Day One Hundred Seventy Five

Lovely day with the guy and his guy... Took a trip out to the ol’ Harveyville to make a few introductions. I haven’t seen that much starry-eyed amazement in a long time. Ah, summer is off to a pretty good start. Just have to kick this cold in the butt before the week is out...I’ve vowed to be healed upon waking tomorrow morning...I guess we’ll see how that one goes. For now, each few letters punctuated by an exasperated cough, we forge on.

I absolutely loved today’s word, and the ideas behind it. I’m not sure I could really do it justice, but I had fun with it nevertheless.

back-room n. A room in the rear of a building for inconspicuous group meetings.

I didn’t want to be concentrating too heavily on making things proportionate or logical, and instead wanted to be able to twist the look of the characters so as to portray something different and more extreme.

I’m not sure it amounted to quite all that, but I do enjoy the way this one came out. I like the relaxed, almost languid posture of the woman to the right, and how it contrasts with the serious character on the other side of the table.

Goodnight everyone; thank you for reading.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Seventy Four

Another day, another ten thousand tissues...

I got a good word today, I think, so I interrupted my latest silkscreen project to get down to (other) work.

Because of the violent and, therefore, masculine nature of this word (totally kidding) I wanted to put a girly spin on it to throw it off a little. Oh, yes, the word...

Mol-o-tov cock-tail n. A homemade, flammable bomb consisting of a combustible liquid in a breakable bottle fitted with a rag that is ignited before the bomb is thrown.

Right, so, girly spin? I wanted the Molotov to be very out of place on this character; so unexpected, how could you not expect it?

I added a speck of coppery/red paint to the end of the Molotov to give it a bit of flame.

Well, I believe that’s all for today...enjoy your night!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Seventy Three

Well, I can’t say I’m any less sick than I was last night, but I figured I can’t keep writing “sick” and getting away with it. It was time to suck it up and crawl to the table, pens in hand, to make something resembling art.

Today’s word threw me just a bit...maybe it’s just all of this cough medicine but I couldn’t figure out just what to do with it. I knew I wanted to put a twist on it, but wasn’t sure (until the fourth or fifth time around) what particular twist.

arm-oire n. A large wardrobe or cupboard.

I toyed with the idea of something being put in the armoire, or popping out of the armoire...until finally I hit upon the idea of something unknown being trapped inside.

I darkened the armoire quite a bit to add to the spookiness, and doodled for a while to add some weird details. The lock was inspired by an old necklace I own. 

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend, and the fact that most of you won’t be having to get up early tomorrow.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Seventy Two

mas-sive adj. Of great intensity, degree, and size.

I am sick. Intensely, incredibly, gigantically, monumentally, massively SICK.

Xx (Be glad those are typed...you don’t want this cold.)

-r

Day One Hundred Seventy One

Well, I’m not sure exactly where summer is or when it’s coming, but I am sure that this isn’t it. It should be a rule that after the first of May, no one is allowed to get a cold, or to be cold. For at least a couple of months. Bleh. I guess I’ll stop whining and just give you what you came for. (If you came for some griping, I guess that was just a bonus.)

So, I went kind of weird with today’s word. I wanted to do something that was both funny and kind of creepy, but that also stayed true to the word in some sense.

book-mo-bile n. a portable library, usually contained in a truck, that travels from one area to another.

Inspired by a neighbor’s substitution for a wheelbarrow, and a local character, I decided to use a baby stroller as a means to make this book mobile, well, mobile.

I’m not sure how I like this one, but I do know it’s pretty weird. I think I’d like to meet this man, and at the same time I think I might cross the street if I saw him coming.

I hope the beginning of your summer is going a little better than mine.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Seventy

bi-fo-cal adj. Having two different focal lengths.

Day One Hundred Sixty Nine

Well, it’s a late night again here at The Ink Drop. I’ll probably keep this post brief in order to stay conscious through the end. It’s rainy and cold and beautiful outside...I’m enjoying it. Alright time for art now, I think.

So, I took today’s word and twisted it around to fit a definition that I’d come up with as a young kid.

puff-ball n. A type of fungus that is rounded and will discharge its spores in a mass of smoke.

Although illustrating an actual puffball would have been interesting (Have you ever kicked one of those things? So entertaining...) I decided to go with something different.

I’d always called any kind of pom-pom or yarn ball a “puffball” as a kid, so today’s word made me immediately think of a cozy winter hat with those tufts of yarn on the ends. Because it got a little chilly today, I was feelin’ the wintery inspiration coming back.

