Studio Bond

Study of Daenerys Targaryen

Alexandra — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 06:03:33 +0000

Title: Study of Daenerys Targaryen
Year: 2012
Medium: Digital
Size: 8.5″ x 11″
Notes: This is a study of Daenerys Targaryen I worked on from a still frame of the final scene of HBO’s Game of Thrones Season 1. In this scene rises from the funeral pier cradling three newly hatched dragons. I chose this to study this shot in order to practice my digital painting skills – particularly rendering form and texture – and because I hadn’t yet painted a dragon.

I started with a lineart sketch with the scratchboard pen, then rendered the forms with dull conte, worn oil pastel, and a touch of digital airbursh with generous blending – all in Corel Painter. Working in greyscale first helps me concentrate on getting the lighting and forms right before I introduce color. I took some small liberties with the design and adjusted the lighting slightly in order to make Daenerys and her dragon read better.

The Nightcowl

Alexandra — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:28:24 +0000

The Nightcowl Creature Concept & Orthographic | Personal Work
Notes: This design came after intense study of the great horned owl and small wild felines.

The Great Horned Owl

Alexandra — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 03:16:45 +0000

Personal Work
Notes: A close study of a great horned owl in preparation for my own creature design: the Nightcowl!

Visual Development of the Space Pirates of Treasure Island

Alexandra — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:24:15 +0000

Treasure Island Environment Development | Personal Work

Treasure Island Props | Personal Work

Jim and John Character Development | Personal Work

Jim Turnaround and Expressions | Personal Work

Study of Daenerys Targaryen

Alexandra — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:54:41 +0000

Personal Work

My Art…in a BOOK!

Alexandra — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 03:55:42 +0000

Last month I received an invitation from Daniel Cooney to contribute a few of my clothing studies in his new book for Barron’s Educational series titled Figure Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels. Specifically, he asked for permission to use some of my work in his section on clothing folds.

Dan is an accomplished comics writer and illustrator and teaches writing and drawing comics in the Academy of Art University’s Illustration department. Quarto Publishing in London is well-reputed and has produced helpful artistic instruction books.

Needless to say, it’s my great pleasure to contribute to this project and I’m delighted to be be sharing pages with such an amazing artist who has published such excellent work such as Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Great Work and Get It Published.

We discussed three of my illustrations with Quarto Books and the following two were selected for inclusion:

I’ve reviewed sample proofs and it loos like a very comprehensive book, more so than typical figure drawing books which tend to skimp on how clothing interacts with the body. Dan covers a lot of ground, explains key concepts attentively, and includes clear examples of every point he illustrates. He’s an engaged and enthusiastic teacher in person, and I can ell that his instructional writing is informed well by his experience instructing students.

The book is due for release later this year in fall 2012. I’ll post an update this fall when the book is out!

Fear of Failure

Alexandra — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:29:21 +0000

Somewhere along the way you came to believe that you can’t draw or design. Someone, maybe another kid, a parent, a teacher said something critical and you believed that your drawing was no good. Or maybe you sailed through those years confident in your abilities but ran into a wall when your work was reviewed by a professional, and then your were crestfallen. Whatever the source, you came to believe that you can’t draw or design.

Drawing is something technical, it’s a skill that can be developed over time; design is something more fundamental but also more abstract, it’s about communicating an idea and problem-solving visually. Unfortunately, the fear of failure with drawing or with design is like shooting yourself in the foot because it inhibits progress with both.

A lot of artists don’t like to talk about their fear of failure, and yet professionals have managed to learn from their failures and grow into success. I was one of those kids who drew in my comfort zone and was praised for it by everyone who saw my drawings. That’s kind of like professional success wherein you’re paid to do what people know you can do consistently and because they recognize your speciality. But I also didn’t challenge myself with different subjects or styles until entering art school. It’s hard no longer being a big fish in a small pond but I’m growing faster than I every have before since then.

