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Lessons from creating daily art – rushed work, works in progress, and really good digital artwork

I am going to use this post as a bit of the State of the Union of the Digital Art Ranch, lets call it State of the Ranch.  As one might have noticed posts have trailed off quite considerably since April-May.

I started in January with the goal of posting some sketch or painting or whatever every day for the whole year.  I kept strong for about 4 months then decided to change things up a bit and focus on some bigger projects.  Ultimately the artwork that went down in this time frame fell into 3 categories.

1 – Just terrible, rushed work.

2- Works in progress of digital artwork that I couldn’t get done in just one day

3- Really good digital art work that I am happy to share

 

So, lets get right to it and talk about it.

 

Just Terrible, Rushed art work

 

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sick

Yep, a lot I did was not so hot.  I never embarked on this thing to churn out amazing work every single day, but I found that I was going through the motions a lot of days and it actually made me feel worse about creating art than better.  Now, there is some value here since with art the mistakes are awesome learning points.  The more mistakes = the more you learn.  So there was definitely a value add in sticking with it.  Another thing I learned here was how intensive it can be to keep up daily posting schedule.  A lot of days it took me longer to format the post, share, comment, and all that inter-tube nonsense than it actually took making the art.  It was a giant time killer and I learned maybe a daily post schedule was not the way to do it.  I also found some more automated processes in order to free up some of that time.

Ultimately this sort of work is good to do, warm ups, daily sketches, whatever works but it might be a giant waste of time posting it online and dealing with that sort of deadline on what I consider studies.

 

Works in progress of digital artwork that I couldn’t get done in just one day

 

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Frankly, these were some of my favorite posts.  I had the same problem as above though, the time I spent writing, formatting, posting, all that sort of thing was time that I could have spent moving the project forward.  What I liked most about these though were the feedback on facebook and twitter – great suggestions and good support.  I learned that these types of posts are much more constructive than posting half-baked “finished” drawings.  I will continue to post more on these.

 

 

I will be posting more of this type of work going forward.  Its fun, I get to share the process, maybe some art students out there can see creation in the real world.  Also, people how follow me can just see how I get from point A to B as pure curiosity.

 

 

Really good digital art work I am happy to share

 

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So, this was the most fun.  Getting something done in one day, posting it, and my audience and me both feeling that it turned out great.  I can pick about 10 that fit this category and they all share one thing in common.  they took about 6-8 hours to create and definitely do not fit a post every day sort of deadline.  Sure, its great when it works out, but holding myself to this time commitment along with a new puppy, a nearly 5 year old daughter, and a wife to love and cherish just is not feasible long term.  I have a family to take care of.  I have a job during the day that I like, pays well, and I need to focus on doing well there until the well runs dry in my industry (more on that later).  I would be better off posting as works in progress and posting the final at the end of the week.

 

 

This is the ultimate goal gang, creating really awesome ART!  But, it takes time and making a daily deadline for really awesome artwork just is not the way to go.  I would rather post 4 really cool artworks in a month than 30 really crappy ones.

 

 

End Game, What Did I Learn and What is Next?

So, what did I learn from creating daily digital art?  Its really awesome.  Its really time consuming, and there is a productive way to do it, and an unproductive way to do it.  I am close to finalizing an action plan that both provides good, frequent posts and maximizes my time so I can continue to focus on new work.

Speaking of new work – I have a LOT of projects lined up right now that are truly exciting.  There are plenty of things to look forward to as we wind into the 2nd half of 2014.  I wont spill all of the beans here but some things going on

More Traditional Painting on Canvas – you know, custom art one can touch and feel.
More Works in Progress and a weekly final outcome of a finished digital art work created.
More Posts about the process, about what I am learning and what I can do to share that with others
Possibly opening up a Patreon campaign where you can fund my progress – its really cool guys I will share more later
Maybe, just maybe a weekly podcast sharing my insights, tips and tricks, art news, music news, all that sort of good stuff.

Thanks for reading/listening.  Onward and Upward!

