My new typewriter! After the last two crapped out, I finally got the manual portable I wanted, and it's in beautiful shape. Everything works, except for the ribbon which is a little fussy, but that's not a big deal considering that it probably hasn't been used for tens of year. But other than that, it's perfect. It's too bad that they don't make things like this anymore.

Portfolio Candidates

Here they are! The criteria for selection is this:

Your portfolio should consist of 12-15 pieces that:

• Demonstrate your skill and understanding of representational drawing.
• Show us how you handle the fundamental problems of drawing from observation.
• Draw from actual objects rather than photographs.
• Explore perspective, light, line, shape, texture, colour and composition. (Drawings based on the figure, landscape, and/or still life are recommended).
• Show an exploration of various art making materials, tools and techniques and how you utilize their characteristics and limitations. You may wish to include works created with conté, oil or chalk pastels, pencil crayons, paint, wood, clay or metal.
• Reveal how you express ideas and concepts in your work. Feel welcome to include more imaginative or creative works that communicate or respond to issues, ideas and/or themes of personal interest.

Based on that, which should I pick. Since I'm the only one that reads this, I guess I'm posing this question to myself, but should anyone happen upon this I would greatly appreciate an opinion? Even if it's "you suck, don't quit your day job", because I know that, and I don't have a job. So here they are:

First the paper:Now, I realize I am severely lacking in my representation of the entire figure, and perspective and such, but let's face it- this is probably the best I could have done. Remember, at least one piece must be rejected.

Now the physical stuff:

Roman Column. Weak, but cool. The lines are the worst part, the texture the best. I could do without it.



Crying Man stays. Period.


Same goes for the Camera. It's strong, and functional


The Pipe. Non-functional, but nice anyways.

Plus the other four from the last post.
-The Girl with the Porcelain Face stays.
-Post-Apocalyptic Football Statue stays.
-Living Mug stays.
-Skull- ah, I could go either way.

Also, possibly this one (if only I could change the face/other weaknesses. First drawing/painting I made, oh well)
*POSSIBLE SOLUTION*: I include the pipe and the camera as one entry, together, because they were made in the same stretch, out of the same materials. Eliminates the need for elimination. Help?

Pretty Girl

Finally a pencil drawing I'm decently happy with. Also, a girl that actually looks pretty, which I contend is hard to do. The flowers were an afterthought, they're supposed to be wallpaper, but she's flat, they're not, she's polished, they're half assed. I don't know, I guess they look alright?

Edit- It just occurred to me how girly this is. I hope it doesn't mean anything.

Portfolio Pictures

I stopped by my ex-teacher's studio today (well, yesterday), and took some workable pictures for use in my portfolio. Just better looks at things I've already posted, for the most part. Examples:

A look at the porcelain girl's ears, which I'm kinda proud of in a weird way.
They look very artificial, which is what I like.

An older piece, grade 11 or 12. I don't remember. It's one of my favourites (it's a tree mug).

A better-looking view of the Post-Apocalyptic statue,

of which I am still proud.

Another old thing, this one from way back in grade nine! I got permission to sculpt this instead of a face from my teacher (it's still kind of a face), but on the last day we had to build she backpedalled and said I needed to make a face, as well, and the skull would only count for bonus marks, because of something that I consider an unrelated but entertaining story (maybe I'll actually write a real blog post about it. How novel!). I decided to sculpt Albert Einstein, in the remaining hour, something I still consider among my worst sculptures/decisions. I'm just lucky I didn't try and do the picture of him sticking his tongue out, or my teacher might have been offended that I sculpted an erotic old lesbian. I'm so bad at jokes. But alright at writing self-effacing blog posts. Well, I'm okay at it (see?).

Faces Faces Faces

I paint too many people. They are interesting, and there aren't very many straight lines. The lighting is fun, and they're relatively easy to learn. It's a little messy, but you that's unavoidable with watercolours and inexperience, also still fairly cartoony. The whole photo-realism thing is still escaping me, which is maybe why I'm a sculptor and not a painter. I think. I think I think I think.

She resides in my head.

Watercolour.

The Race to Art School, or The Fruits/Futility of My Labour

One month until the Portfolio due date. My reasonable sketches/paintings lately, hopefully they are good enough to get me in. I really need this, and I really want this.

My sister/framed postcards from New York, in ink and black pen.

A diving naked lady in charcoal.

A sort-of ripoff of an ink life-sketch from google images. Mine's watercolour.

All my ink/watercolours, ink paintings, pencil sketches, acrylic paintings, pencil crayon drawings and charcoal sketches worth putting on line, plus a few naked ladies. Apparently I'm pre-occupied with boobs? There are better ones, and they are getting better.

Blog out.

Loose Watercolour

It's nice to practice doing something really loose and sketchy like this, and have it actually turn out okay, minus the tiny ear (which I swear looked normal when I drew it, ...). And she's laughing, not screwing, clothes are just tough in watercolours when you're lazy. Okay, maybe she is screwing, I can't tell.

Sketching

My lines and proportions are getting better, slowly, except for the head, which is HUGE.

Pencils and Paintbrushes

Watercolour, watercolour, and a pencil drawing. My weaknesses are getting stronger. Everything's still coming out a little wonky, though.

Self Portraits

Because the only person willing to pose for a portrait at 4 AM is myself.

Watercolour painting.

I hate watercolours. I love watercolours. I love ink pens. I hate ink pens+watercolours. I hate painting, but it's growing on me. Little by little. Were it to come down to one medium, I'm a 3D guy, but this painting thing has it's benefits. The learning curve is so steep that improvement comes quickly, and it's extremely satisfying practicing and improving. I'm already a thousand times better than I was after my first painting, and I'm sure after three more I'll be 500 times better. Blog done!

My First Post

Writing a blog is hard. I haven't even started and already I know it's going to be difficult to come up with things to write about. So I'll start with my blog "mission":

I am writing this blog purely to have a media to journal in that I can manipulate in ways that I can't ask of my paper journal. It's a place to post the things I make, the thoughts I have, and a chance to screen them as if I were a third party to see if I come off as an idiot (I already have, haven't I?). It's also hopefully a chance to preserve some things for posterity, so that I might come back later and see how much I have changed.

So now that this first post is out of the way, things should start flowing much more easily, right? And since this is supposed to be my art blog, here's some art: