Cyfa's art challenges and other bits & bobs

[Sibyl]

Expanding on that thought for me, at least, I'm impressed more with work that is done with fewer available tools than work that is more automatic. That said, I love new tools and anything to make my job easier, but I have serious respect for people that do amazing work with older or outdated software that has fewer features.

If one is into vector artwork, I've been seriously impressed by quite a few artists working in Inkscape, which is basically a free Adobe Illustrator, but with far fewer features, as well as those that do amazing work in MS Paint.

In the end, it's not the tools, it's what you do with them.

 

[Cyfa]

I'm with you on the use of "old and outdated" things, @gazomg. My phone is five years old, and my car coming up for sixteen, but they both serve my needs very well, and I don't use nearly half the functions that they are equipped with (mainly because I don't know how, and see no point in learning because I've managed perfectly well without them)

In the end, it's not the tools, it's what you do with them

- I quite agree. "Fewer available tools" can lead to more creativity, but then "anything to make my job easier" could free up more time for experimentation leading to a completely unexpected result (as I've discovered in the last couple of days)

Speaking of unexpected results - I knew I shouldn't have messed around anymore, as now I have another image that I like:

This one's called "Derelict" as it's just the hulk of a Norway-class ship drifting inside a particularly dense nebula (or planetary disk).
I think I prefer the first one, though? Maybe? I'll decide in the morning.

 

[Sibyl]

I dont have a phone....last one I had around 12 years ago I fucked in the river
Dont have a car, never had one and will never have on
Dont wear a watch,
dont carry a wallet
Dont have a credit card, never had never will
Dont have a facebook account or instagram one either.

I am almost a luddite in many things other than for my desktop pc

I love modern conveniences. I just wish I weren't so dependent on them.

 

[Cyfa]

It's been a while - I'm in between moves, at the mo - but I found a few minutes this afternoon to make a start on this month's Art Challenge. Secret Societies is the theme, and having been reminiscing with some friends about TV programmes we used to watch as kids, I wondered if the Red Hand Gang might have inspired children in the 23rd or 24th centuries. So, out came the red paint:

The top two hand prints are obviously (hopefully) Vulcan, and the bottom two are my take on Terellian (of the four-armed variety).

This is just a quick mock-up but, like so many of my previous art challenge entries, it may end up being my submission due to my limited grasp on time.

 

[Cyfa]

Thanks, @gazomg. It's nice to be back - even if only in fits and starts at the moment. I've had another "start" today, and found a few minutes to muck around with my hand prints again:

Here's another take on the Star Trek version of the Red Hand Gang. The staff of Starbase 11 keep finding these hand prints popping up in the Jefferies tubes...

And here's a logo from the Pre-Cog Corps - a little known department within the Terellian Ministry of Intelligence:

Before and after I used a Linear Halftoning filter from FotoSketcher in an attempt to make it look like an embroidered patch...

Not entirely convincing. Needs more work that I don't know if I can be bothered to do!

 

[Cyfa]

No, I had no idea about the significance of the red hand in Ireland, @gazomg. Always good to learn something new. I do remember that Jerry Adams, Sinn Féin, and others had to be dubbed over when appearing on TV - Well, I mainly remember the hoo-hah when the law was changed and we got to hear their real voices!
And Section 31... Interesting.

I'm not really loving the hand prints, so I might fall back on this idea I had for the secret-ish (more like almost unknown) Trill group called the Watchers who were always on the look-out for the return of the Bluegill parasites. Only a few sketches at the mo - a combination of the Trill Symbiosis Commission logo and a watchful eye:

 

[Cyfa]

Well, I've had a go at the Watchers logo. It's a bit primitive as all my art stuff is packed away in a box in my sister's garage until I move into my new house (next month, hopefully). I had to make do with my 18 month old nephew's "My First Crayolas" and a gel pen (similarly, the hand prints were made using his finger paint).

It's a bit on the wonk, but I think it'll have to do.
I'm still not sure whether to use this or the Red Hand Gang logo for this month's art challenge? Unless anyone has any favourites/suggestions, I'll decide later...

 

[Michael]

I can only speak for myself, but while I really like both, I think the Trill logo is much cooler and more interesting. It's something that could have fit right in as a background graphic for the show proper. Were it a vector graphic it would be something that Mike Okuda could have designed for the encyclopedia way back then.

