Alice, underdrawing 10/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I'm excited to finish the drawing for this one for two reasons. One, I'll take any excuse I can to draw a griffin (griffon, gryphon, or otherwise) and oddly enough I don't draw too many of them. And Two, I'll be more fully realizing the piece that I did earlier this year for Gallery Nucleus' "Curiouser and Curiouser" exhibition. I'm happy with the piece I send to the show, don't get me wrong, but when you work 8 x 10 (like the first piece was) I find it pretty difficult. I need to work larger. Well, enough of that. Here's the underdrawing for 10/14,

"The Gryphon"

Previously, 10/14 rough + color study

Next post,Wednesday : "What is his sorrow?

Alice, underdrawing 9/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

"Nonsense!"

Previously, 9/14 rough + color study

Next post, Friday : The Gryphon

Alice, underdrawing 8/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I'm thrilled with the Hatter's face. I can't wait to get to drawing it. I've always had a thing for drawing jackets and ties and turned up collars.

"Your hair wants cutting."

Previously,8/14 rough + color study

In real time news, I am caught up with these posts -- I'll be starting the final drawing for this one tonight!

Next post, Friday : "Nonsense!"

Alice, underdrawing 7/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I could probably say this with most of these but I'm really looking forward to getting to this one.

The Cheshire Cat

Previously, 7/14 rough + color study

In real time news, I've just completed the sixth final drawing (The Caterpillar) so I'm very nearly up to date with underdrawing posts. What's that? You want proof? Ok, here is a detail of Alice from The Caterpillar :

Next post, Wednesday : "Your hair wants cutting."

Alice, underdrawing 6/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

The Caterpillar

Previously, 6/14 rough + color study

Next post, Monday : The Cheshire Cat

Alice, underdrawing 5/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I'm pleased with this one for a number of reasons but most of all I'm happy with Alice's hair. I'm looking forward to drawing it and the actual thistle. Drawing a puppy is a means to have a real reason to draw a thistle.

The Puppy and the Thistle

Previously, 5/14 rough + color study

In real time news (since you must know that I don't post these instantly as I finish them) I'm just about right behind the roughs in terms of finished drawings. I've got the first three completed and I'm very happy with them. They will be the next stage of postings after these roughs.

Next post, Friday : The Caterpillar

Alice, underdrawing 4/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I was really happy to get to this one, I've been looking forward to doing more figures in a scene. The Dodo was pretty fun to get started. I can't wait to finish it.

"The Thimble"

Previously, 4/14 rough + color study

Next post, Wednesday : The Puppy and the Thistle

Alice, underdrawing 3/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

"I wish I hadn't cried so much!"

Previously, 3/14 rough + color study

In real time news, I've just completed the underdrawings for all 14 pieces, though I am spacing out the posts here. I hope to begin the final drawings this weekend.

Next post, Monday : "The Thimble."

Alice, underdrawing 2/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

I'm pretty happy with this one, I'm looking forward to drawing the figure. There's still a lot to figure out with the final drawing and painting for it.

"The Glass Table"

Previously, 2/14 rough + color study

Next post, Friday : "I wish I hadn't cried so much!"

Alice, underdrawing 1/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the underdrawing.

Here's a look at the underdrawing for the first piece. I typically rough my work out in a blue col-erase to find my lines and move on to the finished drawing from there.

There's not a lot to see here, I'll figure most of my work in with the final pencil. I usually leave most environmental stuff for that stage (though I block in my shapes with the blue) but I'm careful to render out any figures with the blue and establish the proportions I want in this stage.

"Daisy chains"

Previously, 1/14 rough + color study.

Next post, Wednesday : The Glass Table

special guest post

My little sister is one of my most favorite people ever. She's really the best little sister anyone could have ever asked for. She's a brilliant artist, she's clever and very funny, and she's sweet. She grew up watching me play Zelda. She is one of the most fun people to watch movies with because she invests on every level into the story.

Unfortunately, she's spent her entire life living in my shadow. This minor annoyance comes up every now and again. She recently scrawled a quick little comic about it and sent it to me. Enjoy.

Alice, complete color studies

Here's the complete collection of all the color studies. I'm pretty pleased overall with how they look together. This helps me to get all my ideas in order and see how they flow.

Monday begins the real deal, the final drawings. And I'll be back to my standard M/W/F posting schedule but not before ---

Tomorrow! A special, weekend edition guest post; a comic drawn by someone who has always lived in my shadow!

See you then!

Alice, roughs 14/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the rough + color study.

From Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 12, Alice's Evidence :

" ...and found herself lying on the bank, with her head in the lap of her sister, who was gently brushing away some dead leaves that had fluttered down from the trees upon her face.

'Wake up, Alice dear!' said her sister; 'Why, what a long sleep you've had!'

'Oh, I've had such a curious dream!' said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have just been reading about; and when she had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, 'It was a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in to your tea; it's getting late.' So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been."

And so we're nearly at the end of this first stage of posts. Thanks for sticking with me through it!

Tomorrow I'm going to recap, all of the color studies together and see how they all look next to each other. From there, next Monday (5/6/10) begins the real posts -- the final drawings.

Alice, roughs 13/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the rough + color study.

From Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 12, Alice's Evidence :

" 'Never!' said the Queen furiously, throwing an inkstand at the Lizard as she spoke. (The unfortunate little Bill had left off writing on his slate with one finger, as he found it made no mark; but he now hastily began again, using the ink, that was trickling down his face, as long as it lasted.)

'Then the words don't fit you,' said the King, looking round the court with a smile. There was a dead silence.

'It's a pun!' the King added in an offended tone, and everybody laughed, 'Let the jury consider their verdict,' the King said, for about the twentieth time that day.

'No, no!' said the Queen. 'Sentence first--verdict afterwards.'

'Stuff and nonsense!' said Alice loudly. `The idea of having the sentence first!'

'Hold your tongue!' said the Queen, turning purple.

'I won't!' said Alice.

'Off with her head!' the Queen shouted at the top of her voice. Nobody moved.

'Who cares for you?' said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time.) 'You're nothing but a pack of cards!'

At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her..."

"Who cares for you?"

Next post, Thursday : Epilogue

Alice, roughs 12/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the rough + color study.

From Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 11, Who Stole The Tarts? :

"The King and Queen of Hearts were seated on their throne when they arrived, with a great crowd assembled about them--all sorts of little birds and beasts, as well as the whole pack of cards: the Knave was standing before them, in chains, with a soldier on each side to guard him; and near the King was the White Rabbit, with a trumpet in one hand, and a scroll of parchment in the other. In the very middle of the court was a table, with a large dish of tarts upon it: they looked so good, that it made Alice quite hungry to look at them-- 'I wish they'd get the trial done,' she thought, 'and hand round the refreshments!' But there seemed to be no chance of this, so she began looking at everything about her, to pass away the time.

Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had read about them in books, and she was quite pleased to find that she knew the name of nearly everything there. 'That's the judge,' she said to herself, 'because of his great wig.'

The judge, by the way, was the King; and as he wore his crown over the wig, he did not look at all comfortable, and it was certainly not becoming."

The Court of Justice

Next post, Wednesday : "Who cares for you?"

Alice, roughs 11/14

Note : I am posting the progression of these Alice pieces, start to finish. This stage is the rough + color study.

From Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 9, The Mock Turtle's Story :

"They had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance, sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She pitied him deeply. 'What is his sorrow?' she asked the Gryphon."

"What is his sorrow?"

Next post, Tuesday : The Court of Justice