From October 14, 2022

I followed the tutorials here ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlpSQCrjuGkriILjGVhAMxaroOgpGDbvl ) to learn about my iPad and Procreate. They have some REALLY awesome videos covering all the options in Procreate and showing you how they work.

01-12-23

Josh had us do a little study of some cool mushroom art and then combine it with a character from Alice in Wonderland and I chose the Gryphon.

I struggled with figuring out how to do the same style on the mushrooms as the Gryphon and ended up just leaving everything pretty plain but followed Josh's feedback about the cast/contact shadows:

> Hey this is looking really really nice. I like the way you explored and have the shadows blocked in so far. It's simple but it shows you got a pretty good idea of where the light source is and how it's interacting with your characters. And the drawing of the gryphon is looking a lot more solid as well. There's tiny variations and details that's really starting to bring it to life! I think If you want to keep it as a monotone piece, I think that's perfectly fine. I like the colour scheme that it's in right now actually. I think just adding some contact and cast shadows underneath the Gryphon and on the mushroom would really solidify the piece.

I didn't hate how it turned out but I can't tell if I'm getting better or not.

November 19th

I was out sick for this class 'cause after almost three years, I finally caught covid. Ken brought it home from work (some guy passed his phone around to show a video and pretty much everyone who touched it got sick) and for a couple days, I thought I might die. But I didn't. So I drew.

OMG, I haaaaaaaated how this turned out. I couldn't get the light to shine right. I don't know how to shade a crystal. Everything looks muddy and overblended. But I was sick and tired and I gave up and turned this in.

I don't know how updating these posts work for pictures but if I can't add it to the top, I'll put a comment in when I get my feedback from Jessie (or maybe Vanessa? She was the sub for this class as Jessie was also out sick.)

1-14-23

Our theme was hair that wasn't hair like fire or water or electricity or tentacles. I tried to be fun and different but it turns out I don't know how to make hedges. I spent like four hours fiddling with it before giving up and using a leaf texture brush. I was really pleased with her skin at first but it turns out it wasn't as successful as I'd thought. Also, I dunno how to make a surprised mouth that doesn't put one in mind of a blow up doll!

I did some cute bois I thought up and though they're very simple, I love them. They took quite a while as I was still very slow getting shapes and shading the way I (kinda) wanted it.

November 18th
Jessie gave us "magic caster" as a prompt.

I wanted to do a little mushroom coming to life with forest magic. THE FOREST IS THE CASTER, OKAY?

But listen, I tried having a wand as the origin of the magic coming in from off screen, but I hated it. I couldn't get it to look like anything but a turd wrapped in vines or something vaguely phallic.

It was cuter just having the magic mysteriously bringing him to life and I really loved how he turned out (after I fixed the gap she pointed out in my feedback)!

I made him my iPad background because his happy little face makes me smile every time I see it.

Over the next few weeks, I watched a lotta YouTube art videos and found a cool online art school where I enrolled in two classes.

November 4th was my first Advanced Digital Art class with Jessie Chang and our first project was a one point perspective street.

Holy hell, this was hard. But after I got some lines in I didn't totally hate, I switched out my iPad for the new 2022 version that had just come out and lost all my Procreate files! I eventually recovered them all (whew!) but got so far on the second attempt that was what I turned in.

November 17th & 24th
I was trying to do this chronologically, but this was actually before the mushroom boy. WHATEVER.

Josh assigned us "person wearing headphones" because he wanted us to practice drawing faces and fitting something over the curves of a head.

OH MY GOD, THIS WAS SO HARD. You can see the progression and how awful it was to begin (though it was still pretty awful to end). People are so hard to draw!

Josh gave me feedback on it and made me feel so much better:

```Hey Sarah, this looks really good. I can see all the changes you've made and it definitely is allowing the your characters head to look a lot more developed and structured. ```

```I really like the logo on the headphone, it looks really clean as well as the subtle colours in the background.```

```The eyes might be a bit small, in proportion, but the drawing of it is well done. For the hair, I like that you started off with a simple shape so that you're able to map out the shape of the hair and how it's placed on the head. But, afterwards, try to break up the hair in the front similar to the ponytail. That way, it'll feel a little looser and more natural.```

```But overall great job! I think if you compare what the drawing looked like in the beginning to how it is now, there are subtle but good improvements that really solidify the drawing to what it is now.```

December 1st

Josh had us do an artist study on Shaun Tan. He does these gorgeous paintings full of contrast and often very surrealistic and whimsical. I loved the ones with kids and animals the most so I wanted to do something like that.

Josh taught us about thumbnails to test out different ideas and compositions. I did a couple but they were horrible and I ended up going in a different direction anyway. A couple iterations in, he gave me a great idea of having the viewer peeking through the foliage at the scene. SO SMART.

This was a big project for me but I love how the bear and the logs in the fire turned out. I definitely need to learn more about faces 'cause my boy was pretty wonky.

But overall, it was fun and cute and I felt like it told a little story.

It's a new year and we've got new projects!

The prompt was melee weapon attack and, man, I found this difficult! But I did totally get my idea across so I was really happy.

Hooray!

November 10th was my first Realistic Drawing class with JoshMoodie Chan.

I'd never drawn anything like this and OMG, I just sweated and swore the whole time.

We did 30 second, two minute, and five minute timers on the poses and then we spent the last half hour or so on the final one.

I was so frustrated with my inability to draw what I was looking at but Josh gave us lots of good advice for practice to get better! There's gonna be a lot of tracing in my future.

December 10th

This was our last project of the semester: a mini book cover. I chose It as a children's book and made the sweetest Pennywise ever. He's got his deadlights behind him and he is ready to hug someone! I love that it still feels like SK's classic covers but with a child-like twist.

I am always much more pleased with what I'm able to execute in this class... I need to get better at the realistic ****.

MORE CLASSES IN JANUARY!