InklingArt Blog

Threadless Loves Death

2012-01-20T18:49:00.002-05:00

Given that I draw a lot of skeletons I thought I'd have a little fun making an entry for "Threadless Loves Death."

Please check it out and vote! :)http://www.threadless.com/submission/395844/Seedling_Wings

Night Bird

2011-12-28T16:43:00.000-05:00

6x12"

Trying out acrylics for the first time in ages, decided to go for something with a more simple graphic style.

Humbug Gnome

2011-12-25T23:44:00.002-05:00

Quick color sketch today...

We found the Gnome nearly downing himself in eggnog. Something about some giant stealing his red hat / white beard "thing." Had to put him in a jar a while for his own safety.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Today in "hobbies I should probably talk about more often..."

2011-12-20T22:22:00.001-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've mentioned anything about my gaming hobby. I need to make a tag for all of my character drawings and hunt down all of the old sketches.

So one of my friends is running a steampunk D&D campaign and these came out of my sketchbook as we played. The whole thing is online so we use vent and maptools to play together.

Suffice it to say, I'm playing a warforged artificer with a clockwork cricket familiar. The sketch set there is me trying to figure out warforged faces and designing one that I like.

Stamp Art Fever: Frost Fae

2011-12-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

Ahha, they’ve previewed this design so I can show it now!

This is a stamp illustration I created for a game called Stamp Art Fever. The game is all about collecting stamps, and there’s a lot of art in it. Check it out! I also did four other paintings for a small fantasy christmas themed stamp set, but this is the only one that's been shown publicly so far!

More recent art.

2011-12-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

A holiday card design for my parents, featuring their cats!

I can't believe I forgot to post this painting to the blog! I started this personal piece about 18 months before I finished it... I had became of painting ivy and busy with professional work and it was buried under a stack of sketches for a long time. When I finally dug it up again I decided it had to be finished!

It's a mock cover painting for "The Secret Garden."

New Artwork!

2011-12-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

Some recent ACEO commissions.

Free US Shipping in my Etsy Shop!

2011-12-14T13:51:00.000-05:00

I've created a free domestic shipping coupon for my Etsy shop! Simply use the code "shinythings" at checkout.

It will be active through Monday the 19th, which is the last day to order for christmas delivery.

More Magnets!

2011-11-20T15:18:00.000-05:00

I've added some more painted print magnets to my shop at Etsy! http://www.etsy.com/shop/inklingshop

Handmade Magnets Available now on Etsy!

2011-11-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

I've put up some art magnets on Etsy. Several of them are unique original art, two are applied prints that have been hand-altered with paint for better color.

Cute Fox Circle

2011-11-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

Watercolor, 3x3inches

A little fox painting I did with hand-embellished wood base magnets and perhaps buttons in mind.

Little Owl

2011-11-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

A little owl sketch I did on a bit of scrap paper. I've made some hand-finished wooden magnets out of this I'll be putting up on Etsy pretty soon.

The real Kacie

2011-11-04T20:46:00.000-04:00

This is what Kacie looks like when she's not running around with a pouffy tail or biting my ankles!

2011-11-02T21:11:00.000-04:00

Another small thumbnail sketch for a mock cover painting I'd like to do soon...

Meet Kacie.

2011-10-30T19:19:00.000-04:00

Meet Kacie, my silly little cat. She likes to “talk” a lot and is likely to lick your toes.

The Secret Garden

2011-10-24T22:04:00.003-04:00

So, I started this personal piece about 18 months ago. I got tired of painting ivy and busy with professional work, and it was buried under a stack of sketches for a long time. I dug it up yesterday and decided to finish it.

It's a mock cover for "The Secret Garden." I may use it to play with typography later.

As a refresher, here is the sketch and line art from early 2010.

2011-10-19T19:11:00.000-04:00

Seasonal greeting card design of my parents' cats: Poppy, Francis and Bjørn.

Lantern Cat

2011-09-30T17:55:00.001-04:00

Autumn is my favorite season. Makes me sad I can't experience it in Florida...

Bottled Cover WIP

2011-09-13T12:09:00.009-04:00

This is a thumbnail from my sketchbook. I've gotten into the habit of writing in text over my initial thumbnails to make sure that I'm considering it as part of the composition.

