Creating Lord Thunder Beard

Lord Thunder Beard started out as a drawing I did at work to pass the time. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to finish it.

Here is the drawing I started at work. It was based off a sketch created in my sketchbook that I posted a while back. I spent a while on the drawing because I didn't know I was going to end up finishing it.

Here is the inked sketch that I scanned and cleaned up in photoshop. After I decided that I wanted to add some textures to the image to make it look more like a page from an old book. I used a textured filed and used color burn to change the color of the line art. 

Then the image is finished. I added a little text on the top of the characters name, Lord Thunder Beard. 

Monster Monday- April 15, 2013

Mushroom Folk

Took a break from the chaos of finishing my book to ink a little mushroom folk. Mushroom Folk are very small able to hide with normal mushrooms. They like to trick travelers off path and get them lost in the woods.

Creating Goblin on Warpig

This week I create a piece for illustration Friday, for those who don't know what it is, it's a website that supplies one word a week for challengers to illustrate. This week's word was 'Wild', I decided to create a toned paper drawing

The first thing I always do is pull out my sketch book to explore ideas. I know I wanted to have a goblin riding some animal but I wasn't sure. So with the theme 'Wild' I decided to go with more of an Savannah them since that feels like a wild world of animals. I then chose a Warthog as the animal, I pulled out my ipad and looked for reference photos. What I like about having a tablet is that I can lay it down on the other side of the sketchbook like I can do with printed reference, so I can sit in a comfy chair and not at my desk all day.

After I've created enough sketches to feel comfortable to move onto the final image, I'll go through my drawers to get the right piece of paper. For toned paper, I like Strathmore tan. Its smooth and takes ink really well. 

I draw with a 2H pencil, starting out with the basic shapes like I did in the thumbnail drawing in the sketchbook, because once details are applied it feels more committed to the piece and what happens if I need to move the head an inch over? After blocking, I use an HB pencil for the details, I don't tend to use a 4B or anything because it smudges and makes it hard for me to ink. Once details are done, it's time to ink

I always ink on a flat surface, even when I ink at my drafting table I lay it flat and hover over it like a hawk. The brush I use is a 'round 0' but I've tried many brushes still I found one that I've liked, it's like finding the right pencil. For ink, I only ever use FW black, everything else never lives up to its standards. I start out inking large shapes first, then smaller, and finally the small little details like patterns. 

After the ink has completely dry, I get white gouache (Winsor Newton) and a fine brush to add whites. Most of the time it takes 2 layers to get a flat white, but I am also careful to not buckle the paper since it isn't made to take a large amount of water.

Once it's all dry, scan, and use some photoshop magic and its ready to share.

Up Next

The summer is always hard in trying to accomplish a large project. It may seem easier since there is ample amounts of time, but juggling a part time job in the mix with illustration can be difficult, especially when in the past it involved me standing out in the sun for 9 hours a day then coming home to draw.

But I am determined for this summer to be different. I have set goals in mind and they will soon be making there way to my calendar once ideas are solidified. I do plan on making a rule that every 2 weeks a new painted illustration needs to be done. That way I can work on my painting skills and create pieces with more complex compositions. It's also easier to have a goal this summer because in September I am attending Illuxcon in Allentown, PA and I want to bring the strongest portfolio possible because I plan on reviewing my portfolio with companies. 

Also in the works will be my second book, since my senior thesis will be my first, of all brown paper illustrations. I have a loose idea of what I am planning to do and will be able to start more of the planning process once I have my thesis off to the printer next week.

Here's a sneak peak at an illustration from my senior thesis book called 'The Other People'

Inside the Studio

My studio is not so much a studio as it is a nest. It's my room here at the apartment that I share with fellow illustrators and the many visitors that pass by.

Here's my desk, the main work area here at the apartment. My work space in Asbury Park is different and both work well in different ways. My desk is my command space, usually I have my computer open with a movie or music on to keep me company, lately it's been Pandora's alternative 90's. I have my favorite books on the top shelf for quick inspiration, also mini vodkas for emergencies, and movie collection. 

