Color Studies of Birds

For this assignment we were asked to take an image of a bird and color it using three different color pallets. It's fun to see how changing the color story completely alters a picture.

Because I am a mythology geek, I drew a bird based on Anthea's Owl, an image that used to be stamped on ancient Athenian coins. Behold:

 

Below is my original sketch, done in ink on white drawing paper:

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I traced the black and white image with the mighty Illustrator pen tool and then added color.

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It's Not a Bird! It's a Didot!

Some more proof that I can make images that are not birds! Here is an informational poster on Francois Didot, whom you all need to learn a little something about. No. Really. Read it.

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Andy Warhol

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Andy was part of the portfolio I submitted to get into design school. The drawing itself is based on a rather famous portrait shot by Mapplethorpe. My version is ink on Bristol. I love the way ink looks on paper, but bemoan the inability to erase my inevitable mistakes.

A Flock of Cards

Since the full color owls were unanimously beloved, that was the version I turned in. Voting counts, people!

Below are the other cards I had to make for the assignment. The blue heron is just a generic correspondence card, and the dove is a non-religious winter holiday card. I appear to have some heretofore unknown avian fascination.

I'm happy with both of these designs. At the same time, I can't wait until we have color theory so I can feel comfortable working with colors outside of the blue-ish spectrum. 

Birthday Owls

The Assignment: to create a birthday card that is endearing and yet generic enough to give out to every faculty member of a community college.

What, I ask you, is more universally loved then the owl? Nothing. Not even ice cream. Hence the B-day owls. I'm still on the fence about which one to turn in . Feel free to vote in the comments.

Ye Olde Drawings

I'm too tired/disorganized to put up any of my recent school work. Instead, please enjoy a comic strip that was fresh and new during the Bush (the Younger) Administration. Or, as I think of them, the Shrub Years.

This is part of a longer series of strips that were fast to write and oh-so-very slow to actually draw.

As always, click on the image to see it in its full glory.

Launching with a smile

I may as well begin this blog on a happy note. This is my very first assignment using Adobe Illustrator, which is a massive program that could probably do my laundry if only I knew how to ask. Which I don't.

But I do know how to make adorable little birds, those are right in my wheelhouse. Maybe I'll take all the time I'm spending on the bus these days and write a children's book to go with this illustration: Purple Penguin Goes to the Moon. I can hear the royalties rolling in already. Huzzah! School has already paid for itself.

And I know it looks simple, but that freaking moon took hours. HOURS! I may never have time to watch crap TV again.

Click on the picture to view it in all its glory.