Monday morning sketch-off!
In response to the clamor, yes, clamor, regarding my artistic prowess, I wanted to take a moment to bare my soul, to show you how it really works. Sure, I can post up a scan of some pencil sketches, and then show you a near-complete vector illustration, but there’s a lot that goes on in between those stages. Lots of sweat, tears, broken crayons, trips to the art store and pub. To get more bar napkins, of course. They’re the designer’s medium of choice. It’s a vicious cycle.
I wandered across this cool site, sketchfu, and by the looks of things, I, once again, am the last to get here. Somebody throw me a bone! At any rate, here you can doodle and draw, but the coolest part is that it records your actions as you make the strokes. Then you can play it back for yourself, or, in this case, others, and show off your noobie mistakes. Such as, drawing the foreground objects first and then trying to drop the background and shadows in behind it. Not so much fun in a primitive drawing program. If you pay attention, you can note the exact moment I utter the illustrator’s slogan “Screw it”, and then erase the teeth. Another cool thing is that people can take your drawing and base one of their own off it. Which, if you’re really attached to your art, you may take issue with, but if it’s really something you’re serious about, I doubt this is the application you’d build it in.
You have to try this thing out…it’s the perfect way to kick-start that Monday morning. And if you do one, shoot me a link. I’ll post it here just for funsies. And we’ll all get better together.
Cheers.
Joe DaVinci
PS And then there’s this kind of stuff out there too, if you’re into that whole amazing, classical art thing: Venus And since I am into that classical art thing, I decided to try something more difficult than a two-dimensional alligator drinking coffee:
July 30th, 2007 at 9:14 am
You had to make it hard for me to get past this work day. How am I to resist sneaking in a doodle or two today? Reminding me of my Line Rider addiction from last year.
July 30th, 2007 at 10:16 am
You got it. You know my motto: If I ain’t working, ain’t nobody working.
And just to see how hard it was, I just tried to do a digital version of Winslow Homer’s “Gulf Stream.” I just gave myself carpal tunnel, and may have to go home. Linky
July 30th, 2007 at 6:17 pm
What fun!!! Just wish I could draw. I tried…it just ended up looking like lower intestines, but I loved your java swilling Izod!
Very cute.
Have a great week!
Laurie
July 31st, 2007 at 11:29 am
Oh, LK, that’s all right. The part I really enjoy is seeing some of the other people’s work who are really good and then being able to watch the piece be built in two minutes. It’s really fascinating.
And just for reference, my Gulf Stream version took about an hour to create, but replays in less than two minutes.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Very impressive, JD!!
LK
August 1st, 2007 at 1:46 pm
This is great! One of my favorite screen savers ever was basically the same things as what you have here- random pictures begin drawn/painted from scratch. Talk about a screen saver you could space out and watch for hours… man that was great. I’d have it installed now if I still had it.
I can draw a little bit, but wow, there just isn’t the time for that! Working 2 jobs and writing for 3 blogs… Heck I should be working and smokin’ right now! *Sigh*
Keep it up! I wanna see more! Brian demands free entertainment!
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:07 am
The second SKETCHFU (and sketchfu you, too!) is either a waterspout in the distance over open water and/or the Gulf Stream ….OR a passage between two snowy clifts from the perspective of a boat drifting in a sea filled with ice and baby bergs.
Now, which is it?
LK
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:17 am
Holy smoke, the second one took you an hour! That’s very quick, considering what you did. You must have a lot of work and a deadline on if you need to avoid doing it that badly!
I so want to have a pop but I daren’t not yet, not yet…
Cheers
BC
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:17 am
From which you can gather that I DO have a deadline!
August 2nd, 2007 at 6:55 am
Hi LK,
That is indeed a waterspout in the background. Here’s the original http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/homer/gulf_stream.jpg.html
It looks much better in oil than pixels, but it’s still fun.
Hey babychaos,
Same with you, eh?
Of course I was under a deadline with paying work stacking up all around. That’s totally why I spent an hour working on it. Because I didn’t have one to spare.
Cheers!
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Winslow would be proud!
I’m very impressed with you JD. You’re a renaissance man for the New Millenium. You write, you paint on your computer and you love Java.
Wow.
Mozoltov…
Laurie
August 8th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Wow, someone has talent! I can only draw stick figures, so I dunno. You did good though.
August 9th, 2007 at 7:10 am
Looks like a fun site. Kind of reminds me a bit of etcha sketch - do you remember those?
August 9th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Thanks folks. It’s really theraputic, even if you think you can’t draw. And nothing to clean up when you’re done.
It is reminiscent of the Etch-a-sketch, a little bit. The actual drawing seems more akin to Mac Paint, or something like that. But even MP couldn’t do transparencies.
Cheers.
January 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Yep impressive stuff!