A close up of my work space, I recently spilled a bottle of ink of my desk that's why there's a huge blob. Taped on the wall are sketches and notes of daily reminders. There's also supplies everywhere, sticky notes, pens, ink, glue, cups. Maybe I need to clean my desk off a little...

My paint station has been a new addition to my desk this past year. It's set of drawers on wheels that I can move around my room or apartment to paint where I want to. I got my main mixing palette on the left and travel set on the right. The most used brushes are above the palette on a drying towel and also keeps the table from being destroyed. There's a collection of boards I use to tape my watercolor paper to. Having multiple boards allows me to switch out paintings to work on and able to make more use of my desk. 

That's a quick look into my studio space. Once I move back to Asbury Park, I'll be sure to show my other set up. 

Monster Monday- April 8, 2013

Drew this little House Brownie after I got back from my art history class. He is a helpful little guy living in the walls of a house and waiting till night to repair socks. They do good deeds as long as the house owners keep them happy with warm cider and a seat next to the fire. But take advantage of their kindness, they stop helping and find a new home.

Asbury Park Comic Con and MoCCA

The past 2 weekends was extremely busy. I had Asbury Comic Con one weekend and the next weekend was MoCCA. Luckily Asbury Park Comic Con is down the street from my house ad I didn't have to deal with public transportation like I had to for MoCCA.

Claire (claireconnellycomics.com) and I shared a table. This is our 3rd time exhibiting at Asbury Park Comic Con and have been there since it's beginning in a small bowling alley down the street from convention hall. This year was the biggest con yet and had a great time meeting new faces and sharing my work. Next year is going to be even bigger, with a new location and many exhibitors. 

Over the past weekend, my school had a table at MoCCA fest in New York City. Claire and I split half the table with our classmates. Chris Gash, one of the head illustration professors, got my school the table for all of us to share. It was great to have people recognize my work from the internet as well as other cons I have attended. The weekend was very busy but was worth it.

I got a lot of cool books and prints while at MoCCa. I am really excited to spend the week reading the books I got and displaying the prints I bought. If you live near New York, MoCCA is a great con to attend to get indie books and hand made products. 

On Free Comic Book Day, I will be at The Comic Shop in Wilmington DE with my finished Senior Thesis and prints from my book along with my sketch book 'Conjured Thoughts' and comic 'Warg'. Hope to see you then

Lord Thunder Beard

I created this for myself as a spare time piece. I sketched it at work on Wednesday, inked yesterday, and edited in photoshop today. This character is from a fictional history I've been thinking about called the Iron Halls. A dwarven kingdom located in a cluster of mountains, each owned by a separate lord involve in a war with a Troll king who is interested in taking over the mountains due to its large amount of valuable crystals.

Lord Thunder Beard will be available as a mini print at MoCCA fest this weekend. I'll be at the Montclair State University table E149. Hope to see you there.

Monster Monday- April 1, 2013

Sorry for the delay, the past weekend was extra busy with Asbury Park Comic Con and working on my thesis. Here is a drawing I did at the con of a Troll.

Satyr sitting in his house

A new painting to share

Elf Lord

For my roommate's birthday I wanted to draw her something really cool. We are both huge Tolkien admirers, Ginette is an elf person, I am a dwarf person, and Claire likes people (most importantly Rohan, as Jared said 'it takes Lord of the Rings to get Claire to say she likes people). 

So I broke out the sketch book to throw some ideas down. I don't draw elves very often so I had to find designs that I liked, I prefer stronger looking characters so I gave the elf lord a strong jaw line and cheek bones. Around the portrait of the Elf Lord, I wanted to create a frame, something I have not experimented with. Art Nouveu reference was used, but I tried to put my own twist on it. And is definitely something I want to continue experimenting with.

