scribbles & sketches

Portrait of Tomoya Oshikawa
Feb. 5th, 2010

Copics, micron pigmas, Towbow brush pen, & pencil on paper.

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This was a "bon voyage/glad to see you again" present for my friend, with whom I had sadly lost touch until recently.

Tomoya was the college roommate of my first boyfriend.
I have fond memories of Tomoya and it was great to catch up with what he has been doing.
He is just wrapping up a month or so long stay here before going back to Japan.

I hope we keep in touch this time.

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i'm going to megacon this year!
i'll be in the brown section of artist's alley with the rest of the nightgig crew and will be selling art prints, art/sketchcards, and taking commissions.
hope to see you there!

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lastly, i've started a journal comic, i'm calling "flaky".
jocelyn is helping with the codework for the gig site, but the tumblr mirror is up and uploading!

"Waiting For Red"
August 2009
rollerball pen, copic sketch markers, sakura micron pigmas, & opaque white ink for highlights in a moleskine journal.

ever wondered what happened after grandma was eaten, but before little red riding hood arrived?
the wolf gets in character, of course!

i think mister b. b. wolf needs to work on his knitting.
the pattern is for a 2 legged long-john and he has 3 so far, but since he's using double-point needles and i haven't gotten the hang of them yet, i'll cut him some slack.

i loved playing with the patterns on his quilt.

and yes, the rollers that i put on miss ladybug are back. they were just too much fun and i didn't want a floppy, chef hat sort of thing that most illustrations put granny in.

xposted to lj & dA.

originally posed on my twitter on April 16th.
a friend asked for design advice, so i'm reposting so i can find these easier.

design rule #1 - no more than 3 fonts per design.

design rule # 2 - convert all type to outlines/curves. we can't guarantee we have the same fonts.

design rule #3 - clip art you found on the internet is not an original logo.

design rule #4 - art from internet is too low rez (72dpi) & will print crappy, especially if you want enlarged for a big sign.

design rule # 5 -don't use a hojillion colors. it's hard to read. limit your colors to 2-3 per design.

design rule # 6 - don't design logos in photoshop. use scaleable friendly vectors like illustrator or corel draw.

design rule # 7- clip art from a cheapy design program is also not an original logo. deal with it.

design rule # 8 - do not use a script font in all caps. can't read it and it looks crappy.

design rule #9 - no real designer uses microsoft office product or publisher to design. no pro printer will be able to use it.

"design rule # 10 - Designers can't read your mind no matter how awesome we are"
-wisdom from @mastergeebo

design rule #11 - don't let family or friends design your logo, unless they are a skilled designer.

Design Rule # 12 - if printing a photo, keep it high rez (300 dpi @ least.) is ok to go to do 72 dpi if you enlarge high rez image real big!

Design Rule #12 - addendum: "real big" means like 18" wide or something. poster sized!

Design Rule # 13 - Decorative fonts like Curlz & Jokerman are only good for Headlines. Limit your useage of them. Don't use them in logos!

Design Rule # 14 - This one applies to the comics: Do not letter a comic using comic sans! In fact, just delete if off your comp entirely!

Design Rule # 14 addendum : there are many wonderful fonts for lettering a comic that are free! Go use these & thank Nate. www.blambot.com

wisdom from @PiousKnob: "@bluecanarykit don't forget: a product shot with half a logo on it is NOT a logo image"

"two lights to guide her by"
2009
pilot rollerball, micron pigma, copics, jellyroll pes, and opaque white ink in a moleskine journal.

drawn earlier this year, began inking about a month ago-with tweaks all along the way. these are characters from my on-very-long-hiatus webcomic, but i had an itch to draw them that day.
i didn't erase my pencil lines. if you look around ferdinand, you can still see some of it by his wings.

another difference is that i did not pencil in much of the background. i just had the moon and path roughly lined out. the rest i sketched in with the rollerball.
why is it purple? because that was the one i had that day, i.e. it was the first one i grabbed. it was the first time i drew with a rollerball, freehand, and didn't make any major mistakes.

yes, the bird is glowing in the dark. that's something i've always had in mind for his character and never had a chance to illustrate (or the skills to properly show it.)

x-posted to lj & dA

i'm looking through my settings trying to find a way i can post here via text or mobile web.
i keep seeing something about a pin number.

i'm brainless and can not find what mine is (if i need one at all.) o.0

copics & ink on 3" x 5" notecard
2008

Makar plays a tun in the Forest Haven's mists.

