Most Recent Dragon Addition

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Sarah

When I was at Wondercon earlier this year, even though I meant to avoid spending any money on swag (trying to be frugal), I encountered this creature, and she had to come home with me. She seems such a cheerful dragon. She is not named yet, though. She’s been in storage with most of my belongings since the end of April. I’d intended to keep her out for my own amusement, but my packing helpers were very thorough and she got swept up with my other plushies and such.

I’m looking forward to when I can get things out of storage. She’ll be a cheerful friend to have about when I’m in the process of resettling.

UPDATE (12 May 2020): Originally, I thought this dragon was a “he”, but once I got in Las Vegas and got some things (like my plushies) out of storage, and got better acquainted with this cheerful soul, I learned it was a “she”. Her name is Golde. She and another dragon keep company on Kermit the Frog’s lap.

Related Images:

Gold Dragon Sam Jr.
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Graphics to Make a Point – Part 2

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Sarah

I pushed on to finish the set of graphic images for the book, since I need to get the chapter written. But I needed to know what the images would look like in order to write the text to suit them. But at least I got them done.

So… autumn is upon us.

And then came winter.

All in all, I’m rather pleased with them, now that they are done.

Related Images:


12-days-one-net


2015-December-Advent-week-1-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-2


2015-December-Advent-week-3-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-4-copy


Walking Toward Christmas revised


Afterimage-cover-copy
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Graphics to Make a Point

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Sarah

For my book on creating graphic novels, I’ve reached a point where I plan on discussing the things that graphic novels can do that others cannot, or at least not in the same way. To help make the point, I decided to do a series of digital drawings that show the same location through the four seasons. (The text that goes with them will beef up the matter, of course.)

I spent all morning working on the first two.

This is Spring

Landscape-spring

And then there is Summer

Landscape-summer

Of course… After working on them, I realized that the details were likely to be lost in print because they will be so reduced. Ah well…. at least I know that in “Summer” there are three kids playing tag on the far side of the water, and two swimmers in the water. (Take my word for it.)

Related Images:


12-days-one-net


2015-December-Advent-week-1-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-2


2015-December-Advent-week-3-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-4-copy


Walking Toward Christmas revised


Afterimage-cover-copy
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Zoe Affected By Travel

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Sarah

I’ve been shifting between temporary quarters since the end of April, and poor Zoe has been carted along without protection. This image doesn’t really show all the effects.

Zoe travel affected

Her nose got a bit pushed to the side and flattened, and one side of her face pushed in.

I don’t have a suitable tool at hand right now to do the detailed corrections I’d like to do, so anything more than superficial repairs will have to wait. I should also start figuring out how to make a mold of this. Obviously, modeling clay can be easily affected by events.

Related Images:


Zoe page 2 panel 1


Zoe page 2 layout


Zoe page 3 panel 4


Zoe page 3 layout


Zoe travel affected


Zoe work in process 1


Zoe work in process 2
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Designing a Cover

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Sarah

Years ago, I considered possible ideas for the cover art for my still-in-process fantasy novel, The Ring of Adonel. There are many possiblities: should I focus on the main character or on the cause of the action, the object everything is revolving around?

Recently I unearthed the following pieces that display my early thinking on the issue. In this case, I opted to focus on the object and its history.

Ring of Adonel sketch

The sketch was done on notepaper, and then quick ink with a felt-tip pen to create the general outline.

The Ring is there, and the figure of Adonel in flames. (Do you really want the whole explanation of the moment?)

From this, I experimented in rendering it in crayon. I’m not sure why I selected that medium, though it might have been about wanting the strong colors for the flames.

Ring of Adonel

Having rediscovered this piece, I’m liking it. It may become the basis for a more finished work.

Related Images:


Aelianus Wounded


Council of Elrond


Ring of Adonel


Sam Jr.


scribblerworks-arveniem-4-air


scribblerworks-arveniem-4-earth


scribblerworks-arveniem-4-fire
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Juvenalia Meets Poe

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Sarah

The following was a black and white tempura piece I did in nineth grade as part of a unit on short stories. I don’t recall whether adding artwork to my report was required, but I did it. It’s supposed to be for Poe’s story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” where the murderer approaches his victim.

It’s a notable early instance of my love for high contrast. I still love adding extreme contrasts occasionally.

The Tell-Tale Heart

Related Images:


The Tell-Tale Heart
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An Incomplete Thunderbird

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Sarah

Once upon a time I planned to do a story that included as one of the characters the Thunderbird of Native American traditions. He was going to be a shape-changer who would take on the form of a man. But I never got so far as writing the story (yet). Instead, I started on this piece of artwork.

Thunderbird

Unfortunately, I didn’t complete the picture either, and it has sat in this state for quite a long time (I’m not even going to try and figure out how many years). It saddens me that I haven’t finished it yet, because I really do like this piece. Doubly unfortunate is the fact that the paper has aged considerably (this photo of it has been image adjusted in Photoshop), making the paper both slightly yellowed and delicate. I suspect that I will instead complete it digitally, and keep the original in better protection now.

Even so, even in its incomplete state, I like the picture. It catches him in mid-transformation. The left side of the picture would have the arm as a wing, with feathers.

As you can see, the inks in the lower portion were so heavy that they reflected back the flash when I took the photo of the piece. I was definitely going for a very dark black there.

Related Images:


Council of Elrond


Ring of Adonel sketch


Sam Jr.


Russ Heath


scribblerworks-2016-inktober-1


scribblerworks-2016-inktober-10


scribblerworks-2016-inktober-11
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Introducing My Dragon Gallery

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Sarah

I’m not exactly sure how started my collection of dragons. I just like dragons. If I saw an interesting looking dragon, I would buy it. But as time went along, I acquired quite a number of dragons of various sorts. And then it eventually became a conscious choice, to collect dragons. But I do like them to be different. Not the same ones you can find anywhere.

I’ve been meaning to post a gallery of images of my collection on my website, but creating the html page in such a way that it could be updated every so often. And then it occured to me that adding such a gallery to my Graphics blog would answer very well. And I can tell the stories of my various dragons along the way.

As I said, I hadn’t realized I was making a collection. But that changed the day I got the following as a Christmas present from some very perceptive friends —

sign-net

It’s a very cool sign. I have no idea where they found it. But it amused me the instant I unwrapped it. So, even though it is not my oldest dragon, it’s a good way to introduce my family of dragons.

Check out the Dragon Gallery from the navigation menu above. As time goes along, I’ll be telling the stories of how the various dragons came to me. In the meantime, they’re here to be seen.

Related Images:


Gold Dragon


Sam Jr.
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Playing With Puns

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Sarah

I’ve been an avid fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories since the fourth grade, when I inadvertantly began my acquaintence with the Great Detective by reading His Last Bow first, before any of the other stories. I was hooked right away.

So the pun that showed up in the BBC Sherlockamused me greatly, and led to this whimsy:

Sherlocked

Related Images:


12-days-one-net


2015-December-Advent-week-1-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-2


2015-December-Advent-week-3-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-4-copy


Walking Toward Christmas revised


Afterimage-cover-copy
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Digital experimentation

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Sarah

I’m still learning the various possibilities with Photoshop. Today, after dealing with a bunch of other things, I decided to relax and do some experimenting. This is not very polished or even particularly intentional as art. But it amused me.

Sunset

Practice is everything. I need more of it.

 

Related Images:


12-days-one-net


2015-December-Advent-week-1-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-2


2015-December-Advent-week-3-copy


2015-December-Advent-week-4-copy


Walking Toward Christmas revised


Afterimage-cover-copy
Posted in Paintings | Tagged , | Leave a comment