Sketchbook - 2 March 2010

I recently acquired a set of gouache paints and have started trying them out. Here are a couple birds of paradise and some test strips using gouache in my sketchbook. I have some observations:

1. Gouache can be re-worked after it dries by adding water
2. Gouache acts a lot like watercolor
3. It's a really good idea to use quality paper. My sketchbook pages are thin, so they crinkle heavily when they get wet.

I'm currently working on a painting using them on a vinyl record, inspired by some of Lawrence Yang's paintings on vinyl records. I'll post pictures when I finish.

Hand-made Journal and Sketchbook

I finished these books quite a while ago, but I've been away from my blog for an extended period and haven't taken time to post anything new until today. I've been busy with school, and have wasted a load of time on computer games when I wasn't busy with homework and work. Here's a little bit about these two books: This first one is a sketchbook bound in denim and embellished with a keyhole plate and rivets. My Figure Drawing class had a requirement to fill up a sketchbook during the course of the class. About two weeks in I lost my sketchbook. I wasn't keen of having to start over, but even more I didn't want to have to buy another sketchbook. So I bound together a bunch of pages, had them trimmed, and made a cover with the denim from a ruined pair of jeans. I also ran across a 90% off sale at the local bookstore, and they had a few scrapbooking-type items, including this cool keyhole door-plate, which I thought would go great as a book cover detail. So I included it in the design.

This other one is a journal bound in real leather. I made a similar journal for a friend in 2009, and printed off far too many pages for the job. I had enough left over to make a second, slightly smaller journal. I put the pages together but neglected to have the edges trimmed for several months. Finally I got around to taking the book block to a print shop and having them cut a clean edge. Once that was done, I cut the leather, assembled the case, and finished constructing the book within a day. I would like to note that when making book covers you should always try to find a thin, pliable leather. The thicker and stiffer your leather, the harder it is to work with.

First Sale

I have just sold my first piece of artwork! My abstract 11" x 14" painting, "Anger Destroyeth" just sold on etsy.com Saturday afternoon while I was at work.

Bouncing Around the Web

So in my efforts to get a name for myself "out there" in the world, I've tried putting my work on various web sites for all the world to see. But, I have a short memory, and often need to be reminded where I've put myself up on the wall. Here's a list for ya'll (Utah's rubbing off on me...) of places you can find me online:

MyArtSpace, a web site for artists to show off their stuff. They offer a few scholarships, one of which I applied for in connection with signing up for the site.

My online store on Etsy. I don't have a lot of items listed presently, but I'll keep adding stuff as I make sale-worthy items.

My own personal web site, ArtofMartinCarney.com, which I put together from scratch and periodically update with new art. Check about once a month or so to see if I have anything new.

Older stuff: "A Mouse's Tail" - A webcomic I did pre-mission for a little while whilst attending Snow College. I also would post images from some of my digital artwork, like this post's picture. Related to that webcomic are a couple articles in the ComicGenesis Wiki: Comic, and artist.

How do you keep an idiot busy? To find out, go here!

So many blank pages...

As one obsession moves out, another one moves in to take its place. My last big art kick was digital art, and resulted in these pictures, along with a few others that were more...mediocre. But before too long I got bored with the time-consuming process and ran out of good ideas of things to make in Blender. That, and I got busy with work.

I started getting interest in how books are made, and started making them by hand. My first experiment was not very good, but I learned a lot, and by time my second one was finished I had a good idea of how to do it right. On my third try I used leather, a more unwieldy but much more awesome material than the cloth I'd been using. None of the pieces I had were quite big enough for the job, so I actually cut three pieces for the two covers and the spine (pictured below).

I still made a few mistakes, which I corrected for my most recent model (the top two pictures).

Trip up to the "S"

Yesterday I hiked up to the "S" overlooking the town with a few friends. As we climbed we passed many old, rusty cans, most of which were from the annual school trip up to re-paint the "S". Apparently they can carry cans full of paint up, but can't manage to carry empty cans back down afterwords. Go figure.

We stopped for pictures on the way up and once we got to the "S", including a panorama of the valley. We all had a fun time, and it was a good hike. Not too exhausting, but good exercise. Kind of a last hurrah for the semester, with only a few finals left and packing and moving home.

AP classes are worth the work!

On Wednesday I went to academic advisement to see about the summer term, if it would be better than fall semester as far as cost and so forth. I found out, however, that I already had enough credits to graduate, although I lacked one of my General Education requirements. The reason for this was the three AP classes I took in high school, which together provided me with 17 credit hours and three GE requirements right when I started college.

The result? This'll probably be my last semester attending here. I can take the required class online and graduate at the end of the summer, ready to move on to a four-year university. The best part is that I can work full-time while getting that one last requirement, and save up for the next few semesters!