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French Bulldog Dutch Master style painting – Lemmy with lute – CED 2014 episode 77

Today is day 77 or so of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

OK so the peanut is done… now back to something I have been working/thinking about this month.  Lemmy playing some music.  you might remember me kicking this off in episode 67 where I made my french bulldog dutch master painting fashioned after Vermeer.  Well I ended up not liking that pose so I am going with another dutch painter’s style and am working on Lemmy as a lute playing clown.  yeah.

After a few sketches, this is about as far as I am going to get tonight.  so, here is the Lemmy WIP as it stands at 10:43 CST.

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The idea here is to re visit a painting from somewhere in time – Circa 1623 to be exact – the reference painting is by Frans Hals, title “Clown With Lute”

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Peanut Drinking a Beer in Chaps is done – episode 75 create every day challenge 2014

Today is day 75 or so of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Im sticking a fork in Mr. Peanut drinking a beer in Chaps.  Next steps will be to incorporate into proper sizing and fonts and all that other fun stuff to complete the beer label.  Ile work on that tomorrow and post accordingly.  Sort of handled the daily art thing a bit differently this week… let me know if you like seeing the work in progress stuff instead of sketches and more “completed” drawings daily in comments.  Also, check out the progress on this chap, from the start sketches of peanut for beer label here to the developing beer drinking peanut here or to the initial sketch for the final peanut in chaps right here.  Or just scroll through the blog.  Ok thats it for the night.  I am going to go find some beer nuts and have myself a brew.

Peanut Drinking a Beer in Chaps

Peanut Drinking a Beer in Chaps

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peanut in chaps WIP yes, still work in progress CED 2014 episode 73

Today is day 73 or so of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Still working on old peanut in chaps … I really wanted to get done tonight but I am hitting an exhaustion wall so instead, you get a peek into the work in progress.  you saw the sketches, a few studies or whatever, and now you see what I would call most of the “block in” phase.  Ile try and wrap this one up tomorrow.

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peanut in chaps part 3 – character dev… CED 2014 episode 73

Today is day 72 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Still working on this peanut guy for a beer label to get closer to something I am happy with for a final layout.  I have a few more sketches ahead of me.  Backstory?  Peanut in chaps sketches here, and beer drinking peanut in chaps sketch 2 here.  Obviously none of these are finished… its a glimpse into my head and my “sketchbook” on how I come up with ideas.  A lot of folks think that is just BAM draw it once and done but my best things I do are always very well planned out and have a ton of research.  One thing I have learned… be careful with the google search “assless chaps” things go south real quick.  Also, Im pretty sure all chaps are assless.

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Peanut in Chaps… sketches for WIP beer label CED 2014 day 71

Today is day 71 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

So, tonight I share a bit more insight on what it takes to make a final drawing/painting/whatnot.  Mostly because I only had time for sketch ideas.  Working on a beer label – it involves peanuts.  and chaps.  Turns out its really hard to figure out how chaps fit on a peanut.  anyhow, here are a few sketches on something I am working on.  Ile post the final label when finished.  this is VERY rough for now, but its gets my ideas on paper… or pixels, or whatever.

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Frozen create every day 2014 day 69

Today is day 69 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Taking a break from the Lemmy the French Bulldog sketches for a bigger piece tonight and just sketching out a quick Elsa… since “Frozen” dropped this week and my daughter is ALL ABOUT IT.  just a quick one.

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Lemmy the French bulldog sketches studies part 1 day 68 – CED challenge 2014

Today is day 68 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Today I present a few sketches I have been working on for a bigger piece, see post 67 on joining a classic painting with something ridiculous where I plan to merge some dutch master vermeer painting with a modern twist.  Trying to slow down a bit and really study all aspects before I commit to a final composition.  Its challenging since I like to work fast, but as a professor from my art school days once told me – the best stuff you do is the stuff you plan extensively.  So the next few posts will be lots and lots of studies.  Il’e probably run another twitter contest, or portrait contest or monday twitter contest soon though, and you might be a runner up for the art contest – so don’t despair you wont have to look at sketches of dogs day after day after day.

So here you go, french bulldog sketches of yours truly, lemon juice.

