Gumdrops & Jellycakes

Kaylee Frye

2012-01-28T21:34:00.002-05:00

...loves strawberries.

Crayon is hard to clean off of scanner glass.

I can't express enough how much I love my job

2012-01-27T21:42:00.003-05:00

I really do! It's fun and I work with awesome people and today was super busy. But today was also the day my body stopped functioning because it is trying its damnedest to fight off this cold. Tonight I will be bundling up and sleeping for as long as possible so I can make it through work tomorrow. (:

Shrouded Emotions of the Subconscious Mind

2012-01-27T01:27:00.000-05:00

Despite how ridiculous or unrealistic it may have been, sometimes the mere feeling you get from a bad dream sticks with you.

Heaven on Wheels

2012-01-26T23:49:00.008-05:00

I went to the local roller rink earlier this week and boy was it a blast! I've been afraid to go ever since I traumatized myself back in '10 with Mick (of which I still have a scar).

I was surprised to see so many people that still really enjoy skating. Lots of 40-50 year old men with mad skating skills! There were also plenty of friendly folks - I was complimented on both my legwarmers and my necklace by two different people.

I plan to go at least twice a month, if not weekly. I still remember skating up and down my driveway all afternoon when I was a wee girl, and this week has only reminded me of how much fun it is. It's also re-lit my interest in joining the Roller Derby, which I used to talk about with my friends back in 2005. Maybe I'll finally make this dream come true (;

Secret Plans

2012-01-23T00:29:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I started toying with an idea I had for a comic. It wasn't until recently I came up with any real plot concepts and since then I've been drawing and sketching ideas like crazy!

Expect more in the future. (:

Almost forgot

2012-01-23T00:20:00.002-05:00

Late birthday gift for my oldest brother: Sexy Psyyyylocke!

Kuni & Mutt

2012-01-20T23:28:00.001-05:00

The Okami series is super underrated. It's adventurous like The Legend of Zelda with its own twists. I didn't expect the sequel to top the first game, but ohmygosh it has. The use of a stylus in Okamiden far exceeds using analogs for brush techniques...

...and instead of playing a dog, you take on the role of a puppy. A PUPPY. And instead of having Issun-- the often-irritating bug-equivalent to Navi from OoT-- follow you around, you get the son of Susano(from the first game). Major upgrade.

Now go find a cheap used copy of either game and play it!

I really don't have a clue how to use these

2012-01-17T02:26:00.002-05:00

Pastels are harrrrrd. So is lighting! I used at least 4 references for colors here. And I'm not even sure if I managed to learn anything, except that I don't know what I'm doing. :D

Baby Cakes and Huntress

2012-01-15T20:31:00.002-05:00

The First of a Season

2012-01-13T00:46:00.000-05:00

What would the first real snowstorm of Winter be without hours spent digging my car out of the snow?

Luckily I know a guy like Abs. He has a tendency to make everyone he talks to feel better. Mostly because talking to one of the coolest people on the planet will make you feel pretty cool too. (;

crayonscrayonscrayonscrayonscrayo

2012-01-05T23:19:00.000-05:00

"..cuter than a kitten and a puppy in a basket hugging." -Abs

Prove it!

Voca-what?

2012-01-03T20:01:00.001-05:00

Keeping in tradition with "Mel draws everything ever for Mick", here is a vocaloid to add to his collection. (:

Crayons still haven't gotten old for me.

Auld Lang Syne

2012-01-02T00:29:00.001-05:00

I spent the entire weekend in the company of my friends, but during the moment we had all gathered for, I was alone in an elevator on my way to find one of them. Here's hoping it isn't some premonition of the year to come.

Happy 2012!

2011 in review

2011-12-23T01:55:00.001-05:00

Here is one drawing from each month this year, starting with January!

Happy Holidays!

My scanner is dirty

2011-12-21T23:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Josh and Brian!

2011-12-19T02:19:00.003-05:00

December 18th is the day both of my brothers were born, three years apart.

I drew my second brother a picture of his band, 4 Player Co-op, as Chrono Trigger characters beating up a robot dragon. Because that's what he requested.

I haven't finished my oldest brother's giftart yet, but I'll be sure to post it when I do!

I also made this--

--for a Yankee Swap at a Christmas party. It's a mixed media on corrugated cardboard with watercolour and pastel! It's my first real attempt at using pastels, and I definitely plan to keep messing around with them (:

I don't know how easy it is being green, but maybe you can ask these guys

2011-12-10T23:44:00.001-05:00

The second is unfinished, but there's no telling if it ever will be.

Spike, Salus & Ava

2011-12-05T01:18:00.000-05:00

Liz Jackson & I are currently part of a D&D campaign that involves my young druid becoming her elf's new pet. I drew the line work of this picture for her, and I was shocked to see her beautiful coloring job! I look forward to doing more collaborations with my friends in the future, because I love to ink but my colors are so weak. This seriously blew me away!

I draw a lot of ponies, but nobody can forget Spike. He's a true bro to the FiM community. And of course, my crayon obsession continues.

