Work In Progress Centaur

I was working on this thing to start my day. I was never satisfied with it, never able to let it go as a failure. I think I have found a way to save it....not done yet, but crossed over into some new mental territory.

Peacemaker

This was just an idea I had about symmetry. I think the crown needs a little more design. Peacemakers used to be 'traveling judges' in the Ancient world. In the Great King Darius' time they were also called the 'King's Eye', and they wore a seal around their shoulders that showed their authority. They were extremely powerful politically, but not warriors. They were political officials and had the power to make spot judgments in disputes and crimes. The one I imagine here is a hybrid character of the King's Eye from antiquity and a wandering Ronin type guy.
Black, White, and Tuscan Red Col-Erase pencil on cheap cardboard backing of a common pad of lined paper. 5"x7"

This was some sample work I did to show students how to manage color and value in there rendering. Students usually have a hard time controlling value, and they over-render form and the results can be distracting. Sorry, to see the rest, you have to enroll!

OK, I PROMISE NOT TO WAIT SO LONG

It's been about a thousand years since I posted. Here are some in class demos I worked on last semester to make up for it.

re-working Thor sketch

These are some of the changes I worked out on tracing paper. For some reason when I try to do this in Photoshop, it takes forever and I don't solve anything. I think it's because I grew up and learned how to do things with pencil on paper and tracing paper. My hand and brain know how to solve it. The computer is alien to me. I should be able to solve it and do it easier and faster in Photoshop, but I can't. It takes three times as long and never turns out any good. So that is just the way it is. Pencil. Can't really do anything without one!

re-working a Thor sketch

I did a quick sketch of Thor earlier this year. It was just for fun really, but then I went back to it and wanted to throw some color on it. The more I tried to put in color the more problems I ran into. shapes weren't good, too many tangents, value scale missing....I realized that I was drawing like an amatuer! I stopped and took a deep breath....there is no reason why I have to be the fastest guy on earth, and no reason I should get it right the first time every time. Back to basics! clarity of form, edge control, value scale, definition, and step by step. No skipping or being impatient!

re-working a Thor Sketch