To take the stress off of writing so many papers, I’ve gone back to painting Christmas ornaments. Every time I start one that I think I’m going to like, it always turns out better than I expect (except for one nightmare snowman, but we won’t mention that one…) Anyways, here’s a few highlights. Enjoy!

I’ve been working on this piece with no intention of coloring it, so adding color sort of “just happened”. My goal is to get back into full color art before the year is out, but I still need some practice.

This character is from a story that will probably will never see the light of day, but I thought it would be neat to try to draw it.

This is my first attempt at a fairy. This sketch is based on a request of a friend of mine. It’s not quite done; I plan to add some color later. This also won’t be my first attempt at this since I’m just getting back into the habit of pencil and ink. As far as fairies go, I think I’m happy with the result. I may do a more “cartoony” one next.

I started this out to get the stress off a major homework assignment. It worked, and now I’m trying to get back into my “creative zone”. This is a simple model, but the complexity lies in how much detail you can put into it in its “post production” phase. It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with the end results.

You may notice a speeder bike model box in the background of one of these. I’m currently working on that one, but once again it’s on hold as a I struggle through my current class.

I’m also considering going back into drawing during this semester since the prep time and there is less mess to clean up. It shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

Between stressing out over my schoolwork and job, I’m trying to find time to do more sketches. I usually return to my favorite subjects because they always have stories to tell.

The trend over these last three sketches is I’m using a larger sized pencil lead than I usually do. I’m not sure if its because I’m getting older or I’m finding I’m getting a better line weight. Either way, I think I’ll stick to this larger size because the feel is slowly becoming more satisfying.