I have moved!

I have moved!

My blog will now be found at www.helenaecija.com/blog.
I migrated all the content so all posts in this blog are already in the new one.

Also, for RSS lovers the new feed URL is http://helenaecija.com/feed/
Update your readers!!

See you there!!!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Draw it again contest: Cetrina II

I decided to enter a contest on Deviant art. The goal of the contest was to re-paint something you have painted before to see the progress in style and technique. I chose an illustration from 2007. I feel my style has evolved quite a bit, I like the more hand drawn feeling my illustrations have now, but I have to say that I still love that illustration from 2007.

Original 2007
Remake 2012

As usual, here is the process:

1. Sketch on Photoshop CS5

2. Overal values in b/w

3. Rendering in b/w

4. Color and final

The contest is now on the jury stage, wish me luch, 50 semifinalists and 10 finalist will win premium memberships in DA.

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Queen of birds Work in Progress

Working on this:

Queen of birds! take 1

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Queen Designs

I have been working on designs for a Deck of Cards. I am not yet decided on the suits. So far I have tried to sketch the Queen of Woods, the Queen of Birds, the Queen of the Sky/Sun and the Queen of Mammals. I like to start with the queens because drawing women is my favorite and helps me get in to the zone. I  am deciding if I want to incorporate Type as a really prominent part of the card's design or not.  I want to do so as a challenge, because I love type but I am not to good at it. I think I should, illustrations will get to a whole new level.

Maybe I will put them as part of the frame? We will see, First I need to decide the suits. I would like the suits to make sense with each other as a ecosystem of sorts. Or like layers of the woods (sun, sky, woods, roots, underground water...). I really like the idea of the queen of birds so I don't want to give that one up, but I think that is precisely the one that I could live without concept wise.

What do you guys think? Birds, Sky, Woods and Mammals? Seems incomplete, where is the water?

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

We had so much fun decorating eggs! Check out some of the eggs I did! My boyfriend helped me with the Stormtroopers and the death star! I think they came out really good. You can tell I got pretty intense by the last ones. Ha ha

Shizue in the woods

Things that I like. Day #1

Here is a drawing of my girl Shizue, she is a BJD doll and character of mine. Shizue (Zoe for short) is a Halloween elf that helps to spread the spirit of Halloween all across the world. I have made some other drawings of her but I think this one really captures her gaze.

I am starting a new challenge today, 30 days of drawings of things I like or things I have made illustrations of before (that I like). So, I expect to do some illustrations of my characters and re-illustrate some of my pin-up-type illustrations, but who knows, I am not really planning anything. This will be another 30 days, because that seems to work pretty good. It is just for fun! Fun drawings to help me strengthen my style and my drawing speed. I hope to move into a more concept-oriented challenges after finishing with this one if I get the results I am looking forward to achive.

This is the process I used this time:

Pencil skech

Work on values on black and white in a multiply layer

Work on color with Overlay layers and multiply layers

Add detail on layers on normal mode.

I hope you liked it! Tomorrow more!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Making wood block textures

I want to make some new illustrations in Photoshop with wood block feeling and I decided to make my very own textures with what I had at hand. I didn't have wood block paint so I used Blick's student acrylic. I also didn't have etching paper so I tried a couple types of papers from my sketchbooks. A mat to avoid making a mess and big brush and I had everything I needed for some experimentation!

It was a little tricky to make them look just like the wood block etching but it was lots of fun. Here is how you can do it.

1. get a piece of wood

2. Apply the paint with a roller. I didn't have one so I used a big brush.

3. Place your paper on top and apply pressure with your hands or another utensil. I some times helped myself with other piece of wood, a coworker told me you could use a wood spoon. Ultimately the amount of pressure depends on the type, thickness and quantity of the paint you used. This one of those trial and error thing:

4. Peel it up and enjoy!!

I got several good ones!

Like this one

I am looking forward to use them!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #28

So... I was thinking to make a nice looking Alice in wonderland piece and many people liked the last illustration I made of Alice. So I decided to make the rabbit as a reflect of Alice. I think I will put them together in a image and color the whole thing. Sounds like a good mini project.

This is the Alice I was talking about:

Click to enlarge

Ok, only 2 more challenges to go! I can't wait to finish and feel as accomplished I think I will feel.

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #27

Challenge #27!! I can't believe that I made it this far! 

This is a piece that Diana Torres and I made together. She is a very good friend of mine and an excellent artist. She created the idea and the line work I applied color to it. It was super super fun! Diana and I need to do this again for sure. 

