Coffee Imp Productions

.: Odds and Ends :.

Sonnett — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:53:02 +0000

Just a couple odds and ends today.


View at Picasa 07-Jan-2012 12:14, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 13.0, 55.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800

This is a card I made for the birth of my niece Wren Shelline. It was the first time I really used watercolor pencils and I enjoyed trying them out. Aren’t these birds adorable? I like how round they are.


View at Picasa 10-Nov-2011 09:27, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 33.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 160

This is from my first semester at school. The assignment was to create a piece based on Frankenstein. At the time, I was working on pen and ink projects in my Drawing I class, and had been reading an edition of Sherlock Holmes that included wonderful ink drawings, so I wanted to use ink as a medium. It was great fun, especially being able to incorporate some manga/anime elements, steampunk, and Edwardian clothing.


View at Picasa 10-Nov-2011 09:26, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 33.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 125

Another assignment, from last semester. Sometimes it feels so great just to get light with the painting, just play with color and space and brush and let the water pull out the organic qualities of the watercolors. I like how just a few brushstrokes can suggest shapes and landscapes.

It’s wonderfully warm today, and this semester is almost over. I’m looking forward to all the wonderful summer festivals in the city and can’t wait to spend more time in the park.

Have a lovely day,
Sonnett

.: The Painting That Almost Killed Me :.

Sonnett — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:44:00 +0000


View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 13:26, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.0, 24.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 400

Yep. Here it is. This one had me clutching my easel in despair, brush falling from trembling fingers after 36 hours of continuous painting.

It’s based on a photo I took of David in front of the Baker House in Lake Geneva and then abstracted through Illustrator. You can see the original Illustrator file below.


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And then our Assignment in 2D Design was to paint this image. I’ve never painted in the abstract before, especially using hard edged colors. I’ve always used some sort of blending or variation in tone so this was all new to me. The hardest part was getting the hard edges of the shapes, which required tiny brushes. Pushing outside of my comfort zone is definitely a good thing and I’m glad I tried it, but…ow.

It reminded me a bit of the advertising posters for the Moulin Rouge or a Victorian caper book, so I added the text for fun ^_^ Don’t you think their should be a book called The Bandit of Baker House?

What’s All This?
Sonnett

.: In a Kimono Mood :.

Sonnett — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 18:40:04 +0000


View at Picasa 10-Nov-2011 09:50, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.0, 41.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

It’s a little bit rainy today and it’s making me think of Spring. Inevitably, Spring makes me think of the cherry blossom viewing traditions in Japan and how wonderful it would be to dress up in a spring kimono and celebrate. The patterns and colors of kimonos are so beautiful and I love painting them.

I was in an anime mood when I painted the above painting and was practicing a different watercolor technique than the one I’ve been using, I think to good effect ^_^


View at Picasa 10-Nov-2011 09:42, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.0, 41.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 320

This one I wanted to try out golden wings and some metallic pieces attached to the canvas like you sometimes see in asian paintings. It was a fun technique to try.

I also did a series of asian ink paintings for a comic assignment in my 2D Design class. Finding that the ink didn’t reproduce well I ended up reproducing it in Photoshop, however, I still really love the original ink paintings. They tell the story of the Kitsune, the Japanese fox spirit who can change into a beautiful woman.


View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 12:51, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 400


View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 12:52, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 320	View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 12:53, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 320	View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 12:53, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 250


View at Picasa 22-Nov-2011 13:07, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 29.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 500

Here it is in the final comic form


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.: The Burnham Society :.

Sonnett — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:16:07 +0000


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I am very lucky to be friends with people who create marvelous things. One of these friends is a Storyteller with a capital Story. Over the years I have had the privilege of being able to plunk down like a little kid and listen as he spun wondrous tales of history, horror, romance, beauty, and wit.

Some of his stories take place in a wonderfully magical Chicago. Chock full of historical tidbits, local Chicago landmarks, and all the arcane goodies they left out of the history books, they are a madcap ride through our fair Windy City. I am so very pleased that now you will be able to hear these marvelous stories through a series of podcasts. Please enjoy:
The Burnham Society

You can also find The Burnham Society at their Facebook page.

To go along with these lovely stories, I created a series of illustrations. They were great fun to create and I loved honing my digital painting skills. The design is based on the The Republic a statue that stood on the grounds of the 1893 Columbian Exposition held here in Chicago. I’ve also incorporated designs from The Rookery Building the oldest high rise in Chicago, built by Daniel Burnham in 1888. And a little dragon that you’ll just have to listen to the stories to find out more about ^_^


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Make No Small Plans,
Sonnett

.: And So The Journey Begins :.

Sonnett — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:03:27 +0000


View at Picasa 28-Dec-2011 09:52, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 30.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

My friend was looking for inspiring music, so I put together a mix for her as a gift. There’s something special about songs that reach deep inside and pull your heart straight up and out. When I listen to this kind of music, I feel like I can do anything, feel like I could run and run and run, feel like I could grow wings and just soar into the sky.

This year was like listening to those songs.

For the first in a very long time I didn’t greet the New Year with an eagerness to get the year over with. Instead, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment and peace.

Going back to school after years of working was a difficult and scary decision. There was a lot of unknown and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make it happen. However, this year I didn’t let the uncertainties stop me. I finally decide to go for the big dream, leaping into the unknown, hoping those wings would deploy.

Beyond all doubts and worries, they did, and I soared through this year with a delight and joy and peace I thought I had lost. Finding that this is the path I had been searching for all along has been an incredible realization.