As of this morning, the Bottled cover painting looks like this. For the fun of it I'm going to try updating this blog periodically with WIPs today!

...

Update 1:

I have to remind myself to flip the images when I take photos using a webcam... I thought they looked odd at first, and then I realized they were mirrored! (I don't use that webcam much at all.)

...

Update 2:

Laying in the first value tones and some light color on the wood of the desk. Keeping things soft in the first stage helps me get a clearer idea of how best to procede.

...

Update 3:

Starting to lay in some more color and a little detail, with some texture in the shadowy background.

Update 4:

It's getting close!

...

Update 5!

The painting is a wrap! Now for getting the text designed properly. There will be a fresh post for that.

Dragon-Critters and "Bottled!" Art Book project

2011-07-13T09:01:00.005-04:00

Yeah, that little guy is pure trouble. He might be able to fit in a large coat pocket, but he's got a talent for mayhem all out of proportion to his size.

I've got a few more "bottled" critters than I've been showing, so I'm probably going to be saving most of those for the print book. Yes, I intend to make a Bottled! creature book! I'll likely publish it through Lulu or a similar place. Tentatively ready for print in late August or September, life and work permitting!

Bottled Daydream

2011-07-06T12:50:00.000-04:00

The daydream is considered a more benign cousin to the nightmare. It causes fuzzy thoughts, lack of ability to concentrate and memory loss.

Bottled: Bearded Mudwyr

2011-07-05T20:46:00.003-04:00

The Bearded Mudwyr is a distant relation to the dragonlike but still diminutive wyrms. Its habitat includes ponds and lakes, where it hunts small fish and insect larvae.

I'll be uploading some more bottled creatures this week to prove I'm still alive!

Maug and "That Goat."

2011-06-30T14:40:00.003-04:00

I recently finished a NanoMango challenge with a sketched comic about an old troll named Maug who doesn't like goats very much. I hope to edit and complete it at some point, but here's some pen drawings of the main characters!

Also, have some fantasy setting weapons. No reason. Just for fun.

Bottled Things!

2011-04-25T19:24:00.004-04:00

These fellows are part of a series I'm working on. I had some thumbnails for the Illustration Friday topic "bottled," but I didn't have time to paint them that week. Since then, they've been steadily taking over my notebook.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Charity Piece: Feathered Dragonlet

2011-04-17T19:02:00.007-04:00

Watercolor, 4 x 6" (6.5 x 8.5" framed)

My friend Michelle contacted me a little while ago to contribute a painting to a charity auction to benefit the Japan earthquake relief effort. If you would like a chance to own this painting which I also made a custom frame for, please take a look on eBay. All auction procedes go to the Red Cross.

You can bid on my dragonlet here, and see the auctions of the other five artists in the group here.

EDIT: the eBay listing currently says 25% of the auction will go to the Red Cross. I am working to get that changed to 100%, but if it can't I will donate the remaining 75% manually.

Unfortunate

2011-03-21T21:44:00.003-04:00

I'm working on a lot of things at once, but have a little painting from my notebook to look at:

Where I live in Florida, you often see egrets and herons catching lizards. This unfortunate little dragon has found itself a little lower on the food chain than usual.

To do this week:

2011-03-20T14:09:00.005-04:00

Alas, the problem with doing a lot of work that most people will never be able to see is that it doesn't look like you're doing much. So have another couple of watercolor scribblings to show I'm alive!

An abstract painting that took on a semi-astronomical look near the end.

A ghostly pale snail.

To do this week:

Polish off some freelance revisions for that huge project.
Do the final drawing for that character portrait/illustration commission I'm working on.
Catch up on Alphabeastiary via daily warmups.
Make my portfolio website look pretty / learn how that Satellite style sheet works, darnit!
Paint something for the charity fundraiser Shelly is organizing in support of Japan.
Moar promo.

Abstract watercolors?

2011-03-06T22:18:00.003-05:00

Been a little stressed out lately... okay, maybe a lot stressed out. In the interest of doing something fun, I decided to moosh around colors on paper today and see what came out. One sort of reminds me of a John Bauer forrest, the other is simple some fun with an abstract expression of energy.

Getting close to the end of a big project, so I should be looking for more work soon as well as finishing up a personal commission I've had on my desk for a while! Then I have some ideas for handmade print magnets to sell on Etsy, and maybe some other stuff, too.... and then there's that comic story I'd like to try writing/drawing.

Lots to do, and so little time!

Improbable Flight

2011-02-14T09:45:00.001-05:00

A little something I saved for the spirit of the holiday. Remember to take care of each other...

Another card design

2011-02-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

A possible design for a personal notecard set, experimenting with drawn text.

Thank you cards.

2011-01-31T19:55:00.005-05:00

I made some "thank you" cards for my relatives a bit ago... sadly, I lost the scans in my recent hard drive crash and backup hard drive corruption so these photos that were still in my camera are all I have to show around!

In the meantime, I am rescanning my watercolors. I had planned to do that anyway for my new portfolio presentation because I have a better scanner now, so at least it's not a huge loss! Physical originals = great backup.

Feed the Soul

2011-01-20T15:12:00.003-05:00

I haven't looked into galleries much in the past, but I'm starting to try a few new things!

My recent skull painting was accepted to a local gallery show entitled "Feed the Soul" at Art Center Sarasota in Florida! The show will open tonight at 5pm and it will be on display though March 26th.

It's been too long!

2011-01-11T14:08:00.003-05:00

watercolor, 11x7.5"

It really has. So Happy New Year to everyone, belatedly! I managed to squeeze some time for personal work out of the time I was supposed to be sleeping; the result is the image above. I took some WIP photos as I went, so perhaps I can pull them together into something later.

2011-01-11T13:43:00.002-05:00

Watercolor notebook fun!

2010-12-06T11:52:00.003-05:00

I keep a lot of my personal work in little watercolor notebooks. I usually pick up a moleskine book at B&N or borders when I get a book coupon - I like the leather/pleather cover on them because I put these little notebooks though a lot of abuse and the paintings stay protected that way.

I also hop notebooks frequently, so you can see paintings from a year or two ago along with recent ones in this notebook!

FML Comic

2010-12-04T15:40:00.003-05:00

I was recently asked to draw a comic for FML.com. I thought it sounded like a lot of fun and it was! The comic was posted today! Alice also gave me an interview, which is available on their blog. Thanks!

Check it out!

It's done!

2010-11-22T18:33:00.004-05:00

New Work in Progress!

2010-11-11T21:47:00.005-05:00

A couple of days ago one of my skull paintings from 2008 was given a Daily feature over at DeviantArt, and it made me remember that I've been wanting to add more to that series ever since. And so I'm finally getting around to it!

This image is still in-progress, probably about halfway done. Soon I will begin using gouache to bring out colors on the wisps around the bones, and the cast some light on the leaves and bones themselves. I'm taking a lot of WIP photos of this, since I'd like to use it as an example of my current process and maybe in context with a couple of watercolor technique guides.

Alphabestiary contribution - Angha

2010-11-03T15:36:00.004-04:00

This would be my first contribution to the Alphabestiary Blog, an open art prompt project featuring lesser-known creatures from folklore around the world. See the challenge post here.

Recent personal work

2010-11-03T15:28:00.004-04:00

Once again asserting to the internet that I'm still alive and painting! I just picked up a new scanner to replace my 13-year-old one, and I'm enthusiastic about how much more color and detail it's picking up. I know it seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes you don't notice the difference until you see it.

I'm alive!

2010-09-08T09:27:00.003-04:00

I've just been pretty busy! And sadly, not with painting.

Time to get back into this!

Something Purple

2010-06-30T02:50:00.000-04:00

watercolor, 5x7"

I've been in a rut with my personal projects so I'm sort of sweeping everything I've been working on "for me" off the desk and starting with some fresh ideas.

So! I decided to paint something pretty and not stress about anything making sense. Planning on doing a few more paintings with the same intent - this does seem to be recharging my creative batteries pretty well!

Sketchbook, update and NanoMango

2010-05-30T22:18:00.006-04:00

So my surge protector battery finally died and I had to turn it off to avoid having a loud BEEEEEEP-BEEEEEP-BEEEEEP going on, so I have to juggle my scanner's power with other things, like my printer and my tablet until I can get a new battery.

