illustration friday - unbalanced

All fairy tales contain unbalanced characters, a step-mother who has to wear red hot iron shoes as punishment, a girl who gets her feet cut off cause she bought red shoes, mute wives suspected of cannibalism, you know what I'm talking about but I'm sure the first fairy tale that came to your mind as the most unbalanced was the tale of Olga Von Kurtzenberger in the story of "Der Cinder Frauline" by Hans Christian Grimm. Who can forget the introduction..."Once upon a time there lived a very poor girl who was horribly abused by her step-mother and any other step-relations she may have had. Her father had no interest in her and therefore let her suffer perhaps because his new wife was so hot. Poor Olga Von Kurtzenberger was made to sleep on the logs in the fireplace which earned her the name of 'Der Cinder Frauline' and a ruptured disc of her 7th vertebrae. But one day her horrid luck and parental neglect would came to an end for while Olga was pulling weeds in the kitchen garden what should she find but a mystical shrunken head! It would grant her every wish with its magical glowing...." But of course you all know this story already! So this is my unbalanced submission for this week. Enjoy folks!

bald woman

I keep drawing bald women. I think it's because I am not really good at figuring out hairstyles. Maybe I should work on that.

the vampire family

I was reading Sherlock Holmes and I had this idea for a graphic novel about a vampire family during the victorian era. I have some stuff written but I need to get the rest down. It's pretty dark and dry humor. Of course I think it's very funny. Today I drew part of the family. The story starts, "There once was a boy with very sharp teeth." I had some stuff scanned and I think I posted it on a different blog but I redrew the characters and I like them much better now. The father doesn't have hands yet because I think I'll move his arms. I know the pose of his legs isn't physically possible either.

Airlines

I had a great traveling experience. Actually I hated my 9 hour flight because the person next to me always slept the whole time and I couldn't get out so my legs swelled up. Not to mention the charming security staff at the SLC airport. Talk about crabby! I sketched the mean lady who didn't like me waiting for a woman in a wheel chair, the guy who told me what comet was on my shirt, and my super cool airplane. Never get a seat behind the engines if you can possibly avoid it for the flights across the ocean. Plus, window seats aren't so great because you have to keep the window closed almost the whole time.

Sketches

Here are some sketches I've done recently. Nothing too exciting. I watched Rob Roy and drew a sort of Scottish woman? And then I drew this planet or atom woman. I drew a guy too but he looked like Braveheart so he's not going to make a debut here.

and now for watercolor

Another landscape but in watercolor this time. I still have to fix the two mushy spots but it only took about an hour so it's not too bad. I haven't painted with watercolor in a long time too. It was fun. The colors are better in real life.

out my front yard

This is the first oil landscape painting I've done in at least a year...probably two or more I don't really remember. Actually it was the first oil painting period that I've done in I don't know how long. It turned out okay. I did it in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I think the clouds turned out okay. I'm trying to paint things to sell to the tourists. heh heh.

Robin and Batman

I finally scanned the other paintings that go with Catwoman and her first costume. Here they are....

Garbageheapatorium

My brother wrote a poem entitled "Garbageheapatorium" and we decided to try to get it published as a children's book so we're sending out some stuff to our first publisher this week. This is the sketch of the family and the room that we're including in the packet. I don't quite have the room finished but I'll probably have that done today and I'll post it later. We're trying Dial publishers first. They take unsolicited submissions from unknowns so that's our first try. I've been collecting rejection letters lately and I hope to have a respectable pile of them soon.

Update on scary sword guy

Here's what I have so far Josh. I'm working on it in my spare time. I wanted to finish it for Illustration Friday but I keep getting sidetracked with trying to make money. I think I need to try to get an agent or something. I'm terrible at this whole freelance job finding thing. I think this guy is going to be a vampire fighter or something. I'm not sure. I was thinking of dead body silhouettes at his feet or maybe just faint gravestones in the mist? I was thinking some sort of religious clergy warrior guy like the Knights Templar or something. We'll see how it turns out.

walking away

Another girl from my digital sketchbook. I'll finish it sometime. I really like how it is turning out. Girls are so much easier than guys for me, I can draw a decent guy but it takes more effort.

scary sword man

I am working on this in digital. It's a scanned drawing from my sketchbook that I really liked. We'll see how it turns out.

redid the angry redhead

I redid the angry redhead and I think she looks much better.