I went to a Walmart store and bought more art supplies. For this new art batch, I will experiment with wet mediums, acrylics, and watercolors. I also had to purchase more appropriate paper because my other papers are mostly for dry media. The pastel bars on the images are primarily for background coloring since they can be used longitudinally and cover a larger area. I'm planning to mix the mediums sometimes.
Reaching for your desires
I had to reorder my desk and put away all my sculpting materials. As I mentioned before, I started to quickly run out of space. That's an inconvenience that is fixable only with more space. I outgrew my studio in a few days. It means my art ambitions are off the wall. Don't worry, I say to myself. I'm praying to The Almighty to grant me a new studio and more time to devote to art, and in exchange, I'm promising to also become of help and service to more people through my art. I will find ways to do that as well.
Right now, I'm setting up the camera to record overhead. The first test failed because the SD card had only 64 GB. Now, I have a 256 GB card and plan to start recording the process soon.
This new work combines 0.5 mechanical pencil, airbrushed markers and white conté crayon.
No more sculpting for now
I just realized how easy it is to accumulate stuff, mess up everything, and overcrowd a space with finished sculpting work. Making sculptures calls for a much larger workshop, so life and God are telling me that one has to grow as an artist internally and externally. For now, I'm very grateful for the opportunity I had to start playing with clay, getting to know more techniques and possibilities, and increasing my artistic ambitions. My new studio is good, but sculpture requires extra space. As of today, I'm pausing sculpting and going back to drawing painting, and digital art. Once I am situated in a larger studio I will resume sculpting.
Chair is here
The chair just arrived, and now I have a calm space for coffee, thinking, reading, and social media scrolling. By the way, I opened Joel Osteen's podcast yesterday while driving back home. That guy keeps being accused of falsehoods and whatnot, but the truth is that he is way too advanced for us. He has mastered things we do know about but can barely use like he does. I'm 57 and supposedly very advanced spiritually, but at this point, I haven't achieved that level of success and communication mastery. So, the people who talk ill about Osteen, in my opinion, are just jealous. I don't see how the guy could be deceiving anyone. He has helped me a lot through the years to keep my faith, keep moving, and keep believing. I'm very thankful that one of Joel's books came to me once, many, many years ago and changed the way I approached my communication with the Almighty. It's very good to have Joel Osteen around.
Military Action Figure
As mentioned in the previous post, I wanted to create action figures inspired by the horror movie Alien. That movie had incredible tension and action, so I created a comic-style character representing a high-action scene. The soldier is missing a shoe, has an incomplete uniform, is still wearing a communication device, and has a big knife to be more silent. The dog tag is moving, too. I feel like I really nailed it.
Horror-Action Genre
I love sci-fi and horror movies, but I must accept that I'm also easily scared. After watching an intense horror movie, I would remain aware of the dark for days and perceive shadows and things moving in corners. I'm very susceptible. But I still love scary movies. One of my all-time favorites was Alien. I want to reflect on the intense actions of a character from movies like that. So this time, I will use sci-fi gizmos and weapons and things like that.
My wife suggested me doing the Alien monster itself, but I prefer not to touch other people's characters. I'll do my own originals. This one, as you see is running like hell and will have some cool gear plus crazy weapons.
Which sculpture should I do next?
I'm thinking about the next sculpture. I like to move quickly because I'm prone to getting bored and losing interest. If I keep producing swiftly, I'll remain busy and engaged.
My next sculpture has to be something I like, but I will also step away from my previous work because I'm afraid some NPCs out here will start labeling me as "political" or "ideological." I'm happy to be American and grateful to be here, but I won't go any further beyond this point as I have no interest in getting down the political rabbit hole.
I know times are troubling, so it's a good moment to clarify: I'm not a troublemaker, and I won't support radical ideas. I'm just a humble artist who does rideshare for a living. I have no interest in giving advice beyond simple little things like diet, some spirituality, art, and that kind of thing. Do not call me, and do not invite me to anything not business-related. The answer is no in anticipation of all other things.
A Flag Holder
This is a surprise ending. The creative energy that took over and guided my hand wanted me to do this sculpture. Wow! A beautiful, vibrant cowboy girl is holding my citizenship ceremony flag. So, this sculpture will be part of my personal collection forever, and I will keep my American flag for as long as I live.
Female Sculpture Update
Well, this was unexpected. I was working on my new sculpture, but the sculpture "asked" me to do some modifications. So, this female warrior wanted to give her a more modern, contemporary, realistic approach, so she turned into a cowgirl. Now, this is where I am at. Will update later.
Curvy Female Warrior
Now I'm doing curvy chics. Lol. I can't deny that sci-fi and fantasy art is centered around beauty and voluptuous females, starting with legends like Frank Frazetta, Royo, and others known through magazines like Heavy Metal; That is how I know their work. I'm joining the club with my own version. It is still rough, but I'm making quick progress. During the next few days, I hope to add some cool details or maybe even change or add weapons like a ray gun or something else. I may also do a space helmet.
Action Figure
Now that I'm comfortable with the new Sculpey firm clay, I'm trying an action-like figure pose. My previous work was a sci-fi and mythological idea, and I'm considering continuing on that line. I'm going to do more fantasy and fiction with physical action. I'm doing a heroic female with wearable tech this time, maybe some strange weapons.
Good Vibes Corner
I just purchased a very cool-looking chair for my studio. It will be next to my bookcase and under my "good vibes" neon sign. Again, I'm using my Home Depot account; they sell all kinds of interesting stuff on their website. With the chair here, it will be a nice spot to have coffee or shoot videos.
Only for the video section, I was thinking of abandoning my blog train and giving semi-philosophical existential talks instead of art tutorials. Maybe the chair or the spot where it will sit calls for more elevated content. I don't know. I will see once it arrives.
Finished Bunny Sculpture
This is how creativity works. Let your imagination run wild, and you will find answers. It turns out this strange bunny was a cupid technician. He wears a heart-shaped symbol on his chest and has some tools to fine-tune love. He has his mouth taped up because he is demanded absolute discretion. Does it make sense now? February 14th? Saint Valentine? Go wash your mouth with soap right now if you are a conspiracy theorist spilling nonsense. I'm just joking; please don't do that. Just say you are sorry to the universe, and that will suffice.
Bunny Progress
This is where I am thus far. As some of you may know, I rideshare, so after I return from driving people all day, I sit in front of my work, thinking about what to do next. I have an idea of what I want but never follow a plan, so I'm open to changes. That's why I take it easy, adding small details at a time.
As I mentioned before, this character does look weird, anthropomorphous, and even androgynous, since I can't tell if it looks like she or he. I'm also thinking of adding something disconcerting, strange, and unexplained, like an old-style living room lamp or whatever. The idea is to break expectations and be creative because why not.
Testing New Clay
I'm using another type of polymer clay from Sculpey, which has a more firm consistency. So far, it's working much better. I'm also taking a few freedoms by doing something more of a character design and modern game-style concepts. An androgynous bunny-like creature. It's just coming out of my imagination and some Pinterest images where I'm exploring for influences. Still, I have not yet conceived a meaningful explanation just because it simply serves to test my new clay.
External Monitor Installed
The external monitor just arrived, so I did the initial tests of connectivity and image display, and it works as expected. This will help me to better control what the camera sees. The next step is resuming the artwork. There is a square mounted over the camera, you may wonder what that is; it's a teleprompter to be used when I'm doing scripted tutorials.
Setup Almost Complete
The YouTube studio setup is ready for all practical purposes. I'm not going to lie; I'm not happy. I couldn't create the magnificent, super-cool, magical man-cave art space I wanted, but it is a humble, reasonable, and acceptable start. With more time, more resources, and more ideas, I will set up a better space. I know content is king, but for a reason, I'm obsessed with having the perfect studio space. I just want to feel like I'm in a movie or in a dream. That's something that comes all the way from my teenage years and watching 80s movies.
By the way, I'm informed the 15-inch monitor will arrive tomorrow, Sunday 26th. Two days faster than initially estimated. Thank you, Home Depot!
Rearranging my studio space
After a few days in my new studio space, I am no longer satisfied with the desk arrangement. This is mainly because I had trouble sitting at a good angle for the video camera. Also, when I finally located a possible space for the camera, I realized the video background wasn't that interesting.
On the other hand, I used to have a small TV that served as an external monitor. This allowed me to see what was showing on the camera and helped focus the lens. However, I no longer have that TV, so I just realized that I needed to order a new monitor. This time, it is just a tiny, portable 15-inch TV monitor that will serve well. It will arrive on the 28th because it's coming from California, so I must wait a few more days.
I also ordered two 120-watt, color-changing app-operated light bulbs to add some color to the background. I'm ordering both the monitor and the spotlights from Home Depot.
It may take me a few more days to assemble all this; rearrange the space, and start producing art. This time, as suggested, it is supported by video. The videos are 60-second shorts, or, who knows, I might do horizontal tutorial-type videos or both.
Painted Sculpture
I had to really consider what I wanted to convey here. Do I want this to look like an art toy sculpture or more like a classic sculpture? I knew the decision would have consequences for all future projects. Going for the toy look would make my projects look artificial and 3D-printed. So, I caved in and gave the guitarist a more rough metallic patina appearance. I had to coat everything in black and apply a metallic finish with red acrylic to achieve that.
There is no going back. I even ordered more clay, this time a more professional one, so all my future sculptures in this series will be originals without reproductions. However, I changed my mind and will sell this one because the work looks and feels more solid after baking and painting. Reasonable care of this piece can make it last on any collector's shelf.
Finished Guitarist Sculpture
I just completed the first phase, sculpting, of the guitarist. It's made with polymer clay, which means it needs baking, and after it cools off, I may or may not sand or polish it a little bit. It will also be painted. I may apply a full black coat and use random neon colors for the details.
There was a big problem with polymer clay working with the hands and other parts because polymer clay is not hard enough and won't allow for finer details. This sculpture's entire body is only 12 inches, but one possible solution for adding better details will be making larger sculptures. Another road could be working with another type of clay, which is better for finer work, but that other clay doesn't dry and requires making a mold to produce reproductions with resin. which implies much more work, but that would benefit lower-priced sculptures and future sales. I promised my wife that I would make this sculpture thing pay for our rent, so I have to try my best.
This first sculpture won't be for sale due to internal structural defects in the aluminum wire. It wasn't properly joined. So, next time, I will reinforce the structure to make it shake-proof or go the extra step and make it one solid resin piece. We will see.
By the way, since I'm suddenly more business-minded now, I just created a new e-mail available on the "about" tab.
Guitar Player Progress
My wife is starting to like the current results, and out of a good mood and inspiration, I told her, more like I promised her, that sculpting would pay our rent. She believed that to be true, and that's an excellent sign from her because my wife has a good eye for things that might work out. I'm feeling a renewed sense of purpose. I see myself going somewhere with this.
This is the current progress in a realistic style, albeit with a reasonable degree of caricaturization, which is expected because I tend to do that with some of my vectors and line drawings. The final work will be painted in more than one color, but not in a realistic way. I would use more abstract, interpretative, and expressive colors, graffiti-style.
Guitar Player Update
This is my progress so far. I've done many other polymer clay figures, but never one that was this complicated. The first thing I'm learning with this project is that sculpture is all about the internal structure. It is a critical factor. The wire structure has to be well-designed, constructed, and well-thought-out. If you fail at this, the whole thing won't stand. It may fall apart during baking or handling. I'm not going to put this piece on sale for that specific reason. Some details should have been done differently and more structurally sound. The good thing is the next piece will be much better after the lessons learned today. I'm making progress, and hopefully, people will be interested in my work.
L. A.
To me, Los Angeles, the idea of Los Angeles as a place and a city has been in my mind as one of the world's pinnacles of culture and arts. Way too many things have been conceived there, not just ideas but also incredible people. I have always seen that place as a dream and a myth.
I can attribute the following to the law of attraction; we lived in Orange County, CA., from 2017 to 2019. These were terrific years with plenty of experiences, good and bad, but mostly good. In fact, I completed my bachelor's degree in digital cinematography while I was living there.
