Quick Sketches

Today I tried to do some quick sketches of students between class. I really wanted to be able to do complete gestures, but I find it's really hard to do foreshortening on the fly. There was one girl who was doing some interesting gestures with her hands, but I just wasn't fast enough to be able to draw it. There was also another girl with a really interesting face (which is great, because 75% of the Texas Tech female population look like clones of one another), but she was basically facing me and I have trouble drawing people when they know I'm doing it.

A little repetitive, but eh...

You may wonder why I keep putting up pics of my hand. Two reasons: 1) Drawing hands is the easiest thing for me to draw accurately and 2) I've been trying to follow the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain exercises, and they always start with a drawing of your own face, a drawing of your hand, and a drawing of the corner of a room. So, after myself, I did the hand and room to start it out. May I mention that I hate drawing non-living things? I did the room drawing as quickly as possible, and I didn't like it much. Perhaps for a change I should draw feet next time.

Also, I spent my first day at my student assistant job. Not a particularly exciting job, but they don't mind if you do homework (or drawing) while you're there, so it's actually a good way for me to have more "free" time while getting paid and having tech experience to add to my resume. Besides building up my portfolio, I intend to have enough experience/knowledge to be able to get a job as a tech or sys admin so that I can have something to live on when I move to California (or wherever I end up moving).

Things are looking up

It's been a while since I posted any pictures here, huh? I'm not particularly pleased with the way this self-portrait turned out (looks nothing like me), but I did get a better feel for the way I was seeing than I have in the past. I had a better sense of proportions for that reason - which is why I don't understand why the picture doesn't quite *look* right, but oh well. I was given a 35mm camera recently, so I've decided that I'm going to get pictures of people in various poses for the purposes of drawing. It's a lot easier for me to draw something that still and pre-framed than to literally try to keep people or animals still for me to practice on. Maybe once I'm a more efficent drawer, such things won't be such a big deal.

On the job front, I'm happy to say that I did get the computer lab job that I wanted; you know, low pay, good experience? I decided that it would be a good idea for me to take a drawing class at Tech next semester anyway, and since I'm going to be enrolled I got that job. In fact, in just a few minutes I'm going over there to fill out my employment paperwork. Yayness.

You may have noticed, also, that my link to the Dallas Institute of Art has been replaced by CalArts and the Academy of Art. I have several reasons for changing my future school: 1) The Institute of Art didn't have any 'acting for animators', which I felt was a very important part of my education. If I can't act realistically, then my characters won't be able to. 2) CalArts especially has a very rigorous program, and you're admitted on the basis of your artistic talent. I'm shooting for the moon, here. If I really want to be a part of Pixar, I need to be tested through fire, and I know that the IA isn't going to do that. What I've read about CalArts suggests that it will. 3) I'd like to be near enough to Emeryville that I can apply for internships at Pixar as often as possible. Pixar is famous for hiring from within (Brad Bird and company being notable exceptions).

Of course, living in California presents its own problems. The cost of living is high, the cost of schooling is high, and I don't like the people that live there (no offense, Albright!). But again, I feel like, if this is what I'm meant to do in life, then I WILL find a way to make it work.