Wow - It's been a long time!

I've been away from the drawing board for a very long time now. Not that I haven't done any drawing at all, but I certainly haven't been on my computer as much and I haven't actually been working in any other medium - except the pen and scrap paper doodling during a telephone call or moment of silence before the next torrential series of busy-ness.

My father has been declining in health steadily over the past year but especially in the last few months. He suffered another stroke (I think it was the 3rd this year) 4 weeks ago and then seems to have had another mini-stroke about a week ago. Needless to say, this has been the focus of my attention for a while as my mother is needing help in his care and we're all trying to spend as much time with him as possible. I haven't exactly been able to participate in Illustration Friday or Everyday Matters Challenges which I really enjoy. :( Well, I'm bound and determine to start up again. I wanted this to be an illustrated journal and I haven't been very good about really commenting or thinking about things when I post my pics. Gotta change that. CYA round -

Illustration Friday - DIGITAL

Click for larger view.

Illustration Friday - DIGITAL
Using the less common but more original definition of DIGITAL (referring to the digits, e.g., fingers), here's a 10 minute Adobe Illustrator (incorporating the other meaning of digital) quickie because that's all I have time for this week!

Illustration Friday - ENVY

Click on thumbnail for full image. I painted this in Open Canvas, altered a photo with Photoshop and pasted it in as a layer, and added the text with Photoshop. Total time: 20 minutes.
I have another idea that I might have time to submit.

Illustration Friday - Aquatic

Click on thumbnail for full image. I absolutely ADORE Orcas... Orcinus orca. They are absolutely magnificent: an awesome combination of beauty, grace, ferocity, and familial loyalty. I had a lot of fun doing this. (And being a BC girl like Kerry, I too was inspired by the aquatic mammals that travel along our coast.)
This was done as a digital painting with Open Canvas. It took me about an hour.

Illustration Friday - NOURISHMENT

(Click for full view) My take on the word for this week... I think it's so important - life-essential, really - to nourish our children with Unconditional Love, Laughter, Respect, Encouragement, Affirmation, and Knowledge just to name a few things.

Illustration Friday - MISCHIEF 2

Or should I say, "Ms. Chief"?


(Click on image for larger view)

Open Canvas - 20 mins.

Illustration Friday - MISCHIEF

(Click on image for larger view) For some reason, when I uploaded this the color of the boys' skin changed - yellowy... and the sky changed too. :(
Oh well - this is a REALLY quick sketch in Illustrator, colored in Photoshop. Total time - 15 mins.

Illustration Friday - AMBITION 2

Click on thumbnail to see full image...


I couldn't resist doing this quick doodle in Open Canvas - 10 minutes.

Illustration Friday - AMBITION

(click on image for larger view)
One of Miranda's ambitions is to fit into a size 8 again... Hey... black is slimming!

I drew it in Illustrator and colored in Photoshop - really really quick... this whole thing took me 15 minutes.

Open Canvas - not so speedy draw...

(Click for larger view) This one took longer because I was playing with the darker skin tones, trying to get shading without making the color look dirty. Plus hands are hard to do... in fact, these are still lookin' disproportionate.

Jube

This is my attempt at a portrait from a digicam shot my very talented and artistic niece sent me of herself. You should see her talent here!


Done in Open Canvas - click for larger view.

Open Canvas - speed draw

Click for larger view. Face 2 - 10 minutes... getting faster.

Open Canvas - speed draw

(Click on image for larger view) Face - 15 minutes

Illustration Friday - Daring 2

Pencil sketch colored with Open Canvas and Photoshop (text added w/ Photoshop). 45 minutes. (Click on image for larger)

Illustration Friday - DARING

(Click to view larger)
Quick illustration (20 minutes, Open Canvas) for Illustration Friday topic this week: Daring.

Cliff divers are definitely daring. Being kind of afraid of heights (that is, heights without barriers to protect me from falling), this would totally freak me out. I'm not sure I captured the feeling of height here but this is all I had time for this time. Might do something else later since I have a few ideas on this topic (although a few may be cliché).

Illustration Friday - Reinvent

(Click on image for larger view.)
This is my interpretation - not happy with her face in the 90s with that punky hair - her face should be longer, but oh well... this is supposed to be a relatively quick thing since I've been super busy.

Anyway, I think Cher beats Madonna for the title of Mother of Reinvention seeing as she has successfully and often drastically altered her appearance, her voice (electronica) and her scope (singer in a duo, solo singer, actress - a REAL one who has received an Oscar, director, infomercial queen selling hair product, ultimate diva). And thankfully, I don't think she's "written" a children's book (yet).

cher,

This is the reference point...

cherreinvented,

We're Never Really Alone (Illustration Friday Submission 3)

(Click for larger view...)

*I'm making up for having missed last week!* I didn't like the dark feeling of the first submission so I altered the concept... Why the teeter-totter? Well, because when we are alone or feel alone, things are "off balance" and if you haven't noticed, it's just not as much fun to see-saw when you're by yourself.

We're never really alone.
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

Illustration Friday - ALONE (Submission 2)

(Click for larger image) Being alone can be a wonderful thing... especially if you're a harried working mother who's only escape is behind a locked bathroom door...
Pencil sketch, scanned and colored in layers with Open Canvas.

Illustration Friday - ALONE (Submission #1)

(Click for larger view). Poe was a very desperate and desolate person. Alas, sometimes that is the price of genius.

On the "Write" Path

(Click for larger image) This was going to be my entry for Illustration Friday's "TRAVEL" but I missed the cut-off date because of a nasty coughing bug I seem to have snagged that requires me to contort myself a la Cirque du Soleil in order to keep from having a brain aneurism, further straining my ab and rib musculature, and pee'ing myself when I have these severe coughing fits. Not totally happy with it, but it's just a draft anyway.