Tbt #27: Amelia

Welcome to today's throwback-Thursday (now 100% more accurately titled!). Even though I drew this redraw weeks ago, it's prescient that today I present to y'all this hard working woman. Currently my husband (Jeff) is doing some hard working for the next two weeks straight at his factory job here in the middle of August, eight and twelve hour shifts. Hard workers are clearly on my mind right now.

Tbt #26: Jelaut

This character is the embodiment of amusement and merriment. The original is kind of a fun harlequin, but for the redraw I went straight clownin'. I think she manages to be cute and not fall into the tiresome trap of “uh oh, as an adult all clowns must now be creepy and scary ”. I hate that shit.

Erica

Psych!

Tbt #25: Hebe

Hebe is another goddess from Greek mythology, specifically the goddess of youth. Her story sucks. As the goddess of youth she was expected to do a bunch of menial tasks, like drawing baths and helping other gods into their chariots. She is also the person who served the drinks, which is why she is depicted with a cup usually.

Tbt #24: Semira

Since I might have some new eyeballs today from Deviantart or Twitter, let me begin today's entry by refreshing everyone on what the hell it is exactly that I'm doing here.

Tbt #23: Poppy

Ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na, ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na CAF-TAN!

Tbt #22: Carrie-Ann

When I was a kid my Dad rented Poltergeist (1982) on VHS for my family to watch together on a movie night. (Side note: remember the middle class? It was great.) This had three long term effects on my family. 

Tbt #21: Nairopeti

My second super conceptual drawing, Nairopeti is the physical embodiment of water. When I was conceiving of her redraw I had a similar problem as I had with Sartep. The original drawing on the left, which is at least 12 years old, is cute and fun. But my thoughts about water when sitting down to draw the new version were not.

Tbt #20: Vega

Hey, did you know that braids are hard to draw? I didn't until I started this drawing!

For this redraw I tried three different things I had never tried before. One is to make a more realistic looking braid. I think it turned out . . . ok. The second attempt was also in the beginning drawing stage where I tried this pose here. On my first draft her neck appeared to attach to her body somewhere around her right elbow. Upsetting! I scooted it over more and basically had to completely draw it over the arms and then erase it later to see if the pose worked. I turned out . . . ok. I don't think it's too rubbery.

TBT #19: Allison

Allison here is going to be an excuse to explain what I have been up to lately. Namely, that I was scrambling all day yesterday to get one stinkin' drawing done to put up today. I think she turned out just lovely, I am so pleased with this drawing. But, I am growing increasingly frustrated by the amount of time I am spending organizing my business rather than working on art.

Tbt #18: Ageen

Lizard people unite! Ageen is the fashion representation of all things reptile. The original has a kindergarten-play type vibe because she's holding up her own wings.

Tbt #17: Esperanza

Va-va-voom! You'd never know from the original but this character was actually a Grandmother within the universe the characters lived in. A very . . . sexy . . . grandma. Not that I think there is anything wrong with that. It's just that I now realize that to be sexy one doesn't have to look twenty, especially if they are really seventy.

Tbt #16: Demeter

J'accuse! Myself that is, of half-assing this original drawing. I was quite obsessed with Greek gods when I was a kid. I don't know why exactly. I guess I liked that there were so many female gods and that every god had his/her own job to do. In a way it was like being a fan of a group like the Avengers or the Superfriends. I enjoyed their crazy god adventures.

So I don't know what happened back in the day when I went to draw these pictures because I didn't add any of the symbols associated with the individuals I was depicting. To redraw this one, and the others for the future, I knew that was going to have to incorporate the actual symbology that the god is associated with. So let's learn about Demeter.

Tbt #15: Deandra Pierce

Flash! Sparkle! Diamonds! Things that are hard to draw! Deandra Pierce is a woman who enjoys the finer things in life. Well actually, that is a pretty stupid phrase, isn't it? Everyone on earth would enjoy the finer things in life if we all had access to them. Vacations to tropical locals, gourmet meal, perfectly tailored clothes: who wouldn't enjoy these things?

Tbt # 14: Dasey Rorris

I admit that I enjoy seeing celebrities doing normal activities. I like seeing them in their grocery shopping outfits or walking their dogs. Growing up in the southern and midwest United States it's so so easy to feel completely detached from the pop culture that is out there. As a huge consumer of said culture it is disconcerting but also humanizing to see the people who seem so much larger than life onscreen appear normal out in the real world.

Tbt #13: Sartep

So. I learned something last week. Now I'm not saying it's going to be universal thing but I suspect that it could be. Here is my hypothesis: the mood a creative person is in will seep into whatever they are working on in that moment. 

Tbt #12: Bane Pierson

       It's 5:48 in the morning. I hear a “boop boop” sound coming from outside the side window in my art room. I relax- it's just my neighbor unlocking her car. She has two school age kids and is probably just getting them ready for school. Then I remember the gauzy curtains that are on the window and the fact that I keep the blinds only partially closed at all times and the other more important fact that I am buck ass naked right now. Whoops whoops!

Tbt #11: Jessica Keevoe

It's a little known fact that artists can choose to use their powers for good or for evil. Good would be most likely something along the lines of bringing beauty into the world, trying to find a purpose and meaning in life, or making a political statement. Evil would probably be when art is created for less than noble purposes. This would probably have to be in the category of evil. I'm easing everyone into this harsh reality with Jessica Keevoe. To quote Jane from Happy Endings, this drawing was one for the ol' buzz bank.

Tbt #10: Paula Afenshpler

Paula Afenshpler: You have to admit, that's a pretty awesome surname. I don't have much to say about this character- she is not who I intended to run with today. However the character I DID want to discuss has been a one-two punch right in the feels, both in drawing it last week and in trying to describe it right now. So it's going to have to wait.

Tbt #9: Bette Jamison

“Obtaining a muse is much easier than finding a good quote about having a muse.” - Me

Bette Jamison is a muse, meant to inspire things in the other characters I created. She is one of a whole group of these that I created and, most bafflingly, saved in my binder of drawings for over 12 years.