Museums and an oil painting~

Sometimes i wish i was still back at the east coast. Such as this weekend when i heard about the JMW Turner rethrospective in Washington; or the Rick Berry show in Boston. But LA has something to offer as well! Murakami, the main character behind Japan's Super Flat movement~

Above are pics taken of his animation. The exhibition itself did not allow any photography, which is a total shame. But if you are in town, definitely check it out!!! It's like going to Disneyland on speed~ i have no other way to describe his crazy fun installations and funky mushroom sculptures with a gazillion eyes. i can't help but smile and applaud his voodoo god sculpture. i was feeling a lot happier and dizzier when i walked out of Moca. I went to several museums in the area as well, but Murakami is the one that would stay in my head for a long time~

Sunday~ did a portrait at LAFA again. Second oil portrait in forever it seems. Costumed figure is so much fun~~ next week the theme is Turkish Belly Dancer~~~ Can't wait. ^_____^

Self Portrait as Salome

Wow, it's Nov 1, the second annual Self Portrait day of CA.org! the rule is to do a portrait of yourself on TODAY~ So here's my contribution to the bunch:



here's the original drawing. the rest is digital.



it took about 6 hours and now i am exhausted~ Good Nite!

Happy Halloween~

Funfunfun~ this is the first Halloween in a long time that i actually dressed up for~ and what do you know~ It was GREAT! and i also carved my first pumpkin ever! ^0^ it's after one of the characters in the film so i will have to hold off showing it.

Me and Liz! The compsition with the spider is a total lucky accident! Too bad we couldn't stop smiling or it would really look like a deadly duel!

Me, a Slytherin student! Potion would have been my best subject~ Draco would have found his match since Snape is my favorite teacher OF ALL TIME. Today had been so much fun i am thinking of dressing up as an armored bear next time~

Gouache studies of the night, again from "Barry Lyndon". Big Sam gave me some great notes on my previous works:
1. use a BIG brush. i am using a no.2 flat wash now;
2. Don't copy. Try to put down colors that RELATE.
3. Get rid of white. Choose a color!
4. Simplify! It's not drawing.
I will have to remember these~

Shameless Self Promotion-Part II

Wawawewa! I took a look on Tor's website and look what i found! Mad Kestrel ready for preorder~ :) Question: Does the cover make you want to read it...? i am too close to it to tell.
and what gave me a big shock was that on a closer look, the painting in the mock up is not the finished piece! i take it that it's normal...? hmmmm~ O____O
Edit: two frames tonite from "Barry Lyndon".

Shameless Self Promotion~

It's everywhere on the net already, so i guess it's about time to show you all a preview of what i have been working on:


Dangdangdangdang(drums)! The amazing Astroboy! for those of you not familiar with the property, it's by the Japanese "God of Manga", Osamu Tezuka San. I was a great fan of his comics when i was little(well, actually i still read them), such titles as "The knight with blue ribbons" and "Black Jack" forever shaped my mind about the world~ So when i had a chance to work on this i jumped right on board~ i had a bit of part in painting this teaser poster too, hope you enjoy it. It will be in theatres everywhere 2009!

and here's a book i picked up today after work:


It's the Spectrum Fantasy Art Annual. This year there are a lot of people i know! Congratulations gang~ It has three of my paintings as well. ^___^ Check it out here~

and here's another find of the day that i thought i should share with you! Vasily Surikov:




I saw them in my friend Randy's Repin book, and was blown away by it! Crowd pieces are my favorites~ Enjoy your monday night! :)

Edit: Film studies of the night. From the amazing Prince of Egypt~

back to the basics~

Wow, what a weekend! I had Nathan Fowkes' Color Workshop, which was amazing and very inspiring! i was totally pumped afterwards to do gouche studies from films! How hard can it be right?

(3 hours later)
DARN!!!!!!! wow. So that's what happens when you abandon traditional medium for 4 years. it's... well, Crappier than crappy!!!! it's really embarassing to show them here. But oh well, the shame would probably keep me doing them better next time. They are all done between 5-10 mins. the first two are done Saturday, from "Children of Men". the last one is from "Wallace and Grummit COWR".


Oh, and i also went to a costumed figure workshop! Armed with my $2.99 brushes and student grade paint since i havn't touch oil for 5 years(O___O). This took 3 hours. the drawing is totally Wacked!!! no "flip horrizontal" tool on the canvas board... next time i need to take it into the bathroom and look at it in the mirror.... Live and learn darn it~


But what a great weekend~ feels good to paint with real paint again~ ^______^ what's everybody gonna do for Halloween? I got my costume today~ hehe.

Back from Europe~

Hey my dear fellow bloggers~

Bear with me as i am about to share with you my journey to France and Italy~ i am too lazy to start a facebook account so i am just gonna cram it all in here. ;p

It's my first trip to Europe ever, and man was there a lot to see! I went to Paris, Florence, Milan, Roma, Venice, Vatican City, Pisa, Monaco, Nice and Canne.

i really think i need to just spend some time in Paris working and living, as i have always dreamed. Paris my eternal love~ though i can't understand a word of French it's still the greatest city to me.