The four paintings are in the works! As personal projects they will be a little late; I'll have them done next weekend. In the meantime, please enjoy some stuff from my new sketchbook.

Also, I will be attempting NanoMango beginning on Tuesday. I'm not sure how I'll manage updates; I may just make a master post here, upload WIP pages to Picassa and index them via text link until the end of the month, when I'll set up something more proper if the result warrants the attention. Of course, unlike a 24 hour comic I should have time to think about it... hopefully that will mean something.

Well, that didn't work out. Somewhere between my day job sapping all of my energy and the people who were also going to work on NaNos dropping out, I got about halfway through and just forgot about it completely. Perhaps I'll try the November one if I don't have any other projects in the running...

FormSpring

2010-05-08T23:38:00.003-04:00

I'm gearing up for another post tomorrow evening, but in the meantime I'd like to share my OddSketch formspring account.

http://www.formspring.me/oddsketch

Head on over and feel free to ask some questions!

May day!

2010-05-01T21:55:00.004-04:00

I'm kicking off the month with some thumbnails. The plan is to finish a four painting series by the end of the month (roughly one painting a week), while posting WIP samples and the occasional off-topic sketch as I work. Sound good?

So yes, the theme will be cats (and something else, you will see after the first couple are done I'm sure). The thumbnails above are all concepts for compositions for the first painting, so never fear. There will be variety in the final set.

For the curious, the thumbnails are painted with Payne's Gray washes to help me block out the shapes.

On updates.

2010-04-22T10:44:00.004-04:00

So a few changes in my life over the course of the past month have made it difficult for me to consider doing regular updates on a personal blog. I have been thinking to come up with a better method of how to approach regular updates in the future and I'm going to try a monthly pledge method.

At the beginning of each month, I'll evaluate where I am with my time availability, and what sort of personal and promo art I'd like to be working on, and devise an update schedule for the next four or so weeks based on that. It might very well be that I'll decide to do a sketch a day one month. I might also decide to do a larger painting each week, or perhaps just work to complete a multi-piece project by the end of the month.

I don't suppose my subscribers have any preference for seeing me work on sketches or finished paintings in May?

WIPs!

2010-02-25T23:50:00.003-05:00

A couple of WIPs (work-in-progress snapshots) for you today. Perhaps these will be recognizable from an earlier thumbnail?

The first stage is rough pencil the next is brown ink. Soon to follow will be watercolor/gouache progressions!

Malkin quickie

2010-02-20T23:55:00.004-05:00

I'll update again tomorrow; I believe my new twice-weekly schedule will be Sundays and Thursdays.

EDIT 1, Sunday: Due to deadlines I will have to skip the second weekend post. I'll have something a little different to show on Wednesday, though. A WIP collection on a new painting!

EDIT 2, Wed.: WIP posts delayed for tomorrow; I'd like to make a larger post with a completed painting as part of the set.

Getting busier.

2010-02-19T00:49:00.001-05:00

I'm officially making the aforementioned switch to twice-weekly updates. The next update will be Saturday.

bear and bee

2010-02-15T22:25:00.003-05:00

Because blogspot's image upload is being ridiculously buggy again, tonight's sketch is brought to you by photobucket.

< 3

2010-02-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Just play the game.

2010-02-14T23:55:00.002-05:00

sleepy cat on its back

2010-02-14T23:51:00.003-05:00

I'm playing a little catch-up with the drawings this evening, and considering a switch to twice-weekly updates.

More cover thumbnails

2010-02-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

I am planning on painting and designing a few of these up with that custom lettering either drawn by hand or in Illustrator. I like the idea of designing the illustrations and the text simultaneously; it really gives you a lot more options for what to do with the layout than just thinking, "Ok, I need to leave some low-contrast space for text somewhere in this."

Also note, when I make up random book titles I use the author name "Laurem Ips" for filler text. I imagine designers will get the reference right away.

something humorous

2010-02-10T23:53:00.000-05:00

A frog sees something awful. *gasp!*

mistletoe and an old key

2010-02-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

rough lion square

2010-02-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

happy frog

2010-02-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

Just a cute-style frog. Updates resuming.

