Christmas card

Despite feeling like this for the last few days:

I've actually managed to complete my christmas card for this year. Now I have to print them out and mail them...

Audrey Charcoal

Finally! An Audrey Hepburn that looks like Audrey Hepburn! Compressed and vine charcoal. 11 x 14" framed. Done for a christmas present for my friend who is also obssessed with Audrey H. ^_^
Next on the to-do list: a Snowy painting for my brother! Bring it, Christmas!

Fotografia

I don't have any artwork to share this week, since all of it turned out crappy...three pictures of Audrey Hepburn and I STILL can't get her right! What a mysterious woman.
Anyway, since I've always secretly wanted to be a professional photographer, I've been absorbing a lot of Holga and Diana photos recently and that classic vintage-vignette look. I'm hoping to get a Holga for christmas so I can endeavour to take some authentic artsy shots without having to resort to photoshop to fake it. I think its more fun to get the effect from a manual process rather than through a computer. There's something almost magical about handling clunky equipment from 40 years ago, its all so hands-on. And the end result is always a surprise! Funny how that also happens to my stuffed animals when I make them...hah.
So here's some photos from my last trip to California back in June (yeah I know that was like five months ago). Most of them are not vintagey - although two of them I shoved vignettes on and a bit of blurring in PS.




Ok, so the one below is just a picture of a really neat tree, check out that hole!

Audrey Hepburn

Ok, so I really have to fix her face so she LOOKS like dear Audrey...but that costume? how can you NOT draw it?? :D

My First Crochet

Sounds like a children's book doesn't it? Actually, I spent last weekend teaching myself how to crochet so that I could make this little guy:

from this book. It's not a bad little book, once you've youtubed how to the heck to do a single crochet stitch...although my stuffie turned out rather larger than the pictures in the book imply...I think my stitches are a little on the large side. erk.
Projects that are now on my plate: Crochet a hat. Crochet a scarf. And today's project is making a Max hat from Where the Wild Things Are.

Kittinger

Inspired by the phenomenal free-fall of Joseph Kittinger (he parachuted from SPACE pracically!), I think I may be starting an animation about him. Here are two rough sketches....look/feel sort of things. Haven't got the whole thing worked out yet and a lot of it is still undefined. But...maybe I can pull this off! Of course, I'm going to have to relearn After Effects (it's been a while!), but I'm pretty sure I can do that. The secret is to not feel pressured...otherwise it'll all blow away like dandelion seeds in the wind.

The Bus Stop

Now, I commute in a car, but I've always had a soft spot for public transportation. The people are just fascinating. Any time you want character inspiration, just jump on a train or bus and the muse has you! Of course, drawing on actual said bus/train presents its own challenges...being jostled and whatnot.
Anyway, somewhat but not entirely unrelated: I decided to do a bus stop series. Because, well because I just drew it and that's what came out. Sometimes having no plan when you draw, you accidentally stumble upon one! hah!
Also in lieu of having to draw the same background over and over and over for the past two weeks at work, I've REFUSED to do a background for these. So there. Enjoy!

Basement neighbors

My friend told me last week that she had discovered a couple randomly living in the basement of her apartment building. I thought it must be quite alarming to walk down to the basement, about to do laundry, and suddenly find someone was LIVING there!
"Oh...er...hi. Er...I'll...I'll just go then shall I?"

Teen Titans Space Tea Party!

I read a really awesome Tiny Titans comic this weekend. It's gotten me back into Teen Titans! woo!

Potatoshop coloring

I saw this woman walking past me while I was stuck in traffic going home. Thought her outfit was cute! I hurriedly made a mental note of what she looked like and where she was...I also definately didn't try to sketch her while I was driving (ok - it's not like I was moving! I even put the car in Park! That's ok right?!?). 9_9;;
Based off this guy's style.

King Richard's Faire paintings Part II

The second set of the King Richard's Faire paintings. The princess was actually wearing a pink dress and had BRIGHT red hair, but I thought she looked too much like Kirsten Dunst from the Spiderman movies (shudder), so I made it yellow. haha.

King Richard's Faire paintings

Last weekend I went to King Richard's Faire. I went for the "suave photographer" look with the intention that I'd do what the Sartorialist does and take brilliantly lit perfect portraiture/fashion photos...unfortunately, most of them were useless shots (also I got written up for using an oversize "canon" wah wah waah). BUT! I managed to take a bunch of semi-decent ones of the various people dressed up in their ren faire garb, enough to at least make these paintings of them! Here are two paintings I inked and painted last night. I actually did two more paintings, but they're waiting to be inked so I'll be posting them at a later date. Enjoy!

