Becca Scholes

New Year, New Work

2012-01-31T14:44:00.000-08:00

These are some illustrations for a 3rd grade textbook on ancient North American civilizations. I didn't know much about the Moundbuilders, so it was neat to learn some about the people that left behind these really cool, kind of mysterious earthworks.

It seems some rust has accrued in my inner illustration machine, and I'm feeling motivated now to brush up on a bunch of stuff (anatomy, perspective, value contrast! cast shadows! reflections!) Mostly though, it just feels really incredible to be working, so yay for producing stuff!

Birthday Drawings

2011-12-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Trying to start an annual tradition of birthday drawings for the niece and nephews. Did absolutely no research whatsoever on this dragon, so I'm crossing my fingers it will somehow meet the approval of a certain 13 year-old dragonologist. The pirate, of course, is meticulously researched and 100% historically accurate. Happy Birthday, Brock and Tavo!

TreeSpiritGirl drawing... thing

2011-12-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

For one of the coolest nerds I know. (He plays Magic the Gathering, and this is a really bad photograph of a drawing I did for his play mat). It was kind of fun to do something quote-unquote Fantasy, and the background (adapted from an Arts and Crafts era print, artist unknown) got me started on a path I'd like to explore, leading, I think, to the world where plants, geometry and pattern meet.

I'm still a little bemused, though, by the randomness of it all. I mean, little girl alone in the woods, sure - Little Red Riding Hood. But how to explain Grandma as a glowing, shrunken head floating between her palms? Awesome points for anyone who comments with their own interpretation!

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

2011-09-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing so mesmerizing as a pair of eyes... This started out as a doodle that reminded me of these lyrics from a song by the Shins: 'Mercy's eyes are blue/ When she places them in front of you/ nothing really holds a candle to/ the solemn warmth you feel inside.' In keeping with this theme, I will be merciful to my own drawing and only point out that her eyes aren't aligned correctly and that the lettering is haphazard at best. There, drawing, you got off easy this time. Bloggers, feel no obligation to be so kind!

The Ever-So-Refined Mr. Green

2011-06-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, so he's really not that refined yet, but at least we've narrowed it down to these two directions:

I think both of these directions have potential and also need some more work to really nail down their features and how they move. Which do you like better/hate less/would rather see in a children's book? Your input is critical! (And hopefully of a critical nature...) As always, thanks so much for your opinion!

Building Character(s)

2011-05-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Some character design sketches for a picture book concept I've been working on with a graphic designer friend. First we have Lily, an observant, thoughtful, innocent little girl who has a rough day on the playground and wanders off into the woods.

Next we have Mr. Green who, believe it or not, is an embodiment of the color green and in charge of all things green! (The trouble is that he'd rather be any other color). We drew some inspiration from flat retro cartoon figures including Pixar's brilliant short film Night & Day, and the mustachioed fellow from the Pink Panther cartoons. But still, I'm having a really hard time pinning this guy down...

The truth is I've never done character design on this scale before, and I'm wondering: how do you know you've arrived? Is it like love at first sight - you just recognize the right one when it appears on the page?? Or is it a more analytical decision-making process of trying out shapes and parts to see what feels right? Help me out! How do you design characters? Leave a comment, and don't forget to vote for your favorites - they just might end up in a picture book!

Love, Design, and Other Silliness

2011-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

'Too bad I have no depth perception...'

Love isn't blind, just two-dimensional...? This guy popped up in my doodles, and I couldn't resist the silliness. This was also a good opportunity to reacquaint myself with the pen tool in Illustrator, brush up on the 'cut paper' technique I learned in Scott Franson's digital illustration class and try my hand at some hand-lettering - all of which I'd like to incorporate in my new portfolio website design - coming soon! (The lettering is kind of an abomination, but hey, it's a first attempt. More on my design insecurities later...)

Anyway, this also provides me the opportunity of wishing you all a very lovely Valentine's Day, and that I just couldn't pass up.

