642 Things



Sometimes I get hung up on a page. I've realized I'm not a fan of the full-page. Its too much like a regular sketchbook, and I love the odd, split pages that get your mind thinking within the dynamic of that shape. Anyway, here are some more


What will I be for Halloween??


Here are most of my Halloween costumes growing up. I felt uncertain about sharing this... Halloween is such a special time. Haha! But I had so much fun making it, I had to share! Yes that is a vampire girl scout, and "dead" Marie Antoinette (with the gash at the neck). This was before Twilight and the Sophia Coppola movie. The red-dress witch costume is one of the Sara Jessica Parker character in Hocus Pocus. While most teenage girls get sluttier costumes as they age... mine got SCARIER!!! Won a costume contest with the Rainbow Brite one my Mom made, and got in the yearbook with the Sally one! The love of dressing up as dead French historical figures has yet to diminish! Oh, and it should be noted that my Mom made the majority of the costumes!

Halloween Time for Charlie Potter


My brother had an affinity for Ninjas over the course of a few years... where upon he also seemed to not grow physically either. I had some rather exasperated sighs over his annual "I want to be a ninja!" My Mom, being as awesome as she is, would proceed to make him ANOTHER ninja costume of some different color. This is just a vague memory of what they looked like. I liked the TV, and the skeleton the best...but then he asked me to help with those. :) He also has an uncanny resemblance to Daniel Radcliff.... stay away crazy women!
(watercolor & micron pens)

Petals in the Dust


A friend at work was gathering things to donate for an auction to support this Documentary. So I made this watercolor. This film has an important message to get out there. I call the painting "Roses too... into the dawn". These little girls aren't just withheld quality of life, but life at all. And what becomes of a society with no women??

Midnight in Paris


For Sara when we witnessed these interlopers from another time last Fall. For Vina when, years ago, we discussed people stuck in a particular era. For Woody Allen for making a movie I really like.... love.


Comic



I'm working on a comic for Afterworks, which is the anthology-like book of comics from Pixar artists. Right now I don't have a title for mine, but here is a sneak peak at the first pages. I'm working on thumbnailing the rest before I do more finished drawings. I'm working with pencil on the comic bristol board from Strathmore. Then scanning in and playing with coloring and contrast in Photoshop. Problem is.. those blue guidelines are great for traditional printing...bad for photoshop scans, so the next pages will have to be drawn on the reverse side of the paper. I'm learning as I go and having a lot of fun with it.


642 Things to Draw




We were checking out the Musée d'Orsay exhibit at the de Young a few weeks ago and I came across this book in the gift shop called "642 Things to Draw" by Chronicle books. It was tucked in the children's section. A book with blank pages and words. Simple lines divide certain pages in half, or in quarters or across.. and each has a noun, or pronoun in its box. First thought-brilliant for kids. Next thought- wait. what!? BRILLIANT FOR GROWN UPS! So, this book has become my new outlet for powering up my drawing-story brain. This is required story artist training in my opinion, at least one a day. Your only limitation: each drawing must convey a story, not simply be a drawing of the noun given. I highly recommend taking up this activity... but sorry, if you blog about it too, I won't look at yours.. don't want those first ideas to be influenced. But if you make it consistently to "whirling dervishes", then we'll share the fruits of our labor. So far most have been random images, though a couple have been actual memories. I'll post a few as it comes along...



Mother Hen Project



Another great cause for creating art! The Mother Hen Project. For this auction piece, I wanted to draw something I just love to draw... mermaids. The Little Mermaid came out when I was 8 years old, and as silly as it sounds, changed my life. Like many other woman (I am finding) around my age, this film had a huge impact on our career choices. It was basically our "Star Wars" as a fellow story guy commented. And why wouldn't it be, it was all about a GIRL, with some personality...even if it's a lovesick teenager with a fishtail. For me, I decided I wanted to be an Animator, a Voice Actor, a MERMAID! I wanted to be part of the whole animation process... I focused mostly on the Animator part, and started keeping a sketchbook. I was completely in love with the film and would draw Ariel repeatedly, till I felt I had "mastered" the proportions. It took from about third to fourth grade to get a decent looking mermaid. I'd cut articles out about animators, anything about Glen Keane. There was also constant singing and repeated watching of the video after school every day. Later the animation fascination would move on to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the first spark was The Little Mermaid. It is pencil on paper in a shadow box like frame, 5 3/4"x 7 3/4".

Newt


I worked as a Story Artist for two years on NEWT, which unfortunately was canceled. I personally learned a lot, and loved working on the film regardless. Though, while story work is probably not going to be released, they HAVE released some of the amazing work from the art department for the public to see. Which is pretty great of Pixar, since this work is incredible and shouldn't be shut away. Take a look here. This image is some concept art by my officemate, the amazing and talented Katy Wu!


Toys from my Story






So, when they were making TS3, I drew up as many of the toys I could remember having as a kid. I wasn't working as a Story Artist on that particular film... more a scratch artist...but was in the mix for a day with brainstorming Bonnie's new toys. A fun little perk of being a woman, when they're developing for a girl character! Drew these up quickly and had a ton of fun doing it. I have to say, it was pretty great to be in the mix of making that movie.. even if just in a smidgen sort of way. My husband worked on it, and I'm proud to brag, invented Mr. Pricklepants! I distinctly remember.. "I'm going to put in this little German Hedgehog, like one I had when I was a kid. He'll probably get cut-out, he's too strange, but I'm going to try anyway." Well, he might not have said that EXACTLY, but it was along those lines. WOO! Pricklepants Prevails!!

Art Blocks for Ghana


New opportunity to make art for a good cause! Art Blocks for Ghana!
Here is my contribution. I decided it was time to experiment with gouache. Its a fussy medium, but I love how it dries quickly and creates a flat color surface. The tricky part will be using a spray fixative on it.. hoping it won't bleed, since the colors are capable of being rewet, though also prone to being flakey when dry... hence the need for the fixative. It was fun to play with though, has it's pro's and con's over my normal acrylic choice, though I'm thinking of doing some more pieces with gouache here soon. The image is based off the theme "home", so this is from personal memories when I as a child.

San Francisco Coffee




So, its been a while since I lived directly in San Francisco, but I've enjoyed the same coffee, regardless in the East Bay. I had an idea a while ago to do a drawing of each of the 3 coffee shops I would rotate between in San Francisco, to show the different types of environments. They all have amazing coffee, and therefore are mostly packed all the time. So, with no bias here, I drew each one, some with more people than others, but mostly for composition purposes. They are Blue Bottle, near the old Mint downtown, Four Barrel and Ritual on Valencia St in the mission. PS: Also, I have no idea if they actually look exactly like this anymore.. I used random photos and memory.

Montreal





Just when you think you are getting good at drawing... you happen upon the French! :) We found some AMAZING comics in Montreal this weekend. French Artists are incredible, and there is such a diversity of style and content! We had a hard time escaping the bookstore. I picked up a book by Aude Picault and one by Michel Rabagliati, and a couple random children's books. Its all very inspiring, and helping me get better at speaking French. Visiting the Motherland was quite nice, though I didn't see any LaPointes on the obelisk of the first arrivals... guess farmers don't get obelisk recognition. C'est la vie. Haha, here are a few of my sketches from the trip: