*groan*

I have to admit... I like medievalsomethinghousenumbertenmillionohthere'sadog-jobs but sometimes I miss my chubs work. I hope I can finish all the missing comic pages for this month next week (brilliant optimism, I has you!) and finish some more medievalsomethinghousenumbertenmillionohthere'sadog things and next to that I finally started working on the 4th calendar. I have no idea when I will finish but I pray I have some a lot time in July/August/September/whatit'salreadyDecemberholysh#+§.

*hint* there's a story...
I dislike how it looks so unfinished but surprise! it IS unfinished and the only person I can blame for it is me, myself and I. I normally try to get the face right and mull over the rest when I have more time (ending up redoing everything anyway). I want to stick to a non so 3dimensional style and include some more funny geeky illustrations this time and hope it works out and people won't freak out when they get weird stuff for their birth month.

At the moment I'm happy I have my moleskine with me most of the time since lately I keep getting tons of ideas (obviously always the case when you can't work on them....) and have to scribble those down with additional notes. Totally not worth uploading but good to keep them for more than 3 nano seconds.

Farewell, I have to finish a bit more of medievalsomethinghousenumbertenmillionohthere'sadog. Buh. I still love the job. I tell myself so.

Lion Kiki Steps

and because I already uploaded it and it's no magic at all, just a very good brush

(click on the image to get redirected to the ... huge download >_< )

Basic steps as always:
sketch
flats (thankfully done by Lew)
painting
painting²
painting³
more painting
adding a background color
done

It's really no magic at all and the brush won't do the strokes for you. In the end you have to be patient and play a bit with the brush opacity and flow.

Random cutie Han pic

Lew complained I don't blog often enough... maybe a cute snap-shot of Hantje justifies it. I've been @ home this week- working quite frantically on comic pages, cover sketches, corrections (I feel really dumb when it comes to mirror and reflection... theory and practice have never been more.... miles away from each other) and dealing with a sick bf.
I wanted to work on several things additionally but I was so tired I mostly just ended up napping on the couch whenever my mentally wake presence was not needed. It was so good and I really needed it.

I try to blog more often in the future if anything interesting pops up. At the moment I'm a bit wrapped up in the odds of life and getting the last big bunch of comic pages done aaaand a board-game finally rollin' into conception phase.

Zebra-Schwein got pre-nominated for the Graf Ludo 2012 and in 2 weeks the winner of the Origins Awards will be annouced. I don't really try to hope but it's good to see things get recognized. Actually it's pretty lame not to scream hurray but last year kind of sobered me up. ;)

Trees in Panels

... can be total sucker...

 The actual size of the panel.... because honestly.. every tried to add details to the a stamp size? O_o I failed which meant working with 600 dpi was a good decision.

 sketch and ... flats done by Lew... and a long road to go...

 Adding the leaves, erasing a lot and adding branches because it looked unbalanced. Adding things and erasing things happens all the time. I made the sketch (I think) 7 months ago??? Some months later you pretty much feel a lot wise ;)

 Depening the texture of the branch without going too much into hardcore realism because that's what I 100%ly don't want to achieve (and never will).

 Adding a bit of light....

... and correcting the contrast and bluring out the end of every branch because it looks too hard otherwise.

Still need to do the background, foreground, birds, details and the... whole rest of the page but that's pretty much it.
The leaves are 2 custom brushes and before you ask for those: Create some yourself, it's much better if you know how your tools react and why they actually react like that. I am still updating and cleaning my own set and it's worth the time you invest.

11.11. impressions

 From the lovely Mirjam. Can't show the other thing since I got the prototype :3

 Whoot!

 My Marimos: Herbert, Kurt, Gundel, Hank and Frank.

 I hope I won't fuck it up.... always wanted a cube, never dared to buy one. Hantje & Tretel are looking forward to get Marimo and Pawn TV.

Tretel looking very important.

Thanks for all the wishes I got. Actually the most impressing one came from the absolutely great team of Burton. You guys rock so much! 

I'm currently working in a maddening speed together with Irene and Lew on graphics for them (and a pretty cool app I'll show off when it's available). It's one of those things you think you can't finish on time. But we did last year and we'll do it again. I hope so... at least.

Little Helpers

what do you do when you need to paint a pattern with water colour and you have two basic colors already underneath?