These growing pains led me recently to examine my own fear of failure and I found advice of design mentors on my journey. I’m happy to share them with you here:

The insightful and eloquent Milton Glaser on the fear of failure. from Berghs’ Exhibition ’11 on Vimeo. He makes an excellent point about professional success being antithetical to personal progress. (Reload if you just see a blank space here).

I also recommend printing and posting this on your wall: 106 Excuses that Prevent You from Ever Becoming Great, I’ll bet you’ve been making at least one of these excuses!

Lastly, an interviewer records his experience with Ian McCaig, designer for Star Wars and John Carter of Mars (among other projects) in Shadowline: The Art of Iain McCaig:

“Put it on!” McCaig said. ”We’re all ten-year-olds when we’re drawing. It’s the rule.”

“Why?” I asked.

“‘Cause before you were ten, you probably never thought about whether you could draw or not. You simply did it. Drawing was as natural a way to express yourself as speaking. Then you hit ten and got stupid about it. Drawing was important, and if you couldn’t do it like Leonardo, you didn’t do it at all. So, I’m taking you back to ten, so I can un-stupify you.”

“Suppose I don’t want to learn to draw?”

“You don’t have to. You already know. You draw perfect people and creatures an worlds every night in your sleep. I’m merely going to show you how to do that while you’re awake.”

I must have looked skeptical, because he went on. “Dude, it’s your first language. You started scribbling pictures before you knew any words at all. Don’t you see? It’s not a magic trick, and it’s not a special ability. It’s a language, and you already know how to speak it.”

“Then why can’t I draw?”

“Because you think you can’t. It usually takes about six months, one hour a day, to change your mind.” He whooped again. “Go on. Put on the T-shirt.” …[snip]…

And yeah, I was shocked, because now I could draw. Maybe not like Leonardo, because even if you speak a language, that doesn’t make you Shakespeare. But it does mean you can communicate, which I think is his point. it’s not what the drawing looks like, but what it’s saying. If you focus on that, it’s amazing how the drawings seem to look better, too.

Ian McCaig’s point about drawing like a 10-year old moved me profoundly. It reminded me of how proud I was after successfully skiing down a difficult slope without falling once as a little girl. Yet my dad in a moment of wisdom told me “If you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough.” When I get frustrated with my art, I think back to hitting the hard cold snow, picking myself up, dusting myself off, and trying again. I learned how to shift my weight, avoid and compensate for ice and bumps, and even jump. Every time I fell I learned something. It’s the same with drawing an with design.

No one can make your progress but you, but these words of encouragement have helped me along the way and I hope they help you too.

Study of Half-Lock Folds in Khakis

Alexandra — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 15:59:03 +0000

Title: Study of Half-Lock Folds in Khakis
Medium: Compressed charcoal, charcoal pencil, & willow vine charcoal.
Size: 18″x24″
Year: 2011
Notes: 20 min. with live model.

Photoshop Perspective Path Tool Courtesy of DiGi-Art

Alexandra — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:19:09 +0000

Do you get bored setting up your perspective lines when drawing a landscape or cityscape? Want to save time and get back to the fun part – drawing?!

Well, thanks to Johnny Quan, a member of DigiPaint, the Facebook critique and resource network I founded for Academy of Art University members, I learned about a fantastic tool today which was developed by FreddieArtMedia at DiGi Art QuickTools. And even better, it’s free! So, with thanks to his generosity and a nod to his awesome work, I’m sharing it here with you! Go to Digi-Art QuickTools here or here to download and then view the tutorial below. Enjoy!

City of Shadows: Everything Falls Apart

Alexandra — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:08:52 +0000

City of Shadows Poster | Commissioned by Skeleton Crew | Featured in the 2013 Academy of Art University Spring Show
Notes: Poster illustration commissioned by Skeleton Crew for their City of Shadows web-series; text by Dustin Sklavos. The theme is a complex one - it’s about coping with psychological injury suffered through unavoidable attraction. Allyson is still recovering from her last relationship when an accident renders her comatose; as a result she must confront her demons or risk losing her life. The story is painted with surrealism and psychological horror with an understated film noir style. I wanted to capture all of these elements in a single, clear, image.