Fire up the copy machine!

Inspired by Jeremy Cowart, I decided to try my hand at a heavily-photoshopped self-portrait.

I really like that video, though the more I think about it the more it surprises me. It's a picture of Jesus. I have been conditioned (mostly conditioning myself) to be somewhat of an iconoclast. Crosses, doves, crowns of thorns, all that stuff, it just seems like a cheap shorthand for ideas that are incredibly complex, rich, and worth a lot more thought. And I suppose that if I just saw the end result of the video, I'd probably give it about a half second of thought, then move on. Not that it's fair to the artist, but it's how I would react.

Watching the process, however, is the magic--at least for me. I love the immense layering that goes on in photoshop. It's one of my favorite things to do. That's more why I made my own version, to learn a bit by emulating the process in the video. (Mission accomplished, in case you're wondering.)

Also, hey! Follow me on the twitters! And keep exploring.

Refreshed

My five days off last week were the most legit vacation I've had in at least four years. It felt great to get into the October-like weather of the mountains, and lay around at home for a couple days to boot. I read a lot, painted a lot, basically enjoyed the heck out of life. I don't know if a vacation has ever recharged my batteries quite like this one.

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Now playing: NPR - SXSW: Shout Out Louds

Art space

And really, don't I look like a happy boy?

[Closed circuit to Jan: Remember back in the day when I tried to maintain that Static Prevails was better than Clarity? Yeah, you were right about that one. I was WAY off.]

March 5 - 12, 2008

Let's hear it for blind contour drawings!

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Now playing: The Beatles - Hey Jude

February 26 - March 4, 2008

Two months in and I'm already running out of ways to keep this fresh. Green pen? Ah, no. Backgrounds? Meh. Taking off the glasses? Yeesh. I never realized how much I used them as a reference point. I may have to go back to boring old same thing every day. Maybe this whole process is just part of a spiritual, artistic journey.

February 18 - 25, 2008

1. I know you wanted a closer view of my teeth.
2. Drawing, in the mirror, yourself drawing yourself in the mirror, is more difficult than it sounds.
3. That gash above my eyebrow is from an unfortunate furniture transportation accident. Bit of a headache, but I'm fine now. Thanks for your concern.

February 10 - 17, 2008

How's that for mixing it up?

Also, Twins spring training is now officially on. I'm very excited.

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Now playing: Explosions In The Sky - Your Hand In Mine

February 2 - 9, 2008

This is starting to get really boring. I need new subject matter. Maybe I need to go back to making faces that are appropriate to my day. Yeah, maybe.

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Now playing: Madeleine Peyroux - I'm All Right

January 25 - February 1, 2008

Trying out some faces, I think I'll stick with the straight on "everything's fine" face.

January 17 - 24, 2008

Some things I've learned about myself:

1. My eyebrows are not symmetrical.
2. Neither are my ears.
3. Neither are my nostrils.
4. Shading is best left on the sidelines.
5. Do it by 5 PM or it doesn't get done at all.
6. It's time to vary my expressions.

January 9 - 16, 2008

Sixteen tries and still a lot of inconsistency. I'm hoping that eventually I'll look like me, but I'm not really counting on it. I'd have to have a constant method in order for that to happen, and I'm not a method person.

January 1 - 8, 2008

At first I thought I'd just fill the spread, but now I think I'll keep this going all year long. Most of these were drawn first thing in the morning, which explains the shabbiness. Head shape, nose, and eyebrows seem to be the keys to getting it right. This seems as good a time as any to announce some other goals for 2008:

1. Climb Mt. Elbert, my first 14er
2. Go camping
3. Read War and Peace
4. Paint my house
5. Write a 60,000 word novella
6. Fill 4 Moleskines with drawings
7. See a Twins game

Self-portrait.

I usually get the shape of the face first, then work in. This time I went for particulars and worked my way out. You can see how that went. This is from a picture that's about five years old. I didn't realize it before, but my face has aged quite a bit recently. I looked so young and vibrant back then. I guess that's what five years of easy living will do to you.