Makar from "Legend of Zelda: The WindWaker", created and © Nintendo.
art is © 2008 kathryn "kit" white

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my external HD is dead and a lot of art i hadn't gotten around to posting, not to mention all my webcomic files, etc, is gone; unless it can be retrieved off the drive.

this is one of several pieces that i neglected to move to my external. yay for files that have survived!

i didn't make too many art cards, originally planning to have them for cons this year, but it looks like i won't be able to go to any. there is always next year.
( 2 more fanart-y cards after the jump! )copics & ink on 3" x 5" notecard
2008

Link waits to make his move.
(not a scene from WindWaker, just drawn in that style.)

Link from "Legend of Zelda" & related characters, created and © Nintendo.
art is © 2008 kathryn "kit" white

copics & ink on 3" x 5" notecard
2008

Kero-chan loves his sweets!

Kero-chan from "CardCaptor Sakura", created and © Clamp.
art is © 2008 kathryn "kit" white</div></div>( 2 more fanart-y cards after the jump! )

alice, girlwithoutfear  here on lj, has always been an inspiration to me. heck, she still is.
i enjoy hanging out with someone so creative! she's taught me tons of cool things and we've had plenty of fun just sitting around working in altered books or other artistic projects as we visit. she has a great eye for art and an excellent sense of design.

she's as big a geek as i am, too. her fandom is Daredevil. (that link may have spoilers, btw)
you should see her daredevil quilts! can't find any current links to them, but they are sooo beautiful!
no, these aren't your grandmother's type quilt. they're gorgeous examples of thread paintings and fabric collage with hand beaded fringe on some of the pieces.
it's even approved by the joe quesada, the current editor-in-chief over at marvel and david mack, both of whom have seen her work. mack even signed several of the pieces featuring his art.

last year, alice began getting active in a regional chapter for the Foundation for Fighting Blindness. you see, alice has been diagnosed with early onset macular degeneration. that's right, the most creative person i know, with one of the best eyes for visual art i've seen, will lose her sight.

this is a devasting thing, but here's another reason alice is an inspiration to me. she's still going and not letting it stop her.
she has started a new business making braille tshirts. no, it's not screenprinted where only the sighted can see it, but she used metallic studs or swarovski crystals to make actual text that the blind can read!
she can do custom phrases, too.
i have a few of these shirts and they are truly nifty.
she is also planning on going back to school to learn to become a braille transcriber.
truly amazing, isn't she?

the primary event for a FFB chapter is a VisionWalk, to raise money for research for denegerative eye diseases such as Macular Degeneration, Stargart Disease, Usher Syndrome, Rentintis Pigmentosa, etc., and find cures. This weekend is Memphis' first VisionWalk and alice has a team. If you can be in Memphis, please come join the team! 
Can't be in memphis? You can donate to the cause. Don't have much? hey, they'll accept $5 donations! I believe alice is making tshirts (the design is one her VisionWalk page and giving them to those who make a donation of $25 or higher...correct me if i wrong, alice.
i have volunteered to do face painting at the event, but i plan on walking, too, if time permits.

Please support girlwithoutfear  and the FFB!

Thanks!

drawn 2008
copic markers on paper

it's finished! this is the next print i will be selling. will post link when i have it up on my etsy store.

thanks to mattdocmartin for the photo! it was awesome seeing you and all the YABSters!
pastel, marker and crayon on matte board
art from the Live Art Night benefit

will be posting a full con report later, with art. still recovering from CAPE.
i didn't get many photos, too busy drawing and seeing stuff. will post links to other's photos so you who didn't go can see what you missed and why you need to go next year!

it was great seeing everyone again. thanks again to all who came by my table and bought a sketch!
special thanks to wayfarersgirl for coming out, visiting and being a super nifty booth bunny for girlwithoutfear and me! i'm sooo happy i gots to see you again!