Was a very busy day so didn't have a lot of time for art. But I knew what the next step was for this page and managed to get it done. The lettering was a pain in the ass. But it does almost exactly what I wanted it to do.

 Ok, made some more progress on this. Got the other two mice in there, lightened the overlay a bit. A bit more to go but it's a start on the new track. They're going to be loud again.

Finally know how to get Silas off stage and Smatt's gang on. Partially came from watching some video of hiphop dancers and partially because I went and saw "Spinal Tap 2." You never know where ideas are going to come from. Still a good deal to do on this page but this is the general idea of how I want to start.

 

 Finished this today. When I went to bed last night, I knew I wanted to add just a little dimensionality to the piece which meant some shadows, something I don't usually do. I also removed the dark patch in the foreground as it really wasn't adding anything and I enlarged and re-cropped the composition to better fill the space. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. I hope the Brattle stands forever.

 Took another stab at this today. So far, I'm liking the colors but I think it needs a little something, just not sure what that is. Will let it sit and stew overnight then come back to it tomorrow.

Sometimes, I think I spend time trying to learn to draw like someone else. Maybe I doubt myself, I don't know. The top image is sort of like that. Going through the iPad, I found an image or two I didn't remember making and they're closer to what's stylistically going on in the rest of the comic. The top image is a real clash. So I will likely go with something more like what's on the bottom, making the mice's heads smaller, hand and feet bigger. And the messy spray paint, too.
 

 A quick pic of me as Basher, my orc as we wandered about the local ren fast in the rain. So glad I can still do this kinda thing.

 Was feeling pretty low today, what with the world being what it is. But the act of creation is something that can and has helped me feel better. So I took a moment to work on some character designs for City Silent. These are in reverse order, newest at the top. I think the simpler style might work really well as contrast to what Silas was doing, but it needs a bit more refinement.

 Can't believe I didn't post this. I finished this a few weeks ago. There was some added detail and fiddling with color and contrast, some based on the likes of the person for whom it was meant. My best friend Max is not someone that understands art, or so he says but as this was meant for him and his home, I wanted to involve him if at all possible. He was very kind about it. I always feel like I'm inflicting my art on people when I want to give them something, so I rarely do. When he moved to his current home, he did say he'd need some art. So I thought I'd make this based on his favorite place to sit in Harvard Square. Interestingly, one of the main focuses of the original, the mysterious woman in red that was sitting unearth in the center, got edited out of this version. I think it's for the better. 

All in all, I think this one works pretty well. It has that cool feeling of fall shadows and the warmth as well. It feels like the place without being a slavish copy. The colors are far brighter than I usually use in portraits and such. I don't know, I think it works. A print is on its way to him. I hope he likes it.

 Had a lazy day, which I needed. Was going through my Procreate files just to see what I might have left unfinished and came across this one. There were multiple versions of some of the layers there but when I flicked through them, I found a combination that I didn't mind. It's an awkward self portrait, which is fine. Certainly not flattering. It does fit my aesthetic. I only used color for the face, left the rest black and white which I rather like. Not a winner, but a good exercise.

 I'm calling this one done. "Three Horsemen" is the title. I wanted to capture a moment of peace between these three, unrelated men. Shoved together on seats, they calmly ignore each other and wait before something big happens, or perhaps nothing happens at all. Two are lost in their phones, looking outwards, the other does the same but without the technology. A typical scene if you've ever ridden public transportation but something about it just interested me. I decided not to use color; didn't see the need. And it would only have distracted or focused attention on one of them in particular and I didn't want that. I'm happy with it. It's something I would look at for a long while. I wish it would evoke some kind of meaning in viewers but I don't know that it will. Doesn't matter, this one was for me.

 Got a bunch done before the podcast. Most of it, I'm happy with. I think there needs to be a little more definition in the backpacks and such as they're just blobs right now. Don't want to go overboard as that will detract from the figures. But it's podcast time...

 Got some more work done on this today, though now that it's afternoon, the vaccines are making me achey and tired again. Will try and come back to this tonight if possible, but so far, I'm pretty happy with it. I think this evokes that kind of malaise one feels on the T, the simple waiting but also a moment of peace. One the one guy on the end isn't looking at his phone. I wonder what he's thinking about. More to come.

 And here's the second guy added to the mix. There will be more adjustments when I get the third done and there's some background to do, but I'm happy with how quickly this is coming together.

 I went and got FIVE vaccines today. I was aiming to get one; the new Covid booster but they talked me into getting whooping cough, flu, pneumonia and something called RVS? as well. So I spent most of the afternoon sleeping. When I got up, I had enough energy to work on this. So far, I'm liking how it's coming out and am seriously considering not using color. We'll see. There's a lot to go.

 Did some more work on this piece. These three were sitting next to each other on the T, kind of smooshed together the way commuters are. I think I will try and do the full figures and environment. These are jus sketches, though I will likely do the faces and bodies separately.

 I'm still struggling, wanting to do something but just not feeling that spark. There's a photo I took on the T of three random guys sitting on the train. I want to paint them, have been wanting to. I tried working freehand on one of them tonight. It's not bad, but too fiddly. Still, it's something.

I've been in a creative void lately. Just haven't had the spark to really make much of anything. I tried watching some shows on art and artists which usually helps but all it did was make me want to draw without giving me an idea of what to draw. When in doubt, do a self portrait. I did the second image based on a photo I took after orc-ing at the faire this year. Then, I re-made the one I did of my best friend Max from a couple years ago, one with which I've never really been satisfied. While this one looks more like the photo it came from I'm still on the fence about it. Both of these were done without underdrawing, inspired by a re-watch of a documentary on Alice Neel. There was something very special about her work. While not technically correct, her portraits had a life to them that a lot of 'better' paintings lack. So I gave it a try. I'm happy with the technique if not the final product.