Musee D'Orsay! what can i say, it houses some of my favorite paintings, and i would not tire if i have to go there every weekend~ All the work here are by Eugene Carriere, who's works really drawn me in completely as i was standing there. The subtleness suggested of ghostly whispers that pass through time, giving me a chill that runs down my back as if i was starring directly into Ophelia's drowning eyes.

Mount Blanc. As we cross the tunnel on the way to Italy.


Mom having an amazing time in St. Mark Square. It's worth the trip to see this sight alone! ^___^


Gelato time in Pisa~ Hehe.

and that rounds up the slideshow~ Thanks for bearing with me. :p

Busy busy~

oh jeez luis another week without any work for my little hole in the blogland~ i have been working very hard on my day job since the deadline is tight, and i am taking a vacation soon. My dear folks are coming into town as well so i think i won't have much to show for a while~ *___*
However i did decide to dust this place up a bit and make it more homely~ the music is my current favorite~ if i had time the header should really be circus themed, as you can tell~ and i should totally renamed this blog" Shelly's Demonic Circus"~! ^____^

Look out for the killer mime loose on the camp ground,
sw

LA

Today my pantalaimon is a great white snake. Work is getting pretty busy, but fun as usual. i have been an official Lalaland resident for one month and 9 days now, i figure it's time to make something to remember it by~



so there. Feeling a bit sick and will probably go lie down now~

WIP 2

Hmmmmm~ i didn't like the girl before, but i am not sure about her now~ later maybe.

Pan's tales~

WIP of a personal piece:


it's interesting to myself how i always pick a song to listen to whenever i am painting. it's something close to the mood of the piece, something that's musically intone with the world i have in mind for the painting. For "Charge" it was the soundtrack of "The Fountain", for "Greatest Discovery" it was "Je Crois Ententre"(you can listen to it here: http://anarcolucido.castpost.com/313557.html), for "Escape" it was "Dummy". But this new piece was actually inspired by a story i read, Tom Robbin's "Jitterbug Perfume". It's a great book about two lovers turn immortals that are friends of the goat god Pan, about their journey through the ages to witness the dwindle of Pan and therefore, love and immortality. So this piece was a more literary translation, which i had a bit of problem conceptualizing.
i gave my itune a look over and finally, found something that's only too appropriate,"Pan's labyrinth"! so i happily proceed to paint this sucker...

i am working with this funny Argentinian Luis Crane, and he calls the paintings he like "have balls!" i am thinking he won't like this piece too much. i would have to agree since i am not feeling the two characters at all right now. oh well~ i shall worry about it tomorrow night~ give me some feedback if you can. Thanks in advance fellow bloggers!

safe travel beyond gnarly seas,
sw

MIA obiwan returns~

Don't kill me. i am so sorry~ Have been out of the loop for a while, traveling and moving and job change~

This is a book cover i did for Irene Gallo, for Tor's "Mad Kestral". Hope it earns me some points back...? :0P




some preliminary sketches i did for it:

Monkey King VS. Electric Geisha

Did this one for fun tonight. try out very different approach than what i normally do: purposely bad colors and no composition to start with. hope u like.

The End of The Dome

It's been a great ride.
i have learn so much in the process, and gain so much insight about my art, i can only thank you all. for all the contestants over at CA.org, and the kind souls whose comments cheer me on: this is for you. :)
hope you like it.
and now i will proceed to work on the book.

sw

Happy *lazyass* Hollidays!!

Hi Everyone! Thanks for looking and your comments! ^0^ Sorry for the lack of updates... you can blame the lazy holidays!

Sorry, for real, because i have another round of Thunderdome comin, i won't be updating till after Jan 20 or so. but stay tuned! i am gonna start doing the comic book pages preview every month after that. it's roughly going to be 35 pages, i should get it ready by end of May, so that's 2.2 pages per week....! @____@

Have a great New Year!
sw

a swift change of gear

i just started this weekend, excited by an idea of my friend, to work on a comicbook(!) for Comic Con. i am super hyped, so u will be seen some roughs on this blog in the coming days to July! ^0^ i am basing my story on Oscar Wilde's children story "The Young King", but the twist being it takes place in a fantacy land, with Chinese and Arabic influences.
Best of luck to moi! (very lazy so i need it :()

sw

Homage to Mead Schaeffer

Inspired by my favorite illustrator. in progress... i am a very slow painter. :(

Fooling around with artrage... fun program! kinda hard to control the edges tho.

The Great Discovery

Finally! LMS 3rd round announced! hope u like this piece....

Honey,

U left me in the garden last night and locked the door. around midnight it started raining, and gnomes came out and hide in my hair. we discuss soils and clouds and good weather. So this is how u found me this morning. u said, "how fun was it?"



Just Kidding. :) it's just a self portrait, more fantasy then from any photos. i wish it rains more in San Diego.