More pony fanart!

2011-11-27T00:28:00.000-05:00

I drew these today while hanging out with some other artistic friends. Crayons provide for a very therapeutic experience. (:

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity as people:

Sign Update

2011-11-23T22:33:00.003-05:00

Yay for signs! Here are some more cell phone photos(sorryIdon'townacamera) of some recent signs I've done for the comic store:

(These are similar because each is for a different location:)

I made some of these Halloween Cards with Han Solo and Yoda on them, colored with Crayons! Each one had a different Star Wars character drawn on the back with a message to the receiver.

I was actually slightly unsatisfied with the outcome of the cards, so I made these small TF2 cards for everyone as well - everyone got a different one, so I guess you could say they're all part of a set :D

I drew this to add to my roommate's Girl Power art I've provided him - Classic Supergirl beating up the new one for her poor choice in outfit change (done in ballpoint pen!):

And here's the Tim Drake Robin colored with markers. It's probably my favorite Robin costume design, plus, I really like him as a character. (:

I plan to reformat my computer soon, so the updates may be scarce until then. Happy Thanksgiving!

bleh.

2011-11-15T21:14:00.001-05:00

Break ups are hard. No matter what side of it you're on, it isn't easy.

Nightmare Mooooon

2011-11-11T01:15:00.000-05:00

Today's class doodle is the previous pony (Luna) as a girl! Her eyes are not accurate to the character though. D:

Can't stop the [pony] Rock

2011-11-09T22:55:00.000-05:00

I keep thinking I should start drawing some more DC stuff because I've been reading so much of it lately.

But I can't. I can't stop drawing ponies! They're just so....cuuuute :D

One thing I've noticed with my recent crayon obsession is I find myself more comfortable with them. I don't feel pressured when using them, or like I need to be super precise. And when I scan them I feel no need to spend an hour trying to do any touching up in Photoshop. Crayons are crayons and I'm having immense amounts of fun with them. I hope to start practicing with some pastels once I start feeling more daring.

All class and no play...

2011-11-08T23:48:00.000-05:00

...makes for lots of doodling!

It has been a little awkward doodling in class when I sit in the front. But it honestly DOES help me concentrate...most of the time. (:

I decided to make a color version of today's doodle...

...but it's been a while since I've painted. I'm not too satisfied with this one, but it's encouraged me to start getting back into it.

My current crayon obsession is still going strong! I bought another comic box for storage and decided to decorate it with my favorite FiM pony (:

And in case you were wondering, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a great show. It's nothing like the original series in terms of tone. It's fun and adorable, and Lauren Faust is awesome. Watch iiiiitttt

Twilight Spark-Doodle

2011-11-02T00:43:00.000-04:00

Eventually I will draw all the FiM girls in their Gala dresses. Today I doodled a rough idea of Twilight in hers while being attentive during my BHP class :B

Brovember BROst

2011-11-02T00:34:00.000-04:00

Happy November!

Last year, I spent November doodling one bro every day. This year, that is not likely to happen due to time constraints. But I figured maybe even just one quick picture might be nice, so everyone could witness my appreciation for all the bros out there.

And all the other boys, of course. (;

Updating is Magic

2011-10-31T01:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am a fan of My Little Pony and I don't care what you think! I am also a fan of crayons and I will use them to make Friendship is Magic fan art for as long as I want.

Deal with it.

Crayola

2011-09-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

[More] marker and crayon fanart for my roommate!

We came up with Batgirl, Inc when we were talking about DC's New 52. I haven't read much of Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, but I hope she sticks around once Barbara takes over again. Also, the Powerpuff Girls rule your school, hence:

I need more friends that like comics. Preferably more of the stuff I don't read as often, so I have an excuse to draw more varieties of fanart (:

August Already!

2011-08-25T22:42:00.000-04:00

Yeah okay, I REALLY need to post more, I know. But I have things to do, you know?

It turns out I won't be able to enroll at the Maine College of Art this year. Total letdown. The reason I can't go is because, despite a HUGE scholarship and tons of grants/loans, I couldn't get a co-signer for a private loan to pay the $4k/year leftover difference. A measly four or five grand out of 30k a year. It's very depressing and has really done a number on me emotionally. My disappointment, along with a few other personal hurdles, has made my summer a bit gloomy.

But!

I still aim to go next year. It just means I have plenty of time to apply for more scholarship money and perhaps build credit so I don't even need a co-signer!

In the meantime, it's workworkwork for me, with some time for drawing once in a while!

Of course I continue to draw lots of Hellboy...

& Valve's Portal 2 fanart.

One of my favorite NES games is Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers. It competes with Mega Man 2 for my #1. I always enjoyed the show, but I'm not sure how much I'd like it now. With all the recent Netflix re-discoveries of old cartoons, I have only watched a few that I still find amusing.

My roommate Mick likes Zatanna. Unfortunately, with DC's New 52 next month, she no longer has her own title. I drew him a picture to comfort him.

Also, I love Catwoman.