 

[Cyfa]

Thanks, @Michael and @gazomg! I went with the Trill logo as the 'Red Hand Gang' stuff seemed a little too sinister - it probably would have looked better if it'd been a child's handprint (but I wasn't even going to try to attempt to get my nieces or nephew to try and make a Vulcan "salute" ). And, the Watchers logo is based on that of the Trill Symbiosis Commission which is probably why it looks familiar.

 

[Cyfa]

I found a little time today to sketch out an idea I had for this month's Art Challenge: Cetacean Opera! Although, I'm not sure what they're celebrating yet. Maybe it's a musical version of an important first contact to celebrate its 100th anniversary?

Although, in this case, it's cetaceans (perhaps George & Gracie's offspring?) at the opera rather than performing in it. The humpback whale and dolphin are wearing not-yet-finalised (i.e. completely rushed) Disco Maroons which I'd hoped to have designed for last month's Mix and Match art challenge. I'll work on them later or at the weekend, along with attempting to make it clearer that the whale and dolphin are in a giant tank, rather than floating in mid-air...

 

[Cyfa]

I've put the Cetacean Opera picture (above) on hold as I had to get something out of my head: Disco78 - a Calvin and Hobbes inspired Starbase disco.

Here we have a couple of Caitians, a couple of Ithenites, and an Andorian getting down to classical Cetacean Opera played at 78 rpm. Harpo the Humpback whale looks on in amusement.
If I ever finish it (I can't find my fineliners to do the outlines), I'll probably try and fashion this into some sort of celebration theme for this month's art challenge, as I very much doubt I'll find the time to finish Cetacean Opera up there in the previous post.

 

[Cyfa]

I found my fineliners!
This is the finished (*ahem*) picture for March's art challenge:

If I'd pulled my finger out and started this earlier in the month, I'd've drawn a bigger scene, making it obvious that this is set aboard Earth Spacedock. I also like to think that I'd've put the Caitians and Ithenites in original poses (rather than copy those that Calvin and Hobbes struck in "Something Under the Bed is Drooling" - but I still would have drawn Hobbes!), and added a few more disco divas (in and out of Starfleet uniforms)!
This is the first time in many, many years that I've used marker pens (I was inspired by @Atolm's work), but as I'm not confident with them yet, I only used them for the background and Harpo's uniform. The rest of the scene was coloured with my trusty pencil crayons, and I used a white gel pen for the distant spacedock interior lights that can be seen through the cetacean tank.

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

The coloring really made this come alive, nice one!

 

[Cyfa]

Thanks, @pl1ngpl0ng! Haven't seen you for a while, but it's good to see you back. Are you working on anything?

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

heya Cyfa, thnx =) nah... nothing in the creative department,..
That stuff goes up and down,
Have a nice sunday Cyfa! keep up the artwork!

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

i just come in here very quickly to let you know...



that i'm A CAPTAIN NOW!!!
<--- LOOK!!!
i'v already started ordering people around

 

[Cyfa]

Hah ha haa! Congratulations Captain @pl1ngpl0ng!! Welcome to the club!

 

[Cyfa]

Uh, oh...

Lt. j.g. Caddorshath ch'Thir falls foul of a turbolift malfunction...

I thought I'd make a start on my entry for this month's art challenge: "Oops A Daisy!" I plan to do three more pictures featuring hapless redshirts coming a cropper due to various malfunctions (other than the Turbolift above, I've got plans for Wardrobe, Kirk-Fu, and Captain's Log malfunctions).

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

That looks really good Cyfa, more than really good actually...
You leveled up here... composition are great!
It's a wonderful clear and whimsical moment captured. I love it
Really like that the lines are slightly slanted, also the body posture of the Andorian makes for a great movement. Cool with only a few popping colors. Did i mention that i love it?

 

[Cyfa]

Thanks, @pl1ngpl0ng. I think you might have mentioned it...
The original image was straight-on, but I'd previously taken a wonky photo of it partially coloured and thought the off-kilter viewpoint worked well with the subject matter, so I did the same for the finished one.

This next one I'm not nearly so pleased with. And neither, I should think, is Captain Szilka - not least because this is the first time I've ever drawn a Saurian (other reasons are that his legs are too far apart, I don't like the colours, and those boots are too kinky!).
This time the slanted view is due to a malfunction in the inertial dampeners or artificial gravity.

Edit: I've removed the image as I'm not happy with the suggestiveness of the pose. I'll do another one.