10.30.13 Ballerinas, Bhangra and a Tiger!

Hello, internet friend!
Well, this week I've been staying focused on gathering materials for show, so I've been spending a lot of time seeking out opportunities to draw dancing.  I've been really lucky!  I know two little girls who are very good dancers and I thought that very young children dancing would be the perfect addition to the collection.  Here are a series or sketches of my friend Maya, who loves to dance Bhangra!  (And she's WAY better at it than I am!) check out her moves:

"Baby Bhangra, study" 2013

  

super fun baby-dance sketches!

Well, my life is pretty adorable a lot of the time, I have to say.
  I also finally got an opportunity to draw some ballerinas!  (I love drawing pointe shoes) So I will have some ballet in  the show, too.  How could I make a series of dancing images without including ballet??  I love what I've been coming up with so far, check it out:

Pointe Shoes, study  2013

"Ballerina, study"  2013

  I have lots more drawings but I'm not going to show you everything all at once--you will just have to come and check it out when it's all finished!  I have a few more drawings to make and then I will begin creating motion sequences with them.  That is the most fun, like solving a jigsaw puzzle!  I can't wait!!!
  I sometimes wish I didn't have to sleep but unfortunately, I'm really tired right now...so I'm going to sign off and take a nice, long nap.  Then, back to drawing, which is fine by me!  So check back next week--I'll have some new stuff to share!
Thanks for stopping by!
Love, Beckarooo!

10.15.13 Posters, Dancings, and Half-Birthdays!

HI there!
Well, tomorrow is my half-birthday (and also my twin's!), which means, obviously, that in 6 months I'll have an actual birthday!  So today I will have to make rice krispy treats b/c that is the tradition in my family. I know, you're jealous.  I would be, too.
  I've just finished up a coloring book and set of posters for Columbia Children's Theater in Columbia, SC.  It was a lot of fun and a ton of work.  I'm really happy with how all the images turned out and especially the posters.  Theatre posters!  I can't get enough of them!!  I showed three of them in the last post so I wanted to share the last two, here you go:

Stinky Cheese Man!

 I really love the quirky colors I used in Stinky Cheese Man, they were referenced from the book.  It's not the usual color scheme I go for and I liked the weird feeling they give.  This one is more my usual color choices:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves!

 I am so happy with this one!  It was quite a struggle, too--I went through at least two color schemes before I came to this one.  Being an avid adorer of Walt Disney, I felt very intimidated creating this image at all.  I have a really cool story about Walt's movie, BTW, an EXCELLENT one.  If you want to know it you should email me--it's one of my favorites to tell but it's too long to share in this post!
  Well, the Disney influence in my style is clear but that's cool because I own it.  My earliest drawing memories are of drawing Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty and later on I refined my drawing skills by drawing Disney movies frame by frame, once I learned how the pause button worked on the VCR.  That's right.  I was a teenager in the 90s.

Well, I admit that usually when I finish a project I go through a little post-project depression as I'm trying to figure out what I'm working on next...but not this time!  I got some really good news which is that I am going to have a solo exhibition of my dancing drawings next year at Altered Esthetics, a totally awesome gallery here in Minneapolis!  I'm so excited and I have lots of work to do so I am already hard at work on that.  When I got the news I was so happy and I thought of these two because I felt like twirling and spinning!!

Twirling, 2013

Dancing Arms, 2013

I'm so excited!!  I am also showing some work in two other, upcoming group shows in the cities and here's some of what I'll be showing in those:

L'Ennui, 2012

I love this image!  Of course it's Rapunzel and she's really bored, as you would be, too, if you were her!  But most everyone thinks it's about waiting for her prince(as if!),  but that's fine because it can mean whatever they want it to, that's art!  To me, it's just about waiting.... for anything! a person, an event, a change--whatever!...there are a lot of things to wait for in life because we are bound by the constraints of time. (That's what the calla lilies represent! SNAP!!!)  Blah blah blah, right? on to the next one!

The Chandelier, 2013

I love this one even more because it came out SO nicely! I can't wait to see the Paris Opera House in person, I hope it lives up to the one in my head...

  There is a reason why I chose these particular images to share.  I was noticing, as I was looking over all this work I've done in the past year, a distinctive pattern in my compositional choices.  These three exemplify that pattern the most.  It's good to go back through your work and find these patterns because you can use them more effectively if you know what's going on and that can lead to all kinds of better ideas down the line.  I can't wait to see what I come up with in the next 6 months!  (And neither can you!!)

  Now that I'm done with the all consuming coloring book I will be able to post more frequently, so be sure to check back next week!  I'm thinking I will make another Catwoman image...and, of course, more dancing drawings!! (:

Thanks for the visit, friend!

