Hello and Happy Summer!
For this post I thought I would share some "snapshots" I've done recently. I've had the desire to do less actual digital painting on the computer lately and instead have felt the need to revisit my drawers of pencil, paper, and paints a bit more. I've recently had several projects come in that involve making illustrations that look like snapshots and postcards and so I've been experimenting with how I can use the computer as more a tool for design of my scanned in, hand drawn images. I found a fun filtering application called SnapSeed and here are some of the results of my experiments.
The first is an experiment using some existing pencil sketches. I've always had an issue with the Aesop fable of Ant and Grasshopper and have been working on a story that puts a modern twist on a fable I feel needs to be updated for our modern world. Being a working musician as well, I tend to resent Aesop's view that hours of practicing and playing a musical instrument is a lazy pursuit, especially in our current world where people are overworked and overstressed, arts programs are disappearing in our schools, and people are generally just not playing enough! So I've had these characters hanging out with me in my sketch book a lot lately to remind me of what's
important to me.
This image was composed of several pencil sketches, some scanned photo corners, and the magic of SnapSeed filters. It's truly an experimental piece and a bit raw. I'm also trying to perfect a technique that I'm happy with for adding color to my pencil sketches without washing out the original integrity of the sketch. I'm getting closer, but still have a ways to go before I pin it down to a true system.
Speaking of my love for music, here is a photo I recently designed for a world music project that my husband and I have started for kids called Filibert Binkleby and the Travelers. Filibert is our fictitious friend who likes to share his adventures of traveling the world through the songs that he writes (and we perform since he's always off somewhere new and can't make the gigs). I've been having some fun with some of our old travel photos and a simple Filibert two dimensional "puppet" I created.
Again....a work in progress...but it's all fun!
Thanks for popping in for my post!
Be sure to check up on our own wacky Brit Hazel here next time around!
