tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23237698052632218072024-03-22T11:43:08.346-07:00Meerkatsu ArtMeerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-43746308932042139512021-03-28T18:09:00.002-07:002021-03-28T18:09:18.321-07:00Inking with Brush<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqQFkC3MjozeVk0qssdi_8femLy0vwUn7RFyHpQo8uOfdkLILRQ_m5ZP-eU5o3kPB2N5aCbEgNVX5YepfJAo5CYCkDcrTPnlkFoVwS7h10puh9CXc68w6je6z0f2bG24Da6nP2pncZX9I/s1578/Blog+-+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1578" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqQFkC3MjozeVk0qssdi_8femLy0vwUn7RFyHpQo8uOfdkLILRQ_m5ZP-eU5o3kPB2N5aCbEgNVX5YepfJAo5CYCkDcrTPnlkFoVwS7h10puh9CXc68w6je6z0f2bG24Da6nP2pncZX9I/w640-h246/Blog+-+cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I recently took advantage of a discount sale and signed up to Skillshare Premium. The first course I was eager to learn from is the Ink Drawing class taught by Yuko Shimizu. </p><p>Yuko specialises in gorgeous hand drawn ink illustrations which are published in numerous high profile magazines, book covers, posters and all sorts of products. Yuko offers two courses on Skillshare - this one was focused on <a href="https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Ink-Drawing-Techniques-Brush-Nib-and-Pen-Style" target="_blank">inking by Brush</a><br /><br />For my project, I created my interpretation of the Japanese comic Lone Wolf and Cub.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div>Both Skillshare and Domestika (see my previous posts) offer classes on a huge variety of visual arts. Skillshare differs from Domestika in that you have to sign up to the whole platform whereas you pay for courses individually on Domestika. <div><br /></div><div>There is a small amount of free content Skillshare, but to get to the best parts, you need an annual membership. Once you sign up, there are literally 1000's of tutorials. It is quite overwhelming at first, but after browsing around you soon get an idea of things you want to learn.</div><div><br /></div><div>The quality of the content seems to vary - it seems anyone can submit content as long as they pass the minimum threshold for quality. That's not to say they aren't useful, but the video, narration and overall quality of many videos can seem rather amateur compared to Domestika.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, Skillshare also produces its own content - which generally focuses on well known professional artists, including Yuko.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since this is my first Skillshare class, I'll write more about my experiences using the site on later reviews. For now, here's how I put together this artwork project based on Yuko's tutorials:-</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyTdNfWQ3eXVCEbRkGc6Qkbx5TNVA66DicPXDYCpIS6WCt0MfQNMjEHXr0Bhh0CAK2FE9gDm-yDcnptsDOcXvpQEMwKk6WTnfYeBb7lKwwYS-PxvH_k5YWAB5gOqL53XMnrbM-JbUSCLD/s1328/to+print+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="902" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyTdNfWQ3eXVCEbRkGc6Qkbx5TNVA66DicPXDYCpIS6WCt0MfQNMjEHXr0Bhh0CAK2FE9gDm-yDcnptsDOcXvpQEMwKk6WTnfYeBb7lKwwYS-PxvH_k5YWAB5gOqL53XMnrbM-JbUSCLD/w434-h640/to+print+1.jpg" width="434" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">1. Yuko beings her projects by drawing out her concept in sketch form. For my project, I sketched a version of Lone Wolf and Cub in Procreate on the iPad.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMtcvsoR8Poip7pBla3TVbmOFL1Nre9A0PNydrPHCtx1NDez19vXuv7OpIOhyDMajFyj6SlUAQb1EFM2RWFJWoALcRqp9uBkARKb_YNDLJhot_CoGSfAsNwqol27XEDqXUL6P3uol5a4e/s1333/Blog+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMtcvsoR8Poip7pBla3TVbmOFL1Nre9A0PNydrPHCtx1NDez19vXuv7OpIOhyDMajFyj6SlUAQb1EFM2RWFJWoALcRqp9uBkARKb_YNDLJhot_CoGSfAsNwqol27XEDqXUL6P3uol5a4e/w480-h640/Blog+1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">2. Following Yuko's tips, I printed out my sketch and placed it underneath my sheet of watercolour paper so that I could trace over it. Yuko only traces a loose outline of her sketch, so I did the same. The reason for this is to avoid inking over the pencil lines too closely, she thinks that makes the lines 'dead'. By inking fairly freehand, you maintain that sense of 'aliveness' in the lines.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTNLpLBPmrb2PlUbqNz-9lDxzElcqojgV61STrhETKkv3lk3OWit-FN170HfMWWEj5xCrlkT9iKprpmVW_8Yr6lN8HPd0fXMwWzARYKHPgiQ8dq7HlO7DMfw-Y0D3BiI-kLWG5-4gzdY4/s900/Blog-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="863" data-original-width="900" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTNLpLBPmrb2PlUbqNz-9lDxzElcqojgV61STrhETKkv3lk3OWit-FN170HfMWWEj5xCrlkT9iKprpmVW_8Yr6lN8HPd0fXMwWzARYKHPgiQ8dq7HlO7DMfw-Y0D3BiI-kLWG5-4gzdY4/w640-h614/Blog-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">3. I used basic watercolour paint brushes and Pebeo Indian ink. I've never painted with ink before so this was a new experience. I love how expressive the strokes can be and how much variety of lines you can make, from broad to thin strokes, from wet to dry brush. You can also add water for grey washes.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGUXOs3G4YA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ7Ncq1WDpn023cJsty6V2_fY4Maob40QplEuJ55u0FVAxtoCx6OxxH84hSxMxHnWWieP59M3RkVzo7yaMUJu7TQH0W7klxkkQirjBAsFLTzc5d7OjN3RoKEivdv0S88IZktSlo58Wvi7/s1350/Social-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ7Ncq1WDpn023cJsty6V2_fY4Maob40QplEuJ55u0FVAxtoCx6OxxH84hSxMxHnWWieP59M3RkVzo7yaMUJu7TQH0W7klxkkQirjBAsFLTzc5d7OjN3RoKEivdv0S88IZktSlo58Wvi7/w512-h640/Social-1.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">4. I scanned in the inked lineart and then digitally coloured it in Photoshop. I cut out the flames so that I could colour the inked lines but the remained I kept black.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlXyT6vikimG3RhptwWgMLNl9MRqGK2s1Fm3hghZZBbtMNgXmQgQLVTH_UbcxSRXFobp7ESzqrs0gCQ3bXrbuCiwz7gGO5ESWOefAQ_7i2rMq_HO51Hc32bezkmYACJvpxRB54HgPofpt/s1350/Social-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlXyT6vikimG3RhptwWgMLNl9MRqGK2s1Fm3hghZZBbtMNgXmQgQLVTH_UbcxSRXFobp7ESzqrs0gCQ3bXrbuCiwz7gGO5ESWOefAQ_7i2rMq_HO51Hc32bezkmYACJvpxRB54HgPofpt/w512-h640/Social-2.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Once coloured in I placed the artwork over a digital paper texture.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix_MMZfDGyJuQZ1N0-eamirBinvPCUqAozElOxsp6HHFnkGCcPGrfjXsqFsH2hPnaHwRxmSQRKQEOjA5GF4QC6W6CVpIyxur_l4K1YbYwpRP2oI_qV9ud-XAO_eU49ld35Ph_AuBG2VB1/s1350/Social-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgix_MMZfDGyJuQZ1N0-eamirBinvPCUqAozElOxsp6HHFnkGCcPGrfjXsqFsH2hPnaHwRxmSQRKQEOjA5GF4QC6W6CVpIyxur_l4K1YbYwpRP2oI_qV9ud-XAO_eU49ld35Ph_AuBG2VB1/w512-h640/Social-3.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">6. In this close up you can see where I have used halftone as texture. This is a technique Yuko uses in some of her pieces (although her course did not cover the digital colouring side of her work).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-2618050711680611022021-03-21T06:37:00.001-07:002021-03-21T06:37:46.016-07:00Floral Composition in Ballpoint Pen<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxk9LQ_eJRkbYEUx_OXVJADejPEmFSR6FaRWaCr1AgGLSusmjcV1yOwbuZ5PYUofukCGKpFE5oFBKaq3J0lkyZxJ9xYw6v6usCDT8OGlpLakUaZGWmWsioEkJ1r2w8DE7TVunVFwsiHXyo/s1200/blog+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxk9LQ_eJRkbYEUx_OXVJADejPEmFSR6FaRWaCr1AgGLSusmjcV1yOwbuZ5PYUofukCGKpFE5oFBKaq3J0lkyZxJ9xYw6v6usCDT8OGlpLakUaZGWmWsioEkJ1r2w8DE7TVunVFwsiHXyo/w640-h320/blog+cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I decided that my previous attempt at ballpoint pen art was interesting enough that I could make this into a rashguard. The geisha v demon drawing would form the front and back panel but I needed something on the sleeves. I always like including flowers on many of my designs so it seemed natural to attempt a floral composite for this project. </p><p>Here's how I put it together.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I began with an extensive search for images of vintage flower prints online. These photos would form handy references for the next stage. You can see my Pinterest gallery <b><u><a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/meerkatsu/vintage-botanical/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>.</p><p>I composed my favourite flowers from the collection in Photoshop to see how they would look all together. I then opened a layer on top of these flowers and inked over the flowers in outline form only. The end result looked like this image below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocAkWwCgysZfJUFnvoC_Bkw32tPJOvImSS9onabKQ44-i5jVoPA3BmK2AZN6f_11mJOTnolukSWgHIIOaMXK1jz4_ZXPAApTZBCWOHSpsLsl2pu4ZfcLZWBG6r5qWBJCZJlmPMAx5iJEs/s707/blog-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocAkWwCgysZfJUFnvoC_Bkw32tPJOvImSS9onabKQ44-i5jVoPA3BmK2AZN6f_11mJOTnolukSWgHIIOaMXK1jz4_ZXPAApTZBCWOHSpsLsl2pu4ZfcLZWBG6r5qWBJCZJlmPMAx5iJEs/w283-h400/blog-2.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><div><br /></div>It looks odd like this but you have to imagine it curving around the shape of a person's arm.<br /><p>I printed this design out onto two A4 sheets of paper and joined them together to make an A3 sized version. The next stage would be the lengthy period of my drawing over the top of this template with a biro pen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQBGaZf4S_v3SaOPxrlWJhcS3iMnryyMSKH7si7xmf3nT9eZYIGp3JVLHh9qNyM1lLAs8fx5Z9IDWH_1DVxYxkTO6PbO4JwGHG8onaZ9rY8_jYquKmlBOtb05apAJ_qx6Nkd9H8-o7Hth/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQBGaZf4S_v3SaOPxrlWJhcS3iMnryyMSKH7si7xmf3nT9eZYIGp3JVLHh9qNyM1lLAs8fx5Z9IDWH_1DVxYxkTO6PbO4JwGHG8onaZ9rY8_jYquKmlBOtb05apAJ_qx6Nkd9H8-o7Hth/w480-h640/blog2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9YOEwEgE6Lhs4qMZ4cXgrXEUuO3CTPVoefFxYv3moqtp2DIgnzDdU_sQsb_yvAuGUvoUzzYVNJs10XOqslxeatu0PGQSWKIPbeZIOpRm82A465CrQnrJeZVhDKqFirPJUuxqbl7aEFYd/s1634/blog-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9YOEwEgE6Lhs4qMZ4cXgrXEUuO3CTPVoefFxYv3moqtp2DIgnzDdU_sQsb_yvAuGUvoUzzYVNJs10XOqslxeatu0PGQSWKIPbeZIOpRm82A465CrQnrJeZVhDKqFirPJUuxqbl7aEFYd/w470-h640/blog-1.jpg" width="470" /></a></div><br /><p>The video below is a timelapse of the whole biro drawing process condensed into 50 seconds. It was very handy to have an A3 sized light box so that I could see the outlines beneath the paper. I used cheap watercolour paper to draw the biro marks on. It is a little more grainy than I would prefer for such a drawing but I quickly got used to it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwX4gusV2RM_UYpIkr3i_8XSWIAztxaJd1vMr_KbBjful7tBa6-_RqVz3XN5thpfFMAMZRafqmU2XdYb6t_Yg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p>Once the biro lines were complete I then scanned in A3 drawing in sections and pieced it together within Photoshop. </p><p>One side effect of drawing in blue biro is that the blue ink colour doesn't translate accurately in CMYK, which is the safest colour gamut to use when designing for dye sublimation printed garments (in my opinion). What looks vibrant and saturated on paper and in normal RGB mode on the computer will look far duller and less saturated in CMYK mode. This is to be expected so I placed an adjustment layer on the biro art to play with the colours a bit - pushing the vibrancy and levels as much as I could but still keeping it within the CMYK acceptable parameters.</p><p>The end result looked like this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hl2IaKVvcd4iZ87tIQS-zZunJ7vScuPXXmgO8UtqsMxstWDW_ysoUxekceCQTN8YxnUP3UJmbIjFCX1MKXY-sOZz_8w31HXCFYun6ppzAY18qZiYuiS_SqRAshz7Aw_owZNXHzDRquKi/s1022/blog-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1022" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hl2IaKVvcd4iZ87tIQS-zZunJ7vScuPXXmgO8UtqsMxstWDW_ysoUxekceCQTN8YxnUP3UJmbIjFCX1MKXY-sOZz_8w31HXCFYun6ppzAY18qZiYuiS_SqRAshz7Aw_owZNXHzDRquKi/w640-h574/blog-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The canvas size is really big, to accommodate the likely printing size of the actual rashguard sleeve. This contrasts to my vector artworks (Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer) where the canvas size can be much smaller since the vector lines are infinitely scaleable.</p><p>The next stage is to draw the other sleeve and perhaps draw smaller elements that I can add to the design. Once all the artwork has been placed onto my rashguard template, I will send it off to the factory to get a test sample made. I don't think any other fightwear brand has tried converting ballpoint artwork into rashguards so this is new territory for everyone.</p><p><br /></p><p>.</p><p><br /></p>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-73935164479554092602021-03-18T04:20:00.003-07:002021-03-18T04:29:25.710-07:00Affinity Photo 1.9 for Digital Drawing <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3ONXvPsxBB0X6CSrrGQVkudeJ0zft9syI0IJ3qOE9YBI293AFR8Er2s2GLrK0eGaEA5vM8soC_P5-e_YbZH8kootU-W8vOBCsbFVD2tHTyM4CpfFiVoRaY-_Cp2lzzbNV4PkrGaA3cq8/s1187/BLOG-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1187" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3ONXvPsxBB0X6CSrrGQVkudeJ0zft9syI0IJ3qOE9YBI293AFR8Er2s2GLrK0eGaEA5vM8soC_P5-e_YbZH8kootU-W8vOBCsbFVD2tHTyM4CpfFiVoRaY-_Cp2lzzbNV4PkrGaA3cq8/w640-h354/BLOG-cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>This artwork of an assassin schoolgirl was drawn using <a href="https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/" target="_blank">Affinity Photo</a> v1.9 and is the result of following a Domestika course by the artist Thomas Rohlf. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I first purchased both Affinity Photo and Designer several years ago. but have never actually used them. Currently I use Adobe CS 5.5 which was released way back in 2013. So far the Adobe programs still work on my Windows 10 PC but I'm aware they are no longer supported by Adobe. Already they crash without warning every so often. They could in theory cease to function entirely one day. Hence I felt it was time I should prepare myself and learn how to use the Affinity suite of products (since I do not wish to sign up to Adobe's subscription-only model). </div><div><br /></div><div>More about Affinity later but first, the Domestika course that I used to create my artwork:<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Thomas Rohlfs </b></span></span></div><div><span><span>Thomas creates line-art based human characters. You can see his work on <b><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thomasrohlfs/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></u></b>.<br /></span><div><div a="" can="" characters.="" distinctive="" drawn="" his="" href="https://www.instagram.com/thomasrohlfs/" human="" line-art="" of="" on="" produces="" rohlfs="" see="" series="" target="_blank" thomas="" very="" work="" you=""><br /></div></div>In his Domestika course (<a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/2048-dynamic-character-illustration/course" target="_blank">Dynamic Character Illustration</a>) Thomas shows techniques for breaking down human postures and poses into easy to draw stages (line of action, rhythm, weight distribution, stick model then cylinders). Thomas emphasises his use of photo references and encourages us to do the same. The methodology is very easy and it allows complete beginners (or untrained artists like me) to tackle human anatomy without any prior experience.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZkDRuGFbQfAzb29V2Gz1nPTdClQ_J3x_XMMthnADEJ5UHzF-M0n52uB8JI1tKyD98egk29hW2EjvGzbH5mzhcr1paVtrJ9ItDdoR2kz7u0tGHAZ4WDr8-tE1XQotsLOOF9q77V5voba1/s1273/WIP-1+jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZkDRuGFbQfAzb29V2Gz1nPTdClQ_J3x_XMMthnADEJ5UHzF-M0n52uB8JI1tKyD98egk29hW2EjvGzbH5mzhcr1paVtrJ9ItDdoR2kz7u0tGHAZ4WDr8-tE1XQotsLOOF9q77V5voba1/w452-h640/WIP-1+jpg.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Using lines to analyse human posture from photos</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieltSIs7yXgGOsvHyKmoHYv1DNzjfsTdKYmJ0XMK5ao7MEXU0mlF62nsFuONLwmkuNnm-XJ_WbSG1OUCcmgYeLfjxiIuaD91Bs75GiQZzub4wO3bVey29io1w4JIdZvu8doivRJj5EjxMX/s1080/WIP-2+%2528Thomas+help%2529.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1005" data-original-width="1080" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieltSIs7yXgGOsvHyKmoHYv1DNzjfsTdKYmJ0XMK5ao7MEXU0mlF62nsFuONLwmkuNnm-XJ_WbSG1OUCcmgYeLfjxiIuaD91Bs75GiQZzub4wO3bVey29io1w4JIdZvu8doivRJj5EjxMX/w640-h596/WIP-2+%2528Thomas+help%2529.webp" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A suggested correction from Thomas on the Domestika forum</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwPxNAwq6kr_fpltbBdf0Ma67iaxIwF9qTAoStxfY-qe80qUdprEYa5WFLdAvfEZvzVxsAnaWzjcfRYeryTEuFH0YLz80J4GqtunJQXBmYozlcleQgncvtCOOXcO-elQMXs-4AtGkFcfE/s2048/Sketch+-+line+art+-+basic+colour.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1441" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwPxNAwq6kr_fpltbBdf0Ma67iaxIwF9qTAoStxfY-qe80qUdprEYa5WFLdAvfEZvzVxsAnaWzjcfRYeryTEuFH0YLz80J4GqtunJQXBmYozlcleQgncvtCOOXcO-elQMXs-4AtGkFcfE/w640-h450/Sketch+-+line+art+-+basic+colour.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Progression from pencil to line art to basic colours</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Using photo references is not the same as tracing or copying photos. In fact, as evidenced by my practice sketches, when one does try to copy a photo very closely, it never seems to look quite right. Thomas's methodology allows us to capture the essence of the pose in the photo yet still gives freedom to adapt and modify it to make it our own.</div><div><span><br />It was interesting to observe how, during each stage of his drawing videos, Thomas goes through a lot of trial and error when roughing out his characters. I mean even his first draft attempts look really good but the fact that he will erase lines and re-draw them many times over goes to show how much self critique he goes through. This kind of constant analysis of the drawing is something I need to be more conscious of. The end result for Thomas is that his characters are always full of life and energy and on a technical note, always perfectly proportioned yet still uniquely stylised.<br /><div><span><br /></span></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FxlOcS9HKCZXiKcXPUtRnrwx2pbW-Z2JWP1gouT45k5ZsHbeAxBFq5IfQWoT5W3ss9-jo_MvACMa2khCIKEwmvYwc0qcFIXafp36T2NizSDm-ftQgLGyiYzcxeIKEPv29KNbFGEJc7Xr/s1350/Social-5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FxlOcS9HKCZXiKcXPUtRnrwx2pbW-Z2JWP1gouT45k5ZsHbeAxBFq5IfQWoT5W3ss9-jo_MvACMa2khCIKEwmvYwc0qcFIXafp36T2NizSDm-ftQgLGyiYzcxeIKEPv29KNbFGEJc7Xr/w512-h640/Social-5.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Working on composition, adding props helps tell more of a story to the image.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span>Ideally, I would have liked more information on depicting the characters from different angles, perspectives, foreshortening, extreme action poses etc. but Thomas explains these are not his strength and directs us to find other sources to learn these aspects. He did mention that he has a lot of tips on drawing faces, so maybe that alone would make for a follow-up course.<br /><br />I also really enjoyed receiving feedback from Thomas in the forum. He has such a sharp eye and was able to pick out things I missed in my own work.<br /><br />Overall I really enjoyed the course and it helped me build my confidence in drawing human characters and bringing more life into them.<br /><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_frUv9VQyVgim6KHFBtqh7psL4_R-DGZkpG9qlf94lvcr0Pp8XfIJg0NhDtDeacB4m-GwKrqeNOrOHUAqHESglDCehcJdGaTTSUgXF2xt8ld5Zx6e99B6IG-PfedDVKwnDe9BA4ZVE0Jz/s1350/Social-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_frUv9VQyVgim6KHFBtqh7psL4_R-DGZkpG9qlf94lvcr0Pp8XfIJg0NhDtDeacB4m-GwKrqeNOrOHUAqHESglDCehcJdGaTTSUgXF2xt8ld5Zx6e99B6IG-PfedDVKwnDe9BA4ZVE0Jz/w512-h640/Social-1.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The final artwork</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Affinity Photo</span></b><br />In case you aren't aware, Affinity Photo (AP) is a photo editing program and Affinity Designer (AD) is a vector drawing program. Actually Designer also offers raster drawing functionality - a feature they refer to as their 'Pixel Persona'. They are available on both desktop and iPad versions. I used the desktop version. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>AP is intended mainly for use as a photograph editing program but just like Photoshop, many artists like to create digital art using this program. I wanted to see how close the drawing experience was using AP compared to PS. <br /><br />The first thing I noticed with AP is how familiar the interface is - as a long time Photoshop user, there is a lot of cross over. But there are also some quirks specific to Affinity products - the most obvious one is the idea of 'Personas'. But I didn't really need to worry about that, since all I wanted to do was to use the brush tools and colouring tools both of which were incredibly easy to use.<br /><br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_X7Z5RwDTtBhcoo19QslahOhyphenhyphenS1bL_A3EyY8RpVgzB6kTnO8dlYtOAfkn9rIxsqDQBt-jGH1ZTE5A3o-eBDUjTQxaSbokER2i83qq1Tibj6JgavbaAfvJAkw0oG9vHyRk9Cf7M6BjxNL/s1350/Social-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_X7Z5RwDTtBhcoo19QslahOhyphenhyphenS1bL_A3EyY8RpVgzB6kTnO8dlYtOAfkn9rIxsqDQBt-jGH1ZTE5A3o-eBDUjTQxaSbokER2i83qq1Tibj6JgavbaAfvJAkw0oG9vHyRk9Cf7M6BjxNL/w512-h640/Social-2.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Affinity Photo offers a lot of brush options, in my piece I used Christi's Comix Tookbox brushes</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div>AP comes with a lot of brush tools built into it from the start - from standard fixed line width brushes through to brushes that simulate oils, acrylics, watercolour, inks, pencils etc etc. On top of that, I bought a couple of cheap brush sets from the Affinity website. The brushes I used for this project were ones from the Christi's Comix Toolbox. I noticed too that AP offers a stabilisation function - switching this toggle on allows me to draw very controlled smooth strokes with any brush. It's not suitable for everything but could be great for lettering or outlining a smooth object.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic93r-STZ6vqzO2bGFjvBx2cQ-s4EoEUPzB9qQ5ZlkxUBwd2RIGzgOr3M58NAaoSLb4XSAnVqDI_bojKRSPC_j083fDRXs9_3_xEzrCmVc74762-Fjj0q1bx4p3sjz1RWL5JYG3htXf752/s1350/Social-4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic93r-STZ6vqzO2bGFjvBx2cQ-s4EoEUPzB9qQ5ZlkxUBwd2RIGzgOr3M58NAaoSLb4XSAnVqDI_bojKRSPC_j083fDRXs9_3_xEzrCmVc74762-Fjj0q1bx4p3sjz1RWL5JYG3htXf752/w512-h640/Social-4.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can how I applied noise and drop shadow - AP offers nearly all the same core functions that Photoshop has.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Honestly, for the basic ability to just ink and colour a piece of digital art, AP offered me everything that could be found in Photoshop or any other raster drawing program. It was so easy and intuitive to use. The brushes could also be tweaked and adjusted but I did not explore that myself. Other very commonly used functions eg Layers, layer blends, masking, etc are all there and again, very straightforward to use.<br /><br />Of course AP also offers all the core photo editing functions that Photoshop offers - the ones I use a lot include: Levels, hue-saturation-brightness, selective colour, curves, and some of the filters (noise, blur, distort). For more advanced functions, like Photoshop Actions which Thomas in his course likes to use, then I believe AP does have them too. They're called Macros, but I did not use them myself.<br /><br />Another key benefit with AP is that the 1.9 version is bang up to date and perfectly suited for use on my Windows 10 PC whereas my ancient Adobe CS5.5 isn't and actually has sometimes stalled or crashed without warning. With Affinity, the one purchase price also gains the user all future updates.<br /><br />So far, so good. I'm pleased with AP as a platform to do digital drawing and inking. I'm not a digital painter so I guess it might not be as slick as other dedicated painting apps, but for core drawing function, it's really just as good as Photoshop in my opinion.