Seegmiller Art

2011-08-25T23:51:00.000-06:00

Well, it only takes me 8 months to post an update. So much for good intentions. Here are a couple of doodles I have done in the meantime. Since school starts Monday, it may be another three months before I update.....

Quicky

2011-08-25T23:36:00.001-06:00

Have a bunch of these I did for a game that never got published.... so, I have decided to publish them. It will take me some time to get them posted and they will be in higher quality on my web site so if you are interested in seeing more go to www.seegmillerart.com.

I would like to graciously thank Kevin MacLeod who wrote the music. His web site is http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/. Watching these may be boring but without the music they would really be boring.

Of course, I paint that quickly. Why would you think anything else. I simply hit the "Paint like Don" button implemented in the last version of Painter and away we go....

Sad Little Green Man

2010-12-19T20:52:00.002-07:00

The poor little alien after a run in with some Poison Oak. You should see the rest of his body!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Did this image as a Christmas card a few years ago. Came across it while browsing some backup DVD's.

Bit older class demo

2010-12-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

Cleaning out some hard drive space and found this demo from a painting class either last year or the year before (I can't remember). It is one of my favorites. Love the green hair. The whole thing is about 90 minutes of work and was done with only four basic colors except for the green which was two additional colors added at the very end.

Class Assignment

2010-12-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

One day in a drawing class I teach I was talking about "Scrap". Scrap is reference material that almost all artists use somewhere in their creative process. It used to be file cabinets full of pages clipped from magazines. Now, artists have is so easy with the wealth of material available on the web. Instead of magazine clippings it is now digital imagery. I have several terabytes of images collected, mostly sorted, and cataloged.

Student artists often have a hard time knowing what reference is for and simply copy images they use. Not only is this sometimes ethically questionable if you are using an image that you did not photograph but it is not the way that scrap should be used. It should be referred to and not copied.

So, in this particular class, I gave each student a different image of a creature created in Spore Creature Creator ( http://www.spore.com/ ). If they simply copied the image they would have a very simplistic and boring drawing. They had to "refer" to use the image to and draw a creature based on it. I generally try and give assignments that I don't mind doing myself. I could not resist myself and here is my result and the original image.

TV inspiration

2010-12-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

There is this show on the Science Channel called "Oddities". If you have not seen it, you should take a half an hour and watch it at least once. You will see the most interesting things. I am not quite sure if the show is titled for the strange things the shop sells or their clientele. The first time I watched the show, a customer came in that was so interesting I just had to draw him while I watched the rest of the episode. Here is my sketch. Yes, I do draw almost all the time I am watching TV. One of those hard to break habits.

Little Green Man

2010-12-02T01:37:00.001-07:00

Here is a little green man that is going to get folded, spindled, and mutilated in an upcoming workshop I am teaching in January. About 90 minutes of work on this guy in Painter and Photoshop.

Christmas Story Book

2010-12-02T01:35:00.002-07:00

I illustrated a Christmas Story book this year for a local author. Since it is now published, I guess it is alright if I post an image or two. Here is one.

Some new sketches encore.

2010-12-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

Decided to go ahead and post a couple more since I have no idea how long it will be until get around to doing this again.

Some new sketches

2010-12-02T01:30:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to posting some new sketches. I guess my problem is that I would rather be drawing than posting. I need a minion. Hope you like them.

Demo Painting

2010-07-26T11:13:00.000-06:00

The end results of a demo painting I did. Took about three hours. Maybe a bit more. Done in Painter and Photoshop.

more sketchs

2010-06-30T23:14:00.000-06:00

Seems like all I have time for anymore is a few sketches here and there. Anyway, here are a couple new ones.

Little Something I did for My Sisters Birthday

2010-05-07T23:02:00.000-06:00

Quick illustration I did for the cover of a photo book for my sisters 50th birthday. She likes bones.

30 minute digital figure painting

2010-04-27T13:25:00.000-06:00

This was done in my figure drawing class last semester with a very early version of Photoshop CS5. The original is 1200 x 1600 pixels. Nothing too special but it was a lot of fun to try and get the whole figure done in a short amount of time. Unfortunately the students were limited to drawing and not painting. I guess it is sometimes good to be the teacher.

Another thing

2010-04-20T20:11:00.003-06:00

I have been playing with water soluble pencils. They add a whole additional dimension to quick sketches. They also create a number of "happy accidents" that can add to the spontaneity of of a drawing. You do need to use watercolor paper, illustration board, or my favorite...museum mounting board as the base surface so there is not a lot of buckling.

Sketch of the moment

2010-04-19T21:19:00.002-06:00

One of those strange things that appear when you are not particularly thinking of anything. Kind of grew from a scribble. Black Prismacolor pencil as always.