Fanart galore!

Signs! with some Old vs. New

2011-08-14T22:45:00.005-04:00

Lately I feel like I do more drawing for signs at work than in my free time. This wouldn't at all be a bad thing...if I made a lot more signs! I really have trouble sitting down and getting art done when I work every day. Most of my free time is taken up by my desire to relax. And eat. I eat a lot of food.

Anyway!

Here are some signs I've made lately for the comic store!

Last week I also had a little extra time to replace some of the signs I made over a year ago. It's kind of nice to see I've made improvements, even in such a short time span. It makes me feel good about myself :D

(Both of the pictures are Old sign over New.)

Huzzah!

New, Unread Condition

2011-07-11T20:45:00.003-04:00

I made these for work at job #1!

I have much more art to upload but it's tooooo hoooooottt D:

Have I mentioned that I like my new job?

2011-06-01T22:34:00.008-04:00

I enjoy both my jobs. I LOVE working at the comic shop, but the new job definitely has its perks, like colouring time:

Fan art up the wazoo!

2011-05-22T21:40:00.002-04:00

This weekend was the Maine Comic Arts Festival! I had so much fun and spent sooo much money. But I got to meet and talk to some awesome people, and I was definitely excited to meet Joe Quinones. And buy a t-shirt, a print, and have Adventure Comics #9 signed by him.

Andy Runton was also amazingly friendly and high-spirited. He's great with kids and even by the end of a long day, he was still smiling and eager to please his fans.

It was unfortunate that I didn't have a chance to really chat with more people, but I appreciate the fun I had.

Now I'm feeling crazy-inspired, but since I'm exhausted, I'll just post some stuff I've done over the past month or so until I have energy to draw and post more.

Back in April, there was a mouse at work. It was adorable! but also something to worry about (we don't want it chewing through boxes of comics!). I sacrificed some of my bagel to see if I could bait it out, but no one ever saw it again. Telling the story to Tim, I realized how ridiculous it sounded. I don't understand how I really expected it to work, but I still think it was worth a shot. I hope it made it outside okay; I'm pretty sure it was a baby.

I also draw too much fanart. I lack creativity!

Now I'll be focusing most of my free time on PortConMaine artwork, signs and cosplay coordination!

Springtime is the busiest time. But also the best!

Love for Redheads

2011-04-28T22:42:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was Easter weekend!

And here's a doodle of my character from me & my buddies' role-playing game (:

Spring is here!

2011-04-23T06:30:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Earth Day and tomorrow is Easter! Have a great weekend!

Workin' hard for the money

2011-04-20T23:00:00.006-04:00

Work-related things!

This or something like it will be appearing in a Portland Phoenix ad for Casablanca Comics! Maybe you'll see something similar on a t-shirt somewhere, someday...

...and this is the sign on our door in Windham (we're closed on Easter).

I'm really quite glad that I took this picture before I colored it because, like usual, my attempt to add color to my lines ruined it.

Stuhweet Fightel

2011-04-08T10:25:00.004-04:00

A while back, Amanda Archimer Triple A Anderson and I drew ourselves as Street Fighter characters.

I made a slightly updated version of my original design. (:

Colouring time

2011-04-05T22:54:00.003-04:00

There are obvious reasons why I encourage Sally to participate in extra colouring time...

Kraven the hunter

2011-04-04T22:30:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry, Kraven, but it's so hard to take you seriously when you wear leopard print, capri-cut pants and a zebra skin belt with brown ballet shoes.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

2011-04-03T21:42:00.003-04:00

I became a huge fan of Craig McCracken's genius mind back in the PowerPuff Girl days. When I first saw Foster's Home I immediately liked it before even realizing it was another of his creations. Today I spent some time doodling characters from the show.

Something old, something new

2011-03-27T21:10:00.002-04:00

I was lacking inspiration, so I recreated a sloppy image I did about 5 years ago:

It's kind of funny seeing the differences between my style now versus then, but even more interesting is the similarities!

Doodle update!

2011-03-26T20:51:00.003-04:00

Line practice with brush pens!

Merp!

2011-03-24T21:39:00.001-04:00

Not sure how often I'll be able to update, now that I'm back to working two jobs/7 days a week/13 hour days, but I will certainly try.

Team Fortress, too

2011-03-16T21:47:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to avoid getting sucked into the news about Japan. It's terrible, and I feel awful that I can't do more to help. I can barely afford to send money, but I plan to anyway.

One way to distract myself is to play more Team Fortress 2.

And to draw pictures of TF2 people with my fun new multi-colored pencils!

Ugh

2011-03-13T12:03:00.002-04:00

In Rikusentakata, a port city of over 20,000 virtually wiped out by the tsunami, Etsuko Koyama escaped the water rushing through the third flood of her home but lost her grip on her daughter's hand and has not found her.

"I haven't given up hope yet," Koyama told public broadcaster NHK, wiping tears from her eyes. "I saved myself, but I couldn't save my daughter."

