Delirium's Giggles

Weekly Inks!

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:58:29 GMT

New drawings today!

A typical Sunday includes brunch with my family and checking out books at the bookstore. Browsing through the Art and Lifestyle section, I came across this book called "New Yorker Lookbook: A Gallery of Street Fashion" whose photos were shot by Jake Chessum. I loved the images contained in this book, specially the expression of the girl in the green coat. I decided to make a quick sketch of her and did the same with the two other girls. When I got home later that day, i proceeded with inking them then added color with felt tip pens.

Check out the book here

*****

Since most of my drawings are colorful, I decided to experiment with just a small bunch of hues for this drawing. Inspired by The Sartorialist's photo of this lady. Although I made a change with the shirt design, I just had to include the contrast of the red clutch against her entire outfit.

Who Loves Acrylics?

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:47:47 GMT

One sunny day, I took an impromptu trip to a second hand book store and bought myself The DK Art School's Introduction To Acrylics. I haven't had a real go at acrylics since highschool, and that was 9 years ago, so I figured it was a good time to get myself familiarized with the medium. I immediately bought the book and an acrylic paint set..

Until a while ago when I tried the paint for the first time in a long time, I was a gouache zealot. For one thing, I am more inclined to use water soluble paints so that clean up is easy. Another thing is that I especially enjoy playing with a painting medium's opacity, which I can utilize using gouache. The disadvantage of gouache is that i can only use it on limited supports; the most obvious is paper. With acrylic, however, different sorts of surfaces can be used for painting since the paint has a characteristic of permanence since it is no longer soluble by water once it is dry. Because of this, when I apply a second layer on a wash, the the underpainting does not mix with the new layer. I'd like to be able to broaden the possibilities with different surfaces such as wood, canvas, or even tiles or flat stones. I've forgotten how fun it is to paint with acrylics, and it looks like I'm going to take a break from gouache and get well acquainted with my new favorite medium. Who loves acrylics? I do!

In search of a subject to paint, I came across a magazine that shows facts about poverty and food scarcity. This subject is quite serious unlike my usual subjects, but I was inspired to make a drawing out of this topic. According to www.thehungersite.com:

It is estimated that one billion people in the world suffer from hunger and malnutrition. That's roughly 100 times as many as those who actually die from these causes each year.

About 24,000 people die every day from hunger or hunger-related causes. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago. Three-fourths of the deaths are children under the age of five.

Famine and wars cause about 10% of hunger deaths, although these tend to be the ones you hear about most often. The majority of hunger deaths are caused by chronic malnutrition. Families facing extreme poverty are simply unable to get enough food to eat.

The Hunger Site was founded to focus the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the eradication of world hunger. Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online activism, helping to feed the world's hungry. On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the world visit the site each day to click the yellow "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button. To date, more than 300 million visitors have given more than 500 million cups of staple food.

The staple food funded by clicks at The Hunger Site is paid for by site sponsors and distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps and Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) . 100% of sponsor advertising fees goes to our charitable partners. Funds are split between these organizations and go to the aid of hungry people in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America.

Click here to help end hunger!

The Daily Pill

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:38:18 GMT

Here's a new batch of drawings that I did over the last couple of weeks. A lot of them are simple sketches that I did during transit or in between breaks at my office. I recently got myself a small inexpensive drawing notebook for my daily doodles and sketches. I used to carry around a 9" X 12" sketchpad and for someone who has a 9 to 5 job, it can be such a hassle bringing such a big pad of paper at work when there isn't any guarantee that i can find time to draw anyway. At the same time, I felt like I was wasting a good deal of good paper on half done drawings and doodles. So what I did was get myself a really cheap notebook in which I can doodle, take notes, sketch and pretty much document random stuff on paper, then have a proper sit down and draw with proper tools on my big proper sketchpad. I think it works., coz I've been drawing everyday without having to worry about whether or not I'm wasting paper.

What I love about a drawing diary is that not only do I get to put images and ideas on paper, I get to document what I could be feeling or thinking at the time. With the drawing shown here, I was feeling a little nostalgic about a certain song, and missing someone who was as passionate about music as I am. In this drawing, I made use of watercolor pencils for the first time, and I had so much fun experimenting with the medium.

I'm also starting a new handmade card project with the concept of using different greetings around the world. The first one that I did was this French greeting "Bonjour" with girls peeping back at the receiver. I made this with a certain person in mind while I was drawing it, but I've got tons of ideas about this project and I'm really excited to make them happen! Stay tuned!

