Galveston Harbor

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Galveston Harbor, © Jeff Thomann, 2011
Galveston Harbor, © Jeff Thomann, 2011

Media: Watercolor Pencil, Color Pencil & China Marker

I still don’t think this image image is ‘done’ but it’s getting close to where I want it to be. I’ve reworked it many times. I’ve been technically working on it about 2 or 3 months, but most of that time I was just looking at it. Since I started The Artists Way again this week I’ve been working on it an hour or two every morning and night, every day.

I have no idea how many real working hours have been put in to it, but there’s been a lot. I’ll put multiple layers in, erase them out, scatch out highlights with a burnisher, add more color, erase out some with an electric eraser, add more color areas, rework, etc. The gesso in the foreground has probably lost most of it’s tooth, as has most of the ‘water’ area to the left, but I keep adding new marks to it all the time, so I may have another few hundred hours of work to put in to it before all is said and done?… I’ll probably move on to some other artwork for now so I don’t really overwork it beyond a point that I can’t fix it any further. The scan was taken without any fixative added. I hate how shiny color pencil glare causes an image to really get a lot darker looking in the scan then it is in reality. The image is based on a couple of photos that I’m putting together in to one image in the drawing. I’m trying to be careful to leave some of the white of the underlying gesso. Most of the cloud area is almost pure white from the gesso with very little color pencil. I probably need to rework the middle ground and the ship in the background a lot more, but maybe not since some atmospheric perspective isn’t necessarily a bad thing here.

a couple of quick little self portraits

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

8/3/2011 Self Portrait #1 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann
8/3/2011 Self Portrait #1 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann

8/3/2011 Self Portrait #2 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann
8/3/2011 Self Portrait #2 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

8/2/2011 Rose Study © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann
8/2/2011 Rose Study #1 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann

8/2/2011 Rose Study #2 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann
8/2/2011 Rose Study #2 © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann

a few new drawings.

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Jackie's Rose © 2011 Jeff Thomann
Jackie’s Rose © August, 2011 Jeff Thomann

Self Portait © 2011 Jeff Thomann

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

This was created using an old car rearview mirror so I could only see half of the face without shifting location so it was a bit of a challenge. As you can probably tell, I was focusing primarily on the lower nose/chin/neck area more than the rest of the face.

It took me 29 minutes overall, and time flew by because I was so intently focused. Getting good greyscale gradation levels with a small drawing surface like a ball point pen is challenging, especially when on a timeline like I was with this. I did complete it in under a half hour though.

I can see some improvements already in the self portrait drawing skill vs the last self portrait like this I did. I use self portraits as sort of a checkup on my skills since the human face is a good indicator of art skills on a lot of levels. Drawing faces with glasses on is always a bit of a challenge too since it changes the lighting a lot and gives areas that need new details.

I did the glasses on though because I’m working on a color pencil drawing in the mornings that has Tekla with glasses on, and I wanted to study a little in these ballpoint pen drawings how the glasses affect the light and shadow on the face so I can do better in that and future drawings with glasses. The color pencil drawings are very tricky since I’m using a lot of different colors, layering techniques, and a lot of erasing and actual burnishing techniques – actually in some areas on those I’m using real print making etching tools to do scratcherboard type techniques in limited areas since I’m using gessoed hardboard. That is definitely something I would not be able to do if I was using paper for the color pencils. The color pencils are almost like mini-oil paintings. Now it’s after 6 Am so I better start on the color pencil as the time allocated to it is before 6:30 AM, lol.

Speed Model Challenge: Spear

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Spear © 6/8/2011 Jeff Thomann

This is a 3d model I created tonight for the speed model challenge over at http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=122&t=984188.

The Model took me approximately an hour and a half to create, but I was a bit distracted since we were watching America’s Got Talent at the same time, and I was also using an internet browser to look at various spear reference images at the same time. I was originally intending to base this on the Hofburg Spear of Destiny that supposedly the spear that pierced the side of Christ according to some, but decided that since I was on a timeline in order to complete this in less than 2 hours, I was going to sort of go off in my own direction with it as a generic spear that just has the rough basic shape as that spear.

