Colleen Sanders- Some Work

Chrimmy Comic

2012-02-02T22:48:00.000-05:00

I made this for my friend Dan Hood, who was my secret santa. Month and a half late whatever.

I had so much fun making this, I haven't really done much since. I should make a Valentine's Day illo probably.

More sketches

2012-01-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

I just finally got a Wacom tablet

Dude in Daddy's Bar

Miss Stella on Christmas Day

Happy Christmas Harry

2011-12-07T00:51:00.001-05:00

Happy Christmas Harry

No, not Harry Potter, you nerds. It's an allusion to the image of the Madonna and Child and an ode to the reality of Christmas.

Hello again

2011-12-04T15:27:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was pretty amazing. Woke up early, went to the farmer's market then headed out later the the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival. It was incredible. I bought a book from Jillian Tamaki at the Conundrum Press table.

I also bought a book from the Unicorn Mountain artists collective. It's a collaborative book illustrating folk tales from western Pennsylvania.

A bunch of my friends came and we hung out all day and the boys cooked us a delicious chicken soup. We also had hot spiked cider and garlic breads. A fun yummy meal! So today after much leisure and inspiration I sat down to make a version of a sketch I did in CA. My future husband, Tab Lloyd:

Some sketches

2011-11-17T11:17:00.001-05:00

In lieu of any new work, and in an effort to have frequent posts I thought I'd share some sketches. Most of these are from SOI Sketch Night. It was fantastic and I'll have to go back in December. The other full page one is from watching videos/ movies on my computer. Which happens more often than I'd like to admit.

TV doodle

I'm basically working on trying to include multiple figures, more interesting line work and creating interesting/filled negative spaces.

Thx. Giving

2011-11-13T03:31:00.001-05:00

I haven't been home in over a year! Since my bf's wedding on Sep 18 2010. . . I will be on the west coast in a week. I can't wait. I cannot wait. Seattle + Bay area/ San Jo. DOGGIE and HIKING and BEACH and FOOD and FAMILY'/FRIENDS (same thing).

Studies for 5 stages of grease

2011-11-08T09:59:00.001-05:00

This image looks highly sharpened for some reason. Anyway, just working on another personal project. I'm trying to re-introduce more mixed media into my work. I've been trying to critique and research how I can improve and there are a lot of ways. This study utilizes none of those. . . This also ended up looking like a friend of mine even though I referenced a completely random person.

Vectors

2011-11-06T10:13:00.000-05:00

I just added a new page to my hideous WEBSITE. It's of some of the digital work I've done.

ILLUSTRATION WEEK

2011-11-03T10:40:00.001-04:00

Hey New Yorkers, fellow illustrators, Illustration Week starts Nov. 4th. There are a ton of events going on at Society of Illustrators. Here's a link to the schedule of events.
http://www.societyillustrators.org/The-Museum/2011/Illustration-Week-2011/Illustration-Week-2011.aspx

OWS2/4

2011-10-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

I do red and green a lot. . I think I like it better without the lettering? Also I've decided I just really suck at scanning and photoshop cause my originals always look so much nicer.

Just out of curiosity I layered the original sketch over the final and colorized the lines. Si o no?

1/4 OWS Portraits

2011-10-21T11:55:00.002-04:00

Working on a mini series of portraits from Occupy Wall Street march. This is Allen, a really nice man who I walked next to for a while. He lives Upstate and has been an activist since the 60s, like a lot of the people there. He was at Berkeley and in the Bay Area during that time and it was really cool to talk to him and draw him.

unfinished

2011-10-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

RHYMES WITH SELF-DEPRECATION

Although I do like digital, I miss the quality painting produces.

2011-10-17T10:34:00.004-04:00

Strata #4 - Excerpt 1 from Quayola on Vimeo.

I will write more about this and another extremely poignant piece from the Creator's Project in DUMBO today after work.

2011-10-16T09:30:00.001-04:00

Exhilarating march from SoHo to Times Square today!!! Illustrations to follow

SOI

2011-10-11T18:25:00.001-04:00

Hey fellow illustrators, don't forget October 28th is the deadline for the SOI Annual call for entries!

INFO

RiP

2011-10-06T20:13:00.000-04:00

A little late, I started it this morning, but I had to leave for work:

Watercolor, ink

B/w sketch

Caricature film

2011-09-24T15:05:00.001-04:00

One of the artists' blogs I follow, Peter de Seve recently posted this short film by caricature artist John Kascht.

It's a little dry, but great to see the dedication to his subjects and his craft. Also the way he handles his materials is incredible. Take a peek.

