Sketch and Resketch

For several months, I've had the goal of sketching quick faces as my computer saves and processes. All of these were done in under 5 minutes. This page had a particularly rewarding lesson. You'll see two sketches circled in red. After doing the first one, I realized I hadn't captured the expression, which is the main goal with these. So I quickly did another focusing on just the emotion, which means I exaggerated it further than I usually would. The result was lovely and communicated clearly. Sketching often, quickly, and re-sketching are among the fastest ways to learn.

Speaking of sketching, I'll be posting rough sketches and concepts for characters every day in December. This is an effort to generate multiple ideas for character driven stories I plan to explore and animate. Please stop by daily and feel free to contribute your own ideas and sketches if desired :

CharacterDrivenStory.blogspot.com

Contest Results - Pets!

Congratulations to both Kristi and Scott! After all the votes came in by comment or email I could see the results would be close. It ended up being an even tie so you both win as this contest was determined by a community vote. Your prizes ($10 gift cards to Blick Art Materials) have been ordered and should arrive by email shortly (within the next 3 business days).

Kristi, your work sure has improved and your talent grown over the last year+. Scott, I'm glad to have you still here and contributing although you have a job using your art all day long, I've liked watching the direction your work has taken and see where you are more willing to go bold.

Congratulations to the both of you. And if you read this blog and haven't contributed, please do. Let someone you know that is interested in drawing, illustration, or other types of art yet doesn't know how to get involved: well, please let them know about this blog and to just try it out. We welcome talent of all levels, after all none of us are ever really done growing.

Stay tuned and see what is to come, this Shoebox of Dreams just keeps on rolling (as good as a box can roll)!

Illustration Contest Entries - Pets!

You'll find below the entries for the illustration contest that centered around the theme of pets. Thank you and congratulations to our participants, Kristi and Scott. Great work. I finished one but I don't have an internet connection at home yet (as I recently moved) so I'm having to work on anything blog related in class...not working well. Sorry for the delay everyone that follows the blog, I'm working on getting an internet connection this week.

Please vote for a winner of the contest in one of two ways: leave a comment on one of the two entries below to vote for that entry or if you cannot log in (as I think there isn't an anonymous way to log in) send me an email at shoeboxofdreamsentries@gmail.com and put the illustrator's name in the subject line. Thanks everyone who participated in various ways and that has for the life of the Shoebox. I'm going through a hard patch of life as far as being able to maintain the blog (as I am currently buried in the second year of pharmacy school) but it is a priority for me to not bury my shoebox of dreams again. I may have to rethink the blog but I feel like its a part of me and needs to live. Please send me your thoughts if you have any ideas you'd like to share.

Please vote for Kristi or Scott below or by email. Thanks everyone!

Voting deadline: September 14th, 2011 (one week).
(Winner will be posted September 16th)

Illustration Contest - Pets! - Kristi G.

Kristi G.

Please vote for Kristi by leaving a comment below (either by logging into google or leaving it as anonymous).

Illustration Contest - Pets! - Scott W.

Scott W.

Please vote for Scott by leaving a comment below (either by logging into google or leaving it as anonymous).

Illustration Contest - Pets

Welcome one and all to the next contest. Sharpen your pencils, grab some markers, or fire up your tablet. This contest is a run on the last contest centering around "man's best friend". We want to extend this contest to any kind of pet. Keep in mind that I am not limiting this to any type of literal pet or common pet. Let your imagination be the limit to what you can come up with and then break those limits. I want to see your imagination flowing outside the paper.

Entries can be rough as a sketch or final, colorized works ready to be framed and hung. Just play around with the subject matter and see what road your imagination takes you down and then challenge it.

Contest deadline: August 22nd, 2011 at midnight.

(For this contest there will be prizes awarded for community favorite and runner up of two gift cards to Dick Blick: Art Materials. They will be small cards as I'm a grad student but I like the idea of adding incentives for you to put forth your best effort. I will have details later detailing the community decision-making process we will use.)

Good luck everyone!

Dinosaur Hunt

Well, I guess I misread their deadline by one day. Oh well. You fellow reader will get to enjoy the entry that I put a lot of time into. If you do not know what I am talking about let me explain. There is a cool website that features information, tutorials, workshops, etc. all centered around illustration. They had a contest that was due (I thought tomorrow) last night at midnight. I spent a lot of time (a few hours a week ago and a whole day off) working on an idea for the contest. When I logged on I realized I was too late.

The contest centered around a few quotes and I chose one that said something to the effect of "Don't play what's there, play what isn't there." I had a fun idea of a girl and dad that are doing exactly that, playing that they're on a hunt for dinosaurs. I'm really bummed that I wasn't able to enter my illustration, not that I would have won but because I worked for a long time on this piece. Well, hopefully you can enjoy my misfortune in the form of enjoying my entry.