Enjoy the crisp, autumn air and have yourself a Rice Krispy Treat!

Love, Beckarooo

9.23.13 Dancing, Drawing into the Fall...

Hi friends!
I'm finally back to post some new work!  I'm sorry I took a whole month away from this blog--that does tend to happen in the summer.  I had a really good summer, though!  Not only have I been drawing a coloring book (how fun is that?) AND making theatre posters (art fantasy-come-true!) I also got to draw the Zenon Dance Company's dance classes!  I get to keep doing this all through the Fall and I'm so excited about it!  Before I share some of that work-in-progress, I want to show some of the book and poster set I've been working on....

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, 2013

Ho! Ho! Ho! 2013

I chose to post these because they were the most difficult for me.  Neither of them were particularly inspiring for me and I was worried I wouldn't come up with anything because of that.  But!  I'm actually very happy with how they both turned out!  It's always good to be challenged that way and I love the colors I chose....that's probably why I chose them. :-P
  Now I will move on to one story I was really happy to work on because it has always been one of my favorites:  Puss in Boots!  I decided to show more of the coloring process with this one--here you go:

Puss in Boots, coloring page 2013
You should print this coloring page, color it, scan it, and email it to me!!

Puss in Boots, black line 2013

Puss in Boots, 2013

Theatre posters--especially for children's theatre was a big goal of mine when I was a young artist and obsessed with Disney and Mucha.  This is the second set of posters I've done now and more to come! Awesome-sauce.
  If you want to know more about these plays and ticket information, you should go to this website:
  http://www.columbiachildrenstheatre.com

No, onto the dancing!  The main reason I have not been able to post much this summer is that I'm working on about three projects at once and I also work full-time, guys!  So give me a break, I'm really busy sometimes!!!  The project that has been consuming me the most is the dancing drawings!  I'm having such an amazing time with it.  I can't get enough of it!  I have been working to gather as many sketches as I can to work with to make more of the movement sequences I've been doing.  Here are some spreads from my sketchbook:

I have a ton more than just this but for the sake of time and space, these are all you get for now!  As you can see, I already have a lot to work with and I'm super excited for what is to come ahead!  I will be drawing these classes all through the fall session.  What a treat!   I wish I could fast forward to see what I'm going to do!!  :-D  !!!

I will be posting more next week so be sure to come back and see what I'm doing!
Thanks for the visit but I gotta go--it's Monday and I'm running late!
Love, Beckarooooooo!!

08.20.13 More Dancing, More Drawing!!

Hi there!
Thanks for stopping by!  This week I'm posting more dancing drawings--I got to draw a dancing workshop that was put on by Company BLU, a totally amazing dance company from Italy.  Here's a link to some youtube videos of them:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRsckd-yAjI

They were so nice and fun to work with! I love drawing dancers because even when they are just standing around talking to each other they can't help but move.  They either stretch an arm or kick a leg or something--they don't even realize they are doing it--I love it! Here are some pages from my sketchbook:

Stretching Sketching!

I really like how the figures all work together in these to spreads.  I have a lot more, of course, but for the sake of time and space I will move on to the movement sequences I made:

Company BLU, 2013

Dancing Arms, 2013

Twirling, 2013

I really love what I've been able to do with movement within this project.  I am going to be able to draw classes at the U next month and I'm so excited!!!  Here are some solo figures....I suck at titles so I'm just calling them "Solo..." and then a number....I know, boring.  But I'm not relying on the title to say what I want, so I guess it's not super important.  Anyway, here's some solo pics for you:

 I love the very different feeling these two images have. They perfectly illustrate how important body language is in conveying how we feel, which is one of my favorite things about drawing people and characters.....and one of the goals of this project.

  So here is the poster for the Company BLU show that was here.  I love how it turned out and I can't wait to do more:

  Well! It was really fun to share with you but I have to get right back to work.  I'm getting so near the end of this coloring book, I can see the finish line!!!  And once that's done, I have a whole other project in line to take its place. Sigh, my life is so full of......work. And that's a GOOD thing!  (:  Every time I make one of these coloring books I feel like I'm 9 again, when I would color in coloring books and think:  "I could do this.....and I would do it much better!"   I was so right on, dude.  Life is so funny.  (:
  Oh wait, before you go here is a fun, fun pic of me and my two friends who just got legally married in MN (we are SO the best state in the union!!!!)

So blurry but so fabulous! 

We had so much fun!  I love those guys!  And then there was this awesome indie music/art/comic convention here in Minneapolis, called Autoptic, which reunited me with all my college buddies from every spectrum of my MCAD life.  OMG, art school memories.....hee hee hee....
SIGH.....I had such a great weekend.  :-D
Come back next week for more art from me for you!!
Love, Beckarooooo!!!!

