Some Sketches

Some prep sketches. I needed a drawing of a girl sleeping for a larger drawing I was working on but it can be hard to get models. So I photographed myself and then did sketches from the pictures and eventually settled on one. That one I re-drew and changed the gender. and voila! Here are two of the many self portraits and the sketch I did of the girl.

clouds

some cloud studies I did today from my roof

Everglades Comic

I have decided to update my main website and put up the weekly everglades comic there. Just go to nateshawart.com and then follow the links to see it. Basically it is about two exotics interns at Everglades National Park. Their job is to kill off plants that are non-native to the area to prevent them from taking over the environment. It will be a weekly comic updated Sunday night or monday night. Or whenever I feel like it, so get off my back. Enjoy!

Everglades Exotics Exterminators

The debut of my newest project. It should be a weekly comic so check every Monday (at least) for the new comic! So its a working title. Hopefully I will be able to think of a better one soon. Enjoy!
I'm having some trouble getting the link to the comic to work... stay tuned, I'll figure something out.

Something a little different

I made a little flyer for the Halloween party my house is hosting. I have never really gotten into drawing comic characters but I got a book about and illustrator named Gris Grimly and he inspired me. I think I am going to start working on a comic strip about two exotics interns in the everglades. It probably won't be funny to anyone outside of Everglades National Park employees but its what I know right now. Look for it here (and on my office door).

Figure study

Another figure study done at a model session. Also check out my main page, I've updated it with quite a few more pics.

Figure study

a figure study from a figure drawing model session

words

My posts have been sporadic of late, I know and do sincerely appologize. I have been very busy this month embarking headlong into a big project. This Friday is also exciting because my work will be up for display in a show for first fridays in RVA. The restaraunt that my work is and will be hanging in is called "Hidden Treasure" and is located at the following address: 219 East Clay Street Richmond, VA 23219. My work (3 paintings, a pastel, and a print) will be up for that evening and perhaps a little longer. If I get any more details I will be sure to post them.

The project I alluded to earlier is one that I have been developing for a while now. I am creating a story driven by pictures much like a children's book. The plan was to finish all of the pictures while simultaneously writing the story then eventually turning it into book form. I have been thinking about media and art and how it is all related and thought about a different path. What if instead of a book I create a digital book. But it won't even be a book, the vision I have is something more like a website or a computer game. Instead of holding the pages and turning them by hand you will click on the picture itself to move the stroy along. In some ways it will be like a movie or animation that waits for you. This is the long term plan. There is a lot of work between now and then. I am drawing the pages in pen and india ink. After all of the drawings are completed I will scan them into a computer and make any necessary changes. Next will be inporting all of them into Flash and linking them all together and creating all of the animations and interactivity. I have about 15-18 drawings complete and another 6 or seven penciled but not inked. I need about 10 more after that. The story is outlined but not actually written, I know what happens but the words aren't there. Writing isn't my strong point and I can't remember the last time I wrote a story. The words are the part I am most dreading.

I don't know if the project will ever get complete. Other things in my life are happening or could happen that will put an indefinite hold on this. At any rate I want to complete the drawings and the story before the end of the year. That way I would at least have a completed book.

I am planning a massive update to the pictures on my website but I just haven't had the opportunity to get out and photograph all of my drawings... stay tuned.

On a completely random note, here are a couple of designers that I recently found about and like a lot: http://www.crashamerica.com/ some really good band posters, http://steamcrow.com/ I especially like the Abe Lincolnstein campaign poster.

more prep sketches

just thought you might like to see...

Prep Sketches

Here are some sketches I made for pages out of my book.

Hellooo World, again

I know its been fooorever since I updated this but I'm back. Expect more to follow.

this is nyssa and an alien, she was good enough to pose for me.

the eyeball gatherer

sketches

some prep sketches for an illustration:

final composition

To follow up on the last post here is the drawing/painting that I did from the last two sketches. its a terrible photo, i just turned it sideways and took the picture, horrible lighting, bad angle, and all. I really wanted to get this posted before I went away to camp. Its not quite done but you can see how I used the last two sketches to make this one drawing.

prelims

so this month has been pretty weak on the posts. Lame, I know, I've been busy. I have had a little time to work on my book. Here are some rough sketches of poses for a drawing. I photographed myself then drew these sketches. The sketches are studies for a larger drawing that will incorporate a figure in each of these poses, though they won't be me (I was my own model). I was taught to never draw from photographs; it makes you lazy, it can flatten a drawing, mistakes are easy to spot and when abused it looks very tacky. Having said that I think I am going to start using photo refs more. Its expensive to hire models and I am not making a drawing completely from photo. The characters are completely from my head but I need the viewpoint and anatomy that I can't get without the pictures. When I finish the final composition I'll post it on my website.

Thanks to everyone that congratulated my on being a finalist for the contest. The three drawings that got me this far are "illustrations 2, 3, and 4" of the earlier posts on this blog. Also thanks to everyone that gave me feedback on those.