JJATDS

2011-09-12T23:47:00.004-04:00

So I went digital for this guy. The gouache one wasn't looking so hot. And now with a few adjustments I can make some tee-shirts for you Jeffy! This would've been a lot easier if I had a tablet. Soon?

I honestly can tell if it's completely stupid or not.

I've got a big project (one of many constantly flowing around my mind that never get done) in the works. Something like a full length graphic novel? Intimidating, invigorating. I'm still in the zygote phase of this project. It includes a lot of reading, writing and drawing. Would take at least a year. AT LEAST. Anywho, now I have to get started on the final drawing for B Smiff's drawing and do more drawings for the bosses website. When I'm not being so lazy, I'm so busy!

Piece.

Everyone loves doggies

2011-08-12T18:33:00.000-04:00

Being a dog walker is awesome. I get to hang out with dogs and puppies AND I get to draw them.

I like the composition of the thumbs better, but I did the final at the wrong proportion cause I'm a dumbass, so. .

Buffy (puppy frenchie) with a stick. Her brother Watson, a black french bulldog waiting behind to snatch it from her.

Sophie (puppy Shiba Inu) and kitty playing with her leash

Illustration Friday-Perennial

2011-07-25T23:14:00.002-04:00

Perennial, 4.5"x7" watercolor, graphite, pen/ink, digital.

I sadly had to look up what kind of plants were perennial. I saw two plants that remind me of one thing: home, California. They are the California poppy and avocados. I always miss the spirit of CA in the summertime, there's nothing like it.

Some process shots

I hope everyone's enjoying their summer!

What it says

2011-07-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Some prelims

2011-06-24T10:41:00.000-04:00

The beginning of this post goes out to Jeffy. It should be a surprise, but the final is taking longer than I hoped and I wanted to show you water I'll be sending your way. (B Smiff if you're out there I'll be making you one soon too)

I'm going to do the real one in gouache, I think. And it'll look betta

Also, here are some bad scans of some watercolors I did for FK, which I don't think will be used:

They're pretty much just copies of the architect's digital renderings, and they wanted something more narrative. Which is what I'm working on now and will show once all that is done.

Whoa, it's been over a month since I posted

2011-06-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

And Summer is already here. I've been up to lots of stuff, but moving slower at it than I should be. Once I wrap up this project I'm doing for Flying Kites, I'll be making a lot of my own stuff in self-promotion efforts. Whelp, that's all I got for now.

Happy Judgement Day!

2011-05-21T15:44:00.000-04:00

This took me way too long to do. Like, more than 10 mins.

Illustration Friday-Safari

2011-05-19T18:15:00.000-04:00

I didn't get a chance to create a new illustration for this topic, but I thought I could revisit an old favorite that fit the bill. I should probably revisit this method too, just for kicks.

Illustration Friday

2011-05-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not always political with my illos, I love drawing weird people too. This week's topic at Illustration Friday is Lesson.

This week's lesson: Don't look under the table when the teacher is grading your paper. Some tend to get little too excited.

Kite Running!!

2011-04-28T18:49:00.000-04:00

Alright yo's and y'alls,
I've got another week left to raise some big bucks for my Flying Kites Team. Any contribution will be matched by an anonymous donor. Please give anything you can and help these wonderful kids: http://vimeo.com/16265991

Donate here:http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/colleen-sanders/bear-mountain-ny

If you donate, let me know and I'll draw you a pretty picture!

Oh ya

2011-03-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

I did these for random craigslist person (never again). Just straight up vector portraits. He didn't like them all too much but I thought they were pretty OK for my first attempts.

Right now I'm working on some watercolors for Flying Kites, I'm excited to see how they turn out.

Flying Kites/ Northface Challenge

2011-03-09T11:57:00.001-05:00

Although most of you are my friends on facebook anyway, I need to spread the word. Any little bit helps. I'm trying to raise $1000 by May, which is right around the corner. I'm doing work for a really important organization that helps displaced children in Kenya and they've put together a team to participate in the Northface Challenge in upstate NY. If you can contribute anything, please visit:

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/colleen-sanders/Bear-Mountain-NY

Hello Again

2011-03-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

After a week packed with art fairs and events (I'm currently filling in for my roomie at a gallery), I've decided to take this Sunday to visit what some of my fellow Illustrators are up to. As usual I'm completely blown away. I've been surrounded all week by art collectors, snobby SoHo gallery-goers and ultra-hip hipster pop-up art show attendees. As much fun as it was to meet some genuinely nice people, I'm so happy I decided to be an illustrator and not a fine artist. It suits me so much better, and while I'm still chugging along to improve my work and learn, I don't think I would've gotten anywhere in the gallery world. Anyway, more big props to all illustrators and people struggling(or not, kudos!) for their work.

-Colleen

PS. Spring is coming, can you feel it?!?!

Qaddafi

2011-03-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

Well it was either Charlie Sheen or Muammar Qaddafi. I chose Qaddafi. I should've had the camel spitting out "hallucinatory pills." I think Charlie Sheen is still a good candidate for caricature though, maybe tomorrow.

There WIll Be Food

2011-02-25T17:51:00.001-05:00

Exploring neo-colonialism and cash crops/ world bank subsidies as a cause of poverty.
My process:

The final:

There Will Be Food

9x12

Watercolor, Gouache, Graphite, Digital Collage

Watercolor

2011-02-22T01:47:00.000-05:00

Oh watercolor, my love. I betrayed you so long for gouache, our rendezvous this evening was glorious.
More details to follow.

(Yes, I'm a creep. It's 2am and I had a few glasses of wine)

OK

2011-02-11T02:11:00.000-05:00

Thoughts?

Almost there

2011-02-08T23:09:00.001-05:00

Can't decide whether to tighten up the painting on the figure digitally, or paint it and scan it in.

I'm kind of thinking the digital painting ties it in better. .?

Yes I Realize What These Tend to Look Like

2011-02-06T23:40:00.001-05:00

Some beginning stages of a few projects:

There's something I like about this stage. It reminds me of a bug collection.

Figure to be added in center, along with concept

This one is an unfinished one about the Egyptian gov't. shutting down the internet and social media sites.

Unfinished work: What happens when I don't have a complete sketch from the beginning. .

I've got a couple of other projects I'm working on, but I'm too lazy to scan sketches or progress work because they're traditional, not digital.

My followees

2011-02-01T21:27:00.000-05:00

I'm so impressed at all the things my fellow SCAD illustration classmates (alumni) are doing! I also love to see all the similarities in such different work, it's awesome to notice the little things that differentiate the school of illustration that we come from. Keep up the good work!

Cartoonin'

2011-01-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

Sketch on how Obama has been calling for more civility in politics.

Pencil/Digital

No concept for this one

Watercolor/Acrylic Ink/Digital

I think I'm going to take the SCAD- SOI challenge for 100 life drawings by mid March. Always good to exercise that! Who's with me?

Old Stuff I haven't Posted

2010-12-24T15:07:00.000-05:00

First of all, Merry Christmas Everyone!

And now, a pumpkin I painted for Halloween:

Here are some process shots of a painting I've been working on for WAY too long. I don't like where it's going, maybe that's why I kind of gave up on it. I liked it better in the beginning.

I'm going to try to get the face back to where I was going when I started.

I think I need to start drawing more. I finally have a monitor now and a memory card reader so I'll post more stuff more often!

Chalkin it up

2010-12-07T19:39:00.001-05:00

So I'm trying to get into doing some chalkboard signs, as I mentioned earlier and I've had success so far! I recently did this 5' X 8' sign for a restaurant in Jersey City, Satis Bistro. It's a little on the plain side, but a good start I'd say. I've also done a bunch of other stuff for them through my regular job and I think it's shaping up to be a great restaurant and a cozy detour from New York. I took this picture from a nice little write up about them in Jersey City Independent, with more to follow!

I also made that vinyl sign at work!

Messing around in InDesign

2010-12-06T01:41:00.001-05:00

I like to pretend that some of the people I draw have come to write memoirs.

2010-11-25T11:52:00.002-05:00

Sketch

2010-10-14T23:23:00.001-04:00

PATH Sketch. Trying a little digital painting.

Also sketching some hand written text

I'm also working on a new illustrative painting. I'll post pictures soon.

NY Times OP-ED

2010-09-26T18:23:00.000-04:00

Awesome:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/25/opinion/opedat40-illustration.html

website

2010-09-04T15:09:00.000-04:00

Nothing special, haven't put my domain to it yet. Everything there is here.

http://www.wix.com/cesanders/cesandersillo

Few things

2010-08-31T12:51:00.001-04:00

So I've been binding some

books lately.

I painted these a little bit ago.

I painted these last night.

I'm going to paint on these eventually

The other week I went out around Brooklyn and tried to take some picture for color/texture inspiration.

The Golden Nugget- and we ain't talking Vegas

I like this guy

Update

2010-08-23T20:19:00.000-04:00

Hey

Girl, whatchu do?

2010-08-22T13:21:00.002-04:00

One of the books I'm doing is about food, so I've been painting a few veggies here and there. For those of you who know her, Linda Warner would be so proud.