Correct... you use masking fluid (I use Schmincke although some papers don't like it... Torchon eg ... very bad idea to use Schmincke fluid).

You can make an educated guess what the test-pattern shows ;)

What do you do when you have to mask 61 centimeters with a size 0 brush?

Right.... you start swearing and try to find somebody giving your neck a massage afterwards (volunteers? :( ... )

I like the work thoug... when everything's done you can see how many hours are in one illustration. Hopefully.

do NOT panic... reloaded

On friday I got a mail including two concepts. Not bad. The only problem is: I should have gotten those concepts 5 WEEKS ago. Ugh... 10 days left to create something out of nothing.
And because Irene and me are a pretty nice team (the other job was an experience we might not want to re-experience though) and she said yes for another row... it´s two people hanging over their drawing tables working on something too heavy for ten days but too cool to say no.
I cross my fingers that the team likes the concepts. @_@

Anyways... it´s creepy how much time you spend on thinking: "Does it makes sense?" (of course but logic things are not supposed to look cool which is bad.. sometimes).

Cheer for Irene and me. >_<

Pong addiction

Crap! ;_;

small illustrations on 20x20 canvas (mixed quality.. bad decision to mix) done for my book. And just after being happy about having done everything ... one illustration is missing. I totally forgot to do one and this is so... just odd. I didn´t get my head ripped off but it´s not the best start to plan some *free* days. I guess I will spend my saturday evening @ home instead of being with my family and PAINT. Arg... Anne, how could you do it >_< *punching myself*

So.. this might be a happy message for all those upcoming illustrators: Even pros do epic FAILS. arg.. yes, you are allowed to laugh =_=;


Anyway, mah little bunny turned 5 today. Born in Vienna, growing up in Berlin, hopefully infecting the whole world with cheerfulness and red capes.
Happy birthday, Kulla!

maison.. meet the boogie

just some shots.. I am far aways from finishing. Uh...

Everything hurts blissfully

I can´t believe it.. it´s 01:03 in the morning and everything is done... everything. Ok, except those:


Today I finished 5 (in words: FIVE) canvases and corrected one additional. I haven´t done that many since.. well, last year in April when I had my last huge deadline. >_>

My back hurts, my neck hurts, my arm hurts and even my butt hurts from sitting too long on a chair made for sitting straight (but not comfortable). But nevertheless I´m in a bliss. It´s done.. nothing to worry about. Just some small canvases left.. who cares. Those are easy. No backgrounds, no trees (ok, one tree...), no million clouds and no more red hoods (just carrots... but those don´t count).

I hope I won´t regret the night-shift when I wake up in five hours. Uh... @_@ ...

DO NOT PANIC

don´t panic... 5 illustrations in two days... and book-signing... and two illustration corrections. I can do this.. I can... ok, I HAVE to, but it´s still possible that I actually *can* do it.

This gonna be a looonngg night. And next night: as well. I think I´m gonna be sleepy all day in office but well, just a huge illustration and a huge meeting to do. Well... I still have the option of drugging me with ten double shot coffees >_>;

omg, omg, omg

ps... my workspace at daytime. Looks a lot better with daylight. Not that I see it liek that too often ^^;

the disappearance of tissues

my normal computer crashed two weeks ago and now it´s *finally for the first* time at a maintance and repair service. And of course those guys won´t call back or tell me a final "you will get your baby back"-day. This sucks so much...
I still have my netbook *thanks god* and it´s okay to work in but I guess trying to work with photoshop on a netbook won´t be such a good idea. :(
But it´s cute, ne?

Anyway, I called in sick today and I really wish I can be back in the office tomorrow. After being @ home for 11 days I feel like I have cabin fever. I want to work, I want my normal working-mode back. Think I´m not made for staying home :/

In the mean-time and while humming nervoursly over 5 illustrations I realized that my last portfolio update was in 2005. :( And since I got an agency-request (weeee!!!) I guess I have to do a new one. Which is annoying. In four years I made so many things I don´t really know where to start.
Put everything in? -> The "I impress you by mere mass" way
Selection? -> The "I have sooo many more but I won´t show" way

I even start failing at the cover and headline. o_o
Showcase? Portfolio (now, this is lame... of COURSE it´s a portfolio), Works of.. (lame as well), ... I think I have to call Sarah and tell her that she won´t get the new portfolio before Christmas. >_<

So... when you have a flue the tissues disappear just like socks in the washing-machine. I can´t have used a whole package o_o ... have I?

The Stretcher Frame

So... some people asked me if they really have to use the wedges attached to a canvas. The answer is simple: Yes, you have to, if you don´t want to have a tottering canvas when you work on it.

Two examples... left is linen (my favourite) with very strong and small wedges. Rhe right one is cotton canvas (which I use because I´ll run soon out of linen and can´t buy new before tomorrow..). The cotton wegdes are cheaper than the linen ones and tend to twist and break. One reason why I hate to use them. :(



So, how u use it (example on linen canvas)

1. Step Put the wedge with the angled side slightly into the pre-cut space left for the wedge. There are two spaces for two wedges, you have to start *of course* with the lower one.


2. Step take the hammer and try to hit it evenly. If you have "scratches" on the front showing up after hammering don´t worry. Those will vanish when you start to work on it. Just... try to hit the wedge straight - or else it might break or you might hit yourself.


3. Step put in the upper wedge (again the angles side "sliding" on the frame).. take the hammer and drive it into the frame.


4. Step admire the wedges :) you can see that the frame slightly departed. Don´t worry, this is absolutely ok. You frame won´t fall apart. This happens while strecthing and will stay like that. The wedges will keep everything in place.


When if the canvas perfectly strechted? If you are done with all wedges and tap lightly on the canvas with your fingers it should sound like a drum. I love the vibrating sound, it shows you that the canvas is ready.

If you want to buy canvas with plastic wedges attached: Don´t buy those. The worst quality available. I bought those once at the very beginning. You can´t really use the wedges and the canvas will start sagging sooner or later >_>

So, back to work, I have five canvases waiting to get primed. Dang @_@ The flue got me, I guess it´s normal in spring to run around sniffing and coughing.

This is just so wrong...

When you have a fullt-ime job painting is a bit complicated. Mostly because I´m really tired when I come home from work but also because you have to puzzle around with things like "doing the dishes", "crap, I need to wash my cloths", "oh my... we wanted to go to the cinema", "birthday?! Which birthday?!!!" and just the normal stuff most people manage in their freetime. The only problem is: What do you do when the "freetime" is down to 4 hours. Which you might better invest in getting your illustrations done.

So I took some days off. Which might be cool. But now I have a constant headache due to bending just centimeters over the canvas. When I bought my drawing I thought: "Oh so cool, you can change the angle. Never again pain in my neck! Weee!!!"

The only problem: it doesn´t work if you have like 30 tubes, a water-glass and dozens of brushes lying around. Try that in a 45° angle (without gluing everything to the table). So i have like 4 unfinished canvases, a heavy "burn forest burn"-color problem and headache.

I thought a lot about the copyright problem too...
On the one hand: Obviously I can´t make the watermarks bigger and uglier because normal people won´t accept and understand it and honestly I don´t do pretty illustrations just to destroy the whole image thoroughly with a watermark.
On the other hand: There will always be people stealing. Ever. If you don´t do things non-compatible with a so called "mainstream" taste, people will steal. Sure...

Dang, why do my neighbours have to start making out next to my window just now... and crap, that woman stresses me out. If they are not trying to procreate, they are fighting.. arrggg!

Back to topic *using earplugs...* so if .... rah, I don´t want porno dolby while working on children´s book illustrations! I can´t concentrate.... the two might be happy but you don´t have to entertain the whole STREET. >_>;

So, anyway, I hate legal stuff, it is annoying that I have to spend hours on the phone, hours at the lawyer just to make sure somebody who spend five minutes with stealing will stop.
And it doesn´t make the whole situation any better when I get mail like that:
"Hi, I would like to have XY as a poster. Can I order it? Or.. if you don´t have time, could you send me the high resolution file so that I can print it on my own?"... what? O_O ... sure I send you my highresolution files. You want the pin for my bank account as well?

*looking deep into my bunny mug and wish that all those things will vanish and evaporate*

Crap!

Of course it HAD to happen. Normally I live in my happy good karma bubble but of course that ends apruptly when one things goes totally wrong. And another follows... and than the next.

My computer decided to crash again on friday. I started... he loaded and died.
Rahhh!!! How can you do that now that I have to finish the illustrations for my book. WHHHYYY?! Last time the same thing happened. Exactly. I had a deadline and the computer crashed. Unbelievable. I should say: "Well, no problem, I still have my cute lil netbook" But ever tried to retouch 60x30 cm images on a netbook?
No? well, me too and I dont really want to try it. >____> man, that sucks.

The only good thing is that my parents called yesterday. Those two are freaks when it comes to driving around in Europe (and not telling me.... ) making a trip to I-can´t-remember-maybe-italy-or-sweden-or-who-knows-they-didn´t-tell-me-sorry. I called them like ten millions times and nobody answered. Its bad if things twist up when you get older. When I was younger my mum always said: Call us when you get there, we wanna know that you are safe.
Now I have to remind them to call me or at least to take a mobile with them. It´s so odd.

"Hi, we just wanted to say we are close to XY now. We are a bit in a traffic jam but I think we gonna make it home around 7."
"MUM, WHERE WERE YOU!?"
"Oh, i forgot to call you- we were in Italy. Listen, they had those cute toddler cloths and you know Erik..."
"MUM!"
"Oh well. What can I say. We´re back?"
"!!!!!!"
It´s pointless.....

Those guys... I never get it.

Bao Bao Xiong Mao

I wanna squish him *pinching cheeks*

hello sunshine!

It´s green again. Thanks god! Some more days/weeks and my "green phase" is gone as well.. oh well, I think my mixed colours won´t last any longer anyway.
The week was so exhausting. Since the sun is getting up early these days and directly shining into my bed-room I won´t last longer than around 6.15 in the morning. No matter how long the night was... 6.15. Ugh.
For somebody who loves to work at night it´s pretty disastrous - I guess I have to get into summer mode FAST.

book-fair in Leipzig was... strange. I can´t put together all the small things since I had just many huge things coming along. Talking with my editor was the hardest part. Not that it was bad but I think since I left school my capability of getting thousand information at once into my head decreased.
You know the situation when you really try to listen and concentrate very hard and you can feel how you get tired and all the information are spilling into a huge black hole.
ugh... that was me.
The book fair was for me good and somehow... no, it was not bad, I just have to adjust a bit more, I think. I work in a media company. I should now how to switch from plan A to plan D,E,F, even Z within a minute. >_< Normally I know because it´s "just work".

So, I´m back on my painting table, listening to "Fuerzabruta" again (I wish I can see the next show, too.... man, I love the group so much). For those who don´t know De La Guarda/Fuerzabruta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taBAtxasWto
The title is "Corridor (Final)". Even without the performance the music is great.

Bursting

finally the middle and right one are "dead". I an´t use them anymore :((( Crap. The left is still kinda new. I know the brush doesn´t look that "healthy" but it´s sable. I think ALL brsuhes based on natural fur/hair/whatever die faster than the synthetics.


a 10x6 cm part of the whole huge thing. I like it.. but I think you won´t have such a close look later when the rest is done as well. But finally I found out which colors work (while painting with colors that do not work... wonderful XD ). I think this gonna be nice.

a very short week

I think I slept too long. Woke up at 15.00 and had (and still have) head-ache. Uh.... that´s why I don´t like to sleep too long. Every time I do it this happens. A bad start of a saturday, right?

Well... finally I got the Shikishi preview and a small sum-up (see above). I´m a bit miffed because my editor said: Let the color fade out please. o_o ... but it looks so strange. I wish I had chosen the pink puffy motive I wanted to do originally but anyway, the motive is cute and there are only 150 Shikishis, so I just hope and pray people will like it.

In the mean-time I started preparing a new project and as Judith said: "You´re a bit rusty, ne?"... yes, I am. I haven´t been drawing practically for three years. But still it works. I think some things work even better than before, other things got worse and generally I have to practice. I got a new sketch book, a new 2H-pencil (believe it or not, I could only find IKEA pencils at home >_> ) and I still have my Esto-eraser I got from Kei Ishiyama (and the eraser rocks, never had a better one).
Things work... just not as good as I want them to be. Maybe after the third book I really need a bit time to get back "into humans". And maybe it will work... than.
At the moment I struggle to be too optimistic. =_=

Back to my painting-table, I still have a sun-set to finish. And some green things... and my coffee.

And if somebody read it till the end: My new homepage will be online on Monday. Yes... THIS Monday. After three years. :D