MATS - May Editorial Meditation

Not Meditating © Diana Ting Delosh 5/22/14
ink, watercolor, Photoshop

The May assignment for Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells (MATS) Boot Camp was to create an editorial illustration for an article, How to meditate: A Primer For People Who Don't Like to Meditate by Grace Suh. Hence why my meditating lady has one eye sneaking a peek. She's just a wee bit distracted by her  thoughts. 

I was really excited about doing an editorial illustration in my own style. The MATS way: begin by non-threatening doodling. Continue doodling until you're nice and loose and ready to tackle anything. In doodling you find your own way to do the assignment. (My Face warm up sketches are in the previous post.) Read the article and sketch your concept. Very Zen.

40 - Not Meditating Sketch © Diana Ting Delosh 5/12/14
Ball point pen

This assignment felt like it was on familiar ground. My first out of college illustration assignment was an editorial illustration. I had landed it by happy accident as at the time I had one of those dreadful just out of school, everything and the kitchen sink portfolios. You would have thought after that bit of luck that I would've focused my portfolio on editorial art. But NO. I veered towards kid publishing and greeting cards. Partly because editorial illustration seemed to favor very graphic conceptual art and my assignment seemed to be an anomaly. Fast forward to the present:  Lilla showed samples of editorial illustrations that were not created in that ultra clean graphic style and made me realize that there was a place for my art in that market. In fact that's what's so great about MATS every assignment to date has shown me a different market and how I can apply my art/style to it. Pretty happy with my finished illo and added it to my Editorial portfolio.  Now just need to create more editorial illustration samples as I'm really excited about this potential market.

40 refers to my personal challenge, 365 Drawings 2014.

MATS - May - Faces

Make Art That Sells, MATS BootCamp is back from April break... and on the 1st monday of May, we got our mini assignment - FACES! This is a biggie - being able to illustrate people in your own fashion is important as it opens up more markets for your art.

36 - Doll Doodles © Diana Ting Delosh 5/7/14

Lilla suggests we  doodle from dolls as they have already been simplified/stylized and like photos they don't move. I'm not having an easy time doodling doll heads. I'm one of those people that find dolls a wee bit creepy.  In fact there are a whole slew of sketches that I'm not showing because they are really, really bad. No idea what the actual assignment will be yet. I suspect since Lilla mainly showed us Adult Doll images that it will be an assignment involving adults. Guessing not kids books.

37 - Three Dolly Girls Sketches © Diana Ting Delosh 5/8/14

Looked around for more Doll images and came across these friendly cloth dolls. Find these don't have the creep factor and I'm able to loosen up and enjoy the process.

38 - More Dolls Sketches © Diana Ting Delosh 5/8/14

Think I'm "getting this warm-up"  - Finally!  I'm starting to see how sketching dolls can lead to your own style of drawing people. Yup! Happy with it.

39 - dolls/Kids sketches © Diana Ting Delosh 5/8/14

Now I do draw people but I prefer drawing animals. As can be seen by my website, dianadelosh.com: 57 illustrations in the Animal portfolio while my People portfolio only has 16. Granted I could probably cull some of the animal illos  but the People portfolio could use some beefing up. So here's to doing loads more people illos and snagging more illustration commissions.

In case you were wondering, the  MAY MATS Assignment is to do an Editorial Illustration. It's actually already done as the deadline is May 25th but I will blog about the illustration process in the next post.

Numbers: 36 -39 refers to my personal challenge, 365 Drawings 2014. 

365 Drawings 2014 - Gelatin, kettles , Apple

Catching up on a backlog of 365 drawing posts. Realized that it's already mid-may and I never posted my drawings from March! So here they are, better late than never.

32 - Gelatin molds and Gelatin see March MATS Jelée post.
© Diana Ting Delosh 3//414
Red ball point pen

33 - Tea Kettles
© Diana Ting Delosh 3/5/14
Red ball point pen

34 - Golden Delicious Apple
© Diana Ting Delosh 3/12/14
colored pencil

#Twoodle - Heron Wizard Shoe

I happened to be on Twitter when I saw a #Twoodle Tweet and as I was in Sketching mode -just had to join in and I'm glad I did. It is so freeing and relaxing to do something nonsensical and for fun's sake. Here's my Twoodle sketch inspired by the words:

Heron, Shoe by @KimieLampers

Wizard by @deuhlig

You can follow me on Twitter @dtdelosh

HeronWizardShoe
© Diana Ting Delosh 5-7-14
Ball Point Pen Doodle #35*

This Heron has found some wizard's hat and wand and has accidentally conjured a shoe much to the delight of his fishy audience.

