"You're out living it up today, I've got dues to pay"

Middleman, rag doll, Keyboard Cat, and Bad Robot


With 'off the res' Emi

I had a FAB Halloween weekend in Portland, Medicine Fridaying myself back to health, sketching it up with sketchgroup, cheering on the Ducks to glorious victory, and, cough, blacking out at Halloween on Hawthorne. Now I'm back at school, and things just keep getting gradually busier!

Still working on most of the same art projects, with Wonder Woman and Monsters & Dames squared away, a new commission for next month, and that children's book project for school. Between Gears needs to kick into gear and catch up, but since it comes after my paid work, that's just got to wait a little longer. Still, there were 5 new pages yesterday if you missed it.

It's also time to write the story that I want to turn into a comic for my senior thesis. I present my prospectus on November 30, so time is short to research, write, and practice. I have 10 books checked out, with 10 more waiting for me at the library. Since 'research' is reading Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and The Art of Howl's Moving Castle, I don't mind at all. :P

I'm still applying for JET, little by little, and allllmost have all of my outside forms gathered, which is the most stressful part.

I'm stressed out by all of these moving parts (oh yeah, and there's CLASS, too), but each area is fun in its own right. Got to keep a tight schedule and make sure that everything happens on time and WELL!

One: Cut a hole in the box

I had some extra time tonight, so I made my Halloween costume (I'm going to be the Bad Robot mascot). Observe:

So, seriously, step 1 is cut a hole in the box:



Iz just mai size!



Modifying the form: the bad robot has a little wedge nose, and as hard as I looked, I couldn't find anything this shape. I cut and bent cardboard into a wedge and duct taped it in place, then paper mached over it to make a solid shape.



Paper mache!! Strips of newspaper dipped into the mush (2 parts Elmer's glue, 1 part hot water) and laid to dry on the form.



Other details: cutting ping pong balls in half for the eyes and duct taping magnetic 'bolts' to my shirt.





Then painting:



Finally, assembly! Super glue for the magnet 'bolts', duct tape for the pipe cleaner spring.



And a little sharpie for edge effects.



Eh? Ehh? I have silver pipecleaner in bands around my neck as well, and then a solid skirt and heels. Use your imagination, and...


BAD WOBOT! 8D

Mother tell your children not to do what I have done

I am taking an art seminar over the next 2 weeks on illustrating children's books. For my book, I wrote a 32-page picture book about Sydney, a little girl who starts a riot at the zoo. I am unbelievably excited to make it. (Because I need another project now, right? Well, it's okay if it's for school, I figure...) Depending on the format and how much I like the finished product, I may print minis of it for next year's shows.

There may come a day when we have nothing left to say

I knew of Kate Beaton, and had read a couple of Hark! A Vagrant strips before, but this weekend I read the entire archive, and I am in love. So funny and wonderful. <3

I don't wanna bend like the bad girls bend

Here's a final preview for the Monsters and Dames piece. I may tweak things later, but I need to call it done for now.

Also, Metric's Gold Gun Girls is amaaaaaziiiing~

So make a move cause I ain't got all night

There's a nice article up on Neighborhood Notes today by Jamie Rich. He interviews Wonder Woman Day founder and organizer Andy Mangels, current Wonder Woman artist Aaron Lopresti, Emi Lenox, and myself about Wonder Woman, the charity, and the art that we contributed.

I am trying to draw as much as humanly possible today. Recruitment is over, but school continues to kill my drawing time day after day, and my very good friend Molly will be visiting and having super fun times with me this weekend. Art must happen today!!!

So far today, I've inked a few pages from the project I am doing with Jake Ingman. Next is Between Gears, then some more coloring on the Monsters & Dames piece. Lately, I feel like I'm getting nowhere, no matter how many hours I find for art, but I am going to change that! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, lalalalalala~

Cause when the seaweed sinks and the sun gets low, when the waves retire to the darkness below, I know Ruby sees all

I posted a preview of my Emerald City Comicon 'Monsters and Dames' piece earlier on Twitter, but I thought I would post some proper previews here:


Lineart


Flatted digital image

I like it so far! I'm a little nervous to finish the color, since I've lost confidence in my digital art skills lately, but...I THINK I CAN!!!!!