New Me, and other updates!

So I haven't posted for a bit, mainly because diskgrunt.com has been getting an over haul. I've updated the site with a few design changes, added a bunch of work and created a new D.I.Y. Screen Printing section. I'm now offering hand silkscreened goodness to the masses, and for those of you who want a bit of ownership on your prints, you can now pull the actual prints. I've only listed out the most commonly asked for options but if you're interested in doing something different, or using more colors, just email me and let me know what you want!

I also wanted to introduce the new me, I've been struggling with how to draw myself lately and noticed that I was getting a wee bit to garfieldy/simpsony in my bio comics. So I've simplified the style a bit, made it match more of how I draw my other characters, and from now on you'll be seeing me drawn more like this.

Portrait Challange

So when I was younger and teaching myself how to draw I used to do a self portrait as a litmus test. I'd do these portraits once or twice a year then compare them to the prior years drawing and see if I improved, stalled or degraded in skill level. I think the last one of these I did shortly after my first year at college. Foundation Year was full of more technical drawing but as I shifted into my major my drawings focused more on cartooning and I let my more traditional skill set rust a bit.

So this self portrait, admittedly not my best work, is my new starting point. Instead of a year, I want to start doing a weekly portrait ( not of me) and a bi-monthly one of myself. On top of that, I want to get back to life drawing. I started going just prior to leaving ZIBA but haven't kept it up since.

Anyone want to join in on the challenge?

I'm sick

Learning Acrylics - Self Portrait on Wood

I've been wanting to start painting with Acrylics for some time. Given my space needs and time constraints Oils just aren't a practical solution, but I haven't touch acrylic paints since my high-school art class and I'm not sure if poster paints count.

So below is a cleaned up doodle, the pose is based loosely on this drawing, and the current state of the painting. Overall I'm happy with the results thus far but man the paint does dry quick and is hard to fix areas once they are dried without getting considerable buildup. Still the quick results and fast sketch to completed painting time is impressive.

The Canvas is actually an up-cycled Whole Foods Catering Tray. Apparently once food is placed in the untreated trays, they can't be used again. So they are broken down and presumably recycled. Our admin staff stows a few away for me though as they make perfect canvases after a light sanding and staining. 

Any thoughts, tricks, techniques, critiques, comments are certainly welcome.

Lots of Post - Semi-Self Portrait

This portrait would be more accurate if I still smoked... I guess in my cartoon self I still do. I fell way behind this month on post but not on drawings, I've got a pile I'm scanning my way through and hope to get all of febs doodles up before it's march. I'm also playing around with some meta-tag stuff and am curious if Blogger looses this data or if it's retained when transferring the image to the site. I'm also interested if Google and other search engines pick it up. Given that there is some less the artist friendly legislation that keeps getting kicked around I thought it might be prudent to start meta tagging my work with copyright info ( beyond the big ass mark on the drawings already ) and a means to contact, cause  I know how much everyone be wanting my ideas =P... Well even so, an ounce of prevention eh?