Milktoasty

almost out of hibernation

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:10:00 +0000

it has been a long, cold winter!!! brrr. Finally a break from the cold with a whopping 57 degrees today. Being almost out of hibernation, I'm back to playing shop owner again, and starting to work on stuff for etsy!! 2011 may be the year I'll put out some new stuff. yay!!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:10:00 +0000

featured in Invitation Buzz today!!

http://invitationbuzz.com/posts/112-riding-in-a-taxi-in-new-york-city

playing with flipnote!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 15 May 2010 22:43:00 +0000

I got a nintendo dsi xl for my birthday, which was a wonderful surprise. Other than playing Zelda, I love this software called flipnote, which let's me do little pixel frame-by-frame animations.

This is my little work in progress. Maybe I'll have a full short with sound sometime. yay!

summer fun

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:56:00 +0000

from a recent freelance assignment. this one was rejected. It was for a summer, vintage-y report.

From I Dreamed I Saw...

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:01:00 +0000

My london note cards popped up on this very beautiful blog, I Dreamed I Saw that showcases independent designers and crafts in a lovely, picture-book way.

Thanks so much!! :)

Hey HAT! #1

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:58:00 +0000

Hey HAT! #1
Originally uploaded by milktoasty

You can view the complete mini-comic here. Sorry this post is so late. I was pre-occupied. Oh, and finger tips do grow back. :)

mini-comic, at last

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:17:00 +0000

today I made my copies and started folding, slicing and stapling. yippee!! my mini-comic is complete. For a few, I'm putting the comic in a hand-drawn envelope. Above, is the first drawing for my boyfriend. It's finally done. I wish I had more time to make more changes to the comic, but, oh well, first one's done.

mini-comic progress #5: and still inking

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:31:00 +0000

so my round of inking is still going. Two pages left: front cover and inside back cover. which, hehehe, I haven't penciled, yet. I still need to go back and do corrections and close to the end of term, now. when you're told it's a mini-comic, you think it would be a small endeavor. It ain't. But very rewarding. I almost feel like a real illustrator.

mini-comic progress #4: Inking, part II

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:50:00 +0000

ok so this one is alot of ink. hehehe. Also, I'm starting to think I would do a better job lettering free-hand than using the Ames lettering guide. You really need a parallel rule for it. Unless I'm using it incorrectly. I'm so close to just typing in text with a hand-letter font.
I'm torn between painting out some of the inking or inking up the third panel to match the rest. I like all the lines, but maybe it is too cluttered. On to the next panel!! No time to correct it right now.

mini-comic progress #3: adventures in Inking

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:10:00 +0000

First page inked. It was very scary. I just wanna take it into photoshop and fix everything. First, I think I need to re-letter. The spacing between each line is too close. I did most of the work with a #1 brush and india ink technical pens and brush pen. The brush lines are so shaky. I printed out my 40% reduction, and now I don't mind my shaky lines as much. It looks organic. A few touch ups still needed. The shaky lettering for the title, I think I might fill it in black to correct the curves.

Lesson learned today: ink in good lighting. My eyes can't handle the dim lighting in my apartment.

mini-comic progress #2

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:33:00 +0000

So Tom's last class was about composition. He showed us examples of great comic and fine art images to convey how the negative/positive space can create interest, how placement can create flow between panels to make the reader want to continue reading our graphic masterpieces! It was interesting and informative and I never heard of Alex Toth before.

I set aside the entire day to work on my mini-comic, but only managed to pencil in one page on bristol board. Disappointing, but if I rushed I'll never learn. Like my old cello teacher telling me to practice slowly and eventually I can learn how to play difficult passages perfectly, instead of pushing ahead and never mastering it. Maybe I reached an age where I can appreciate that kind of discipline. First image, above, I did with a little lack of confidence on tracing paper and transferred it to bristol board. I thought it looked stiff and unexciting. Erased everything.

Second image, I drew freehand, with a little help from guidelines. Much happier with it. It has some life in it now and not so stiff. Not inking yet, and I think this week's class is about lettering, so I didn't place any text. Now just 7 more pages to draw! yay!

mini, mini-comic #1

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:05:00 +0000

I spent an entire day, but I finally did a rough thumb-nail of my first mini-comic. yay! I was a little lost about what to do for awhile, because I found the combination of writing and drawing more difficult than I imagined. I folded and cut a piece of cover stock to visualize my mini-comic. Then everything started to flow. Now, it's 8 pages of little jokes, musings and 4 pages of Hey Hat! I can't wait to start drawing and inking Milktoasty Number 1. Also, I feel like that giant ball of stress in my gut finally let loose. Now I just gotta finish up my freelance work....

rain, rain, go away..