Ninja Kisses

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:33:49 GMT

The last wasn't the last, I guess. :)

YOU Magazine asked me to do another illustration for them. This is my second stint as an illustrator for a magazine. This image is part of the whole thing. :)

Maybe i should kill my doubts and just be happy.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 20

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:19:07 GMT

September 2, 2008
"Exhausted"
Charcoal on paper

Today has been crazy and a tad too frustrating. I'm working on a mid-shifting schedule this week and I'm thinking of ways on how to do a 365 drawing in the middle of all the madness. My current project is driving me nuts. They've required us to work 10 hours a day and the possibility of New York pushing through is resurfacing again. They've kept me hanging for a month already, but hey, they're still NOT SURE. I wonder if I could just say no to my boss this time.

I'm tired. But not from doing my Project 365. I wish i had more time and energy because I'm about *this* close to collapsing on the floor. This drawing took approximately 5 minutes to finish without any erasures. This could be the worst illustration I've made in the history of my 365 drawing challenge so far, but I don't care. I still refuse to draw stick figures!

I'm off to bed now. And i hope tomorrow's better than this one.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 19

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:19:17 GMT

September 1, 2008
"Discover Your Power"
Poster paint on Paper
Adobe Photoshop CS3

The first half of the line art of this drawing was done three years ago. Back then when I still didn't have a scanner, I'd ask my friend Alex to scan my drawings for me. I was not able to claim my sketchbook from her until last Saturday when we went to Tagaytay with our other college buddies.

I didn't want the drawing to go to waste, so I continued in inking it and coloring it with poster paint.

Looking at my old drawings gives me that nostalgic feeling. It's great to be reunited with my old sketchpad again. It must've felt so lonely after being neglected for three years.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 18

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:19:35 GMT

August 31, 2008
"1950"
Charcoal on Paper

I took a break from the usual ink + paper + digital coloring + textures combo and did another run with charcoal. No frills and fringes.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 17

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:16:46 GMT

August 30, 2008
"Gondola Girl"
Adobe Photoshop CS3

Another figure drawing i did for this series. It started with Krung Thep, then with Porcelain, then with Mademoiselle and I thought about making a drawing of a female gondolier. I've noticed a pattern with my drawings, and I think the easiest ones to do are the ones that I draw with ink and then manipulate with Photoshop. The vintage background is influenced by my fascination with art noveau and islamic art.

Anyway, i'm sorry for the delay. I went out of town this weekend, and I had loads of fun with my college buddies in Tagaytay. I think now I can say I owe it to Project 365 that my team won in Pictionary. Hahaha.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 16

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:43:24 GMT

August 27, 2008
"Mademoiselle"
Ink on Paper
Adobe Photoshop CS3

Things have been looking up for me lately despite the stress and disappointment I've been going through with my day job. I know has only been a little more than two weeks since I started 365, but this project has ignited that passion to create again. I have no formal training in drawing/art, and what i know now is basically the fruit of curiosity and boredom. I never imagined I could earn money out of drawing, but now I'm hoping that I could somehow become a part time illustrator. I know so little so far, but I'm studying on my own again, so that's a start. :)

Thanks to Pam for that referral she made the other day. It absolutely motivated me. And Jolo for lending me his illustration how-to books. :)

Currently listening: Lovely Rita - The Beatles

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 15

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:51:28 GMT

August 26, 2008
"Porcelain"
Ink On Paper
Adobe Photoshop CS3

I used another one of my aunt's figurines as my subject for this drawing. We had lunch and dinner at their place last Sunday and I did the pencil sketch there after doing the line art of <a>Krung Thep</a> . I decided to ink it tonight and put some color and texture using photoshop. I swear to God, textures can do wonders to a photograph/drawing! I absolutely love it.

In other news, it looks like New York won't happen for me. At least not anytime soon. Should I go to Tokyo instead? :p

Currently listening: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - The Beatles

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 14

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:25:21 GMT

August 25, 2008
"Waiting"
Adobe Photoshop CS3

We spend probably a quarter of our lives waiting for something. A phone call, a text message, our turn to use the bathroom, a bus, our lunch break, the love of our lives, an opportunity, a sign...and it's a good thing to be looking forward to something. But sometimes, waiting isn't enough because in doing so, we forget our ability to take action.

You can always Initiate that phone call, send that text message or create that opportunity for yourself (well about emptying your bladder, there's nothing you can do about it except hold it in until it's your turn), or simply decide on a dilemma instead of waiting for a sign.

Miranda July said, "Don't wait to be sure. Move, move, move."-p 146.
No One Belongs Here More Than You

***

This is another vector drawing, done in Adobe Photoshop. It's rather simple, but I like how it turned out.

What I like about digital drawing is how the colors are readily available to the artist. You look at the palette and just pick one. With paints, you have to combine and mix in order to get the right shade.

