star wars oc character mj // pencil and colored pencil

Okay, sorry I've disappeared for a few days.

   I said I'd have some digital art to show you. And I do, though it's not finished yet, which is why I'm posting this instead.

   But yeah, the tablet's going great! It's not as difficult to transition from traditional to digital as I thought it would be, though you've really got to watch which layer you're on when you're drawing...

   But anyway, this alien (Togrutan, actually. You may know the species, like Ahsoka Tano or Shaak Ti?) girl is an OC (original character) of mine, nicknamed MJ (real name Magenta). I've placed her in the Star Wars galaxy, when the Empire is reigning with an iron fist. She's sweet, curious, and always wants to help, though she does have an odd line of work... she helps her 'dad' (not her real dad, but the guy who's raising her) during school break, who happens to be a professional bounty hunter. She's good with tech and a blaster, though never takes a life unless it's necessary.

    I drew this to kind of prove to myself that I could still do portraits, since I hadn't drawn something like this in a while. I also wanted to work with my colored pencils some more.

   I'm pleased with how it turned out, just like I pictured it. I have no real face reference to go off of, though I did use my own eye-shape as a reference. I used some photos of Ahsoka as a guide to her montrals (head-tale-things), which were a complete joy to color and shape.

   To distingish her from the popular jedi padawan of Masker Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, I've colored her more red than Ahsoka's orange. Her montrals have different markings also. I've tried different facial markings, but ended up with a simple (and rather similar) eyebrows, cheek defining markings, and an arrow shaped going down her forehead. I'm not quite settled on those, I'm still experimenting with different looks. I also added green eyes, compared to Ahsoka's bright blue ones.

   Anyway, I hope you like this portrait, you'll probably be seeing more art of this OC in the future. I'm working on my digital art, I'll try and have something to show you by the next time I post.

Sincerely,

Darrion

digital art... here i come! // D buys a wacom intuos pen and touch medium

Hey guys! Got some exciting news...

   I just bought a digital art tablet! Whew.

   After lots of fretting, research, and general hesitance, I finally got a Wacom Intuos medium tablet.

   And, having never used one before, looked up a bunch of digital art tutorials and how-to's on Youtube. They were very helpful in making me feel less daunted by handling such a technological advancement (at least for me it will be).

   I've always liked the way digital art looks, and how clean and crisp you can get things with it. Also, I wouldn't have to go to the store to buy more pencil lead or watercolor paints, etc. That would be the cheap side of me. Buy one expensive item and never have to buy all those little ones! Yep, a real deal.

   Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not going to be doing traditional art anymore. I'll still be doing those things, but I will be concentrating on the digital side of things more.

   I also want to prove to my dad that digital art is real art. 'Cause it is.

(maybe i'll finish this cinderella watercolor someday, i dunno... just wanted to stick this on here to show you my messy/cluttered traditional art workspace, i.e. the dining room table) {*Willow hacks D's blog* her workspace is usually a lot messier, I don't know why she says it's "messy". You ain't seen nothin' yet!}

   So, it's suppose to arrive pretty soon... sometime between this week and the end of the next. Hopefully I'll have something to show you from it, maybe a quite test sketch or something.

   If you've ever used digital art before (or just a art tablet, you know), please, leave a comment below and give me a tip/trick! Seriously, I'd love to hear them :)

Sincerely,

Darrion

me, myself, and i

   Though I don't have many photos of myself (since usually I'm the one taking the photos of Willow), sometimes we take turns taking pictures of each other, and these are all in those instances.

   Since you're all reading what I have to say and looking at what I've drawn, I thought it'd be nice to remind you what I actually look like and put a face to those words/pictures :)

   Photos of myself. All photo credits go to my sister, Willow (http://inthewordsofwillow.blogspot.com/). Edited afterword by me.

   Willow took this on Easter morning, at our church. The sun was getting very flary, and the colors really were too light, so I ended up editing it all back and white, except for the blue flower design on my dress (blue is my favorite color).

    Willow took this while we were hunting for our Christmas tree last year. I was sick at the time, so I brought a mixture of honey and lemon for my throat in a coffee-muggy-thingy. It was very helpful and kept me warm.

   This dress is one of my favorites (it fits really well, and has a really cool style and color). My favorite color is blue, so it was kind different for me to get this red one, though I think it works with my coloring okay. Unfortunately, I don't have any full length pictures right now. I got it off of the website Modcloth, and wore it on my birthday last year.

   Taken in our Grandma's back yard, when I was sort-of-cosplaying the Tenth Doctor. I don't usually wear glasses, but I had reading glasses for a short time.

   Looking for the art in the real world. Edited a lot. I try to look at things with an artistic eye, seeing the beauty in the sky and nature. Also taken Easter morning by Willow.

   Speaking of art, I doodled this a while ago. Sort-of-styled, I'm wearing the same dress that I wore in the third photo up top. Seriously, I love that dress! I normally don't do self-portraits, it's kind of hard and takes some time. And I don't like drawing people I know (though I have done it), because you know their face so well that if you make a little mistake, you can totally tell that it's wrong.

Anyway, thanks for viewing all the photos! See ya later :)

Sincerely,

Darrion

Commander Ponds // pencil and colored pencil // notebook sketch

Hey guys!

   Yes, another notebook sketch. Yes, it's a clone again.

   This time, it's Commander Ponds. He served under Jedi General Windu during the Clone Wars, until he had a little run-in with Boba Fett. Awful ending of a great character. Really wish he could've at least had a more honorable death.

   His hands are probably too small, but other than that, I'm quite happy with how he turned out. The shading was fun, and using the tinted graphite and colored pencils added some color.

   'Cause I love photography close-ups... here's a bonus one :)

Sincerely,

Darrion

ballerina // tinted paper

Hey guys!

Got something new for you.

   I've never used brown tinted paper before, but I really like how it turned out. The white really brings things out, with the brown paper being the middle ground, and the darks being the dark darks.

   I may have used the dark a little too much, but it was my first try. Live and learn, I guess :) It was also a good practice for the pose, she's so flexible! Wow.

   Anyway, quick update. Willow and I are going to be in our homeschool group's play performance, and drama practice week is next week! It's going to be super busy. So, you might not hear from me for a little while, so don't freak out :) I'm not dead (yet).

Sincerely,

Darrion