Mandibles: A Sketch Blog

BEAUJOLAIS GIRL on Etsy!

2009-09-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello!

For those of you who were not at San Diego Comic Con to buy a copy of my book or would like to order more, I've listed the remaining books on Etsy.com here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30764006

Thanks to everyone who did buy my book! I look forward to painting more stuff for another art book in the future. Maybe sushi?

Yay! My book came in!

2009-07-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hee hee, sneak preview....

So, here's my box full of the Beaujolais Girl books I printed up. 36 pages, full color. I am soooooo excited about comic con! So, f you're out in San Diego July 23rd-28th stop by the exhibitor booth D05.

Yay! I can't wait!

Monsters!

2009-07-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

For something extra at the comic con I'm going to try to sell some postcards of monster watercolors. These were fun to create and only took me an hour or so.

gearing up for comic con 2009!!!!

2009-07-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of the book I'm producing for the San Diego Comic Con this year. I can't wait! For a while I've been observing my friends and work collegues put together their awesome books, so I decided that this year I should sell one too.

"Beaujolais Girl" refers to my penchant for Beaujolais-Villages, a great mild red wine. Most of my book is composed of drawings and watercolors I did in the past that are on this blog, but there are a few new ones too.

new sketches

2009-05-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while. Here are some new little sketches.

bok choy girl

2008-08-01T13:25:00.001-07:00

More chinese cooking girls

2008-07-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here is my lychee girl from my sketchbook and bok choy girl who I will paint in watercolor and in photoshop.

Also my steamed bun girl who Min calls "Miss Bao." I really wanted to make her plump and delicatable like a chinese steamed bun. She turned out looking more like a peach, which I will have to design later.

Green Onion Girl

2008-07-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Thinking of series of designs of girls. Theme: Chinese cooking ingredients. There is a sketch for a bao (steamed bun) girl and a bok choy and green onion girl. These will be watercolored of course.

Restaurant sketch

2008-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Oh me? Just doodling a fish on the table. Pass the bread please.

Painting Progress

2008-07-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I got about 4 hours of spontanious creative juciness in my system and created some colorful additions to my nature series. Here is my workspace.

meeting sketch

2008-07-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

Another meeting sketch. Don't know why this guy came in mind when drawing. Maybe he looks how I felt that day. Very R. Crumb I think.

Evil Art Experiments

2008-06-30T14:27:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my new art project.

I'm experimenting with some new art techniques. I found some pretty creepy photos of old toys that my co-worker took and decided to make an equaly creepy art project out of them. First, I printing the pictures out on 4x6 photo paper. I then went to Home depot and cut some wood down to approximently 4x6 blocks. I got about 30 blocks for only 3 dollars! I then bought some wax to pour over the images. I should not have bought soy was however because the consistancy was really oily and melts at the touch. Anyway, my plan was to cover these images on the blocks of wood with the wax for a smokey look. Well, the wax was a little too opaque for my taste, so I scraped some off and made more of distressed look. It didn't come out too bad, but now I wanted to seal it in some kind of varnish to protect the wax from melting any more.

I varnished it.

It ate through the wax.

The colors ran.

Boo.

Well, all was not lost. It was an experiment after all. Actually it looks more distressed and creepier than I intended, but it still works. I definatly like the colors.

Dirty Bird

2008-06-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Some little Starling I rescued a couple of weeks ago. He was hand fed for a while. I loved his gaping maw! He looked like he had a clown mouth.

Lizards

2008-06-10T08:53:00.000-07:00

Something random today. Green anole lizards are cute, especially when they bounce up and down and inflate their gross neck sacks. I can imagine the tiny sounds being made as "gyuu, gyuu" I guess that's sexy to a lizard.

Red Forrest

2008-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Something interesting today. Kinda zombified. I'm thinking of making bigger watercolor paintings like this.