Illustration Friday: Surrender

2011-02-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

Her story is still a little fuzzy in the details, but it seems that in order to save the mortal to whom she has surrendered her heart, Neptune's daughter must betray her people - knowing that she will consequently be banished from the sea henceforth and forever.

I'm sad it's not finished yet, but Friday is fast approaching and I just had to post! Definitely going to fix it up though, so any suggestions for improvement would be totally great :)

Snazzy Hat and Thoughts On Productivity

2011-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

Here's another somber fellow - it must be January. This is a doodle I scanned and painted in Photoshop.

So the goal to update my blog weekly seems to be going alright so far. The purpose? Mostly to help me get over this silly notion I have that everything I do has to knock peoples' socks off. Maybe this would be fine, except that when perfectionism teams up with my natural tendency toward laziness, I start thinking, 'why even start? It's never going to be amazing enough!' which, of course, will never do. There's no way around it - I've just gotta make stuff; the failure to do so would always leave a gaping hole in my life.

So, even if it's just for fun, even if it's no more than glorified doodles, my aim is to keep doing something, at least, and throwing it out there. I've still got ambitions for projects that will indeed blow away your inner footwear, but in the meantime my mantra will be 'something is better than nothing.'

What do you think? Thoughts on productivity? Avoiding the pitfalls of perfectionism? Snazzy hats??

The Road

2011-01-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

Halfway into this doodle I realized it wanted to be the main guy from 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. Normally, dark themes really aren't my thing - and it is a pretty haunting read - but when tragedy brings out the very best in human nature (and it's beautifully written), I'm totally captivated.

The background is intentionally simple, reflecting a post-apocalyptic world nearly devoid of life as well as the spare style in which the story is written.

2011-01-08T22:59:00.000-08:00

So my new scanner arrived today. After some research, I went for the Epson v500. Installation was a breeze, and so far it works like a charm! I still can't believe it's mine. Epson, (or young Epson, as I shall probably call it) will be an invaluable tool for reaching some of my goals this year, including updating my blog every week in 2011!

Sorry to gush, I'm just kind of excited :)

Shrinky Dink Wiseman

2011-01-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Before...

... and after!

I was introduced to the magical world of Shrinky Dinks about a year ago - and my life will never be the same. For the uninitiated, these are plastic sheets you can draw and paint on, then you bake them in the oven, and they shrink to 1/3 of their original size! Since I got a Christmas tree of my very own for the very first time in 2010, I thought I'd try my hand at some Christmas tree ornaments.

Here is a Wiseman I drew with Prismacolors. He kind of stuck together in the oven, necessitating an emergency rescue mission with forks, but he's (mostly) okay now.

So yeah, Shrinky Dinks, check 'em out! Who knew playing with polymer molecules could be so fun??

Doodles vs. Drawings

2010-07-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

So, these were done without models or other reference besides memory and imagination. Benefits of drawing from imagination: this is where ideas and characters are born. And, of course, it's FUN!

These were done on the sly, mostly in church, and are based on actual people I was looking at. Benefits: drawing from life can aid in gaining a good understanding of the structure of the head, giving you something to 'draw' from when models aren't so handy. Also, because people don't ordinarily sit still for too long, you have to draw fast, which helps keep the life and energy in your drawings. The real challenge, though, is not getting caught staring at your subject!

Conclusion: I like both of these kinds of drawings and consider both of them necessary for my artistic development. What do you think? Leave a comment, and don't forget to vote for your favorite doodle or drawing.

Cat Lady

2010-05-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Like her cats, she may be a little worse for wear and even a little on the crazy side, but Cat Lady, with her warm heart and tuna-stocked pantry, has so much to give. She's patched up the holes in her life with the only materials at hand and reinforced the seam of her broken heart. Her love will not go unrequited anymore.

Originally drawn a a Valentine to some friends and as a way of poking fun at myself during a semi-bitter stage of my singlehood (which, thankfully, I got over), three years later this concept still makes me smile.