Vote for our fellow contributor Scott Wiser's illustrations: (by clicking 'like' he gets votes and the winner of the contest is based on how 'like'd or how many votes you get)

http://www.paperwingspodcast.com/2011/07/think-pink-ink-by-scott-wiser/
http://www.paperwingspodcast.com/2011/07/gone-gong-by-scott-wiser/
I'll have a new contest up on the blog within a couple of days for you all to participate in. You're the best!

I've included below the initial sketch if you're interested in seeing where I first started from.

Dogs! - Illustration Contest

Thank you participants! Great work! Your illustrations and sketches were fun to look at. Enjoy these great dogs and leave some comments!

 
Kristi G.


So I tried sketching with a pen for my rough ideas. I hope you don't mind me sending you these along with the finished. I was pretty excited about them - I usually use a pencil and find myself using the eraser more than the side I should be using. I tried to not worry so much about getting it perfect, instead tried to capture the movement. I am more pleased with the sketches than the final. Liezl has been following Jingle around the house for the last couple of weeks with a paper and pencil in hand. She has not decided which one she wants to send yet.

(I just took a peek at the scanned pictures and they look pretty fuzzy - sorry)

Nate S.


For my picture I just compiled a bunch of sketches of different breeds of dogs that were high up on the popularity rankings and some that had unique characteristics. Mostly I just wanted to explore the world of dog lovers and see where it led me. My reason for wanting to work on dog pictures for this contest centers around a story I’m working on that centers around a little girl and her greatest wish, to have a dog. She’s young but at her tender age she’s a sort of scientist, categorizing the breeds of dogs and doing her own scientific sketches. It’s a work in progress and this activity helped push me in the right direction. I went with the pen-only approach which was harder than I thought it would be but an enjoyable challenge. Hopefully this contest was as beneficial to you as it was to me. Either way, thanks for participating with me.

Scott W.


I took some time to draw lots of reference (didn't include all of it in this selection...should've included a skeletal sketch, which was really important.) And the biggest drawing is the design I was going for. Fun contest though, lots of room to play and if I had more time, I probably would.

Also, on my personal blog, I'm posting a process post for my Paperwings podcast entry. Thanks for mentioning it on your blog and I'm excited to see how both websites benefit from these fun contests!

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Fantastic Flying Books Of Morris Lessmore iPad App Teaser from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.


I was recently blown away when I was introduced to an inviting story and a wonderful little app created by a team of artists at Moonbot Studios. What they did is nothing short of amazing. If you have been following my blog you may have picked up the hint that I'm a fan of animation and have been my whole life. This story and the presentation grabbed my attention and had me checking all over the web to figure out what they're all about.

Let me take a step back, if you aren't familiar with Mr. Morris Lessmore he is a character in an animated short film. Historically, short films have been used to push the boundaries of the art and science of animation and also to develop and foster growth and new leadership from the artistic team. Normally these short films are enjoyed by the audience but the love stops there...never paying the bills (or artistic team). To pay for the artistic work, feature films have been the expensive necessity (which would require even more debt or capital to fund any endeavour).

Mr. Morris Lessmore blew my socks off because here this team is able to think outside of the box, analyze today's new culture, and find a creative way to create a widget that people want and are willing to pay for. You received my applause Moonbot Studios in the form of purchasing the app and short film, an investment well worth it. The app is doing amazing right now in the Apple App Store (currently #27 on the Top Paid iPad Apps list). On top of that iTunes has made selling your short film to the public easy and affordable. Now for only a couple of dollars you can have access on your phone to the sweat, frustration, and tears of an entire creative team.

Inspiring work. Fellow contributors, think outside of the box, go places where no one has even thought of going before. New markets are opening up that will cherish your work and follow you, like you, and even inspire you to keep it up. Don't let anyone discourage you from pursuing your dreams...especially yourself. Some of the greatest obstacles you'll ever face were built brick by brick by your own two hands. It's not wrong to lay bricks...just make sure your paving a brick path that leads you on and up. Congratulations Mr. Morris Lessmore, you have my attention and admiration.



(Picture and clip are referenced from http://www.morrislessmore.com/ and http://www.moonbotstudios.com/. Check them out and let me know what you think.)

 http://www.morrislessmore.com/
http://www.moonbotstudios.com/

Paper Wings Podcast - A Fantastic Reference

Fellow contributor Scott Wiser has referred my attention to a great resource dedicated to assisting visual storytellers (illustration, animation, etc.) learn more about craft and connecting. The website seems like it's relatively new (could be older than the Shoebox though) but they have some great ideas they are working through. I encourage you to go check it out and see if some of their podcasts help you with the story process.

From what I've seen so far they have some similar ideas to the original ideas I had when I started this blog, some different too. Check it out today and let me know what you think. They are also sponsoring an illustration contest, but they're giving away prizes (good idea...wish I had money to do that...I'll think about it though). You guys are the best. Here's the link:

http://www.paperwingspodcast.com/

New Contest - Dogs!

For this contest I'm going to give a general topic and let you individually decide where you want to go with it. The subject is...dogs. I have a short story idea that centers around man's canine friend and I wanted to offer a challenge to the group as well as to myself. I just may let everyone look over my shoulder on this one and see what I've been up to.

Thank you everyone for your continued participation. Our deadline is set for two weeks out (remember that this doesn't need to be a final piece of art but a sketch or simple demonstration of ideas, composition, etc).

July 22nd, 2011 (7/22/11)

Send in your submissions to the blog's email. Good luck.

Argh! Finally getting my act together!

Alright everyone, sorry for the hiatus, I've been going through a rough rotation and had to reevaluate my scheduling priorities. I've finally tackled my final version of my viking entry/nominated picture from last year. I can't say that I love it or like it but I've decided to quick playing with it and just post what I have. Honestly I've felt inadequate with my artwork lately and it has pushed me away from sharing and posting on the blog but I've decided...what on earth am I thinking? The whole purpose of this blog was not for people to show off to each other but for us to learn and grow together. By not sharing, I am limiting myself from growth artistically. Long story short, I'm recommitted to the blog and idea behind Our Shoebox of Dreams.

I'm very proud of what everyone has sent to me over the year plus that I have been running this blog and I want to represent well what we're doing here. I have some ideas to expand our group of contributors and open it up to more that have similar desires to grow their art and reach out to other aspiring artists. Please keep checking back as I will try to get some small contests starting up and some great new ideas.

Any comments or questions, I'd love to hear from you: shoeboxofdreamsentries@gmail.com.

BEST OF 2010

Hey everyone. I've gotten so far behind so I'd like to apologize for the lateness of the blog entries. I'm currently finishing my first year of graduate/pharmacy school and with all of the tests I've gotten pretty behind. Thanks for your patience though and I'm excited to move into summer where I don't have all the deadlines and tests to study for.

Great submissions to everyone that participated. You should be proud of yourselves. I've included in this post all the newly reviewed submissions; anything not included in this post can be found on the nominations post. Thank you for your continued participation throughout the year of 2010 and into 2011. I'm hoping to get the blog up and running as soon as I finish my last final in two weeks. You guys are the best. 

Kristi G - Mermaid

Nate S - Recruiting a Viking (Work in Progress. Time has continued to escape me with the end of year routine in my schooling. Sorry everyone it has taken me so long but thanks for your patience!)

Scott W - Auguste to Bed

Quick Draw Contest - St. Patrick's Day

Hello fellow contributors. I know we have a bigger contest that is due the end of the month but I had to throw out a challenge in homage to my favorite holiday of the year, St. Patrick's day. Your entry can be a quick sketch if needs be but please submit something that has to do with the holiday, I'll leave it up to your interpretation.

Due date: Day before St. Patrick's Day, Wed. March 16th, 2011

Good luck!

Also, should you be interested in checking out my progress in the Picture Book Marathon, please check out the 26 stories I came up with...yes I was a finisher and had one day to spare. Whew! It was hard but a fun form of excercise. Please check them out and vote for your favorites.

Picture Book Marathon Follow-up

Any of you that didn't catch the old post, I (Nate S) have been participating in the Picture Book Marathon over the month of February and it's been rough but I've been able to keep up. If you're interested, please check out the stories I've come up with as the challenge has included coming up with the story/illustrations for a children's picture book everyday of February. While I can't say that I've been able to illustrate a picture everyday, I've managed to get a story idea for everyday so far, something I'm proud of. Please check them out and leave me a comment on my blog.

Best of the Shoebox - 2010 Nominations

Announcing the 2010 Nominations for the Best of the Shoebox. Sorry for the delay but I had to do my best and extend the deadline for nominations to break some ties as best I could but for each contributor there was a clear first place submission. Announced below are the winners in alphabetical order:

Kristi G

#1 - Mermaid yoga
#2 - Girl pulling friend from the aquarium
#3 - Blue and Pink Cover

Liezl G

#1 - Eiffel Tower
#2 (Tie) - Popsicle friends AND Ballerina


Nate S

#1 - Viking Interview
#2 - No clear second or third place (it was between girl with large monster, monster in PJ's, girl with wishbone, and peacock)


Quincy G

#1 - Silly Clown
#2 (Tie) - Patsy the hairy monster AND Veggie robot


Scott W

#1 - Monster Brush (Auguste)
#2 - Bubble girl work
#3 - European background


Also included in nominations are two other contributors that received nominations. Although they didn't have 3 or more submissions throughout the year I thought it was important to include the votes and invite them to continue contributing, maybe even more than last year.

