Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Emerald City Love!

In mere hours, I'll be heading to Seattle for Emerald City Comic Con this weekend! In 10 years, I only missed it once, and that's because I was full-term pregnant with my due date right around the corner! (For the record, I still would have gone, but my baby-doctor ordered that I not even leave the city limits. Kill-joy.) (JK!) Emerald always treats me right, and I'm looking forward it! 


Portfolio assembly is progressing nicely, despite my laptop dying a slow death. This is why I work traditionally, FYI. Pretty much everything just needs the digital touch -- add copyright, contact info, and layer adjustments, etc. Tedious and annoying work (in my world anyway!), but I like to think I can still knock it outta the park! ;)


Here are a few more portfolio pieces:





As always, please respect the art and copyright.




That's all for now! Lots to do before I drag myself to the airport! Hopefully by this time next week, my portfolio will officially be floating out there in the ethereal! Wonder what THAT blog's gonna sound like!... ;)


xoxo
~LB!







Wednesday, March 21, 2012

My Computer Wants to Die!

If my laptop came with a "Do Not Resuscitate, Do Not Put on Life-Support" clause, I'd be in a heap of trouble right about now.

As stated by the title of this post, my computer does indeed want to die. I not terribly gifted at technical trouble-shooting, but thus far I have managed to Frankenstein my way toward adding a few more pieces to my portfolio. (Still not complete...but rounding out nicely...)

Here is the latest of said installments:


"Fly Me to the Moon"

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 9 X 15"


This piece is my contribution to the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo's 2012 Exclusive Artbook. http://www.calgaryexpo.com/artbook/ Artists were invited to create an art piece based on the theme "Dreams and Wishes". I often have dreams that I can fly (and of course I wish that I could)! "Fly Me to the Moon" is an old Sinatra song that's been stuck in my head for the last week or more as I've been plowing through portfolio development and visualizing what dream job will come my way, where I'll relocate to, my new apartment, and all that jazz!


Detail of "Fly Me to the Moon"

 Copic markers and col-erase pencil on Bristol

Figures shown here are approx 2.5 X 5"


This art piece was inspired by my son and I dedicated it to him on the occassion of his 2nd Birthday, which was yesterday! ♥

I would definitely be interested in doing more illustration work like this, for children's books or other purposes, and am heavily considering/seeking how to have a gallery showing of my work. If anyone has a solid lead for me in this department, please contact me via my website www.artoflaurieb.com or facebook www.facebook.com/ArtofLaurieB. Brownie points if you do!

xoxo
~LB!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Portfolio & Plague

Just a quickie update to say I'm not posting the link to my portfolio just yet...I'm giving myself a couple extra days to fine-tune. That, and I have apparently caught the plague. Been having fainting spells yesterday and today for the first time in my life. Been asking people if they've been feeling the ground move, like an earthquake. Might sound commonplace if I lived in LA, but I don't ...yet... I live in the freaking Canadian Rockies!!! WHY is the ground moving??! Turns out...it's just me. :(

Time for bed.

Here are a few copic sketches from the past week. These will more than likely find a place in my portfolio.


"Blowing Kisses!"

Copic markers and col-erase pencils on bond paper, approx 5.5 X 5.5"




"Strawberry Blondie"
Character study

Copic markers on bond paper, approx. 3.5 X 7"



Geisha Girl.

(This one's a digital study.)

xoxo
~LB!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Portfolio Progress

Since returning from the CTN animation eXpo in Burbank last November, I've been working toward revamping my portfolio. I received tons of feedback and positive responses from industry pros and trusted peers while I was there, so all that's been left is finding time to devote to new works! This page of pigs in particular seemed to catch many people's attention:


Pros really liked the exploration of face shapes -- circle (one squashed, one stretched), square (one squashed, one stretched), triangle (one squashed, one stretched), etc. I was surprised at their strong reactions; I knew this page presented variety, but I felt the sketches were grossly 'unpolished'. No matter! Every single one of 'em paused on this page and pointed all around! (This is essentially what my "Dailies" were born out of, btw -- a variety of pushed and pulled shapes -- except that I poured much more time and attention into each of the character dailies!)

So, naturally, in response to their high praises, I decided to explore another subject in this fashion -- this time "Geishas". I feel these ones are much more polished and non-amateur looking this time 'round. As well, I explored more than just the dead-on face views and approached some other angles and expressions:


I feel a little at a loss at times for selecting portfolio pieces though, as I don't consider myself as having a great body of work to chose from. The more pin-ups I draw, the more commissions I get; the more commissions I get, the more pin-ups I draw, lather, rinse, repeat.

I love my career path so far, I really do! For the past 4 years, my commute has been non-existent (unless you count bouncing down a flight of stairs to my drawing table a commute!), I've created my own hours, slept when I wanted to, woke the same, and throughout pregnancy and the arrival of my son, I've so far had the flexibility to spend his first two years with him, taking days off based on our local weekly weather forecast! But this 'self-employed/freelance/independant' status is not all rainbows and unicorns. It has come at its costs, too -- lack of social outlet, a wasting of my time and untapped talent spinning my wheels in the same place month after month after month, and what I fear most, getting older without necessarily getting closer to my dream job of working in feature animation. (For the record, I'm cool with getting older -- I kick more ass as I go! -- it's the getting COLDER that's got me stepping it up a notch, or 10!...) Needless to say, I feel the pressure and excitement to create each new portfolio piece from basically scratch! Not sure if that's what's necessary...But I know what I'm capable of...And I've never been more ready for the challenge!

Anyway, our current childcare arrangement is about to get turned on its head mid-month, so that sets March 15th as my deadline to get my portfolio completed! I imagine next Wednesday's blogpost will be much of an after-thought and will probably consist of minimal keyboard mashing and just a lazy cut'n'paste link to my online portfolio! Hopefully I can be a man a few words next week, in lieu of the pictures that will speak thousands of words for me! ;D

Until then, here's one more W.I.P. to tide you all over until then! (...It took me a while and I was too embarrassed to ask, but I was finally able to deduce that that stands for 'Work In Progress'.) These are hair/facial hair style and color explorations for a character I call "Peter", still unfinished mindyou, but you get the picture! ;D


xoxo
~LB!