"Liquid" for "Illustration Friday"

I am about to turn into a Pumpkin.  Being as it's after midnight and all.  But before becoming a Halloween-esque thing of decor/edibility, here is a panel from a comic I am working on.

The theme this week is "liquid," and sad as they each can be, both tears and the rain are liquid.  So, the rain falling down upon Mr. Creepy (Real) Steampunk Koala looking from the outside in, in the window, is the liquid he is affected by.  The crying teddy bear (Plush) style Koala, is crying .  And sadly, tears are liquid, unless you have cried so much or so hard it's mostly sounds/breathing/and no water comes out.  Or, you are a teddy, and your crying process is different.  But here, it's pretty similar to humans as far as he's crying.

What will happen to the sad Koala, un-knowingly being creeped upon?  Shall he and his monacle come out the winner, or the Evil, Be-Spectacled (Be-Goggle-acled?) Koala?  The answer will come once the comic is done!  Hopefully, this lifetime!  I kid... mostly.

In any event  --  To submit to I.F., please go here:
http://www.illustrationfriday.com

Thanks for reading!  Sleep-ity, boppity, boo.   Or, something.

"Trio" for Creative Tuesdays

Missed last week's C.T., boo!  But happy to back for this week's entry for the theme of "Trio!"

I have been MIA, in life and in blogging, with assignments.  But happily, I just finished one task (drawing a comic story), and part of it coincided with the theme of three.  So, here is a sneak peek!

I cannot say too much so as not to spoil (and the as yet un-digitally-lettered bubbles are helping me not spoil), but here are two panel peeks from a story I drew for an upcoming Anthology.  The theme of the book is "War," and the story I was assigned to draw centers on Russia's internal struggles during WWI.  Specifically, the 1917 Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) Bread Riots/Revolution.

One of the main characters is a young adult, pictured in the white coat above.  In this scene, a trio of friends have gathered to discuss their problems and upcoming strategies.  I won't say more, but it was a very fun and educational comic to draw (lots of research on the history, costuming, and buildings of Old Russia!), and I was happy that working on it coincided with the C.T. theme.

And now, for links!

Here's an article on the very cool girl, Erica, who wrote the aforementioned story about Russia:

http://fangirlblog.com/tag/erica-heflin/

Here's a link to the publisher involved in publishing the "War" and other anthologies:

http://www.grayhavencomics.com/

Most importantly, here is the link to submit to C.T.!  Follow the site rules; you have until the stated time on May 21st to submit something for the "Trio" theme:

http://creativetuesdays.blogspot.com/2013/05/new-theme-for-may-21st-is.html 

Thanks for reading, and sending everyone good wishes thrice over :-D

Inspiration Avenue: High Heels

Hello All!  I haven't posted to I.A. in ages, but I miss the group and hope it is okay to belatedly return.  I got swamped last summer with a project, and then the Fall onward was crazed, all the way up into 2013.

But it's a lovely group to partake in, and I miss the funny posts and beautiful illustrations I would always see from everyone, so here I am drifting back.

In any case, I quite liked the "high heels" theme, and thought to contribute to it in a silly way, with a partly hand-drawn/partly digital submission.

As I've been working more and more with my above character, Dya the Dinosaur, I thought it might be silly and amusing to try and incorporate her into this challenge.  So, here is a drawing of her wearing heels, meant to look like a vintage ad.  The theme of this challenge--high heels--are in her case, not stiletto heels, but clunky, semi-bulky and a bit strange.  Then again, strange must be the name of the game, as designing footwear for T-Rexes is no small feat.  Or, feet.  Yay for puns!

And finally, here are some links!

Most importantly, here is where you go for Inspiration Avenue.  It's the link to submit for this week's challenge, which has to be submitted by noon on May 4th.
http://inspiration-avenue-team.blogspot.com/2013/04/high-heals-this-weeks-challenge-oh-and.html

Blog entry for I.F. on the theme of "Train" featuring Dya (winning an Oscar; as she is an actress in my comic, and feels she has "trained" extensively): http://craftydvl.blogspot.com/2013/04/illustration-friday-train.html

Blog entry for C.T. on the theme of "Stripes, featuring Fashionable Dya dress shopping:
http://craftydvl.blogspot.com/2013/04/striped-for-creative-tuesdays.html

Thanks for reading!  Well wishes to all.

Illustration Friday: Train

In order to be an actress, often, one must "train."  Sometimes, that involves being trained in how to do stunts, how to do method acting, how to do the Meisner technique, and a whole lot of other theatre and film things.  Below, for the second time this week, I'm featuring my actress character (Dya the T-Rex), who "trained" very hard for the franchise she starred in.

She was robbed of her Oscar, but-- she works hard, and she trained hard, and thus-- the above photo is something she has dreamt of, many a time.  Having the award, actually being able to hold it (no small feat for this type of Dino), and crying reptilian tears of joy.

Quick phone photo of the drawing, but I wanted to submit this for "I.F." while I had a moment.  Super swamped with work, but Dya is part of my overall works so I suppose this counts.

In any event, please go to: http://www.illustrationfriday.com by this coming Friday to submit for the theme of "Train."  Thanks for reading, all!  Peace, and Good night.