Aubrey S

#1 - Nellybug character/costume design


Becca W

#1 - Story backgrounds

Great work everyone! Thanks for all your submissions and work in 2010; and for following us into 2011. Your final objective with this exercise, should you wish to, is to take your number one, people's choice as well as one of your choosing and make a final version, a polished version that represents your best work of 2010. You may also resubmit the same piece without changing anything to it if that is what you wish but I challenge you to work a little harder on this challenge. Also should you wish you can submit up a third should you wish. My main objective with all of this work is to showcase what each person has done throughout the year and you will then have something you can save in your portfolio.

I will give a little extra time for this contest because I want you to submit your best work, really dig into this contest and work out those muscles. Originally I had in mind that I would make these available in a printed format for any interested, making it easier to save in a tangible way. I still am interested in doing just that should no one object.

Deadline for polished work:  March 31st, 2011

Doodles or Drawings

Scott left me a comment that I added to the last post towards the bottom about trying too hard. I know for myself that if I could try to subdue the perfectionist inside me I could get a lot more done and possibly be more content with the outcomes. Thanks Scott. Here's the drawing he was talking about doing. Enjoy...

Quick Draw - Character Relationships

Thank you for the pictures submitted. Great work. Here's the submissions I received for this quick draw contest.

Kristi G

Nate S


Mine I ended up not developing as far as I hoped to at this time. I’ve been working this month on a picture book marathon that has entailed coming up with the rough draft of a children’s book every day, on top of the finals I’m trying to keep up with. I appreciate the work you guys put into these contests so I knew I had to at least give you a real rough draft of my thought process. The story can be found on my blog and centers around two brothers, a big box of crayons, and a lot of imagination.

Scott W


I'm still playing around with the vegan twins. I like the personality of peace-loving, eccentric, etc. that they bring to my mine. I actually pitched animating something based on them at my school (but my mentor felt it was too complex). I would have a clearer, more polished sketch but I ran out of time...It'll come soon, no worries. So the sketch that I'm leaning most toward is the bottom left: one twin is drawn to the top secret box while the other pulls her away : The story I'm exploring of these two peace-loving-vegans who are incredibly skilled and talented, but refuse to be secret agents.

Also I wanted to share a comment that Scott sent me, I found it helpful (thanks Scott):

“Hey Nate, so I thought I'd share this too since this contest was a quick draw. I was in an online meeting and not feeling too positive, so I started sketching. I first made an interesting scribble shape and then started shaping a character out of that. I was only half concentrating in the drawing, so I was quite surprised with the quality of the character and rendering. It just reemphasized that sometimes we try too hard when we should really keep things loose and experiment.”

Just so everyone knows, I'm finishing up tallying all the results from the votes for everyone's nominations. I'll have them up this week.

Picture Book Marathon 2011

Hey fellow contributors and followers, I've signed up for something you may or may not have heard of but I'd think you'd be interested in. It's called the Picture Book Marathon and it consists of professionals and non-professionals trying their best at illustrating and/or writing a picture book for children.

Click right HERE to check out their website.

I'm going to be working on stories all this month, hopefully illustrating as well as writing as well as the contests that pertain to this website too. Please support me if you would by checking out my blog at the link below and I'll update it with my daily stories for the marathon:

MY ART BLOG

Keep up the great work everyone.

New Year, New Contests

Welcome back everyone to a new year in the pursuit of dreams and aspirations. Thank you everyone that contributed to the blog, you made 2010 a great year and hopefully you can see the progress in your work that I have noticed. Let's get into it, I've gotten so behind in graduate school that it isn't funny, literally. Anyways, I got a sinus infection that forced me to slow down for a few moments so here I am and I'm ready to make 2011 a year that the ball starts rolling. Here's what I have for you:

A double contest. First I want to do a normal quick draw contest so do your best in the time you've got and send it in on time. This contest is to do a piece that shows relationship between two (or more) characters. You need to be able to convey relationship, emotion, in other words the two need to have eachother in the picture for it to work. Make it something that reads well. Do your best you have until February 6th at midnight. (Beware though, that only gives you little over a week so work quickly and just submit whatever you have done, this isn't going to be hung in a museum.)

Second, I want your feedback. We're going to put together a highlight of 2010 submissions. For every artist that has submitted at least 3 times last year, I want you to submit what you think/feel is their best piece from the whole year and also, what you think/feel is your best piece of the year. So send in the nominations to the blog's email and I'll tally them up and anounce the winners of each contributor. Best part is that everyone wins in the end and you'll find out a lot about your work hopefully through this contest. Remember that means for every contributor that has made at least 3 contributions through the year, you will nominate one piece that highlights their work (as well as one of your own). Email them to me at shoeboxofdreamsentries@gmail.com. Same deadline as the contest above, Feb. 6th.