Poor Mick

I've spent the last two days straight sketching the next 86 (yes, I said 86) pages of Poor Mick for the graphic novel hopefully coming out in March! Needless to say, my hand is SORE, but I'm really excited about it. The sketching is always the hardest part, because there is so much to figure out and experiment with and edit. Next up is inking, but I'm giving myself a mental break from that for a little bit; the thought of inking 86 pages makes me tired just thinking about it!

Speaking of Poor Mick, I'm going to be working on the website right after I finish part of a freelance job I'm working on, and after I thumbnail another comic. That's right, I said another comic. (Why do I do this to myself?) My co-worker is working on two (maybe three?) right now, and I shall not be beaten! Hahaha. This one's a small one, though. More on that later!

As always, thanks for tuning in, and I hope you all are having a fine December so far! Xoxo, Kat!

The Sound of Silence

Allow me to dust off this blog. Whew. Guess what, I'm actually working on a piece! It's only been what, three months? Good job, Kat! It's gonna be a companion piece to this one: I feel like I could do nautical-phrase-themed pieces for a while!

Hello, June

Sometimes, in life, you sortof take a nearly-month-long hiatus. Sometimes, when your name is Kat Martin, you do it quite frequently and without meaning to.

My life's been crazy lately! I've got a (sortof) new job doing custom framing, I've been spending most of my free time with friends and helping to plan a friend's wedding, helping to organize a trip to Las Vegas, throwing a Freak Show party, dancing, eating junk food, reading a ton of books, and generally not doing anything I need to, but everything I want to at the moment. Even though it seems like I'm working a lot more, I feel like I'm having a blast!

So up there is a photo of one of the only art-related things I've done besides doodling in the sketchbook lately, and even then, I did it a while ago. It's a seadragon turning into a tree, or something. Not finished, obviously. Just pen practice. I hope to get back into the art groove very soon. Also my coworker wants me to draw a comic for his booth at a convention, so I'm trying to think of a good way to do a Mick the Sailor comic!

Flowers, Books and Doodles

I had a fabulous last week in my hometown of Seattle, WA - seeing friends, shopping, and hanging out with my Mom. She and I made a little trip to the Conservatory of Flowers in Volunteer Park - which was so cute and awesome and free! We even got to go to the Conservatory's plant sale before I had to run to the airport, and my Mom got some awesome plants, including a pitcher plant and a not-quite-staghorn fern. I want a staghorn fern so bad. One day. ONE DAY.

I also made an awesome haul at my favorite second-hand book shop, Half-Price Books: (I'm working on The Lost World right now) And how about a few pages from the sketchbook:

Computer Related

So just in case you guys didn't get enough of me around here, I went and made an art tumblr. Hopefully this will motivate me to put more stuff up, even if it's just bad doodles and sketches.

I've been really inspired to just draw lately, and though I haven't done anything really worthwhile in terms of getting myself on the road to more final pieces, I have been able to let loose and just doodle and sketch a LOT. That's always good, I think. Even if it winds up being nothing you'll ever use, at least it's awesome practice (and fun, too!).

I've also been attempting to re-learn how to use my tablet for my computer. Ugh. It's so hard. But I feel like if I get back into it I'll have no excuse not to accomplish even more art-wise, right? As of right now, my hand is so shaky and I get really bored really fast with my sketches, so I haven't actually finished even one. Anyone know of any good CGing tutorials for Photoshop, too? I tried coloring something last night and wanted to give up nearly instantly - it's been so long! I don't know what I'm doing anymore!

Well that's all for me. I'm off to Seattle for the next week, starting on Saturday. I can't wait! Nothing like going back home. See you all around!

New Ink + From the Sketchbook

My co-worker gave me a little jar of walnut ink to try out, and today I thought I'd give it a shot. It's awesome! It's like a watercolor and ink in one, and the perfect shade of brown.
Just finished watching the new season of Sherlock and it's incredible. So I doodled John Watson and Sherlock Holmes.

John turned out much better than Sherlock. Surprisingly. Why can't I draw you, Benedict Cumberbatch, with your amazing cheekbones?