P.S.

I do have one more thing to say.

*RAWR*

...That is all.

"Striped," for Creative Tuesdays

So, in the spirit of C.T., as well as getting back into old projects (which I have been doing non-stop, seemingly unable to finish, Sisiphys-style of late), and a certain 3-D movie I just saw, I decided to draw a comic character who has popped up on my blog a few times.   By the way, this is a late-night and tired blog, so please forgive if I am incoherent with sleepiness.

In keeping with the "Striped" theme, the background is striped.  She is also wearing a striped scarf, with glasses.  And, she is waving around a dress she fancies, colored in with brown-zebra-y stripes... possibly, without, A) thought of how as a T-Rex such as herself is going to be able to maneuver it with her famously tiny forearms, to get it it over her head, and, B) no thoughts of if that dress is her size.  

Unless she just wants to add to her scarf collection, in which case she should be slightly more in luck.

A quick recap on my character.  She is a Dino (a T-Rex, to be exact), nicknamed "Dya," and I created her quite some time ago.  Usually I draw her to the front or facing with her head to the right, so I reversed it for this challenge.

She begun to return to my stories last year on the front of a sketchbook I made, and as I am finishing up the first installment of a comic series she's in (in the second installment), she is-- theoretically-- that much closer to being in her own comic series.  By profession, she is an actress.  She lives in present-day, lumbering about amongst the rest of us.  She talks, and is anthropomorphic, so on.  Extinction, luckily, not a problem when you're writing fiction.  

In any case, Dya by personality is sweet, but somewhat histrionic, which can be a problem with her Dino size.  So, here's hoping that her shopping spree won't end in any damage to the dress aisle-- especially if she gets frustrated.  The Internet loves to suggest, in many a meme, that T-Rexes are easily frustrated and thwarted in certain goals, on account of their bodily structure.

This next part will come as no surprise, given the drawing here of dinos.  For any "Jurassic Park" fans, the original 1993 film was just released recently in 3-D, in the theaters, and I loved it as a kid.  I had to go back, to re-live it, but also to see the magnificence of the T-Rex, again.  My character is inspired by the J.P. T-Rex, so it was a very fun and very needed movie trip.

In any event, my last comment to describe my "Striped" entry-- I thought it would be fun if my character wanted to go shopping.  "Striped" made me think of fashion, and patterns.  Hence my having the T-Rex explore her fashionista side.  And, as I have friends with a great shop (which had a storefront and is now online), I drew in a little shout-out to them in the comic caption.  That is the name of their store!  And while I can't speak for the therapod community, I can vouch as a human who has shopped with them and own things  that came from their store, that they're very sweet, and carry great clothes!

So now, for some links!

Make sure to submit to "Creative Tuesdays" on April 23rd, and to follow the rules here!  Info below.
http://creativetuesdays.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-theme-for-april-23rd-is.html

And, here's a link to the lovely aforementioned Vintage Store!  Enid and Edgar is a great (now virtual) space, which is also sure to at some point carry "striped" patterns.
http://enidandedgarvintage.com

And if you enjoy "Jurassic Park," Dinosaurs, silliness, or any of the above  --  then please... enjoy this link.
http://thefw.com/jurassic-park-dinosaurs-in-everything/

While Velociraptors would certainly add something unexpected to the vocals "Glee," the T-Rex photobombing the poster for "The Notebook" probably gave me the most joy.

Thanks for reading, and, RAWR.  Have a good night!

"Wild," for Illustration Friday

This week's "Illustration Friday" is themed "Wild," so I'm showing the "wild" sketch I came up with at the Casey's Irish Pub Drink and Draw, last night, in DTLA! Very nice meetup, and I hope to go there again soon. 

"Wild" here both means creature who is not domesticated, as well as"wild and crazy."

 

Because, if you were a girl with a random marsupial springing out of your head, would you not look a bit more concerned about that fact?  If all you would muster was an unimpressed side-eye, that lack of a response would be"wild and crazy," would it not?

 

This bottom version is exactly the same, except I liked how the red border of my sketchbook looked scanned, but couldn't decide if I liked it better with or without, so both are being included.  Also, if anyone reads this and knows whether that creature is a Sugar Glider or something else, please inform my clueless self.

Super exhausted, so going to sign off now before it gets incoherent.  To submit for this I.F. theme you have a full week, and you can go here to do so:

www.illustrationfriday.com  

Thank you, and G'night.

 

"Urban," for Illustration Friday

Behind on new b/w illos, so for I.F. I am submitting an oldie but goodie.  This entry is also a note to self: do more intense, black and white things!  Love color tremendously, but there's something about jet black ink and stark white paper that's unlike anything else.

The theme for this week is "Urban," so I decided to submit a creation with a New York sensibility.

"Crossing Cars," a pen and ink piece that shows... well, the more noir-y, creeped-out feels one can get when in the NYC Subway.

To see more b/w stuff via my site, please go to:
 http://drawdvl.com/black-and-white-works.html


To submit (less than 24 hours before this theme of "Urban" changes, as tomorrow's I.F. will change over) to Illustration Friday, please go to:
http://illustrationfriday.com/

Grazie Mille, and good day wishes to all.