I really like the way she came out, if I may say so myself. I like the fact that her face sort of sums up today for a few of us. Makes me wish I could pull off a hat like that.

Cheers for now,

Xx

-r 

Day One Hundred Sixty Eight

I think I’d better hammer out this post before our power goes out. The thunderstorms are moving in, but I can’t quite tell if they’ll get better or worse. Either way, I like it.

Today’s word was pretty funny...There wasn’t really a way around it other than to simply illustrate the word in a literal way.

apple—maggot n. A two-winged fly whose larva burrows into and feeds on apples.

Well, I began with an apple, and let myself sort of go from there. Now, I’m not entirely sure what an apple maggot exactly looks like...but I’m pretty sure this isn’t it.

Ah, well. I didn’t mean for this little guy to look quite so gleeful, but it made me laugh as I finished it. He's certainly an odd character; I'm not sure if I like him or hate him.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Seven

I’m not sure what happened to today. All I know, is that I can’t quite move. If I can manage to pull myself off the couch and to the door, I’ll be back out skating again to hopefully rid myself of some of this soreness. Ahh..ow.

So, anyway, I’ll quit complaining and start in on today’s post.

I thought today’s word was pretty decent; it appealed to the nerd in me.

read-out n. In computer science, the process of removing information from a computer and displaying it in an understandable form, the process of reading something; the radio transmission of pictures of information from a space vehicle either immediately upon acquisition or by tape recording playback.

So, I thought about people listening to Morse code being transmitted; crouching with headphones and recording messages. I thought I’d draw from this to do a little bit of a twist on it.

I kind of like this one a bit. It’s a little odd, and I’m not sure it makes a whole lot of sense, but I enjoy drawing characters from different perspectives than normal.

Phew! Bed time, everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Six

Good evening, everyone. This post comes to you from the living room floor, as your author attempts to keep from moving one single sore muscle. After signing up for junior roller derby yesterday, I figured I’d better get back on skates.

A few hours later, I managed to stay upright long enough to build up some momentum in the gym and really get skating. I fell and slid across the floor less than half a dozen times, so I’d count it as a good, albeit bruise-y day.

I took a few liberties with today’s word; bending it a bit to fit the character as it evolved. It feels great to be drawing something un-girly, though.

Today’s word is interesting, but comes off as a bit of an exaggeration when you see the final piece.

el-e-phan-tine adj. To have a lot of strength or to be great in size.

I liked the idea of illustrating a rather fat character; someone loveable and chubby. Although I’m not sure anyone would really refer to this poor man as “elephantine”, I like the way he came out.

I decided to keep his face blank and mannequin-like after I had traced a pencil line so as to be able to draw the face at a particular angle. I liked the way the simple line complimented the rest of the character.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; have a great night.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Five

Well, I guess it’s just us sinners hangin’ round making art. I’m not sure, though, that today’s piece can quite be called art but, hey...what can ya do?

I got a really easy word today...

In fact, it was so ridiculously easy that I almost felt bad for going with it. But, I stuck with it anyway.

lens n. In optics, the curved piece of glass or other transparent substance that is used to refract light rays so that they converge or diverge to form an image; the transparent structure in the eye, situated behind the iris, which serves to focus an image on the retina.

I know, right? Way too easy. So, in the spirit of the much-too-easy, I decided to simply illustrate...

I modeled this camera off of a very basic film slr; keeping the details and frills almost unrealistically minimal. I also illustrated an additional lens, so as to represent it from a different angle. I own a telephoto/macro lens very similar to the one here. Ah, how I love the easy words.

Well, people, this pressure headache is really getting to me, and I think I might have to go hide out somewhere dark and cool. I hope you all are enjoying the apocalypse, and your weekend.

Xx

-r 

Day One Hundred Sixty Four

I’m so glad it’s finally the time of the year where I can take advantage of this thing we call Wi-Fi and sit out on the porch while writing a post. To top it off, the gray rainy weather of today eventually gave way to some sun and a nice cool breeze. Ah, summer is coming and life is looking pretty good.

I thought I’d get today’s post out of the way early so as to leave my evening free. You know, because I just cannot be bothered with you guys anymore...

So, similar to a word a couple nights ago (I swear, I’m not doing this on purpose.) today’s word left the possibilities wide open and fit pretty well, I think, with my own style of illustration.

ob-scure adj. Remote; not clear; not easily understood; unknown, or unnoticed to fame faint. v. To make dim or dark; to conceal by covering.