Here is an animated gif with the main steps that usually also means the main layers. Photoshop CS5 :)

~You may have to click on the image to see the animated gif~

Thanks Diana!!

PS: I am wearing my new DC jacket and smells so good! I was not meant for the snow but I really wanna use it on the snow!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Creation Daily Challenge #26

I have the pleasure to show (at last) the cover of the book Antonio Cartier and I have made. We won the 5th Children's book contest of Fundación Progreso y Cultura in Spain. The price was some money and the publication of the book! We both are pretty excited.

As os now, they are printing about 500 copies and they won't be for sale. Instead they will donate the books to kids in events for children. I think that is wonderful. Don't despair though, We are thinking on other ways to publish the book and make it available for everybody. :)

The book is about a round kid named Otto that moves to a Square town and he has some trouble to fit in at first. But hey! We are all different but we are all the same after all! Right?

Well, and here it is! Introducing Otto!

Daily Creation Challenge #2-24

This is so weird. I am really tired. Anyway, closer to finish the challenge!
Photoshop CS5

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation challenge #2-23

I really would like to be at the beach right now... it feels like it's going to snow in any minute here in Chicago. 

This is a quick rendering of a sketch I did last summer. I tried to make it look nice but no time to spare today. Making this piece reminded me of my summer themed oekakis. I miss those.

Photoshop CS5

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation challenge #2-22

My first video of my painting process.

Enjoy!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation challenge #2-21

I just finished the lettering for the book Antonio Cartier and I made. We won the V annual contest of Fundacion Progreso y cultura in Spain. Check soon for new updates in how to get a copy of the book :)

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-20

 I just felt like doing something fun. I had a blast doing the challenge 17, so I wanted to use the same technique again. I am getting faster and faster every time. Also inspired easily, and this is good news since is the purpose of the challenge!

I also wanted to participate in this week's Illustration Friday. The topic is "Brigade", I thought that this character is part of a brigade during WWII but she is not very disciplined! She looks boyish because she was trying to fool the officers to enroll pretending to be a boy. She did make it in! 

I made it with Photoshop CS5, 1 h and 9 min. I know, because I made a video of this one. I will post as soon as I edit it.

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-17

- Click on image to enlarge -

And here it is Enyo for Laura Garijo. Enyo is one of her original characters and her first BJD that she made to sell. Enyo is soooo cute! Check her website at www.lauragarijo.com

See the Sketch and previous post about her character 

I tried to make an animated gif in Photoshop, not the smoothest thing in the world but there is only 20 min left till midnight and I needed to submit my daily challenge!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-15

"Recuerda que ambos teneís el mismo rango. La lucha de poder sólo os hará débiles"

He hecho esta ilustración para Tortuga Blanca. Es parte de una serie de dibujos que ilustran frases de la tortuga blanca. No olvidéis echarle un vistazo a su web :)

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-13

STEP 6: FINAL ADJUSTEMENTS

6.1 Realize that it's been feeling like saturday since Thursday... It is indeed awesome.
6.2 be ready to finish this thing
6.3 Add some adjustment layers on top of all the layers. Mine were:

6.3.1 A pattern layer to add some texture to the whole illustration (I used a pattern that I made with acrylic paint)

6.3.2 A photo filter layer with a Warming filter (85) to unify the colors a bit and also to make his face a little warmer.
6.3.3 Levels layer to push the darks and make the illustration more vibrant since the colors were a little washed out.

6.4 Sign and sing
6.5 Be proud.

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-12

STEP 5! COLOR!

5.1 Eat a turkey sandwich with stuffing for breakfast, you'll thank me later.

5.2 Time for vampires. Rent or get a movie on demand about vampires!

5.3 Add a Multipy layer on top of your other layers and add some more values and color.  

5.4 Create a new layer on top in normal mode. I sometimes paint it all on that layer, like it was acrylic or some times I  create two or three to be safe or just to look at the progress at end because it's fun to do.
I just started to create my own brushes with textures and it's super fun. You can emulate pretty much every technique, but acrylic-ish looking brush it's probably the easiest to get right.

5.5 After two layers that is what I made. Just about done.

Check out tomorrow's final chapter for the final adjustements!

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt

Daily Creation Challenge #2-5

Another drawing from yesterday's live figure drawing session. :)

Same, 45 min pose, pastel and conté pencils on charcoal paper

www.helenaecija.com | Ecija on DeviantArt