2010-02-06T23:23:00.000-05:00

(Due to technical difficulties, sketch updates will resume tomorrow evening.)

imaginary pitcher vine

2010-02-04T23:23:00.001-05:00

running fox

2010-02-04T04:15:00.000-05:00

dorm furniture

2010-02-03T03:22:00.000-05:00

A sketch from the fall of a friend's character.

faceless masks

2010-02-01T23:23:00.000-05:00

Mask and costume notions for a sort of anonymus fortune-teller character.

Seeds and flowers.

2010-01-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

Another mouse image.

"what?"

2010-01-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

Another quick little watercolor.

cautious mouse

2010-01-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

A quick little painting on bristol paper.

airship

2010-01-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

A simple little sketch of an airship.

kitty tail hug

2010-01-27T11:52:00.000-05:00

glances

2010-01-26T23:12:00.001-05:00

Rough background but this was a fun little sketch.

Torben

2010-01-25T23:34:00.000-05:00

Torben, a dragonborn character from the world of D&D.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of creating new characters and costumes for them to wear.

suspicious lion

2010-01-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

an old fighter

2010-01-23T23:51:00.000-05:00

footprints in light snow

2010-01-22T23:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you only need a little visual information.

flower girl

2010-01-21T23:57:00.001-05:00

Shifting gears to something a little brighter than yesterday; a flower girl. Sort of a personification of a seedling.

crows

2010-01-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

toughtful pause

2010-01-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

Something like a large tamarin...

owl griffin

2010-01-18T23:12:00.000-05:00

Something a little more stylized.

tuning

2010-01-17T23:57:00.000-05:00

2010-01-16T23:49:00.001-05:00

Another cat scribble...

what's she winking at?

2010-01-15T22:30:00.001-05:00

Pencil and digital tweaks.

armor

2010-01-14T05:50:00.000-05:00

Rough unfinished sketches of different visual approaches to armor.

catching up...

2010-01-13T03:39:00.003-05:00

A spread to cover two days. I'm wrapping up some projects yesterday, today and tomorrow so I neglected this blog (which I regard as a for-fun project) temporarily. This makes catch-up caught-up. I'll be wrapping up my professional projects tomorrow, including a private watercolor commission and a set of cat-themed valentine postcard designs that I mean to offer for sale this weekend.

Mouse Guard themed mini-page

2010-01-12T01:59:00.003-05:00

More rough sketches from the mini-book I had over vacation. I'm a fan of the Mouse Guard comics by David Petersen, but these sketches represent the theme more than any characters in the current books. It's a very neat setting.

leafy thumbnails

2010-01-10T23:12:00.001-05:00

Heart-shaped leaves, from a possible note card project (self-directed).

robot suit

2010-01-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I draw science fiction, too...

rough vacation troll sketch

2010-01-08T22:55:00.001-05:00

My sister gave me a pack of moleskine mini-sketchbooks for the holiday, so I did some rough sketches in them.

A pair of big, cute eyes.

2010-01-07T23:39:00.002-05:00

When in doubt, I tend to draw cats.

more imaginary blooms

2010-01-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

Eclectic Portrait

2010-01-05T23:48:00.000-05:00

Daily updates return!

book cover thumbnails - fantasy

2009-12-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

I was hoping to continue this blog over vacation, but it doesn't look like that will be possible. Regular posting will definitely resume January 5th, if not sooner!

Have a happy holiday and new year, everyone!

more book cover thumbnails

2009-12-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

Had a little fun sketching cover concepts for a few classic "animal stories."

book cover thumbnails

2009-12-22T23:00:00.001-05:00

I'd like to try my hand at a little book cover design, and I'm working on a method to digitally composite a painting and hand lettered text.

Obviously these are just miscellany cover notions, rather than actual books. A few of those will be posted tomorrow.

sketchy dragon

2009-12-21T23:00:00.001-05:00

imaginary daisies

2009-12-20T23:55:00.001-05:00

imaginary orchid bloom

2009-12-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

imaginary thistle-lotus

2009-12-18T23:25:00.001-05:00

imaginary flowers

2009-12-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

I have been having an awful lot of fun drawing imaginary botanical specimens lately...

tired bear

2009-12-16T23:45:00.001-05:00

introductions

2009-12-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

2009-12-14T20:53:00.000-05:00