She Sure is {Sketchy} Swamp Thing

I think I love you....

Those may not be the words, but this week at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, they were exactly the sentiment.

Happy Friday!
Draw your hearts out this weekend, I'm going to ;)

She Sure is {Sketchy} - Lana Jane and the Dragons

In October I embraced my birthright and returned to the shores of Oahu for the best vacation of any one's life. Seriously, Jasmin couldn't have been happier riding Aladdin's carpet.... um.. that sentence is more awkward than I intended... than I was towel lounging on North Shore sand.

One of the sweet parts of this vacation was of course the fact that we stayed at a house any bedazzled nail flaunting reality star with a poof on her head would have cut you to bunk at.  Another sweet thing was I was formally introduced to Miss Lana Jane. Notice the artful bend of that wrist.

This kid always touches paper like she's got two turn tables and a microphone. Naturally, I loved her from the start.  During my ten days of "no work no work no work" I was slowly tricked in to a relationship with one of the most meticulous art directors of my life.

On this, the first day of Dragons, and of course, as this year's wax throwing has foretold, definitely not the last day of Dragons, I give you our collective works of fiction, as dictated to me by an ever tanner toe-headed task master in size three shoes.

As I draw Lana perches on the nearest higher plane. "Hmm, Jack is goofy, Amber, his face should be silly."  "Oh and he likes to read, but his eyes get tired because he likes the dark too. He's going to need glasses"

 "Here Amber, draw him like this! Pay attention to the spikes, k? That's his name, so they're important."

Lana would tear out of the house and then return five minutes later.
"Oh, Amber, Spike is going to need some flip flops, because it's really hot outside. My feet got burned."

Lana was in charge of connecting the feathers on Dazzle's wings, she's an angel, and drawing the eggs that each Dragon came from. Dazzle's beginning isn't speckled as much as striped.

I woke up one morning to the wind breezing across the palms, the sun glinting on the sea and this particular drawing with x' on the 'wing-ears'. I easily picture Lana knees up, my sketches in hand going over them with the attention of the Devil who wore Prada.

As the days progressed we'd do a sketch and she'd start giving me character traits to keep in mind. Lana hand drew each of these scales in shorthand on Hawk's shiny black hide.

I've saved my favorite for last. This was one of the sketches we did on the last full day in paradise. I rationed sketches as it became clear that if I did not we were going to have trouble in... well you get the picture. I'd done this one and then let Lana know I'd color these and make them more artsy in New York. I opened my suitcase when I got home to Brooklyn to find this right on top.
"Smokey is not part of the family." Important, details -- That is the mark of a true director.

Happy Chinese New Year....

Wish for Dragons, and sit tight!

Commute

Onion Curls

I wish that you could see the way these curl girls started, just a swirl on a piece of paper that needed pants, and then a face, and then hair of some sort.

The duchess of justice leaned over after a small army had started to materialize, "Are those onion girls?," she whispered. Oh yes. Yes, they are.

The insight that someone not holding the pencil can provide when it comes to your drawings can be prolific, well especially when it comes to the Duchess' insight.

Just as I was closing my sketchbook Logan leaned over and said
"Those should be Olympic Mascots."
Oh yeah they should!

If you know a guy who knows a guy they make sure they call me. I can be emailed at info (at) amberalvarez.com.

It's not like it's a secret, there is no greater aspiration I have in life than to participate in the Olympics and since I have poor depth perception, a low tolerance for physical pain coupled with a fear of heights and high speeds, it seems like this would be the perfect match ;) After all, it's not like I haven't been working towards this since I was three years old.

Sketchiness

Owl Done

Hehe. Sometimes I crack me up.

You can see the progress on this little journey here
and don't here.
Voila!

Just a Girlie Sketch

Whenever I complain about deadlines or demands on my time my brother reminds me -

"All you do when you're "working" is listening to music and drawing stuff!!!!"

When you look at it like that what could I ever need to complain about?

I have music going all day while I work - about ten hours a day. I used to pride myself at being totally Indie rock. These days I'll listen to anything as long as it's good. This blanket stipulation will find me listening to everything from Electric Teen Beat to Country Rock. -- My past self, watching her future in the colossal mirror in her parallel universe, just pulled back in horror, gasped and threw up in a gutter at St. Mark's Place.

I find my inspiration in my constant soundtrack. I might be a music snob, but I'm the best kind of music snob. Everything I listen to is great! Haha. I'm always looking for new stuff. Fill me in on your favorite soundtrack.

listening to right this second: "The Story" -- Tristan Prettyman

Night Owl

So I stayed up all night drawing owls....
Ironic?

Poetic?

Lunatic?
A good dose of all three?


I kicked these off at a reasonable hour, a little after midnight. This morning I got fan art. I love fan art. I hate copyright infringement. But a fan's version of one of my drawings or characters, wrapped up and sent it to me? That is the best!It got me thinking.... I don't really do fan art.
I decided that when I got home from the gym I would do some.

I'm rereading 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'. Let's just say I'm a fan... On my train ride home I started really thinking about Hedwig.

When she's hanging out with Harry on Privet Drive she demands so much attention, her feelings are always getting hurt by Harry's insensitivity. Then Harry carries her off to school and she does her job proud and faithfully. We just don't hear much about her until it's back on the Hogwarts Express to London. That is of course because she's chillin' in the Owlery. She's got friends and co-workers to gossip and play with there!That's where this late night project started. It's taken a life of its own.

Tuxedos Are So Passé

Here are a few concepts I'm children's booking with a writing partner. You know penguin character development is one of my favorite things to do...