This is the first thing I've truly felt emotional about since the Tsunami. I can't imagine the broken hearts in Japan - it must feel like their lives are over. They've lose their houses, jobs, family members...

A big part of me wishes I could drop everything here and go there to help. I wish I could do more than just send money, and I'll be doing some research today to find out if I can!

My heart goes out to all of them and those involved.

Going Places

2011-03-11T11:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was supposed to shadow for my possible new job again, but Sam was sick. This meant going in early and working the job I had only shadowed for once! It was tiring, but I had fun, and afterwards went to work at the comic shop.

When I got home, sleepy and exhausted, I opened up some mail from the Maine College of Art to find out I was accepted into their New Media program! The real shocker was reading the second letter...

Dear Melanie,

Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to receive a Maine College of Art Merit Scholarship in the amount of $8,000.

You were slected for this award based on your current accomplishments and the high level of promise and potential you have demonstrated throughout your academic career. We believe Maine College of Art is a place where you will thrive as a student and artist, and we are excited to imagine the impact you will have on the MECA community.

Your annual Merit Scholarship begins with your enrollment in the fall 2010 semester and is renewable each of the following three years, contingent upon you maintaining satisfactory academic progress and full-time enrollment.

You had me at Scholarship, MECA.

As sleepy as I was when I got home, I couldn't sleep until 2am.

I'M SO EXCITED!

Sparky's Charlie

2011-02-27T22:49:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I bought The Art of Charles M. Schulz. The man was a genius. Sparky and Hank Ketcham were both phenomenal comic artists.

I'm disappointed in myself for having thrown out my first printing of A Charlie Brown Christmas back when I moved out of my parents' house. It was my favorite book as a kid, and brings back a lot of memories.

I regret that I'll never have a chance to meet the one and only Sparky, and I'm so glad that his legend has lived on so strongly, and hopefully it always will!

How to Train Your Toothless Dragon

2011-02-26T01:33:00.003-05:00

With the differences in the books, the How to Train Your Dragon movie could have been named something completely different, and it wouldn't have mattered. Aside from the names and SOME of the character similarities, the two aren't even closely related. Astrid isn't even a character. And Toothless actually has no teeth. And he's like, 10 inches tall. He's also super whiny, and lazy. And I don't even remember if Hiccup's best friend Fishlegs exists in the movie...

But the books are awesome and I'd recommend them to anyone that has enjoyed the Harry Potter books (:

Presidents Day!

2011-02-20T22:00:00.003-05:00

I hope those of you that have the extra day off get to enjoy the long weekend! Go buy some cars and or mattresses, I hear there might be a sale!

One time I drew 6 in a row

2011-02-15T10:53:00.003-05:00

I was on a kick last night and busted these out while watching Pawn Stars!

Happy Heart Day!

2011-02-14T10:10:00.001-05:00

Aww yeah, Twi'lek!

Ingrid

2011-02-04T00:26:00.006-05:00

Someday I will put together a children's book. It will be about a little girl that dreams big, and it will be bright and fun!

I will have a lot of messing around to do with the style as well as her age/intelligence, but I think, if I actually do this, it could be something awesome.

Year of the Wabbit

2011-02-03T13:14:00.002-05:00

Hooray! I haven't had any meat today per New Year's tradition, but I can't say that will last.

Yesterday was Tim & I's one year together. We spent most of it in our pajamas. (:

Back to the Present

2011-01-27T11:26:00.003-05:00

I was away for a few weeks pet sitting Karli's cat. But I'm back now! And while I was there I did a lot of comic reading, as well as drawing. Here are a few samples!

I actually saw a few girls come into work dressed like this. Ah, Maine winters, and the hipsters that don't care about matching patterns! I envy them and their cuteness, honestly.

Koko Be Good

2011-01-04T11:08:00.002-05:00

Everyone should buy and read Koko Be Good by Jen Wang because it's gorgeous and might make you cry...in a good way. It goes right on my shelf next to Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa and Blankets by Craig Thompson.

Hello, 2011

2011-01-03T10:57:00.002-05:00

I made UP pictures for my Secret Santa at the PA:AC...following them are some doodley-doos!

Temperature droppings

2010-12-17T00:07:00.003-05:00

I am at home and still bundled up from being outside 3 hours ago

it's too cold to enjoy my milk!

This is why I like Bryan Lee O'Malley

2010-12-09T13:53:00.000-05:00

there was "some confusion" about yesterday's brief post, so here it is again with some more clarification.

@radiomaru: kids, just so you know, "character design" is like .00001% of my job. so get over yourselves and draw some comic pages

kids...
TRANSLATION: young, amateur would-be cartoonists

...just so you know, "character design" is like .00001% of my job...
TRANSLATION: i design characters, and then I spend 99.9999% of my time doing other stuff that isn't designing characters

...so get over yourselves and draw some comic pages
TRANSLATION: so stop making up new characters when you'll never tell any of their stories anyway

This applies strongly to anyone who claims they want to be "A CHARACTER DESIGNER" when they grow up.