I probably spent about 45 minutes adjusting various settings in the procedural texture settings in Lightwave to get the texture I was aiming for. I didn’t focus too much on lighting the scene. It’s just using the generic default light from Lightwave. I didn’t do my usual 30 minute ball point pen drawing tonight, but that’s ok because we spent some time at the mall in Barnes and Noble tonight where I looked at several books and magazines related to 3d modeling and drawing. I’m going to consider that a part of my weekly ‘artist date’ for this week. The ‘artist date’ is a part of The Artist’s Way Process. It involves spending time ‘filling the well’ by doing various things your inner artists guides you to do.

Another part of my ‘artist date’ earlier this week was playing Grand Theft Auto, Vice City for a few hours over the weekend. It’s always a little fun to go and act like a crazy stuntman driver in that game causing all sorts of havoc. Neat way to blow off a little steam.

Ear Ring © 2011 Jeff Thomann

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Ear Ring © 2011 Jeff Thomann
Media: 3d Model created in Lightwave 3d

This model was created as a part of the speed model challenge over at http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=122&t=984188

Total Time creating this model with both the modelling, surfacing, and rendering took approximately 2 hours. The modelling took up the biggest portion of that time.

17 Minute Drawing – 6/6/2011

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

17 Minute Drawing – 6/6/2011

17 Minute Drawing – 6/6/2011 © Jeff Thomann 5/26/2011
Media: Ball Point Pen

I almost skipped doing this drawing last night, but decided to stay up a little bit after doing the speed challenge in the last post to do it. I’m trying to work on color pencil drawing in the morning, and quick sketches like this along with the speed model stuff in the evening. Since I’m using ballpoint pen for these types of drawings, I really have zero excuses to not do one every day of the year! 🙂

Speed Model Challenge – Dumbbell

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Speed Model Challenge – Dumbbell
© 2011 Jeff Thomann

The above is a quick ‘speed model’ I did tonight for the speed model challenge over at cgtalk http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=122&t=984188

I plan to do more of these speed model challenges in the future to get my 3d modeling skills up to a level where I want them to be. The above model took me a little over an hour to do, and the texture (which I’m not 100% too happy with at the moment) took about 20 or so minutes. The model was created in Lightwave 9.

5/26/2011 – 22 Minute Self Portrait

Image

5/26/2011 – 22 Minute Self Portrait © Jeff Thomann 5/26/2011
Media: Ballpoint Pen on Paper

I’m not too keen on the that big right eye and super dark area right below the chin in the neck, but that’s the sort of stuff that happens when you are doing a self portait. Actually, the eye kind of adds to that expression I think. I probably went in to too dark and harsh lines too quickly about 20 minutes in — easy to do in this type of drawing. Also, working near the edge of the paper is always a tricky thing to do, but an important thing to do.

Emotions play a big part in drawing. I had a pretty rough/stressful day at work, so I think that played in to this a little in the expressionism gestures in the line quality, etc.

I stopped it at 22 minutes instead of half an hour because I felt that if I kept going I was really going to overwork it way too much. Getting fine details in a quick sketch is always a tricky thing to do. How far is going to far. How much time is left. The clock starts to not matter much but I want to keep these below 30 minutes for now.

I ultimately want to do one quick sketch like this daily and then one longer work that takes a long time on the side after that. This is a transition in to that. Currently I’m working on some color pencil drawings for the longer drawing, but didn’t work on it yesterday or today. I want to make the quick sketches be done every single day regardless of how I feel or if I want to or don’t want to draw that day. If I keep them below half an hour, that’s a lot more possible and realistic then trying to do a masterpiece that takes hours daily, etc. Time management is an important and difficult thing to master.

5/25/2011

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

5/25/2011
5/25/2011 © 5/25/2011 Jeff Thomann

20 Minute Sketch
Media: Ball Point Pen and China Marker on Paper

I’m not super happy about the results here. I got the proportion off a little on this and was a bit distracted too since the tv was on when I was drawing. I was going to skip tonight since I skipped working out tonight due to the weather (tornado watches and warnings earlier this afternoon) but really don’t want to do that. I really need to do at least one drawing a day to get in to the good habbits I need to develop. Ink is not a forgiving medium, but that makes me know that I need to work harder to get it right the first time.

a few more quick drawings.

