sketcharoo 23

a few days off from drawing and it feels like i've lost the little improvement i've worked so hard on. lately, i've been feeling so low, so weak. i haven't had decent sleep; i can only sleep for four hours. i'm on the night shift but usually i get 6 hours of sleep even if i'm on the graveyard shift. bah. this calls for a mega escape: a book.

i tried to draw today because i know i need to. i wasn't "in it", which is probably wrong but i didn't want to be away from drawing too long. i'm scared the skill might ebb away. hahaha silly me, i know. i just don't want to tolerate laziness again i guess. i've wasted so much time before, i didn't want to waste some more.

this is my twenty-sixth. can't believe i'm actually nearing project completion. didn't think i'd make it this far. when i first realized how MANY 30 drawings are, i was stunned. don't know what got into me. of all the numbers, i just had to pick 30. but i'm glad i started this project. it gives me a sense of fulfillment every time i reach a number closer to 30. pretty much like in school, when i finish a piece of homework or a project. i really miss school.

this is rhian ramos. i really like this picture; i love the light, i love the angle, i love the colors. i started with the gigantic bead and pearl necklace she had. i always like starting with details. i need to remind myself to buy a compass. i cannot draw a perfect circle to save my life.

i didn't know what to do after the necklace. her hair is too complicated and the lighting on her face is too bright. i think i'm finally going to succumb to internet photos so i can desaturate them and make it easier for myself (as taught by wise master kimio).

finally decided to do the hair first. i think i'm finally getting better at drawing hair. *jumps for joy* or i could just be deluded. hahaha.

a "reality" check. this is another WIPs unlimited post btw. hehe.

for some reason, her eyes shrunk. i deserve a beating. but i swear, i measured her eyes to the exact centimeter. i believe there is an exact science to art. kidding. but i guess that was a bad idea. i'm still trying to practice applying the loomis' basic head shape (as taught by wise master kimio) on the pictures. not making so much progress i guess. :(

obviously, i still have a lot of problems with shading. it's like i regressed again in the few days i wasn't able to draw. but im just too exhausted after work, there's not much i can do.

four more to go. gotta get better.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 22

i'm going to miss my shakey's supercard. we've been through a lot but now it is nearing expiry. i never got the chance to renew the card. no more free party-size pepperoni or hawaiian pizza for me everytime i order a party-size thin-crust pizza bianca and no more free 1.5L coke. sad. let me just mourn for a while.

okay, i'm moving on.

so the pizza party's over and as i promised, here's my twenty-fifth. i had to squeeze in another drawing because my mood is unexpectedly great today. i felt really good after my twenty-fourth drawing and i wanted to stretch my luck, see if i can produce another good drawing today. you be the judge.

unlimited WIPs ladies and gentlemen.

detail of the mesh on her dress. spell E-F-F-O-R-T. hahaha. but i love drawing lines. i actually enjoyed this part.

for the past 2 drawings, i've been working on the hair first and i do the face last. seems to work for me. i've also been especially careful with drawing the hair this time. i made sure the dark areas are black and the shiny parts are well, shiny. individual strands don't work (an epiphany after 23 drawings. sheesh), so i only draw them when necessary. i made sure i put my 8B to good use this time. i think i tortured it. sorry 8B but i hope you know i love you.

i'm pretty happy with the result. it took me a few hours longer than usual to accomplish this but it's well worth it.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 21

it feels soooo good to have two days off. i almost forgot how weekends feel like. thank god for holy week.

here's my twenty-fourth. i've always wanted to draw her because her eyeshadow is beyond awesome. hahaha! yes, small things convince me. turqouise is one of my favorite colors. aside from ROYGBIV. :p

i started out with the hair this time. i wanted to perfectly depict the shine on her hair and the individual strands on the shiny part. and then there's her plastic headband. i just love the way her hair was fixed with the headband. whatisthis a fashion blog?? hahaha. no. just saying.

it's a pretty big drawing, pretty much like the last one. i occupied almost the entire 9"x12" sketchpad page. i don't have horror vacui but i love it when i am able to fill up the entire page.

overall, i love this piece. but i'm missing my pupils.

there's another one in the works as we speak. i hope i'd be able to finish it by tonight (after the pizza party).

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 20

i ran out of good magazine pictures to draw so i sought the ever-dependable internet. and look what i found:

a few years ago i would have said "not in a gazillion years would i draw hillary duff" but this picture was just so lovely i had to try and replicate it. i don't have anything against hillary duff, i don't hate her but i don't like her either. but that's not the point.

so this is the first time ever that my reference picture is from my computer screen. i had to draw grids on the picture using paint, although i'm trying to minimize the use of grids now. my wise friend told me i should let it go, or else i'd get so used to it i wouldn't be able to work without it. just this one more time, please. :P

she didn't turn out as hillary duff as i wanted her to be. something went wrong with the eyes i think. and the nose. it's always, always the nose. is there a nose 101 class out there somewhere? i think i need to sign up for it.

would you look at that? just 7 more to go.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 19

i'm more of a listener, not a talker. when i'm down and lonely, i don't shout about it and seek pity or comfort from the world. i deal with it on my own. i pour it in art.

diane kruger for my twenty-second. she didn't turn out as gorgeous as i wanted to, but hey i tried. a wise friend told me i should let go of the preciousness of a finished work so i just enjoyed the whole experience. i worked with charcoals on this drawing; i always feel like i need to establish a more meaningful relationship with charcoal. i still haven't mastered the use of it, pencil or stick, and i'm bent on being BFFs with it someday.

i went charcoal happy on this drawing. i almost colored the whole thing black. LOL. but i guess that was a bad idea. the emphasis went straight to the background. tut-tut. lesson learned then.