08.12.13 Line Drawings!

Hi there!
SO....as stated many times previously I'm working on stuff I can't post right now.... because of that I've decided to re-post some of my line drawings--I always just scan them and tuck them away immediately upon finishing them so when I was moving a couple of weeks ago I was surprised to see how many I've so far accumulated--WAY too many to post all of them, which is a shame, so I just went through and picked out a few to share.  I think I could tile an entire wall with them now....
  The reason I don't usually post these is because they are just the first step in my process and so I tend to view them as unfinished and therefore not worthy of posting on their own.  However, I've recently changed my point of view:  these simple, black and white line drawings are a perfect way to highlight my drawing skills b/c there is nowhere to hide laziness or bad drawing.  For example:

"Trio, Journeying"  2012   from "Hero's Journey" 

 So, as you may notice in the above image, there is very little depth and all the lines are blending together.  But if you take the time to look closely you will see that everything is working together technically and compositionally and it did end up looking fabulous when it was done...which you can see on my tumblr. (link at the end of this post!)

"The Chandelier, lines"  concept art for "The Phantom of the Opera" 2013

"The Masquerade, lines"  2013  concept art for "The Phantom of the Opera"

The above two images for "The Phantom of the Opera" are really good examples of how you can't cheat with simple black and white lines.  I say "simple" but really, there was nothing simple about these two images.  It was months of drawing to be able to draw this space (which I've never seen in real life, BTW)  at this level of detail--tons of research, tons of sketching.  Okay it was more like two years of that before I could draw it this well....sometimes it takes that long--and have you looked at how ornate this space is?  There is something on everything.  And I can draw this space off the top of my head now so THERE!!

  So, as simple as black and white lines may seem, they are very difficult, very specific and unforgiving BUT ultimately very rewarding. When I found these again after months of not looking at them, I was pretty happy with how my skills have developed. (:

"L'Ennui, lines" 2012

This image has been re-blogged so many times!  People really like seeing images of pretty people being sad, apparently.  But she's actually more bored than anything, hence the title. 

 Boredom can be torturous, trust me on that.

"The Frog Prince, lines" 2012

  This is an image that has yet to be finished...I should get on it!  It's already half-way done, actually, but then another project came up and I sorta forgot about it...it happens!!  It's on the list of things to do when I have some extra time...whenever that may be.

"The Princess and the Dragon, lines" 2013

  And my original fairy tale:  The Princess and the Dragon.   I love how this one looks--you should print it, color it like a coloring page, scan it and email it to me!  That's my favorite thing about making coloring books--each year I send one around to all my friends to color in.  You're never too old to enjoy coloring books.  At least I'm not.

  Well, I'm off to work on more coloring books, line drawings, fairy tales and what-not.  I love it.  Really.  This is exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up....I hope when I finally do grow up I'm still doing this.
 :-P  before I go I will post these two images:

After!  

4.5 inches!!

I highly recommend cutting all your hair off.  It's SO liberating and refreshing and a new haircut is the perfect complement to a new apartment.  Everyone go and cut all your hair off!!!  :-)
  You can see all these images in their finished state (except for the ones I told you I never finished!) on my tumblr:
http://beckylaff.tumblr.com
Be well friends, and thanks for the visit....back to work now.  (:
Love, Beckarooo!

07.31.13 Comics, process and posters!

Hi there!
Well, I've finally found some time to post and it was really hard because I am SOOOOO busy right now and I'm also moving tomorrow on top of all of it.  Exciting!!

This year I decided to submit a comic to the City Pages annual Comix issue.  I only heard about 3 days before the deadline so I had to come up with and execute this very quickly and I'm happy with what I did!  In fact, one of my former professors from MCAD--who was famous for being extra harsh and stingy with the A grades--he liked it!  What a compliment! SIGH.....So ..... I'm happy.  :-)))   Anyway, I approached this with the idea that this one-page comic would be exemplary of my storytelling style, a piece that just says what I'm about as an artist. And, yes, I met the deadline.  Because MCAD-ers ALWAYS meet or beat their deadlines.
  AND .... I kept track of the process for you:

Here is the sketch that I used for the layout for the final lines.

Here are the inked lines.  I will say this, even though a line drawing like this is very flat, there is no-where to hide bad drawing.  So feast your eyes on my totally naked and exposed skills!!

"The Swing" 2013

    Immediately, upon finishing this piece I realized how many pieces I've done lately that involve light, either looking up at, reaching toward it, flying toward it, etc.....I guess I will call this my period of "light" when I look back as an old, old artist, retired in the desert somewhere.  The landscape there is so gorgeous.