And because I have nothing else to share, here's a few doodles from the sketchbook from lately. The pages of blind-contour people are how I keep myself entertainted while waiting for planes to board at the airport.

Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down on Friday...

I should just rename this blog 'photos of Roman being cute on my bed, oh and also some paintings once in a while.' But that's a pretty long blog title.

Did a quick little watercolor sketch last Tuesday because I was feeling really uninspired and just wanted to get SOMETHING down on paper. Ever have those days? I had my pallette all nice and laid out, my brushes and water and paper ready to go, and no ideas what to do with it. I tried working on this other painting, but I might just give up on it.


I was actually looking at this image when I was painting it - so it's very VERY loosely based on it. I also had the sky this ugly yellow, then an ugly blue, then I just gave up and Payne's Grey-ed it up. Mostly I wanted to practice painting the sea - waves are really hard (for me at least).

Apparently my camera memory card erased itself - anyone know if I can recover anything once that happens? I think it had all my U.K. photos on there, but I think I also saved them somewhere in the bowels of my computer, so I should be alright.

Speaking of cameras, I'm about to buy a new lens for myself with my etsy proceeds! I've never bought a new lens, I'm so excited! It goes to f1.8, heck yesssss, since my lame kit lens only goes to f4. stoked.

Oh yeah, there's also a teeny sale at the shop so check it out if you want a teeny painting or two! I want to start doing notecards again soon, too... Any other ideas?

What You Did Before

Yes, it's been over a month since I last updated. I'm not going to deny it. Real life has been getting in the way of internet time, as of late. Lots of work, lots of seeing friends, lots of going out, lots of getting sick. It's been madness. But here I am now!


Oh Dolores Park, so full of hipsters and good times. There were TWO guitars in this group of kids! How could I resist taking a picture of that? The weather has been awesome in San Francisco lately, it makes me want to get up and do things and go on adventures. Maybe I should just change this blog from an arty-blog to an adventure-blog.


Speaking of arty things, I'm desperately trying to get back in the groove of drawing, making art, scanning my stuff in. At least I doodle in my sketchbook every day before work! I've got lots and lots of ideas swimming around in my head, waiting to be made into real art pieces, and yet so little time to do them. I feel like that is my excuse for everything - no more excuses, Kat! Just do it!

I'm in Seattle right now, hanging out for the weekend. It is SO nice to be home; I always forget how much I miss Seattle until I come back up. The weather is amazing today, I already went and got a coffee (apparently the cafe I went to didn't have 'iced coffee' just americanos. which is fine with me, but they looked at me like I was kooky when I asked for iced coffee, hahaha.) and soon I'm going to hang out with my older sister, maybe do some thrift shopping (!!!) The thrift shopping is so much better up here than in San Francisco, alas.


I'll leave you with a shot from my last venture into thriftdom in the Mission - possibly the creepiest mug I have ever seen. I almost bought it just for the creep factor, but I can barely look at the photo - having that thing in my house would have given me nightmares!

Til next time, kiddos!

Pages From the Sketchbook

I haven't finished any art lately. I'm sorry. I've been trying. Not really. I did manage to clean my room and my closet this weekend, though. And I donated a bunch of stuff to Goodwill, so I sortof got some stuff done. I am planning on doing some real art soon! Until then, here's some pages from the sketchbook!

New Things Going On

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Here's what I've been up to lately. I started this painting on Monday, he looks all creepy cause he's going to be holding a lantern and it's going to be way darker, though honestly, I'm not too fond of it, so it's possible I'll never finish it. This is why I need to finish my paintings all in one sitting - otherwise, I never get anything done.


Some doodles from the sketchbook. I'm doing this thing where I try to fill the page with a bunch of doodles, rather than just one doodle on each page. I'm kinda liking it. There's a bunch more scans at the flickr, of course.

So that's about all that I've been up to. Working a lot. Making a ton of future plans. Working on a portfolio website soon, also thinking about making a Mick webcomic, but who knows.

Hope you're all doing well! xoxo.

