I LOVE my Boobs- part deux

Confused? Read "I LOVE MY BOOBS PT 1" first! 
I have been thinking about it for a long time now, and I have finally decided to iron out my boobs. Yes.. It has to be done. It will be the finishing touch on a long obsession with one of my most favorite artworks of all time. They've been with me for a very long while but I figured it was time to close an old chapter of my life and start a new one. They really didn't suit me in college, anyways.  Wanting to see pictures of my "ironed out boobs?" Here ya go...

A PERFECT PAIR OF BOOBIES...

Hmm, not what you were expecting? Don't get mad at me, nature made them that way.
These are blue footed boobs. They're seabirds that live on the Galapagos islands. As the legend is told (Aka Wikipedia), they were named by the Spanish word Bobo, which means "stupid or foolish."  Boobs are also known for their unusual mating dance, which involves a march-like ritual where both boobs literally show off how blue their feet are.

They are the weirdest seabirds ever, and I'm fascinated with them. To me, they represent not only fertility but our ridiculous pursuit of love that we all partake in,  a dance of desperation and hope that someone will finally notice our colors. (Ok, and also I read Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut and if you havent read it yet you need to!) To this day I will even admit that the blue footed booby is my "spirit animal." Something about this unusual creature inspires me to no end.

So anyways, way back in 2007 and 2008, I went through a phase where I became obsessed with this animal. I drew it very often, making it the subject of many study sketches and even a few projects, including a major painting:

"Boobs in Love" Acyrlics

As stated earlier, I was heavily influenced by Kurt Vonnegut's book Galapagos. Especially this poem he wrote in the book, which I will share with you as I show some of my blue footed booby sketches:

“Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid.
Who will say exactly
What its parents did;
"Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid.
Who will say exactly
What its parents did;
ts parents did;
"Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid.
Who will say exactly
What its parents did; 
'Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid.
Who will say exactly
What its parents did;
'Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid
Who will say exactly
What its parents did;
'Of course I love you,
So let's have a kid 
Who will say exactly  
What its parents did -'"   
Ect...

This sketch also includes the endless poem. It really left an impact on me as I worked on my boob projects.

Aside from the poem, the sketches and painting I did inspired me to push my series farther. As the concept sketch on the right implies, my original idea was to do a pillow companion piece for my painting. However,  I quickly realized that my fabric companion piece would be unique enough to stand on its own.
When I first began working on it, I knew very little about fiber arts, especially sewing techniques and applique. I didn't even know what applique was. In my frustration, I began haphazardly sewing without any rhyme or reason. 

The idea transformed from a companion pillow to a piece that allowed me to work with "no rules," just my pure artistic instincts. This method of reckless creation is very liberating, and I suggest you try it. Too often do artists get caught up in the little details of their artwork, consumed by the pursuit of lucidity and perfection. Not every art piece you do has to be "by the book." Sometimes, instead of following the so-called rules of your craft, your work can be created by just doing what feels natural. Just let go, and enjoy the process. It's not about how nice it looks, but how it was created.

I believe that it was this idea of lawless creation that propelled me to work on my Boobs for so long. I worked on them for about 3 years, most of my time in high school. By my senior year my peers knew very well how much I loved my project. Some friends even gave me the (somewhat unflattering) nickname "Boobs" because of this! I'm going to believe that's why they called me that, at least. 
The most incredible thing to me was how open minded my teachers were about the whole thing. In a world post Columbine, public schools state their Zero Tolerance policies for any items that could be misconstrued as weapons, including anything from guns to butter knives. Apparently, large sewing needles didn't count in this category. 

How I transported my boobs- I simply rolled them up.

In my years of school I had never once been confronted by a school official about my somewhat dangerous tool. Not only that, but I was never even told to put my boobs away. Sometimes I would sew my little project literally all day, through note taking, lectures and presentations. I imagine they were just happy I was alert and paying attention, and wasn't sleeping on my desk like the rest of the kids. 

My Boobs also served as intense therapy for me when I was stressed. It got me through my first nasty breakup, which was a very painful time in my life. I dare say that my boobs helped save my life. It was something I could do to occupy my time instead of dwelling over bad thoughts. In fact, studies have shown that sewing actually lowers your blood pressure and improves your mood. I didn't know this at the time, I just knew it felt good to do something so repetitive, and the results were very rewarding. 

The sewing was done mostly in regular black thread. Some parts, like the outlines, have been sewn so intensely that the needle will no longer penetrate the fabric. Other parts have been textured by the string. The negative space in the leafy moss details, for example,  has been completely covered in black thread, leaving the leaves puckered and raised 3 dimensionally.

 The wings and back have also been heavily sewn in to. On these parts I used browns and grays, trying to keep true to the Blue Footed Booby design. Many of the fabrics I used were recycled scraps. I even used a piece of a white waffle knit thermal t-shirt, as you can see on the boobs' chests. To my amazement, these fabrics still remain pristine white, even after countless fingers and hands have felt its texture.




However, to truly enjoy my Boobs you just have to see the back of this piece. Behind the scenes, so to speak, reveals the chaos of my method of sewing:

The white stuff is from a gluestick. To keep the threads tight, I glued them down instead of knotting.

Eventually, as my sewing skills improved, I didn't have to glue my threads down anymore. They just stayed where they were put.

This piece has got me through thick and thin, and although I am sad to see it be finished, I truly think it's time to move on now. As you can see, there isn't much left for me to sew anyways unless I was to go for covering the entire work with thread. In conclusion, I encourage you to start your own blue footed boob project. Start a project where there is no deadline to finish. Put it down for a few months and pick it up again. Throw caution to the wind and create something reckless. Run off of emotion, not perfection.  Try a medium you aren't familiar with, and go off of instinct instead of specific directions on how to use that medium. Trust your artistic eye. You may discover something new, and most likely it will be about yourself. And remember, art doesn't have any rules.

The Importance of a Sketchbook

I think sketchbooks are so fascinating. Honestly I enjoy them more than refined, finished artwork. I love finding artists that use sketchbooks, the pages always tell a very personal story about that individual's life. Flipping through these books will reveal old ideas, lists, project outlines, and personal notes... they serve as a autobiographical snapshot of the artist's life. Alas, more often I find that many artists own a sketchbook, but never use it. They're always either barely touched or have a million torn out papers and scribbled out drawings.

I've finished 9 sketchbooks since 2004, (red) one in progress!

It's truly a shame, because I have found great value in using a sketchbook. I have actively been keeping one since I was in middle school, when I discovered I needed to put all my doodles and thoughts into one place instead of crumpled notebook paper. Looking back now, I already am thankful for keeping up with it for so long. I simply wouldn't be able to function as an artist without it! I use it to flesh out project ideas, for references, practicing, and often to cure boredom. Believe it or not I've used it as a social crutch... working on a radical drawing in your book is a great conversation starter. Your sketchbook can even make you money- I have earned several commissions just because of the diligent work taken from its pages.

The back of my first official sketchbook named Pinkerton.

I, of course, take everything to the extreme and really went crazy with my sketchbooks. They're awesome to look back on now because I did a lot of cool drawings/sketches through the time I've had them. I also name and decorate all my sketchbooks, by the way, it's just part of my "ritual."  The names are mostly random, but I secretly like to believe that the books choose their own names. Weirdly enough, many of them actually reflect how I was actually feeling in real life at the time.

Here is some of the random work from my 9 sketchbooks. I love seeing how I've grown and what kind of stuff I was doing at the time.

For AP Studio Art class I had to do some stupid sketchbook assignments. Here's an over zealous self portrait!

Ooo I was such a bad kid. I drew this in after school detention.

 The frog is retelling a tale from its childhood.

A class assignment requiring me to talk about my idols and art shows I've been to. I had to do SHT!

My mind is organized. Two of my favorite geeks on the same page.

I was very proud.

This is close to how I looked my freshman year, minus the fruit.

One of the few sketchbooks with a torn out page in it. Didn't happen often!

  Oh, I forgot to mention my massive sticker collection I keep in the fronts and backs of all my sketchbook. It's probably more impressive than my artwork! I collect tons of them.. But that's a whole other story for another time. Here's a little taste of what I have in store for a future post.. Check out my stickers!

If you aren't keeping a sketchbook yet, I hope you will find inspiration to start one soon. It's never to late to start. It's an outlet for your thoughts, but it also serves as a milestone in your artistic development. To be really artsy fartsy about it, it shows how far you've come and how far you still have to go.
One last thing I think people should remember about sketchbooks is that they are perfect because they are imperfect. Our imperfections as people are what make as fascinating, and simply trying to hide that part of us by having a pristine sketchbooks with no mistakes or "only good drawings" seems pointless to me. Someone once told me to never scribble out your drawings, because you may change your mind about it later and discover it was a good idea after all. I tried to follow that idea with my sketchbooks, and it's paid off for me many times.

Also, if you're interested in more of my sketchbook stuff, check out this post for my life drawing series.

Genitalia face

An unusual abstract watercolor that has additional naughty hidden images inside it..