I really just can't settle on which paper I like better. The three that look more like watercolor are just on Strathmore sketch paper. The eggplant and tomato are on 140lb watercolor paper. I think they're actually in acrylic. The others are gouache and watercolor.

They pretty much led to this, although I like them as studies better.

The Letter "I"

What else? Here's a preliminary part of one for a different book:

So a while back I did an illustration for Make Per Month for my friend Charlie of this guy I saw on PATH often and liked it a lot, and decided a few days ago to start doing a bunch of them and possibly making them into a book of postcards or something. We'll see. Here's one I did yesterday:

Forgive my poor scanning skills. This is from memory, this poor woman on the PATH train has severe thinning issues.

Next up, a lady with double chin whiskers:

This city is a treasure trove of interesting people.

Possibly finally doing some art in NY

2010-08-03T08:08:00.001-04:00

Well, I AM actually working on my children's books now, however slowly. I'm meeting with some people today to possibly do work for or at a fashion event in September called Fashion's Night Out. Could be a good opportunity I think. I hope. Once I stop being lazy I'll scan and post some of the things I've been working on. Oh and I'm starting a new painting too! I have the panels hung, just not sure what exactly I'm going to do yet. More frequent updates to come---

<----- I wish I took this picture. I hope everyone's having a great summer!

2010-05-27T00:53:00.001-04:00

So for the time being, while I wait to get my webspace, my online portfolio can be seen here. Basically it's everything that's already been put on here in the same place.

I Heart Art Update

2010-03-31T19:12:00.003-04:00

So they accepted my piece for the I Heart Art show. I'm pretty sure they don't deny anyone, but it's still exciting. If you're in the area come out for the opening: April 17th from 1-5pm at WORK Gallery in Red Hook, 65 Union Street, Brooklyn NY 11231. Woop Woop.
Listen

This kinda counts as my art. .

2010-03-23T01:09:00.004-04:00

Well, it's art related. Sunday was so fun. Greenpointillism Face Painting had an event called Video Juice Box. It's a weekly show put on for kids and parents in Williamsburg. It's held at the Knitting Factory and hosted by a man named Jeremy. It's a really great interactive show that features new media and is based on video/ digital content supplemented with acts and performances by the Video Juice Box crew. It's a really great social context for kids because they don't act differently in front of the kids and it was just as entertaining for us and the parents as it was for the kids (if not more entertaining). Anyway, Lesley, Kendall and I, through Greenpointillism Face Painting are hoping to collaborate with them and become a cool attraction in addition to the show. Every Sunday at 2pm!

I Heart Art

2010-03-18T18:56:00.004-04:00

My roommates told me about the I Heart Art WORK/Wassaic Spring Fundraiser. Each person submits a 5x7 piece to be auctioned for the benefit of The Wassaic Project and WORK Gallery. I just did really quick piece.

Suburban Sprawl. Gouache, graphite and sewing thread.

Ugh

2010-01-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

Someone in my dictionary's up to no good

2010-01-11T19:54:00.011-05:00

I think I'll be like my friend Elgin and just use song lyrics for all my titles

Recent things

Queen/ King of the world series- Animals:
Acrylic, Graphite, Pen & Ink.
Embroidery and twine/thread.

Light Pollution Poster v.2:
Image- Acrylic, Graphite, Pen & Ink, Watercolor, Collage.

I've been trying to find a good way to complete this piece. I've redone it about 3 times and I'm about to again. About effects of globalization.

My work is so boring

2009-12-05T14:08:00.006-05:00

Hi, my name is Colleen Sanders and I do really boring illustrations.

I went to a small works show last night in downtown San Jose and it kicked ass. The were works there by Barron Storey (holy crap if only I had a spare $250). A few really amazing Brazilian illustrators and a few other really amazing things like sculpture. It was the first art show I've been to since college and it was weird not knowing or even recognizing anyone. Luckily though, instead of being depressed about it I just want to do my own cool stuff even more.

South First Fridays

Anyway, I love mixed media. I love painting, sculpture, fibers and making anything with my hands. I love photography also. Why don't I use them in any of my work? I'm going to now. I'm super excited, I think I'm turning a new leaf. I tried it somewhat in my collage class:

Obviously this is dumb, but I liked doing more than just drawing or painting. I think I might channel Jonathan Yoerger and model a character out of clay and photographing it and putting it together in photoshop, who knows.
But then again, maybe it's not my technique, maybe my ideas are just boring. We shall see.

2009-11-30T03:37:00.003-05:00

I figured I'd put up a sketch I did recently that was from something I drew a while ago. The artwork is becoming sparse on this blog. I'm lazy.

If only I had photoshop these weird levels would be an easy fix.