Making the line art is both difficult and easy though. Difficult, because when using the pen tool, i put way too many anchor points and it's kind of hard to control the lines specially when i want the line art done in more detail. Easy, because i'm pretty much just tracing the subject from one layer to another. I still prefer the traditional way of drawing, but i think vector illustration is very useful too.

Project 365 Scraps - Day 13

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:00:30 GMT

August 26, 2008
Digital Bath

This is counted as Day 13 because it's really just an exercise.

This is my first digital drawing. I was really just learning how to use adobe photoshop's pen tool here. The lines were done in vector, but coloring was done the way a toddler would color a coloring book. It was fun!

Title taken from a Deftones song.
"Coz tonight... I feel like more."

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 13

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:02:24 GMT

August 25, 2008
"Krung Thep"
Ink on Paper

Properly scanned and not on a tissue artwork that took more than 5 minutes to make. Yay!

I made this drawing at my aunt's place today. She and her family lived in Malaysia and Singapore for a time and they had tons of figurines like this in their house. These buddha like figurines remind me of thailand though, thus the title. Krung Thep is the thai term for "Bangkok" and since I'm weird that way, I decided to use the term as the title.

Since i felt bad for uploading my tissue paper abstract art, i decided to make a more decent follow up.

Thanks to <a> vanka </a> for the texture.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 12

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 03:17:56 GMT

August 24, 2008
"Mogwai Art"
Ink on Tissue Paper

Yesterday I went to Kolektib to jam with a few friends. It was quite an intimate set up and a couple of other "real" bands played with us. It was a laid back evening until Juan Pablo Dream did an awesome set @ CubaoX. My feet hurt because of too much dancing.

My doodles are usually inspired by islamic art, and i find this kind of doodling very therapeutic. Plus, it helps me pass the time. I did this while waiting for the band to play at this place called Mogwai. I didn't bring any paper with me so I made the drawing on a tissue paper. I figured, eh..what the hell. This will be my drawing for the day. Thank goodness the paper napkin was two-ply.

Now I'm off to lunch with my family. I'll bring my sketchbook this time. :)

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 11

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:54:04 GMT

August 22, 2008

"What If I Leave?"
Ink on Paper
Photoshop CS3

"Oh why don't you call
When you say you will my dear
Is it because
I don't belong to you anymore?"

****
Finally, a drawing that was scanned properly!

Got the title from a Rachael Yamagata song, but the whole point of this drawing is twofold: One, I was supposed to go to New York next week, but it seems that there are problems arising with regards to finalizing my trip. It would be such a disappointment if i wouldn't get to go, but well there are things one has to accept. It was supposed to be for 3 months and i know the change of scenery would definitely help me get some perspective. But I'm still in limbo as of the moment, so I have to ask the question...What if?

Two, today has been such an eye opener that it made me realize how much time I've been wasting with my current job. I'm actually an I.T. consultant by day, and it's not really what I may call a dream job, but it sure pays the bills. With this whole 365 thing I've rekindled my love for drawing, and I'm thinking maybe I could improve to get a decent freelancing job as an illustrator. Either way, my current company is pushing me to the limits that whether or not I will be leaving for New York, I know I'll end up resigning anyway.

Blessed are you who get to do what you want to do and get paid for it.

Thanks to <a>ArtByChrysti</a> for the texture that served as a background.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 10

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:30:50 GMT

August 20, 2008
"Free Hugs"
Poster Paint + Ink On Paper

Sometimes a hug is all you really need. :)

Since I had a delay in uploading Day 9, I figured, why not try to compensate by making a painting? So here's my 10th day installment, something I haven't done in a while. And it's in full technicolor too.

BTW, I used inappropriate paper for this! If you could see the real thing, the paper's as thin as onion skin already, because I made too many washes. Tsk tsk. Learned my lesson.

Now gimme that hug.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 9

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:29:17 GMT

August 19, 2008
"One And The Same"
Ink On Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55

You and her
Are one and the same.
You love just as much.
You hurt just as much.
You have the same fears.
You feel the same pain.
You breathe the same air.
You walk on the same ground,
And it's the same sky above your heads.
You can't say you're better
She can't say she's worse.
Because in the end
When all of it is over,
Your life amounts to this:

Nothing.

Either that, or this drawing is too damn weird.

****

Sorry for the delay, I couldn't find my card reader! This is just one of those drawings that just leads from one thing to another. I drew a girl, decided to make her half and half, then i can't decide what pose she was going to make, so I ended up thinking, what if she grew from the ground? Then came an idea about how people are essentially similar. Sure we have different personalities, and backgrounds but we experience the same things--love, pain, anger, anxiety; we're living in the same universe, and are under the same fucked up ozone layer.