This oddball picture was an experiment in style during a sketchy part of my life. (I'm pretty sure I was having a mental break down at the time.) I did a series of these abstracts, all of them quickly scrawled out and fit together like puzzle pieces. This, however, is still my favorite of the series. I feel it has the most, erm, personality.

I like to consider my blog PG, but this is kind of pushing it a little bit. Luckily, you can't see all the "sordid bits" unless you have a perverted mind. So speaking of which, can you spot what's off about this image? How many crude representations of human genitalia can you find hidden in this evil picture?

Prints are available:

$10.00

My favorite online games (with great art communities)

As you know, I love anything to do with art, especially the community surrounding it. One of the main sources I've used to interact with other like minded individuals over the years has been online gaming and playing free MMORPGs. There have been a few that really stuck with me, and I found many close friends and good experiences through these sites. The following MMORPG / MMOSG games are completely free to use and they have a great emphasis on art, either through direct game play or a dedicated flock of talented fan artists. They all come highly recommended if you're searching for huge online communities of artsy fartsy free spirit types. Plus, these games are just fun to play!

Transformice

Transformice is a great up and coming online multiplayer game where you play as a mouse trying to get cheese to the hole first. Seems simple, but its a lot trickier than you think! I consider this an artsy fartsy game because the concept is certainly offbeat. You have to build hilariously unstable bridges, use crazy mouse-made contraptions, and you get to dress up your mouse sprite in a ridiculous outfits, too. Because of its quirkiness, it seems to attract the artistic minds like a magnet. The game is only a little more than a year old and already has several servers in different languages and tens of thousands 5.5 million players. I truly believe this game is going to really blow up soon, if you know what I mean. It already has a  great following and a growing collection of charming fan art done by professional and amateur alike.

The game's community is colorful, to say the least. It's an eclectic mix of kids and young adults, sprinkled with a ton of good ol' fashioned mousey profanity. Besides frequent updates, they also do great holiday events giving you the opportunity to get exclusive items and play mini games for limited amounts of time. These events often lead to exciting game-wide pandemonium including random snowball fights, flying on broomsticks and being shot by cupid mice.
Status: Free to play as much as you want.

Furcadia

When this game is downloaded to your desktop (dont worry, its light weight) it unleashes a hugely detailed, beautiful fantasy 2D world to your fingertips. It's like you're transported to a massive and complex city of anthropomorphic creatures including weirdly interesting horses, cats, dragons and even odd ferret things. They have self proclaimed themselves as the oldest "MMO" (mass multiplayer online) and they have a very established and active community to prove it.
The game emphasizes user built content called "Dreams" where you can design your own fancy levels complete with downloadable patches and their own "Dragonspeak" code to enchance your maps even more. I remember seeing some very clever creations back when I played.. people can get so complex with Dreams that they can design extremely creative functioning mini games (bomberman! texas chainsaw!) and wonderfully scenic works of art, including customized sprite making. For the most part, the community here is extremely nice and supportive. These guys are also very into text based roleplaying, which is great if you're a writer looking to conjure up inspiration or maybe just into that kind of nerdy stuff ;)
Status: Free to play as much as you want. Fancy (and tempting) add-ons that cost extra.
 

Groupboard

Groupboard isn't really a game, but more of a online whiteboard that people can draw on simultaneously. It's very similar to paintchat, but it's less demanding on your computer and doesn't have as many "special effects." It strips you down to bare necessities, and sometimes it's impressive to see what kind of work artists can do without any fancy tools. The groupboard community used to be a lot more active, but lately it seems to be an obscure treat that is fun to play around with every now and then. There are dedicated groupboard sites out there with talented graphic artists, but it would take some work to find them. If you do happen to find a secluded group, you'll really be in for a pleasant surprise. I've forged quite a few friends through groupboards, including Natasha and Courtney who I also mentioned in this blog.

Groupboard is now dominated mainly by the Graffiti artist crowd. There are tons of websites with groupboards dedicated to writing graffiti. These guys are serious artists, it's really cool quickly watching them scrawl out their geometrically complex tags...just check it out for yourself. The link goes to a list of currently active groupboards, which is probably the best way to utilize this game.