How many "CHARACTER DESIGNERS" do you think there are in the world? People who go to work each day, have a coffee, design some characters and then come home? NOT VERY MANY!

All I'm saying is don't expect to spend your life making up characters and dreaming up their epic adventures. If you expect to ever tell those stories, you have to stop designing them at some point and start doing the rest of the work.

No knock on the process of character design. I am in the middle of designing new characters now, and it's really fun and rewarding, but also I can't wait to get in to the actual pages.

I see kids every day on deviantart making up their characters and their epic stories. I was the exact same way in high school. I'm just trying to tell people there's more to it than that.

Sweet Tooth

2010-12-06T17:37:00.011-05:00

I made a...thing. For our window display for Sweet Tooth at Casablanca Comics!

First I took some large cardboard thing and started drawing Gus's face from the cover of issue 5.

An hour and a half in and the lines are done!

Next I color in the black and start cutting the top layer of cardboard in the desired shape (it's a wall mount)

This part takes the longest and is the most tedious. I won't even finish before my 5 hour work shift is over and it's time to go home..

I finish cleaning the paper and I cut it all out while I watch the unrated version of Bad Santa.

Then I paint it with watercolors after inking the background/cardboard

and then it dries!

It was super fun and was definitely a challenge because

a. I don't draw large pictures. Everr

b. I don't draw in a style even close to what Jeff Lemire does, so I was forced to try something outside of my comfort zone

I'm pleased with how it came out, and I hope we have a chance to win the Window Display contest!

Scribblies

2010-12-02T13:04:00.002-05:00

A bro drawn for every day of Brovember, and a flier for Brian's show tonight!

I can't stop the rock

2010-11-15T12:58:00.003-05:00

All I want to do is play Team Fortress 2 all day while eating kimchi and drinking milk. Is that too much to ask?

America got Did

2010-11-05T12:07:00.001-04:00

Doodled while reverting to juvenile Beavis and Butthead on Netflix. My brain has melted!

Coraline!

2010-11-04T03:33:00.002-04:00

Almost two hours of drawing that should have been spent sleeping!

Did you know?

2010-10-30T11:56:00.004-04:00

..that the Disney-animated 101 Dalmatians was released in 1961? It really blows my mind to see something that was so smooth, well designed and just plain pretty almost a quarter of a century before I was born.

So today I morning-doodled a young Cruella. She had a little more meat on her bones back then, before she was high on crack 24 hours a day. Did you see those crazy eyes when she was driving that car near the end? Cocaine's a helluva drug.

The Newest Patch

2010-10-30T01:44:00.003-04:00

Here are some Halloweenie doodles.

One is to represent scenester kids and their sick love for vampires. And with some of the fabric they choose to wrap their bodies in, it might as well be Halloween 365 days of the year, amirite?

The other is for all those lonely frankenstein ladies out there. Poor things.

#37

2010-10-10T11:21:00.001-04:00

MY SCANNER IS WORKING!

PokeTrainer Mel and Marshtommmmp!

#36

2010-10-09T11:32:00.003-04:00

Team Fortress 2 is SO much fun!

This isn't finished but I've learned a lot from it so far.

Like how much I suck at light sources.

And how much cooler it looks if I use a colored light as opposed to just white highlights.

Fun fun!

:D

2010-10-03T10:28:00.000-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/chris.giarrusso?v=wall&story_fbid=155576851132069

I feel so cooooooooooooooool

Hello, Fall!

2010-09-25T19:57:00.002-04:00

Went apple picking with my brother, mother and boyfriend. It was a gorgeous day out. This is by far my favorite time of year to be living in Maine. (:

More than meets the eye

2010-09-24T22:02:00.003-04:00

I painted Julie a box for her birthday and I continue to make signs at work. Proof that I'm still pretty much drawing everyday, I just don't really have the means to post all of it.

#19

2010-09-24T09:59:00.003-04:00

I chose this one because it was an easy warm-up. A warm-up to another picture I ended up scrapping entirely. Oh well. (:

Original Post here.

This wasn't on my list

2010-09-15T23:53:00.000-04:00

..but it's a self-portrait, right?

teehee

Inspiration

2010-09-15T16:36:00.006-04:00

Self-Portrait Project!

Thanks to Amanda Blanchette's inspiration on drawing ourselves as Street Fighter Characters, I'm making a list that I'll be referring back to that involves even more fun! And I absolutely encourage anyone that reads this blog to do it too.

The idea is to illustrate yourself (or a friend if you so wish) in theme with anything off the list. Or come up with your own! You can even combine themes! And then you'll have a whole bunch of pictures of fun.

It's mostly just meant to inspire or use as a warm up. It's also great practice for character design - some are intended to coerce a bit of research. Using yourself as the subject adds an aspect of comfort so concentrating solely on the theme is easier.