So here it is, one awfully weird drawing.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 8

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:02:21 GMT

August 18, 2008
"Prim and Proper"
Charcoal on Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55

Just another figure drawing because I love using charcoal in my illustrations. It's quite uninspired because a lot has been going on in my personal life, I'm too preoccupied to think of anything clever right now.

I wanted to concentrate on the technique but really, I don't know half of what I'm doing with this one. It's just one of those days I guess.

Currently feeling: sad

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 7

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:01:38 GMT

August 17, 2008
"Suffer For Fashion"
Ink on Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55

Okay it's day seven and I must say I'm kind of getting the hang of it. This is another shot at figure drawing which I'm trying to improve on. Before project 365 I'm really just used to drawing people's faces so I'm trying to incorporate movement and different postures/poses in my illustrations. Still having trouble with drawing fingers, but at least I can now draw from the neck down.

Also, I'm beginning to love using felt tip pens in my drawings. They're easy to control and white spaces are much faster to fill up as compared to a 0.5 point sign pen.

Can't think of an apt title for this, so I just borrowed from an Of Montreal song.

Currently listening: some song in my head whose title i can't remember
Currently feeling: sleepy

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 6

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:34:08 GMT

August 16, 2008
"Rocking Is A Lifestyle"
Ink On Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55

Admit it. You do this.

Either this, or substituting a hairbrush/screwdriver/shampoo bottle for a microphone. :)

Currently feeling: busy

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 5

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:00:48 GMT

August 15, 2008
"A Charcoal Love Affair"
Charcoal on Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55

Yesterday's quick charcoal drawing made me try another round for today'sinstallment. What I love about charcoal is how the shading is so easy. Whati hate about it is that it can be really awfully messy. My hands are crazydirty right now and as you can see, my fingerprints are all over thedrawing. I'm too lazy to edit the charcoal marks with photoshop though. Ionly adjusted the brightness and contrast and did a little tweaks on thechannel mixer. Unfortunately the lines are still visible coz I did thedrawing on a cheap notebook. Next time i'll do it on a decent paper, Ipromise.

This is supposed to be copied from this photo but I wouldn't show it cozit's not accurate at all! I'm not good at copying so i end up inventinginstead. :p

Currently listening: "Flathead" - The Fratellis
Currently reading: The Fundamentals Of Drawing
Currently feeling: accomplished

365 In Drawings Day 4

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:39:23 GMT

August 14, 2008
"Franco Gabriel"
Charcoal on post it
Canon Digital Ixus 55

Franco is my 4-year old nephew and one of the cleverest kids i know. :) He
gives the warmest hugs and can be very mischievous at times, but I love him
to bits.

Today i tried to do a smaller drawing. It's so small in fact, that I
attempted to do it on a post it. It's not an accurate copy of the subject
though. But hey hopefully on my 365th day I improve a little.

Currently watching: Forbidden Kingdom
Currently feeling: satisfied

365 In Drawings (Day 3)

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:26:06 GMT

August 13, 2008
"Fuck You Diet"
Ink on Paper
Canon Digital Ixus 55
Adobe Photoshop CS 3

Last night's Pepper Lunch dinner made me say this again. I can't help it! I
love food. I can't cook for shit, but at least i know how to eat.

This one's more cartoonish than usual. I wish I knew how to color digitally.
Maybe this weekend I can do something more serious, but you never really
know it with me. I'm running out of sign pen ink, and it's only my third
day. Maybe per week I could do a drawing in a different medium. So far my
medium of choice is poster paints/gouache since they are easier to control
than watercolor and less serious than oil or acrylic.

Project 365 In Drawings - Day 2

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:10:30 GMT

August 12, 2008
Ink on Paper
Taken using a Canon Digital Ixus 55
Adobe Photoshop CS3

I tried to draw while waiting for a conference call at the office but for some reason, all of them turned out like rat's ass. This is the most decent one i did today, and it's totally uninspired. Maybe it's the knowledge of having to create something even if you're not in your best shape.

And I thought I work well under pressure. Well you can't rush art, baby.

Currently listening: some song by Cat Power

Project 365 In Drawings?

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:51:28 GMT

A lot of my Flickr friends have joined the 365 Project, and I've been thinking about whether or not i should join the bandwagon...I'm not much of a photographer, but I do enjoy drawing. Maybe I should try doing a drawing/doodle/sketch a day for 365 days instead. I could sure use the practice.

Hmmm

August 11 - 365 In Drawings?

August 10 - Fashunan

August 9 - Alone Together