K-Waddell-Dot-Com!

Completed in all its shiny-new glory! Click the image to go there!

After an Absence

I haven't been on here much in the last few weeks. My grandmother passed away two weeks ago. Last week I went over to England for the funeral and stayed around a couple of days. Can't really say I helped out much - there was much to organize, but being an ocean away, it's hard to get involved. My mum was a complete champion through everything, she's really the strongest and most wonderful person I've ever known.
While I was there I managed to do some drawing (really just to focus on something). This first image is an amalgamation of drawings from the various airports going to and from Britain - Washington, Logan, Heathrow. Airports are the best places to people-watch - people are usually so absorbed by their own activities that they never notice if they're being sketched. They also tend to hold still for longer (particularly if sitting at a gate)!

And these are a few doodles of my cousin Ellie, dog Lilly and my brother pulling a fishie-face (also known as the Twerpy Beak!).

Some sketches and a painting

Sketches of some of my friends at a party last friday.


And here's a couple from Boston Common on Saturday while waiting for a shopping expedition! I tried drawing the fire truck first, but halfway through the sketch the firemen got in and took off in it! Guess I have to learn to sketch faster...


And finally here's a watercolor painting I did the other day. I based it off a magazine clipping from my secret collection of fashion mag reference.

SUNscreen

Moral to this comic: don't go to cape cod thinking you can survive without sunscreen. You'll turn into a lizard. For SERIOUS.

Japan and Jazz

It's late, but I have these to share before I go to bed. Inspired by Kevin Dart's new book, Seductive Espionage. And by McPartland's Piano Jazz on NPR.

50's cars

I had a sudden urge to draw some 50's cars today. Not entirely sure where said urge came from, but apparently if you google 'rusted chevrolet' you get some nice results, including some seriously awesome flickr photos. So I copied a couple photos and embellished with pen, colored pencil, brush pen and prismacolor markers. Weee!

Jewelry

Blerh. Its too hot to do anything! Except upload some jewelry I made this weekend for my cousins! Enjoy!

Astro-self!

Here's me as an astronaut - made for my new website which will be up VERY shortly (I'm so excited!). It's going to be in wordpress, so the whole blogaroo will be part of it! Fancy that! And yes, even in space I shall drink tea! ;p

Some watercolor sketches

Throwin' some rather crappy watercolor sketches on here just for kicks on Sunday. Trying to get the hang of watercolors again, its been a while and I'm a tad rusty! Thought I'd start with flowers as they have simple shapes and bright colors.

More Sock Animals

Three more stuffed sock animals for the collection! Actually I think two of these are going off to my cousins in Britain. I should probably stop getting attached to them so I can post them off sooner! haha.

Above is Hector. He's a rather nervous fellow and dislikes small enclosed areas, so he always has to be high up on a shelf so he can see everything going on around him.

This is Billy, he's a Scaredbear - a subspecies of bear that is absolutely terrified of everything. Cat's? Terrifying! Cardboard boxes? Horror! Lint? AHHH! On the plus side, he's rather soft and huggable! I made him out of an inside-out argile sock, which actually looks way cooler than the "right" side! ha!

And this is Sir Claude Pompier, cousin to The Great Zambini. He's french, stuck up and likes to wear thick jumpers and berets while puffing on a herbal cigarette. He likes to ask Mr. Zambini when he's "going to stop faffing around with little wands and hankies and get a real job".

Where the Wild Things Are Part TWO

In continuation of my last post, here are my finished Wild Thing stuffies! (and much better photographed, thanks to Jason's camera!)

Also, here's a photo of the official super-awesome printed Harvest comics sold at MoCCA! My star wars fan-comic ended up being the first page in And Don't Forget the Droids (which I believe is the third volume?) Hurrah! They look really spiffy all printed in full color, Shelli put a LOT of work into these! Well done Shelli!! By the way, they're still for sale online, so if you love star wars and want to support comic artists go buy some!! (I suggest buying all three volumes!)

Where the Wild Things Are

I've recently been very inspired by a blog all about Where the Wild Things Are. There, guest artists contribute artwork based off the children's book! Each contribution has its own style and atmosphere, they're all really wonderful and imaginative pieces! Check it out here.
So I spent most of today creating Wild Thing related art...


And because a Wild Things post wouldn't be complete without its very own stuffie:

Unfortunately my camera has decided to take only BAD pictures of things...so that explains the rather atrocious lighting quality.