Sally's book of bits and bobs

[geckochan]

Okay, been mooching around this site long enough! Definitely time to start a sketchbook ^_^

I'm sure all kinds of bits and pieces will end up here, so please feel free to chime in with any comments or tips.

Just some recent random things to start off with.

[Bagg]

wow love your sketchbook, your style is brilliant can't wait to see some more work keep it up

[geckochan]

Thanks Bagg! ^_^

Digital piece from sketch taken at local historical house (tomb statue). I'm still finding it's hard to get the right finish to things when I like sketchy/painterly looking elements - anyone who has tips in this area please chime in!

[moroi]

love the plant studies, were those done by observation of the real thing? they look neat!

[geckochan]

Thanks Moroi! Yeah, took my brushpen with me - added colour when I got home though

[geckochan]

Lineart to be coloured. Not 100% on that foot though...

[geckochan]

Colouring started on that lineart, plus character designs of historical personages from a project I'm really enjoying ^_^

[Leo Ki]

Hello! Jumping from the WIP forum...
Some more words on this Eden project? And also this historical project?
How is the coloring of the latest picture going? The line is cute, the color still lacks some contrast but probably not too much or it wouldn't match the line style.
The teddy beaver is awsomely funny!!!

[geckochan]

Thanks Leo Ki! Been away for a bit (short holiday!) so I missed this. I agree on the contrast needing to be a little restrained - the linework is more delicate than I usually go for (love my brushpen!), so I'm thinking it probably needs soft delicate colour. I'll post some more progress soon so hopefully I can get some more feedback from you!

The Eden Project is actually the name of the place - it's a botanical garden/research centre place with a couple of biomes in Cornwall, UK - a fantastic place!

The beaver was for Canada day ^_^ And the historical personnages are for a comic I'm working on with a writer - hopefully he'll be cool with me posting some pages as they get done!

For today, some sketches from concerts in London (Joanna Newsom, and the Proms! Spot which is which!)

[dierat]

Hey gecko, I just wanted to pop in and say I really loved the lineart drawing you have in post #6. I never understand how ppl can do such detailed and clean lineart, so it's all very impressive to me ^^ The sketches seen to be coming along nicely as well; just keep it up and keep posting

[Toffeeliz]

heya geckochan, some nice stuff jere. I'd not seen the three girls lineart before, pretty impressed with that! http://www.conceptart.org/forums/att...8&d=1215560642 concerning that piece, I was wondering how you were painting these? The tutorials on furiae.com may help you get some more depth into the colours other than using the same + white. http://www.furiae.com/index.php?view=gallery good luck and keep posting!

[geckochan]

dierat: thanks so much! ^_^

Toffee: hey! thanks for the link - shall look forward to checking it out!
For that one, although I'm just blocking in colours for now, I'm hoping to keep the colour really soft and simple and add a texture layer on top. Any thoughts/tips, or disagreement that that's a good idea? much appreciated!

Unoriginal sketches for relaxing-ness :

[.desk]

wow that concert hall is impressive. even if it is a sketch.

[photosynthesis]

I love the colours your got goin' on in the concert hall. Keep on making bits and bobs sally.

[geckochan]

Thanks .desk and photosynthesis! ^_^

For today sketchbook page and cheesy romance (oh no, what is wrong with me?)

[sourgasm]

There is some pretty promising stuff here. The donut girl is particularly catchy.

[Nele Ooms]

Nice sketches you got here! I love the way you work with colour and compositions.

[Theorist]

I love the project Eden pictures. They look wonderful.

Your Illustration styled character have a good feel to them as well. Keep it up, I'll be sure to keep checking in on your sketchbook

[Rachnir]

Its verry fine stuff here. There is just one question I have. At the Donut-Girl, why a beaver?

[FightingSeraph]

Great stuff. Is it just me or does that green-haired girl remind me of Kanaria from Rozen Maiden?

[geckochan]

Wow, ok, I've been on a loong hiatus here (been away/moving house/lack of internet), but definitely want to get this SB going again now! Thanks so much to those who posted, much appreciate the encouragement ^_^

@Rachnir - get your mind out of the gutter! ^_~ It was for Canada Day (hence red&white theme, the ubiquitous hat, +Tim Horton's doughnut)

@FightingSeraph - thanks ^_^ I'm only vaguely familiar with Rozen Maiden I'm afraid - must be the green curly hair!

I think I'll post a bit of what I've been up to, because it's exciting! ^_^ Just got back from a UK con where a new small-press comic circle a few other girls and I have set up debuted with our first book, an anthology. The books came out looking fantastic, so I have to show them off!

Oh wait, no I won't - will have to find pics first! Instead I will post this self-portraity sketch that I just did by looking at my computer screen! (Yes, clearly I need to re-arrange my workroom if I'm getting glare like that!)

[Leo Ki]

Hello ^^ I've been on a long hiatus too, we're coinciding.
I was going to ask you about your comic project but...
you'll probably tell me you've been busy with other projects
for this anthology? Congrats, and I'm waiting for the scans.

How in the world can you read anything on your screen with those glares XD

[Toffeeliz]

good work on placing the shadows in that last piece

[geckochan]

I suck at, um, not disappearing. Anyway, had a horrible computer crash, had to replace hard drive...didn't really lose anything since I'm not crazy enough to not back up, but do need to sort of re-organize files and whatnot.

Anyway, for now, here's a few sketchbook pages from today:

[geckochan]

Doing some art for Christmas presents. For those who are also comic artists, doing fanart of their characters where applicable ^_^

Here's a few - collage-y pic for someone, and fanart for Katherine Holden of one of her characters from FanDanGo, and Emma Viecelli's Dragon Heir (I like how this one came out ^_^)

[Phlipper]

Love the colored line art and other illustration type stuff. I've just started working a bit with pen and ink under brushed watercolor pencil after years of primarily working in oils. It's a new, but very interesting challenge.

[geckochan]

Thanks Phlipper! Even though it took me about a month to get back on here! Sorry. Hope it's going well with your experiments! ^_^

Took a break from busyness for some wind-down drawing - a Chinese New Year card and a birthday sketch for a friend.

[applecheeks]

Hey geckochan! Nice to find you here! CA is so big it's no wonder I haven't spotted you until now.
Very nice work! I like the look of the collage piece!

[geckochan]

Hey Fuurin! ^_^ Nice to see you on here too! You're right, this place is huge, so when you spot someone you know it's like happening to run into someone you know while wandering around London or something!

[geckochan]

Woo, been a looong time (since I posted here, not since I drew anything! O.o ) Let's restart. There is now finally a Dr. Sketchy running near me!! Sketches from recent Bettie Page-themed session: