Merry Xmas

Explore, dream, discover

Yep it's a very very long time, I had a lot of work and little time, but here I'm again with my last photomanipulation in two version: with and without a wonderful Mark Twain's quote that's making me think a lot in theese days:

“Twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do 

than by the ones you did do. 

So throw off the bowlines. 

Sail away from the safe harbor. 

Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore.

Dream. 

Discover.”

Sì, sono scomparsa per un sacco di tempo, ho avuto un sacco da lavorare e poco tempo, ma eccomi qui di nuovo con la mia ultima fotomanipolazione in due versioni: con e senza il testo di una bellissima frase di Mark Twain che in questi giorni mi sta dando parecchio da pensare:

"Tra vent'anni 

sarai più deluso delle cose che non hai fatto 

che da quelle che hai fatto.

E allora molla gli ormeggi.

Lascia il porto sicuro.

Cattura il vento nelle tue vele.

Esplora.

Sogna.

Scopri."

Beauty and the Steam step by step

Potete leggere questo stesso post in italiano qui.

Days ago my friend Tanabrus suggested I could draw a steampunk version for the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast.

That's the result:

Now let's see how I did this (but remember: I've to thanks a lot Tanabrus for the original idea and for the pieces of advice he gave me during the whole work in progress).

Step 1: pencil draw

I tried to focuses on the principal points of the fairytale: the Beauty, the Beast and the rose. 

Since I decided I'll make this illustration I know I will make a threatenig Beast who looks at Belle who was watching the rose (ok it's a mess of a phrase, but hope you'll understand what I'm writing).

The rose most of all offered me some cues for the steampunk setting: it's in a glass jar and the jar is perfect to be connected with brass tubed and stuff...

In the first version Belle had a different outfit, but Tanabrus suggest I've to dress her up like the Disney's version to give instantly the idea of what we're illustrating. 

In this first version  the candlestick you can see on the right in the last version is missing. It's because I didn't draw it until Tanabrus suggested me to add a side character from the Disney's movie.

Step 2: cyan print

Using adobe photoshop I changed my draw in a cyan version and printed it so I could add ink and then scan it again without any track of pencil lines.

Step 3: ink

Put ink over an illustration is not just trace the pencil lines with the ink. I wanted the atmosphere around Belle and around the Beast to be different, so I choose to put heavy black shadow on the background in the Beast's area and almost no shadows in Belle's area, thinking maybe the rose will be spreading a little of light.

I'm still not so sure about this choice: Belle's look seems to be too 'weak', maybe I'll work again on this.

The jar and the rose's outlines are coloured: I did them with black ink and then used photoshop to change their colors to have a more glassy effect.

Step 4: flat colours

Now I had a inked draw, and I need to choose my colours. I tried to think to the steampunk typical colours (ocher, vermillion, dark green, copper, rust...) and the Disney's Beauty and the Beast ones at the same time.

I choose to paint the main characters' outfits similar to the Disney's ones.

I'd to pay attention when I choose the colours 'caure they're the colours which I'll work on: putting on shadows and shades, they've to be light ones but also give the idea of where I'll be go with the finishing touch.

Step 5: shadows

For the shadows I used a spray-like brush of photoshop which gives that pointed effect, I worked on several layers in multiply mode, and changed the opacity to obtain the shade I wanted.

The glass jar is on a different layer: I painted it grey-blue and lowered the opacity, then, on another layer I tracked some withe lines with a soft brush to give the idea of light.

As finishing touches I added some light-pink sparkles around the rose with a starry brush and a little of steam effect done on a different layer with a soft brush and light grey paint lowering a lot the opacity.

And at the moment that's all: I'm not really satisfied of Bella's face, I think I'll work again on it sooner or later.

Obviously this illustration is for Tanabrus :)

Happy towel day!!

Fed Zeppelin musicale / Music Fed Zeppelin

Fed Zeppelin is a blog template creator!! 

Ok, that is true just in part... well I admit I'm talking about a blogsport template but I gave a personal touch on it. 

The thing is that some days ago Gianni asked me a header for his music blog: Resto in Ascolto. After his post I had to discover what the hell a header is. 

Now I know it. 

And you can see my last art work here!!

Of course if you go on Resto in Ascolto you'd better read some of the Gianni's music post, 'cause they absolutely worth it!

Fed Zeppelin è una creatrice di template per blog!!

Ok, non è del tutto vero... va bene, ammetto che quello a cui mi sto riferendo è un template di blogspot, ma gli ho dato un tocco personale.

Il fatto è che, qualche giorno fa, Gianni mi ha chiesto un header per il suo blog musicale: Resto in Ascolto. Dopo il suo post ho dovuto accertarmi di cosa accidenti fosse esattamente un header.

Ora lo so.

E potete vedere il mio ultimo lavoro qui!!

Ovviamente, dato che vi trovate sulle pagine di Resto in Ascolto, fareste meglio a leggere i post musicali di Gianni dato che meritano assolutamente!

Another night at the court of the rabbit queen

The Wake Of Magellan

"  I believe what the prophets said

That the oceans hold their dead

But at night when the waves are near
 

They whisper

And I hear"

The Wake of Magellan - Savatage

White ghosts on parade

Tiger, tiger

My last art-work in pantone, ink and wax crayons, inspired by the William Blake's poetry:

La mia ultima illustrazione: pantone, china e pastelli a cera, ispirata dalla poesia di William Blake:

Tiger! Tiger! burning bright 

in the forests of the night,

what immortal hand or eye

could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,

could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

and water'd heaven with their tears,

did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb made thee?

Tiger! Tiger! burning bright

in the forests of the night,

what immortal hand or eye,

dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Giraffa

So many artworks to upload and quite a little of time.

You can see a best-of of my latest artwork here. 

I'll publish them on this blog as soon as possible so don't worry if you can't speak Italian (I'm sorry I write my other blog in my own language, I uploaded a link to google translator anyway, so if you're interested in what I wrote about my art works you can use it).

In the meanwhile here there is a brand new artwork all in wax crayons:

Così tanti disegni da caricare e poco tempo.

Intanto potete vedere qui un best of dei miei ultimi lavori.

Li pubblicherò su questo blog al più presto, quindi non preoccupatevi se non leggete in italiano (ma se state leggendo questa parte non è un problema vostro).

Nel frattempo ecco la mia ultimissima creazione tutta in pastello a cera:

Tick, tack, rabbit

You can catch an idea for a work from almost anything: pictures, songs, movies, poetry...

This time I took my inspiration from a phrase in a radio show: Tick tack, rabbit. Tick. Tack.

Ok is not that they where talking about rabbits, but the words have been junping in my brain for days.

That is the result:

L'ispirazione per un nuovo lavoro può venire da qualunque cosa: immagini, canzoni, film, poesia...

Questa volta mi sono lasciata ispirare da una frase ascoltata in una trasmissione radio: Tick tack, rabbit. Tick. Tack.

Beh, non è che stessero parlando proprio di un coniglio, ma le parole sono rimaste a rimabalzarmi in testa per giorni.

Questo è il risultato:

There are two versions 'cause I'm not able to choose the better background color, if you've any suggest...

In due versioni perché non riesco a scegliere il colore di fondo più adatto, per cui se ci sono suggerimenti...

How can I catch an eating-socks monster?

Obviously with a fishing rod and a sock:

Being for the benefit of Mr.Kite...

... there will be a show tonight: