Celebrating life, food and art!

Just after midnight and I’m going to fit in a Steemit post before bed. Yet another freewrite. There are only so many hours in the day and this afternoon, @guthrie and I came along for @vermillionfox’s grandma’s belated Thanksgiving celebration. It was nice to see everyone, but I had a hard time concentrating on my illustration. They’re a big football family and I am not. I was able to bring a Tupperware of my vegan Italian sausage alfredo and these chocolate fondants I made the night before. It was a recipe my friend Ella passed along when I stayed with her in New Zealand.

I sketched when I could, at the dinner. We left in the midst of a snow storm, and although I’d left my jacket at @caffetto, we decided to come right home and play it safe with the roads. We did stop at the co-op and I got more chocolate, cashew milk and cinnamon. I wanted to take another stab at the fondants because I didn’t feel my first attempt was my best showing. Once home, all of us got in to our winter red and black striped flannel and did our own thing. @guthrie is obsessed with a new Five Nights at Freddy’s game and I started inking.

I’m currently working on some marketing artwork for @eos.detroit. As I mentioned in previous posts, I’m working with their team to break them out of a fiercely competitive block producing situation. Not just within EOS, but with dozens of other projects, I think art as a tool is a massively underutilized approach. Honestly, STEEM is the only one I think wields it with the respect it deserves and that’s because of the Steemit and our world class artist community. Speaking of Communities, I cannot wait to see what happens with art once it’s rolled out.

I started sketching early this morning, and by the evening, I was inking in Adobe Fresco for the iPad Pro. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it, but the inking tool is vector based, which has obvious advantages over bitmap. It also feels very close to actual “ink”. I’m also starting to make better compositional decisions in my drawings and inkings. I could see it tonight with this piece. In the chest of this android, he has a chestahedron as his power source. I love the contrast between the complex mechanics behind and the clear, pure geometric shape, which is the focus.

These kinds of decisions used to evade me while drawing and working out the problems of a composition. I’m drawing more, and it shows. I’ve been so bogged down with traveling and editing, I haven’t been able to get some heads down time with my iPad until recently. It’s really exciting; when you can actually measure your improvement. I’m moving in to the three week window with @coppercoins on my IndieGoGo campaign with @ghostfish. I’ll be drawing the Christmas card reward tomorrow. I’m going to need all these new insights.

I decided to take another swing at the fondants after my art therapy time. Other than a burn on my finger, this time they turned out perfect! The first bite took be back to Auckland on Ella’s couch. I’m almost tempted to do a @gringalicious style photo shoot, they’re so beautiful. I’m full now, and maybe because they are vegan, I don’t feel gross or heavy. Just comfortably pleased. I’ve been binging this great art channel with an old British guy named Pete Beard, chronicling the history of unsung illustrators. Check this out if you’re an artist.

It’s Sunday tomorrow, and I’m hoping for some time at @caffetto. I have a big Patreon post to make. That’s a necessity at the first of the month. I’ll also have to get some photo editing done. I’m hoping to roll against @tarotbyfergus for a few games of Commander. We’ve been having some really fun, competitive games lately. I’m breathing easier tonight because all my bills are paid for now, and I’ve been submerging myself in art. Worthy of celebrating and I thought I’d share for those of you up for a short read. Off to bed. Good night, Steemit!