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-2I-zmfttEqCMziZ7OwwktsPKnVImdT8Nfh7tfzFxFElVoRsxXTMWpaHjFiiIkmLDrcxipT54x9nsTE5b3RmOWb2bYSDQDraVjO8Fxf4JsC7v0Wia5qvQJEfTNMHWSCunUsGM6U1qq_4/s1350/Social-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-2I-zmfttEqCMziZ7OwwktsPKnVImdT8Nfh7tfzFxFElVoRsxXTMWpaHjFiiIkmLDrcxipT54x9nsTE5b3RmOWb2bYSDQDraVjO8Fxf4JsC7v0Wia5qvQJEfTNMHWSCunUsGM6U1qq_4/w512-h640/Social-3.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><span><br /></span></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-21775644440139057392021-03-08T07:01:00.003-08:002021-03-08T07:05:15.503-08:00Ballpoint Pen Art<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVcbkx3Xm_u_pELHP1GQZQg_MSXjgP6-7mB8Q3PyFppWoRWOSq-ilnnwbhVAUfqzbXC7eL_MH6awunUoqBzOQ1KQjL9Nu-uWjGFk46KJD5ZsY8k7se40hRyiOzWNo6CplnwqyaPprvD7e/s1500/Social-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVcbkx3Xm_u_pELHP1GQZQg_MSXjgP6-7mB8Q3PyFppWoRWOSq-ilnnwbhVAUfqzbXC7eL_MH6awunUoqBzOQ1KQjL9Nu-uWjGFk46KJD5ZsY8k7se40hRyiOzWNo6CplnwqyaPprvD7e/w640-h640/Social-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The humble biro pen has for a long time been the tool for some quite astonishing artworks by artists such as <a href="https://www.designboom.com/art/ballpoint-pen-drawings-by-shohei-otomo/" target="_blank">Shohei Otomo</a> and <a href="https://www.designfather.com/hyperrealistic-art-by-juan-francisco-casas/" target="_blank">Juan Francisco Casas</a>. These two and many othersa show just what can be achieved with a simple ballpoint pen. So I figure I would have a go myself...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I started off digitally sketching as good a version of the design as I could using Procreate. Then I printed that out onto A4 paper. My Japanese geisha lady fighting an Oni demon has been a very popular series for me, so it felt natural to draw a new iteration of the theme.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFka9QN-kF2Gw7A-vDyR-rxgwaJ7VjcnXm_NJ9VVPnyJYs5SP-3ZK4Ef7jng4KgzvpdbyF_d4RrfiOswa8EFBT_Q4tVQfn-M3RYQ-IOxw9T3fiRzLjfRQ_Rl0mYAL96mh_OlsNKdpzjpbd/s1300/Social1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFka9QN-kF2Gw7A-vDyR-rxgwaJ7VjcnXm_NJ9VVPnyJYs5SP-3ZK4Ef7jng4KgzvpdbyF_d4RrfiOswa8EFBT_Q4tVQfn-M3RYQ-IOxw9T3fiRzLjfRQ_Rl0mYAL96mh_OlsNKdpzjpbd/w278-h400/Social1.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p>I printed it out right up to the edge of the page knowing that my actual pen art will be drawn onto an A3 sized piece of watercolour paper.</p><p>You can see in the time lapse video below how I drew the piece. It's just one minute long but comprises around 8-10 hours of the total time it took me to draw. It was fun looking for angles and places to hang my cameraphone (via the Gorillapod) in order to get a decent view point.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E0f25kpjrng" width="560"></iframe></p><div><br /></div><div>Despite using a guide image to trace from, it was still up to me to decide on the level of shading and how much pressure to apply with the pen. Any mistakes or accidents would be difficult to cover up. As I'm so used to drawing digitally it took me a little while to get used to not worrying about mistakes. </div><div><br /></div><div>After a short while though I just got into the groove and shaded away without worrying too much. I found that drawing multiple strokes of faint lines and building up the layers of ink worked best. Any mistakes would be too faint to notice and could be easily drawn over.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ApYp-Pr5JenECfUtG-sL_VjBNl_zMpvVitt4EONV2XdaQ0L7xJThn_cOjCEnDECdymlGXP-TULzyp-za9zNycQKlccE4HotaLb-12zeZzh_Bryqe3OmH7v4zAdBpPvAbAX552Wad-8C/s1500/Social-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ApYp-Pr5JenECfUtG-sL_VjBNl_zMpvVitt4EONV2XdaQ0L7xJThn_cOjCEnDECdymlGXP-TULzyp-za9zNycQKlccE4HotaLb-12zeZzh_Bryqe3OmH7v4zAdBpPvAbAX552Wad-8C/w640-h640/Social-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnvWMut1xTHkoEKat5XNDgSH0p1VsBPKKRQbYBg9qtCK9Xe-NVAaQkQr_RbodKGXNaEI9OIt2cnYEKB1dMvzIrd-VEVVpEREL8JcrrLg0k5ITL5RF0vQbdWkFEgs4sr8LSTXOxYpVSab/s1500/Social-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjnvWMut1xTHkoEKat5XNDgSH0p1VsBPKKRQbYBg9qtCK9Xe-NVAaQkQr_RbodKGXNaEI9OIt2cnYEKB1dMvzIrd-VEVVpEREL8JcrrLg0k5ITL5RF0vQbdWkFEgs4sr8LSTXOxYpVSab/w640-h640/Social-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFK8NvOR5l0jMRavjfgmlUybL_jYpq6c1G5RINNFZff7h01AG2pPG14ypr2r0j0zVlJ5WzJqEy5VBSHkjlbKKC5jy-qsv3rD97r5amYuH3dfCFhbNshPMGAyEYH0-FSvAUHMaURUgsOJXu/s2048/Social-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2007" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFK8NvOR5l0jMRavjfgmlUybL_jYpq6c1G5RINNFZff7h01AG2pPG14ypr2r0j0zVlJ5WzJqEy5VBSHkjlbKKC5jy-qsv3rD97r5amYuH3dfCFhbNshPMGAyEYH0-FSvAUHMaURUgsOJXu/w628-h640/Social-4.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm quite pleased with the end result. The biro pen gives very pleasant lines of ink, especially in blue. It is neither pencil nor inkpen, but a medium that offers the best of both. It's also cheap!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to drawing more biroart, I need to experiment more with shading, paper types, maybe try different brands of ballpoints - there's lots more to play with.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>.</div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-38890295559729421702021-03-02T16:22:00.003-08:002021-03-02T16:22:33.988-08:00Domestika Review - Composition and Color for Creative Illustration by Marcos Chin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXFlDVorL0_8UEef_n2YNlBXyKyDTY9w8Uf4eg5kRnMM4lFvx6EiKD4cJNh96FcrA4Cch9ZLajdpmqBS8rSIosdQkiN-3bnwxUQDEKKVSS8snHAtBhax0jQr7G6eSxaa7nyNO6tAQyzaQ/s1191/blogger+cover+images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1191" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXFlDVorL0_8UEef_n2YNlBXyKyDTY9w8Uf4eg5kRnMM4lFvx6EiKD4cJNh96FcrA4Cch9ZLajdpmqBS8rSIosdQkiN-3bnwxUQDEKKVSS8snHAtBhax0jQr7G6eSxaa7nyNO6tAQyzaQ/w640-h320/blogger+cover+images.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>This illustration of a Chinese Lion Dance was drawn using both Illustrator and hand painted from Chinese food ingredients (a wash of diluted soy sauce, concentrated Chinese tea and dabs of dipping sauce). Blending both digital and hand painted elements brings up some weird and interesting effects to the final piece. It was created as a result of following a course on <b><a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/1215-composition-and-color-for-creative-illustration/course" target="_blank">Domestika by Marcos Chin</a></b>.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3osWH59kn3CoymFI2mkvOBaUUDYcxa5g1IJR6GbQZVj9ci5QMXoCBNlPp2LcOQFlSIYRqRgddBh5V4DfVtgVGkhqsxdz_lBAUhmTUEvX6T_QZh2x8v-IN9tGLv_QnshJptdpPZEqI5k_/s1200/Stage+1+-+text+study+and+thumbnails.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="1200" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3osWH59kn3CoymFI2mkvOBaUUDYcxa5g1IJR6GbQZVj9ci5QMXoCBNlPp2LcOQFlSIYRqRgddBh5V4DfVtgVGkhqsxdz_lBAUhmTUEvX6T_QZh2x8v-IN9tGLv_QnshJptdpPZEqI5k_/w640-h314/Stage+1+-+text+study+and+thumbnails.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Marcos Chin is an editorial illustrator. You can see his work over on Instagram <b><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/marcoschinart/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>. The Domestika course he teaches offered some new insights for me as I was keen to learn how he interpreted his article based assignments plus how he managed to paint such vibrant pieces of art. By following his course, I created my Lion Dance piece described below:-</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeX21IhLIDch-V8WOHsXKg6C28M2b5ZaHbQKZGXSi9HE9gLsTa_VzxHQY8ePwGckWP2cbvZH6duGu7-ivjDy9OJtXWUTjBaq1CEs4EkQBecTqzpN5npHl-NEIv1EINQiaF7mtQymXiZWV/s1063/Stage+2+-+Final+sketch+and+colour+palette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeX21IhLIDch-V8WOHsXKg6C28M2b5ZaHbQKZGXSi9HE9gLsTa_VzxHQY8ePwGckWP2cbvZH6duGu7-ivjDy9OJtXWUTjBaq1CEs4EkQBecTqzpN5npHl-NEIv1EINQiaF7mtQymXiZWV/w542-h640/Stage+2+-+Final+sketch+and+colour+palette.jpg" width="542" /></a></div><p>My final project is based on the history of London's Chinatown (see article <b><u><a href="https://chinatown.co.uk/en/culture/chinatown-london-potted-history/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>). Chinatown has a special place in my memories. It has always been a location where I would celebrate important events in my life (birthdays, graduations, wedding etc). </p><p>Marcos begins each new assignment by picking out key words from an article and then doing a word-association list. The key words I took from the Chinatown article (and from my own experiences) include Hope and Celebration. Hope refers to the many generations of Chinese families who migrated from China to London in the hope to create a better life for themselves. For many, Chinatown would be the place where they set their roots down or at least find a community who could help them find work and make friends.</p><p>Marcos then showed how he begins to draw thumbnail sketches based on the key words and eventually will decide on one that he will take to final project.</p><p>Marcos discusses composition theory and I found his use of triangulations very useful knowledge to use for my own works.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCI3WCZ3EhVYa5p-4pwkYJ9Wqw_j_o0aQq4AZedItUEPqK51aKMBxXhuNpbhve-RvRUlfKaDRr1H1_vAJ7OhciILKv_e7m7Y-asebpfzpc_-iZ6f0RMnJxsP2poYNwm7FRLWihr4oee_P/s1210/Stage+3+-+coloured+vectors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCI3WCZ3EhVYa5p-4pwkYJ9Wqw_j_o0aQq4AZedItUEPqK51aKMBxXhuNpbhve-RvRUlfKaDRr1H1_vAJ7OhciILKv_e7m7Y-asebpfzpc_-iZ6f0RMnJxsP2poYNwm7FRLWihr4oee_P/w476-h640/Stage+3+-+coloured+vectors.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After drawing a decent pencil drawing, Marcos then scans it into his computer and re-draws it using Adobe Illustrator. Unusually he chooses to use shapes that include both the fill colour and the stroke. This is different to how I do things as I draw with only fill or only stroke but never bother together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The advantage of this method is that Marcos is able to vary the colours for each and every shape he makes. Since his signature style uses a lot of abstract blobs this method suits him perfectly. I too following this style of vector drawing with my Lion Dance. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRjfuEbUBJju5qpkzd9tY2p3ZE8KgQIO5d9RnmUszcKM-PJSrGap6d2SQOgdvHZpPUGVwfNJi3agUzJjyvkWiAbQB59qm4l9ydrCArfJsx3Ujzm-J_dpF1UI6aQZWHEQLkn4ltkhP0X04/s1350/Stage+4+-+Chinese+food+sauce+textures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRjfuEbUBJju5qpkzd9tY2p3ZE8KgQIO5d9RnmUszcKM-PJSrGap6d2SQOgdvHZpPUGVwfNJi3agUzJjyvkWiAbQB59qm4l9ydrCArfJsx3Ujzm-J_dpF1UI6aQZWHEQLkn4ltkhP0X04/w512-h640/Stage+4+-+Chinese+food+sauce+textures.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After the vector drawing is complete, Marcos prints out his work onto ordinary printer paper and then paints over it using a wide variety of brush and pen marks. The paints he uses are very dilute and the effect can be quite subtle. He also creates his own textures onto plain paper. Both the re-painted vector drawing and his pages of textures are then applied to the original vector art in Photoshop.</div><div><br /></div><div>I copied this technique for the Lion Dance piece using Chinese tea as paint and soy sauce to make texture's marks (see photos above and below).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmB5vvZ1gziU7m-KzD6f-7JUoMXmM8Qx_uScvoFacEatr4hJGhhst_MxH-e8SFMXFVlEaXX7jaUaFWgLpehds1UdlmfqrY7Q4sH9Bupmwjot1XUGHASx0PRkxt98VOLaa22zhx8NeVyTo/s1350/Stage+5+-+faint+brush+marks+on+photocopy+paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmB5vvZ1gziU7m-KzD6f-7JUoMXmM8Qx_uScvoFacEatr4hJGhhst_MxH-e8SFMXFVlEaXX7jaUaFWgLpehds1UdlmfqrY7Q4sH9Bupmwjot1XUGHASx0PRkxt98VOLaa22zhx8NeVyTo/w512-h640/Stage+5+-+faint+brush+marks+on+photocopy+paper.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p>Painting something so watery onto the inkjet print out made the ink bleed a little and the paper buckled. But this was kind of cool and it gave the piece a raw analog feel. I scanned this painting back into my computer and added it as a layer in Photoshop.</p><p>After a bit of adjusting and editing, the final piece looks as below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteP_ifHkUbcQ41Q3FvuT1E2wAUSgvWUoSREUMWeqtHtWirkoxBi1W5Y1BA1ToPzLf_wdkpo28GG09Q6Chel_FGZZ9egKMk2Qc-ESaRT_31M8T8BJU0IieXtjfLQOE8NXrarZE4ObdjuU_/s1350/Stage+6+-+Finished+design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteP_ifHkUbcQ41Q3FvuT1E2wAUSgvWUoSREUMWeqtHtWirkoxBi1W5Y1BA1ToPzLf_wdkpo28GG09Q6Chel_FGZZ9egKMk2Qc-ESaRT_31M8T8BJU0IieXtjfLQOE8NXrarZE4ObdjuU_/w512-h640/Stage+6+-+Finished+design.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2lbxNIBMCkDpl8fNrNLEYlPJYepLinhG714vHHB4ndUSflRxXHlgilwCBd3mARZAsp0vr_6X4zSYFk2TmqjsR3a5NqYP-6qGzTVDNeZmbil-IIeqR0XBzZN-06DLGAWHnWhcFhwwo8WY/s1350/Stage+7+-+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2lbxNIBMCkDpl8fNrNLEYlPJYepLinhG714vHHB4ndUSflRxXHlgilwCBd3mARZAsp0vr_6X4zSYFk2TmqjsR3a5NqYP-6qGzTVDNeZmbil-IIeqR0XBzZN-06DLGAWHnWhcFhwwo8WY/w512-h640/Stage+7+-+close+up.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>This is a great course and opened my eyes to different techniques that could enhance my artworks. I especially liked Marcos's tips on key wording, composition and his blending of analog with digital drawing to create the final piece.<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-32649891643691844582021-02-17T15:39:00.005-08:002021-02-17T16:28:25.374-08:00Domestika Review: Havi Cruz - Ornamental Lettering<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz_mb3w04aSflaHAHMtdqbKwVC_4iB6073GizBnFgOCFN_Lb-tR63migXjF87pyZXvNMy7txuPlWATTi-qpg0APdqo3_3i38KUfZJCeEVeCCqdMTEaWzpupW_Yat_kt80A9Jj_QZ1AEyB/s1800/Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyz_mb3w04aSflaHAHMtdqbKwVC_4iB6073GizBnFgOCFN_Lb-tR63migXjF87pyZXvNMy7txuPlWATTi-qpg0APdqo3_3i38KUfZJCeEVeCCqdMTEaWzpupW_Yat_kt80A9Jj_QZ1AEyB/w640-h640/Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It's currently lockdown here in the UK due to the COVID pandemic so I'm using the extra spare time I currently have to work through as many online art tutorials as I can. It's a rare opportunity for me to spend time investing in my artistic development. Vintage lettering was always something I've wanted to try my hand at so when I saw that Domestika offered a course on this topic, I jumped at the chance.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><a href="https://www.behance.net/havicruz" target="_blank">Havi Cruz</a> is a specialist in ornate hand lettered typographical designs. This type of lettering was most prominent in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Despite the ease with which one can buy digital victorian fonts and templates, nothing still beats a good old piece of original type hand crafted by an artist. Havi himself joins a select few other artists who excel at this type of thing - check out the stunning works of <a href="https://www.tobiassaul.de/" target="_blank">Tobias Sau</a>l, <a href="https://davidadriansmith.com/" target="_blank">Dave Smith</a> and <a href="https://www.behance.net/mateuszwitczak" target="_blank">Mateusz Witczak</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHsCmD5hjsxT1Aj___orh_qJAc6EDibzGRUHmB5TOmnxfaeA8ZLnGKVZlxcF2BNc2hjgHxh3fL90Jsx7mlGGaHn9CyLxy1nmXcSjAtoZetm4poRpbEjsAOh9TnC3i0y2lrlSyVaz0NdWK/s865/screen1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="865" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiHsCmD5hjsxT1Aj___orh_qJAc6EDibzGRUHmB5TOmnxfaeA8ZLnGKVZlxcF2BNc2hjgHxh3fL90Jsx7mlGGaHn9CyLxy1nmXcSjAtoZetm4poRpbEjsAOh9TnC3i0y2lrlSyVaz0NdWK/w640-h542/screen1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This course is taught in Spanish and although the translated subtitles weren't particularly good, I managed to get enough information to understand. Havi began by introducing us to his influences and then discussed a few details that make vintage typography so special.</p><p>The first few videos of the course were fairly easy and straightforward to follow. These early stages of type design involved a lot of roughly drawn pencil sketches.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSDcoCwlASNjhDRWiMf2v5DtjOfgPTVml5Pjbmo1pO-x6cEvpMZQf-8JMgMtNOliOmeoTSp_izKrZqgfqsEUaR-iqC7mn6xFXnXo0xlVGwDNTEgDKvqY4DnQQcxsXRrh-KoElnEv6d-8d/s1350/Instagram-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnSDcoCwlASNjhDRWiMf2v5DtjOfgPTVml5Pjbmo1pO-x6cEvpMZQf-8JMgMtNOliOmeoTSp_izKrZqgfqsEUaR-iqC7mn6xFXnXo0xlVGwDNTEgDKvqY4DnQQcxsXRrh-KoElnEv6d-8d/w512-h640/Instagram-4.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p>The problem I had with the course is that Havi then moved very rapidly onto the next stage which saw him re-draw his selected design in immaculate detail. He draws his letters with a few construction lines but other than that, he freehand draws his amazing letters. It was disheartening to see him do this with such ease because my own efforts were so poor by comparison.</p><p>To be fair, Havi does state that we will need to really practice hand lettering a lot. And refer to a lot of photo references too.</p><p>I decided I would proceed with what I had and hope it would look half decent. Luckily I had some graph paper to hand which helped a LOT.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqvT4U0NTNiu6giAfsyNC9LJw9bjPBe5fg37QC7yw2a9p7eeB1V_PiobdhVu_rq5vWyuPYKFCHZpgEk9A2M4LPjC-NDSk2Cd6N-k5cpgM3qB58vScq0e93eWi3qEqE_aXTHJRMhRJjo6h/s1350/Instagram-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqvT4U0NTNiu6giAfsyNC9LJw9bjPBe5fg37QC7yw2a9p7eeB1V_PiobdhVu_rq5vWyuPYKFCHZpgEk9A2M4LPjC-NDSk2Cd6N-k5cpgM3qB58vScq0e93eWi3qEqE_aXTHJRMhRJjo6h/w512-h640/Instagram-5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p>During the vector drawing stage, Havi showed how he prepares his work in Adobe Illustrator, pacing special emphasis on precise guideline markers to mark out each part of each letter. This was really helpful to see and I tried my best to follow this advice.</p><p>However for my final piece, I did not proceed with the gold leaf effect he showed. Instead I went for a stripey look with 3D drop shadow - which I learned from <b><a href="https://youtu.be/tEgx-yjP9tQ" target="_blank">this video</a></b>. The great thing about working with vectors is that I can scale the design up without loss of quality, plus I can apply a whole range of treatments to it:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJxvUJ_D4Yv48mUdDHD-4cqOQy5620WjboYn34ZbexQOfOlgumgEaygbbbkBnlL03beDjH2-uMnZW7MQn2ZsL0tsntYEyKo1a9irXC5uccN40j6viKUAKQzLNd8J-A2XIpBWqRmfaHYiD/s1500/bjj+artists.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1500" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJxvUJ_D4Yv48mUdDHD-4cqOQy5620WjboYn34ZbexQOfOlgumgEaygbbbkBnlL03beDjH2-uMnZW7MQn2ZsL0tsntYEyKo1a9irXC5uccN40j6viKUAKQzLNd8J-A2XIpBWqRmfaHYiD/w640-h452/bjj+artists.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BoDrHYvuviJApN7c4j0NUTzcqBGmNE9k0KM-nc7d7FW2_B2vpMLJGxaMepOZqJJASD0M1Telhz6lxV_xNFc_97JkcOhQcdq5-Jver0ET1IwlysvbILS70NXRWHFTgRHF9u-wYRt9zz0M/s1500/bjj+artists+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1500" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BoDrHYvuviJApN7c4j0NUTzcqBGmNE9k0KM-nc7d7FW2_B2vpMLJGxaMepOZqJJASD0M1Telhz6lxV_xNFc_97JkcOhQcdq5-Jver0ET1IwlysvbILS70NXRWHFTgRHF9u-wYRt9zz0M/w640-h452/bjj+artists+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsU_AkvNkicBGq_lpSrtFw0EAAYaF2W-mhuOVdxoF-xulGeeH9O7V-QZiLzNXHIgq5wwrx8p_PjsKbBQUdJQW6ZR7XzY8rn0rXadTxva3ROkZ0MppU73tItnLnAbgh88Y2xmK2vazw_C2/s1350/Instagram-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsU_AkvNkicBGq_lpSrtFw0EAAYaF2W-mhuOVdxoF-xulGeeH9O7V-QZiLzNXHIgq5wwrx8p_PjsKbBQUdJQW6ZR7XzY8rn0rXadTxva3ROkZ0MppU73tItnLnAbgh88Y2xmK2vazw_C2/w512-h640/Instagram-6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBXHnHCfaWaUu50F-4Yezr4aAkGsbmemSFKuQ7zlOBwoxszZj-Q4jgnm_sH-mxwuw_u5Sy3cuyYyvctqLd0227sS1J7nptPwkMUI9AatixLcWSA16UXKBmDtAKVmwwPnQAfKg90sSZby8/s1350/Instagram-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBXHnHCfaWaUu50F-4Yezr4aAkGsbmemSFKuQ7zlOBwoxszZj-Q4jgnm_sH-mxwuw_u5Sy3cuyYyvctqLd0227sS1J7nptPwkMUI9AatixLcWSA16UXKBmDtAKVmwwPnQAfKg90sSZby8/w512-h640/Instagram-7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>This course is a nice glimpse into the world of vintage hand lettering. But it's only that, a glimpse. In order to create anything half decent it's obvious it will take many years of practice and an in-depth level of knowledge of vintage lettering and ornamental designs. <div><br /></div><div>But it was very insightful to see how Havi goes about creating his design. It's given me a bit more of an understanding on how to make a typographic piece flow and look beautiful. I hope to keep working on this style for personal projects and maybe bring a little in to my client work.</div><div><br /></div><div>.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEOlTDbXCN3VBtLxFMbrlmGNDr2qG2gL6TWSFXEYgf7SBE_eWqhn1wux28LxsXtBTL9h3_oz46fB6yvT6B6K24S-k-BIW6faxU5et1xQGqAiHr5Mid-OkVlFCD1DKFo2gV9BT6EFv2OwJ/s1579/Instagram-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="1197" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEOlTDbXCN3VBtLxFMbrlmGNDr2qG2gL6TWSFXEYgf7SBE_eWqhn1wux28LxsXtBTL9h3_oz46fB6yvT6B6K24S-k-BIW6faxU5et1xQGqAiHr5Mid-OkVlFCD1DKFo2gV9BT6EFv2OwJ/w486-h640/Instagram-7.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-1552018166152246962021-02-15T06:15:00.002-08:002021-02-15T06:15:19.558-08:00Domestika Review: Abraham Garcia, Digital Shading Techniques<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwieH7MiqK7iXmbtRiWzUy-izqWQCntAIJXTl1B8tF0_xsC2vYxqMhL71yQCXLAn4thEbS3WfwhyphenhyphenF0_AuGTCuVxQtjed_GtbgoLDUr_Obqwdb_UqCX119sqmMxk8PpwplTU276zoHpPkT/s1798/BLOG+COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1798" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwieH7MiqK7iXmbtRiWzUy-izqWQCntAIJXTl1B8tF0_xsC2vYxqMhL71yQCXLAn4thEbS3WfwhyphenhyphenF0_AuGTCuVxQtjed_GtbgoLDUr_Obqwdb_UqCX119sqmMxk8PpwplTU276zoHpPkT/w640-h244/BLOG+COVER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>Abraham Garcia’s distinctive retro style is what attracted me to this course. I’ve dabbled with vintage design elements in some of my work but in those cases I was just shifting around ready-made vectors and shapes. This time, I wanted to create my own original design from scratch so I was keen to see what tips I could pick up from this course on <b><u><a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/163-digital-shading-techniques/course" target="_blank">Domestika</a></u></b>.<span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCI2c2uhshPtlIgIVUl1SYffb0f-gxK7WLZdBq9kkNX1krVKB_GX1Tx7zCb-XV-CyB_th9Og378zZevtmt4_SkSdkvv78E12f0NymAcMo7rH3OSrneDJWz045I8Uu2W0jnGAblRAJafa5/s1253/screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1253" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCI2c2uhshPtlIgIVUl1SYffb0f-gxK7WLZdBq9kkNX1krVKB_GX1Tx7zCb-XV-CyB_th9Og378zZevtmt4_SkSdkvv78E12f0NymAcMo7rH3OSrneDJWz045I8Uu2W0jnGAblRAJafa5/w640-h500/screen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Be warned, this isn’t a course for complete beginners. From the get-go Abraham runs through his tools and techniques at rapid pace. It is assumed you already have at least basic Adobe Illustrator skills especially handling brushes and blending. you also probably need to have basic light and shade drawing skills. The whole style he teaches relies on your ability to apply repeating lines in order to give the illusion of light and shadow.</div><br />
The Spanish to English subtitles are really poorly translated - it's like it was done on a very early prototype of Google translate. This is weird because <b><u><a href="http://meerkatsu-art.blogspot.com/2021/02/domestika-review-vero-navarro-procreate.html" target="_blank">Vero Navarro’s</a></u></b> course translations were perfectly fine. But then Abraham’s course was made a few years ago so maybe it relies on a less sophisticated translation? Either way, it made it doubly hard for me to follow along. Plus he speaks very fast so the subtitles zip along speedily. I had to pause and rewind often.