diane kruger will always be my girl crush so i won't give up 'til i am able to draw a decent picture of her. but for now i'll consider this a major charcoal bonding experience. looking forward for more.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 18

it's my dad's birthday today. but it's a very gloomy day. despite the mango creme pie.

kate winslet for my 21st.

unlimited WIPs.

and finally the finished product.

must keep practicing. just keep swimming.

delicious ambiguity.

digital art on a tablet you say?

so i decided i have a new birthday wish for this year. a few days ago i wanted a killer art-supplies-showcase (that includes staedtler mars lumograph pencils, sketchpads by the dozen, magazines, colored pencils, pencil pastels and a puppy) but now i am willing to overlook the splendor that is a killer art-supplies-showcase for this:

a medium wacom intuos 4. i'm seriously considering digital art right now, thanks to atomhawk's charlie bowater. her talent is off the charts. gah, and she's only 22.

did i mention that this killer gadget is worth around Php 19000+ here? pawning my soul.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 17

another off-day today. sweeeeeeeeeet.

ten more to go:

this is a chanel inimitable intense ad. the product is mascara but i would love to buy her hair too. or her whole face. she's super pretty. girl crush.

and the mess that is my workspace.

i'm parting with the e72 now. this is probably the last drawing that will be shot using the e72. i'm gonna miss this phone.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 16

after n days of drawing hiatus, i finally drew again. i don't know what was wrong with me, but i couldn't bring myself to draw these past few days. felt terrible. not to mention exhausted.

jodie foster. the angle is superb. her jawline is absolutely magnificent.

i could have done better but something really feels off. i had to walk around the house ten times over before i could start with this drawing. i'm hoping i can shake this off tonight. i want to draw my twentieth tomorrow.

i bought a new sketch pad today. i heard canson's good, so i wanted to try it. diane kruger just might be the first to grace my brand new sketch pad.

delicious ambiguity.

polycystic bubblegum disease

linkin park describes me best right now: "it's like a whirlwind inside of my head."

i'm not sure if things are turning out for the better at present. it looks as if they are, but i don't want to trust that yet. i'm scared. peace of mind is just something that escapes me right now.

i finally went to that art shop i googled a few days ago. i bought a few things. i wanted to raid their racks and check out everything but the racks are situated behind the counter. the two people behind the counter hand you everything you ask for. i didn't want to ask for the whole place, they might kick me out. but i saw a lot of lovely things, the 120 prismacolor set included, with a screaming price tag of 7500 pesos. good grief. those colored pencils are worth more than half my salary. i also asked about pencil pastels and i'm thinking about trying them out after i'm done with my project. i was going to buy a set of pencil pastels but a detour led me to the counter of a shoe store instead. so i'm gonna try to color with my brand new strappy shoes for now.

i've been spending a lot of time on deviantart lately. and everyday, i discover new artists whose talents are so out of this world that i can't help but wonder if they're actually human. i mean, i know people can draw, but to be able to draw THAT good? holy shiznit. my powdered self-esteem has been blown off a cliff. i know i shouldn't feel this way, but i'm sad. i feel like i'm so far away from REAL talent. these people are the REAL talented ones and i'm just bubblegum. -_-

because my self-esteem is flying somewhere over the pacific ring of fire today, i wasn't able to draw. despite the fact that i was so excited to use my brand new chalk pencil and charcoal sticks. bummer. a few days ago, my eighteenth drawing had me on happy toes thinking it was my most realistic drawing yet and then i see the drawings of these people on DA and i am owned. bubblegum mode.

anyway, i've decided to stick with black and white realism longer, even after i'm done with this project. i think i should make sure i have developed my full B&W realism potentials to the max before i move on to color. it's gonna be one long ride but hey, i've always known art is my calling so what the hell. i'll die trying.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 15

it's 10pm and i have to be up by 3am tomorrow. just need to post this real quick. if i don't do this now, i'll never be able to.

that's mikaela lagdameo for pond's. i figured i need a lot of practice on shading/highlighting the face so i chose a picture with a gigantic face on it. i think she's very pretty. anyway, i'm pretty happy with the result. that and deviantart is making me so happy right now. i think i'm going to wake up on the best side of the bed tomorrow morning. goodnight, world. toodle-doo.

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 14

i finally got a box of cheese and oreo doughnuts from cello's! i begged my mom to buy me a box when they went to ateneo this morning. hahaha. i have already pledged my undying love for cello's cheese doughnuts. i plan to propose in a few seconds.

seventeenth:

it's kate moss for david yurman. i had trouble putting together the wet look, sorry about that. looking at it now, i guess i could've done the drawing in a darker shade.

i consider the hand a huge achievement since limbs have always been my greatest weakness. i tried not to put emphasis on the hand, just in case it doesn't turn out so good. hahaha. but all's well.

i'm gonna go back to eating doughnuts now. ta-ta!

delicious ambiguity.

sketcharoo 13

night shift later so i took an eternity to get out of bed. it's pretty unhealthy for me actually to be waking up so late. these days i never get more than 2 meals a day. usually it's just lunch and dinner or breakfast and dinner. but i've always considered sleep to be more important than food. call me crazy.

i got time to kill so i drew. here's my sixteenth:

i'm going to work regularly with grids now. i had to find a decent picture that's large enough for grids so i chose this maybelline ad. i wasn't going to publish this because i was not happy with the result but i figured a face is a face so it's still part of the project. good or bad, this project must be completed.

i eventually decided to shade the entire face. and shading does make your drawings pop. it's amazing how coloring the entire face can make a huge difference. she grew a decent nose now and i was able to highlight some parts of her face. pretty happy with the result. :)

i wanna draw another one but i have to go to sleep now. later then. :)

delicious ambiguity.