"Mountain Sketch"

"Mountain Sketch" - big fat sharpie on cardboard - 9" x 7"


So I actually had finished an ink and watercolor piece for tonight -- but I wanted to try something new. When I last went home to Chicago to visit, my mom gave me a book of traditional Chinese paintings (guo hua).

She liked the style that I've been developing thus far, and thought I might benefit from seeing some actual pieces (well, images in a book, at least) to gain inspiration from.

Here's a quick sketch I did only using that big fat sharpie -- I really like it a lot! Definitely a different feeling from my normal mountain sketches... much more three dimensional. I'll have to try to inject more of this style into my work...

Thanks mom!

WIP "Purplish"

WIP "Purplish" - watercolor and acrylic on wood - 5" x 5"


Sick =(.

"Rock Boy"

"Rock Boy" - ink in moleskine

His wings don't work.

La... I thought I would be able to paint something real (ie. not just sketchbook) but I'm way too exhausted. Traveling is a bitch.

In other news, I am very happy to be back in my own place. It was awesome traveling to Austin to meet people and learn new things. It was also awesome to stop by home in Chicago to talk to some of the seniors at UIUC in the GD program. Stopping at home in Naperville to visit the parents as well as other family and friends was a big plus too =).

But after a week and a half on the road it's good to be home.

That is all.

Catch up

"yuck sick" - ink in moleskine


Okay, it's been a week since I've updated, and a week since I've painted. It's been a ridiculous week, with SXSW Interactive in Austin for the first half, then a speech at my alma mater in Illinois for the second half.

Now I'm just chilling at home, recuperating... but I'm itching to get back home to SF and start painting again! Saw so many inspiring things, wrote down so many ideas and notes, but I'm so far away from my studio =(.

Also, I'm sick. Failure.

But there's one thing today that inspired me to post --
I've been a longtime fan of Audrey Kawasaki and finally was able to buy a print! They went on sale at 9am pst, and were SOLD OUT withing 50 seconds. Ridiculous.

Luckily, I was one of those lucky enough to be sitting at my computer refreshing until the button popped up.

Here's a link to the piece I purchased-- 'Lacey' -

Okay, done. I get back to SF on Sunday, so if I'm not ridiculously tired, hopefully I'll have a new painting up sometime that night =)

*update* - sad.... i was one of the 90 or so people who clicked it too late to get the print, but not before they closed sales... no print for me.... next time though, next time...

"Tree Doodle"

"Tree Doodle" - ink in moleskine


Good times in Austin. Learning a ton. Super tired. Fun though =).

"Weird Monster"

"Weird Monster" - ink in moleskine

"Winged Monster"

"Winged Monster" - ink in moleskine


And here I am in Austin. SXSW is going to be sweet, I'm stoked =). My hotel is pretty nice too. Good times.

Also, I had an awesome conversation with a lady named Linda sitting next to me on the plane. She did chemical research, but paints on the side -- we had a ton of similar interests, so our conversation was wide ranging. It went from art, to painting techniques, to the expanding universe theory, to alternate universe theory, to particle and quantum physics, to religion. Really nice to meet her, it made the plane ride go a lot faster.

She gave me some nice feedback on some of my drawings and paintings too =).

"Dawn"

"Dawn" - watercolor and ink on paper - 6" x 5"


Really like how the colors turned out in this one =)

I'll be out of town for a week, but i'll try to draw and post as much as I can while I'm gone!

"Purple Dusk"

"Purple Dusk" - ink, watercolor, acrylic on paper - 5" x 8"


I'm happy with this one except the little guy looks sorta dumb and sad. What's lame is that I spent more time trying to "fix" him than on the rest of the piece... and he ended up sucking even more. ah well. i need to learn to stop agonizing over the little details.

....

grrr.....

maybe i'll go back later and fix him some more.... or just take him out....

....

'Night!

"The Hills Are Alive"

"The Hills Are Alive" - watercolor, ink and acrylic on paper - 5" x 6"


Couldn't resist with the name on this one =). I've been doing a lot of these little pieces... it's enjoyable to have little bite sized art sessions. Maybe after I get back from my trip I'll start doing more larger format pieces...

"Hesperides"

"Hesperides" - watercolor, pastel, colored pencil on paper - 6" x 5"


The Garden of Hesperides was one of the settings in both the Hercules and Perseus mythos. The golden apples of this garden were said to grant the eater immortality.

This piece was fun to do. Good times =).

Also, at what point does the list of materials used become too long, and it just becomes "mixed media"? Maybe I passed that point with this one.

"Adrift"

"Adrift" - ink, watercolor and acrylic on paper - 6" x 6"


Back in SF. Home was good, it was great to see everyone again. I've finally finished updating (uploading backdated posts) the latest things I've been sketching out... some interesting stuff, I suppose.

I'll be out of town again next week for another week and a half, so expect that to happen =P

'night

"Cell Biology"

"Cell Biology" - ink and watercolor in moleskine

"Eww Poo"

"Eww... Poo" - ink in moleskine

"Ella"

"Ella" - ink and watercolor in moleskine

"Kraken"

"Kraken" - ink, watercolor and acrylic on paper - 6" x 5"


Another monster, this time in the sea. I'm taking off for Chicago for a few days, so I may not be able to update this daily while I'm gone. I'll do my best though -- they may just be doodles in my sketchbook as opposed to full pieces.

Cheers

"Attack"

"Attack" - ink, watercolor and acrylic on paper - 5" x 5"


Another little piece... this one a bit more menacing...

"Dive"

"Dive" - watercolor, ink and acrylic on paper - 6" x 4"


This one turned out really well -- I think I'll make this available at some point for a high quality print. Good times -- this'll go in my next book =)

Sunday Busy Day

My day today, summarized in six panels, drawn in six minutes.


yes, yes, i got lazy. =(.

Naked

"Naked" - digital



Ha.