robyn hyzy

Conversation

2009-07-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

Our assignment this past week, given by Chris Payne, was to illustrate a conversation. It had to include at least two people in a horizontal 8 x 10 format.

This was a challenge for me in a lot of ways. First off, I worked much larger than I usually do (about 16 x 20) and I had a lot of detail to paint. I really enjoy watercolor washes and lost edges, but lately I have been wanting to tighten up my technique a little. I think this piece was a little over the top, but a much needed exercise.

I also had difficulty with the color. I did a color study on the computer, and had a hard time translating it to watercolor. Some of the colors and values are still not quite where I want them to be, but it's getting there.

Overall I really had fun doing this illustration. This is the first time in a long time I had more fun going through the process than doing the final piece. I don't know if that is necessarily good or bad, but it did inspire me to continue working larger and with more detail.

Conceptual Portrait of Edie Sedgwick

2009-06-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our second assignment, given by Anita Kunz, was to do a conceptual portrait. Since I have been taking an interest in fashion illustration, I wanted to do someone who I could work into my portfolio.

I chose Edie Sedgwick, and I wanted to play up both her distinct look and her close friendship with Andy Warhol. She was known for her thick eyebrows, heavy makeup, long studio photographs of her just being beautiful.

In this piece I gave her Andy's hair, but I think it causes some confusion for those who don't recognize her right off the bat. A couple people thought she might be Madonna or even Marilyn Monroe.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out. I did so many 'practice pieces' with a cool background color, but it detracted from here heavy eye makeup. Who would have thought that yellow would have been my saving color?

Slice of Sarasota

2009-06-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Finally finished the first assignment at the Academy. Our project was titled "Slice of Sarasota", where we had to depict some aspect of Sarasota using only shapes, with two values in each shape, in a square format. I used the Met as my inspiration for this piece.

On my final of this painting, I was very careful to stay within my pencil lines. After the critique I realized that the shadow cast on the stairs was way darker than it should have been. I went back and repainted the shadow shapes, but in doing so my strokes became more painterly and I lost the meticulousness of my original layer. Oh well. I think it turned out alright in the end.

I still like the color study a little better, but I think that's because Jon Foster helped me come up with it. I had such a hard time mixing my greens, and they ended up so blue! Whoever heard of turquoise palm leaves??

Linger on the sidewalk where the neon lights are pretty

2009-05-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts! Whoops! Anyway, here are some funky pictures of the new studio- in Chicago. I took pictures, used the 'photomerge' on Photoshop, and this is what I got! Crazy...

Etsy

2009-03-27T09:18:00.001-07:00

Finally got around to opening up an Etsy store! Check it out!!

Charcoal fun!

2009-03-23T19:53:00.001-07:00

Final Postcard Designs

2009-03-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

This is the layout for my second postcard!

I did do a little bit of tweaking after some wonderful suggestions!

I really like the slightly darker font. Much easier to read. I'm thinking this is the final. Thanks again!

About that time

2009-03-02T21:06:00.001-08:00

I am in the process of ordering some new postcards but I am not as good as I would like to be when it comes to font...or font placement. If anyone has tips or suggestions on these it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

PS. The gray borders are where the safe zone ends. They won't actually be on the final printed postcard.

Faster Better Stronger

2009-02-03T21:05:00.001-08:00

I am very excited about this new post! I am trying my hand at fashion illustrations!

This is very different than the way I have been working previously, and I like how it is going so far. I am using more color, I am painting faster, and I am really trying not to overwork the pieces.

Let me know what you think!

Julie Hyzy...you're an inspiration!

2009-01-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share some sweet new books with everyone! My mom's newest book just came out this past December titled "Hail to the Chef", which is a sequel to her "State of the Onion".

I have not read this new one yet (still waiting for her to send me my autographed copy!) But I can tell you that "Hail to the Chef" is one worth picking up. It is the first of six books in the series of White House Chef Mystery Series. The best part is, not only can you get these off of Amazon, but they will also be at your nearest Barnes and Noble!

Here's a little synopsis:
"The current Executive Chef in the White House is retiring and Ollie is a strong contender to be his replacement. There are only two things standing in her way: a former staff chef who is now a television personality is also under consideration for the position, and a potential threat against the President in which Ollie played a key role: she knocked out an unauthorized intruder with a frying pan. But as Ollie is drawn deeper into the assassination plot she finds her dreams of being the first female Executive Chef slipping further away ... and her life increasingly in danger."