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:26:00 +0000

Another assignment in Tom's class. His lecture was about zoom, pan, intercut & static sequences. I guess mine is a zoom-pan. Not inked yet because I need a little practice in drawing the rain without looking like I slashed up everything in pen. He gave me some good advice about practicing on tracing paper. Tomorrow I'll post it in ink!

Hey HAT!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:11:00 +0000

The start of my mini-comic project. The story is about HAT, a nameless figure who represents the loser, oddball everyone knows and taunts so they feel a little bit better about themselves. Maybe a milquetoast character? He's a manifestation of my feelings of being slightly odd to people, whether my thoughts are real or imaginary. The drawing is half-inked, because I got too scared to keep inking in my lines! hehehe.

On my blue pencil sketch, Tom advised me on fixing the composition, like the angle of the sidewalk, creating the trees to help fill the scene. After inking pointed out fixing the line weights to make the character pop out and the action lines. Also, adding in shadows to the figure, which I'm going to have to take a deep breath to overcome ink fear. yeah, i don't do crosswords in pen, either.

The Big Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:18:00 +0000

So I'm also taking Tom Motley's cartooning class in the cont. ed. program at SVA. I'm learning tons, but the only problem is that I'm a little overworked right now and not putting in the time I really want to so I can make some kick-ass comics. However, one of the fun things is that I'm not editing any drawings on the computer, so all my problems with composition, staging, angles, plain old drawing skills.....pretty much everything are really evident on paper. hehehe. It does make me want to work harder.

Ok this is a 4-panel assignment to create the set-up, the surprise, and the comeback. Immediately made me think about all the times my older siblings tricked me into something. But, they never punched me in the face!

So, let's hear it for another sleepless week so I can get to cartooning.

drawing

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:50:00 +0000

It's Fall and I'm taking night classes again. This time a drawing class and cartooning. Oh so much fun. Above is the first sketch, the old continuous, giant line drawing- you don't pick up your pencil. I felt like a human etch-a-sketch.

scary!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:21:00 +0000

scary!

so still working on freelance projects outside the office. yay! Did a set of Halloween artwork. ooh scary!! They're not using this one. I thought about drawing a full-on cemetery, but maybe it's inappropriate for children's graphics. maybe yes, maybe no. dunno.

been awhile, crocodile!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:06:00 +0000

oh it's been awhile!! I'm busy with work (that's a good thing!!) and I haven't been able to finish my postcard series to put on etsy. But, I'm super-duper happy about recent sales! It's really made my month. Also, my vacation in Maine was great. above is a photo at acadia national park. I felt like I was walking through clouds...

IF-Worn

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:50:00 +0000

this week's topic is worn. This illustration is an old fashion sketch - pencil and markers-I did while taking a class at parsons. illustration friday

feature!! feature!!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:07:00 +0000

exciting!! I'm featured on Indie Parade today. my ohayo! cards that is. ooh it makes me so happy. Indie parade is a fun photoblog of crafts and designs. woohoo!!

milk is awesome

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:58:00 +0000

milk is awesome

oh yeah. and I never did that painting of the little houses...yet. I think it's too textile-pattern-y. need to rethink. Well, I'm out of town for the rest of the weekend. ta-ta!

She Linked me, she linked me!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000

The very wonderfully well-read writemeg posted my london cards on her blog and flickr. How very nice of her! and I do love her collection of photos and now I have a new reading list to follow!!

I'm back and I have new cards!

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sun, 24 May 2009 03:33:00 +0000

it's been awhile! since my last post I've been workig with a printer and now have new products. super excited! i'll post them online for sale very soon. stay tuned. *note the little robot vinyl toy is obviously not my design, but I got it from a kidrobot blind box toy that I thought would so cute in my product shot. happy memorial day weekend 2009!

eco-ing it

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:17:00 +0000

finally found the clear biodegradeable bags I've been looking for forever to store cards in. Also, working on getting the March 09 cards ready for printing. so much work. I have no free time left!

old things new things

noreply@blogger.com (milktoasty) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 01:53:00 +0000

part of my "lunch break" sketch series. Last fall I took an Illustration night class at SVA. Learned alot, but mostly got back into the habit of constantly drawing. So, once it got too cold to take a walk during my lunch hour, I sat at my desk and sketched little thumbnails. These two sketches I ended up coloring in photoshop, because I also bought myself a nice wacom tablet!
But for the really big news! I have a brand new little nephew today :)