<br /><br />
But I’m glad I persisted because there are some very good tips being offered here. It's just a slog to get to.
<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Course Assignment</span></b></div><div>Abraham's course asks us to design a whiskey label. It's a good platform to showcase the variety of vintage shading techniques that he teaches.<br />.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxjKU9D5lMyBMEBY2COlSJj23HYQcC3uP0H47HJkaHYEDfkW3CKJq665bT3w0d4C_JXgMNMrC9IzApQGnthe-qGv9u2eizFpcUbLCrVn3bD0cPsULS90FDGOI4UjtsOFn_4Tc3jA6cDUC/s1350/Social-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxjKU9D5lMyBMEBY2COlSJj23HYQcC3uP0H47HJkaHYEDfkW3CKJq665bT3w0d4C_JXgMNMrC9IzApQGnthe-qGv9u2eizFpcUbLCrVn3bD0cPsULS90FDGOI4UjtsOFn_4Tc3jA6cDUC/w512-h640/Social-2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br />The image above is my final piece, but it took a lot of effort to get there. Here's the process:<div><br /></div><div>As with all good pro illustrators, Abraham showed how each project begins with the brainstorming of ideas which are sketched down as quick thumbnail drawings. This is followed by the collecting of images to create a mood board:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq92Kv78SXeg3lI4L4wi8t44SRXk0aXlhSrYAYoi4aAmZqtNbeCXGLb8Z6UJjaqrTxBXhsqeLOf5x4beCl2hYo13uKq5E7STU4czSwVduFND_xstd82pQABJ7Mbwv5LZn2g7XprBwBniaZ/s2048/29B378B5-BE1D-4469-B26B-B2A29A7DD014-original.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq92Kv78SXeg3lI4L4wi8t44SRXk0aXlhSrYAYoi4aAmZqtNbeCXGLb8Z6UJjaqrTxBXhsqeLOf5x4beCl2hYo13uKq5E7STU4czSwVduFND_xstd82pQABJ7Mbwv5LZn2g7XprBwBniaZ/s320/29B378B5-BE1D-4469-B26B-B2A29A7DD014-original.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro7ALS7ep2oL_1gwHKoHELemcf0oj5LQ1V6-A4W4D6Oo8WNCBppn9Q6zpkxAA4Kx-WNNy0aODjXKVkuGddGZN9UdgMbXFjE3UFrJFjBX8wjC2Fx63qAY09buCBrwyXof6YBBVF1_sGwc3/s820/740CD1EE-30BA-46AA-9053-72FE4DFE6EE8-original.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro7ALS7ep2oL_1gwHKoHELemcf0oj5LQ1V6-A4W4D6Oo8WNCBppn9Q6zpkxAA4Kx-WNNy0aODjXKVkuGddGZN9UdgMbXFjE3UFrJFjBX8wjC2Fx63qAY09buCBrwyXof6YBBVF1_sGwc3/s320/740CD1EE-30BA-46AA-9053-72FE4DFE6EE8-original.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsifX_FCHZlDhWsRL8aXp-gTeYAU48j3B3Y0TJR55UDIaYg3-FYbEN5EVTxZpb5FSzuk-900SFFBNRjKty0PTggD68sw1xUHQjUY_QCSrSX9rz-FMTy_payeKy8Yg_jpUc3J_reO35PyRk/s1204/screen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="1204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsifX_FCHZlDhWsRL8aXp-gTeYAU48j3B3Y0TJR55UDIaYg3-FYbEN5EVTxZpb5FSzuk-900SFFBNRjKty0PTggD68sw1xUHQjUY_QCSrSX9rz-FMTy_payeKy8Yg_jpUc3J_reO35PyRk/s320/screen2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div>So far, so good. But before moving onto the project itself, it was time to practice those shading lines. Abraham asked us to use his methods to shade a sphere, pyramid and cube. I cannot tell you how frustrating these initial attempts were for me. I know how to use the blend tool and I know how to shade, but for some reason my brain found it hard to engage in this engraving style:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_Gt7AvSuWe1LHBMW3JIYy3qXe5c2rrD1toRzTZDA4QjhosuuZFPZxhde2OaPHda8CBxB-fveUztkvoC0ECQPmVikjunZgxczmEvsnmtigtzS_2eNHyXCK18JiumaasMPtCXRz1pM-ave/s1581/Exercise+2-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1581" data-original-width="1090" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_Gt7AvSuWe1LHBMW3JIYy3qXe5c2rrD1toRzTZDA4QjhosuuZFPZxhde2OaPHda8CBxB-fveUztkvoC0ECQPmVikjunZgxczmEvsnmtigtzS_2eNHyXCK18JiumaasMPtCXRz1pM-ave/w442-h640/Exercise+2-3.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>The trick is to apply the blend tool to straight and shaped line paths and then layer this one over the other, erasing parts you don't need on each layer. It's very labour intensive work (but of courseway, way quicker than the real world techniques!)<br /><div><br /></div><div>My efforts seemed shabby and I noticed already at this early stage that sometimes the lines would go out of synch if you erased them too much (prior to expanding). It's something you have to be aware of when shading this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my hack handed early efforts, I moved on to my main project where I quickly got the hang of things...</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Death Trooper</span></b></div><div>I decided to use Star Wars as my theme because I really like the Star Wars helmet art that artists such as <b><u><a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/49049041/Stormtrooper-Study" target="_blank">Hydro74</a></u></b>, <b><u><a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/65666807/StarWars-x-Tonymidi" target="_blank">TonyMidi</a></u></b> and <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/63325117/McQuarries-Stormtrooper" target="_blank">Charles AP</a> create. Also because I love Rogue One film. My shading would be different to that taught by Abraham in that I would be using white vector lines on black, not black on white.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's no dilly-dallying once on the main project, I got straight to work on the main visual element - the Death Trooper helmet. For reference I looked at a variety of photos and poses, this one where he is looking slightly up worked best for me:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWahY9YU1LRIXlc-sDxB48AwVnBwIC0uoN81NHHujqvMhyphenhyphenYfprzt-UmsfiL7dEnD3ityH_4_XFCocXTkOgUpFnejowVN3fwWhv1nIxCUec0kuJXVdtjYAOMGcYoxx1MpFcYuze9tkrgscA/s939/wip-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="939" data-original-width="663" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWahY9YU1LRIXlc-sDxB48AwVnBwIC0uoN81NHHujqvMhyphenhyphenYfprzt-UmsfiL7dEnD3ityH_4_XFCocXTkOgUpFnejowVN3fwWhv1nIxCUec0kuJXVdtjYAOMGcYoxx1MpFcYuze9tkrgscA/w452-h640/wip-1.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0qY13NWMMLtp5zrMPZVDv21RnIpSxDZg_06Oo5k4qqK1Fr0xLuUr8WkMG6J0T4Ip8Oh3PaMAGXzbpG1DMmsi8o12HzmpBzptvorfTHy3dxMbKPx9VAgSVe5OvzTSCCQjr7yp6Dl_Izgx/s1364/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1364" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0qY13NWMMLtp5zrMPZVDv21RnIpSxDZg_06Oo5k4qqK1Fr0xLuUr8WkMG6J0T4Ip8Oh3PaMAGXzbpG1DMmsi8o12HzmpBzptvorfTHy3dxMbKPx9VAgSVe5OvzTSCCQjr7yp6Dl_Izgx/w640-h432/Untitled-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Next stage was to work on the typographic elements. Handily I had bought a vintage fonts and flourishes vector bundle on Deal Jumbo many years ago but never really used them before. My whiskey label would be an ideal opportunity to apply them:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzdxT-FKw5R1YsSHQ7nc0L7Zn36-EUx7CbwIzVnZOA7s4K_evDcsaYcXJ8uLPkHuIPjj_ektVX6WKJO1VgjXsXAtcEd0r6KyrR9YmTinCvVd5N-dZBx3hWb7_HXs0an4gRQcmmjVMJ8OC/s2048/Type+treatment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1444" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzdxT-FKw5R1YsSHQ7nc0L7Zn36-EUx7CbwIzVnZOA7s4K_evDcsaYcXJ8uLPkHuIPjj_ektVX6WKJO1VgjXsXAtcEd0r6KyrR9YmTinCvVd5N-dZBx3hWb7_HXs0an4gRQcmmjVMJ8OC/w452-h640/Type+treatment.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div>Whilst I did watch Abraham's videos, I didn't follow along precisely - for the most part I simply played around with the settings in Illustrator and referred back to vintage label designs for ideas. I did learn a handy way to create 3D drop shadows onto text (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jnojoBWOdo" target="_blank">here</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>With both text and main elements completed, I then moved to the layout design and decorative elements stage:</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsWjzUDJ1Pjbalt5UwqA0ZbQjV4ZUFt122MEjRQZTBoogM0DobPMhtc4lUE8EqQKL_9nPVGyAgWngI_XkE1ZTN8bBuuYoWLHDVWu4DGLVC0h2Jy3dlrqHLPQ1NVGI56IqVksWWCC2sWcN/s1350/Social-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsWjzUDJ1Pjbalt5UwqA0ZbQjV4ZUFt122MEjRQZTBoogM0DobPMhtc4lUE8EqQKL_9nPVGyAgWngI_XkE1ZTN8bBuuYoWLHDVWu4DGLVC0h2Jy3dlrqHLPQ1NVGI56IqVksWWCC2sWcN/w512-h640/Social-1.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I mainly used linear lines to shade, with a little bit of cross hatching</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLqqHl9LcVrKfrtrRfOi77jq5902tPxpduviBnt_Tuu2QYV5qx5kkQbEistX5r7t7dcFa0Vv09gUPk0K8sCGnTnlmbUp2ze8die95bY6o0GmXySsQng21AN_tNa_QGRZCvxk0bfyHfXDt/s1350/Social-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLqqHl9LcVrKfrtrRfOi77jq5902tPxpduviBnt_Tuu2QYV5qx5kkQbEistX5r7t7dcFa0Vv09gUPk0K8sCGnTnlmbUp2ze8die95bY6o0GmXySsQng21AN_tNa_QGRZCvxk0bfyHfXDt/w512-h640/Social-3.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The little dents and scratches here are a nice custom brush tip from Abraham</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq6MkF_-vyGNOR2fl2_SzGjoi0WsBkRv8zHZgq2ZBLXUeI8EIyr1aVHLfoBmeBYdk_FDRdfWjCl8CrUrcZcSOYlCXZtOitEAyunQ2oFqsBA6-QzuhMAdwXcGrMSeQxx6d8xfH1jbJA8y8/s1350/Social-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIq6MkF_-vyGNOR2fl2_SzGjoi0WsBkRv8zHZgq2ZBLXUeI8EIyr1aVHLfoBmeBYdk_FDRdfWjCl8CrUrcZcSOYlCXZtOitEAyunQ2oFqsBA6-QzuhMAdwXcGrMSeQxx6d8xfH1jbJA8y8/w512-h640/Social-4.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>When shading, you apply white and back layers on top of each other to get the effect.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CmPRbQdmix78g3JY-PI67Om_yRspJa-L5J6HIIY17Z4aBQ2ELZvoRyAN207ScnvPB_sXWdcmJtQI381dM0lj1LLwVdfkCbjbQYRfgE-1oCNrpHEObRvMhyphenhyphensVGTEPbdORtbmMjhPI_3nI/s1350/Social-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CmPRbQdmix78g3JY-PI67Om_yRspJa-L5J6HIIY17Z4aBQ2ELZvoRyAN207ScnvPB_sXWdcmJtQI381dM0lj1LLwVdfkCbjbQYRfgE-1oCNrpHEObRvMhyphenhyphensVGTEPbdORtbmMjhPI_3nI/w512-h640/Social-5.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Abraham also shows how to create custom brushes so you can make cool decorative borders. I used this to design a TIE Fighter plane border.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMu2f-9D_10G0RzrUupzukJ6_6ZpXuw-MPhVektfG_a_Fq5WqDNw_oCNwCBW9RvQh-Sy6rRH0OVq4nUeElQUmxrqVT59h2Kttr2jaFn3-DjdK5DoZXdL6YC6y2BRbcksee9wCUoA-0aqN2/s1350/Social-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMu2f-9D_10G0RzrUupzukJ6_6ZpXuw-MPhVektfG_a_Fq5WqDNw_oCNwCBW9RvQh-Sy6rRH0OVq4nUeElQUmxrqVT59h2Kttr2jaFn3-DjdK5DoZXdL6YC6y2BRbcksee9wCUoA-0aqN2/w512-h640/Social-6.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The final part of the assignment is to apply ones design to a PSD mockup.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Conclusion</span></b></div><div>This is a very technical course. It's ideal if you already are handy with Illustrator and want to expand your repertoire. I found it harder than other Domestika courses because the translations are poor and Abraham himself moves along at a rapid pace. I had to rewind each of his videos numerous times in order to understand what he was saying and doing. But the results are worth definitely worth persisting with.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't have plans to mimic his style of vintage engraved digital art, but I did pick up a lot of useful advice on how to achieve certain things in Adobe Illustrator that I will be using in future work.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-8595470830222443092021-02-11T03:38:00.005-08:002021-02-11T08:15:20.705-08:00Domestika Review: Vero Navarro, Procreate Creative Illustration Techniques<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbTj4UtbPSjgxbXyjliWWLtrQ7d83U9t6It5dIPq2sBC6_7logFKlC4OCcl5n2X2-PAwfF1eANHuOCJf4dKvXiK0XSnkI1VU-L61A6NPxIBvE6bL36WTYJXLjgtXEuA4oWp1UB6VnlDdo/s900/blog+header.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbTj4UtbPSjgxbXyjliWWLtrQ7d83U9t6It5dIPq2sBC6_7logFKlC4OCcl5n2X2-PAwfF1eANHuOCJf4dKvXiK0XSnkI1VU-L61A6NPxIBvE6bL36WTYJXLjgtXEuA4oWp1UB6VnlDdo/w640-h300/blog+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><b><u><a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/veronavarro" target="_blank">This course</a></u></b> is both a 'learn to use' Procreate course and also a brief introduction to composition and colour theory concepts. Vero teaches these sections in a very quick and easy to understand way - they are even titled as a 'For Dummies' sections - which is perfect for me!<br /><br />The artwork I created can be purchased on Redbubble<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/meerkatsu/works/70604603-the-heavenly-ox"> </a><b><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/meerkatsu/works/70604603-the-heavenly-ox">here</a><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/studio/promote/70604603">.</a></u></b><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fit,dpr_1.0,f_auto,t_base_params,w_820/v1605016814/content-items/006/182/693/Proyecto_Final-original.jpg?1605016814" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fit,dpr_1.0,f_auto,t_base_params,w_820/v1605016814/content-items/006/182/693/Proyecto_Final-original.jpg?1605016814" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vero's final project on her Domestika course</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Vero herself is an incredibly talented and versatile artist - I love her work on Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/veronavarro.ig/" target="_blank">@veronavarro.ig</a>) which showcases her vivid imagination and technical agility. Her expert eye comes in useful when she gives feedback on the community forum. This is the one part of the Domestika platform I really enjoy - feedback directly from the artist! (Although not all artists give feedback, so it shouldn’t be an expectation).</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1004" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Sf4JQy3itP98mbqSzbdmDKPf0VDcIWEOL6R3H79jIlo96RhIbBSkah-gEgvPZWmZeM2C75I82c-Nt9N9rsYGaZwKaaonERINbqTqR2plSd8AkTWL3QppqU66RzBb14isHZ1O392WXOJo/w356-h640/Domestika+screen+grabs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="356" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Domestika screengrabs</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Sf4JQy3itP98mbqSzbdmDKPf0VDcIWEOL6R3H79jIlo96RhIbBSkah-gEgvPZWmZeM2C75I82c-Nt9N9rsYGaZwKaaonERINbqTqR2plSd8AkTWL3QppqU66RzBb14isHZ1O392WXOJo/s1800/Domestika+screen+grabs.jpg"><i></i></a></div><br /></div><div>The Domestika videos tend to follow the same direction - the artist introduces each video with a verbal explanation, then proceeds to draw (sometimes in real time, sometimes speeded up). Usually the artist will narrate along the way. Some footage is from camera looking down at the artist, most footage are screen captures. Anything that requires references or additional information is placed below the Unit section under additional resources. Most of the artists on the Domestika roster do not speak English but so far the subtitles have been perfectly fine.</div><div><br /></div>Vero's digital painting process was very insightful - she first creates a number of thumbnail sketches and plays around with the composition in each. At this early stage she already separates the main components into layers, to make it easy to move them around for each new composite. She then draws a fully cleaned up decent pencil sketch as her line art. Interestingly this is what she uses in her final project, which differs to some artists (including me) who then digitally ink over this pencil sketch with a brush or pen tool.<div><br /></div><div>For my project, I chose to draw something to celebrate Chinese New Year (of the Ox). In old vintage 'nian hua' style of propaganda posters (<b><u><a href="https://chineseposters.net/themes/new-year-prints" target="_blank">see this article</a></u></b>) that celebrate New Year, there is always a happy well-fed child riding a koi carp or goldfish. The ideological message may not be subtle, but the artwork and graphic design was always incredibly well done.<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9C0LRrj4XBkRTWWcEWWKOrRSQeiw7EHmUaWUdLHMdp2ivB-D_9edFZ_Ddw5TFk1pW3nnLYMcm-9ChlVRqwBmTF5CEeAvXn7Jyzwei7mZmrr8BGkhnvhL53qzp3bDEVdO6PXtQxbNk99Pw/s2048/Exercise+2-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1149" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9C0LRrj4XBkRTWWcEWWKOrRSQeiw7EHmUaWUdLHMdp2ivB-D_9edFZ_Ddw5TFk1pW3nnLYMcm-9ChlVRqwBmTF5CEeAvXn7Jyzwei7mZmrr8BGkhnvhL53qzp3bDEVdO6PXtQxbNk99Pw/w360-h640/Exercise+2-1.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thumbnail sketches to experiment with composition</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She next makes a dozen or so thumbnail colour palettes and then uses one of them as a basis for the final artwork. During the painting process of the final project, she begins by painting in the background layers and moves layer by layer to the 'foreground'. This enables her to move objects around to improve the composition if needed.</div><div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qMGc_T7mOcJltRYL0L86HyFdYr7Imwpox2g-L33cdQkpIgCmi_VgAL5jozb0mwovnaI2rOaL-o429fKQmWXMhrSa8kEW076LvA5vXZIjo3yTy3-oZ-FHOHZAb6CVbmHnCczLQEcElhwj/s1200/Exercise+2-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1200" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qMGc_T7mOcJltRYL0L86HyFdYr7Imwpox2g-L33cdQkpIgCmi_VgAL5jozb0mwovnaI2rOaL-o429fKQmWXMhrSa8kEW076LvA5vXZIjo3yTy3-oZ-FHOHZAb6CVbmHnCczLQEcElhwj/w400-h228/Exercise+2-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Colour palette experiments over the thumbnails</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm-NYRQbPOZ4touPrK17UAqSlwO6lFP6zKBGUGRcC5OTW4_GNLnnzC-3IRRV82_kv770lztT1qW8CuXGd1runFIzOhbLvsygB_go4m92HtEV1a21z1HiFeGjBMuxIRsF6uYRlpDQRmmAh/s1200/Exercise+3-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1200" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm-NYRQbPOZ4touPrK17UAqSlwO6lFP6zKBGUGRcC5OTW4_GNLnnzC-3IRRV82_kv770lztT1qW8CuXGd1runFIzOhbLvsygB_go4m92HtEV1a21z1HiFeGjBMuxIRsF6uYRlpDQRmmAh/w400-h283/Exercise+3-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cleaned up pencil sketch plus photo references</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I love her painting style but to be honest, it doesn't work for me. I struggle with colours so I prefer to use photo references and eye dropper tool to select colours from known objects, this feels safer to use compared to picking colours by eye. In fact Vero discusses this method as one of her colour-finding methods but she also uses the colour wheel in Procreate a lot to find opposing and neighbouring colours that work together. Whatever the painting style, Vero also emphasises sourcing a good selection of reference images first and demonstrates how to use them when preparing the final piece.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YrHgyxOBAhGyE0DaeLytY4gJ4CCjqWqKRABhyXHpsFtJLepEBccK9J_ezrlO70vTKa3sj50DT3l1_lw_luWh8KcyMtexDb_U-9-69P5eCAWDvibVUerPk0aAjIi6QfzQmTBY8DTuaQ-U/s1350/Social-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YrHgyxOBAhGyE0DaeLytY4gJ4CCjqWqKRABhyXHpsFtJLepEBccK9J_ezrlO70vTKa3sj50DT3l1_lw_luWh8KcyMtexDb_U-9-69P5eCAWDvibVUerPk0aAjIi6QfzQmTBY8DTuaQ-U/w512-h640/Social-1.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My Year of the Ox poster as my final project</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBYNiHtdY3M09pTZH1L65ReKZ9ZEeUhj6V_VDlpxWmWLZthvYJo25UUKxBMxIGTsFg6RCFRhd6GVmRKdlcFs7E-zTlKwfnW9W88vsif9go7o8pOfyJDWtzT_6Ha6QEuDoy8A5CPMYcxxX/s1350/Social-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBYNiHtdY3M09pTZH1L65ReKZ9ZEeUhj6V_VDlpxWmWLZthvYJo25UUKxBMxIGTsFg6RCFRhd6GVmRKdlcFs7E-zTlKwfnW9W88vsif9go7o8pOfyJDWtzT_6Ha6QEuDoy8A5CPMYcxxX/w512-h640/Social-2.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Close up detail - my daughter (who likes drawing anime) helped me with the eyes.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHbyqYoPZgws_Yi2PyDmRjx-1vTZITb7ME-vA5AVtfM2tGd52HzAewQP9V2-3jidBYeDyDEsbGqTIerbxDo4vW8jCeqdw9qUfP8wIy3tK2OURws8BVdlqlU4ql3u2oN77CsB6UWGSekcH/s1350/Social-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHbyqYoPZgws_Yi2PyDmRjx-1vTZITb7ME-vA5AVtfM2tGd52HzAewQP9V2-3jidBYeDyDEsbGqTIerbxDo4vW8jCeqdw9qUfP8wIy3tK2OURws8BVdlqlU4ql3u2oN77CsB6UWGSekcH/w512-h640/Social-3.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I ended up painting this as I normally would, not following Vero's style, which she suggests is more than fine to do.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Her finished artwork is definitely way more painterly than what I came up with. Vero emphasises in her videos and in her comments to 'just take from my course what you need and discard the rest'. I like how she encourages us to be free with how we interpret her lessons. For me personally, I just wanted to complete all the exercises from start to finish just to push myself a little bit. Hence why I also completed the final chapter on animation...</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="853" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/510870853" width="640"></iframe></div><div><br />
