posted an illustrative photo!)

Another movie that’s excellent at displaying scene contrast is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It’s constantly juxtaposing scenes with different emotional polarities.

For example, the rousing song Gaston is set in the warm tavern packed with characters.  But by the time the song ends, the camera is outside of the tavern, pulling away as we watch Belle’s father Maurice thrown out in the cold winter storm.

Here’s another example of contrast from Beauty and the Beast.  Contrast the soaring music with the abrupt horse scream (and just after this clip, a smash cut to the dark castle of the Beast).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyrX219YkUY&w=420&h=315]

Putting happy next to sad intensifies both emotions for the audience; having a space devoid of movement in your painting will heighten movement seen in different areas.  Notice what’s going on overall in your structure–and when you see opportunities to contrast, bring them out!

As a means of contrast with the sublime, the grotesque is, in our view, the richest source that nature can offer.   — Victor Hugo