Life took a turn for us, and now we are back in Texas and doing well, except there is very little to no occupation around cinematography for me here. I get to be a rideshare driver, which is not the same, but it's not bad. Being an independent creator is sometimes the only choice to make a living and still be connected to what you love.
Los Angeles and Southern California are still matters of personal desire and dreams. I still daydream about living and thriving there, as if I'm just waiting for things to be right so I can one day earn my way back into LA.
There are things in this universe we still can't comprehend why they are the way they are. I still miss my days in California and am so sorry I couldn't stay and be strong enough to hold. Right now, I can only watch from afar. Right now, all I do is talk about California.
Once more, Los Angeles is burning. It feels terrible, utterly demoralizing, sobering, and disheartening. It is like my dreams are being torn apart, like a nightmare. I feel their pain, and my heart is burning with Los Angeles, too.
I'm Already Sculpting
Due to my personality, I owe this anxious precipitation to starting to work in sculpture because I intensely crave being part of a more cultural and artistic environment. I have resented being away from these circles for so many years. Today, I do rideshare for a living. It's well-paid, semi-lonely, independent, and flexible work. Rideshare has some nice advantages. I can think, enjoy the view, and be in hundreds of places around the city. Sometimes I have met very interesting people. There are some random downs in ridesharing, because it is not all greatness, and it's mainly due to less-than-cool experiences with some odd riders behaving in undesired manners.
Overall, I'm happy with my life and what God and this country allow me to be and experience, but I still feel terribly incomplete due to my (previously) stagnant art production, but then, after so many years of idling, I now have a better eye for art. I'm more methodical and patient, so in the end, I'm a late bloomer because the right level of maturity for art and self-expression, the right ideas, and full access to creativity have all come to me recently. It wasn't really there before. It's like I have suspected all along; it's all God-given. But then, if you don't practice consistently, there is no merit to recieve.
Under these premises, I have decided to elevate my art even more. That's why I'm moving from pastels and pencils to now include realistic polymer clay sculptures. It's a bold and unafraid step like the boss level in gaming terms.
My first sculpture will be a guitar player, which requires a high skill level. To do this, I had to become the model. I took photos of myself from the front, back, and sides. Then, I downloaded a human proportion sketch online, which needed to be resized on paper to the exact size of the sculpture: 12 inches.
Then, I covered the sketches with legal-sized acrylic sheets so I could work on top of them with the clay without ruining the prints. So far this is the progress I have. Working on the skeleton, which is the base of the sculpture construct.
One thing to know is that when you are not working with the polymer clay, it is best to put it away inside a plastic bag so it doesn't dry up and become too hard.
Room Studio Setup
I'm far from done, but at least the basic setup is decided. So far, I have chosen two opposite corners of the room. One will be for graphic design and the primary computer area. Of course, I still have stuff in boxes that must be put away in drawers or on a shelf.
The other area is occupied by Austin's Uplift Desk, which is perfect for working with sculpture. Depending on the work, you should stand or sit; this mechanical-electronic desk is just perfect for that.
Once everything is better distributed in the room, my first work will be a small sculpture. I'm using myself as a model of a guitar player. Not because I'm good at playing guitar but because I want to represent a sculpture of a guitar player. In the future, once I have access to more resources, I will either hire and pay or simply request voluntary models for sculptures.
It's important to mention that modeling for sculpture doesn't imply standing while I draw. No, it's just four pictures of a model taken from four angles. Back, front, and the two sides. This is for proportions and a reference. Models in a studio standing for hours is a school thing and mainly stuff from the past. I would never do it as I get tired or distracted quickly.
I will update you once I start working or if I have something relevant coming up.
By the way, the Coca-Cola can in the picture is not a can but a Bluetooth speaker.
Empty Room - Full Room
Finally, the vacated room was given to me, and now I have filled the space with my stuff, yet in boxes and with no clear idea of how to distribute it. I have to consider that I'll mainly be doing sculpture and painting, but computers and art materials still need space. Distribution and efficiency are one thing, but personalization and decoration are another. I will worry about that too, including lighting and window extraction-ventilation. I will update you soon.