The animation chapter seems like a bonus add-on to the course. It feels like it was put in just because Procreate offers this as a function, but doesn't seem like something Vero herself uses much. I'm not hugely interested in animating my works but it was fun to try. </div><div><br /></div><div>I do confess to skipping through the two videos about making ones own brushes. The process seemed fiddly and I didn't want to waste time when Procreate comes with brushes I already like. Speaking of Procreate, Vero actually begins the course with a run-through of the v5 updates, which adds a lot of new things that are different that Vero shows in the main videos.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ69PFBC1_7pWrP1eDzw_R3As3ABiuyurzU2bjSqj9fJndlUg9SXwvJG8ddRUCqsnWLwpeRov8fcKYCdJusIcpxI_hyphenhyphenGT4BcPbdwaqRy3XGqWtj3vdKrOScqKgiWmyTA44OwVMTyD3CIV/s1070/other+ideas.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ69PFBC1_7pWrP1eDzw_R3As3ABiuyurzU2bjSqj9fJndlUg9SXwvJG8ddRUCqsnWLwpeRov8fcKYCdJusIcpxI_hyphenhyphenGT4BcPbdwaqRy3XGqWtj3vdKrOScqKgiWmyTA44OwVMTyD3CIV/w478-h640/other+ideas.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Final project sketches, which I didn't use in the end.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>If I have one criticism of the course structure, it is that there seems to be an inconsistency from the beginner exercises to the final project. The first few exercises get us to draw some thumbnails and play around with both composition and colours. But the final project asks us to come up with something different and new. I don't mind this and in fact I did come up with a new set of ideas, but in the end, I reverted back to the original thumbnails. It maybe would have been more consistent to ask us to stick to the same project throughout. It's a minor quibble to be honest since any excuse to expand and develop my idea creation skills is a good one. And in actual fact, Vero's discussion on how to come up with cool new ideas is very good.</div><div><br />
Overall a jam packed primer on illustration concepts and theory with interactive encouragement to work through your own project until completion. This is not a paint-by-numbers art tutorial, this is a course designed to allow artists (both newbies and more experienced) to grow and expand their own skills. Vero's passion for illustration and for sharing her experience with students is more than evident, she's easily the most interactive of all the teachers I've come across on Domestika so far.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4zYk3OPlZIvE1ebygWPNCRfBAtov0_jGX-8mvLEZA3AfYkmf6_CeJYPxxu-CyirQ4TF5JTrHI7ru3pqrtSWtgv3_fbs0dZiG-3qP75jB5D0Ow1sK_M91o8CccHA6uPPFXXXhnAbYn-pJ/s1350/Social-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4zYk3OPlZIvE1ebygWPNCRfBAtov0_jGX-8mvLEZA3AfYkmf6_CeJYPxxu-CyirQ4TF5JTrHI7ru3pqrtSWtgv3_fbs0dZiG-3qP75jB5D0Ow1sK_M91o8CccHA6uPPFXXXhnAbYn-pJ/w512-h640/Social-5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>.</div><br /></div></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-64173241864058133512021-01-31T16:30:00.005-08:002021-01-31T16:30:59.661-08:00Domestika Review: Daniele Caruso, Vector Art - Reflecting Your Style with Illustrator<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHocS-rda7W6h6eWmkwy9grTKGyaf__F0PlCdrylTAvjRJx4xHOiyW7hJpboXvWbxz8u8MnoSHE8snhcAHYr4ROpPp7F6Q3cxUTKZcemIu7DkifZjxLLFq4JpQ5dj_hYQ02-SXwqwZkffu/s1350/Social+1+WATERMARKED.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHocS-rda7W6h6eWmkwy9grTKGyaf__F0PlCdrylTAvjRJx4xHOiyW7hJpboXvWbxz8u8MnoSHE8snhcAHYr4ROpPp7F6Q3cxUTKZcemIu7DkifZjxLLFq4JpQ5dj_hYQ02-SXwqwZkffu/w512-h640/Social+1+WATERMARKED.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><p>It has been a long time since I created artwork completely using Adobe Illustrator - these days I draw all my line art in Procreate and then port it to Illustrator for colouring and layout. But I've always enjoyed the vector style of artwork created by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hydrosevenfour/?hl=en" target="_blank">Hydro74</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sweyda/?hl=en" target="_blank">Sweyda</a> and Daniele Caruso's (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/danielexcaruso/?hl=en" target="_blank">@danielexcaruso</a>) work fits into that same style of bold, line-heavy, aggressive style of vector illustration. </p><p>I wanted to get back into doing this style so his <b><u><a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/1614-vector-art-reflecting-your-style-with-illustrator/course" target="_blank">Domestika course</a></u></b> served as a good moment to be inspired again. Here's how I got on...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>This Domestika course was a bit easier to follow for me compared to their other courses since Daniele speaks in English (most of the other courses I bought are in Spanish). There are 23 videos in total spread among five major units. It's a lot of content and represents great value. </p><p>I am already familiar with most of the Illustrator tools that he uses but I did still pick up a lot of tips that I didn't know before - notably his use of gradients, half tone, blending and the specific way he uses the Pen tool. His live drawing is speeded up and he narrates at various points along the way when he has something of interest to point out. Be prepared for a LOT of videos of him moving tiny little shapes around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq6aEyIDyCxcTErhU7bEanuzmtcBEylKs3pycNMqgS6N3zu-gYCPPvYD_9GQvA87vjU8j9DzP3QrvTZ2YtiCZZ1_T3pYi4lUBT6NaHlmF82igJF9G524V1Vu1vX8bPmB4TAKXB1tGJvGi/s1234/domestika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1234" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq6aEyIDyCxcTErhU7bEanuzmtcBEylKs3pycNMqgS6N3zu-gYCPPvYD_9GQvA87vjU8j9DzP3QrvTZ2YtiCZZ1_T3pYi4lUBT6NaHlmF82igJF9G524V1Vu1vX8bPmB4TAKXB1tGJvGi/w400-h295/domestika.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I was keen to see Daniele's approach to image creation from initial idea to final product. He first creates a mood board based on cool things on the internet, then draws quick thumbnail sketches on a sheet of paper. From those, he'll select a favourite thumbnail to sketch in a better form and then finally, he'll redraw that sketch again, this time much neater, tracing over his previous sketch using a light box. </p><p>It's interesting to see this old school approach to design creation - I used to do that too, I even have a lightbox in the attic somewhere. But I must admit I haven't touched pencil and paper for ages, I do all my sketching on the iPad Pro, which saves so much time. However, I do miss the raw natural feeling of drawing on paper. Regardless, it's reassuring to see that I still use the same steps (moodboard - thumbnails - sketch v1 - sketch v2). Daniele offers a good tip here - that it's always worth getting as much detail in that final sketch as good as you can before vectoring as it saves potential trouble later on down the line.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlmjADpogkJcM0WgJ8joDts-3ANW0aZ650RJT8ThPM_yh-UH8V7PIyzsVjb7WfRLtOeBLX0aI75MbKYyyT1R9-8A5LTHd0TLszLOdWRlsxWQ4Yz_RaPNMJxJMB0qjltAMqJRyQFBezWSS/s800/1+-+rough+thumbnail+sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="800" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlmjADpogkJcM0WgJ8joDts-3ANW0aZ650RJT8ThPM_yh-UH8V7PIyzsVjb7WfRLtOeBLX0aI75MbKYyyT1R9-8A5LTHd0TLszLOdWRlsxWQ4Yz_RaPNMJxJMB0qjltAMqJRyQFBezWSS/w640-h560/1+-+rough+thumbnail+sketch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1. As per Daniele's instructions, all projects begin with very simple thumbnail sketches, here's one of mine.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yK1pQYp8ruhTYVDCMrBfYUOzsx8E_EH9C_RmqWZtoGDZF6wo6ru4z6DwTJ-IBEVnr70NhMNo5lGUpfG-q9Bm35v2InMqlIjTJrKGFXRjYquU95WfFhQ5sa-ybeZrqMtCmdjm_xV2UBw8/s800/2+-+Rough+pencil+of+chosen+thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="800" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yK1pQYp8ruhTYVDCMrBfYUOzsx8E_EH9C_RmqWZtoGDZF6wo6ru4z6DwTJ-IBEVnr70NhMNo5lGUpfG-q9Bm35v2InMqlIjTJrKGFXRjYquU95WfFhQ5sa-ybeZrqMtCmdjm_xV2UBw8/w640-h560/2+-+Rough+pencil+of+chosen+thumb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2. A more detailed version of my chosen thumbnail.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKmavm1Jx5flsv3DwVQNkUIsUAl4W66bSu7m-0Ds-feustCzwIMKOZFZPd7mHmRBlOwrRo2m0hmy0eqlIwEI2uOrylu5uzStFKNAKREVoZTIbLwyis_pjdWWLeEQeWes9lVVmH4cQoCdF/s800/3+better+pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="800" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKmavm1Jx5flsv3DwVQNkUIsUAl4W66bSu7m-0Ds-feustCzwIMKOZFZPd7mHmRBlOwrRo2m0hmy0eqlIwEI2uOrylu5uzStFKNAKREVoZTIbLwyis_pjdWWLeEQeWes9lVVmH4cQoCdF/w640-h560/3+better+pencil.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>3. In the Domestika tutorial, Daniele reworks on his sketch again and again until it is a highly refined piece. I did the same and made sure my sketch was spot on - something I wouldn't normally think to do.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>So far, so good. In Units 4 and 5 Daniele takes his sketch and embarks on the process of digital inking. Nearly all of this is done using just the Pen tool. It's incredible just how much attention to every single mark he makes on the piece, no line or shape is ignored. He will zoom in hundreds of times in scale just so he can adjust a tiny pointy line that is slightly out of place.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO-0-nyPnVotz2Qv0O0Fvxp4xsi12MnhO4oW0Zb4z103VzQ-f6EdG9SJt1t3jysp_Geg0g0iB9c1y-WoM51VYUaKvNiNRnKbOtRtofhLLnLokWJm7GINC6MO6RUxUlt6VWzDiDE6qTC7R/s1417/4.+Outline+stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1417" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGO-0-nyPnVotz2Qv0O0Fvxp4xsi12MnhO4oW0Zb4z103VzQ-f6EdG9SJt1t3jysp_Geg0g0iB9c1y-WoM51VYUaKvNiNRnKbOtRtofhLLnLokWJm7GINC6MO6RUxUlt6VWzDiDE6qTC7R/w640-h470/4.+Outline+stage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>4. Digital inking in Illustrator - this is the basic outline stage.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In my project, I made copious use of the blend function to join pointy strokes together into a saw-tooth style shading effect. I'll be honest, I had a devil of a time getting the blend to work how I wanted. It's pretty tricky when using it to align objects over a curving path because it doesn't always want to align things neatly. Daniele himself points this out and just says it's a glitch with Illustrator. His work around adds extra anchor points onto the blended objects which keeps them neatly aligned while still being able to cut down to shape.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBx0mg1eNlIZid2x5CWF5gIgxmw9blwQruraQ980e3Ge6oLxI3nuU0uuBl91xITGvxrUvxKiJ1QqoaavYxVE36z-33UjpBOvDtP7OpyHUd94C-XA1LDkfEoI2iRnh3a5mktC87VOcpaHHx/s1417/5.+Main+shadow+stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1417" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBx0mg1eNlIZid2x5CWF5gIgxmw9blwQruraQ980e3Ge6oLxI3nuU0uuBl91xITGvxrUvxKiJ1QqoaavYxVE36z-33UjpBOvDtP7OpyHUd94C-XA1LDkfEoI2iRnh3a5mktC87VOcpaHHx/w640-h470/5.+Main+shadow+stage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>5. Main shading stage, lots of use of pen strokes and blending.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwtb9TN_NWZaCOH5yawfQds-IpnbQVbEARAVHAp2W-IlJdE3jAcVrVNjVAIz3I9yKYf7loW5pYaabZs9L7N0RTFBfVfEe0BlZXGVdBgPTbdOmDxldnMaJWn3O6LNVw_8jmRaDIMz77EXK/s1401/6+-+flat+colour+stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1401" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwtb9TN_NWZaCOH5yawfQds-IpnbQVbEARAVHAp2W-IlJdE3jAcVrVNjVAIz3I9yKYf7loW5pYaabZs9L7N0RTFBfVfEe0BlZXGVdBgPTbdOmDxldnMaJWn3O6LNVw_8jmRaDIMz77EXK/w640-h454/6+-+flat+colour+stage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>6. Flat colour stage - you can see the reference image I got of Planet of the Apes, which I increased in saturation and then picked out some nice colours.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I use Adobe CS 5.5 which is ancient (c2012?) so it's good that Daniele keeps his tool use on Illustrator fairly simple - mostly all of it using the Pen tool. This means any version of Illustrator will do the same (and in fact any vector app too, eg CorelDraw or Affinity Designer, although the latter does not have the blend function). </p><p>Mind you, it would be nice to have the adjustable line width tool in Adobe CC and also some other functions, but I'm not paying for a subscription when I have a perfectly good working copy (legitimately bought) of CS5.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ff55YEPQTA-wX4hidIovIPMIN_FNcRcB1zOCfhtk5M1jpNxjV2jOobOnoW-A9lhHtxLUAOsb9d2Lol0Gkhpc-Efgkxx7W9t1nXt8PLA1vA5FurA3L5dU3X7vL_9niuANuFt-uGbA_6Qt/s1350/Social+2+WATERMARKED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ff55YEPQTA-wX4hidIovIPMIN_FNcRcB1zOCfhtk5M1jpNxjV2jOobOnoW-A9lhHtxLUAOsb9d2Lol0Gkhpc-Efgkxx7W9t1nXt8PLA1vA5FurA3L5dU3X7vL_9niuANuFt-uGbA_6Qt/w512-h640/Social+2+WATERMARKED.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>7. Daniele shows three different shading styles - basic, gradients and half tone. In my chimp piece, I used all three.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3z0girjmKmyxkPF7sLZYDXft1jolzaQkBdtgZqFPyCC6i5tNMzfN4vZEkGrpkvW6fPw3OwmvdBcOCBA_ti6XP3cwT6610hRwqbXP0ByyHQvnD_NiBipmP91DlNBuOpyzhQbXE4u7nJlF/s1350/Social+3+WATERMARKED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3z0girjmKmyxkPF7sLZYDXft1jolzaQkBdtgZqFPyCC6i5tNMzfN4vZEkGrpkvW6fPw3OwmvdBcOCBA_ti6XP3cwT6610hRwqbXP0ByyHQvnD_NiBipmP91DlNBuOpyzhQbXE4u7nJlF/w512-h640/Social+3+WATERMARKED.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>8. Daniele is a master with blending and shows some advanced techniques. I didn't use his advanced methods, which is why my jagged shading looks too mechanical and boring. I'll practice this aspect much more in future pieces.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I learned a lot watching Daniele draw his snake on dagger piece. The sheer level of detail he puts into his work is outstanding. On a more technical level I quickly picked up his most used keyboard shortcuts (eg good ones were: shift-x to switch stroke/fill mode, Z or alt-Z for zooming in and out, double clicking for isolation mode etc). These tiny time savers add up to a considerable amount when working on a big piece of art. </p><p>Another good tip is that Daniele draws in vector chunks. This means the art is easier to correct. When I draw in vector I tend to unite all the shapes very early on. Looking in close detail, I realise now why my vector pieces always seem to lack that extra level of refinement, the devil is in the detail. I need to level up on the way I apply blended shapes for the saw-tooth shading effect. I'll definitely be re-watching parts of his videos again and again.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl-MbPNAY8AINwk4UYyEdCqxF9mdJg4uaO6av1A6xWALAcHLZCfu6eZCUmmZC3NMqI72AONrldE1maok_Cf_NSK66WqjsZo_ganm4vdR4PVIcDoLgXYqRx7NVYpNPVIZ3xOeAq70qXUuo/s1037/UPDATE-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl-MbPNAY8AINwk4UYyEdCqxF9mdJg4uaO6av1A6xWALAcHLZCfu6eZCUmmZC3NMqI72AONrldE1maok_Cf_NSK66WqjsZo_ganm4vdR4PVIcDoLgXYqRx7NVYpNPVIZ3xOeAq70qXUuo/w556-h640/UPDATE-1.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I drew this in 2012, look at the really poor way I use the Pen tool when drawing the shading and line work. I think watching this Domestika course has helped me improve on this area a lot.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>This course is an excellent primer on basic tools in Illustrator and also an insight into how to create the style of artwork that Daniele excels at. For me, it served as great inspiration to get back into vector drawing plus I picked up a ton of useful tips and shortcuts. Already I can see a difference in the way I used to draw in Illustrator (lion image above) and now. I have a much better understanding of how to utilise Illustrator's most basic tools to create a more professional looking final image.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Gff7NDxvP1j1-KvpGwVNKQ7TZy8yIA8JwvC2dhmXwzrzDdWaLAlnC5zLwgMbQCsW6S6GsvUylPcbpofbThs_7RZx52eEu87bDUr-i6zHd647fSoyXh05SvzXcIjGkr_Ww8gUrrVGnOW/s1000/work-69730978-framed-art-print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Gff7NDxvP1j1-KvpGwVNKQ7TZy8yIA8JwvC2dhmXwzrzDdWaLAlnC5zLwgMbQCsW6S6GsvUylPcbpofbThs_7RZx52eEu87bDUr-i6zHd647fSoyXh05SvzXcIjGkr_Ww8gUrrVGnOW/w480-h640/work-69730978-framed-art-print.jpg" width="480" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I have posted my chimp artwork onto <b><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/69730978?ref=studio-promote" target="_blank">Redbubble </a></u></b>so you can buy a prints, posters, stickers etc</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> I hope to make many more drawings in this style going foward.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>.</p>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-88941448068052465722021-01-31T03:33:00.002-08:002021-01-31T03:33:31.336-08:00Domestika Review: Natália Dias, Female Character Portraits in Procreate<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmVB4G3A3Q-DOMVQYsugfepwyteWB9h8dNNwdYZ-PPMpyPDDuAInWh4CxY5QYjg6317ZqlEHSfHN7_m3brKnPq8mhd824KqjH3udvz5nQ2pVH-wLh0bl7R0VeendQwRUKI8TxwyA9Odmj/s2013/Social+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2013" data-original-width="1444" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmVB4G3A3Q-DOMVQYsugfepwyteWB9h8dNNwdYZ-PPMpyPDDuAInWh4CxY5QYjg6317ZqlEHSfHN7_m3brKnPq8mhd824KqjH3udvz5nQ2pVH-wLh0bl7R0VeendQwRUKI8TxwyA9Odmj/w460-h640/Social+1.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Domestika is an online learning website that mainly caters towards the art and design community. Their courses cover a lot of topics from learning to paint and draw basics to game design and 3D design, craftmaking, photography etc. I was curious to try out a few of their courses and hopefully pick up some tips along the way.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>I've been following Natália's lovely female portraits on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nataliadsw" target="_blank">Instagram </a>for a while so I picked her course - Female Character Portraits in Procreate as my first <a href="https://www.domestika.org/en/courses/1063-female-character-portraits-in-procreate/course" target="_blank">Domestika </a>course to learn from.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzZH0bru0aFZ0dUwpZjS02UFjVCG4rte_a1VIwCAEUj4gtdLnxyLt66w4iA8rAUPgUh-JbC3jTvwORhyphenhyphen53N0ISQ1bKpq3UhWR_p9rKYej1zyMm9kNqQ_0jjyKSZVJVibw3MVo0QFMRZuB/s1265/domestika.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1265" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzZH0bru0aFZ0dUwpZjS02UFjVCG4rte_a1VIwCAEUj4gtdLnxyLt66w4iA8rAUPgUh-JbC3jTvwORhyphenhyphen53N0ISQ1bKpq3UhWR_p9rKYej1zyMm9kNqQ_0jjyKSZVJVibw3MVo0QFMRZuB/w640-h430/domestika.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Natália is from Brazil so the audio is spoken in Portuguese but the subtitles are excellent and the lessons are easy to follow. There are five main units with the first two units being an introduction, basic overview of Procreate and a brief overview of anatomy, lighting and shading tips.