A Long September

September hasn't been a very good month for me, it's thrown all sorts of nasties my way; family leaving, work problems, money problems, creativity problems.
Actually, this year has been more trouble than it's worth and though there have been some bright spots, they're very hard to focus on over the rest of the shit.
But September is finally over and one can only hope for the best from here.
I'll begin October with a few things I've been working on (or trying to!).

Arts.
I've actually got quite a few things to show since my last update, unfortunately, I'm currently at my parents house and the only images I have to show are some digital sketches and scans from the Art House Co-ops sketchbook project, which just happened to be the only things on my laptop XD

This is Zien. Heheh, haven't drawn one of my characters in a while...

Bookbinding.

These are the most recent bindings I've managed. It's been a little slower than i'd like but I like to hope I've improved, at least. 

(sorry about the photos for these, they were taken with my phone camera at my parents house -__-)

Case Bindings:

Exposed Spine Binding:
Binding with exposed spine on kimono fabric tapes, waxed linen thread, Japanese papers and bead embellishment.
I rarely make exposed spine books any more, I find the construction, though pretty and flat-opening, a little less resilient, flimsier, if you will, than casebound. It's probably not as bad as I make it sound, but I like the sturdy feel and structure of a completely cased in book. Still, these kinds of bindings have their place, and though it takes me a lot longer to make than a casebound, it's still a satisfactory feeling when it's done and always a striking result.

The paper I used for the bookblock for this particular book is called Como; a gorgeous, creamy, heavyweight, wet-media paper. It takes watercolour washes, inks, markers and all sorts of dry media. It has a light grain and is thick enough that each signature is a single leaf. Love.

Ledger Binding:

I'm going to be teaching a bookbinding class tomorrow starting with simple pamphlet bindings and ledger bindings like the one below. Hopefully, if there's enough interest, the classes will grow and I'll start teaching a few of the more advanced bindings that I know.

I'm actually pretty nervous, I've never taught adult classes before and being a self taught binder, I just hope people don't blast me for my methods which may not all be 'official'! XD

I'll really try to keep this updated more often, I've been doing a fair bit of experimentation with natural media lately; printmaking in particular, which I'm eager to show.
Thanks for sticking with me!

*

Sketch Dump - 25th Oct 2010

A few sketches floating around my computer.

urgh, mouth caused me more trouble than it was worth :/

Yay! Quidel! Hasn't been drawn in a very long time :3

And a very hurting Moonstone :'(

*

Fee Wishes Me...

XD


*

Laptop LIVES!!! & Pencil Goth-loli Madness

W00t! The return of laptop was marked with a busy and awesome week long visit from Nayu-Roia and much family mayhem.

Lappy waited quietly for my return ^^
And, as promised a certain fussy med-student (you know I sez it coz i luvs you):


Akiko if she were to be dressed by Elle (who's a goth and would see goth-loli/kimono cutie potential in an unsuspecting Aki... this probably only makes sense to one other person XD). Drawn at work in trusty brown paper sketch book between running around and serving customers.

And I would say more except it's rather late and freezing cold and I have to work tomorrow, so off to beds for me. Night!

*

Some Sketches in Pencil or Lamenting the Loss of Lappy

Yes, my laptop is still in Brisbane.
One week and a day after it conked out.
It is supposed to be in Victoria getting fixed by now, this makes me sad.

So I revert to doodling in ye olde sketchbooks.

With my obsession with all things Heian, it was only a matter of time before I created a character from that period.
Pardon the darkness of the image, it was sketched in my brown paper sketchbook and scanned in B/W.
Meet Akiko.



Also, this was doodled for a rather impatient friend who wants to see a particular character of mine drawn in a particular era/style. For now, this doodle will have to tide you over, N. ^_^




Man, blogger is been a real @$$ to work with today :/

*

Laptop-less For A While

My computer stopped working last Wednesday and i've been silently suffering without. I make no excuses about my addiction to the digital realm and without my programs, internets and music (which is ALL on my comp) I may as well be without a limb.
I am making do with spartan use of my mother's computer, though it is clunky, missing favoured and what i consider, necessary, software, it is still a little lifeline of escapism I need.
Today, I gave in to my digital sketching addiction by installing GIMP on this poor RAM deprived machine and gave it a good go.
Like a friend said, it's no Photoshop *sobs* but it will do for now, at least until I get Laptop back.
This is what I managed to doodle in GIMP.
It's a very close program to photoshop in regard to options and specs but there's just something missing about it, I can only say it's the fluidity of use, or something, and perhaps the sensetivity of the brushes themselves that feel different in a very noticeable way. Eh.
Blah, enough rambling. Get to the arts.

I agree, it's no Mona Lisa, but whatevs.
It was also meant to be Felicien when I started it but... no. Sigh.


*

Personal Character for Whoring (selling) Purposes. Whut?

A little print i'm planning to maybe possibly sell on Artfire. I don't know. Would anybody even buy something like this? :/

Done in Photoshop.
Lots and lots of hours invested sadly enough x_x

Cross posted to my DA acount: http://albyon.deviantart.com/art/Inky-Space-115456782


*

Another late night + arts

Finishing off my TaD -_-
This is getting kind of ridiculous! lol

Anyways, a cookie to whoever can guess who this is (you'd have to know me or my characters/DA page). And no, I haven't put the name in the tags either XD.

Lol, there's also a birthday suit version of this, the original, but photobucket would probably chuck another spaz at the 'nudity' so I kept this one PG. XD

Yep and now to bed. =_=

*

PE Brethren - "Light"

Drawn today for the PE brethren section, character is Moonstone (9), theme was "Light".
I tried to show a few things with Moon within the context of the theme;
- His light colouring
- Light as in weightlessness (though I don't know how well that conveyed)
- Light as in the directional bg light.

Yeah I probably sound more artsy than I really am XD
Drawn in Painter in about 3 hours (waaaaaay too long for an overworked sketch :/ )

Doodles b4 bed

Tonights digital daftness is brought to you by N-dono and my diet addled brain. Rayne (fish boy up there) seems to get the idea.

sleep now. talk later.

His Christmas, Not Mine!

Cross posted from my DeviantArt account.

Finished it!!!!!
Little Christmas piccy I promised N of my characters, twins Ky and Kas (Kas on the left with the teddies, cranky Ky on the right).
Painted in Painter. yay!! had so much fun with this one, haven't drawn these two in forever.