Also, I put up a new BIO section on my main site. I haven't had the chance to really get started on my original bio project but I did a little comic for a class I will be teaching this summer. My strong point is definitely in the visual, not writing. ;) Anyway, when I finally get working on my bio its probably going to look something like whats there now. (in terms of style) Its actually a lot of work, I took over 100 photos and ended up using only 8 or 9. Enjoy and have a good weekend!

IotF

Last night on my drive home from work I got a call. I just found out that I am a finalist in the illustrators of the future contest that I entered a couple of months ago. yay! I will know in about a month if I won. Here is a link to the contest's blog that has my name on it http://wotfblog.galaxypress.com/ .

update

Over the course of the next month I will constantly update the site. (though it may be hard to tell) The new section is replacing the Bio section. it will be a semi-autobiographical graphic short story. I hope to have at least one chapter up by mid june.

rotoscoping

So it has been forever since I posted last, I know. I have been working on learning the curriculum of the classes I will be teaching this summer. While I am still very busy with this, I got a chance to try out some rotoscoping. (think A Scanner Darkly) Basically its taking a picture and then painting over the original to create an animated look. Its pretty fun. Here are my first two tries.

Illustration 4

This is the last illustration I will have time to do before I send 3 out of four off...

Illustration 3

Here is the latest in the group. I plan on doing one more and then picking the best three to submit.

March 10

I did this self portrait yesterday and forgot to put it up. Here it is!

Illustration 2

Ok this is number 2 for the entries. This one isn't quite done yet, I need to clean it up a bit and do something better with the area around the big box. This one is about inflatable soldiers. Comments welcome....

Illustration 1

I am entering an illustration contest/scholarship. the requirements for the 3 entries are that they have to be black and white, sci-fi/fantasy themed, each on a different subject. I really want to win this. This is my first possible entry. Comments and critiques are always welcome but for the next couple they are especially encouraged!

Leather Pumpkin

Amin asked me to make a logo for his and Lee's Basketball blog. This was the first thing that came to me.

March 8

Something I just finished up this morning. When I started this I was reading a book about Hungarian myths, I was a little inspired I guess.

Other Recent Sketches

Here a couple more sketches from my last little sketchbook. They filled it up and now I am starting on a second little sketchbook. I like them because I can fit them in my pocket and draw quick sketches of things I see in life or in my head as they come to me. Anyway, I put up some more pictures on my main website so head over and take a look!

Memoir

Mitch tagged me for a six word memoir. Took a little thought and this is what I came up with. We Want You! come back tomorrow...
If you want to participate, great! I'm not going to tag anyone but here are the rules:

(From the original post)
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post and to this original post , if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Recent Sketches

These are some recent sketches I did. The dog, Sidney, is my neighbor's. I pet sat her not too long ago. She was very mopey the first couple of days but she cheered up after a bit. The rest are out of my small sketchbook. I drew these while waiting at work at CFA. None of the subjects knew they were being drawn.

Feb 23

I thought I'd put up a little design, it took long enough. I really like art nouveau design and a lot of the architecture. I like art nouveau drawings on a completely superficial level. The simplicity of line that is very organic combining over and over makes for some cool drawings. I drew this from a design I found on the internet. I learned a lot from copying it. The stick man wasn't in the original.

Feb 18

My first ever political cartoon. Not a fan of Gene Nichols firing by the BOV.

Feb 16

I drew a sketch of a man that I always see in the library. He has a very interesting body, he is obese and fairly short, has an interesting beard and greasy slicked back hair. I see him a lot but this time he was sleeping in one of the chairs. He was there long enough for me to make a sketch in my small sketchbook. This is a quick painting in Painter over the scanned sketch I did. I am fascinated by strange, unique and interesting bodies and faces. Eventually I want to ask the guy to pose for me for a larger oil painting or something. Sometime...

Feb 10

Mika commented on an earlier post and I thought I would give it a try. It was a good idea, thanks! This is the result. Also, the post I put up earlier today was supposed to be titled Feb 8th not Jan 9th. I'm an idiot.

Jan 9

I just got back from a trip to Providence to visit a school that I am thinking about attending. The New School of Classical Art is what its called and can been investigated here: http://www.danalevin.com/. Anyway, I got to take the morning class with the other students. It was a life drawing class and she had me use sight-size method. Here is the result of the three hour class.

Feb 3

Finally, something new.

Jan 27

I experimented a little with a slain wolf and I ended up being ok with it. So here it is, Red Riding Hood... I uploaded it at 50% resolution so its a pretty big image but its much easier to see.

Jan 26

Here is the near finished state. I solidified the colors a bit more, added details, and altered the composition. I wanted to include the wolf upstairs somehow but compositionally it just didn't work. I might try experimenting with moving things around a little to get the wolf in but most likely I will stick with this composition. When I draw these on the computer the actual size/resolution is much much larger that what I post. If I posted the originals the file size would be too huge. This post's file (once clicked on) is 25% of the actual resolution.

Jan 23

A little bit of color.

Jan 22

This is going to be a multi day posting. This is the initial sketch. Tomorrow hopefully I will have time to start adding color. I'm basically ripping off a rembrandt compostition.

Jan 17

Jan 16

sometimes if you don't overwork something it can turn out well.