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Lemon Juice – French Bulldog Sketches

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Day 67 Create every day challenge

Today is day 67 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Working on a few sketches for a pretty big endeavor – joining a classic painting with something rediculous… Like Lemmy at the virginette instead of lady….

just a quick study on this one.  Il’e be posting some more later.

Young Woman Seated at a Virginal.jpg

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lemmy sketch / study CED 014 day 66

Today is day 66 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

 

Another quick one tonight…   a sketch for study on a further painting.  hang with me, Ile have something more finished for you soon.

 

lemmy1

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Character sketch – Texas Bo and Lemon Juice – CED 2014 day 65 I think

Today is day 65 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Tonight Ive been thinking a lot about comics… maybe creating a story again.  More on that later.  But I thought I would maybe expand on an earlier idea from this week and revive an old feller I used to draw into comics all the time.  Just a quick sketch study type thing to put whats in my head into visual form for now.

So here it is, Texas Bo and Lemon Juice…

LJandTB

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Rusty’s Ring Dunk – Aggieland – CED 2014 day 64 ish

Today is day 64 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

My cousin Rusty is going to graduate Texas A&M eventually – and its getting closer and closer!  In April he dunks his ring – and we will all be there.  He asked me to do a flyer for him – so here it is.

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Tattoo Idea – CED challenge 2014 day 62

Today is day 62 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

My brother in law gave me this idea, for a possible tattoo.  I took his concept and ran with it, so here it is.

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The Future of Rock and Roll Sketch – CED 2014 Day 61tch

Today is day 61 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Whenever I feel un-inspired I look to my little girl and instantly feel more, get more, and energize more.  We stayed up late tonight singing… I didn’t scold her for being up too late, we just sang.  She loves the “let it go” song from frozen so she taught me the words to it and I worked on teaching her the pitch and the notes.  This really should have been recorded it was classic.  But it was not.

Listen, the future of rock and roll is up to us.  Anyone with kiddos needs to nurture the just basic inherent love of music these kids have.  I could go on a long diatribe about this but I wont.  Instead here you go a quick little watercolor like sketch of a little dude deep in music.

futureofrockandrollCED2104-61

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Sean – twitter monday contest winner – CED 2014 day 60

Today is day 59 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Its become rather customary for me to throw a contest out on twitter Mondays – today was no different.  Sean C wins at random so here is his mug.

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end of winter? – CED 2014 day 59

Today is day 59 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Tonight… I seriously need more subjects.  I dont think y’all need to see my mug this much.  Ile run a contest on Monday… so I dont have to draw myself when I dont have anything better to do.

so for tonight, here you are a sketch…end of winter…me.

 

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Juice (lemon juice) – CED 2014 day 58

Today is day 58 of the create every day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

Along the lines of day 56… Here is Lemon Juice – Richardson Original.  Juice.

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February in Michigan, Snow Plows and what not – CED 2014 day 57

Today is day 57 of the create every (now almost) day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

My old man was shoveling snow in his driveway up in Michigan last week, and he gets pummeled by the snowplow coming by.  He has enough time to turn his back to it but man, that must have been a sight!  So, here it is in sort of comic form.

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pummeled!

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Dogs of Anarchy

Today is day 56 I think… of the create every (now almost) day challenge 2014.  Where I draw, or paint or digitally paint or do some sort of digital painting or what not every week day of the year.

So in my last post I explained what has had me offline for 3 days.  Tonight, I worked up an illustration inspired by a friend of mine who calls Lemon Juice – “Juice”.   yeah that guy.  So I got to thinking, Juice might need a leather vest some day, and he might need a patch on the back.  So when he does, because oh yes, he will… Here it is.  Dogs of Anarchy style.

Dogs of Anarchy leather vest

Dogs of Anarcy

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frenchie sketch – create every day challenge 2014

Today is day 52, of the create every day (CED) challenge 2014 – where I draw or paint or create something and post it every day of the year.

Contemplating an addition to the family this weekend, French Bulldog Style… so quick sketch tonight of a lil cool frenchie.CED2014-52