Status: Free to play as much as you want. Free to have your own tiny groupboard, or you can buy a larger one, but you need a site to host it on either way. @Groupboard says: "The free groupboard is now large, and you don't really need a website (we give you a link)" That sounds like a great improvement! I had a Geocities site specifically for my groupboard :P

Isketch

Isketch is similar to groupboard, but it's a more structured game and people take turns drawing. It's basically Pictionary online, but it's easy to get addicted!  The game is available in 20 different languages and tons of different game categories and difficulties. They also have non-game rooms where users can take turns freestyle drawing on the canvas and just casually chat with other members. Honestly, I used the standalone chat rooms just as much as I played the actual game! If you have a tablet and you're looking to practice your object sketching skills, this is the place to do it. Not only will you have to speed sketch, but you get instant feedback from the other players on if your drawings or coherent or not. The free drawing rooms also have a pretty cool group of regular artists that love showing off their skills. They worship the most talented users.
The community is kind of the crazy, I'm not going to lie. It's nearly impossible to get banned from this game as there is very few administrators, leaving this game to be truly one of the "wild wests" of the internet. However, there is a voting system, and if you cheat on the game the room will not hesitate to strike you down! If you can withstand a little bit of the "crude and rude," this place can really grow on you.
 Status: Free to play as much as you want.

Wolfhome

Wolfhome is as old as Furcadia, and probably has just as many furres, too. This place is great if you love drawing wolves and felines. You are in a graphical chat with a changable avatar of an animal, either a wolf, fox, dingo, bat, tiger or other creatures.. I don't know all of them for sure because when I went to this chat only wolves were allowed!

Over the years its been insanely popular at points and almost dropped off into obscurity at other times, but its resilience shows that there is a solid core community that won't abandon this place. The most exciting thing about this game is it's "customizable poses," or the avatars that represent you during chat. You can submit your own poses or commission other artists to draw one for you. I think this is probably one of the few places out there that's still buying works of art! If you're talented, you can definitely make a little bit of cash here. Or, maybe just enough to support your "Wolfhome Habit." Like Furcadia, Wolfhome is really dedicated and helpful to new comers, and has a huge supply of very talented individuals driving the community. Some of the co founders, Goldenwolf and Kyoht, are incredible artists. I will admit I spent hours drooling over their fantastic art sites, just amazed by their sheer amount of talent and dedication. 

Because of the huge expense it is to run this site, it has become more subscription based than it was in the past. This game is completely free to use and chat on, but you have limited rooms you can go to and you can't have any customized poses. To pay for Wolfhome is very easy and cheap, however, as you're able to buy "Delta Credits" and spend literally a few cents a day to play. Just try it out for free first, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this artsty fartsy community.
Also, apparently they've started a "cats only" Wolfhome, called Cats Paw Island. Be a pioneer and try it for yourself, I have no idea what it's like.
Status: Free to play as much as you want but subscribers get many more desirable features.

 EDIT: 

A new game has emerged. Introducing.. Paint Acquaint!  

Recently I got an e-mail from Tim Nuwin that said this:
"I was wondering if you could promote this drawing website I made. It's kind of like chatroulette or omegle in the sense it pairs up people 1-on-1 to draw with but there's no camera or chat. 
I made the site originally to kill time during lecture. It kinda stinks cause there isn't too much activity on the site yet :("

Paint Acquaint in action.

Well, sir, I for one think you have a really cool idea. To me it comes across as a mix of Chatroulette and Groupboard. I checked it out and this idea really has potential, and enough people using it to enjoy it from time to time. I'm really excited to see how it ends up... good luck Paint Acquaint!
Status: Free to play... give it a try.

Well there you have it folks, my guilty pleasures all listed out for you. These sites are established underground art communities that have continued to thrive for years, even after I myself grew out of them. I can honestly admit I've wasted hundreds of hours playing these online games and pushing my artsitic skills to the outer limits because of them. I wouldn't be the artist I am today without being motivated by such unusual means. Definitely let me know what you think of them if you try one out, or tell me about some other free artsy fartsy MMORPGs! I'm always on the look out for a new internet addiction...

All Smiles

This is a still life I did in colored pencils. Yes, I have skulls just randomly lying around!

This is a relatively small artwork with a huge amount of detail. It's a still life done on a textured piece of black matte board. I wanted show off my technical skills with colors and shading in colored pencils in this piece. The plaid was a real pain.. I didn't realize exactly what all went into that busy plaid pattern until I had to recreate it! Even so, I had a lot of fun doing it and it reflects in the quality of this piece.
 

If you're interested in buying the original, contact me for a negotiation of price.
Prints are also available here..  

$10.00

Advice on surviving the AP Studio Art portfolio

School's back in session, so I have decided to give a little bit of advice on those of you taking "advanced" high school art class!

