WIP Wednesday - Trolls

Yes, I know it's Thursday, and yes, I know this is really another IMC post, but let's just go with it, shall we?We had until midnight tonight to turn in a finished version of our IMC assignment - 

The was the sketch I submitted for our initial critique. (They suggested moving the dog up and the text down, but that was about it...)

After several days of heavy-duty drawing, here is the final drawing....

Ruth Sanderson paid us a surprise visit mid-week at IMC (wish I'd gotten a picture! But I spent too much time talking to her :-) - she talked to me about her process and suggested I try printing it out in sepia-tones rather than the color of grey-graphite, like she did her latest book. (so I did. It is a much nicer color I think).

This was how far I got at IMC...

And this is what I submitted tonight....

These ladies need to definitely have more adventures, I'm sure!

IMC Report - Part Last

Let's wrap this up, shall we? It's only been a month now....

As fabulous as all the artistic learning was (and it was fabulous), the best best part about IMC is the lovely, wonderful people and friendships that happen! Such as -

The so-great Sue Cornelison and Judy Riggenbach.

and the adorable Daniel Katz and Dylan Sara.
 But I won't tax you with endless people-photos. Except to document one of the annual end-activities-

We get note-taking sketchbooks at the beginning of the week, and spend the last bit signing and sketching in each others'. Just like high school! So goodbye to -

Donato, here signing...

Dan dos Santos signing Kim Kinkaid's...

Renae Taylor -

Adam Rex -

Scott Fischer -

and Greg Manchess....

(We signed until our signers were sore....)

So goodbye to an amazing week, wonderful people and so many memories....

(And if you *do* want to see more pictures of people - I have an album of people-standing-next-to-their-easels with their art if you'd like to peruse here).

IMC Report - Part VI

This year, I kind of volunteered to head up the faculty thank-you gifts. We ended up ordering customized sketchbook covers from the awesome folks at Renaissance Art.

(Pocket Moleskine cover on left, custom sketchbook on right).

(Check out their site - truly gorgeous stuff, and they are very very nice to work with. I want one of my own now!).

We had a little 'ceremony' where I (and my awesome helpers) handed out the various sketchbooks.

Each book had a (gorgeous) sketch done by one of the students on the title page, along with a 'love note' of sorts, and an accordian foldout covered with our signatures and personal messages.

(Iain McCaig loves his sketchbook. :-)

We gave the large, beautiful one to Rebecca, with an incredible sketch by the awesome Kimberly Kincaid (see a much better scan of this picture on her blog here).

Donato also handed out some cool stuff, both to the assistants (Aaron Miller shows his excitement)-

-and he also arranged for all the faculty to draw a self-portrait of sorts for Rebecca -

Talent and appreciation - such a fun and potent combination!

IMC Report - Part V

Today's post is dedicated to the incomparable guest of honor,
Iain McCaig.

Probably best known as the concept designer for the most memorable characters in the last three Star Wars movies, and the author of the most creatively imaginative art-retrospective book I've ever read (which I did. The minute I got it in the mail. Cover to cover. I documented it here).

He gave two outstanding lectures, showed lots of awesome work, gave many a critique (complete with role-playing and sound effects), and did several demos. He is possibly the most frenetically energetic human being I've ever seen! And boundlessly generous with his expertise.

He did one Creature Design demo that I did not photograph, but Chris Burdett did, and you should read his report on it here. (In fact, he's posted a really great day-by-day IMC description. Do check it out!)

The midnight demo I did photograph was a watercolor portrait. He started out painting Jonny Duddle in a nice earthy pigment -

...adding some tonality...

...strengthening the contours....

At this point, he decided to paint a more Gandalf-like portrait, and swapped Jonny out for Aly Fell.

(Jonny and Aly. Our favorite Brits.)

He added attributes of Aly -

- decided Jonny's underpainting was much too cheerful and started wiping it out and altering the features...

Once he had the face, hair and shoulders more like he wanted them, he started to add some color -

-using the magic pigments of Indian Red and Ultramarine Blue (a legacy from Alan Lee and Brian Froud).

Adding definition...

Coloring the hair, the jacket, adjusting where necessary...

Isn't he beautiful?

The third demonstration I watched him do was a personal one-on-one watercolor demo at 2:30am the last night of painting. He spent an hour with me - going over the way he approaches watercolor. I was nearly teary from the gorgeousness of paint application, the unbelievable generosity (and stamina) he was exhibiting and the extreme lateness of the hour after an incredibly intense week.

All in all, I must say that Iain McCaig is one amazing human being, on so many levels, and one of my all-time personal heroes.

IMC Report - Part IV

Today I will tell you about the wonder that is Rebecca Guay -

Not only is she the originator and driving force behind the IMC,

-she is an excellent and entertaining lecturer (we got to see lots of her process and really think about the motivations behind making imagery...).

She brought quite a bit of original work for us to look at -

Book interiors, Magic cards,....

her IMC piece from last year-

-work from her upcoming, amazing looking graphic novels -

-and her Spectrum Gold award winning personal piece!

She also did a lovely demo for us, based on a photo of her daughter. She started the underdrawing/painting on the computer -

-printed out on watercolor paper, sealed and an initial coat of acryla-gouache paint put down.

-more painting....

-more detail added via paint, and outlines strengthened with a verithin pencil...

When this underpainting stage has been taken as far desired, she seals it with galkyd and starts layering on oil glazes...

This is how far she got by the end of the week. So lovely to watch it appear underneath her brush. She is one of the big reasons I go.