  As I was going through all my art stuff, packing for the move, I found my ever-growing stack of inked line drawings which is fun to rediscover.   Once I'm done with a drawing and I scan it, I just put it away immediately and forget it and I have now amassed quite a collection of really nice black and white line drawings....I think next week's post will be a line-drawing retrospective!  Which will be good b/c I have been working on the annual coloring book and set of posters for Columbia Children's Theatre in Columbia, SC.  Since I'm still in the ideate-ing part of the process I am only posting these three (of 15), all of them are going to be posters, eventually....

"Puss in Boots!"  One of my favorite fairy-tale characters!  I based him on my cat, Christopher-Robbin, who is my own puss-in-boots!

"Snow White!"  Character design challenge of the year:  The Seven Dwarves.  Success: achieved,

I love this image of Snow....I'm torn about which one should be the poster image....thoughts?

  Well, I'm overwhelmed and stressed out but most of all SUPER excited to move to my new apt tomorrow!  I have been saving a bottle of mead just for this occasion....Have you tried mead?  OMG, it's good and I don't even like wine, particularly.  Try it!  And come back next week b/c I promise, promise, promise I will post something!

  As you go along with the rest of your day, I will leave you with this pic of me sitting in a tree.  A tree-house, like The Swiss Family Robinson is where I'd REALLY love to move....but where I'm moving has a lot of leaves in the windows and I have an excellent imagination so.....it'll do....for now....(:

Thanks friends of mine on the internet!  It's always nice to have a visit.
Be well!
Love, Beckarooooo

07.16.13 Summer Days...

Hi there!
Although I am deep in the middle of a big project right now for the Columbia Children's Theatre Company in SC, I've managed to make a few illustrations that I can show you right now!
  Since I've started working more with dancers and drawing movement I decided to try something different with portraiture.  Okay, so, yes, inspired a little by Harry Potter, I thought if I used 3 images to show a few moments in time, the portrait would feel more real, more meaningful to the viewer.  A series of sequential moments in time as opposed to just one still image of a face or body is a much more effective way of conveying the subject's energy and personality, their presence, you know what I mean?
Here is the first one I did:

Caroline and the Dandelion, June 2013

 This is a series of images of the little girl I nanny for in my day job as a nanny.  (it's the best job in the world!)  She is such a treat.  Everyone says I'm biased but I swear she is the cutest and sweetest baby I've ever met!  She's going to day-care soon and our time together is coming to an end.  :-(  So I've been dealing with my sadness by making art about it!  Here's an image of one our favorite activities and our favorite songs!

Becky and Caroline by the Mississippi River, June 2013

Sigh, such a great job!  I can't believe I get paid for that!  So on to the next portrait.  This one is of my mom's dead dog, Patty.  I think with animals, this "motion-portrait" (I'm tentatively calling these) is most effective b/c they use body language primarily for communication.  My mom agreed.  She cried when she saw this, which is the best complement an artist can receive.  :-)
These three images effectively capture Patty's sweet charm as she wakes up from a nap:

Happy Birthday, Mom! Love you!!! :-)

So, even though I'm working on a big project, I'm still developing other stories and characters all the time.  For a comic artist/writer/creator, whatever you want to call what I do, it is crucial to keep developing other stories all the time--stagnation is your enemy!!  This is a character that has been on the back-burner for a long time but she's popped back into my head recently--she must want to come out!  I love her so much! She's always been called "Penguin Girl" and she has a winged duck-billed platypus as her side-kick.  But that isn't the best part about her--well, first off here's what they look like:

She has the coolest power of all super-heroes, ever, which is that she understands and can therefore manipulate the very fabric of reality.  This gives her a power that is limited only by her imagination.  Her powers are all based in math and she's SO good at math that she's taken it to a whole other level--a level that allows her manipulate the very world around her.  She likes to travel via wormhole and so do I, so we have that in common.  I really love this character, so I decided to resurrect her and begin working more on her story.

The last image I will share with you this week is a little assignment I gave myself.  Here it is:

Paris Opera House, Grand Escalier

The goal here is just to become comfortable with the lighting and color in this space.  I'm pretty happy with it--if it weren't just practice I would take it a little further but I'm saving that effort for the real art, which will come later.  This is in the evening so the light is very yellow but my next assignment is to color the same space but lit by daylight though the skylight, instead of gaslight.  This will make the space seem a lot more blue, overall, FYI.

Well!  I will end this post with a fun summer-time pic!  Too much work does not keep me stuck inside!  Summer fun time!

Dancing in a cemetery!  

Ahhh....being an artist and a nanny makes life seem like kindergarten all the time and I love it!  I hope you enjoy the work I'm making as much as I love making it. I'm excited to share the stuff I'm working on right now but I can't--I just can't until September!!  it's such a struggle. :-P
 Thanks for the visit, friends!
Love, Beckaroooo!!!