Scarf mer

Here are a series of pictures building my new mermaid picture.  Most of them are just camera phone pictures as I went along - but I like looking at them all in a row.

Here's the pencil sketch I did in my 71st sketchbook.  It's a character of mine named Alanna.  Pretty.  I was looking for a quick start to a mermaid, and the way her legs are folded made me think she was a perfect pose.  Especially if the scarf was one of my water scarfs...  yes.  excellent!

 Here's the pencil sketch - still on clipboard.
   I do the pencils and then scan them into the computer.  Print them out very light on really nice watercolor paper after some erasing of redundant lines.

Flesh tone first.
yeah - crappy cellphone picture

Choosing nice color for the mermaid tail.  Something green, but I wanted to keep it in the brown tones.  That way, when I add the blue scarf, there will be some great contrast.

Adding more browns.  Want to fancy her up, so I am adding some stripes.  I use to catch perch and there were stripes there - not like these - but it makes me remember my youth.










 

Must get to the scarf - get those pretty blues on.  Some darks, some greens.  Make it like a cool wave.

Now I can play with the tones and making things darker.  Some background, and the other fish.  Some are nestled in the scarf.
Seashells.
Yup, getting there.

There!  Done.  I planned for the white foam and it opens up the wave nicely.  All the stripes are excellent.

I liked the details on her face too.  (By the way, the original is still available.)

obscure? Not any more

I went to Lush cosmetics today - I love their bath fizzies.  My T-shirt was the GenCon shirt I got in the mail.

To my surprize, the sales girl said, "Oh GenCon!  Are you going to YoumaCon?"  She was a fan.  She even understood my musing about WorldCon.

Huh.
I use to think that we were a very obscure group of fans.  That there were only a few of us in the wide world.
Not so.
Certainly, San Diego Comic Con should teach me that is no longer the case - but it just seems odd that at the high-end cosmetic store; I find fans.  Well, good.  We are no longer the few, the smart, the misunderstood.  I guess I am now a trend setter (I was gonna say 'hip', but that's showing my age).

   I think it might be important to remember, when planning new pictures, to remember that they have a wider appeal than I think they do.  Dragons seem fairly mainstream - certainly Smaug will be well recieved.

Gelatinous Companion Cube

Nice to be home

   It's totally great to be home.  My friends at the 7-11 missed me, and the cats haven't let us alone.

   Now is the time to re-pool my energies.
   I've updated my commission list.  I have 25, although it's been my experience that some people who put nothing down are never serious by the time I get to them.  Kind-of an impulse at the time thing.  At least 5 of them might fall off quickly.

   Worldcon reminds me of my roots.
   GenCon gets me excited about my game.
   I need to touch base with friends and family.

   In other words, I need time to be me.

WorldCon

This year, instead of Dragoncon - I went to Worldcon.  It was in Chicago, and my first Worldcon was a Chicon.  I have many friends, and it's practically local.  I absolutely hate it when there are two excellent cons on top of each other.
   I found the Writing Excuses gang and got a ribbon.  I love their pod casts.  Howard was up for a Hugo against my friend Ursula.  So many good choices this year!  Sabrina found a gorgeous coat - practically as the dealer's room opened.  A few costumes and some nice pieces to buy.

   I got George RR Martin's autograph in my sketchbook collection.  Found Neil Gaiman at the Hugo party.
   Ursula won the Hugo.  We hooted and howled.  Jumping around was definitely happening.   I looked to sit with the SofaWolf guys, but they arrived later than we did - so we kept our better view of the stage.  I had Karen Bovenmeyer - newly published writer - to sit with.  She understood our craziness.

    (The pretty starry back ground was a hand made scarf by Darleen Coltrain - gorgeous).
   The Hugo Party had really yummy pecan pies on a stick.  There was a lobby bar that was hopping all weekend.  I found Irene Gallo and Greg Manchess a couple of times and was too busy talking to take pictures.

   It's always great going to a Worldcon.  It's a totally different environment than the trade shows.  The emphasis is on writers and the business of Science Fiction and Fantasy.  It's quieter than I remember the old days.  Some of the quite is because I am an old school fan now - and not experiencing the glow for the first time.  It is quieter - but it's a backbone con.  I really, really enjoyed going.  I felt very connected and part of the Nerdy Goodness and not just the flash and sparkle.
   Had a great time doing art for David Schmoker - he totally made my con!  Four color sketches - or was it five?  Some take home work too.  Yeay.  I'll post some later.
   Loved having the SofaWolf Guys there.  It makes a statement to the old fandom that furries are here.  Validation.  Street/Fan cred.  I am there to help with that too!
   Today is collapse and recover day.  Too bad Sabrina's first day of school was today.  She went from two weekends in a row to get up way early and start her junior year of High School.