Quickly abandoning the idea of illustrating a hipster on a quest for the intensely obscure (I’m so tired of them...seeing one in the mirror every day is hard enough..) I decided to go with someone who a little more genuinely demonstrated today’s word.

I drew on a sort of modern-art, Maude Lebowski-type inspiration, mixed with a bit of Persepolis.

Her hair came out looking a bit like a hijab, which makes the beret atop her head a little ironic. I’d claim to have done that on purpose, but I’d like to stay out of politics in this project, as much as possible. Anyway, I messed with the background a little; sort of freely doodling as I went along. I wanted some obscure symbolism in there to add to the effect a bit.

I hope you all enjoy your evening and your weekend!!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Three

So, I’ve managed to get this here blog started a little earlier. Maybe I can actually stay awake until the end of this post. Phew! I’m not sure how today went; it was a little strange. It did end with Hesher, however, which I highly recommend seeing.

So, today’s word was pretty tough to figure out. Because it, in its very nature, is a form of art. Therefore, I could have simply created today’s word in a literal sense. But, being overly self-conscious about my skill level in that area, I decided to stick with illustration instead. Okay, I think I’d better try to undo the confusion I must have created here...

po-em n. A composition in verse with language selected for its beauty and sound.

I decided to illustrate both a poet and a poem for today’s piece.

I like the way this came out, and the way the character is both self-conscious about and proud of his creation at the same time.

Well, everyone, I hope you enjoy your evening and your Friday!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Two

Well, I should be studying for finals, but instead I’m sitting here making art, eating Whoppers and drinking neon marshmallow-filled hot chocolate. Ah, life is good.

So, today’s word (I sweeeearrr I didn’t go looking for it) was perfect! It really let me go and just freely draw without inhibitions.

odd adj. Unusual; strange; singular; left over after dividing into parts; not even; different from the ordinary.

I didn’t want to think too much about what I wanted to end up with.

I love the way this came out! It’s just so weird and goofy. I was surprised that I ended up with something usable. I didn’t allow myself to alter or direct how it came out on a conscious level as I was creating it; I think it came out a little more pure for that.

Goodnight everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty

Well, once again, I’m up super late, typing away. I think this blog has become a late-night deal. Eh...I need to move this up a little so I’m making a little sense when I go to tell you about my art.

So, today’s word threw me a little. I wasn’t sure really how to use it, until I thought a little bit more. Anyways, here it is:

ache v. To give or to have a dull, steady pain; to want very much; to long for.

I thought about wanting things; how we spend more time yearning for things in life than we do actually working towards getting them. Not that a little yearning isn’t good; I think it helps us to appreciate things when we get them (or get to be with them). For today’s piece, I wanted to illustrate a character simply aching.

I kept it simple; shading the background a bit to add some depth. I like the strange look on her face as she sort of stares off into the distance.

Thanks for reading; enjoy your evening (or morning).

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Nine

I took the day off today. As Mondays are best spent, I relaxed and eased myself slowly into what’s going to be a busy, busy week.

As it is late, I’ll keep today’s post brief. Today’s word reminded me of a time not-so-long ago when I was still able to take down my younger brother. Before he decided to grow about a foot taller, and infinitely stronger, I would be able to grab him in a headlock and throw him down in a second. Ah, the good old days.

tack-le n. Equiptment used for fishing or other sports or occupations; an apparatus of ropes and pulley blocks for pulling and hoisting heavy loads. In football, a position on a football team; the lineman between the guard and the end.

Oddly enough, the definition of “tackle” I used for today’s word isn’t even in this dictionary. Anyways, I decided to illustrate the way things used to be between my bro and I; the lovely days when I could still kick his little butt.

I hope you enjoyed today’s piece, and any brothers you might have.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Eight

Well, it was a sleepy weekend. I really enjoyed doing nothing for a couple of days, though.

Today’s word was wonderful; I couldn’t help but go a little girly.

mon-o-cle n. An eyeglass for one eye.

I loved the (admittedly, rather over-used) idea of a little character dressed in masculine attire. Monocle provided the perfect opportunity to illustrate this.

I’ve been looking for a monocle...but can’t seem to find a decent one anywhere. Ah, well, at least I can (sort of) draw one.

Goodnight everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Seven

Today was a sleepy Saturday. We huddled inside away from the cold for most of it (although, after the couple days of 100 degree weather we just had, I’m hesitant to complain about a chilly day or two). After a really awesome, really chilly outdoor rock show, it was time to settle down, thaw out my toes (one of them turned blue...seriously...) and make some art.