My scanner's retarded

2009-11-09T00:26:00.005-05:00

This is the very beginning of my first comic ever for a friends collaborative thingy. It's not even close to being done and I'm not even sure where it's going. The topic for the collaboration is, "Superfuture" (thanks Dan Hood). Mine is about the future when people rarely ever leave their homes. In fact, future Americans have adopted an alien species who are made like house to live in. They use them as their transportation and their pets. The children and the houses get along especially well and get their adventures that way. Maybe an obvious way of saying that the way things are going future generations won't have any desire to go outside anymore and interact with other people because they feel so comfortable in their own homes, or just a fun adventure comic.

Yayer?

2009-10-14T00:31:00.008-04:00

Lunch break at Borders

More from la Grecia.

Jim on the bus

Fucked up drawing of the Temple of Zeus Olympian. I gave up.

So my scanner sucks. The colors on these are horrible. That's a good chunk of change down the drain.
PS. Oh mah god y'all it's like my half birthday today.

Working

2009-10-05T13:28:00.005-04:00

So I'm finally working on something. This is the beginning:

The very, very beginning.

Uh oh

2009-09-28T22:38:00.005-04:00

These are some of my sketches, untouched since Greece. More details to come and other illos.

This dog I chilled with in Thessaloniki

Roadside shrines

Soaking up the sun in Rhodes. This is my favorite

View from my hotel in Nafplion

Grandpa on the bus the Epidauros

OK, one more

2009-09-08T23:55:00.005-04:00

As for art related stuff, I've been mostly making books and my personal stationary. I made a book for my best friend, it's pretty cheesy but it was a lot of fun.

I didn't make up the names of the drinks
I did do a bunch of two-minute illustrations for the book.

These I did for my self-promo class. They're collecting dust in my studio.

I plan on doing a lot of drawrin's in the Greece. I made a watercolor sketchbook and I'm bringing my w/c and gouache. I can't wait. I'll post in 3 weeks when I get back!

Let's try this thing again

2009-08-19T18:45:00.006-04:00

Haven't worked on anything since the last time I said I was thinking about working on something. Not any illustration anyway. I did get a scanner though, so I thought I'd upload a few sketches I've done, no "finished" pieces though. I knew I'd get distracted living here. There are just so many other things to do besides my illustration and like the unmotivated artist I am, I chose them over spending my days alone in my studio. Anyway:

The color on this one is pretty bad

This was part of my life drawing sketchbook

These two are from my plane ride home
I've got another one from my lunch break in Los Gatos, but it's not uploading

No one goes here

2009-05-22T15:30:00.003-04:00

But I'll post shit anyways
This is some life drawII stuff.

A Very Short Story

2009-04-23T13:14:00.003-04:00

The Boyfriend Store

They led me down a small flight of steps. There were only four or five of them, but I tripped on a loose brick on the last step. I stumbled, laughed to myself and then looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. They hadn't.
As we walked down the narrow road in silence I wondered what circumstances had led me here, to this point in my life. And how the hell did the couples I knew manage to get through all the preliminary stages, the dating, the fighting, and still make it out OK?
I didn't believe in love anymore. That's what led me to be here.

I came to the conclusion that love doesn't exist after the remnants of my first one finally faded. An inevitable slew of epiphanies of how the loves I'd idolized never really existed followed shortly thereafter. A man always has a wandering eye or a woman always thinks he does. And what happens when the man you're meant to be with doesn't love you? The timing was off. You're crazy. It'll never work.

It didn't take us long to get there. The store-front had a large overhang and a plain brown door with a brass handle. There were no windows. After much time and contemplation I finally heeded some friendly advice to, "get your own fucking boyfriend."
All I needed in life for companionship and for someone to give it to me regularly was behind that brown door. Here, at the Boyfriend Store.

Back on the blog

2009-04-20T19:17:00.009-04:00

So I've ditched my ancient livejournal account and decided to start one up here. I'm following the trend I guess, and updating my vast following of admirers on what I'm doing in the art world, my life, etc. I'll start by posting a couple of the pieces I've dedicated to my portfolio as of yet, complements of my self-promotion class.

This one is a tribute to the infamous "sign guy" of Savannah. With reference to an image published in the Savannah Morning News:

Mr Moody

This was done for my poster design class, and is currently being used as the image for most of my self-promo things:

Volver

This was supposed to be for my mailer, but it didn't exactly turn out how I would've liked it to. It's called The World is My Ashtray:

This is an editorial about how certain institutions profess dire consequences for not adhering their way of life:

Damnation Days
And lastly, this was also done for my poster class concerning the world water crisis:

WWC

I'm not really working on anything right now, but soon enough I will be.