I love art. I’ve always loved art. I love making art. And I love fantasy. I love telling stories and reading stories and I love the little mysteries and magics and beauties of the world. I love color and light and texture and costume and faces and history and nature. I want to spend my life learning and trying new things, making mistakes, and putting these things on the canvas until I can no longer do so. What a gift to finally understand this, after searching for so long.

Long ago I wrote a little story in my head about wanting to be a traveler, home in the Vardo, making art to pass the time, companionship in the friends I would find along the way, the unknown horizon ahead, ready to be revealed, just around the corner. This year I painted a little of that story.


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Thank you to all the companions who traveled with me this year. I’m so very grateful for you. May this year bring you that much closer to your big dreams.


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Luck, Love and Laughter to you all,
Sonnett

Playlist:
Kate Bush “Rockets Tail”
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex “Inner Universe”
Imogen Heap “Daylight Robbery” and “First Train Home”
Hikaru Utada “Passion”
Kerli “The Creationist”
October Project “Something More Than This”
Sarah McLachlan “Elsewhere”

.: Art School :.

Sonnett — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:26:33 +0000

Columbia College is keeping me happily busy with my coursework. My classes have been wonderful, and the great end result is I have more pieces to show:


View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:37, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 4.5, 33.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100

I hadn’t used charcoal before my Drawing I class. It was messy but a lot of fun and reminded me a bit of using pastels, which is what I started drawing with when I was young. I’m really proud of how the above piece turned out.

We also got to play with ink wash paintings. After painting studies of my feet and hands, I chose to paint my grandmother’s rose teapot. It was really interesting to try out watercolor techniques in a monochromatic medium and I really enjoyed it.


View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:30, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 200	View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:29, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 200	View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:28, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 160

This semester I’m taking a design class where we are discussing figure/ground relationships, optical illusions, layout, composition, and usage of fonts.


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Over the summer, I also had a chance to complete some more of my own fantasy projects. I’m so proud of the bark of the tree on the center piece. I’ve been trying out a couple different tree techniques and feel like the combination I used here turned out well. I also really like the main fairy’s face and her horns ^_^


View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:24, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 320	View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:23, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 250	View at Picasa 14-Aug-2011 11:19, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 200

If you’d like to peruse these in the Gallery, the albums are Design, Faery, Goddesses, Still Life, and Sketchbook.

There is so much to be said about being able to devote time to the practice of art. School has provided the opportunity and inspiration for me to make it a priority and I’m so grateful for that.

May you find the ways to follow your dreams.

All the best,
Sonnett

.: More Personas :.

Sonnett — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:46:25 +0000

Just a quick update with some additional Personas to decorate your Firefox:


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These can all be found at my Persona page here.

Many many exciting projects in the works that I’ll hopefully get to post more of soon. I’m also back in school and enjoying it immensely. I tell you, art homework just doesn’t feel like real homework ^_^

Other than that, autumn is here, the leaves are starting to turn, and my seasonal cooking craving has begun. Current favorite cooking projects have included a wild rice soup and a bbq pork and spicy tofu noodle stirfry. I’m having a mad craving for lamb stew or shepherd’s pie with sweet potatoes, that may be next.

Hope you are all enjoying a lovely autumn and keeping cozy.

All the best,
Sonnett

.: More Digital Works :.

Sonnett — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:33:46 +0000

There is a really great series of Digital Painting technique books out there from 3DTotal/Focal Press. I bought the first one for my birthday:
Digital Painting Techniques

I feel like it breaks down the process really nicely and I love seeing how other artists work. It’s really inspiring and I’ve been applying some of the techniques. The first one is a quick piece done mostly to try out some custom brush techniques:


View at Picasa

The second one I’m really proud of, she evolved in little bits over the last two months, so I’ve been able to apply some the new techniques I’ve learned to good effect: I don’t know what her story is, something with time magic in a steampunk world with electric dresses. Electric Chrysanthemum:


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Since I last mentioned it I’ve consolidated a bit in the gallery, getting rid of the digital folder and putting those works in the other categories.

Enjoy!
Sonnett

.: Rain Fairy :.

Sonnett — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:23:18 +0000

Just a quick update with a piece I’ve been working on while riding to work on the El. Being a rain fairy she brings storm clouds wherever she goes.


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Trying out a bunch of new Photoshop painting techniques, it helps so much to be able to draw on my laptop screen. Using a stylus is a million times easier than trying to paint with my mouse and I learned how to make custom brushes. I could make custom brushes all day.

Hope the summer is treating everyone well.

All the best,
Sonnett

.: Updates! :.

Sonnett — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:52:37 +0000

Alright! Got some updates going on!

Actually quite a few little back end things I’ve been meaning to do for awhile. Now I’ve finished spring semester I have a little more time to work on my own projects and apply the cool stuff I learned in my art classes.

Perk now has some images on his page. TheDolls page has been updated so that Yunu has her own section and Tangle and Fern finally have some more finished photos (Tangle’s is my favorite):


View at Picasa OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD C2020Z, 2.8, 19.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 100	View at Picasa OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD C2020Z, 2.0, 6.6mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 100

I’ve added Character Designs, Digital, Illustration, Sketchbook, and Still Life sections to the Gallery including some still life work from my classes in school:


View at Picasa 24-Mar-2011 08:13, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 320	View at Picasa 24-Mar-2011 08:13, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 200

And I’ve completed a new fairy:


View at Picasa 24-Mar-2011 08:10, Canon Canon EOS REBEL T3i, 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.013 sec, ISO 320

Finally, if you are using Firefox you can now decorate your browser with a little of my artwork:


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Here’s the link to the persona:
Sonnett’s Persona’s

I’m planning on adding more soon ^_^

Once I photograph more works there should also be more content up soon and some new card designs in the shop.

All the best,
Sonnett