Thursday, March 03, 2005

Digital Image - JAZZ 1 - Illustration Friday


(You know the drill - click on image for larger view.)
While I'm not totally happy with this, it was an exercise. Nothing ever appears on paper as it does in my mind. I wish I could just blink my eyes and make it appear like a Polaroid. But then, where would the artistry be in that? Anyway, I used Open Canvas and added the blue background, glow, and JAZZ (handwritten) with Paint Shop Pro. I more or less just scribbled and sketched with different colors like I would in a sketchbook. The pen tablet is pressure sensitive, but still not the same as a color pencil or pen.... :-/ This is a great topic (as observed by many at Illustration Friday already) and there can be so many takes on this. I thought about a jazz icon's portrait, but so many fabulous ones have already been done... like this one ... and this one ... and this one ... and this one ... well, you know.... There are tons of excellent entries and if I sat here and linked to them all, you'd never come back to my blog! I think I'll sketch a flapper - the Jazz Age was the 20's and 30's... Big Band was the 40's (I think). I like a lot of the big band stuff but PURE jazz... well, that was born of freedom - the first generation of African Americans out of slavery - I think that's the essence of Jazz... freedom. But I have to go now.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

This is a very happy band :) great colors .. I like it!
Nuray-Tulipland

Anonymous said...

great feel...loving to watch your artistic development...you live in a great place to inspire (candlelight concerts, that new art centre, all the greenery!)
cheers,
kerry

Anonymous said...

Nice jazz illo! Nice work!

Anonymous said...

Your illustration has nice movement....and its fun to watch your art progress every week!

Violette :)

Leslie said...

Yes, the glow is a nice touch, especially against the dark background! :)

Great job -- I like how you explained the process too. It's always fun to learn from others

Anonymous said...

This is very cute. I like the colors. I know what you mean about things not always coming out the way you see them in your head. Happens to me all the time!

Cin said...

I like the sketchy quality and that you've let the brushwork show. I always like seeing the "gesture" of the artist.