I found that old dictionary today!! The brat was hiding atop a wardrobe in a box of patches/stickers/notebooks. How it got there, I have no idea. Unfortunately, I left the house without it, and had to use another too-fancy, too-large, pretentious dictionary to find a word for today.

cas-cade a steep usu. small fall of water. Something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding.

There’s more to the definition than that (as you can see from the photograph) but I won’t go into it too much.

So, I couldn’t get the image of “cascading” hair out of my mind. I didn’t much like the idea of going with a curly, flowy look-it seemed much too bland and girly. I decided to go with something a little different, and a little more abstract.

She seems almost confused by her hair situation. Although it seems like a mess, I’d kill (or at least seriously injure) for hair that long. Ah, well, a girl can dream.

Have a good night everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Six

Well, once again it’s super late and I find myself listening to the Doors, windblown and thrilled with everything “art”. I managed to stretch, coat, burn, and print today. (If you are unfamiliar with screen printing, this is an accomplishment, if I do say so myself.) I think, of the most recent prints, I’m happiest with the one I came up with today. I managed to pull it the correct number of times, with the correct pressure, and ended up with a clear image (gasp)!!

The sketch, writing, and brick background are all original creations.

Okay, enough bragging...it’s time for today’s word.

Once again, I have to report no sign of the dictionary. I even looked for it today, I swear!

corner n. [a protruding edge] [a sharp turn]

I won’t type the rest of the definitions-I think you all probably have a pretty good idea of what a corner is.

Now, today’s word made me think of corners as they are used for punishment, or to house a creepy, lurking character. I used this for today’s word, to create a somewhat mysterious illustration.

Employing the use of some Gorey crosshatching, I shaded the area around the character to darken the mood and hide the rest of the body. I like the kind of goofy way her feet stick out.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Five

Yesterday's post-delayed by the temporary issues with Blogger.com:

So, three days and counting...no sign of the dictionary. Not that I’ve put much effort into looking for it, if I’m being honest. It’s one of those back- back- back- back-burner things that you really mean to do, but can’t seem to remember until you fall into bed at night. You know the type. Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day.

I spent most of today doing various art projects. I managed to print a new piece on wood. I’m liking this silkscreen & wood combination. I hope to complete another piece tomorrow with another one of my recent sketches. I feel like such a pretentious artist saying this, but I churned out a series of kind of a darker, more intricate style while listening to a new album. As much as I want to gag as I type this, something about the music kind of pulled it out of me. Blugh! Anyways, I spent the day silkscreening and working on a collage project for a class I’m attending. This is relevant because it leads up to today’s piece, so just bear with me here.

So, time for our word. This thesaurus is starting to irk me...it’s just so condescending or persnickety... or something. I don’t know. I don’t like it.

crease v. double, rumple, plait; see fold 2, wrinkle

So, finding myself in need of some text to integrate into the background of my collage piece, I decided to pull the typewriter out of storage. Wanting to really be able to get the text without the look of paper, I used tissue paper in the typewriter. This went surprisingly well, after I got the hang of it, and I ended up with a translucent piece of writing.

This is mostly just a free-written rant, but I liked it from an aesthetic perspective. Anyways, upon discovering today’s word, I was reminded of the way the paper creased and buckled in the typewriter, and of the pile of mistakes that grew on the floor around me as I typed. Drawing from a photograph I’d taken on film a while back, I decided to illustrate this scene.

This came out very sketchy, and I’d like to have had the contrast a little greater so you could make out the keys a bit better. I like the freedom of drawing this way, though.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Four

Well, I managed to actually get a print finished this evening; after burning two screens and sanding down an old board. This means that, in the last week or so, I’ve gotten two successful prints finished:

Yay! I’m looking forward to experimenting more with the recent sketches I’ve come up with, and working more with the few boards I’ve acquired.

Now, let’s get down to business. Unable to find my old dictionary (that’s what you get for cleaning your room...), I had to settle for the weird thesaurus. Okay, it’s not really that weird, but it’s strange not using my usual book. I liked today’s word because of the way I’ve often heard it used; by young people in mocking that sort of snobby, old-man way of speaking.

concur v. accord, be consonant with, be in harmony (with); see agree, approve, equal.

Immediately, I thought of an old man with a large mustache. The kind that makes you immediately forgive him for using a word as pompous as “concur”.

I decided against inking this drawing; I didn’t want to lose the softness that the pencil lent to the illustration.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r