After filling 2 pages of my sketchbook, I pulled out some illustration board and got sketching. It took a while to draw because of the frame, I wanted to make sure I was happy with the design before I inked the image. Got my trusty FW ink and brush and inked the Elf Lord creating the final image 

Monster Monday- March 25th, 2013

Wild Orc

Sketch Book

I am a illustrator who has always drawn. I've been keeping a sketchbook since I was about 10 years old and can't imagine the thousands of pages I have filled. Lately I have been working in a new sketch book book, a brown toned hardcover book produced by Strathmore. I've been searching for months for a hard cover sketch book that is not white paper, I need something with a binding so I am not tempted to rip out a drawing and forget a failure. It's important to keep all the drawings to show the progression to a liked drawing. The nice thing about sketchbooks is its an exploration and doesn't have to be 'finished' like an illustration. It's about problem solving and not creating perfect images. So I've decided to share some pages of my sketchbook in hope to get others to fill some sketchbooks of there own.

Incase anyone was wondering I draw with a simple pen and use a white gel pen for the white ink. 

The Unexpected Party

First of 4 paintings I created last semester for my independent study. Finally got the illustration scanned and learned of a new tool in photoshop that combines 2 files seamlessly into 1.

The Hobbit is written by professor JRR Tolkien and has been a favorite book of mine since childhood. The project was created from a book report I did in 7th grade where I drew images to include with the report. I've always had strong images set in my head for Tolkien's creations and I used the independent study to create large rendered watercolor illustrations.

This is 'The Unexpected Party' of the dwarves arriving at Bilbo's hobbit hole in order to plan the journey to reclaim their treasure.

Monster Monday- March 18th, 2013

A goblin alchemist bomber. Sorry for posting a day late, its been crazy this past 2 weeks.

Monster Monday-March 11, 2013

I created this sphinx to challenge myself to draw a creature with four legs. Lion and bird reference was used. I see this creature as a wise, battle elder. Sorry its a day late and I'll replace with a scan once I get back to my apartment after spring break

Ice Titan

For my portfolio class, I had to create 4 new pieces to be included in my first draft of my printed portfolio to show professors and visiting illustrators. For my portfolio I wanted to try to create an illustration of something I don't normally do. So I decided to take an old illustration I made about 2 years ago and finish it the way I've always wanted to.

I created this painting in illustration 1. I wasn't allowed to use line and I still did not have a grasp of watercolor considering this is one of my first. But I liked the idea of a monster looming out of the woods with fog and mountains. During junior year, I didn't really use watercolor. I was trying digital, but I didn't like using a tablet and it wasn't a method that I felt comfortable relying on. So over the summer, I decided that I wanted to go back to watercolors and figure out how to make them work.

So I took what I have learned over the past 2 years and applied it to an older work. I started out redesigning the Ice Titan. I wanted to incorporate the ice rocks more into the character and have his arms be more covered. 

Then I sketched the illustration on watercolor paper, inked with FW ink and spent hours layering watercolor. And here's the finished illustration

Satyr Portrait

Here's a little Satyr Portrait I made while I was at work. I spend 6 hours in the illustration room and decide to relax with a painting that is not involve with my senior thesis. It was a nice break, but back to working on my book. Got two weeks left to finish my paintings before production then sending the book off to print.

Monster Monday- March 4, 2012

Craglin, rock elementals

Toned Paper Dwarf Drawing

The next month is going to be extremely busy. It is the final month of my thesis. I have to finish the paintings, writing, and put the book together to send to the printer. And then I have to get ready for 2 Conventions, Asbury Park Comic Con and MoCCA. My calendar is so full I almost want to vomit. 

Anyway, over the past few days I decided to work on a new drawing as a break from painting. I haven't drawn a dwarf in a while so I decided to fool around in my sketch book.

This is one page from my sketchbook, I tend to draw details that I will use in an illustration or drawing before hand. It helps to have reference on what the character is going to look like. I also draw little gestures of the pose (seen in right top corner), it's a great way to figure out poses.

After I do a few pages of sketches, I draw the figure with a 2H pencil for the lose gestures and details. Then I'll darken some lines that are hard to see clearly. I pull out my FW black ink and use a brush to ink my drawing. I've been experimenting with multiple ways to add white to my toned paper drawings. White pencil is good for sketchbooks but tends to rub off onto the other page. And I finally found a solution, gouache.

There's the finished Dwarf. Make sure to check out my tumblr, thinkillustrationpaige.tumblr.com for more illustrations. Now to get drawing for Monster Monday.