Deer

2008-05-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Another landscape watercolor study

Painting by nature

2008-05-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

I've recently been thinking more seriously about my exhibition at the end of this summer, but an exhibition needs a name, right? The theme is "nature", and of course all of my work will be inspired by the natural world. So I've come up with "Painting By Nature." It's catchy and kind of a play on words. I've also been thinking of donating some of the profits to The Nature Conservancy so they can protect what inspires me a great deal. More details to come when I've picked a date.

more painting ideas

2008-05-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

These were going to be more about woods. I have no patience when it comes to details in acrylic or oil paintings. Watercolor paintings I can get detailed with, it's a little more calming to paint details with a tiny watercolor brush. Very zen. However, I like to be bold when painting bigger and in a thicker medium, like acrylic. I'll choose one medium over another depending on my mood I guess. I really need to paint larger to loosen me up.

Bird series

2008-05-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Some ideas combining watercolor and acrilic.

Recently I've been getting this idea to have an informal exhibition of my work at the end of the summer. So, I've been coming up with some ideas for a painting series. I'm trying to find a theme, like birds, or the woods, something to do with nature because it's so close to my heart. Since I grew up with my dad teaching everything he knew about wildlife, especially birds and of course walking in the woods, I want to recapture those feelings. Maybe I'm yearning for more nature in my life because I've been living in Chicago. There is nature here, but it's still tamed, fenced off or resticted. Some of my paintings will capture that feeling of watching nature from far way, like driving in a car and watching a grove of trees go by slowly in the distance. They will be landscapes, but a little different, more isolated I think.

Here are a couple of sample sketches of ideas for some of my paintings. I will have to get back into oils again.

Oh My God, Gordon Ramsay!

2008-04-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Me and Chef Gordon. He told me "Have a good day, Love. Kisses!"

While in line I sketched a few people that captured my interest in my awesome leather-bound journal.

Costume Idea

2008-03-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

I've always liked Poison Ivy from Batman. Maybe because green is my favorite color, but she stands out as a pretty cool villan to me. So, I've come up with an asian-inspired sketch of Poison Ivy as maybe a costume idea for the San Diego Comic Con this year. I'm also thinking about selling some more one-of-a-kind monster paintings.

Meeting doodle

2008-03-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Another dooddle while in a meeting. She looks annoyed..... annoyed white trash.

Monsters!

2008-03-11T15:35:00.001-07:00

For a little cash while I was in Japan, I painted up some mini 10x10 canvases of monsters to sell at Wonder Festival. I had a little space for my display and everything. Eventually, at the end of the show, one guy in a Chuck Yeager flightsuit bought them all. Even the sign I made! Here are some photos of the paintings and the big sell.

OH MY GOD! Super Happy Fun Japan Travel Time!

2008-02-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all I'm going to Japan! Umm....very soon.........February 20th! So, I'm trying to get some extra cash for my trip. I'm selling some handcrafted jewelry on Etsy.com here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5599146

Pictured are some of what I'm selling. Take a look! And please help a poor helpless soul buy herself some robots, transiter radios, and godzillas in the awesome land of the rising sun!

I'll be posting more jewelry, painting and crafts soon, so keep going back to the Etsy store to see what cool new things I've made.

Sayonara!

the Venetian in Las Vegas

2007-08-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Started sketching at The Venetian while having a glass of zin.

Vegas trip

2007-08-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Some sketches of the incredible red rocks I hiked around in Nevada last week.

new sketches

2007-07-31T09:15:00.001-07:00

I will be selling artwork at the comic con next year for sure!

james' burp

2007-04-17T16:37:00.002-07:00

My friend James has the awesomest burps. This is usually how it is.

mermaid encore

2007-04-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

new sketches

2007-04-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Bird card

2007-03-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

A birthday card made for Darlena.

Studio

2007-02-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

My little studio. I've been painting a lot recently and this is where I mostly do it. A cozy little alcove where I can paint and look out the window. Lately I've been doing landscapes. I'll post some recent ones I did later.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and happy holidays y'all! This is my bad kitty Hexzie. I recently bought a real christmas tree and he loves to climb all over it and break my ornaments. Every now and then when I watch t.v. I hear "tink, tink, tink, crash!"
The first is a pen sketch, then I copied it to watercolor paper and painted it.

Sea Hat

2006-12-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick sea-hat sketch I did today. It's a sea fan.