And another one of my mom's newest books was a collaborated piece written by her and and her good friend, Michael Black, titled "Dead Ringer".

Check it out! You can visit her website at JulieHyzy.com, or her blog JulieHyzy.blogspot.com

Fashion Addiction?

2009-01-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone for the lack of posts. Looks like I got caught up in the holiday season and didn't realize that I have not posted since October. Whoops!

I will keep this short and sweet. Here are some fun things I have been doing!

This is a piece I did using some old reference from the Academy. I really liked the idea of a girl with an umbrella...and shoes.

These are two watercolors I did after going through some old OLD pictures. I found it a nice way to relax and not have to think of a concept. Just some fun painting time!

Tried to keep this simple, with only two layers of watercolor. Looks like I got a little carried away, and left the groom with a slightly disfigured hand. Have to touch that up.
And he kind of looks like Trey...

This is a drawing I did for our "Secret Santa" at Starbucks. Luckily I picked a girl who loves Edie Sedgwick. This is also my first piece using my new signature. (which is a little to big)

I was flipping though some fashion magazines and did some quick little sketches.

Dot Com

2008-10-15T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have a new temporary website up and working! Check it out at robynhyzy.com

New Brain...New Pieces

2008-09-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

When I attended the Illustration Academy for the first time this summer, I didn't really know what was going to happen to my work when I came out. I had watched a great deal of my peers go into the Academy, then emerge with amazing illustrations, and a whole new way of thinking. In such a short period of time, I saw an amazing amount improvement.

When I went this summer I mentally made a goal for myself that I would open up to new ideas, try new techniques, and train my brain. I entered the Academy thinking that ink was my strongest point. I felt that my best pieces were done in ink with supporting watercolor. To my great surprise, ALL of the faculty felt that my watercolors were far superior to my ink. I even had one faculty member say that he wanted to "suck the ink out of these pieces and just leave the watercolor."

Yikes.

So I then tried doing all my pieces in just watercolor. It was a real struggle for me to get through the assignments. I couldn't handle the watercolor. I felt that my pieces were slowly going downhill. And then I started to question if I was getting pushed in the right direction. Or even worse, if I was getting pushed in the right direction, but failing miserably.

I left the Academy with sketchbooks of information, valuable contacts, amazing friends, a better grasp on how to approach new pieces, an overall better outlook on art, and life as an artist. But now I had no idea how to actually use any of this information. My brain was on complete overload, and I didn't know what to do. So many people improved so quickly after the Academy. Why didn't I?

I talked with some of the faculty about my concerns, and they had all made a very good point that I had not realized. I had gone from working with line to working with shapes. I jumped from one extreme to the other, and that isn't something that one can master in a few short weeks. I was hoping for immediate results and I found that it was going to take a lot longer than I had anticipated.

Sigh.

So during the little bit of summer I had left after the Academy, I didn't do very much work. I did some sketches here and there, but to be honest I was so burnt out and frustrated with my performance, that I had little desire to do anything. I went home to Tinley Park for a couple weeks, and then moved up here to Glens Falls with Andrew. I took my time unpacking, read some good books, went job hunting, went new job clothes shopping (always important), but for the most part still avoiding the art desk.

But now, my inspiration and desire to create has finally kicked itself into gear again! (Whew!) I have been playing around with watercolors, ink, and even gouache. Ink is now the supporter of my watercolors, and when I use ink I paint using it as a watercolor. My new favorite thing is non-waterproof ink! It bleeds beautifully and I can't quite control it the way I want, which is a lot of fun!

I feel that even though I'm not where I want to be yet, my work and the way I approach my work is stronger than it has ever been. Thank goodness for the Academy! It has taken a couple months to kick in, but now I have a better grip on where I'm going with my work. I guess I just needed all that information and new concepts to really sink in my brain. (Train your brain!)

So, these are some pieces I've been playing around with, and hopefully these will lead into even better stronger pieces to come!

Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them!

(She's not finished yet, but I decided to post it anyway)

The Leaky Window

2008-09-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

Good news! I have finally gotten a chair for my new art desk!

Not only that, I have just unpacked my last box, and gotten a part-time job at Starbucks. (Now I smell like coffee all the time!) But to anyone who needs a part-time job that offers benefits, I would highly recommend working at Starbucks.

So, since I have just finished setting up and organizing the studio space, I thought I would celebrate with some pictures! (That, and take pictures now while it is still clean.)