I'll probably be adding to this list as time passes (if you have any unique suggestions, I'll gladly take them!) I also don't expect to finish the entire list, but we'll see how far I get. (:

from each continent (when drawing yourself from the continent you are from, be specific! For example, I live in Maine but I was born in Arizona, so I'd do a southwestern-theme!)
1/ Africa
2/ Antarctica
3/ Asia
4/ Australia
5/ Europe
6/ North America
7/ South America

8/ the star of your own Nickelodeon/Cartoon Network Cartoon (with a sidekick/companion!)

9/ as an original character from one of your favorite childhood t.v. shows

10/ a super hero with 1 super power

11/ a Noir character

12/ an animal

14/ a plant

15/ a fairy tale character

16/ a zombie

17/ a ninja

18/ a monster

19/ a baby

20/ an adolescent in your old favorite outfit

21/ aged/elderly

22/ a bum

23/ a hippie

24/ as royalty

25/ what you wanted to be when you grow up

26/ what you want to be when you grow up

27/ in your dream house

28/ in the future

29/ as a caveman/woman

30/ as a movie celebrity

31/ the photo that ruined your fame as a celebrity

32/ nega-you

33/ dressed as your favorite person

34/ as if drawn by your favorite artist

35/ as a different ethnicity (try not to insult anyone)

36/ as your favorite video game character

37/ as a Poke-Trainer (with your favorite Pokemon of course)

38/ wearing clothes made of your favorite food(s)

39/ how you see yourself

40/ how you wish you looked

READY GO!

A Record Year for Rainfall

2010-08-28T19:59:00.002-04:00

I just received my book for The Sketchbook Project! I'm pretty excited. I'll try to keep up with posting what I do for it here...

Ha!

We'll see. (:

New doodly-do's

2010-08-19T21:59:00.003-04:00

If I had a scanner that worked and/or drivers for my currently not working scanner, I'd post more stuff. But instead I must leave it to you to just imagine the fun things I've been drawing on paper!

Also, Tim makes me very happy. Tell your friends.

You'll always be my Clash at Demonhead

2010-07-27T20:40:00.002-04:00

I go through spurts of drawing a lot some days, to drawing very little(if at all) on others.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in just a few more weeks! Excitement!! I enjoyed Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour very much, and I think Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together is my favorite of the series.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you should take the time to find out.

Don't startle her next time!

2010-07-18T16:22:00.004-04:00

Pooly Cooly gifted me a copy of Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam, and now I can't get it out of my head. Playing an FPS on a PC is ten million times more fun than on a console. I've been missing out for YEARS! And my uncanny ability to become absolutely obsessed with any good video game never ceases to amaze me. I even make Tim hang out in my room while I ignore him and play co-op campaigns online with Abs and Mick. What a jerk I am!

STAR WARRRRRS

2010-07-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

Only days before PortCon

2010-06-21T18:45:00.009-04:00

The past three days have been sort of like this.

EDIT: 2 Hours later, to add to the AWESOME of my week, I went rollerblading with The Mick, and I fell, causing this to happen -

[click here for not a fun picture of an abrasion]

I have a similar burn on the back of my other leg's thigh, but you probably don't want to see my butt.

Also

I chipped a tooth.

Eff, I used to have NIGHTMARES about this sort of thing.

How's YOUR week going?

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

2010-06-06T19:01:00.004-04:00

The PowerPuff Girls was one of my favorite television shows to have ever aired. Ever. In high school, I even had my room painted blue, pink, and green despite how much trouble it caused my mom to paint it. I established long ago that my PowerPuff self would be purple with brown curly hair - tell me that wouldn't have fit perfectly!

Oval is a Shape

2010-06-06T12:56:00.002-04:00

I am ridiculously out of shape. I had to look this realization in the face this weekend and did not like what I saw. Tim and I went on bike rides on both Friday and Saturday with a total distance of about 17 miles. Now my butt hurts. And I didn't even know it was possible for me to sweat so much. (I know, gross, right?)

We won't be going today, but most likely will tomorrow, and I hope we do at least 3-4 times a week throughout the summer. I consider this training for the Maine Boff Games in August. I will rock some faces in dodgeball this year, I will!

It's been 10 days since my last day off

2010-06-05T19:56:00.002-04:00

This is how I spent three hours of my Saturday afternoon. How's your weekend going? (:

Maine Comics Arts Festival

2010-05-24T15:55:00.004-04:00

MeCAF is and was marvelous.

The workshops on Saturday were really neat and informative. John Shableski from Diamond Book Distributors had a great presentation on Graphic Novels, taking a lot of references from Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. He had a really good point about Norman Rockwell as being more of a cartoonist than an illustrator (and just because it's painted doesn't mean it's no longer a cartoon - look at how many comics and GNs are painted with gorgeous watercolor!). And Robyn from the Center for Cartoon Studies did an interesting workshop on panel composition. Dave and I went to the PBJ Time place above the Portland Public Market in Monument Square for food (Nutella, Almond Butter, and banana toasted on Cinnamon Raisin Bread - DELICIOUS) and we made it back just in time to see the last half of the discussion with Brian Wood and Jeff Lemire. Then we stayed to see Susan and Everett Soares talk about Small Press Publishing. I learned a LOT about a LOT and even took a few notes that day.