</p><p>In the main project videos, Natália introduces the concept and theme, points out a few techniques then the rest of the video is of her painting in real-time. She is meticulous in her detailing and her paintings always exude so much life and joy. Her characters resemble a cool mix between anime characters and Alphonse Mucha's female portraits. </p><p>I've picked up a number of handy tips from this course:</p><p>Use a grey background to reduce eyeglare from white background <br />Create a moodboard and choose a colour palette<br />Mix and match faces, hair, clothing, poses from different female portraits<br />Use the liquify tool to adjust and correct the pencil sketch also check using a mirrored version<br />Draw the line art in separate parts: hair, face, clothing etc <br />Flat colours come first, then the line art is coloured to complement the area it borders<br />Shading and highlights uses the smudge tool<br />Clipping layer is used a lot <br /><br />Here's how I got along with my geisha piece:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNMNaccYdZXWn-Oi4p2cw4zW9sgvFDU38wZEQLbf8jjQyVCxJHkAYBn0y9pXO9nE6BI7q-mLqEZYq13T0NqsZ7OGnlEjVyKYfWB2F0o5KYyon-8lLJZuxZN9yMlkXJJwf7S-bFd437Az4/s1856/Photo+28-01-2021%252C+20+31+04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1856" data-original-width="1663" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNMNaccYdZXWn-Oi4p2cw4zW9sgvFDU38wZEQLbf8jjQyVCxJHkAYBn0y9pXO9nE6BI7q-mLqEZYq13T0NqsZ7OGnlEjVyKYfWB2F0o5KYyon-8lLJZuxZN9yMlkXJJwf7S-bFd437Az4/w359-h400/Photo+28-01-2021%252C+20+31+04.jpg" width="359" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>1. Mood board plus picked some colours using the eyedropper tool</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKakMofCSo-2GUpRBHkB6XoP_7D-_XFwvWZT5C3ZVW7JP-jYS4CLsbE731-OaoaozL-7tOGRygOuay3RuztpNNVl9wdrPvsanDoncjDOo-Z9h4f6xSFijghn5Aud5Bv5V6AexXkaGSOpxN/s1693/Social+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKakMofCSo-2GUpRBHkB6XoP_7D-_XFwvWZT5C3ZVW7JP-jYS4CLsbE731-OaoaozL-7tOGRygOuay3RuztpNNVl9wdrPvsanDoncjDOo-Z9h4f6xSFijghn5Aud5Bv5V6AexXkaGSOpxN/w454-h640/Social+4.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>2. Sketch phase: I based this pose on three different geisha photos</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj6ekYLbFQnSOGuXDg7vbgaZpWS976Q_9Imlx9i-7XwKRQGsW-pUD_fvaDzmz1aBIfeY1DpkuZ9yoSpKcRRtxxtDnMVteX3wYtyfO0tTPiS7t6GhL1-Ugl3MToTRJtYLG0a-p3z1_5E5a/s2048/Lineart1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1452" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj6ekYLbFQnSOGuXDg7vbgaZpWS976Q_9Imlx9i-7XwKRQGsW-pUD_fvaDzmz1aBIfeY1DpkuZ9yoSpKcRRtxxtDnMVteX3wYtyfO0tTPiS7t6GhL1-Ugl3MToTRJtYLG0a-p3z1_5E5a/w454-h640/Lineart1.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>3. Line art stage. Fairly straightforward so far.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNmImv-1iOlP4uGs_g0aH3kA-dCQB_ZxiliDHEX7lx6BFJN3cVq-zv0gtZb0B80mln-BU-HatYrwCQQdQd9S60IPLG9diSVAshIeU6KXU6GiEMdsfW0nwsHr4Rs43SYhbNY5Q6s_JEeb5/s1693/Photo+31-01-2021%252C+11+18+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNmImv-1iOlP4uGs_g0aH3kA-dCQB_ZxiliDHEX7lx6BFJN3cVq-zv0gtZb0B80mln-BU-HatYrwCQQdQd9S60IPLG9diSVAshIeU6KXU6GiEMdsfW0nwsHr4Rs43SYhbNY5Q6s_JEeb5/w454-h640/Photo+31-01-2021%252C+11+18+10.jpg" width="454" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>4. Flat colour stage - you can see I made an attempt to colour the line art too.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx9V46Bi4JHbh2TMga24_JYY31HsyYvgXw9NTQj48Xqbn4VSfXs8CHaapgdYUFhyqZ9Ay2E7n5jqpgd3FFEcab9TckJSXNMsM2Pdn96q2kZBCscOdRbRzv8qAzy7DEqUEWxnYaWA5cp8o/s1693/Social+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1693" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx9V46Bi4JHbh2TMga24_JYY31HsyYvgXw9NTQj48Xqbn4VSfXs8CHaapgdYUFhyqZ9Ay2E7n5jqpgd3FFEcab9TckJSXNMsM2Pdn96q2kZBCscOdRbRzv8qAzy7DEqUEWxnYaWA5cp8o/w454-h640/Social+3.jpg" width="454" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>5. Shading and highlight - Natalia uses the smudge tool a lot and also uses the Add layer blend mode when applying lighter shades</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-MAxeL1Mk4T4NRRlsRTm3ORoVrQZGNFi1ZBHnQqtYkXf0q0kTQdsLpMoD4QOngqwrPf4QD4XVt0YiIKjVB0i8GAwc8t5s9yQL2byiar6Bn9gnq_PwOIRmR2pwgp5RdN_KpYBwK2itBbr/s1606/Social+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1606" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-MAxeL1Mk4T4NRRlsRTm3ORoVrQZGNFi1ZBHnQqtYkXf0q0kTQdsLpMoD4QOngqwrPf4QD4XVt0YiIKjVB0i8GAwc8t5s9yQL2byiar6Bn9gnq_PwOIRmR2pwgp5RdN_KpYBwK2itBbr/w478-h640/Social+2.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Final piece, zoomed in.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I must admit, creating a digital painting in this manner was way outside my comfort zone. I can draw fairly well but I'm just not a good painter as I haven't had much practice. The geisha piece took me a long time to complete and I'm still not really happy with it. Compared to Natalia's portraits, my piece seems to lack life. That being said, it was a fun challenge to do and I learned a lot from the process. </p><p>This Domestika course seems perfectly aimed at folk who already can draw and want to push themselves a little further. Complete beginners might want to check out the other online courses regarding anatomy, lighting and shading if they want their female portraits to be as good as Natalia's. But it's a decent course and Natalia offers a number of useful tips on how she creates her beautiful artworks.</p><p>The website also allows Domestika students to submit their work for others to see. Sometimes the teacher will comment too and answer questions. Ideally I'd like a bit more feedback and constructive critique but given the large number of people involved I can understand how this would not be feasible.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>.</p>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-56169782383419265922020-04-15T14:11:00.006-07:002021-04-13T04:07:17.077-07:00Hand painted 'Heavenly' Vans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO87r0GncKp2CnEeZ9dkuHazsRDv4yz6byGKAfqwga8WP1yOopu6lEjlZTJiE-wHM3Z0cc_8q1RSc3dbqpmuNdBkJ9yDritebS_2VWAU5KuFZZaHz2iP3tjUCIXnj2GT5o3LQNdox3ADgM/s1600/COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO87r0GncKp2CnEeZ9dkuHazsRDv4yz6byGKAfqwga8WP1yOopu6lEjlZTJiE-wHM3Z0cc_8q1RSc3dbqpmuNdBkJ9yDritebS_2VWAU5KuFZZaHz2iP3tjUCIXnj2GT5o3LQNdox3ADgM/s640/COVER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The current lockdown situation has given me time to embark on several art projects that I have long been thinking about.<br />
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These painted Vans were put together over 5-6 days and are based on my previous Meerkatsu rashguard designs - the <a href="http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/2013/11/meerkatsu-art-heavenly-wristlock.html" target="_blank">Heavenly Wristlock</a> and the <a href="http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/2015/02/meerkatsu-brand-graceful-kimura-and.html" target="_blank">Graceful Kimura</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEmltmHY9pCgSuDlFhfpPYIaSh2LX68bCoA50GsyniBtiEnPNeJxqly93nU2bweUvytqQ6mGsnG-2k33XYn-5k0tx4st-6uiiugIH1uF6t5M696nXWlPqvHBrJfw3fnK3nrAR4-YyTqLu/s1600/1+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEmltmHY9pCgSuDlFhfpPYIaSh2LX68bCoA50GsyniBtiEnPNeJxqly93nU2bweUvytqQ6mGsnG-2k33XYn-5k0tx4st-6uiiugIH1uF6t5M696nXWlPqvHBrJfw3fnK3nrAR4-YyTqLu/s640/1+blog.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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Here's a more detailed rundown of how I painted these shoes:<br />
<span><a name='more'></a></span><p>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Formatting the artwork.</span></b><br />
I chose my Graceful Kimura design and Heavenly Wristlock design as good pieces to re-draw onto my shoes. I needed to make sure the core line art would fit onto the shoes so I used a plain photo of Vans Classic slip-on shoes and made a rough mock-up. There is also <u><a href="https://www.deviantart.com/katus-nemcu/art/VANS-Slip-On-template-322731849" target="_blank">this handy template</a></u>.<br />
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I wasn't happy with the way the artwork was composed so I switched around the positions and changed some of the details from the original (eg arm positions).<br />
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I chose Vans because their slip-on model offered the easiest and largest plain white surface to paint on. Other models that are popular with custom shoe artists include Converse Chuck Taylors. In fact if you search online, you will encounter a huge community of custom shoe artists.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Materials</span></b><br />
This photo below shows the art materials I used:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX0ruIZUYVyvPd4xq8If0zGfHsUxLhTTd7J5Rw6QRV4Cdcx421R7yOqLDMUUAc1g0nJ_xIspIIc-yTlXHDnMB3mr68gDH7zH20vqMpeAhtrjdP8PZh46m5V1r73Z5SDENZBWM0SO2TIdU/s1600/2b+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="971" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsX0ruIZUYVyvPd4xq8If0zGfHsUxLhTTd7J5Rw6QRV4Cdcx421R7yOqLDMUUAc1g0nJ_xIspIIc-yTlXHDnMB3mr68gDH7zH20vqMpeAhtrjdP8PZh46m5V1r73Z5SDENZBWM0SO2TIdU/s640/2b+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(a) Thin paper - I used this to print out the artwork and then rubbed an 8B pencil onto the reverse side. I wanted the artwork to look as precise as possible on the shoe, re-drawing over the line art would ensure the 8B pencil would mark the canvas material.<br />
(b) Fabric paints - Tulip and Pebeo Setacolor are two popular brands. Fabric paints are designed to be used sttraight into un-primed textile surfaces and when dry will not crack, peel or wash off. The opaque paints can be used even onto dark coloured fabrics.<br />
(c) Liquitex soft body acrylic colours and Liquitex Fabric Medium - these two combined will ensure the colour can be painted onto fabric and will not crack when dry.<br />
(d) Masking tape - I didn't want paint to accidentally go onto the rubber edge of the sole. I needed to use very short strips so that the tape could fit around the curve of the foot.<br />
(e) Soft pencils - an 8B for the rubbing, 2B to draw more solid lines onto the shoe surface<br />
(f) Paint brushes - suitable for acrylic painting, I used a mixed variety of round and flat edged brushes. The best one was a size 0 round brush for those really tiny details eg flower decorations and hair details.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Shoe preparation </span></b><br />
On some YouTube tutorials I noticed that some shoe artists would prime the surface with gesso paint, or a mix of white+fabric medium. I didn't do this step as I was using fabric paint which didn't need a primed surface.<br />
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I stuffed the interior of the shoe with crumpled up old paper from magazines and newspapers to ensure a hard surface on the upper part of the shoe.<br />
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After rubbing the graphite onto the shoe, I traced over the lines again to ensure perfect clarity of the design and to make last minute composition corrections.<br />
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I also made a test strip of the colours I would use (for the Kimura artwork).<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Painting the shoes - Graceful Kimura</b></span><br />
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(a) I traced over the graphite rubbing with a 2B pencil:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM2y7LoVaikNH6zxJQYQCRqlMpXjwt1rmmWxU7ytj93wC9at5MDndOyktt01R7-s4ja3VoaoZOO6QSE11n3IDEJfWLWBcVYi8Kkr-euAoNeKf1tkZua4AVX_8ggPek76PyCK27hq7UFE0/s1600/4+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM2y7LoVaikNH6zxJQYQCRqlMpXjwt1rmmWxU7ytj93wC9at5MDndOyktt01R7-s4ja3VoaoZOO6QSE11n3IDEJfWLWBcVYi8Kkr-euAoNeKf1tkZua4AVX_8ggPek76PyCK27hq7UFE0/s640/4+blog.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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(b) Next I painted the background sky:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IXpay3xiCGCf-tVQg01YhngT9DL8GfanGRsEmQ2ZWL-aMwChcW6c1bDaJC6uUzDXnGoxk3kNEZEFgMg5LBibFYBfIiS0L6Mf818SNhAuC5fwd76fM9wdOyFiNMnkRun0fsd_42BG9LYO/s1600/4a+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IXpay3xiCGCf-tVQg01YhngT9DL8GfanGRsEmQ2ZWL-aMwChcW6c1bDaJC6uUzDXnGoxk3kNEZEFgMg5LBibFYBfIiS0L6Mf818SNhAuC5fwd76fM9wdOyFiNMnkRun0fsd_42BG9LYO/s640/4a+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(c) Then I filled in the remainder of the artwork:<br />
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(d) The next stage was adding black line art over the base colours (see video):<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pp1otp3svv4" width="560"></iframe>
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(e) The final stage was to add some highlights and kimono decorations, this is where the metallic shimmer paints came in useful:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Painting the shoes - Heavenly wristlock</span></b><br />
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(a) pencil lines:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtn7mdKi2pN5jDkB8HzjV-gwvgoS1ltevweDBHzmdE3E0q-0LhIHK6OA_S5-uIS7bK8ZADDRBLpwrTeFuIpjhaQ6eVKherMIPYVRloVuNoIGdq4jBhOocV33yiIZunsW74hMLz_lA6Jeu/s1600/5a2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtn7mdKi2pN5jDkB8HzjV-gwvgoS1ltevweDBHzmdE3E0q-0LhIHK6OA_S5-uIS7bK8ZADDRBLpwrTeFuIpjhaQ6eVKherMIPYVRloVuNoIGdq4jBhOocV33yiIZunsW74hMLz_lA6Jeu/s640/5a2.jpg" width="514" /></a></div>
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(b) background painted in:<br />
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(c) colours filled in:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Uc4RYBlhwCGeaK5rvFL116SBXe-ggYzY5Zw2sLGwdLarQXng-iVdSZUJFrLzx2j-ezhcdFZ6DsOdNzG3rVsN9gQ9aYYizCIzmg_CtZGw7Ehti8-KQsF7tbIwV_v27_RjLoB8I01C4Q2/s1600/5c+blog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1001" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-Uc4RYBlhwCGeaK5rvFL116SBXe-ggYzY5Zw2sLGwdLarQXng-iVdSZUJFrLzx2j-ezhcdFZ6DsOdNzG3rVsN9gQ9aYYizCIzmg_CtZGw7Ehti8-KQsF7tbIwV_v27_RjLoB8I01C4Q2/s640/5c+blog.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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(d) black line art:<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fbiPcKlXhUs" width="560"></iframe>
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(e) Finished shoe:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Sealing and protecting the shoes</span></b><br />UPDATE (12/4/2021) I used acrylic medium to seal the artwork. If I wanted to make it even further waterproof then some shoe protector spray on top would be perfectly fine, but I have not done this so far. Check out my Youtube video here to see how water repellent the shoe is.<div><br /></div><div><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lE--cebgimk" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Problems</span></b><br />
There were a few issues I encountered when painting these. The main one is the awkwardness of trying to squeeze a design intended for rashguard use onto the smaller, curved shape of a shoe. Even editing using the shoe template wasn't good enough to get a perfect fit so I had to invent some lines while painting on the show eg the kimono trail and the demon's hair.<br />
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The Setacolor opaque paint dries to quite a thick and has an almost crusty texture. It also shrinks a little when dry so I noticed some white unpainted areas which I had to cover up later.<br />
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My eyesight is getting really bad, I need reading glasses - so painting extremely tiny details was difficult.</div><div>UPDATE (12/4/2021) - I have since got new reading glasses and it makes near-sight work so much easier!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. Video</span></b><br />
Here is a video showing little clips of the painting process. Hope you like them. I've got a few more shoe designs planned in the weeks ahead.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ebD-Ph_q9zc" width="560"></iframe>
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As I had hoped, these painted shoes are getting lots of positive comments on social media - <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/g1unot/lockdown_boredom_painted_these_jiujitsu_geisha_v/" target="_blank">Reddit BJJ</a>, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/streetwear/comments/g21old/art_i_painted_these_geisha_girls_beating_up/" target="_blank">Reddit Streetwear</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_AbrKyAnSP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Meerkatsu/posts/3112681732125540" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<br />
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<br /><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span><p></p></div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-75127001525606739852020-01-21T02:16:00.004-08:002021-07-07T03:33:50.826-07:00Licensing, copyright, ownership - a quick guide<p>There's often a bit of confusion and misunderstood assumptions about ownership, copyright, licensing etc so I thought I would write down a simple guide on the topic and how it applies to my artwork. This article refers only to the art but of course the same applies to any created works (eg music, books, software etc). </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><div><b>Who owns the artwork?</b>
<br />The law* is simple here - the artist is the copyright owner the moment it is created in a tangible form. The artist does not need to do anything at all in order to be the owner, it is a given upon creation. Even when a client has commissioned the artist to create the piece, the artist owns the copyright**.
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Some countries offer a copyright registration service (eg in the USA) and that's there to add an extra layer of legal protection. The artist gets to say who can use the art and who cannot. They can also give away that ownership to someone else.
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One analogy I like to use is for cars. A customer buys the car and they own that car, they can drive it wherever they want and even sell it on. But they don't own the design of that car. If they took apart the car, copied all the parts and invented their own brand that looked identical then the original brand owner would have a decent claim to copyright infringement.
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But it was my idea!</b> </div><div>This is the most common misconception among many people. The law again is very clear - you cannot copyright, trademark or own an idea. It has to be in a tangible, physical format (either real object or digital). Hence, a client who has an idea for a piece and commissions an artist to put that idea into life does not own the artwork that results from it.
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Licensing</b> </div><div>Licensing is the format used by the copyright owner to allow other people to use the artwork for a given purpose. Very importantly, it does NOT grant copyright to the client, a license is simply permission to use the work.
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There are lots of different types of licensing but very broadly they fall into one of three categories: Rights Managed (RM), Royalty Free (RF) or Creative Commons (cc).
RM means the license is given for a very specific single-use purpose and cannot be used again without further negotiation. RF means the client can use it multiple times for a much wider variety of uses without going back to renegotiate. Creative Commons is a platform that allows people to use an image without specifically asking for permission. In all three cases, the client (or end user) is NOT the copyright owner of the artwork.