So what's Twoodle you may ask.
Go here to find out more: http://twoodle.wordpress.com/about-twoodle/ and for this weeks
Twoodle words click here: http://twoodle.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/twoodle-words-for-may-7th-2014/

*I'm counting this doodle as #35 of my 365 Drawings in 2014 exercise. From now on I will be numbering them As I post. I seem to have slacked off with my sketching and posting in April. Have been sketching and have reasons for not posting but will save it for another post.

365 Drawing 2014: 29 - 31 Vegetables

Realized I better post these as it's already March.  This trio of ball point pen sketches were done on 2/22/14. Can You guess what we had for dinner?

29 - Golden Beet © Diana Ting Delosh

30 - Asparagus
31 - Garlic head & Cloves
© Diana Ting Delosh

If you guessed roasted golden beets, and broiled asparagus with olive oil and garlic you are correct. We also had broiled pork chops glazed with orange juice and soy sauce But the vegetables were the stars.

MATS February: Kookoo for cuckoo clocks & Drawings 23 - 28

What have I been up to lately? I signed up for Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells Boot Camp. What attracted me to this e-course was Lilla's attitude and the "doability" factor. The course is structured as 1 assignment a month, starting in February, with April off and ending in July. 5 assignments designed to help build a more commercial illustration portfolio. Sounds like just what I need.

First day of class, Feb 3 the warm-up: Cuckoo Clocks. A prompt? But I don't know what the end use will be? Find it unsettling to not know what the end game is. We are told to just have fun. So I doodle away. I even make a horrific mess with dip pens and a bottle of ink.  Discover I'm not in love with Cuckoo clocks. I like the leaves, the bird, the pine cones, the rustic, folksey vibe but not the clock.

Feb 10th - The Assignment: design a cellphone cover. OK- Now I have my end use. More doodling - this time trying to think of how it will look on a cell phone cover.  BTW the assignment needs to be handed in by Feb 23, 3pm EST time - IF I want to be part of the MATS February Boot Camp Class Gallery.

#23 - Cuckoos - 2/3/14
© Diana Ting Delosh 

#24 - Our Cuckoo - 2/4/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

#25 - everything but the Cuckoo - 2/5/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

#26 - Squirrel Cuckoo - 2/10/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

#27 - Sunflower Cuckoo - 2/10/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

#28 - Bird Flower Cuckoo - 2/10/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

Having fun with this class, doodling Cuckoo clock cell phone cover ideas. Some of these doodles won't end up on my phone cover BUT I see lots of things I want to explore further. Lilla told us to think of icons. I'm not used to thinking this way. Also not used to doing a product mock up. Have lots to ponder and learn.

So did I finish? YES - and I'll show you in my next MATS post along with the link to the Bootcamp Gallery this Tuesday 2/25! I'm really excited about viewing all my class mates work on the gallery. Can't wait until it goes public.

And whats with the numbers? # 23 -28 refer to my personal drawing challenge of 365 drawings in 2014. Yup I'm falling behind. I admit it. But I think I'll continue to keep tabs for the hell of it. Who knows the year is young and I might just catch up still. On the other hand - theres' a lot of drawing I'm not counting because I'm not able to show them as I do them. So do I feel bad that I'm not current? Nah. 

365 Drawing 2014: No. 18 - 22, Kitties +

I find it best to sketch/doodle first thing in the morning while I'm having my  tea.  My preference is to sketch from life or to draw from my imagination. Although I do draw from photos from time to time as an exercise. It's a great warm up for other creative endeavors and it helps to set the tone for the day. No matter what happens afterwards at least I did this one thing that feels really, really good. Unfortunately my schedule doesn't always allow for AM doodling. A friend tells me to try getting up earlier. As a natural owl, I find it easier to stay up later. Perhaps I should work with my insomnia.

18 - Kitty Sleeping, Pencil
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/20/14

19 - Bottle, Ball point pen
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/19/14

20 - Me at 3, Ball point pen
© Diana Ting Delosh
2/2/14 

21 - Strawberries,  Ball point pen
© Diana Ting Delosh 2/2/14

22 - Kitty starting to nod while sitting. Ball point pen
© Diana Ting Delosh 2/4/14

365 Drawings in 2014: Sketches 16 &17 Nutcrackers & Orchid

2 quick Ball point pen sketches.

16 - Nutcrackers
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/17/14 

17 - Orchid
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/17/14

Been getting busier. Now comes the big test. Can I continue drawing, scanning , blogging, on a regular basis  even as my calendar fills up?  Hm-m-m-m.

365 Drawings 2014: No. 15 - Peek-a-boo Skunk

Here's another peek at what's on the drawing board. A cart wheeling skunk.

Skunk
ink & watercolor
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/16/14

FYI - the sneak peeks are at a personal project. I would never allow a peek, sneaky or not, at a hush hush assignment.

365 Drawings 2014 #14 Crab Sandwich #Twoodle

Drawing #14 & Twoodle - CRAB SANDWICH 

with words  brought to you by:

Crab - @aliciapadron

Sandwich - @Readitdadday

Feels good to twoodle again -haven't done this in a loooong time!

Crab Sandwich © Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & colored pencil twoodle
1/15/14

A twoodle is a doodle game on twitter. Use #twoodle to find out more.

365 Drawings 2014 - # 8 - 13, Includes a Sneak Peek!

Getting the hang of it. Sketch, doodle, draw, ink, paint, then scan whatever in the morning. Here are 6 more - almost caught up! 

I find drawing for fun first thing in the morning is a very relaxing way to begin my day before the madness ensues. While doodling at night is a nice way to wind down. These am/pm drawings are usually not project driven, no planning, no angst, not even a finished piece at the end. Could be a drawing from life or my imagination.

Needless to say, drawing happens through out the day - but those usually have a purpose whether it's prep for a project or it is the project.

8 - SHRUBBERY
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/8/14
Ball point pen doodle
Inspired by prompt from the book, 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books

9 - Ball point pen Study of Skunk coloration for a current project. 
© Diana Ting Delosh
1/9/14

10 - BEAR - Sneak Peek at what's on my drawing board.
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor
1/10/14

11 - CABIN
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ball Point Pen Doodle
1/13/14
Inspired by prompt from the book, 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books

12 - HEN© Diana Ting Delosh
Ball Point Pen Doodle
1/13/14

13 -  KITTY IN BED
© Diana Ting Delosh
Pencil from life
1/14/14

365 Drawings in 2014: # 2 - 7

I'm actually drawing on a regular basis what I seem to find more problematic is scanning and then posting them on a regular basis. Although I hope this will come easier once I fit it into my daily rhythm. At the moment I'm tripping all over my feet. Anyhow here are a clump of drawings. With more to come shortly.
Sketches numbered 2 through 7 were all done with a ballpoint pen.

2 - Eggs in a Glass Bowl 1/5/14
3 - Spent Tea Bag 1/6/14
© Diana Ting Delosh

 Sketches numbered 4 - 7 were all done on 1/7/14

4 - Rolling Pin Mice 
© Diana Ting Delosh
Inspired by the prompt, A ROLLING PIN, from 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books

5 - A Skunk or 2What is the black and white striped pattern on skunks? 
© Diana Ting Delosh
Inspired by the prompt, SKUNK, from 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books

6 - An Ottoman 
© Diana Ting Delosh
Inspired by the prompt, AN OTTOMAN, from 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books

7 - Sleeping Hubbie 
© Diana Ting Delosh
Note to friends and family NEVER dose off in front of an artist with sketchbook and pen in hand.

365 DRAWINGS 2014: Hammock Lion #1

Happy 2014!
Here I go again with high hopes and big plans for the New Year! One of the things I'd like to do is just DRAW MORE in 2014 and get back into blogging. Planning on doing 365 Drawings* to be exact - one for each day of 2014 and posting about them.

Here's my debut Drawing,  Hammock Lion, Drawing  #1, Jan 2, 2014. My 1st with 364 more to go. Needless o say I may have to double up or quadruple a few here and there.

Hammock Lion © Diana Ting Delosh 1/2/14 Pencil Sketch

Inspired by the prompt, HAMMOCK in 642 Things to Draw, Chronicle Books 

*Rules for my personal challenge.
• Planning on doing 365 drawings and posting them on this blog. Meaning no work or other hush hush illos will be shown under the 365 Drawing header. The 365 will be additional drawings.

• May not draw or post daily BUT I will do: 31 drawings in Jan, 28 in Feb, 31 in March, etc.

• Drawing = sketch, finished illo, doodle, ink, etc. in any medium but must take some thought. No five second wonders to fill my monthly quota. And yes there may be different versions of a subject. Example: I may decide to do a finished version of my Hammock Lion - which would count as another "Drawing".

• All Drawings will be numbered and dated. And posted when I can.