It has been a long time...

2010-04-14T21:18:00.003-06:00

It has been way too long since I posted anything so I guess it is about time I started.
I have been working with Adobe for the bit on the newest version of Photoshop. Now that CS5 has been announced, I can talk about it. Here is a quick sketch I did a couple weeks ago. It is nothing special but just had a moment to spare and wanted to practice a bit more. This is about 35 minutes or so of work. Hope you like it and I will try and stay on top of things a bit more.

Some New Art

2008-12-09T10:10:00.002-07:00

This last year I did a number of animating illustrations for an Xbox 360 video game to be released about the same time as the movie The Tale of Despereaux. This is one of the images. I am going to post more on my web site in the next week or so.

Finally, my new book is off the press.

2008-08-28T07:43:00.003-06:00

Finally my new book is off the press. I am pretty happy about how it looks and hope that everyone that gets a copy will find something useful between the front and back cover. I have a very few copies on hand and will be signing and selling them to anyone that is interested. Should you want a signed copy just drop me an e-mail at donseeg@comcast.net.

Some Sketches

2008-06-02T11:08:00.002-06:00

Seems like I don't have lots of energy for much beside sketching. Actually, I love the sketching as much or more than anything. It is the only art that I really am able to do just because I love to do it and I am not limited to subject matter. The three sketches here are of quite different subjects.

I continue to mend though it is really slow. I am still very dizzy and can't hear a thing on my right side. The best way to describe the dizzy is it feels like I am working a laptop while I ride a roller coaster. I really don't feel too bad most the time but I get tired easily. By the evening I am really tired and go to bed much earlier than I usually do. I think it is just the effort of trying to stay upright is tiring.

Anyway, hope you like the sketches.

A Few Interesting Weeks and a Strange Sketch.

2008-05-28T10:42:00.002-06:00

It has been a most interesting few weeks. Several Saturdays ago I was heading to the mountains for a morning of fly fishing with my son. All was well at the bottom of the canyon. Seven miles later when we arrived at the chosen fishing hole my right ear was feeling like I was not able to equalize the pressure it it. If you have ever gone high in the mountains or on an airplane then you know what I am talking about. By the time I parked the truck I was feeling pretty dizzy. By the time I walked around the truck once I told my son that he had better take me down to a hospital I was so dizzy. Well, after Technicolor yawning all the way down the canyon while slipping in and out of consciousness....my son called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital. Something haywire has happened to my inner ear. I am deaf on the right side, I have a bit of palsy in my face, and I feel like I have stepped off an amusement ride 24/7. Dizzy is not fun. While the symptoms hopefully will pass my art has taken on a new twist....namely, I can't draw straight any more. Things seem to gradually be getting better. I would not wish this on anyone.

So, my wife the other day called my attention to a news post about a girl born with two faces. She looked a lot more strange than I feel. Since everything has been a bit strange I decided to draw her a few years down the road. This is the sketch.

2008-05-28T10:19:00.002-06:00

Here is a link to the the new Ballistic Publishing digital painting book. I am lucky to be one of the featured artists. There is some great work by some fantastic artists in this book. I am proud to be included with the other three. The book will ship mid-July. Cool.
http://www.ballisticpublishing.com/books/dartiste/digital_painting_2/index.php

And a last few images from both books.

2008-05-10T21:19:00.006-06:00

More book art images.

2008-05-10T21:17:00.002-06:00

Long Time No Post

2008-05-10T21:07:00.009-06:00

It has been a rather long time since I posted anything. Winter was a very busy time and I got caught up in work without much time to keep on top of the blog. So, what was I doing? I was busy with the every day work but also was in the middle of co-authoring and authoring two books. Not only did I have to do the writing but I had to do the illustrations. It was a lot of work considering that I am lucky to write an understandable e-mail. Does that make any sense? See what I mean. Anyway, here are the book images that occupied most of my time. Both books will be coming out in the next few months. Cheers!

More Halloween Sketches

2007-11-01T00:56:00.000-06:00

Here are some more sketches from this evening on the porch. There is the obligatory Headless Horseman, a Halloween Treat, and some poor kid whose mom made him dress up as a lobster. Hope you enjoy them. I will actually try and post something in color soon. Until then.....

Halloween Night Sketching

2007-11-01T00:49:00.000-06:00

Well, it was warm enough to sit on the porch and hand out candy to all the spooks and princesses this evening. While waiting I did a few sketches. Of course, they are Halloween themed.
This first drawing is based on my aggravation at older teenagers coming around for candy. Come on..... get a life. Anyway, they never really dress up...just tape some Smarties to their pants and call it good. This is in response to those fine costume efforts .... mainly I would love to dump a cat into their candy bag when they come to the door and watch the excitement... Probably a bit cruel to the cat... One of my cats sat next to me all evening watching the kids come and go...

