New year, new classes, new new new...

Could also be titled 'what I like to do when I don't want to do what I have to do', but that's a long title.

So. This upcoming week I have the first projects of the year due. In one class we are doing cover illustrations for Peter Pan. Tons of fun, really. I'm loving designing it. sketching it, doing color roughs and noodling about and composing the whole deal... It's just really intimidating to sit down and paint what I've designed XD Here's one of the face sketches for Peter, though. I think I'm getting to about the right amount of smug. Almost...

The other painting is a still life. My teacher in that class gave us a list of requirements involving a paper airplane made of college-ruled blue-lined paper, and said go. The exercise is supposed to help us get familiar with acrylic paints, which I've not really used before, unless you count using the really crappy stuff in high school a few times. Which was fun, but it's been a really long time, and I honestly hadn't the foggiest idea what I was doing back then. Anyway, I got my list of requirements, and sat down at home, made my paper airplane, started setting up my still life... and proceeded to throw the plane against the wall for five minutes. My teacher laughed when he saw my photo reference and said go for it.

So, here I am, down to crunch time on both of these, getting a little overwhelmed and more than a little scared of this new paint, and so what do I do to relieve the tension?

Tadaaaaa~
I figure I might as well do something that is not for a grade as my first foray into the new medium instead of risking my life, livelihood and reputation before the class on the first thing. Also... come on. The bowler hat is going to be so much more fun to paint than all those stripes.
Seriously.


Also, later, I have a huge explanation with many pretty photos as to where I've been for over a month. It was good. I promise. ;) Some of you kind of already know, but I have pictures of New York and me in a pretty dress and all and I want to show off. So there.

Quickly update- My behatted lizard has a background ;)

Oops, could have sworn I'd taken a shot with just the flat color step... oh well. See what I'm doing with my day off? NOT HOMEWORK! Yay!

Aaaand... done! He's such a posh professor type looking sort of skeleton raptor thing. :)

There'll be a better scan up eventually. Better scan is up! I'm thinking I might enter this one into a local art show, though. I'd been planning something else, but this turned out so nicely and in theme... should i put him up for sale?