Floating heads collaboration

2009-12-29T18:06:00.000-08:00

What is it about floating heads that's so darn compelling? Well, you'd have to ask Ben Dougal, super-talented artsy friend of mine, because this is his drawing... which I painted (hence, the 'collaboration'). This was actually really fun, and extremely refreshing to do a painting without photo reference or color studies - the painting equivalent of doodling, almost. Useful, as well - if you're stuck in a rut and low on creativity, collaboration can get the gears going. Incidentally, this also marks a major milestone for me: the first mustache I've ever painted. I have a feeling it won't be the last.

Friend Magazine Illustration

2009-11-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is an illustration for the November issue of the Friend for a pumpkin cookie recipe. It was pretty exciting to do an illo. for a magazine I actually read as a child. Hopefully more will follow!

Idaho International Dance and Music Festival

2009-08-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

This was the image I did for their poster and brochure this year. Their faces still look goofy to me. *Sigh*

Ballet Frog

2009-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, another portfolio piece!

So, you know how it is sitting all by yourself painting for hour on end, and you get to a point where you can't really tell whether something stinks or not? That's how I feel about this painting, and it's weirding me out! So, how do you think it holds up, quality-wise compared with the rest of my portfolio? What would make it better?

Otherwise, this was pretty fun. Frogs in tuxes and evening gowns just proved to be irresistible subject matter.

Senior Show

2008-07-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is: a series of illustrations designed as book covers for children and young adults. Some are for books which have long been favorites of mine, some are newer versions of very old stories, and some are just plain wacky ideas come to life. As most of these need some sort of touching-up before going on my permanent website, some real honest, nit-picky critique would be most welcome!

The Really Ugly Duckling

The Cricket in Times Square
I'm surprised by how many people haven't read this charming book. Granted, it is a little dated, but its appeal as a celebration of friendship, of finding one's place in the world, and of the power of music is universal.

Rapunzel

Leonardo
What if a young Leonardo da Vinci were to do some time travelling and end up in a present day grade school? Would he be able to save the art program? Would he get beat up for wearing that silly hat? We may never know. . .

The Secret Garden

"Please Sir, I mean Ma'am" & Other Stories

The Hobbit

Overdue Announcement

2008-05-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

So I've already posted this painting, but I do so again with the addition of good news: it got in the Society of Illustrators annual student show and is currently on display in New York City! (I'm pretty stoked about it).

More Perspectives

2008-05-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

Whew! Sorry these aren't so clean and beautiful. (I've learned my lesson, and next time I'll take the pains to scan and piece them together). Anyway, just some more drawings from Creative Perspective class. (The last one is a 'villain's lair'). Did I mention how much fun this class was? When I was little, I always wanted to create whole worlds through drawing, but never thought I had the skills to do much with environments. Now, at least I have somewhere to start from.

Figure Drawing

2008-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a little embarrassed by my figure drawings, so maybe submitting them to 'public' scrutiny will motivate me to improve my skills. The last is a rare glimpse of a pirate who makes occasional appearances in our apartment (usually to warn the occupants to wash their dirty dishes). This time, he wanted to wish my roommate a happy birthday.

Just a few sketches

2008-04-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

The freezing girl was in part inspired by the brutality of this winter and by the poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins that starts "See how spring opens with disabling cold" . . .

Creative Perspective

2008-02-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

These were an absolute blast to draw (as in staying up all night to finish them was almost preferable to sleep). The assignments were, respectively, a one-point exterior demonstrating scale, and a one-point interior 'dream studio.' For the top one I used Prismacolor (black and cool greys) on Mylar, which was awesome because it was a lot easier to keep clean than good old graphite.

Cat Lady

2008-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since my last attempt at digital painting (not to mention my last attempt at drawing a mangy cat) and I really should have been working on actual projects, but . . . I couldn't resist.

BFA Show

2008-01-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

The first two 'bookcover' illustrations for my senior project, 'Medusa' and 'Rapunzel.' Number three was a total bomb, and I don't know what's next exactly, but I'd better get on it because my show goes up at the end of the summer semester!