My Niece Becky

2007-10-24T08:39:00.001-06:00

This is a sketch of my darling niece Becky. At least her mom says it looks a lot like her..... except for the hair. There is a bunch of symbolism in the sketch that only she will appreciate. I hope that all of you enjoy it never the less.

And another couple

2007-10-03T11:16:00.001-06:00

Just a couple more sketches.

Only a Sketch

2007-10-03T10:21:00.000-06:00

September was a bit busy. I was able to get some sketches done. Here is one of them.

Siggraph 2007

2007-08-11T22:33:00.000-06:00

I spent a few days with Corel at Siggraph this past week. I was demonstrating painter in their booth, doing interviews, and demonstrating in the guerrilla studio. It was great fun. I met a lot of interesting and great people, made connections with some that I already know, and generally painted my little heart out and talked to anyone that would stop and listen.

Anyway, this is the results of one of the days efforts. I put in the pink bunny at the very end of the day since one of the people in the Corel booth wanted to know why I painted such dark subject matter. I thought it added a bit of sunshine to the whole thing...don't you?

Finally getting my website working.

2007-08-06T01:08:00.001-06:00

Finally getting my website back online. Have a look and let me know what you think. On the contact page is a text blog you can comment on if you would like.

http://www.seegmillerart.com/

Cheers
Don

Something new and a bit different

2007-08-06T01:06:00.001-06:00

Something new and a bit different from what I usually do.

A couple new things.

2007-07-02T22:04:00.000-06:00

A couple of newer images done in Photoshop. Hope you like them.

And Still...... another two

2007-05-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

Another two sketches

2007-05-17T17:20:00.001-06:00

Just a few more new sketches. Done with Prismacolor pencil on 110 lb. cover stock.

Another book tutorial

2007-05-15T23:26:00.000-06:00

Here is another image from my almost completed book on painting with Photoshop. He was rather an ogre to paint.

to immortalize those that borrow art without asking

2007-05-09T22:50:00.000-06:00

From time to time I see images of mine that are borrowed without my knowledge. Occasionally they are butchered to improve their looks. I really think it is worth posting the results here so that everyone can enjoy the efforts of a few. For those that send me links when they recognize one of these borrowed images; I really do appreciate your efforts.

A few new sketches

2007-05-09T22:41:00.000-06:00

A few sketches I did this evening while watching my son umpire a little league game. Sketching helps me behave during these types of activities.

Blue Haired Girl

2007-05-03T10:56:00.000-06:00

Just a quick sketch in Painter. A bit older but it was fun to do.

Small Dragon

2007-04-27T16:48:00.000-06:00

This is a simple painting but one that I had a lot of fun doing. It was originally done awhile ago for Imagine Learning.

An in class painting demonstration.

2007-04-27T16:37:00.000-06:00

An in class oil painting demonstration from last semester. Small in size, it is about 11 x 14 inches and done in about 2 hours.

2007-04-27T16:26:00.000-06:00

I am having a bit of trouble with my regular web site. I am sure it is because I simply do not know html and I keep trying to get new things working....so, I am redirecting everything here for a bit until I get everything rebuilt. I am going to post a few images that maybe you will find interesting.
This is a traditional oil painting measuring about 24 x 48 inches. I love painting the figure and fabric.

2007-04-23T19:41:00.000-06:00

Another image from the revision of my Photoshop book.

From a tutorial about painting dark hair.

2007-04-17T14:46:00.000-06:00

Well I am in the middle of an update of my Photoshop book; redoing all the art and updating the techniques in the tutorials. This is the new image from the tutorial on painting dark hair. I will post a few more as time permits.

Sorry about the large watermark but I can't have anyone borrowing this image before the book is published. I know it is a nuisance but you can still see the general image pretty well.

2007-01-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

Something a bit different. Experimenting with some new brushes in Painter and trying to loosen up a bit. The theme is of course....cowboy.

Below is a bit closer look at the full sized version.

Work art challenge

2006-12-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

The subject for this last two weeks was a "Fantasy Creature". I painted this.... Chupacabra. Course, I don't have a clue if one really looks like this. Course neither does anyone else. The original is 2400 x 1200 pixels and it was painted in Corel Painter.

2006-12-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is an oil painting demonstration from my class this term. It is done with three colors and white. The colors are Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, and Titanium White. This took about two hours to execute.

2006-12-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

A little something from work. The task was to take three words in a foreign language (in this case, Haitian Creole) that would rhyme and create an image using them. The words were frog, hat, and flag.

Since the words never relate to each other, it is great fun combining them in unusual ways.