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

I’ve been sketching after work for 30 minutes or less to just sort of work my way back in to drawing. I’m using ballpoint pen for these so far since they are easily scanned without a mess, and also are not messy. Here’s a few of the recent drawings. I’ll try to upload more of these as they are made in the future. I KNOW my skills can get better, and practice is the ONLY way to make that happen.

5/3/2011 – 5 minute drawing
5/3/2011 - 5 minute drawing

5/23/2011 – 25 minute drawing

5/24/2011 – 25 minute drawing

Plant

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Plant Render

Plant Polycount

A quick little plant I just created for the speed modelling challenge over at http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?p=6915314#post6915314. Total time to create this was about an hour and 25 minutes or so.

Egg

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Egg Render

Egg model

Just a quick egg model I put together in the last half hour or so. Did this for the speed modeling challenge over at http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?p=6915314#post6915314

Sunrise @ Galveston Bay © 2011 Jeff Thomann

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Sunrise @ Galveston Bay © 2011 Jeff Thomann
Media: Pastel, Watercolor Pencil, & Color Pencil on Gessoed Hardboard
Original Size: 5″ x 7″

Halfway to 70

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

Halfway to 70 (Self Portrait)
Halfway to 70, Copyright 2011, Jeff Thomann
© 2011, Jeff Thomann
Media: Ball Point Pen

“Halfway to 70” is the name of this one. It was a self portrait I did the other day on my birthday (yes, I’m 35 now). I’m not super happy with it, but considering it’s a self portrait done in about an about an hour or so it’s not half bad. Did it with ballpoint pen. Lots of artists do self portraits on their birthdays, and that’s something I have not done much of in the past, but figure it’s a descent time as any to start this annual project.

I quit when I did because I was making the shading too funky and could feel myself “overworking” it… Hard to stay with a fresh drawing feel and look if you go after too much realism in the shading/tones

I Really don’t think it “looks like” me totally. It’s hard to do self portraits since you are constantly moving as you draw, so your reference is always changing. I used china marker on the bathroom mirror to keep basic shape in the roughly right location through most of it. I’m going to probably do more freehand drawing things like this now and then to get my skills back in shape.

…

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

…

new website…

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

https://jeffthomann.artstation.com/

A couple of Acrylic Paintings on my website.

Posted on January 7, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

I’m putting these links here for my own reference mainly in case I change my website later to not include these, etc.

Green-Red

© 1998 Jeff Thomann
Media: Acrylic

Red on Green

© 1998 Jeff Thomann
Media: Acrylic

98 Cloud Photos

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

I uploaded 98 photos of clouds in a zip file to Turbosquid that you can find at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/578229?referral=mastermesh

Here’s a small small slideshow preview of the images in the zip file.

Redbud and Maple leaves in Fall

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Jeff Thomann

I uploaded a few scans of maple and red bud leaves that I took this fall, just before the first heavy snowfall. I just did not get them in a product in Turbosquid until last night/this morning.

Here’s a small summary image that shows what part of the bundle looks like:
scans of leaves

Jeff’s Turbosquid Shops

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

Jeff’s Turbosquid Shops are at http://www.turbosquid.com/Search/Artists/mastermesh?referral=mastermesh

Jeff’s Zazzle Shops.

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

My Zazzle Shops can be found at http://www.zazzle.com/jeffthomann. Like the Cafe Press Shops, I have not put a lot of new stuff out there as I’m in the process of digitizing a lot of various old works before starting working on a lot of newer stuff. However, over time, I’ll be adding more as it’s created.

(118) 512×512 pixel seamless rock texture pics

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

I uploaded (118) 512 x 512 pixel seamless textures of various rocks and rock groupings to Tubosquid. These images were extracted from photos of rocks that I shot with a digital camera, and were made seamless in Gimp. They are 512 pixels wide and high so that the image size is a power of 2, a prerequisite for some 3d render engines and game engines.

Here’s a small summary image that shows what part of the bundle looks like:

36 512×512 pixel seamless brick textures that have 24 bit depth.

