Happiness is coloring away...

I'm working away coloring in photoshop. I think coloring is the one stage of any project where I can just relax and zone out. It seems like most other aspects involve too many complications.

So it's nice to just sit back and color...

:0)

p.s. Also making great strides with Dreamweaver. I've decided to add a header, footer and now I'm struggling with finding out how templates work. I need a magic genie to sit on my shoulder and talk me through it.

Drawing, drawing, drawing...

Drawing, drawing, drawing... keeping pace.

Latest accomplishment: Learned Dreamweaver! At least enough to do most basic things without being totally flummoxed.

New favorite book is a biography of Jack London. I went through a Jack London phase as a teenager. Finished reading 'A Town Like Paris' by Bryce Corbett... a fun book.

Getting in the daily bike ride, weather permitting.  Got all wet today...

A weekend lost in learning DreamWeaver

I've been spending the weekend lost in learning DreamWeaver.

Lucky for me I'm equally as stubborn as I am ignorant, so I actually enjoy the struggle up the learning curve. I'm learning all kinds of fun new stuff... creating CSS based pages with lots of nifty features. 

Adding in slideshows and rollover buttons is way easier than doing it the old fashioned way... once you figure out how. What I think Adobe needs is a 'Dummy' level of web design, so it wouldn't require any working with code.

Who knows... maybe it'll actually work! 

I still think HTML is the 'devil's own' language.... lol!

Adventures on the digital learning curve...

Another sample from my new 'line-less' collection. It's always irksome when you look at your portfolio and want to change everything! 

Is it just a passing fancy... or something more substantial?

I often wish I could only do one style of artwork... but I'm afraid it just isn't the way I go about it. 

Anyhow, I worked out a zippy new method of converting scanned pencil lines into Illustrator and then photoshop. Yet another adventure on the digital learning curve.

Reading List...

Reading: 'My Autobiography -Charles Chaplin'.

Operative quote: 'The word "art" never entered my head or my vocabulary. The theatre meant a livelihood and nothing more.'  That's the same set of rules I use, actually.

Chaplin is as meticulous and in-depth a writer as he was a genius at making films. I've been watching some of his earlier movies online and I'm amazed he got through his career without a broken neck!  Modern Times is my favorite Chaplin film.

Also reading: 'L. Frank Baum - Royal Historian of Oz'

Operative quote from his step-mother: 'He's a good-for-nothing dreamer'.

I find it's interesting that they're both set in the same time... early 20th century and have to do with breaking into new art forms.

* Factoid: Charlie Chaplin always cut his own hair... as do I.  Hmmm.... 

My early digital work...

Yet another sample of my early digital work... from the vaults.

This was for an ABC book... hence the letters in the background.

I remember being so excited about the possibilities of digital to work in type and textures.

There's something sort of 'Rousseau' about the setting... or maybe it's just my imagination.

The Smile Shop...

Here's a page from my first all digital book ever... done way back in 1999. It's called 'The Smile Shop', by Joy Cowley.

Now that I look at it I wonder why I didn't do more of this style really.

I guess I'll have to work on that...

Goldilocks

Needless to say I had a great time working up this page. Of course Goldilocks should have radiant golden locks.  So I painted them that way.

It was fun adding the textures to the line and color backgrounds. For the textures I used my fingerprints... processed through Photoshop.

Texture, pattern, line, color and storyline. That's all there is to it.

A gallery chez Nez...

I've been having fun working up a new promotional collection.  It's always fun to pick out favorite work from the past while and arrange it all like a little gallery show.

Once one figures out all the quirky little tricks of HTML it's a snap.

A sneak peek...

A sneak peek from a project in waiting...

I can already think of 3 things to change. The sketch shows some of the changes.
Three of each. Some things never go out of style.

I tried using different faces for the bears... and even did a finish version. First I thought it was better. But when I looked at it the next day I decided I hated it. Artists can be fickle.

'Changing up' rather than painting

I'm having fun changing up the characters to this new bookette.

It's only because it's digital that I can make so many changes.

It's amazing how I think I've decided on something, then I change everything.

First I think - "Oh no, I couldn't possibly do that!". 

Next thing I know it's the only obvious choice.

Funny process... no doubt I'll have changed my mind again by this time tomorrow.

I like the term 'changing up' rather than painting.

Kitties, Cats & Dryer repair

Today I am drawing cats, kitties, palm trees, chairs, coffee tables, verandas, shutters, lamps, books and paintings.

Once I draw all that I put it together in Photoshop and Indesign to make it into a book. 

Yesterday I took apart the clothes dryer in the basement and fixed it. This required hours of online research and a trip to the local appliance parts store. Whew!

Hard to say which activity gave me a greater sense of accomplishment. Life goes on...