Things went smoother today. Still having issues figuring out how to use the rulers and perspective. I’d like to be able to turn them off and on by layer, but haven’t discovered how to do that yet.

I find the manual nearly impossible to use. I will probably never purchase one of those e-reader things. Reading on the screen is just too difficult on my eyes. I also like to be able to flip back and forth quickly between pages. That is not happening with a 400+ page document on this old MAC.

I inked in the pathway and the house wall stones. Tomorrow I will attack the window and Snow White. I have to fix the depth of the stones in the window and still make the arm hanging out of the window realistic. I hope to finish with the inking layer during Friday’s session.

Here’s today’s picture:

inking layers for house wall and path added

I spent about two hours struggling with the perspective rulers and layers since the last entry. I’ve been using the “Beginner’s Assistant.” I figured, a brand new program, I’d need the help. I finally turned it off about an hour into this morning’s session. You know what? I am having a much easier time of it now. The assistant was being so helpful, I couldn’t figure out how to do the things I wanted.

I made some progress. Cleaned up the extra layers I had for no apparent reason. Made some adjustments to the granny figure and added in the basket of apples. I really don’t want to quit and move onto other things, but I have several deadlines for project that MUST be delivered before I head to Tulsa next week. So, I will have to come back to this after I have completed the things with higher priority.

pencil rough with inking layers overlay

Granny with basket of apples - inked layers only

At this rate I may finish this by 2011…

I am having a love affair with Twitter. For me, it has been a wonderful experience. Better than any other of the myriad of social networking sites I have joined. Some I never developed. Some I developed but no longer visit on a regular basis. And some I signed up for a profile and after a while decided they weren’t for me and deleted the profile. All of them pretty much worked the same way, and as a person of visual output outweighing my verbal output, keeping them up to date and useful to my business wasn’t really giving me a measurable return. I like things I can quantify and measure. I get free stuff by being on Twitter. Artsy stuff I really want, but can’t justify spending $$ on because I have to buy more every day things like food, socks or school supplies.

I have been on Twitter for about a year now. I have connected with art and writer friends around the world. And I have conversations with them. Learn about things I am interested in and find out new information about things I never knew. I ‘attend’ several weekly chats, and in fact, I even co-host one called #kidlitart specifically focused on the business of art in children’s book illustration. All the chats are live streams inside of Twitter’s main stream and while anyone can ‘attend’ most people utilize a software organizer like TweetDeck or TweetChat to keep up with the flurry of tweets a chat can generate. (To see archives of previous chats go to the KidLitArt blog.) Another thing I’ve accomplished is connecting with businesses in a meaningful way. Hence the free ‘stuff.’ Did I mention this is stuff I really want?

A couple of weeks ago, a fellow artist tweeted she had intentions of buying Manga Studio EX and posted a link to the software’s web page on SmithMicro’s web site. I followed her link and became enamored with the program. A smattering of tweets between us over the next several days discussing the program followed. She went out and purchased it a few days later, while I decided I would have to put off a purchase of new software indefinitely. While the Manga Studio EX program is inexpensive as far as programs go, my priorities on where my funds are to be spent do not include new software for a while. Meanwhile, I spent delighted and drool-inducing hours watching youtube videos of other artists using Manga Studio.

Then I got an email! Someone at SmithMicro had seen my tweets and visited my web site. She viewed my portfolio and found my art unique, pleasing and appropriate for use inside of Manga Studio. Since my style of work is NOT manga but Art Nouveau, I guess it was unusual enough to warrant a ‘new’ usage for the company’s software. The email offered me a free copy of Manga Studio EX in exchange for a review. How fast do you want to bet I replied in the affirmative?

Several days later, I had the program install on my dinosaur of a MAC and was reading my way through the manual.

I had a work in progress at the pencil stage. I decided to use this pencil sketch for my trail run with MS EX. To make matters a bit more interesting, I am also finally using the stylus I have had for a while, but never utilized because the end result was never ‘organic’ enough for my tastes. So I am also learning how to use my Wacom tablet at the same time.

I am moving slowly forward with figuring out the program capabilities, but I thought I would share my progress with images from start to finish. (I am working in MS instead of doing my daily doodles. After all I only have the same 24 hours a day as everyone else. something has to be put aside.)

pencil rough for Snow White - Bad Apple

pencil sketch imported into MS EX and beginning inking (evil queen) - Bad Apple

The pen tools in MS EX are GREAT. I have total control over thickness and I am sure once I get used to the stylus I will have enough control over placement to forgo paper pencil sketches as well if I like.

My Twitter friend says she’ll still use Photoshop to lay in color. I’ll have to finish with the inking before I start coloring. Since I use watercolor for color because I like the bloom and mystery of it, this will also be an experiment to see if color is more ‘organic’ in MS EX.

More to come.

As August winds down, so will the doodles of goats. I’ll have to discover a new subject to concentrate on for September. Any suggestions will be considered.

I took the child to the art supply store on Saturday. Spent entirely too much money on supplies, but comfort myself with the knowledge that quality supplies make the experience of creating art more enjoyable.

I discussed the idea of drawing everyday to get better with the kid and hopefully some of it will manage to sink in.

At this point, all I can do id plant seeds and hope they sprout.

I did get myself some new markers and sketch pads as the ones I have been using are nearly used up. I got a sketch book that will open flat. No more shadow area in scans to deal with. At least that is the plan. The down side to this is I can’t fold the book back on itself to expose only the place I am drawing. We’ll see how I like it. I better like it as I got a supper thick pad, which was on sale making it more economical than the spiral bound version.

Recently I have been reading  blogs of fellow writers and they have been having deep thinky-thought. I wonder if I should record my deep thoughts here, too. I know I  have them.

Problem is I don’t have them when it’s time to blog. The deep thoughts come to me when I am driving or in the shower or about to drift off to sleep. By the time I am finished with whatever activity I am engaged in when they occur and plop myself down in from to the keyboard they have long gone. Revisiting them just for the purpose of recording them in this blog seems forced. Oh well.

drum case open

Here is the case  made for my lion ashiko. The fabric was double sided, which made for a very interesting finish.

With the left over pieces I also crafted a shoulder strap.

I already have an order from one of the members of the first Friday drum circle to make a case for her drum.