CVPR and EAI took a lot out of me, and some unexpected stuff came up. Regular blogging will resume next week, once I return to sanity land.
-the Centaur
Posts published by “taidoka”
Flying to CVPR for Embodied AI. More when I land.
Zoom zoom.
-the Centaur
Pictured: my neck pillow, drawn from the archives since new image posts are down.
not sure what's going on here ... stay tuned.
-the Centaur
Flying back from Silicon Valley Open Studios, just a quick sketch for you.
Drawing. Every. Day.
-the Centaur
Brief placeholder I'm scheduling for tomorrow, in case we get caught up with Silicon Valley Open Studios stuff. But what it strikes me is how animals behave differently when we're not around. Case in point, Loki is pictured here, sitting in my rocking chair - which he rarely does if I'm present, either sitting on my lap, or sitting on the table. But never in the other rocking chair. I wonder why that is.
Or maybe it's Heisenberg's Cat Principle: if you observe a cat, you have disturbed it.
-the Centaur
Pictured: Loki, on MY rocking chair, disputing that "MY" part.
In case I don't get internet access in time to post the cleaned version, here's a peek at Drawing Every Day 2024 number 136:
Yes, I am literally drawing every coherent illustration in the Goldman book, even if they are not intended as drawing exercises. This forces me to stretch with more complex compositions, and broadens the drawing eye.
Drawing every day, posting when I have Internet.
-the Centaur
On my way to Silicon Valley Open Studios to help my wife with her art show this weekend - both paintings and mixed media, including furniture:
Short layover, hit publish, please attend!
-the Centaur
Less than 3000 words to go on Camp Nanowrimo. This was a challenge, but we're close to the end now.
I think I was behind for essentially the entire month this time:
Note to self: don't try launching an anthology, launching a Kickstarter, serving as guest of honor at a con, and running a business all at the same time as doing a Nanowrimo project to write 50,000 words in a month.
Still, almost there ...
-the Centaur
Pictured: Sunshine through a really cool tree in Alum Rock Park, and some scary yet hopeful graphs. Yes, that was 8,000 words this last Sunday. That was a day.
Okay, technically, this is Photoshoppery, and not a drawing, but it is my art, and it is 2:41am, and I would like to simultaneously announce that if we make $20K on our Kickstarter, we're definitely doing a sequel anthology, and also to announce that I'm very behind on Camp Nano, so I am going to bed.
One thing to note on this (which is composed of our existing art, plus public domain NASA images) is that it can take a variety of different layered images to create the above effect. I cut the original cover artwork into three different pieces to create the original backdrop, and added two more (with 50% opacity erasure of the edges to make the starfields blur together). The stars needed a similar treatment (that's two copies of the binary stars, tilted to make the swooshies work well, which themselves also had to be faded). The cover itself had some filters applied to make the art look like something, but a nonspecific something.
Lots of techniques. Real drawing resumes tomorrow - two of them, to keep up drawing every day.
-the Centaur
Interestingly, not the same as the previous drawing (see below) - another drawing from the same page, which seems like it might be on the opposite side of the foot, as the tarsals are laid out differently.
Drawing every day.
-the Centaur
Still hanging in there apparently - we made it to 100 blogposts this year without incidents. Taking care of some bidness today, please enjoy this preview of the t-shirts for the Embodied Artificial Intelligence Workshop. Still trying out suppliers - the printing on this one came out grey rather than white.
Perhaps we should go whole hog and use the logo for the workshop proper, which came out rather nice.
-the Centaur
Picture: Um, I said it, a prototype t-shirt for EAI#5, and the logo for EAI#5.
So I don't completely burn out on arms and legs, I'm building out my buffer with sketches based on a completely different anatomy book, which has very good planar breakdowns to help analyze shapes:
Well, I guess you can't see it well in that view because I put a clear plastic library-style cover over the book to protect it, but I also guess you'll start seeing more closeups from this book as we move forward, so you'll get the gist eventually.
Drawing every day.
-the Centaur
No, this isn't an April Fool's joke: I'm the Author Guest of Honor at Clockwork Alchemy 2024! In recognition of my steampunk novel and many steampunk stories, my long association with Clockwork Alchemy, and the fact that they were not able to chase me away (even with a broom), the Clockwork folks have honored me with even more programming than normal! More seriously, though, there will be an author tea, presentations on neurodiversity, an audio reading of Jeremiah Willstone and the Choir of Demons, and even the obligatory airships panel (though this year it will be a more general panel on steampunk vehicles).
More news as it develops!
-the Centaur
Actually, it will become tabbouleh, vegan kibbey nayye, tomato sandwiches, crazy susan salad, and maybe burger garnishment.
But the principle stands: I am creating some buffer, as I had before GDC, in case Easter goes kazoo. So, please enjoy this variety of tomatoes (heirloom NC, heirloom Mexico, on-the-vine stripped of the vine, and conventional slicers).
-the Centaur
Pictured: um, I said it.
Ran out of time to postprocess this due to prepping for Easter dinner.
Actually, I got kicked out of the library because Loki is already having his midnight snack prior to going to bed, and it is best not to (literally) open the door to another round of zoomies. The mobile studio to the rescue!
Drawing every day.
-the Centaur
... he's just going to survey it from the safety of the inside.
Lots of work on Embodied AI #5 and Clockwork Alchemy and the Neurodiversiverse, more tomorrow. Until then, please enjoy the above pictures of a cat.
-the Centaur
Pictured: Loki, who for some reason wants to look out the window on the opposite side of the room - perhaps because there's more activity out in the trees than in the little courtyard behind him. Also behind him, a sofa modified by my wife Sandi, and one of her paintings.
Well, yes they are, but they're also the end of this section of the book. Legs are next.
Wow, that thumb looks like someone took a hammer to it.
Proportions need work.
Drawing every day.
-the Centaur
Spent a day with my wife; enjoy this picture of a beach.
-the Centaur
Gotta fly, here's a sketch.
Drawing Every Day.
-the Centaur
He sure looks upset. Are you upset? I think you’re upset.
You’re still hanging around for scritchies though.
Maybe not so upset.
Who can tell.
-the Centaur
Pictured: a cat, looking very upset. Well. Maybe not so upset.