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Free stuff </b></div><div>There is a lot of free artwork out there with no ownership attached to them. They are usually labelled Public Domain, Out of Copyright or Copyright Free (not to be confused with Royalty Free). </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Trademarks and patents</b></div><div>This area is not part of my article but in a nutshell trademarking is the procedure used to register your company brand and patenting is the official place to register your invention. By registering your intellectual property you can protect them against anyone trying to copy them. There are lots of rules over what you can and cannot TM or patent. Only officially registered brands can have the little (R) symbol applied to their logos. Unregistered logos can use the (TM) symbol. My own brand, <b><u><a href="https://www.meerkatsu.com/" target="_blank">Meerkatsu</a></u></b>, is an officially registered trademark. </div><div><br /><br /><b>
Commissioning Meerkatsu artworks </b></div><div>I own the copyright of all artwork that I create. Clients who wish to use work that I have already created in the past can license that work non-exclusively. Clients who hire me to produce custom work specifically for them are granted an exclusive license to use that artwork for anything related to their brand (royalty free licensing). In both situations, the client cannot sell, relicense, give away or use the artwork for a purpose unconnected to the client that it was intended for. Non-exclusive means anyone else could potentially also use the artwork, exclusive means I won't sell that exact artwork to anyone else, but...<br /><br /></div><div>A lot of my drawings repeat or reprise certain poses, character traits, dynamic actions, design elements etc that contribute to my distinctive artistic style. This is one reason why I like to maintain copyright ownership over my artworks.<br /><br />
I also like to show off my artworks across my social media and online sites as part of my self-promotional activities. Owning the copyright gives me freedom to do this. <br /><br />
Another reason for maintaining copyright ownership is in the case of a client who decides to sell its business assets. Me being the copyright owner means I am entitled to a share of the proceeds or deny the sale. </div><div><br /></div><div>That sums up my thoughts about the rights of ownership and copyright. I'll add more to this article as and when I think of them.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Each country will have its own copyright laws but they more or less follow agreements formatted under the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention" target="_blank">Berne Convention</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">** Exceptions to this vary - listed <b><a href="https://www.liveabout.com/who-owns-copyright-of-a-painting-2578104" target="_blank">here</a></b>.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div><div><br /><br />
</div>Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-14940084661286608292018-12-01T15:41:00.001-08:002021-01-31T03:41:06.532-08:00HP Envy x360 Convertible Laptop and HP Tilt Pen Stylus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplymHXE02DCkO90t4FEMvb7oPbgAlk7TSGkB1kamxcSZXB_-PBFNbhULglpLJ4EOvhTfg4MQETvWKwpm00_KZEHa3RggulKs8oD90a3MIYFCLVU_JnL5Z9QZKLvKfiH4yV8zoHFjvQmuc/s1600/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="800" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplymHXE02DCkO90t4FEMvb7oPbgAlk7TSGkB1kamxcSZXB_-PBFNbhULglpLJ4EOvhTfg4MQETvWKwpm00_KZEHa3RggulKs8oD90a3MIYFCLVU_JnL5Z9QZKLvKfiH4yV8zoHFjvQmuc/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My daughter wanted a laptop for her birthday so I thought why not get her one that could convert into tablet mode and could also accept active pen input, this way she could practice her digital drawing skills as well. After much research, I decided upon the HP Envy x360 as it seemed to offer a good power to cost ratio and there are a few artist reviews that seem happy with it. Here are the specs:<br />
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HP ENVY x360 15-cn0000na Convertible Laptop,<br />
Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM,<br />
256GB SSD,<br />
15.6", Full HD,<br />
Dark Ash Silver, with HP Tilt Pen Stylus<br />
Purchased from John Lewis £999.99<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4P_ryGPtN-rwUPInSxZOFtWwwc2beoB9R03X-NBL6PhHbUltJn8eExIE8piCiGhTz1TpjQizIDsVT09V-WwBrWUJ-Wr8r8m-uH-Exn39TxHgoNgD4b6bDJE0_ReiNRhyphenhyphenB93xL1Sj-nLj/s1600/2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4P_ryGPtN-rwUPInSxZOFtWwwc2beoB9R03X-NBL6PhHbUltJn8eExIE8piCiGhTz1TpjQizIDsVT09V-WwBrWUJ-Wr8r8m-uH-Exn39TxHgoNgD4b6bDJE0_ReiNRhyphenhyphenB93xL1Sj-nLj/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The HP Envy opens just like a regular laptop does. The tilt stylus pen came with the laptop but it does not attach to the computer in any way.</i></td></tr>
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With a 15.6" screen this laptop is fairly large and quite heavy. That's not normally a problem with most laptops but for a convertible, it can weigh quite heavy as you try to hold it in tablet mode. My daughter preferred drawing on it by propping it into the tent position.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Aj0jLWUWF3xx5eXe-9Ek-gpZobWWm2FofHQUMn9rcXyoXcV_8yxC8AhH1SSPdwbB18Homt1vIjRKicNdJ7pXKU0zKG4uRZt0hDFTsm4KBWZVGE1bL-qVj0pL_njs9S7Gj3TbXk_4PwMx/s1600/3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="800" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Aj0jLWUWF3xx5eXe-9Ek-gpZobWWm2FofHQUMn9rcXyoXcV_8yxC8AhH1SSPdwbB18Homt1vIjRKicNdJ7pXKU0zKG4uRZt0hDFTsm4KBWZVGE1bL-qVj0pL_njs9S7Gj3TbXk_4PwMx/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Envy in tent-position</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi7uqh1sVeCUz3xRGulPTQ3TUYiaW28HgDvkUmt9134ff5xosVq5hDAUSr2lm0-EhJhRgUMIJX0yt9CEirzgu2lBLe_Xu2bGAJx21fl5kI0rcPvuh6DGk2uB9pccCK5TmJIbaS0IBXSp9/s1600/6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi7uqh1sVeCUz3xRGulPTQ3TUYiaW28HgDvkUmt9134ff5xosVq5hDAUSr2lm0-EhJhRgUMIJX0yt9CEirzgu2lBLe_Xu2bGAJx21fl5kI0rcPvuh6DGk2uB9pccCK5TmJIbaS0IBXSp9/s640/6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Envy folded over and engaged into tablet mode</i></td></tr>
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This machine is excellent for doing windows laptoppy things like browsing the internet, watching Netflix, writing Word documents playing games etc. But for drawing on, it really isn't much good. There are several main reasons why:<br />
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The first thing that is glaringly noticeable is the screen itself. Although fine for viewing movies and the internet, once you open up a blank canvas to draw on, you can see the banding that occurs when you change viewing angle. When you move the laptop around, the screen exhibits dark and light bands. It's very annoying and does not happen with my iPad Pro nor my Cintiq. On the video above perhaps you can see what I mean. The photos I post in this review also show the banding.<br />
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The other annoying thing about drawing on the Envy is that the stylus just doesn't really draw that well. When you have used the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro you take for granted how smoothly it draws. Now that I have tried an active pen on a windows machine, I realise just how far apart these two drawing devices are. The HP pen is thin and not pleasant to hold and whatever program I use to draw with (I used Sketchable, Leonardo, Autodesk Sketchbook and MediBang Paint Pro) the lines were quite jittery when drawing slowly and there was always a bit of lag. The cursor also sort of hunts around a bit when you hover the pen tip over the screen just prior to making contact. It means it isn't always very accurate. It was just very frustrating trying to get a decent flow going when sketching away. Unlike the iPad Pro where you can just pick up the thing and draw without any problems.<br />
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The glossy screen also meant the pen glided across too smoothly - but then again that's also the case with the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil (hence why I bought a matt screen protector). All the drawing programs did respond to pressure sensitivity so I'll give it that. Palm rejection was so so. Most times if you are careful it ignores your palm but every so often it will suddenly recognise touching and draws crazy zig zag lines by itself. I really tried to get stuck into a complex piece of artwork but I soon gave up and just finished it off using my Cintiq.<br />
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But that's just my experience. Other artists have reviewed very similar models to our HP Envy. The video below for example is the HP Spectre - a slightly higher spec version to our one. The artist loves it so maybe our machine is a bad choice for artists or maybe she just prefers using it instead of an iPad Pro, or maybe I'm a crappy digital artist...<br />
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The video below shows an artist using the HP Pavilion which is a model below the one we have. He doesn't seem to have any problems drawing and painting with it.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
For a £1000 laptop, it does the job as a laptop perfectly well enough. My daughter loves it for the games, movie watching, school homework research and other PC stuff. But for drawing, she hates it and always bugs me to use my iPad Pro. With hindsight I should have just bought her the iPad. But with all the main PC functions it can perform, at least the Envy is not going to waste. I'm no Apple fanboy, but honestly, if you are at all serious about getting into digital art, buy an iPad Pro or a Wacom.<br />
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<b>UPDATE Jan 2021</b><br />My daughter still uses this laptop - but solely for her home school work. She has long ago lost the stylus pen but she never used it from digital art anyway. She doesn't even use it in tablet mode. She does however use my old iPad Pro to draw on. So with hindsight, in buying this laptop I probably overspent on functions that were of no use (touchscreen, stylus pen) and perhaps should have spent that money on a machine with better spec processor, memory or storage.<br />
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.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-8492910617252151372018-11-24T18:29:00.003-08:002018-11-24T18:30:12.657-08:00Rebelle 3, watercolour and painting desktop software<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeTx7hLFT_53lj7ZHDAKd2zuf750G4x8LJLM8AJWGv9Zv_qESIkc-7jesANIGAZ0zEYSvyQ6vPwSVu4FuQjd3fTaUZOnNP-4x8trw49EeMNSun08NYW-QPzjlu8xQs_gH0-RSbSsrSVwb/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="800" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeTx7hLFT_53lj7ZHDAKd2zuf750G4x8LJLM8AJWGv9Zv_qESIkc-7jesANIGAZ0zEYSvyQ6vPwSVu4FuQjd3fTaUZOnNP-4x8trw49EeMNSun08NYW-QPzjlu8xQs_gH0-RSbSsrSVwb/s640/cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was given the commission to create a client Christmas card and I thought this would be the ideal opportunity to try something I've always been meaning to do properly - digital watercolour.<br />
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Looking around at various review sites, the decision as to which software I would use came down to either Art Rage 5 or Rebelle 3. Reading several reviews I was swayed towards Rebelle 3. I chose it because I liked the description of the way it handled watercolour and I liked the colour management system. But it is a bit more pricey than Art Rage (£45 inc VAT).<br />
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Rebelle 3 for UK customers is normally priced at around £68 inc VAT but thanks to Black Friday sale and a further 10% discount for being an email subscriber, in the end I paid £53 incl VAT from here - <a href="https://www.escapemotions.com/products/rebelle/index.php">https://www.escapemotions.com/products/rebelle/index.php</a><br />
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I had a lot of fun playing around with Rebelle3. It's so incredibly realistic yet offers all the convenience of Photoshop and other art program functionality. I like programs that are immediately intuitive to use straight away and Rebelle 3 is definitely easy to use. I have not needed to refer to any reference guide or forum help (so far!). Each tool and panel has a pop out name so it was simple to discover what each tool did. On my laptop (32GB machine with i5 processor) the program ran smoothly with no lag or delay at all despite using five or six layers at a time. The Christmas card project used a canvas size of 14x10inches at 300dpi (roughly 36 MB when open). Saving the work did take some time however - around 15-20 seconds of waiting time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEpxo9pNmjL7gfFwmzZeSGKrfZiWrNFeo_GFF4W4mdGYPyCa2uGdLkBmfsvTtO42-qnVgGv9JXneDsSNhzPIwj3Mr8Ou4Y7jihpezm97i6biN2gfGlIqBa9Xnk6SDjL22AOJhNR_gtJjF/s1600/wip2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="1401" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEpxo9pNmjL7gfFwmzZeSGKrfZiWrNFeo_GFF4W4mdGYPyCa2uGdLkBmfsvTtO42-qnVgGv9JXneDsSNhzPIwj3Mr8Ou4Y7jihpezm97i6biN2gfGlIqBa9Xnk6SDjL22AOJhNR_gtJjF/s640/wip2a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Grappling polar bears - Christmas Card project created on Rebelle 3. In this screengrab I have painted an aurora borealis night sky using watrercolours. The foreground and bears are untouched at this stage.</i></td></tr>
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The ability to wet the paper, tilt the canvas and even use directional air to blow on the wet paint to create streaky patterns all helped me paint the aurora borealis in the background of this image. The stars I used the dip pen tool and an opaque white. One truly amazing and helpful tool is the reference panel. This pop out box you can deposit any reference photo (in my case I chose a generic photo of the arctic with northern lights) and use it to guide your work as you paint, but being colour blind, my main benefit was to use the reference panel and eye dropper tool for colour picking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvZadSRdfnH7AMxVjjddXXEr4Xvz97dEth4Euv9b5tTNfSqmpalIBIr3tx4rlZ4rQDOG8_cirFi0jXf6H73nrFm3wwylGW5bVprT_EJc8ltHLxd78OO9VAdN6MvS318wz4bl_XnaEmYK/s1600/wip2c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6uvZadSRdfnH7AMxVjjddXXEr4Xvz97dEth4Euv9b5tTNfSqmpalIBIr3tx4rlZ4rQDOG8_cirFi0jXf6H73nrFm3wwylGW5bVprT_EJc8ltHLxd78OO9VAdN6MvS318wz4bl_XnaEmYK/s640/wip2c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In this screengrab you can see two very helpful pop-out windows - the reference panel and the colour set panel. I was able to create a custom colour palette based on the reference image and then use the eye dropper</i> tool to select the colours I wanted.</td></tr>
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Another reason I chose Rebelle over, say, Art Rage, is down to the colour management. From what I've read the colour palettes and the way it manages colour is far superior. You can collect and save palettes and even name individual colours. You can also take a reference image and ask Rebelle to create a custom colour palette based on the reference. All very beneficial as I need lots of help with colours.<br />
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The reference panel is always 'on top' but disappears when you move the brush over it, then reappears when you move the brush away from it. As I say, it's highly useful for me for picking colours with the eye dropper tool. In other art programs, I copy and paste a reference image as a new layer, then click back and forth. It's a bit fiddly so I much prefer the Rebelle way of doing things here.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVqm_lgdsuoViz3_Gj5qRAyXmmb5T93k183aXlucRkS5_qnuXKDuUhp2pA6WO-frfqaAJtKOQqMC3M3oi7SCVgCQ8h8yZ3mBkVFncqjzSNkKQ0bFR7XP1DUzPTagiBGxfR8cHBl95iV73/s1600/wip2b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1510" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVqm_lgdsuoViz3_Gj5qRAyXmmb5T93k183aXlucRkS5_qnuXKDuUhp2pA6WO-frfqaAJtKOQqMC3M3oi7SCVgCQ8h8yZ3mBkVFncqjzSNkKQ0bFR7XP1DUzPTagiBGxfR8cHBl95iV73/s640/wip2b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Closer up detail where you can see how the paper grain shows through. Rebelle 3 has the more advanced ability to really fine tune the way the paper grain interacts with the paint.</i></td></tr>
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In the image above you can see how the aurora parts are streaky, this effect was achieve using the air blowing tool. I also applied a bit of smudge. All the tools are really simple and easy to use which made experimenting fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamcxOf5bLyC4a3JsC0qQxJORTMQAIozqKcB2ICtHMjYKMf22SyAT9kvHsPnCG0f0TIEghBjudpc4LYEcQ_AwojTWxGSlI7seP6S9IiZo6sJDGnmlWzgaTGMjlZnFG-j7fxTsvJWZ_e6Fu/s1600/Final-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamcxOf5bLyC4a3JsC0qQxJORTMQAIozqKcB2ICtHMjYKMf22SyAT9kvHsPnCG0f0TIEghBjudpc4LYEcQ_AwojTWxGSlI7seP6S9IiZo6sJDGnmlWzgaTGMjlZnFG-j7fxTsvJWZ_e6Fu/s640/Final-small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The final image, above, was tweaked in Photoshop. I wanted to add contrast to the night sky and play around with saturation a bit. I could have performed these in Rebelle but I just prefered to play with them in the more familiar setting of PS.<br />
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One of the more fiddly parts of this project was trying to stop colours bleeding into areas they shouldn't. I made copious use of the erase tool and the manual lasso tool to remove bits I did not want. When I created this design, I had not yet learned how to use the Fluid Masking tool in Rebelle 3. Using this would have saved me a fair bit of time.<br />
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Despite a very clean and simple desktop appearance Rebelle 3 is actually a very powerful program. There are ways to fine tune almost every aspect of brush, canvas and colour. For simpler folk like me who rely on more tools than normal folk with regular colour vision, I found the reference panel and custom colour set maker to be hugely beneficial. Ultimately, whatever the tools you like to use, the end result has to be worth the effort. For my first project using Rebelle 3, I think the grappling polar bears came out exactly the way I wanted them to so I'm very pleased with the software.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-X6qDEhccMlItUl_jLTqJXlSL8VyMtSjMJywebA6dY2q4LYMTWrafrCDy0JMRjboPtZ1Q13z2lWBHci8B6CywUdyzRHPY5_gtSwHo2GSMkYbhyphenhyphenB9ExLEyv61whf_grcyqqp4fI1Dw2DV/s1600/46830992_1516398871824720_3822087591369375744_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-X6qDEhccMlItUl_jLTqJXlSL8VyMtSjMJywebA6dY2q4LYMTWrafrCDy0JMRjboPtZ1Q13z2lWBHci8B6CywUdyzRHPY5_gtSwHo2GSMkYbhyphenhyphenB9ExLEyv61whf_grcyqqp4fI1Dw2DV/s320/46830992_1516398871824720_3822087591369375744_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>First draft sketch for client approval</i></td></tr>
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.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-51184749891160118672018-11-04T15:02:00.001-08:002018-11-04T15:02:32.237-08:00Halloween 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUk9AAbVGD8zWOLU4osWCfkSUzRbJoIvLAdeGMoHNp5-0tVCmlnuv3mbowyfOJAuDbNsw4ZZi_7PNah1F1Y8m06sDh9VGHIIV5qL-5_scqdsowr_aHXkdjE-gVynFn7YBVDdTDWWZAkSbd/s1600/Final+for+Facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1563" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUk9AAbVGD8zWOLU4osWCfkSUzRbJoIvLAdeGMoHNp5-0tVCmlnuv3mbowyfOJAuDbNsw4ZZi_7PNah1F1Y8m06sDh9VGHIIV5qL-5_scqdsowr_aHXkdjE-gVynFn7YBVDdTDWWZAkSbd/s640/Final+for+Facebook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For Halloween this year I decided to draw a cheerleader applying a rear naked choke (one handed) on a zombie. It was fun discussing the merits of such a technique over on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/9sww3u/would_a_rnc_work_on_a_zombie/" target="_blank">Reddit BJJ</a>!<br />
Eagle-eyed jiu jitsu nerds will have spotted the deliberate use of the <a href="https://www.bjjee.com/articles/7-steps-danaher-style-straight-jacket-back-control/" target="_blank">'straightjacket' system</a> that has been used by the Danaher Death Squad to great success.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Here's how I put this piece together:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhMBHh1PIHuCHYhkGSMMzOuCs4FR4_c695CqgrwTPOmeJ5ar0F9qF1lrTyt0y1iAieGNRiBQPgd-ZJ5g9PoCsHGaWO_xxv6xDTMaok8leb-zP4jsU_0qHMw5jKxjYfujRDtOstYxclEA3/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhMBHh1PIHuCHYhkGSMMzOuCs4FR4_c695CqgrwTPOmeJ5ar0F9qF1lrTyt0y1iAieGNRiBQPgd-ZJ5g9PoCsHGaWO_xxv6xDTMaok8leb-zP4jsU_0qHMw5jKxjYfujRDtOstYxclEA3/s640/2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of the envelope sketch</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQETDaVOvFSZeca3J7FaptVt_INgq4kcAQic3Q3CNvV3yFT9Wls9RZ1ZkdBWfgME_tkH3ruEuuKXBhz1lzbzkwTZAkv3cyQaD7YBVKMEDwZrgRvoiF49RNy5vn0Dt-7nT7cFS6r5gW1SA1/s1600/roughsmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQETDaVOvFSZeca3J7FaptVt_INgq4kcAQic3Q3CNvV3yFT9Wls9RZ1ZkdBWfgME_tkH3ruEuuKXBhz1lzbzkwTZAkv3cyQaD7YBVKMEDwZrgRvoiF49RNy5vn0Dt-7nT7cFS6r5gW1SA1/s640/roughsmall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rough sketch on Clip Studio Paint</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64jWrDpn1pBYwUfjEEg5WPImFHwqvFkt2ZM2NQaJEZMKMGofwYAew5wcitxKBxEryEP44SkTGC5SYNUo1JNd6narWr_Z4Nk8hjgb_lqYuNRJFNM-Lng_IHokudVjeHGchANjauKSYmcGP/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="800" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64jWrDpn1pBYwUfjEEg5WPImFHwqvFkt2ZM2NQaJEZMKMGofwYAew5wcitxKBxEryEP44SkTGC5SYNUo1JNd6narWr_Z4Nk8hjgb_lqYuNRJFNM-Lng_IHokudVjeHGchANjauKSYmcGP/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base flat colours and main inking</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVkRa3zsv6g_3JQy-PmmLYDM9SGwg900zYEn2Lpu8xBprC0EJqc1V9yX27Ot_wbT_MItBUt7zfuiHA_PUHT4Ve69tH7D-juB00Ao-02H1RvMEtNnnPrxWczY6PmksoR1z6UGQAm_fOFu_/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="800" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvVkRa3zsv6g_3JQy-PmmLYDM9SGwg900zYEn2Lpu8xBprC0EJqc1V9yX27Ot_wbT_MItBUt7zfuiHA_PUHT4Ve69tH7D-juB00Ao-02H1RvMEtNnnPrxWczY6PmksoR1z6UGQAm_fOFu_/s640/4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly there, more colour and detail added, prior to text placement</td></tr>
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Click for my past Halloween efforts: <a href="http://meerkatsu-art.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-2017.html" target="_blank">2017</a>, <a href="https://imgur.com/r/bjj/xlA6BqU" target="_blank">2016</a>, <a href="http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/2015/10/meerkatsu-art-ukiyo-e-witches.html" target="_blank">2015</a>, <a href="http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/2014/10/meerkatsu-art-smashing-pumpkins-and.html" target="_blank">2014</a>, <a href="http://meerkat69.blogspot.com/2013/10/meerkatsu-art-halloween-themed-desktop.html" target="_blank">2013</a><br />
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<br />Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-41930623538997805162018-08-09T08:47:00.000-07:002018-08-09T08:47:32.837-07:00Triangle Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r6Za8mt5CqJ8Ujc-xHKXqxRguBYcoGGHLyo01ntJ1nzz6vSL-I4kfMexVoOntWxQfO72S8qG2UyKR3_RO8A2nkNP0A-3_eKSy-rIn3nJlqWRoS3GYTVvqo_AeLQx7IFWA1qxxwjPqvXV/s1600/sketch8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="800" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r6Za8mt5CqJ8Ujc-xHKXqxRguBYcoGGHLyo01ntJ1nzz6vSL-I4kfMexVoOntWxQfO72S8qG2UyKR3_RO8A2nkNP0A-3_eKSy-rIn3nJlqWRoS3GYTVvqo_AeLQx7IFWA1qxxwjPqvXV/s640/sketch8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This T-shirt is my latest tee design. It is available <b><u><a href="https://www.meerkatsu.com/product/meerkatsu-triangle-girl-t-shirt/" target="_blank">here at my store.</a></u></b><br />
