Time Agent Mack and working on Time Management.

Just thought I'd post another watercolor sketch card real quick while on my lunch break. This time it's one of my character Time Agent Mack.

I've just been skimming by on work recently and have been finding it especially hard this last month or so to get anything done on time. So as of today, I'm implementing a 9 to 5 block schedule. Basically I sit down at the beginning of the week and plan out blocks of time to focus on whatever task needs to get done and plan out all of my breaks and lunches beforehand. The end result looks a lot like the schedules I used to get when I worked at Convergys( tech support call center).

Keeping a schedule can seem daunting or even threatening to a lot of creative types, especially those who make a full time living as an artist. But it helps a lot when it comes to discipline and productivity(two more words artsy types sometimes find dangerous, but are really the key to working in the art biz). I find when my slacking or my lack or work ethic is getting REALLY out of hand, keeping a schedule takes the pressure off of getting things done. If I sit down and tell myself: "all you have to do today is this one thumbnail/layout/penciled page and you can take your time." --then nothing gets done. But if I sit down and go "Ok, From 11:30am to 1pm I have to sit down and try to figure out a thumbnail for this page", then the time limit motivates me into action. Then I have to decide that, while it may not be my greatest page design ever, I must sit at the drawing board and draw SOMETHING.

Keeping a schedule and developing self-discipline is a tricky thing that I have by no means mastered, but it helps out SO MUCH when it comes to the creative process. I challenge any other artists out there who read this blog to try implementing a schedule into their own work system this week and see how it goes. It's not something that needs to be done EVERY week. It's just done until your able to instill some new work habits that keep your day structured.

If you want me to go into more detail about my time management system, lemme know in the comments. Also feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of todays art or how your time management efforts in general are going.

Ok kiddos, have a great day and stay inspired!

Rachael

Quote of the day:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”--Goethe

The Spirit

Here's my most recent and most successful attempt at a watercolor painting so far. With this one, it felt like something finally just clicked in my head and made figuring the whole thing out easier.

The Spirit is a great character and his creator, Will Eisner, has been a hero of mine since I was a young teenager. Don't let the gawd-awful Spirit movie fool you, the Spirit was a class act and the revived Spirit comic book that comes out from DC Comics is great. I've been reading it in trade and so far my favorite run on it has to be Darwyne Cooke's, so I highly encourage everyone to go pick it up. Good times. :)

Ok folks. Just have time for a quickie, so I better go. I have a book that's near completion on my drawing table that I need to finish up, so I'll blog again soon.

Have a grateful day!

Rachael

Quote of the day:

"And Now.

Now is all we have or so they say.

And I am either thrilled

To be the one that's in my shoes.

Ot tethered to the tyranny of all of my to-do's.

No wonder no one gets to far from loneliness.

Oh here I go, I'm rolling up my sleeves.

Cause this is where I start deciding

Everything is alright and--

Oh, if it all comes down to expertise

Than this would be the book I'm writing:

How to take on terror till you find out that your brave.

How to watch the sun go down

And how not to behave."

--"How Not to Behave" by Christine Kane

Sketchcard: Poisen Ivy and 21st Birthdays

It's kinda sneaked up on me, but in ten days, I'll be 21. It's hard to believe a year has gone by so fast. My twentieth year was a great one and it was one filled with LOTs of changes, exciting opportunities, many firsts, and a few stupid mistakes that have helped me to grow and learn more about myself and my limits. 20 was a hell of a year for me, and I'm grateful for every single day of it--the good ones, the utterly amazing ones, and even the stupid ones and the bad ones. If anything, it was very memorable.

So I'm looking forward to being 21. Not so much because of being legally allowed to drink and purchase alcohol(well...ok, maybe just a little. What 20 year old doesn't look forward to that?--rhetorical), but because I cant wait to see what new possibilities this next year will bring. :)

On that note, I have no idea what I want for my birthday. Friends and family have asked me, but other than a car, modbook, xbox 360 elite....I cant think of anything I really really want(and all of those things are way to frickin' expensive, obviously. : P ). I've never really expected presents, so I'm always a little happily surprised when I get anything, even if its a 5 dollar toy. Presents are great, but I'd just be happy if a few close friends were able to hang out on the b-day.

