A Redesign, and SOI Shenanigans.

But with this redesign comes a small, not really important announcement. I will be buying a domain soon, and finally, for real, no kidding, putting a real website together. I've done all my research, have a good idea of what it's going to be called, and I should be done with it over Christmas break. If I don't do it... Find me, break my legs, cause I've put this off for forever.

So up and coming is the Society of Illustrator's contest. Here's 1 of 4 pieces that I'm doing. I plan on documenting the step by step on this one. Why? Because I've convinced myself someone out there cares, and that is all I need. 

So what did I do so far. I did the sketch right there in pencil, in a sketchbook that was just bundled regular printer paper. As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat printer paper. Mechanical pencils love it. The second step there is a color comp.

For the color comp I just scanned in my sketch, and multiplied the lines. Colored with some of my favorite photoshop brushes. I've tried to use painter, and I still try to from time to time, but it just feels so clunky.

Last step, posted here, is the beginning of my paint. About an hours worth of acrylics right there. But the hard part was the transfer. The whole shebang is on 24x36 inch masonite, gesso'd board. Which, so far has proven amazing in every way. Has a fine sandpaper like texture for the paint to adhere to. So I took that original sketch and just blew it up in photoshop to the size of the board. It helped that my original scan was in 400 dpi, and that I made the print out at 150 dpi. So it stayed relatively clean. 

Did I pay 40 bucks for a large print out at kinkos? Nope. Thanks to a feature I just discovered, and have never looked for before in adobe acrobat. I fed it the pdf, and in the print settings, sure enough, there was an option to print it in multiple sheets, so I could tape them together. It was a monetary miracle, that I have continuously over looked all this time. Then to transfer I smothered the pieces in graphite dust, and transfered just like normal.  Although if I was really smart, I would have used an opaque projector. Eh, this was easier, kinda, not really.