Don't you worry about the atmosphere

Not much going on lately. Started a new sketchbook. I have a cool new painting planned, hopefully I'll work on it this weekend. I wanted to last weekend, but alas! I did not.

It's raining again, hooray hooray! I've been listening to a lot of Andrew Bird lately. Love.

Kings Among Runaways

New layout! I'm still working on a new background image, but for now, I think I like it. Still working out the kinks. What do you think?


I'm going to be painting this weekend, I hope I hope. I have so many ideas for paintings, I can't wait to get started! It's pretty much all I think about while I'm at work. That, and I make to-do lists. Lots of them. And then I don't do the things that I write down on them. I'm cool like that I guess.


Well, I just thought I'd share some sketches and doodles with you, along with this new layout. I drew the header image while I was at work, too. Hahaha. Alright, now I'm going to go back to watching The Office. I bought Season 5 on DVD last month and I've already watched it all the way through about six times. It's truly the best thing to put on in the background while you are doing anything at all.

Everyone, have a good weekend! Xoxo!

Oh My Goodness

It has been far too long since I posted here. I'm trying to get better at things like this, so hopefully I will start posting more frequently now. The past few weeks have been a little overwhelming; I threw myself into the job search life and ultimately came out successful! I've got a new job at an art store (gasp! hooray!), and this week was my first week. I'm glad to be working again but also sortof not glad, as it means 40 hour work weeks and not a lot of free time to draw or sleep. I've been doodling a lot at work, at least.

I also think my computer has a virus, or at least a very big problem. It keeps restarting itself on its own and sometimes it's reallllly slow. I know almost nothing about computers, though, so I guess I'm just stuck with it like this.

Well, hopefully I'll see you all soon! Sorry again that it's been so long!

Ships and Sailors

Hey kids! I've not been up to a lot lately (but I plan on changing that asap), but here's one of my almost-finished works. I still have to edit it because the background is slightly not white and that really bugs me. I like her, though!

How is everyone? The weather is beautiful here in San Francisco - it's been nice and clear and hot during the day and then it gets foggy and cold in the evening, just like I like it! (Everytime the fog rolls in I think 'It's Black Pearl weather!' Hahaha, I am such a dork).

Hopefully I'll have a shop update soon, but I dunno. Any suggestions? What would anyone like me to put up? What would you like to buy?

I was thinking of doing calendars for Christmas presents. That means I should probably start drawing some pictures for them! Yikes!


I leave you with Mick. Looking pensive and content in the snow. Even though he's probably freezing to death. Poor Mick.

OH YES: That SALE is only until TOMORROW, so if you want em, go get them!!

xoxo

Alright, Alright Alright

I'm off to New York to move my sister out of dorms! I hear the weather is nice over there, let's hope so. She's in for a shock when she comes back to Seattle where it is windy and pouring down rain, hahaha.

I'm actually sortof in love with barn owl girl and peacock guy up there, I may have to do a painting or something of them. We'll see!

Alright, I'll see you all when I get back, tata!

My Neglected Blog

I haven't posted in forever because I have been working full time. And it SUCKS! I am probably one of the least motivated workers in the whole world. At least I have a job and am making (some) money, right? Could be a lot worse, especially in this economy.

Anyway. I had a day off today and I "locked" myself in my studio (except it doesn't have a door) thinking, 'Okay. This is the day I will get a ton of painting done.' But I didn't get anything done at all! I did paint a picture frame and frame my Moby Dick poster (which looks awesome, btw) but I started painting three paintings and just...gave up. Why, Kat. Why!?

Maybe this weekend I'll be able to force myself into painting. Or get inspired to do it, that would be even better. I had a dream I went to the beach with my mom last night, and they were having this huge furniture sale, but everything was free? It was all thrifted stuff too, I was in heaven! I remember there was this pair of lamps that were carved wood in the shape of birthday candles? Or maybe candles on those little old-fashioned candle holders. And I really wanted to get them and paint them white! My mom thought they were really ugly, hahaha. I wish that would happen in real life!


I love this song. And the video. The Regency era had the best clothes, good gracious. Plus Matthew Barber has an awesome voice, come on. A win-win combo.