Afterwards, the volunteers and all the guests were invited to a reception on Peak's Island at the Inn on Peak's Island. I'd never taken the ferry nor ever been to the island, so I was puuumped. I spent the evening talking to Stacey Kardash as we ate delicious hors 'douvres including delectable pieces of lamb. Mmmm, lamb.

Then I went to watch the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and stayed up until 2am because I am a genius.

Sunday was the big day of awesome, despite being 45 minutes later that I meant to be due to sleeping in, and all the guests were really nice. For those that have ever been to PortCon, or almost any other convention, MeCAF is just a giant Artists' Alley. Ocean Gateway is a beautiful building and the talent that shows up to display their work there is just so...inspiring. (I found it kind of hilarious that everyone who knew me said something along the lines of, "Sorry about Skottie Young" immediately after seeing me. I guess I really made it clear how pumped I was to see him, eh? Hehe, but it's okay, he'll be coming to Portland another time for a signing. (:)

As soon as I was given the chance, I went to Brian Wood's table and had my copy of Demo signed. He was very nice, and not once did I hear anything about him being short with anyone. Right after that, I headed to Jeff Lemire's table and he signed my copy of the Sweet Tooth trade, as well as drew a picture of Gus in it. I'm still so happy; I love it when they do that :D

The first biggest highlight of my day were when a little boy came up to say hi to me: "I remember you, you drew me that picture of Spider-Man and Batman at the comic store!" It was so cute! He was the first person I drew a picture for on Free Comic Book Day and him being what, 8 years old, tickled me that he remembered. I smiled and thanked him as he shyly hustled away.

The second best thing to happen is when Jeff Lemire came up and I handed him a doodle I drew of him with antlers (like Gus from Sweet Tooth) and told him it was fanart. He thanked me, said he'd put it on his wall, and then handed it back saying, "Hey, you didn't sign it!" I felt SO COOL. He said it was "really cute" :D And later after everyone packed and cleaned up, he thanked everyone for coming, said he'd be back next year, whether it'd be for MeCAF or for a personal appearance, thanked me again for the drawing, and pat me on the back. It was awesome.

What I love about artists and writers is meeting them and finding out they are the coolest people on the planet. All the other guests were friendly and so grateful for the hospitality. I'm already pumped to see what guests make it next year...Here's hoping one of them is Bryan Lee O'Malley :D

EFF

2010-05-21T15:52:00.000-04:00

MAAAAAAN

Skottie Young has a family emergency and can't make the festival this weekend. He'll be making an appearance another time, but I'm so bummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmed. Obviously I hope everything is fine and dandy with him, but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

Just another Wednesday

2010-05-19T20:27:00.002-04:00

I tribute to the late R.J. Dio, a mixed media piece on my favorite animal, and the 19 shelf-talker signs I made at work today.

Who watches the Watch(wo)men?

2010-05-16T23:06:00.001-04:00

hehehe

Oh yeah

2010-05-16T18:22:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting much art, because the process of taking pictures of it, then uploading it on Verizon's website, then saving the image, then uploading it to Photobucket and then posting here sucks. Digital stuff is 10x easier to post, but I don't draw digitally often enough to post every day.

But here are a few of both digital and traditional fun to keep you occupied for now:

I drew this because Indiana Jones is one of the hottest characters ever written. And mostly only because he was played by Harrison Ford. /drool

I made three posters similar to this one for FCBD...

I drew this as a reference to some things I've [apparently] said in my sleep:

I drew this card for my Mum for Mother's Day...

And this is a bad photo of one of the sketches I did for a customer on FCBD that really likes Archie. Apparently they plan on getting it framed. Glee!

I have this super fun idea for a picture I'll be working on this evening that I know many people will enjoy. Stay tuned :D

Katara's Apprentice

2010-05-14T19:21:00.006-04:00

I'm taking time to reiterate what the great Amanda "Archimer" Blanchette posted a few weeks ago: Avatar: The Last Airbender is a really good series. She posted a super sweet sketch of herself as a badass fire bender. I think I myself would probably be more watery...

Aang is the superior Avatar to the recent Ferngully remake. And even though I always think he's calling out to his dad instead of his flying pet bison ("Appa" sounds very much like "ahpah", the korean word for father), it's surprisingly good for what people often refer to as an American-made, wannabe Anime.

Who's psyched for the movie? I know I am!

2010-05-02T14:55:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Free Comic Book Day! I was a little bummed that zero of my friends that said they were going to show up never did, but it was still tons of fun. I didn't have a whole ton of free time to draw for the first hour's worth of people that came in because it was so busy, but I did end up drawing about 5-6 pictures, mostly for kids. It was a fantastic experience talking to them and having them tell me how awesome I am. Hahaha. My response was always, "I've had years and years of practice, and I have more years of it to come!" and then I'd ask them what they liked to draw.
My favorite was when one of our frequent customers requested that I draw lil' Dream and lil' Death. I drew them holding hands and frolicking together while he and I giggled through the whole process.