Food watercolors

2006-12-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some tiny food watercolors that I'm turning into buttons. Website so you can order your own food buttons coming soon!

mermaid 2

2006-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry, it's been a while!
Here's a mermaid watercolor. I'll be doing more watercolors on this blog.

skeleton love

2006-08-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

Kevin Barber persuaded me to repost this watercolor I did last halloween.

si.

2006-08-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Enough said, really.

Mergirl draft one

2006-07-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Random mermaid-ness. Just practicing painting and colors. Maybe I'll make it more polished, but I like the sketchy look.

ugly guys

2006-04-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some ugly nose guy doodles.

daydream

2006-04-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Barbequed Park

2006-04-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, KURT!
This is a tribute to my friend who insisted I make a barbequed park hat. No, I am not spelling it wrong, that's just how we have to say it......from now on...for some reason, I forgot. Anyway, I am starting to make little acrylic paintings of food hats now. Any requests to see a favorite food represented in hat form?

'Sgetti Hat

2006-03-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

As most of you are aware, I love to draw food. Here is an addition to my hat series. Enjoy. Man.......I will SO have spagetti tonight.....mmmm...with merlot marinara sauce with garlic but not bell peppers....mmmm.

Bleh

2006-03-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

This is how I felt today.

Fangly Fish meets Mermaid....

2006-03-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

.....Then eats mermaid. Started as a doodle for Ian, then it manifested itself into a fangly digital painting.
Yes. She's got boobies.

Shiny Buttcheeks

2006-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

I name thee, quick little digital painting,......."Sir Shiny Buttcheeks" Because that is what thou ist.
So I've been trying to paint more with my new wacom tablet. Also, I think my color theory is getting better on the computer. Working with colors that are illuminated rather than reflect or absorb light can be difficult. Drawing bums in photoshop is good practice.
Enjoy the buttcheeks.

'Tis some fine beer

2006-03-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

Damn, I just feel like being a pirate today. Arrr to ye.

lava lava

2006-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Mike got me lava lamp for my birthday. So I sketched this for him.

Tasty dry-erase

2006-02-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Yo.
I like drawing food. I don't know why. Maybe it's all the different combinations and details that go in different dishes. Dry-erase board markers come in limited colors, so it's a challenge to create a particular food from a limited pallet......of colors...not tastes....was that a pun? This is Kevin's board that I fill up with food drawings instead of work-related things. Delicious.

Animal sketches

2006-02-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some animal sketches I did a while back that I like. The koala is my favorite! I always like sketching in pen becuase it glides a lot better than pencil. Watercolor is also great for doing sketches like this becuase it gives it a little extra energy to the drawing. Most of my life drawing are in watercolor actually.
Oh that lazy koala.

Sushi Lovin'

2006-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

To all sushi lovers out there, or if you don't like sushi then to all lovers in general, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

P.S. I got new markers, can you tell?

pirates

2006-02-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Arr, 'tis some unsavory sea folk!

Nice Ivy

2006-02-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

So I found these old markers lying around the studio and decided to color this sketch with them. I should really buy a professional set. Any suggestions? I'm thinking of getting a prismacolor set. Anyway, this is a drawing of Poison Ivy if she were a good girl. Enjoy.

Angel guy

2006-01-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

This guy looks like he's thinking "How the hell did I get here?"

stylish ghost

2006-01-31T15:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some more wierd sketches I did today

2006-01-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2006-01-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

On the Chinese calendar, it's the year of the dog. I'm a monkey though.

Deep-Sea Fish Hats

2006-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

A while back I got some awesome books about deep sea creatures and thought it would be funny if the fashion world were to be inspired by deep sea hats. Here are some examples.

Now for the sketches

2006-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

So the previous post had nothing to do with drawing says you. Indeed that's true. I just needed a test picture and it happened to be Kirk.
So anyway, I'll be posting some of my older sketches and assorted sundries. Most of them will be in watercolor, my medium of choice.
Well, enjoy.
Thanks to Kevin Barber for helping set this up!

yes.

2006-01-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

I'm heeeeeeeeere!!!!