My senior year of high school I took Advanced Placement Studio Art. Some of you will know what I'm talking about, many art students across the nation challenge themselves to take this taxing year long class. Basically taking the class in school guides you through creating a 3 part portfolio (breadth, concentration and 5 pieces you mail in) for the College Board.

The college board, as much as I can gather, is this shadowy league of "professional art educators" that anonymously (and somewhat harshly) judge your work and decide your fate of passing the class by giving you an AP grade of a 1, 2, 3, 4 or (rarely) 5. The guidelines for their portfolio seems skimpy at best. They never directly tell you what they want to see, besides lengthy lists describing design terms and art principles.

Since I'm a perfectionist, I tried to go "all out" when it came to my portfolio. I wanted the highest score I could get. I also didn't want to fail, since passing the class meant also getting a "credit for college." And I'm all about free college credits.

The problem was, I completely over thought the assignment and stressed myself out to insane means. I feel sorry for my classmates, I was a mess most of the time and always behind on my projects. I didn't know the things that I know now, and I really wish I did. It would've saved me a LOT of frustration, and I may have gotten a better score! For the record, I got a 3 on the 2D Design portfolio, which apparently is "a portfolio of moderate quality" and is at least a passing grade.

Fortunately for you, I can share things I've learned since completing this course and sort through all the "hubbub" surrounding this program. And also, for your viewing pleasure, the following images are sampled from my actual AP portfolio:

If only I had more time..

 Don't kill yourself trying to get "x amount" of pieces done.

This is what I did, so don't make my mistake! I was given the impression that you needed at least 10 or 11 pieces to have a strong concentration. In reality, that's probably the MAX you should be doing. It seems that the "shadowy league of college board judges" are looking for quality not quantity. Instead of rushing through 10 sketchy artworks, take the time and get a strong core of 6 to 8 good pieces. They want to see your concept, not how many artworks you can poop out in a 18 week period.

The college credit you receive isn't as fancy as you think.

 Like with all AP classes, it's true that you'll get a college credit for passing this class. This is useful, don't get me wrong. But it isn't that big of a deal if you end up not getting it. Most of the time, it's an entry level art class credit, and like in my case it didn't even count towards the major I was perusing. So basically it just took away one of my electives which I could've used on a cool and fun class.

Don't confuse what they mean by Breadth.
Here is a quote taken from the AP Studio Art Student Performance Q&A for 2010:

My take on the design issue "emphasis"

"Similar to previous years, some students did not fully engage with a sufficient range of
design issues...often students did not display breadth in design issues. Instead they sometimes showed many different works, or works in a variety of media... a broad range of design issues is one of the main requirements of this section of the portfolio."
 When you're choosing your breadth pieces, keep in mind that they don't care what kind of media you're using. It's not about showing off your variety as an artist by demonstrating your painting skills and your drawing skills. They want to know how much you know about the theory of design. In reality, you could do your breadth in all the same media, as long as the work illustrates a variety of "design issues" (aka emphasis, line, texture, unity, balance, ect.) Luckily, the principles of design never change, so there's a lot of information out there about it. Here's a simple website to get you started on figuring out what principles of design to use. It has pictures!

NOT A GOOD IDEA FOR SNAIL MAIL

 Be careful what pieces you send them in the mail.

The portfolio requires you to send them 5 of your best pieces through the mail. But keep in mind these pieces should also be some of your most sturdy works. You don't want  to choose anything fragile because it has a high chance of being damaged during shipment. Also, the college board's policy is to view the works "as is."  For example, I sent in one of my concentration works (pictured left), and to my horror when it was returned to me I discovered that a huge chunk of wood from one of my other canvas had become entangled in the threads of this piece. I'm assuming the college board judged my piece with the horrible wood shard still sloppily hanging on...how embarrassing! Also, remember to mat all the pieces you're sending in. Make them presentable, and this will give you an few extra "brownie points" with the judges.

Most importantly, don't get stressed out.

 If you don't listen to anything else I've said here, at least read this part: You won't be able to produce the amount of quality work you need for this portfolio if you're freaked out and stressed all the time. Take your time with your work and enjoy the process. This doesn't mean procrastinate til the last minute of course, pace yourself with your work and follow deadlines. Don't be intimidated by the requirements, and don't over think things. Art is simple, and if you're loving what you're doing then you're doing it right. Just remember to make work that feels right to you, and the rest will fall into place.

Oh, by the way, if you're interested in learning more about my all fabric concentration click here.

Of course anyone who has an opinion on this matter, by all means give us your two cents! There can never be enough information out there about the sketchy College board AP studio art portfolio. Who else can describe their experience in this program? What scores did you receive?