Then I got free pizza for lunch and a really big DQ Fudge shake! And Rob brought me a cheeseburger! Oh yeah, and then I got some free comics! I love free Comic Book Day! Thor/Siege is my favorite series right now!

*
I have ideas for two different Children's Books/All Ages stories, and one Graphic Novel. I haven't been keeping up with updates and have BARELY been keeping up with drawing every day, because of Tim and work......and World of Warcraft.

But whatever, The Guild comics tell me it's okay to escape from reality and play MMORPGs, and plus, my gear score is almost 5800. I've got to keep up with my priorities, y'know.

2010-03-24T18:23:00.002-04:00

Saturday night I had a dream I saved a little boy in a red t-shirt from falling debris after a bunch of large explosions in some post-apocalyptic city ruins. I was also wearing Tim's brown hoodie for some reason. And there were parts of the dream that were animated exactly like The Princess and the Frog, and later there was a girl riding a horse.

My dreams are weird.

So on Sunday I doodled while at work, with the images still spinning in my head:

And I've been taking some time away from WoW (it's FINALLY starting to get a little boring again) and recently finished this picture -

- and decided to take it in a different direction.
As of right now, I think I still prefer traditional to digital art, but it's still a lot of fun. And to think I still have so many things I haven't learned about it yet!

Pay Off

2010-02-28T23:20:00.003-05:00

Month 2 is over and I am actually surprised at:

a) how easy it is to take however much time I want to just draw something every day;
b) myself for keeping up with it;
and

c) how much I've already started improving.

I made new signs for work, and putting them next to the old ones I made no more than 3 months ago, I had to ask myself what I was thinking when I made them. They were sloppy and messy and shameful. And I can't help but wonder if I'll feel the same about the new signs someday, too. My lettering is still pretty awful, but I'm working on it.

I concluded that my favorite things to draw are birds, trees, crocodiles, and hair. And apparently, really emo pictures of people looking sad, despite my complete lack of emo-feelings lately.

The Bird is the Word

2010-02-26T20:17:00.004-05:00

I drew on some old jeans today:

Now the question is, do I finish the whole leg, or leave it as is? I'm currently leaning towards finishing the leg.

Week..something of Fifty Two in a nutshell

2010-02-21T20:16:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year,

Happy Valentine's Day,

I love my job,

I like birds (and The Beatles),

I REALLY like birds,

& working every day makes me stressed out and sad.

Happy Sunday.

Some crappy ballpoint pen doodles

2010-02-11T22:34:00.002-05:00

I'm really starting to get the hang of doing this everyday without any hesitation.

Sometimes I wake up and just think about how much I

2010-02-10T17:18:00.004-05:00

Three blankets are almost not enough.

*****
(x-posted)Also, this is neat! Someone mentioned my cheesy Time-Traveler's Wife fanart:

All I have to say is this takes some serious skill. The artist drew this with only ink and then colored it with crayons. It looks awesome, could have came right out of a coloring book. There expressions are portrayed really well also, Henry looks so at peace.

It makes me wonder if there are other similar stories like this out there on the interwebs, but I fear that's only wishful thinking. (;

The Opposite of Being Above Canines

2010-02-10T09:12:00.007-05:00

First of all, GO SAINTS! I am not really a New Orleans fan, but I like to root for the underdog, and that crazy interception from what, the 30 yard line into the far endzone was AWESOME! Plus, everyone deserves their fifteen minutes, and now the Saints have finally won a Super Bowl.

Suck it, Peyton Manning!

Here's a picture I haven't finished yet, for the PA:AC Bi-Weekly Challenge -- Noir/Crime. One might think black and white is easy, and lighting with such would be cake, but no. It is not. I have discovered a lot about myself while working on this: I am TERRIBLE at light sources. If nothing good comes out of this when it's done, at least I've already learned a lot.

With a Rebel Yell

2010-02-03T18:42:00.004-05:00

There are moments in life when I feel like I'm thirteen again and am overwhelmed with anxiousness and giggles.

Sometimes even the simplest compliments make me ridiculously happy. (:

It's a ton of fun...

2010-01-30T00:19:00.003-05:00

...but drawing on a tablet can be hard. My lines are just so wibbly. Merrr!

I still have much to learn about you, dear Photoshop.

2010-01-22T15:35:00.001-05:00

If I really had to choose, my top three favorite artists are: Mike Krahulik, Bryan Lee O'Malley and Skottie Young.

AND SKOTTIE YOUNG IS COMING TO MECAF!

Days after it was dubbed #1 cover of 2009, issue #19 of Wolverine First Class has been in a frame on my wall. In less than 6 months I will be getting it signed.

Super stoked.

And if Rick would stop dropping hints about Bryan Lee O'Malley coming and just announce it already, I could get excited about that too. That would be TWO of my favorites in the same place!

Week Three!

2010-01-19T16:18:00.003-05:00

I'm way too lazy to post more than 7 images on four different websites every week. If you want to see all the images, go to my website and see them all in the gallery! (:

Hooray for slackers!