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The design began life as a charity poster and T-shirt for the 2018 Bristol Grapplethon event. Here's a look at how the design evolved over time...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7RPBwxy6hLYXVjhWU6nnmJpUoJGP3_hmMur3gf7QaKfMKVxS4PRcUT1AWFmdmAuVtI6wvbR7zO-8UW_JFsZJ7xWIBs03wB8ezNV59Z3p-PYBGcrWD7t-e_KoADGF5ys1y8SlY5Ub0LXr/s1600/sketch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7RPBwxy6hLYXVjhWU6nnmJpUoJGP3_hmMur3gf7QaKfMKVxS4PRcUT1AWFmdmAuVtI6wvbR7zO-8UW_JFsZJ7xWIBs03wB8ezNV59Z3p-PYBGcrWD7t-e_KoADGF5ys1y8SlY5Ub0LXr/s640/sketch1.jpg" width="598" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I first sketched out a concept - the female jiu jitsu combatant is sitting in mounted position and has the demon foe under double arm/wristlock control. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpm5NZvvs2xvlusEugnjXa3AKcWN28K2T3-ToBttWlKIihuwuh6o3M-UzoMB-MAxGOH2ssBK-NxUkE7zPi9gaTdZmkLEQ_H6Ktjl-BN0Cas4KwniKttNDjxzgB1_4QrcyLJRvmsa6oO21/s1600/sketch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpm5NZvvs2xvlusEugnjXa3AKcWN28K2T3-ToBttWlKIihuwuh6o3M-UzoMB-MAxGOH2ssBK-NxUkE7zPi9gaTdZmkLEQ_H6Ktjl-BN0Cas4KwniKttNDjxzgB1_4QrcyLJRvmsa6oO21/s640/sketch2.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding in text layers to flesh out the poster design, but I felt the characters looked awkward and the technique being used unrealistic, so I changed it to a mounted triangle position.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQiqYbyFLoy0pLA_nLEGc6ckle8bbTqzwHWWEkpw2hajS3qrqZmfYyWv0KY77Sc9bWgYKlHvcsSkORlXEMAzW8-1cuqumv1-IJFqqNqulDZtVyj_G3UXnKddCXOochChtxDs0J4DMzKAX/s1600/sketch3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="800" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQiqYbyFLoy0pLA_nLEGc6ckle8bbTqzwHWWEkpw2hajS3qrqZmfYyWv0KY77Sc9bWgYKlHvcsSkORlXEMAzW8-1cuqumv1-IJFqqNqulDZtVyj_G3UXnKddCXOochChtxDs0J4DMzKAX/s640/sketch3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Grapplethon version of the design in finished form. above.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtlWk_aqDLRqOFJKso75HMYg4NClvzOlZ3iUOL3o4t2InW8wD_F8ugQubP2vQvqbCeg8DrRiIjEcIq4HHgqS1f310RyTKOR176KxN7bgbiurswGPlfOlbSkNSRfFQiT2LzW9EyRg1pVw9/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="959" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtlWk_aqDLRqOFJKso75HMYg4NClvzOlZ3iUOL3o4t2InW8wD_F8ugQubP2vQvqbCeg8DrRiIjEcIq4HHgqS1f310RyTKOR176KxN7bgbiurswGPlfOlbSkNSRfFQiT2LzW9EyRg1pVw9/s640/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">@tacerob and her son with their Grapplethon t-shirts</td></tr>
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I liked the drawing I made enough to consider making it into a retail t-shirt for sale at my store. But in order to do so, the design needed a bit of a facelift. The image below shows the same illustration as the Grapplethon tee but I tweaked some of the body proportions and altered the shading. I also added some chinese style clouds and new text. This wasn't a difficult facelift, it only took one evening to do.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQlD4dWAQ3Gy4JpVmkEJl61bfnl7leX4huYeHtgFMaWK3JFkgcnmhueHDCuKh42VWDrosJ-zxvLbZK9jfQWrsnqkP2-etYV7Eul7wItQ3gnSZfRX-vMuUo8j_D-N5CEaVlSuhZrYXpTFN/s1600/sketch4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmQlD4dWAQ3Gy4JpVmkEJl61bfnl7leX4huYeHtgFMaWK3JFkgcnmhueHDCuKh42VWDrosJ-zxvLbZK9jfQWrsnqkP2-etYV7Eul7wItQ3gnSZfRX-vMuUo8j_D-N5CEaVlSuhZrYXpTFN/s640/sketch4.jpg" width="562" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New version of the mounted triangle girl</td></tr>
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I decided the retail tee needed a back design. What better than to turn the drawing upside down and call it the triangle from guard. The triangle choke whether applied from mount or from guard is more or less similar in execution, however there are a lot of details that differ. This meant I had to pretty much draw most of the guard version from scratch. I still used the rotated mounted version as a base reference point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JiVQF12uQRybE2BOKM4C2hQ4GTeRMsnvp4ZX50xSoJc1ZtWtB5bO71ejMQlQDA-E5SNnNFxpVhwIPge3V58OEraCRU1KvuLNuxDkoOuUfuOG3lr2yTUA3a7h2Sc95CD8ILt5ialSHVSa/s1600/sketch5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JiVQF12uQRybE2BOKM4C2hQ4GTeRMsnvp4ZX50xSoJc1ZtWtB5bO71ejMQlQDA-E5SNnNFxpVhwIPge3V58OEraCRU1KvuLNuxDkoOuUfuOG3lr2yTUA3a7h2Sc95CD8ILt5ialSHVSa/s640/sketch5.jpg" width="554" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangle from the guard version</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NH_kZJDO4VEJDqKrBOiE-UI8geBv7KB7SpXI8kblRygzXhptERHVvsKeAkUaomRcKbm_jSGyc2nqa1PZECsLWsn9nGVD82qGyqawwm8nBlvDT7Av9-Tpvemyq9kBh5mV7z01QtHtqYn_/s1600/sketch6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="800" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NH_kZJDO4VEJDqKrBOiE-UI8geBv7KB7SpXI8kblRygzXhptERHVvsKeAkUaomRcKbm_jSGyc2nqa1PZECsLWsn9nGVD82qGyqawwm8nBlvDT7Av9-Tpvemyq9kBh5mV7z01QtHtqYn_/s640/sketch6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding lines using Manga Studio Pro</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhxxBWKPHYJ0_hyphenhyphenTr5HmBhKzGZTU5mreI76XqyVGp-7hj0f8kKwrtw3uOHOHM22DFeqVujmcgNxkhSHvAA3jV1LCs5pxr7qHmbN94mNvrV6chBZVZmwS4Jzb6-YUwXVGT4j6ZXyGXzjMp/s1600/sketch7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="645" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhxxBWKPHYJ0_hyphenhyphenTr5HmBhKzGZTU5mreI76XqyVGp-7hj0f8kKwrtw3uOHOHM22DFeqVujmcgNxkhSHvAA3jV1LCs5pxr7qHmbN94mNvrV6chBZVZmwS4Jzb6-YUwXVGT4j6ZXyGXzjMp/s640/sketch7.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished version of the triangle choke from guard position</td></tr>
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As you can see, I tried to keep the feel and the style of the new version as close to the original mounted version as possible. All that was left was to add a few small graphic details to the rest of the t-shirt and get it screenprinted.<br />
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<br />Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-974332532601611752018-04-01T13:55:00.000-07:002018-04-01T13:55:05.209-07:00Easter Bunnies 2018<div style="text-align: center;">
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Two years ago I drew some <a href="https://imgur.com/f8MgGCp" target="_blank">fluffy white bunnies </a>for Easter. I decided to renew the drawing with something a little darker. Watership Down (the 1978 animation) was a very dark movie so I took a lot of inspiration from there to create this revamped piece.<br />
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This drawing created a fun little debate on <b><u><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/88he2n/i_drew_some_bjj_bunnies_sparring_but_can_you/" target="_blank">Reddit BJJ</a></u></b>.<br />
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You can purchase the final print over on my <b><u><a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/meerkatsu/works/31068638-easter-bunnies-2018?asc=u&ref=recent-owner" target="_blank">Redbubble Store.</a></u></b><br />
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<br />Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-85021737365087743872017-12-31T12:44:00.000-08:002018-03-06T15:41:58.822-08:00iPad Pro 12.9 inch and drawing apps review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkkjX9EVXa2cOqlFwYZX_ssat6mWqCYElokOtll_2YSEUQB90miupmR-JmTpoi8fKC35g-WyJBHpMkL7Kqzebllw4HxK7wZNPTrDEXKhMbEBOXLr2Cp90iTTxfU_4m9_xv9yW6cTGWAaY/s1600/IMG_E0136+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkkjX9EVXa2cOqlFwYZX_ssat6mWqCYElokOtll_2YSEUQB90miupmR-JmTpoi8fKC35g-WyJBHpMkL7Kqzebllw4HxK7wZNPTrDEXKhMbEBOXLr2Cp90iTTxfU_4m9_xv9yW6cTGWAaY/s640/IMG_E0136+%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Back in December 2016 ago I bought the iPad Pro 12.9 inch tablet made by Apple. I also bought the accompanying stylus known as the Apple Pencil. The intention was to use it as an additional drawing platform for when I could not access my Cintiq. Unfortunately in the year that I have owned it, the tablet was used mainly as a device to watch Youtube clips and Netflix and I didn't bother drawing on it until only just recently.<br />
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Recent home renovations have taken my Cintiq out of action, but this finally gave me the chance to use the Pro as a drawing tool, here's how I have got on so far...<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b><u>The iPad Pro 12.9 (2016 edition)</u></b><br />
This isn't an in-depth review of the iPad Pro, there are hundreds of much better and more technical reviews out there, such as this <a href="https://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/reviews/creative-hardware/ipad-pro-2017-review-apples-new-tablets-are-amazing-for-artists-less-so-for-designers-others/" target="_blank">one (2017 edition)</a> - btw there isn't a huge difference between old and 2017 models apparently. This is merely my own personal impressions of using the tablet and the various artist apps that are available.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JVwdF7pzIP_McVfXztKqXaUMLQy79pBAfIktRuMMfocxGxcwTGwmq1GGF6o0TPA1S5sWCfuWNYVbjLXUdqJM-OQSgMfQ3pHwSI4E0_RmynNobz7UBK58mB0MMuMJZnce1giFhhzAkIai/s1600/IMG_3932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JVwdF7pzIP_McVfXztKqXaUMLQy79pBAfIktRuMMfocxGxcwTGwmq1GGF6o0TPA1S5sWCfuWNYVbjLXUdqJM-OQSgMfQ3pHwSI4E0_RmynNobz7UBK58mB0MMuMJZnce1giFhhzAkIai/s640/IMG_3932.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 12.9 inch screen is very big for a tablet. Add in the Logitech keyboard and it ends up being pretty heavy and less portable compared to a regular iPad.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_u-09nzvep-ApCyuCqvDXpt71CgR5NbqYjs3dSCfdijEBBEFkmr5nb7QTA43325n08MBAwOheMHG4tRNKAOphbj1PfW1fXJASAq9a-Ro6-cf-gyU2W0DqOc6sVY3dZ3HmszmxH1bxSA_/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_u-09nzvep-ApCyuCqvDXpt71CgR5NbqYjs3dSCfdijEBBEFkmr5nb7QTA43325n08MBAwOheMHG4tRNKAOphbj1PfW1fXJASAq9a-Ro6-cf-gyU2W0DqOc6sVY3dZ3HmszmxH1bxSA_/s640/IMG_3933.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pencil is a dream to use, it just works perfectly for drawing and sketching. The very smooth glass surface of the screen takes a little getting used to (compared to my more plasticky Cintiq 22HD surface). Charging the Pencil is annoying.</td></tr>
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The purchase of the iPad Pro was a significant departure for me as I have always relied completely on Windows and Android devices. I have never bought nor used any Apple products before - no not even an iMac or iPhone, not even a iPod. So the Pro was my first experience.<br />
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Within minutes of use I could see that the iOS was very straightforward and user friendly. Mind you, prior to the recent update, it wasn't very easy to share and store files, but the new update seems to at least offer a folder for dropping in items. I don't really use it to be honest. For sharing pictures and other created content the iOS encourage you to use iCloud Drive, but with only a measly 5GB of allowance, I never bother. I just upload to Dropbox or use Airdrop (Apple's name for sending stuff via Bluetooth).<br />
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To be honest, I wouldn't really use the Pro for business use, or for writing long reports or accounting or anything boring like that. For such tasks I use my Windows Laptop. The Pro is best used for fun, that means drawing stuff and watching videos and photos. The screen really pops and everything looks gorgeous - which actually might be to the detriment of your artwork when you view them again on another device. I've also been impressed with the battery life, I can easily sit down and draw something over 3 or 4 hours solid with no breaks and the battery only drains maybe 40-50% in that time.<br />
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There's plenty more I could write about the Pro but you only have to look at any tech forum to see people raving about it or listing their grievances. For me, it's a superb, if very expensive, tablet that is saved by offering one incredibly useful function - the Apple Pencil.<br />
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<b>Pencil</b><br />
The Pencil is brilliant. It feels good in the hand (although I shrouded it in a thick silicone case) and the interaction between it and what you draw on the screen is incredibly realistic, just like am, erm, pencil!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl59KlemZv40joG3RC06nDRo5H3Q3lh1zq4SaBHLIxdWd93Vs0PY4KPrFeIQMAv0q-Diu3-WclwgM4r_ZBH2U_5_i03qwZJWeNvzF9V0xPHUkI7LmOFd_PbQUA9TglxtQWvJyOvBVcKOg/s1600/Adobe+Draw+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl59KlemZv40joG3RC06nDRo5H3Q3lh1zq4SaBHLIxdWd93Vs0PY4KPrFeIQMAv0q-Diu3-WclwgM4r_ZBH2U_5_i03qwZJWeNvzF9V0xPHUkI7LmOFd_PbQUA9TglxtQWvJyOvBVcKOg/s320/Adobe+Draw+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fighting Newts, drawn using Adobe Draw</td></tr>
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The pressure sensitivity is excellent, perhaps not as sensitive as the Wacom pen on the Cintiq but more than good enough for the Pro. Depending on the app being used and the settings, the Pencil does a great job adjusting to thick or thin lines, heavy paint or light paint etc depending how heavy you press while drawing. The angle of the pencil gives an effect too, when sketching for example, you can draw broader darker lines if you angle the Pencil.<br />
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<b>Drawing apps</b><br />
There are hundreds of drawing apps to play with on the Pro. Honestly visiting the App store is awful because I always want to download a dozen apps and try them out. The above photo shows me drawing a couple of newts using Adobe Draw. It's an okay program, I haven't really used it much. The benefit to Draw is that you are drawing in vector. But it's not like using Adobe Illustrator. Draw is trying to be a painting program but I just didn't dig it. But don't let that put you off. Plenty of digital artists use Draw and create some stunning work with it. See <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/adobedraw/" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
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Same can said with Paper, which comes free with the Pro. It's useful I suppose as a quick concept sketching tool but apart from that, I haven't used it.<br />
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<b>Procreate</b><br />
The app I really wanted to talk about is <b><u><a href="https://procreate.art/" target="_blank">Procreate for the iPad</a></u></b>. I can't believe it costs only $9.99 (or about £8). It is incredibly powerful and loaded with brushes and tools each with a huge variety of manual settings. This is the app I have been using for nearly all my iPad art. That being said, I have had to rely on a few other apps in order to get certain effects I need. The photos below offer a summary of how I've been using Procreate so far:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclPa3RQwfbvd79llYUDBZ6L59rOm7MICKwu5xos89rh-EIvOL8HVT_fbNBY4Y51_1_RxL6g_ZAsod8b3eJi4b6LLh3ykWjtQE6KuRwddxYr_K4F5ee45ITvTMRfaFFJgYTjdmREuhAEn5/s1600/IMG_3937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclPa3RQwfbvd79llYUDBZ6L59rOm7MICKwu5xos89rh-EIvOL8HVT_fbNBY4Y51_1_RxL6g_ZAsod8b3eJi4b6LLh3ykWjtQE6KuRwddxYr_K4F5ee45ITvTMRfaFFJgYTjdmREuhAEn5/s640/IMG_3937.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiu Jitsu Mum: Pencil sketched in Procreate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrQR4LvpYNZUItVF5UfJOussz8kAyj7_TIsM3JygsrouCREXGwk0oz_aX1JhO2uv7DiHxV6ScgujEIOrl1KSP0RDmYum1deTeIA7ZVyxzY2F_G7wD8MaGpCE-8Q9zviOV_cIyIr0FeSE3/s1600/IMG_E0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrQR4LvpYNZUItVF5UfJOussz8kAyj7_TIsM3JygsrouCREXGwk0oz_aX1JhO2uv7DiHxV6ScgujEIOrl1KSP0RDmYum1deTeIA7ZVyxzY2F_G7wD8MaGpCE-8Q9zviOV_cIyIr0FeSE3/s640/IMG_E0136.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiu Jitsu Mum: the final piece was drawn on a roughly A3 size canvas board. This meant it was big enough to upload onto Redbubble for poster printing customers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtzTV1vsRR03Mp8aww7BKo5HF0kArP3T3TVlVDkPFmNP8AE66qcWh91IyzLFjcI1YudwACjoe1jBSwdcZXcI249lH7NwUR1TCmLLwGabElgYxIgfdKYLR1od3xO5YBKBJ9CNQ1J4ZF2tz/s1600/Dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtzTV1vsRR03Mp8aww7BKo5HF0kArP3T3TVlVDkPFmNP8AE66qcWh91IyzLFjcI1YudwACjoe1jBSwdcZXcI249lH7NwUR1TCmLLwGabElgYxIgfdKYLR1od3xO5YBKBJ9CNQ1J4ZF2tz/s640/Dad.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiu Jitsu Dad - used a lot of layers, something that Procreate was more than capable of handling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPWNpMEtG6HpKpg26hmsfrEJHXkrnz4r6iJN1Cm3fLvUQO3M4HMd1bG5YWONwcSyMAKIKgtBEEB9hkj5Z26FMAfrlnegEOIlqCqhdFeoe0tlYvA_MG_u5iNlp2991jiQ4j-CGEjEjr7wU/s1600/IMG_3934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPWNpMEtG6HpKpg26hmsfrEJHXkrnz4r6iJN1Cm3fLvUQO3M4HMd1bG5YWONwcSyMAKIKgtBEEB9hkj5Z26FMAfrlnegEOIlqCqhdFeoe0tlYvA_MG_u5iNlp2991jiQ4j-CGEjEjr7wU/s640/IMG_3934.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 9 or 10 layers here, but some artworks I have done have used 15 or more layers. It slows down a tiny bit but not massively. Procreate tools do however need a bit of hunting around for as the interface is so good at hiding them, which of course does give you the artist a nice big drawing area to work on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The great thing about Procreate is that you can capture a time lapse video of your drawing progression. It's a fun way to share ones work.<br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EieC4_2fBvQ" width="560"></iframe>
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<br />
There are of course many limitations to the app. It can't for example create a gradient - something one just takes for granted on Photoshop. Instead, I use another app called <b><u><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/background-maker-gradient-colours/id816961883?mt=8" target="_blank">Background Maker</a></u></b>, which is free for the ad supported version.<br />
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Another seemingly obvious omission is the lack of text input. In order to add the word JIU JITSU to my Mum and Dad pieces above, I opened up the app version of <a href="https://medibangpaint.com/en/" target="_blank">Medibang Paint</a> and just used that to create some text.<br />
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Speaking of Medibang Paint, that's a nice but very ambitious painting app for use on the Pro. It's a bit slow and the user interface is way too busy. It's a good example of what happens when you try to put too much functionality onto a program designed for use on a tablet. Still, it is completely free and if you like the desktop version, the tablet version isn't too far off in terms of familiarity. But the memory and processing power of the Pro is just not enough to give you the full power of something like a Photoshop equivalent on a desktop device.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAWDq0UpJSC9sS82gQ90drQGKyAocyzT5zM0_soX4GSLSGCUgAnUaYyrQyIoQkZ7frKQL3s3vcgSMO4LwdFGmrw9Qf2O2UKS3z2EWDDgQaV8rSVOixBHaYTq9jd3sBiyOqB5pCniLT1Fu/s1600/IMG_3916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="960" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAWDq0UpJSC9sS82gQ90drQGKyAocyzT5zM0_soX4GSLSGCUgAnUaYyrQyIoQkZ7frKQL3s3vcgSMO4LwdFGmrw9Qf2O2UKS3z2EWDDgQaV8rSVOixBHaYTq9jd3sBiyOqB5pCniLT1Fu/s640/IMG_3916.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reynicorn: used different tools to my usual pens and pencils, this piece includes airbrushing and crayon effects</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O1FfLaO999c" width="560"></iframe>
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<b>March 2018 Update</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGU0TVUZOkRcxm7NmAKHq6Cm4CiNao2d9S0_voFgu883AyFTx4ZDp1S4uterbGxq3wlCPTOi0CLuBHUV8Cd6Qy91IsubBMA2-LiHQAOgeoEqt7lpPD990twqSe4ajJRtdke0tsgPmkUg-/s1600/26952047_10155303701943660_5835279978409098482_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGU0TVUZOkRcxm7NmAKHq6Cm4CiNao2d9S0_voFgu883AyFTx4ZDp1S4uterbGxq3wlCPTOi0CLuBHUV8Cd6Qy91IsubBMA2-LiHQAOgeoEqt7lpPD990twqSe4ajJRtdke0tsgPmkUg-/s640/26952047_10155303701943660_5835279978409098482_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since posting my write-up above, I have had a lot more concentrated time to work on my iPad Pro. The more I use it, the more I am enjoying it. I can pick up the Pro and just sit and draw anywhere. It brings me back to simpler days when I was just drawing for fun. The Cintiq is for work. I don’t mind work, work pays the bills, but the Pro is really fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzTFr8yoQo0hsbEUgbJWKtWaXVULPbSQ3clnZTFQle2TkP5DEEeNjx1BPeovW39WEdyRrMQWLBEwUjaFReeROfEUdvSssZBPRI7-lVlV1kQgsIyls52ttEq5lpv5xp94Zs8necE2m7Zyk/s1600/28424045_10155403070213660_1896755202441312365_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzTFr8yoQo0hsbEUgbJWKtWaXVULPbSQ3clnZTFQle2TkP5DEEeNjx1BPeovW39WEdyRrMQWLBEwUjaFReeROfEUdvSssZBPRI7-lVlV1kQgsIyls52ttEq5lpv5xp94Zs8necE2m7Zyk/s640/28424045_10155403070213660_1896755202441312365_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Matt screen protector</b><br />
One annoying thing was the glossy smoothness of the screen. You get sort of used to it but drawing on the Cintiq surface is a lot better. The reason I think is because the Cintiq screen is matt, not glossy, it is also plasticky and has a bit of bite when the Wacom pen is applied to it. So after reading some forum posts about this very topic, I went and bought a matt screen protector. The moment I started drawing with the Apple Pencil on the newly installed matt screen protector, it was like drawing on the Cintiq- so much better than before!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQsOezvfD7LaJ5Njw8aTEW7x9Wv5IzfJQBMpGwbjcbIhrvitdO3HhDbLxkBL4n2teoo2zVFSLCOxRe-oqbqyblcLOCbi1GLm-iC8AVL52sevz19Sf7iL47TlSUQlbkSeMWeRq0q1XWbAc/s1600/IMG-4860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQsOezvfD7LaJ5Njw8aTEW7x9Wv5IzfJQBMpGwbjcbIhrvitdO3HhDbLxkBL4n2teoo2zVFSLCOxRe-oqbqyblcLOCbi1GLm-iC8AVL52sevz19Sf7iL47TlSUQlbkSeMWeRq0q1XWbAc/s640/IMG-4860.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt screen protector is also anti-glare and adds bite to the Pencil when drawing but at a cost of screen colour saturation and conrtast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Power supply</b><br />
As stated before, the battery life isn’t too bad. I can draw a fairly complex piece of work on one 3 or 4 sitting and it uses up maybe 50-60% of charge. But when it goes down to zero, using the supplied 12W charger to bring it back to 100% takes ALL DAY! (about 6 hours) It is ridiculously underpowered. So I went out and bought a 29W charger with USB-C to Lightning cable. The latter connection apparently allows for superfast charging (according to many articles, like <b><u><a href="https://www.imore.com/best-way-fast-charge-your-ipad-pro" target="_blank">this one</a></u></b>).<br />
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I tested it am sad to report that it does not fast charge as advertised. I plugged it in when it was at 10% and four hours later it the battery had risen to only 45%.
