Name Change + White Lily Sprite

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to share my thoughts about my little flower trolls. I've been thinking a lot about their purpose and their name, especially because I would love to eventually draw different fantasy creatures and monsters. Plus with some input from friends, I've come to a really big decision!

No longer will they be called trolls, I'll now on refer to them as sprites!

Even though calling them trolls is cute and catchy, my peers have agreed that they are far too pretty to be called trolls. Plus I already have an idea of what trolls will look like, along with fairies!

I also attended an artists' workshop called Workshop SF this past weekend. Unfortunately I did not have a portfolio prepared, but my sketchbook was passed around. It was really awesome to hear everyone's thoughts on my sprites, even a friend wanted to get a tattoo of one, ah! What started off as a little fun has turned my art career around, and I never realized how much people respond to my art when I'm just relaxing and having fun. I'm blessed to have gone and to gain a million ideas of what to do with these little critters!

I have a couple illustration ideas I want to do, keep an eye out for them!

In the meantime, here is my latest sprite: White Lily Sprite! A very special sprite for a very special friend of mine.

Here are the sketches for the design! I'll admit I had a very difficult time choosing. I try my best to really make the sprite one of a kind yet still fit in with the preexisting sprites I have drawn. 

Sketchy Saturday: Mo' Monsters

Ahh, I'm still addicted to sketching out monster heads. I'm going to start taking some of these guys further, both 2D and 3D mediums!

Here's the start of a collaboration between myself and Juan "Amaakir" Alvarado! 

 Already started sketching out body designs. Juan will 3D model one of these guys and I'll texture him. The other two I'll save for when I get better at 3D modeling!

 In the meantime, here are some life drawing sketches I did at the airport or on the airplane last week.

Hibiscus Troll

I can't really put into words how much my mom means to me. There was a time period that I was really distant with her and it pains me to think how much my teenager self alienated her so much. She has always supported my creative efforts - encouraging me and enrolling me into any classes that piqued my interest. For a while, she was my agent - always marketing me to friends and family alike and getting me small art jobs. I really appreciate all that she has done for me, and also her constant support since I've left the nest. Mom, if you're reading this, know that I love you a lot and thank you for putting up with me the past twenty-two years. 

I created a hibiscus troll for her. 

An armless troll that likes to sit at the top of hibiscus bushes because they love how much the sun feels on their petals and especially love spending time with their young ones. The youth's petals won't be fully developed until adulthood.

I grew up having a hibiscus bush in my front yard and would always admire the red flowers. They remain to be one of my favorite plants, a mixture of elegance with the large petals and spunk with the stem. Unfortunately, it died while I was in junior high but every time I see a hibiscus flower, I can't help but think about that bush.

Sketchy Saturday: Shut up and DRAW!

I'm in a little disbelief how much I've fallen out of the swing of things. A little update on my hand is that I have some nerve irritation in my arm and shoulder that causes pain. While it's not as severe as the tendinitis, it still hurts and I will admit that I'm a little over cautious to not draw when I'm in pain. This struggle between my need to draw and my need to rest has gotten me a little down, but I'll continue to do my best to draw while I can.

One of the ways to get back on the horse is to start attending life drawing again. Oh my lands, how out of practice I am. I felt like there was a rock tied onto my hand when drawing, struggling to capture both the pose and the likeness of the model. I could hear the inner-dialogue in my head constantly commenting on either how I need to look more, how I need to redraw something, telling myself I can do - and have done - better, and the occasional off topic thought. I had to tell myself several times "SHUT UP AND DRAW!" instead of constantly berating myself.

Even though I've drawn this model several times before, I can never master her face. Gah!

It's my goal in May to attend life drawing once a week again, along with starting another study schedule to get back into drawing.

As an added offering for not updating my blog as often, here are some monster and demon exploration going on in my sketchbook.

Daniel and Stacy Trolls

I am not dead! I simply had to take a break due to my wrist pains getting to the point of unbearable. Long story short, I'm now in physical therapy and am making a good recovery. My therapist OK'd me to keep drawing so long as I go slow and make sure I'm holding my pencil correctly. Hopefully I'll be back to posting more regularly.

In the meantime, I did a little gift for my wonderful boyfriend, Daniel. It's his birthday today. I had the idea to turn he and I into trolls. I've included the original sketches I did back in February, the composition sketches and the final completed in marker.

Scculent and Cactus Trolls

I made some trolls last month based off some plants I saw when hanging out with friends.

I've always meant to do some more, and the inspiration hit me when Daniel and I purchased new plants this past weekend at IKEA. We are now proud owners of a little cactus and a succulent plant!

I started off with some sketches to get an idea of what they would look like. 

Instantly I knew I wanted the succulent trolls to be bothering the cactus.

FDD: 3 & 4

Gah, I forget how busy weekends can be. It's a nice change of pace but I then usually get really anxious to get back to art!

I forgot to post up my piece from yesterday for the daily draw challenge. And today, I really had to rest my wrist so I spent most of it in bed, watching Parks and Recreation. It's feeling better so I did complete a still life study and started a new little piece for my tough girls series.

So, big art post, yay! :D

 My still life was a sandwich! Such a challenging thing to paint but I learned a lot doing it. Unfortunately, it looks better in the picture than it did at the end of this still life... Food tends to go bad. And stink.

Process pics:

Grabbed some boba at the artwalk yesterday, and proceeded to draw people in the area. I love doing this, especially in pen! 

 My next gal, going to attempt to do photoshop this time around. It'll be a fun experience!

FFD: Day 2

Welp, my Thursday nights just got a hell of a lot more lame now. My good friend Paul Richard's is moving up to Seattle this week, thus tonight was the last of the Sketch Squats. I don't want to write a farewell to Paul as I'll be seeing him tomorrow, but don't be surprised if tomorrow's post ends up being a kiss ass post to Paul, hah. 

Regardless, here's the sketch I completed tonight! More of my tough women. I grew up with a lot of women in my family outliving their husbands, so I have such a high respect for elderly women. Not so much of the smoking variety but I based the design of the older woman from a gal I saw at work. 

The little girl was a challenge to draw! I haven't drawn children as much before, so thank you to Daniel and Mathias coaching me along the way! :D