While I should have been taking notes. . .

2008-01-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorite in-class doodles from last semester. There's just something about drawing on lined paper that makes me totally free. . .to mess up? to just have fun? Anyway, I'm kind of sad I don't have any lecture classes this semester. Less doodle time. *Sigh*

More Head Studies

2007-12-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my Life Painting final (from a photograph by Steve McCurry) and a study of Eddie, our Mongolian model.

More Disembodied Heads

2007-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

It's not much, but, with the logic that I should have something to show for myself while taking Life Painting, I'm posting this portrait of my mom and in-class head study.

Illustration Friday: Missing

2007-08-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is my brain, by the way. I hope to find it some day, along with all of the car keys, contacts, socks, and quarters I've ever lost. The experiment this week was painting on stretched paper. . .it was kind of fun.

Illustration Friday: Moon

2007-08-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Media experiment in charcoal, acyrlic, and prismacolor on cardboard.

2007-06-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

Some blogger I am. My excuse is I went on an awesome trip to New York City. Here are my impressions of Central Park and subway rats, respectively.

Yet another historic moment

2007-05-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, I just got my website up and running, so check it out! www.beccascholes.com. It may not the ultimate in web design, but I did it almost by myself (thank you Scott Franson and Joe). Kindly disregard any traces of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it, and as always, enjoy the artwork!

Illustration Friday: Fortune

2007-04-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today's forecast is rainy, with an 80% chance of severe blessings. So don't look so gloomy!
My process was drawing by hand and then coloring in Photoshop.
Many thanks to the ubiquitous monster for modelling.

Illustration Friday: Green

2007-04-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to make friends with guoache (even though I can't even spell it). Otherwise, this was fun. It almost turned out as a portrait of my own parents (who are not strawberries). They raised their share of teenagers, and from what I understand, it wasn't always peaches and cream.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow illustration

2007-04-06T21:08:00.000-07:00

The assignment was to illustrate a scene from the story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." I chose to set the scene for later events by showing Ichabod's superstitions and love of ghost tales, and also showing the dreamy, bewitching atmosphere of the landscape that the author describes so well. We got to choose to do it entirely digitally, or partially with traditional methods. I've missed painting this last while, so I was happy to dig up my acrylics and go to town, then finish up on the computer. Hopefully the process was successful. Painting on the computer was definitely helpful in restoring the darks that were lost in the thin acrylic painting, and in cleaning up my clumsy edges. I really tried to focus on keeping my colors alive (something I don't usually do very well). Perhaps they are a little out of control, but at least they're not dead!

This painting has magnified for me a feeling I've had lately of really reaching and stretching for something in painting. . . I always have the feeling the images could be so much cooler, if only I had the vision, the technical skills. . .and didn't make so many mistakes. But I'm learning. (And yes, I had fun with this one).

Process Ichabod

2007-04-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here we have a not-so-fabulous photograph of the acrylic painting at the point I decided to go digital. It's pretty rough, still. I also did a quick color study on the computer before starting to paint, but I won't offend your aesthetic sensibilities by including that here.

This is the drawing transferred onto illustration board with graphite paper. Now I get to bust out the acrylics, laying down a light wash to start things off.

This is the final drawing, where I tried to work out all the design problems.

And here is one of the rough idea sketches-how the whole thing got started.

head drawing

2007-03-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Wacom drawing of Casey.

Illustration Friday: Wired

2007-03-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, the marvels of modern orthodontistry. As for the rest of young Stanley's face, he'll be undergoing extensive experimental surgery in June. Contributions are welcome at www.savetheface/fakewebsite.org.

I'm kind of bummed Blogger wouldn't upload my image on Wednesday because I wanted to post for Illustration Friday. Oh well.