Enjoy!

OMG Shoes

2008-09-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. It has just been so busy lately moving out, moving in, packing, unpacking, traveling, and job hunting! Ugh! So much to do, with so little time!

But on a lighter note, my new studio space is big and awesome and I can't wait to sit down and just draw!! (Well...sitting being a loose term since I have only just ordered my drafting chair, and it hasn't arrived yet.) Until that time, I have made myself quite comfortable on the floor under my desk.

While on the floor, under my desk, flipping through my new "Vogue", I became inspired to draw my shoes and handbags. I wanted to pick up where I left off, with my dear watercolors. I plan on bustin' out some pen and ink as well, but for now, enjoy my shoes!

End of Academy

2008-07-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the delay in posts yet again. This will be short and sweet because I have to pack up and get ready to head back home!

Our assignments given by Robin Eley and Scott Anderson were to illustrate a specific scene in a children's book. The story I chose was the Tortoise and the Hare, when the tortoise challenges the hare, and the hare laughs at him.

The second half of this assignment was to portray a musician or band starting with a letter that we picked from a hat. I got the letter "L" so I chose to do Lily Allen.

Lastly we had the option of submitting a piece for the Gulf Coast Business magazine. This was a short week, and sadly I didn't bring mine to a level of finish that I was satisfied with, but I'll post it anyway

Week Four of the Academy

2008-07-09T21:12:00.001-07:00

The assignment for week four was given by Chris Payne. We had to illustrate a conversation/interaction between two people, but the two figures had to be cropped from the sternum up. After watching “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest”, I was inspired to paint two men in an insane asylum.
I don’t know that I conveyed an insane asylum as well as I would have liked, but I really enjoyed doing this painting. On the plus side, I feel that this piece has been a breakthrough for my confidence in watercolor!

Academy Update

2008-06-29T18:12:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to make a new post. I am now at the end of the fourth week of the Illustration Academy, which has been an amazing experience! I have been trying to work outside of my comfort zone by playing with other media, using more saturated colors, and not relying on linework to define my values. Yikes! Let me know what you all think!

The latest assignment we did was given by the one and only, Gary Kelley. We had to pick a color out of a hat, and illustrate it. My color was yellow. I chose to work larger on this piece, but in a media I am more comfortable in. Since watercolor is so fast, I wound up doing four pieces!

The second week was Jon Foster’s week, and our assignment was to illustrate a fictional character and to convey an emotion. I chose Pippi Longstocking because she is a character that I would not normally illustrate. This assignment forced me to use more saturated colors in oil glazes and on a scale much larger than what I am used to.

Our first assignment was given by Mark English, titled,“Slice of Sarasota”. We had to convey a part of the Sarasota lifestyle focusing on composition, value, and color. I did this in acrylic.

Senior Thesis Pieces- Grimms Fairy Tales

2008-04-27T21:14:00.002-07:00

Mary said to the hare, "There, there little hare! Do not eat all the cabbages."
-The Hare's Bride

"Ah! Where are your eyes, that you take this place for water?"
-The Hen Roost

But she thought, "How the silly frog does talk. All he does is sit in the water with the other frogs and croak. He could not be fit to associate with mankind."
-The Frog Prince

But at the self-same moment that she plucked the flowers, the twelve brothers were changed into twelve ravens, and flew away over the forest, and the house and garden vanished likewise.
-The Twelve Brothers

When it was bedtime, and the others went to bed, the mother said to the bear, "You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe from the cold and the bad weather."
-Snow White and Rose Red

At last she found a cave behind the house, and in it a very old woman was seated.
-The Robber Bridegroom

The white bride and the black bride.
-The White Bride and the Black One

There was once a little child whose mother gave her every afternoon a small bowl of milk and bread, and the child seated herself in the yard with it.
-Stories About Paddocks

After she had been waiting for a short time, a white dove flew down from the tree.
-The Enchanted Tree

The Poppy Field

2008-04-05T14:58:00.001-07:00

Watercolor Sketchbook!

2008-03-16T16:40:00.001-07:00

Man, Pet, Machine

2008-02-11T14:51:00.001-08:00

Celebrity Portraits

2008-01-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

Helena Bonham Carter, Truman Capote

Portraits

2007-12-01T12:35:00.000-08:00

Costume Portraits and Landscape

2007-11-10T15:00:00.001-08:00