wycoffsart

Well, through the summer I got into a creative slump. I've been more committed to getting in shape (so I can create for more years to come).  I've had a couple good ideas that I've sketched out, but I haven't done much more with them.  Mostly because with the kids home in the summer it gets busy and I don't much time to myself to sit and draw or paint.  I've been trying to take my style and brushwork in a new direction (which is very hard) and sometimes very disheartening.  After years of being a very detailed artist I want to get a more expressive look, which can involve a lot of experimenting and failures.  It took a big toll on me and I've contemplated just getting a 'Joe' job at times. The kids are heading back to school and I'm really excited to getting back on track drawing and exploring where I can go as an artist.  I know some of the stuff I've posted lately may not be the best, but it's taken a lot of unlearning to get this far.

So I signed up for an Art workshop on CG society.  It is on "How to become a better artist".  I just started today and so far I see a lot in my art that will change because of this class.  I guess when I step back and look at all my art here I see that I have been up to this point a portrait artist.  I just draw or paint what I see and that is what I want to change about my art.  I want to tell a story with my art, I want people to be immersed in the environment and be captivated by the characters and what their struggles or joys are.  Up to this point I guess my art is like a practice in technical skill and that's about it, I've always wondered why I couldn't make the next step up with my work.  A big piece of my puzzle that has been missing is that I don't put a ton of thought into work.  My auto art is still just portraits of cars.  My pin ups just portraits of half naked women, just in different style and medium.  My digital stuff is starting to touch on it, but man do I have a ways to go.  Can't wait to start creating things that say something more than I know how to use a pencil or I can handle a paint brush.  Not that I will stop doing portrait work though I guess.  It still brings in the $$...... It's just that creatively my art is lacking I want to change that.  Hang on this may get bumpy.

So I got my Gears art done....Not a very big reception to it...I have mixed feelings.  It's absolutely the best I can do so that's good enough for me.  But if I lose to someone who chopped apart a screenshot or something someone else created I'm gonna be pissed.  I spent nearly 100 hours on mine hand drew/painted it and some of these people have submitted dozens of frankesteined creations......Hope those judged recognize talent when they see it.

Well I decided to create something for the Gears of War 3 contest going on.  I love the games and wanted to give it a shot.  I've been working 12-15 hours a day on it in the hopes to makes the deadline.  Which is Wednesday  at midnight....It will be close.  And to make matters worse I screwed my wrist up riding my bike two weekends ago  and it's really starting to hurt with all the drawing.  Manning up and drawing anyway I hope to have it done Tues.  I'll post it when I'm done.  I hope you all like it..

Well my kids are about to start school next week and will both be in full-time.  Which means I'm home all day by myself.  Free to create and draw and paint ALL day......Woa!  I have quite a few ideas floating around in my head and can't wait to start fleshing them out and creating again.  Shifting my art into high gear and getting back into a groove.  Thinking I'm going to go into a pinup, fantasy and sci-fi direction.   I want my art to tell a story and be more narrative then ever before.  Also might go back to school to finish my Illustration degree and get a better handle on the digital aspect of my art.  I also want to experiment with different and darker looks and techniques.  I know I need to control my color palettes more and create the mood with light better.  So needless to say I'm really pushing in a different direction and hopefully expanding my knowledge and artistic abilities this year and hope to make people take note of me and get somewhere in this world with what I love to do more than anything in the world......Stay tuned.