Still, when people DO ask I never know what to tell them. But my friend Lauren had an idea: Since it IS the big 21--ask for alcohol. Raspberry liqueur, Liqueur filled chocolates, Jack Daniels, Amaretto, Mascotto wine, Champagne, a pack of wine coolers,etc. The last thing I want to sound like is a lush and it will take me probably a whole year to even work through even a small stash, but I can't think of anything else to ask for. There's not really anything I need or want other than the things I already have.

But even if I get nothing, I'll still be a very happy and lucky girl. I already have more at the age of 20 than I could ever have asked for. :)

Alright guys,

Hope your loving life and remembering to be grateful!

Until next time,

Rachael

Dustland Adventures

Just thought I'd post character designs I came up with not to long ago for a story I was planning to do....well, less of a story really and more of a concept.

I'm not much of a writer, but I just had an idea for a failed anthology I wanted to do and the first image that came to mind was this little boy in goggles, the dusty wind flying through his hair, riding a motorcycle with an old worn out biker.

Maybe someday I'll find the guts to sit down and actually write out a mini-comic for this image, but until then,I'll just enjoy it for what it is(and hope that you guys do to): an idea.

Cause thats where all stories start with an idea, right?

Alright guys,
Have fun and stay passionate.

Rachael

Space Pilots And Learning Something New

So heres another attempt of watercolor painting I did a few months back. (With plenty of coaching from my friend Will Terrell. Thanks Will!). I've really have been trying hard to start doing full-on painting without using inks and, at first, it was really really hard. It's so much different than anything I'm used to. Even when I was back at Harrison Arts School, I mostly worked in graphite. But the more and more time I seem to practice, like with anything else in life, it starts to make more sense. It gets easier to spot my errors and find ways to correct them.

Learning anything new can seem impossible at first. But having someone around who has experience in whatever your weakness is can prove to be a huge asset. Surrounding yourself with people who are much better or skilled can be uncomfortable or daunting, but it can reap huge benefits when you both find you have something to teach each other. If I hadn't kept pestering Will for painting advice, I'm sure this would have been my last attempt at watercolor painting and it wouldn't have turned out half as good as it is now. It was frustrating, but very worthwhile to learn. And I'm still learning...

So at least now I have plenty of watercolor sketches to share with you folks over the upcoming weeks. As always, more to come....

Better get back to the drawing board.

Later Folks!

Rachael

SKETCH DUMP AND UPDATES!

Mary Marvel

Nightwing

The Seductress

Falcon

So, I know it's been MONTHS since my last update, but life has been rather crazy and busy once again. I finished a 40 page graphic novella for Harvard Business school in about six weeks, went through a month of burnout, and then more projects started pouring in again. And even though I've been living back at home with Mom again these last few months, my social life has been good....and the love life even more so. :D All of my time is spent drawing or goofing around at the end of the day with the Boyfriend, so happy times. :)

Right now I'm running on a deadline crunch and I have things that HAVE to get done PRONTO on my drafting table....but I have a new laptop and I just got a new scanner(issues with the old one working with Vista..ah Vista. ), and we finally have internet in the studio....so I'm running out of excuses as to why I can't update this blog. It's about damn time I just buckled down and posted something, so here ya go.

The first three painting were done on sketch cards(baseball card sized bristol paper) and the last is one of my first attempts at a watercolor painting from a few months back. As always please feel free to leave a comment, criticism, or any sketch requests in the comment section. Much more to come.

Alrighty, I better get back to work.

Have a great day everybody!

Rachael

Supergirl And Staying Busy

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates. Life has been hectic and insanely busy this last month, and I've only had time to work on job-related art(which I can't post here, unfortunately), so right now I'm throwing this piece up. Between cut-throat deadlines and moving out of my apartment(it's....complicated, to say the least. Long story short: my last roommate moved out and I'm not making enough yet to afford a two bedroom place on my own.) and into my grandmothers--and then into my mothers house a few weeks later, I didn't have a lot of time to get on the computer.

Thankfully, I'm starting to see the finish line on one of two of my projects and now that I'm done with moving craziness, I'll be updating on a regular basis again. My friend Will has been giving me small tutorials on watercolor painting(without going over the painting with ink. A new for me.), and so I'll have some mini paintings to post here soon. If I get a great enough response to some of the sketchbook paintings(hint hint. Comments, please!) , I might turn them into full sized paintings & prints for sale. I'm thinking of either that or doing just one big hardcover sketchbook eventually, so let me know which you guys would prefer. Lots of stuff in the works here.

Alright guys, I'm out for now.
Hope your all having a great week and staying inspired.

Rachael