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<b>Zen Brush II</b>
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I bought this app on a whim. Yet another example of why I shouldn’t be let loose on the App Store because I just keep buying stuff. The app is not bad, it does what it says it will do, nothing more. I’m sure you could set up Procreate brushes to simulate something similar, but the Zen Brush app has it all done already. It’s convenient for getting that wet Chinese brush effect. Useful I think for assignments where I need to paint some Chinese characters. It doesn’t have layers, so it’s difficult if you need a reference layer to trace over. It is fun trying out all the different paper and background colour effects. You only get three ink options however: black, red and grey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s2f4rQGJ-0Cs4MrnNr7y_GxRqwhbAPEgPgXQg5G8PQcX1SiXOuQiJBU5WgQqYnPvNbUQq5Q299ev3cK1MYcWaEUcHglm2ebvXIqdccEAIWi_ppk-d7ll64O4_QEiW0DPxqU65aXQ5mRP/s1600/26170681_10155257308913660_5513801618874773309_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2s2f4rQGJ-0Cs4MrnNr7y_GxRqwhbAPEgPgXQg5G8PQcX1SiXOuQiJBU5WgQqYnPvNbUQq5Q299ev3cK1MYcWaEUcHglm2ebvXIqdccEAIWi_ppk-d7ll64O4_QEiW0DPxqU65aXQ5mRP/s640/26170681_10155257308913660_5513801618874773309_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Graphic</b><br />
Graphic is a vector drawing app. It's sort of like a stripped down version of Adobe Illustrator but still hosts a lot of functionality. It has a pretty decent pen tool for drawing straight lines and bezier curves. It also has a pencil/brush tool for more expressive strokes, plus it has the usual shapes, boxes and other bits and bobs you find on other vector drawing programs. For me, it was important to add because some projects require the feel of vector drawn line work. Although I have access to the free to use app Draw by Adobe, this program suffers because you can only really port the final image to your desktop as an Adobe CC ai file, which I'm not able to use (I have an old version of Illustrator). So far I've only used it for a couple of artworks, but it's super easy to use.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3nXGKUtCrxVMhr1x-QqePNPv4ii5T0RZBuQhrRfJTSahQkDgltxLjrtHAKJPUx66S_mtXLee3GWGjP6-n7BTAAavUdGNXvciIelvywQcmTFZ5_Ap2J0-oParA5UfPBuQgtoHIM-dFwD2/s1600/28070869_10155360281568660_589112197735398649_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3nXGKUtCrxVMhr1x-QqePNPv4ii5T0RZBuQhrRfJTSahQkDgltxLjrtHAKJPUx66S_mtXLee3GWGjP6-n7BTAAavUdGNXvciIelvywQcmTFZ5_Ap2J0-oParA5UfPBuQgtoHIM-dFwD2/s640/28070869_10155360281568660_589112197735398649_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic - vector drawing is ideal for the cute Japanese look known as kawaii</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXImCSudtQfnEElIjhfeoPlK-aKXbI2njbz257Wdpji7z3uoXkMTu5GwUe-eOZkcX9dt6hfCfGLAEiLhEJI5V3arwBmImph5NFpTNScYxz1Wyz2PAcb3UB63JmNzxORXKbaxSFhhCbVjrU/s1600/28336500_10155397688208660_4152627186409162920_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXImCSudtQfnEElIjhfeoPlK-aKXbI2njbz257Wdpji7z3uoXkMTu5GwUe-eOZkcX9dt6hfCfGLAEiLhEJI5V3arwBmImph5NFpTNScYxz1Wyz2PAcb3UB63JmNzxORXKbaxSFhhCbVjrU/s640/28336500_10155397688208660_4152627186409162920_o.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic is great for a simple turn on and go drawing app, vector style.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Conclusion</b><br />
The decision to buy the iPad Pro 12.9 is understandably not that easy when you consider that for around £700 - £1100 depending on model (plus Pencil £99 and cover/keyboard £80) you are in effect paying laptop PC prices for what is essentially something with only the power and functionality of a tablet. There's a big difference in computing power between these two sectors of the market.<br />
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Logically, if what I wanted was a powerful yet small drawing device, the Surface Pro might seem like a better choice because you get a drawing stylus (very good one apparently) on a touch screen tablet sized device but the full power of a pc. In fact prior to purchase I was deliberating between the Surface and the iPad Pro. I made many repeat visits to John Lewis and Curry's Pc World stores to try out both. In the end I chose the latter due to the positive artist reviews of the Pencil. <b><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoQ9cdsUNvk" target="_blank">This review</a></u></b> is pretty accurate.<br />
While on the subject, another option for you to consider is the <b><u><a href="http://www.wacom.com/en-gb/products/pen-computers" target="_blank">Wacom Mobile Studio Pro</a>.</u></b><br />
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Another issue I had was that the Surface requires fully fledged software to be loaded and they may or may not cope well with the power of the Surface compared to my 32Gb laptop for example. Whereas at least with the Pro, you can only use apps that are specially created for it and are stripped of unnecessary junk so they run smoothly (in theory).<br />
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Once I got myself more familiar with the way the IOS system works and I had practiced and Youtubed a few tutorials on how to use Procreate, drawing on the device because a whole lot easier. I'm still happy with my Cintiq and prefer it over the Pro for use on very complex pieces, but I've been really impressed with how the Pro and Procreate has coped with my many-layered drawings and the way all the brushes, pens and pencils handle via the Apple Pencil stylus. In many ways, the iPad is now my go-to platform for digital drawing. I'll only crank up the PC and Cintiq when I need to work on something more complex (for example Live Tracing a raster drawn image into vector is only something I can do on my desktop).<br />
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So, if you are an artist and digital painter that requires a portable (okay it's still heavy but it's better than a laptop) drawing tablet with a really great stylus, I would not hesitate to recommend the iPad Pro 12.9 inch over and above the other options you may have considered.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw5oueNPszsl48K2fgwHF9UkD5LrHw-mzdmpACRCCqMTPThMcDLdI_XYn6OOnOlRHdLIK7k2Ygh5SxRmgLcfAvSQcXXiGckPrZPKlQlWjJm6zaDASdlOU9pqVc3VJ5ossReNvnitPopoE/s1600/IMG_3888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="678" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw5oueNPszsl48K2fgwHF9UkD5LrHw-mzdmpACRCCqMTPThMcDLdI_XYn6OOnOlRHdLIK7k2Ygh5SxRmgLcfAvSQcXXiGckPrZPKlQlWjJm6zaDASdlOU9pqVc3VJ5ossReNvnitPopoE/s640/IMG_3888.JPG" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Little Billy Goat: a parody of MLP. Looks very vectory although it was all drawn using ink pen tools in Procreate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz-YB22CrzKqlfRI1ffa4qDS-Dkv6oVl2E0lM8AeTRWF5SWPNCszph8zQ7CqgLp_PkZD7cLlvdg_KEqDPZg8dhP3pAqlOrcZVoWhc5Yfy4pjIfQvmN5Xv2c9XrhEmW6-Oku2_wwSxlS3f/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="678" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz-YB22CrzKqlfRI1ffa4qDS-Dkv6oVl2E0lM8AeTRWF5SWPNCszph8zQ7CqgLp_PkZD7cLlvdg_KEqDPZg8dhP3pAqlOrcZVoWhc5Yfy4pjIfQvmN5Xv2c9XrhEmW6-Oku2_wwSxlS3f/s640/IMG_3639.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krampus, the Pro is a decent size device to just sit on the sofa or bed and doodle away, which is what I did for this piece.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW2cywByhj0aezz9uAUpnvIZiJg12FzbsJzRU_Nm5OodPaI4RVLFJKq3hFpHxtFwyYYafWQvfltWicmCGrY9Agb5AdXuoQC330FYJZoz290M_7oEIWGB1XPldd0ZOHL10GHlm20yybPtk/s1600/28070820_10155361211903660_1604516223911089174_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW2cywByhj0aezz9uAUpnvIZiJg12FzbsJzRU_Nm5OodPaI4RVLFJKq3hFpHxtFwyYYafWQvfltWicmCGrY9Agb5AdXuoQC330FYJZoz290M_7oEIWGB1XPldd0ZOHL10GHlm20yybPtk/s640/28070820_10155361211903660_1604516223911089174_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPv_59Z05x2GgT09SAXHQwnOT-3tS9MyF2glYIbkm9OY1I2tg72cBHVXQ-y8RipVNW_QG5exLekNI6NWQW5mawo8iMnDGatJ_QKB_w63i_zU5B971_XgqMVbCVynzCNpFa5au2QHpDP_t3/s1600/28071287_10155365575398660_1197597156530576136_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPv_59Z05x2GgT09SAXHQwnOT-3tS9MyF2glYIbkm9OY1I2tg72cBHVXQ-y8RipVNW_QG5exLekNI6NWQW5mawo8iMnDGatJ_QKB_w63i_zU5B971_XgqMVbCVynzCNpFa5au2QHpDP_t3/s640/28071287_10155365575398660_1197597156530576136_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-5791942006338081382017-12-22T13:52:00.003-08:002017-12-22T13:52:48.613-08:00Divine Bow & Arrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9nmWgyGhj4JWEZRmGnGcpWjfTqtWskiAfWJPlqZsZUXXjYJQrSlmqD2s5r-qz5AKLG4IX0kpeCeHiDX60QNK4GA3aSw1eVL2ZHaPUH3krPGIPDEsON-wZu0Sg9l8-9wFqwoD2gRU8wqA/s1600/bow+arrow+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="900" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9nmWgyGhj4JWEZRmGnGcpWjfTqtWskiAfWJPlqZsZUXXjYJQrSlmqD2s5r-qz5AKLG4IX0kpeCeHiDX60QNK4GA3aSw1eVL2ZHaPUH3krPGIPDEsON-wZu0Sg9l8-9wFqwoD2gRU8wqA/s640/bow+arrow+cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><a href="http://meerkatsu-art.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/grapplethon-2014-heavenly-bow-and-arrow.html" target="_blank">In 2014</a></u></b> I first drew a female character defeating a demon via bow and arrow for the Bristol Grapplethon. I decided to update the concept for a rashguard for my own Meerkatsu brand.<br />
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The Divine Bow & Arrow is a male and female fit rashguard and also a female only 3/4 length grappling tights.<br />
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They are all available at my store: <a href="http://www.meerkatsu.com/">www.meerkatsu.com</a><br />
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Here's more background to how I put it together:<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The original bow and arrow T-shirt featured a female grappler wearing a BJJ gi. I wanted my new updated version to follow the pattern exhibited by my four other Japanese Lady style rashguards (Omoplata, Wristlock, Footlock and Kimura).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtepPo4ANAeipAcXQqAEuk1SoJZ0nOTCyis5pWNnhv7EBNVImQskSdViinFUbEXQAA6LABnbhW4-jJ1znSkwhyGRa5DD8VXv5HpgFLVTHhkB_vUUJ7H0tRgnb8a1p9-pj7EGlnQEjlFn0G/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtepPo4ANAeipAcXQqAEuk1SoJZ0nOTCyis5pWNnhv7EBNVImQskSdViinFUbEXQAA6LABnbhW4-jJ1znSkwhyGRa5DD8VXv5HpgFLVTHhkB_vUUJ7H0tRgnb8a1p9-pj7EGlnQEjlFn0G/s640/1.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Line art I drew in 2014 for the original bow and arrow Grapplethon Tee</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosKnFUKz6BgpLCfAUHPpl7XYJrxSmCBzO0M72wR-VmW9ZL2Nt_eT5eiDSUVgR2SY8MLL1pxw5MQVd8l5F67MT1f8i0a00hE7aTf6yegvCVQXTm4dsAeKnpFhESicgYCU4HMTupoULf8tV/s1600/bowandarrow-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosKnFUKz6BgpLCfAUHPpl7XYJrxSmCBzO0M72wR-VmW9ZL2Nt_eT5eiDSUVgR2SY8MLL1pxw5MQVd8l5F67MT1f8i0a00hE7aTf6yegvCVQXTm4dsAeKnpFhESicgYCU4HMTupoULf8tV/s640/bowandarrow-2.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Flipped the image and rotated it more to my liking</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWJgKqE7IMTUavYPHP4mRRVh-hWmGPdnYZzJyk8_VRZ48K-7HxxagmCYVd1uNrYm0QE7osB8QhmxtvPSXruZIbaO69gUNoh_rUZG_-FJLMF6B7dp4MwWRO7U2NICDMfAnw0PxL6635YRf/s1600/bowandarrow-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWJgKqE7IMTUavYPHP4mRRVh-hWmGPdnYZzJyk8_VRZ48K-7HxxagmCYVd1uNrYm0QE7osB8QhmxtvPSXruZIbaO69gUNoh_rUZG_-FJLMF6B7dp4MwWRO7U2NICDMfAnw0PxL6635YRf/s640/bowandarrow-3.jpg" width="580" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Drew a new sketch using the 2014 drawing as a reference</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptMlfyaIVttJ1KSGq0EhyGj3AtQSB7PRurvE1KrW6tL2f18RChHZgNtoXTl3E8OFDKCX6f0zaybsk9w-zgjOwnDyepxUGd1I9FtQCkMNrWwjS6iRrPa33Slk7Yqj_Jl3llfKi2ZAjusdU/s1600/bowandarrow-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptMlfyaIVttJ1KSGq0EhyGj3AtQSB7PRurvE1KrW6tL2f18RChHZgNtoXTl3E8OFDKCX6f0zaybsk9w-zgjOwnDyepxUGd1I9FtQCkMNrWwjS6iRrPa33Slk7Yqj_Jl3llfKi2ZAjusdU/s640/bowandarrow-4.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Using Manga Studio and Illustrator, I created the colour version of this design. the peony flower background and elements feature widely across the design.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL825pwYNaDZR00PBcyDQ-gaPysvJO8ZUW67KXx-KefNOwvxE5cRWkq_5wzIC4b09p7on9fE4aSX0Np4dXK_WJApSiXB2fjTGqS0TkO3Z7p1KNxFTP7JYfQSvZVMFNVrK9QtTEj-tGjf9n/s1600/Crucifix-rashguard-1200x680---with-branding.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1299" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL825pwYNaDZR00PBcyDQ-gaPysvJO8ZUW67KXx-KefNOwvxE5cRWkq_5wzIC4b09p7on9fE4aSX0Np4dXK_WJApSiXB2fjTGqS0TkO3Z7p1KNxFTP7JYfQSvZVMFNVrK9QtTEj-tGjf9n/s640/Crucifix-rashguard-1200x680---with-branding.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Final his and hers rashguard tops </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphencPue6zp601vISWytNrKwi8NWpnZu8452VlWNDlWxR3-zdoP0Jj3c7HhmjPxbmpn9fsrrL1wU9RS8wDLkv7E1Ex-fLVR251VDsLAEanReKLVdC3YdkO3UR-wko_V24SSLE-7uBR7LQfD/s1600/Capri-spats-1200x600-with-branding.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphencPue6zp601vISWytNrKwi8NWpnZu8452VlWNDlWxR3-zdoP0Jj3c7HhmjPxbmpn9fsrrL1wU9RS8wDLkv7E1Ex-fLVR251VDsLAEanReKLVdC3YdkO3UR-wko_V24SSLE-7uBR7LQfD/s640/Capri-spats-1200x600-with-branding.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Ladies fit grappling tights</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4ljnB4fowq3dEzhcyoxHKb3XDriBfYSAKrTlpwTNoh6cgXpuo7sk3-rKhcXn2fMzl1yzRvdXpORN5Io3jWdP7-_d8e2QUut4ILeTpknNri1MT3G0lPwIl_1G-497cA-8qVbC3R6ZIZvk/s1600/bowandarrow-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4ljnB4fowq3dEzhcyoxHKb3XDriBfYSAKrTlpwTNoh6cgXpuo7sk3-rKhcXn2fMzl1yzRvdXpORN5Io3jWdP7-_d8e2QUut4ILeTpknNri1MT3G0lPwIl_1G-497cA-8qVbC3R6ZIZvk/s640/bowandarrow-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7. Meerkatsu-sponsored Abbie O'Toole (@armbar.queen) wearing her Divine Bow & Arrow spats</td></tr>
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<br />Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-10073002076822356552017-12-20T04:51:00.001-08:002017-12-20T04:52:23.310-08:00Gift Wrap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1KSVYZZ1a-BySQCdKMCYW5rOrcauwva1J4FVc4XymX2hP40Il7NL73iovM1Q9R3beTKcIo79XV4cScokV42M5QtWLfoKRB75ZNMnJtfKj_MakXODGLat3hNpwNlb0KbxqJRCDKq_nP_b/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="900" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1KSVYZZ1a-BySQCdKMCYW5rOrcauwva1J4FVc4XymX2hP40Il7NL73iovM1Q9R3beTKcIo79XV4cScokV42M5QtWLfoKRB75ZNMnJtfKj_MakXODGLat3hNpwNlb0KbxqJRCDKq_nP_b/s640/cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Seasonal holidays and events seem to inspire me to draw jiu-jitsu related artwork and Christmas especially so. Here I've drawn two elves who ought to be helping Santa but are playing jiu jitsu instead. The technique the top elf is using is known as the Gift Wrap.<br />
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Here's how I put it together...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVLmhAubIIAwBqu-ahOgAzbB-X-JiCQFH5Tj0Bs8ecrq4IR7_1iEaTeb7XGGgW7KZ6igDox9fyIp0l-oyEMaG1BcVuPKP4MaNYoN70Rc5ly2hgOgGHd0m3HMZgbb5HHCImz6h5BYBjeZB/s1600/reference+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="900" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVLmhAubIIAwBqu-ahOgAzbB-X-JiCQFH5Tj0Bs8ecrq4IR7_1iEaTeb7XGGgW7KZ6igDox9fyIp0l-oyEMaG1BcVuPKP4MaNYoN70Rc5ly2hgOgGHd0m3HMZgbb5HHCImz6h5BYBjeZB/s640/reference+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. A reference photo of my and my training partner who is doing the 'gift wrap'</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTgVAAU1qGDSjwcu_Ot21A4Ejn541e0jlRYY1RQ8DDeMEQKHgJTG7lhApg1NADeDLbH1aZDPC0S_X6FSOKF6uwDIMUkyUtE6pXFbL8ZF22ObosORXFAxV9nJ-Qm7RzDE8A1J7aWgNKJS1/s1600/reference+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="900" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTgVAAU1qGDSjwcu_Ot21A4Ejn541e0jlRYY1RQ8DDeMEQKHgJTG7lhApg1NADeDLbH1aZDPC0S_X6FSOKF6uwDIMUkyUtE6pXFbL8ZF22ObosORXFAxV9nJ-Qm7RzDE8A1J7aWgNKJS1/s640/reference+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Trace rough shapes as a layer over the photo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsj64c24Tqe_63iK7GGfLhJYDBcqz9yVZB6m8NSQJPGJUNSSjrtn5Bj5TcXuoQgyUMWz-UP6Z0wZb8x2TPkc5k0sMC0g0kdF0GvL2gWUlySov-77CRwmepGVDvZwM5bX0qWFKi9TWBswm/s1600/reference+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="900" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsj64c24Tqe_63iK7GGfLhJYDBcqz9yVZB6m8NSQJPGJUNSSjrtn5Bj5TcXuoQgyUMWz-UP6Z0wZb8x2TPkc5k0sMC0g0kdF0GvL2gWUlySov-77CRwmepGVDvZwM5bX0qWFKi9TWBswm/s640/reference+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Play around with background and layout of text</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wC3h9ZqVOcoYUEcCBYSyAJWtlLI1fn46uBjSUhSSH-8dFw9vcyMBDynF6AOO2rl3XvPqNspX7bxdsjTKTIZ6D2eTc8eydhjlf5bmYPukdVPUi7WBu0iSgPXpV9VzZUMBE77sVDZMpt0Q/s1600/reference+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="900" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wC3h9ZqVOcoYUEcCBYSyAJWtlLI1fn46uBjSUhSSH-8dFw9vcyMBDynF6AOO2rl3XvPqNspX7bxdsjTKTIZ6D2eTc8eydhjlf5bmYPukdVPUi7WBu0iSgPXpV9VzZUMBE77sVDZMpt0Q/s640/reference+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Affinity Designer is a vector program that is new to me so I started drawing vector shapes.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8EoSIPAinYIPVuy_EzbijJ2q-mk6BkeWknKC5a53DoN4AqgJEFBgEOXv0RvVdaE2eUB6_NMqpDYhcCyKzwNBRyGPzw3LfaJV6r-GIR9tfHikEso2NzcBqgENSPth_wCyq3QkxVOT2Ib-/s1600/FINAL+-+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1078" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY8EoSIPAinYIPVuy_EzbijJ2q-mk6BkeWknKC5a53DoN4AqgJEFBgEOXv0RvVdaE2eUB6_NMqpDYhcCyKzwNBRyGPzw3LfaJV6r-GIR9tfHikEso2NzcBqgENSPth_wCyq3QkxVOT2Ib-/s640/FINAL+-+small.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. I gave up on Affinity and used Manga Studio watercolour brushes instead. I also used a touch of colouring pencil tool to add highlights and shadow. Finally I added a textured overlay to simulate watercolour paper.</td></tr>
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As a side note, it is interesting that depictions of Christmas elves as Santa's helpers all seem universally dressed in green with pointed hats, long noses, pointed ears and usually red and white banded stockings. I wonder how this particular appearance first came about and why it persisted so long? If you Google elves in general, then you get a lot more variety in appearances.<br />
.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-40374423208486157932017-12-16T03:16:00.000-08:002017-12-20T05:02:02.383-08:00Rick and Morty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS09ZZ8_ZfWEMK1Wnm8ujthJOAUWLWbLesi9955UpGX_rVykKz5JkQAym3iPEgJSECYqS1Xthyo_9UtOVbYxS-HIqU4eS_98wjWHpYl8rTf3cm8NBml8Zf_lOgx5jlv7KDoBe6DKyup8n/s1600/final+900x1300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS09ZZ8_ZfWEMK1Wnm8ujthJOAUWLWbLesi9955UpGX_rVykKz5JkQAym3iPEgJSECYqS1Xthyo_9UtOVbYxS-HIqU4eS_98wjWHpYl8rTf3cm8NBml8Zf_lOgx5jlv7KDoBe6DKyup8n/s640/final+900x1300.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Rick & Morty is an animated TV series aimed at adults and I guess older kids or teenagers - there are some very dark subjects and scenes. The show has developed a huge followed. I only came onto it recently after loads of people kept sending me memes and talking about the show.<br />
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A quick scout around on the internet reveals a <a href="https://www.deviantart.com/tag/rickandmorty" target="_blank">massive amount of fan art </a>dedicated to the show so I decided to make my own one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wNqaoAru73l1CFQnhFyeMLiMcz-w-TH6dVGLPhArxSgturuQ_sC8I5YGOfo6_CO6z6eqnjF0vRM7d0qa6ZikPRCHF6e6YLEJVH2rn1A_aotVU85MfDV7iD6_XVosnx3tgcbapi20aVVQ/s1600/sketch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wNqaoAru73l1CFQnhFyeMLiMcz-w-TH6dVGLPhArxSgturuQ_sC8I5YGOfo6_CO6z6eqnjF0vRM7d0qa6ZikPRCHF6e6YLEJVH2rn1A_aotVU85MfDV7iD6_XVosnx3tgcbapi20aVVQ/s320/sketch.jpg" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Concept sketch: Kromobopulus Michael is armbarring or shoulder cranking Morty while misc other characters look on. Actually Rick isn't looking, he's too busy getting drunk.</i><i> </i></td></tr>
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The characters are rendered quite simply and to be honest it wasn't all that hard to draw them freehand, but I wanted to make sure all the tiny details were authentic and accurate to the show.<br />
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The whole piece was drawn and coloured using Manga Studio Pro, including a final layer or airbrushed shadow to enhance the 3-D shapes - something that doesn't appear on the TV show artwork and thus could be argued is my own spin on the characters.<br />
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Some appreciation on <u><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bjj/comments/7k0f0q/i_drew_a_rick_and_morty_fan_art_incorporating_a/?sort=new" target="_blank">Reddit/BJJ.</a></u><br />
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<br />Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-68132638332209792692017-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:002017-12-04T12:56:10.571-08:00Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Story Book<div style="text-align: center;">
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I created another colouring in book -<b><u><a href="http://www.blurb.com/b/8357710-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-storybook" target="_blank"> see here for details.</a></u></b></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Following the success of my first colouring in book, I created a second volume this time based around familiar fairy tales, nursery rhymes and folk tales. There's a very rich list with which to mine and I probably only covered a small fraction of all the possibilities. It was very good fun to draw new pieces and revamp older ones from before.<br />
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The Rapunzel character I drew is one of my favourites, and it was <u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BbgeDMoAUZu/" target="_blank">wildly popular on Instagram</a></u>, hence why she stars on the front cover:</div>
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For each drawing, I accompanied the artwork with a very brief few words to simulate the idea of story book narration but with references to BJJ technique.<br />
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The back cover features another one of my favourites - the princess and the frog. Instead of kissing the frog, the princess chooses to use a technique called <i><a href="https://youtu.be/NiB6_E1msi0" target="_blank">Kiss of the Dragon</a></i>! A pun that I couldn't resist, although may be beyond some of my younger readers.<br />
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The quality of the books printed by Blurb is excellent. For the record, I used the Tradebook format and the paper used was Economy Colour. Despite the name, the paper is actually better than the Deluxe version as it is nicer to draw and colour on. It should be thick enough to not show the ink through, although I would recommend using pencils instead of markers.</div>
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Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-78620383858261973142017-11-11T01:13:00.003-08:002017-11-11T01:13:53.005-08:00Where to sit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When coach is teaching, where do you place yourself? Are you a get up and walker? Or a stubborn sitter?<br />
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Most times, coach will tell students best place to sit in order to see the technique, but if not, the optimum place to sit is where coach is directing his gaze and vocal delivery at the start of the technique. If coach can see you, he knows you can see him.<br />
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Of course there will always be parts of the detail that are obscured wherever you sit, but coach will know this and reveal those parts the second or third repeat of the technique. It is easier for him to do so if everyone is seated roughly in the same place.<br />
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In a large room with high ceilings, acoustics can be terrible, so sit where you can both see and HEAR coach talk.
Don’t be afraid to get up and move to a better place even in the middle of the coach’s delivery. Another problem with large rooms are that some of them have structural pillars so obviously don't sit behind them.<br />
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Sitting closer is of course good, but I’d say if you can reach out and touch the coach, it’s probably too close.
Ask questions if you couldn’t see something properly.<br />
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At very large gatherings and seminars, you sometimes don’t get much choice where you sit due to the large numbers of people. In such cases, coach should rotate and pivot around to show those behind him during his second or third repeat of the tech, but there will still be a natural ‘front’ when he begins.<br />
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.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-80088549319572536542017-10-30T17:04:00.001-07:002017-10-30T17:04:10.519-07:00Halloween 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each year I draw something for Halloween. Here is my effort for 2017. A slightly more painterly effect compared to my usual style.<br />
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Here is a video showing the sequences from pencil sketch to final version:<br />
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Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323769805263221807.post-58121386541224669802017-06-14T16:05:00.001-07:002017-06-14T16:05:37.423-07:00Drawing a killer bee<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_JyeswQW3xA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Here's a speeded up video showing me drawing a killer bee character from very first pencil lines to finished vector.<br />
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I'll be drawing over a dozen of these bees for the next Honey Badger incarnation for my client Tatami Fightwear.<br />
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Some initial sketches...<br />
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Looking at photos of real honeybees, it's interesting to note how <u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_alien" target="_blank">alien like</a></u> their head shape is. Their massive compound eyes look like futuristic space traveller helmets and their legs are really chunky, not like a spindly insect ought to be.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.jpg/1280px-Apis_mellifera_scutellata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="800" height="216" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Apis_mellifera_scutellata.jpg/1280px-Apis_mellifera_scutellata.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Africanised 'killer' honeybee / Wikipedia</td></tr>
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For some reason I only drew my killer bees with four legs instead of six. The latter,although anatomically accurate, look too messy when drawn on a cartoon. Even <a href="http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Spike_the_Bee" target="_blank">Disney </a>agree with me.<br />
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Stay tuned for more updates on my killer bee and honey badger project.<br />
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.Meerkatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04147715586194844173noreply@blogger.com0