Page 19, or is it 18? I've lost track!

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I got off work at 5 pm today and had some time to work on this page. It seems that I’ve been so concerned with other things so long that I’ve forgotten what page I’m working on.

What I did: I changed the perspective on the moai so that it would look more massive. I used a stock concept art brush to paint the foliage. I like the effect, but I’m going to blur it a little and throw in some noise so that it doesn’t look so digital. And I’ll be working on the kids — now their perspective doesn’t look right. Over all I’m happy that I had a little extra time today.

Alfresco Art Club, May 31, 2020: It's About Your Perspective

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Today’s art club challenge was to do exercises to improve a problematic technique. This challenge is intended to get us out of our comfortable groove. I decided to sketch a walking figure using a bird’s eye perspective.

Lately I’ve had to confront my lack of perspective drawing skills as I try to draw a downward perspective of a character walking in front of his friends as he guides them into the jungle. So far I haven’t got it right.

Today I began confidently by drawing from imagination. My drawing looked awkward, so I and finished by drawing from a reference photo. I definitely should have started by drawing from reference.

Learning how to draw perspective

Learning how to draw perspective

Chore Day, March 28 -- Shopping Laundry, and Whacking Weeds

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Somewhere hidden in those squiggles there must be a perfect hand.

After putting off yard chores for a month of rainy weekends, I got out of the house and whacked the weeds. With the conifers carpeting the yard with their herbicidal needles, nothing grows here…except the weeds. When it rains, they make the most of their glimpse of sunshine and grow like crazy. That’s when I start whacking. I love whacking.

After the whacking I did the laundry. It’s relaxing. That’s when I just sit in the basement with the piles of clothes, blankets, towels, and fleece jackets and relax. Between loads I do the things I don’t do during the week — I catch up on videos about making digital paint brushes (my latest obsession), vegan cooking, building PCs, and traveling to Japan..

After all that excitement, I’m ready to watch The Two Towers, part two of The Lord of the Rings. I have the extended edition of Lord of the Rings, which I’ve watched at least 20 times over the last 10 years. When times are tough, and big changes are happening, The Lord of the Rings helps me to put things in perspective.