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

I have uploaded 36 512×512 pixel seamless brick textures that have 24 bit depth to Turbosquid. These images are available at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/566147?referral=mastermesh. The photos these were taken from are some photos I took of a church a few years ago. I had never made them seamless til today. Hopefully someone will have uses for these photos. Here’s a small summary image that shows what the bundle looks like: seamless white brick textures sample

Kris 3d model

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

I’ve creaed a 3d model of Kris in Lightwave that I have uploaded to turbosquid. You can find this at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/566126?referral=mastermesh

Here is what this object looks like
Kris Kris model

Find out more about Kris weapons at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kris

3d Handheld Battle Axe

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

I uploaded a 3d handheld battle axe that I created in Lightwave today to Turbosquid. It can be found at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/566053?referral=mastermesh

Here’s what this object looks like:

Katana Sword 3d Model

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

I’ve uploaded a new 3d Katana created in Lightwave to Tubosquid. It can be found at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/566018?referral=mastermesh. Here’s what it looks like:
Katana polygonal view of Katana

l

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/565252?referral=mastermesh

Today, I uploaded a zip file contains (42) seamless 256×256 pixel texture maps of asphalt and (27) seamless 512×512 pixel texture maps of asphalt at Turbosquid. It can be found at http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/Index.cfm/ID/565252?referral=mastermesh

These images are cropped from a few photos I’ve taken of asphalt from a while back. I have decided that going forwards, I am going to try to do zip file collections of seamless texture maps because it’s not too difficult to crop the images or make them seamless. In the past I uploaded raw photos that were not cropped or edited. I have decided that these sort of photos might be a bit more useful if cropped and seamless so that my loyal customers and the product’s end users won’t have to work as hard to make the images usable in their game engines and other 3d applications.

The pixel widths are 256×256 and 512×512 pixels so that the image ratio is a power of two, something that many 3d applications and game engines need to render the images proportionally correct.

working on folio

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Jeff Thomann

Slowly working on portfolio website (see link on right). This weekend I put together a few of the pages over there. So far the Charcoal and Ball Point Pen sections are starting to shape up.

I have not put together the other sections yet completely since those require shooting digital photos of my works. Not being the greatest photographer in the world doesn’t make getting the quality that I like out of the camera the easiest thing in the world. Also, it does not help much that I’m shooting outside when I do the shots, and it’s been fairly windy the last several days. The other day I shot some of my brother’s old artwork from highschool and the tripod fell over with the wind while I was swapping drawings with others in the house. The part of the camera that attaches to the tripod flew off of the camera when it hit the pavement. I luckily got it back together, but have not tried to attach it back to the tripod since then. Note to self – add weights of some sort to tripod the next time I try to use it.

The ball point pen drawings are mostly some of the mall small scans I took. I tried to limit it to about 30 or so images for each section. That way a nice little navigation bar table fits well in most browsers. It’s still a little too wide for the smallest screen settings, but I really don’t think most folks use the smallest screen settings usually. If so, sorry folks… I am trying to get this thing looking good, not optimized for your super low res screens… It’s tricky using the floating navigation bars I’m using because Internet Explorer is tricky. If you don’t put the dtd type up at the top of the html, it doesn’t float the css navbars where they belong, and just sticks them at the top of the page where they scroll with the rest of it.

It’s slowly coming together. I’ve been doing some cleaning around the house this weekend since we’ll likely be moving before too long… found a bunch of ol floppy disks and that reminded me that the last time I tried to put together an online web portfolio like this I was doing it on floppy and zip disks on Campus because it was like the year 2002 and I was using the free modem pool that the University of Missouri had back then… a whopping speed of 28k! No wonder I got frustrated and quit putting together the website last time, lol.

This time, things are coming together a lot smoother, and hopefully this blog will help make things work out a little better. I’ll add more to the website as I get more images put together and organized. I really like this click the image to get a bigger copy of it idea. I also like the floating nav bars with transparent backgrounds that makes it nice, clean, and easy to maneuver around in.

Got any pointers, tips, or ideas on how I can improve portfolio? Shoot away and give me some comments. I like listening to what people have to say. 🙂 😉