Ruby 2 Shoes!

This summer, I did a digital painting of my brother's Australian Shepherd puppy, Ruby, and had it printed on canvas by the wonderful folks at Rayko. (Highly recommend printing there if you're in SF: pleasant, fast, and fantastic quality of work!)

It's based off of a photo, and was done before I ever met this lovely, crazy canine, but apparently the rendering of her eyes captured her manic puppy energy quite well :)

Ruby 2 Shoes, July 2014 - Digital

It was a lot of fun to do a large scale-print and get it framed. Maybe I'll do another project like this down the road... I'm open to suggestions, or--better yet--commissions! 

Root Flow Test

Working on a concept visual for work... illustrating how deep tap roots draw water from the water table and can then redistribute some water back into the shallower soil. This is how some forests are able to withstand severe drought!

2/21/14 - Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy

I kept noodling and neglecting this drawing for weeks, trying to treat all the little wrinkles and folds of chub with the greatest care... Finally I came home from work today and saw I'd dripped something on the page of the sketchbook right on the lil pup's ear, so it was time to just get it finished with some more committed line-work--rough but solid where it matters [I hope]. Anyway, it's DONE, and I'm moving on.

Rhodie Pup, 2/21/14 - ColErase on Paper

1/25/2014

When I was studying animation, the more rendered drawing style wasn't something I got to explore as much; it's impractical to animate highly rendered figures with soft lines and shaded forms, so I had to adapt to drawing with clean lines, and exaggerate proportions, attempting to create well-balanced designs that had that elusive element: appeal. Honestly, I never had any confidence about my work in that style, which is one of the many reasons I abandoned my artistic ambitions  in favor of production.

At CalAcademy the other day, I was participating in a demo of an educational program designed for students, in which we had to analyze and sketch a specimen, as a scientist would sketch something quickly--to record basic details in their field notes. I had so much fun drawing my skeleton specimen, that I brought the picture home to put on our fridge, like a proud schoolkid.

Skull of unidentified African mammal, 1/10/14 - Graphite on Paper

I realized how much I miss creating art, and that--since I'm not drawing for animation anymore--there's no reason to chain myself to the traditional principles that made it such a chore for me; though having learned them I can apply those concepts to [hopefully] continue improving my skills.

So here's me, back to sketching for the sake of sketching--and exploring a theme that will surely be recurrent as I move forward... ;)

Corgi, 1/25/14 - Col Erase on Watercolor Paper

Thanks for reading!
-S

Taco Noms

I really like tacos. Really.

Photo credit goes to Bryan W,

Corgi Pup

Kris made me draw a dog.

Art blast from the past!

I just did a Google search of my name and found some artwork of mine from years gone by, it was printed in a school district report:

(I think it is a testament to my brilliant drafting skills that they listed me as a second grader, when I know I was actually still in first grade when I drew this...)

Finding this old picture was a sweet reminder that my love of art and technology was apparent even at age 7. I am so thrilled to have found my niche in animation production, and to be able to say that everything I'm doing now still involves being surrounded by what fascinated me as a child.