Master Copy

2007-03-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

The assignment was to take a non-digital piece and copy it digitally. This is a copy of a piece by Mary Grandpre. I was attracted by the fun concept, and I admire her style and execution. Though I have not done it justice by any means, it was a good experience. My tummy now informs me that I have earned approximately half a gallon of ice cream (though I'm inclined to think its calculations are a little less than scientific).

Illustration Friday: Hide

2007-03-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

Those rambunctious, ungrateful dryer socks.
The technique was using a packaging tape texture with layer masks, and scratching through to layers underneath.

Packaging Tape

2007-02-28T15:55:00.001-08:00

This was a quick in-class exploration of this technique. The roughness is kind of a novel thing for me.

Illustration Friday: Communication

2007-02-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

This technique is CMYK channel painting. It was a little tricky and takes some patience, but it was also fun. The colors went blah when I saved for the web, however.

Advice from Becca: let your heart play on your sleeve sometimes, but only if you have a muzzle handy. (Now that would be an interesting illustration. . .)

Illustration Friday: Gravity

2007-02-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

Inspiration can be painful sometimes, as Sir Newton is about to find out the hard way. Who first came up with the falling piano gag, anyway? Pure genius. But maybe I should have gone for historical accuracy and made it a harpsicord, what do you think?

Anyway, I enjoy this technique. I forgot to put the apples in at first and had to go back and try to patch it up, and I'm not terribly pleased with the solution, but oh well.

Lino-cut experiment

2007-02-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday: Crash

2007-02-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry to post so late. This was fun, yet definitely needs work.

More texture

2007-02-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

So this is an attempt at Dan Burr's top-secret 'oil' technique. I think I need a few more years to get the hang of it. Meanwhile. . you'll just have to live with it.

Texture Practice

2007-02-08T22:28:00.000-08:00

Just a doodle, but this was fun. Hurray for textures!

Illustration Friday: Sprout

2007-02-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

I got a little carried away with the drawing and kind of skimped on the painting time, which is disappointing. But I'm finally getting excited about painting in Photoshop.

2007-02-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

Not much to look at, but I had to post something for our sketch-coloring practice. I kind of like the drawing, though.

Illustration Friday: Red

2007-01-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

In high school we had to take those color-coded personality tests. (Turns out I was a pale bluish-green). Anyway, on the whole thing there was only question that I answered 'red' (representing assertive characteristics). Ever after, on the rare occasions when he managed to get me riled about something, my brother would tease me about my 'one little red' making an appearance. This one's for you, Paul.

This definitely has a few bugs, but I really love this technique.

Afro experiment

2007-01-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

As usual, the colors are totally wacked (as in different than they were on the screen when I was working on it). Oh well. This is a really fun technique, starting in Illustrator and moving to Photoshop. I'd like to get more creative with it next time. Thanks for the help, Mr. Franson: I couldn't have done it without you. Literally.

Super Sloth

2007-01-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Like most things, this was a lot funnier in my head. Still, wouldn't a sloth make a great super hero? He could hang out in front of banks and other potential crime scenes and fight crime without leaving home. And they're so charismatic. Just look at their little grins. Anyway, I wanted to add another element like a cop car coming around the corner or at least a fire hydrant, but I ran out of time.

Planets

2007-01-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

This is an experiment with vector art in Illustrator. Yikes! Still, the possibilities are exciting. . .

Illustration Friday 80s

2007-01-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

These colors are hideous, but that's what I remember about the 80s.

2007-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

More Sketches

2007-01-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Just doodling. It has occurred to me that I'm a fan of 'untraditional beauty' i.e. angels with large noses and overbites.

Cubes

2007-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

This may not be the most brilliant composition ever, but I'm happy that I know how to do this kind of thing in Illustrator now. (We did this in digital illustration class today).

Historic Moment

2007-01-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is my first blog--ever! Sadly, I am severely technologically-challenged (but determined to fight it). This is a drawing I did of myself late last night. I was feeling inspired to draw after looking at a book of my roommate's called Flight, a collection of short stories in the graphic novel style. It's pretty much awesome.