"I don't get it"

I did this a while ago for a t-shirt challenge in my IDSA club, and just found out it was chosen to be printed along with 4 others here. Mine is named WWU Tee 3, so help me and WWU IDSA by buying these shirts!
Behind the design-- I've always been frustrated during shoe shopping because I see so many ridiculous designs, most of them looking something like this. It just looks like it's made out of a 100 different pieces of overlapping material, and it can't justify itself by serving any purpose than maybe cushioning your foot a little more if you happened to drop a bowling ball on it. I painted "Space Boots" because I don't get why that style sells, especially because if it's non-functionality. At the same time, people look at my shirt and say, "I don't get it".
So... I guess the real purpose of my design is to displace my confusion onto others.

Starting the New Year

I have a feeling I'm going to be the busiest I've ever been this quarter.
One art history course and three for industrial design...
I still have to photograph my old marker renderings from last quarter. I keep telling myself that I'll do it on a sunny day where I can have natural lighting-- fat chance that'll happen anytime soon in Bellingham...
Anyways, here's my first project for ID CAD skills: A touch-screen cell phone, designed in Illustrator from scratch.

End of Fall Quarter Update: Part 1-Illustration

I know, I'm waaaay behind on this blog...
I just finished a great fall quarter at Western-- I probably wouldn't have had it go any other way looking back on it (except for dropping microeconomics right off the bat). I took my first industrial design courses, and they were really challenging and a lot of work, but just as fun as any art class. On top of that, I learned a lot of new things. I'll upload photos of my ID work in a bit (apparently you should take your work out of the plastic cell portfolios before you photograph them...) so for now, here are just a few drawings from my beginning illustration class. I have to say, while I didn't learn much technique-wise, the time we spent on observational drawing is exactly what I needed to improve.


Black and white charcoal pencil


Vine charcoal


Graphite pencil


Graphite pencil


Compressed charcoal


Compressed charcoal


Graphite pencil


Graphite Pencil


Graphite Pencil


Black and white charcoal pencil


Close-up


Watercolor and ballpoint pen


Close-up

There is a lot more I could post, but they're all nudes will more detail than young eyes should see... I think most of those are my best work from the class, so if you're of a reasonable age and would like to see that work, take this link

That's all for now. Sit tight until I can take some reasonably decent photos of my industrial design stuff. As in, not crappy.

I like where this is going...

So-
It's about halfway through the quarter so I thought it was a good time to update.
I actually haven't finished a ton of "artwork" yet. But I've been drawing a TON. And loving every second of it.
My industrial design class has me free-handing drawings in perspective in pen, designing page layouts, and writing instructions for a book that explains perspective and rendering. I have to say though, the instruction about perspective has been more of a review than anything, but I think my drawing style has become much more calculated and mathematical.
Some nights, this is what's going on in my dorm at 3:00 in the morning:


And this is my makeshift light-table. It's rickety, but get's the job done... if it doesn't blind me or give me a headache first.


I've yet to get any assignments from my drawing/illustration class (for graphic design majors?!) that require me to actually finish a drawing into a polished piece of art... On the other hand, I've gotten a lot of exercise in yet MORE perspective, and figure and portrait drawing. Those sketches might show up if I decide to make this blog "mature-rated"... But being a teacher to elementary school kids... that probably won't happen.

And I have some good news!!!


...


My terraform sculpture survived! Here are some shots of the bisque-fired piece. Yeah, it looks the same, but it's a bit smaller now and a different color. It's set to fire one last time, where it'll get a little smaller and more toasty looking.










And I went home during Halloween, but here's a shot of my 30-minute zombie makeup for my friend's birthday party the night before:

Pretty hot, huh?

That's it :/ By the end of the quarter I should have a ton of new stuff. Stay tuned...

Wrapping Up the Summer

My summer's basically through now and I'll be registering for classes in a week. Hopefully during the school year, this blog will become more interesting as I show work in different media like wood, 3D design, or even metal. Until then, we'll have to make do with the classic drawings, digital painting, and ceramic sculpture...

Been rushing through my sketchbook in my excitement to start a new one with my new Prismacolors. Here are the less mediocre pages:




Final product of the sci-fi soldier painting from ages ago. Be sure to click for full-size.


Last pics of the terraform sculpture before firing. I sculpted over 50 trees 1-2cm tall. Let's hope my summer doesn't disintegrate in a catastrophic explosion in the kiln.