Hoo-ey!

So it's been ages since my last blog post. Many things have happened in between, but I'm realizing as I grow older the importance of writing and documenting.

Not to worry, I've moved to Wordpress. Please find me here: prapimc.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Prapim

Some portrait drawings from Singapore. The first is of a very good friend, Vanessa. The others were drawings from a portrait day that didn't get sold. (I sold one. And another one got stolen. *shakes fist at old man who didn't pay for portrait*)

Yay I got better! I found a drawing of the Holmes brothers I did two years ago (uh as you can see I wrote 'Mycroft?' considering how unsatisfied I was with how it turned out) and I basically redrew them to see how much my style has improved.

So I'm quite happy to see there is definitely a difference. Of course, I still have a long way to go, but it's encouraging to see that I haven't been so self-delusional that my art remains stagnant. 

(For one I have slightly less trouble drawing portly Mycroft now. I feel a bit bad putting it like that, though...)

Have a beer and tell me WHY this happens all the time

Sigh. What I really hate is my inability to finish my own comics. 

What my main problem is, I'll be sitting down reading/playing games/eating/whatever and WOW! I have a moment of inspiration. This character will do that, they'll get out of this sticky situation like this, fight whoever, etc. And I want to draw! And it becomes epic and awesome, and I draw like five pages, and then I think:

"Man, this actually kind of sucks."

"I'm sure I'm subconsciously copying something I watched a while ago here."

"The perspective here is so bland, let's redraw that three to four more times."

"I don't know what look I'm going for here."

"How is this going to end, when I don't even know what direction to take it next?"

And then I get a bit deflated and kind of fizzle out. And it becomes a cute little orphaned project. I must really develop stronger willpower, somehow. Somehow.

This was something I had in my head for a while (some kind of fantasy/medieval setting, you know, with knights and assassins and elves and dwarves and all that role-playing shizzle), but ultimately it's still at three pages. *kicks self*

So yes, I do know this is slightly self-indulgent, but here's a little sketch of the two main characters. They're supposed to initially start out very antagonistic and suspicious of each other, but despite their differing opinions on pretty much everything, share a similar willpower and strength of character. *nods in excitement*

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! (to gamble!)

Haha, I drew this AGES ago, just didn't think fan-art was really all that appropriate to post on this blog, but what the hey. This is directly based off Arthur de Pins' illustration, here: [link]

Why is Agent Coulson not here? Well, spoilers aside, I have a soft spot for him, and I...I don't know. He's probably sipping coffee somewhere, quietly shaking his head in bemusement.

Prapim's Inspirations: William A. Smith

I really need to do these posts more often.

Today's inspiration: William A. Smith

I should perhaps stop putting up so many American illustrators from the 1930s-50s, since I've had some comments from tutors saying my influences should be more 'contemporary' and 'modern', etc. I suppose as a consequence my work tends to look quite period (i.e. 'dated'). Sniffle. Not good for my future career.

Dreadful note aside, artists like William A. Smith kind of make me regret not having studied Illustration in America. I suppose what I really like about illustrators like Leyendecker, Fawcett and Smith (of whom the latter two were contemporaries) are that their works are, to put it simply, beautiful.

I've never really been very hung up on 'conceptually strong' and 'clever' art; I simply like things because they are beautiful, and/or entertain me. I love illustrators that can create rich environments in which I can imagine a whole, other, alternate world: I like to imagine how the characters live and interact with each other and their colourful world, in the process telling a rich story.

Oh, I know that sounds super-cheesy, but what is more sincere than the truth, right? Maybe that makes me sound a little stupid and a lot of a sap. Haha. I should start talking about Smith and less about myself.

William Arthur Smith was (1918-89) born in Toledo, Ohio. There's a bunch of stuff on Wikipedia about how he received loads of awards and things, but how I discovered him is still what I love of his works the most: his observational sketches.

It seems he was sent to China for a period of time during WWII to do commissioned drawings; I suppose he must have done some propaganda type illustrations, but his observational sketches from this period are quite timeless. 

Smith had quite a strong eye for interesting people and situations, and I love the little quirky notes peppered along with his sketches. It really adds a sense of personality to the drawings.

There's something very pure and human about how they are pictures of soldiers in their off-time, of children, doing very normal things; there's no sense of agenda.

Of course, that isn't to say his paintings aren't amazing, either:

(I suppose I also like how he 'marries' Asian-style imagery into his work; the blend really is quite vibrant)

Now I just feel inadequate. Sigh.

VIOLENCE TOTALLY SOLVES PROBLEMS

So some of us fellow CSM illustrators decided to create a zine especially for the upcoming Degree Show (should I be capitalizing that?). It's based on the theme, 'First Day', though some of us have interpreted it as 'First Time' as well.

I wracked my head for a while. At first, I wanted to do 'the first time I saw my mother cry' (I was young and can still remember the utter, sinking feeling of horror; there is nothing more terrible than seeing one's mother cry), but then I remembered this one particular incident.

It's all true - except for the fact that actually, I fought off his best friend too, after he got tired of fighting me. Haha! That was the day I learned that:

1. Violence can sometimes be the answer;
2. That sometimes, you have to learn how to fish instead of letting others catch it for you;
3. And that my mother gives the best advice ever, except when she doesn't.

In belated celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, I present to you a practice sketch (man, I have not touched acrylic inks in such a long time, and those white streaks are actually nail polish because my white acrylic ink looks a disgusting murky grey, um, anyway), of JC Leyendecker's own handsome soldier!

http://prapim.50webs.com/portfolio/

My domain has expired. I didn't realize it was so expensive! Perhaps I didn't read something properly. Oh well. Here's the site anyway. 50webs! Awesome!

Also, totally not stressed about final hand-in being in three weeks. Yup. Not in denial at all.

Some life drawing

Some life-drawing I did last week of spring term. Such a sweet model with such a sweet face! 

The scary thing, was, though, was that she suddenly blurted out in the middle of a pose, "That man has been staring at me for the past two poses," And we looked up at the building opposite us and saw a mysterious shadow walk off. We probably should have put up more boards, but how could we have anticipated a voyeur with such a vantage point?