erica!

isometric studio

2012-01-27T17:18:00.001-05:00

plant cell!

2012-01-21T18:03:00.001-05:00

tracheids

2012-01-19T09:04:00.001-05:00

An illustration about the lignin in tracheids (a type of xylem cell found in the stem of a plant)

neuro-marketing

2012-01-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

Jeepers, we're in the future

NEURO-MARKETING!

how to roast a juicy turkey

2012-01-17T17:53:00.000-05:00

stay warm!

2012-01-15T08:48:00.001-05:00

It is ridonkulously cold out there. Stay home!

rhoeo spathacea

2012-01-11T09:04:00.002-05:00

Botanical illustration process!

My set up -
Paper towel covers the back leaves I don't want to include, to make the illustration more clear.
I put the plant pot in the teapot to keep the plant at eye level.
Natural light is decent, but for now I'm just doing line sketches.

First sketch on tracing paper with pencil and eraser - some leaves are taken out, some are moved so important areas can be seen more clearly (like the growing point out of the stem).

Tracing paper is placed on top of first drawing to make a cleaner second sketch.
Final decisions are made - fewer leaves in the back? more detail in the front? do the positions of the leaves suit the composition?

Desk set up when there is no longer any natural light:
The main light (with a daylight bulb) points up at a white piece of card to allow a softer, more diffused light to fall.
A second weak side light lightens the lower shadows.
Mylar is placed over the sketch, ready for the brush and ink.
No breathing - try not to fall asleep or screw up or else we start again.

Finished!

turkey roasting

2012-01-11T02:11:00.003-05:00

I roasted my first turkey this Thanksgiving, and it turned out pretty decent. So, here are the instructions I followed with some of my friendly illustrations!

roughs:

exploded clock

2012-01-10T04:51:00.004-05:00

OK! So here is what I did:

1. Take apart the clock
2. Measure and draw each piece by hand
3. Arrange and draw everything in place by hand
4. Construct orthographic view of each piece in Adobe Illustrator
5. Use action scripts to create isometric view of each piece in Illustrator
6. Assemble pieces as planned in step 3
7. Add second and third lineweights to each piece
8. Add flowlines to show how to assemble
9. Add labels and lead lines
10. Add legend

Total: at least 160 hours?! Is that possible?!

(send me a message if you want to see it bigger bigger)

planning sketch

lightbulb

2012-01-10T00:35:00.003-05:00

Hey! Here is a planar lightbulb.

prototype

second prototype to get thickness

final in laser cut plexiglass - I messed up the paint job so I went black over everything. I think this shows the light coming from the core a little better anyway

raccoon

2012-01-02T21:02:00.003-05:00

Raccoon making:

1. wire frame with foil to make parts fatty fatty

2. layer with air dry clay

3. next layer of air dry clay to get the shape of the body

4. throw on fur texture and paint

5. use glue or gloss to make the eyes come alive (dries clear)

new york!

2011-12-29T19:13:00.002-05:00

I went to New York City in October for 5 days for a half marathon, and again in November for 10 days for Illustration Week.  What an amazing place.

some awesome dude in the lower east side

super awesome Richard Serra creations at the Gagosian gallery in Chelsea

sunset from the New Jersey side - very eerily quiet and peaceful

an awesome squirrel outside blue bottle in Williamsburg

This was the super awesome ballin American Illustration and American Photography party at the Angel Orensanz Foundation.  So pretty.

carcass

2011-12-27T20:26:00.003-05:00

My first turkey carcass and my bean harvest.

group of thirty - winter collection

2011-12-27T20:23:00.005-05:00

I have a piece up at OZ Studios in Toronto for the latest Group of Thirty show! I'm in Singapore right now and haven't been able to check it out, but everything is up until January 8th.

facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/285544494814820/

beast

2011-12-20T03:28:00.002-05:00

interior model!

2011-12-07T15:53:00.002-05:00

Here are some interior models I made of my house. Modified. I used bonzai to model the furniture, and strata to do the textures and lighting. I am still a struggling newbie, I guess I could just get down and learn the programs if I wanted to.

The program simplifies all the volumes in the modelling window, I guess to make it faster to move around. When you take a photo of the modelling window, it takes a few minutes to a few hours to render, but ALWAYS SO COOL TO SEE!!! Unless you've got a little mistake and have to render all over again.

chicken dinner

2011-10-04T18:51:00.002-04:00

I learned how to use Strata last week and made a chicken dinner. I did an apple tutorial so I mostly vectored half the shape and lathed.

burning man

2011-10-04T18:45:00.002-04:00

My friends and I bought a van in BC and drove down to Burning Man in Nevada. It was absolutely positively the best thing ever.

jazzy

2011-08-09T13:46:00.004-04:00

Oh yez, my dad made a demo to give to restaurants for his jazzing, so I made a quick cover. Here it is, and here's his myspace! http://www.myspace.com/davidaltosax . If you know anyone in Ottawa that would like to hire this magnificent duo, let me know!

little job

2011-08-09T13:23:00.002-04:00

Summer has been a long but short blinding mess. I've learned a whole lot from California, camping, Ottawa, Niagara, Arts Market, friends leaving, ticket purchasing, plane travelling, food markets, heat waves, bicycling, running, print printing, job proposaling, bill paying, thrift shop scavenging, food dehydrating, reduced section eating, and a whole bunch more.

I have a week of down time to get some promos sent off, some last job proposals, some classes chosen, computer clean up, and preparation for a last summer adventure to Nevada. I guess it isn't down time.

I've been creeping around on a couple freelancer sites when I've had the time. A bunch of contractors will submit a proposal and a bid for a job posted. Many employers don't really know what they want, and will ask for $2 per illustration for a children's book. I've seen someone ask that only contactors working for $2.40/hr need apply. Jeepers. Sounds crappy, but there are a few gems in there with regular rates.

Anyway, here's a little snippet of some super random little job I did.

dino

2011-08-09T13:18:00.002-04:00

I posted this orthographic diagram a while ago without the final guy .. well ... here he is! I still want to throw some teeth on.

back in business

2011-06-05T12:38:00.004-04:00

After a 3 week break in California, I'm back in action. I came back, graduated, and put up a graphic design section in my portfolio on my website. Chekkkkitout if you like!!!

here is your motel when you are po

fried pizza (very bad)

santa monica

a squirrel

grad show

2011-05-09T11:49:00.002-04:00

To old friends and new friends,

Thanks for coming down to check out the OCADU grad show! It was a long and exhausting weekend, but super awesome. Tomorrow I'm off to LA and San Francisco and everything in between!!!!!!!!

birds and orchid mantis

2011-05-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

I've been trying out this digital cutout technique for a while and thought I'd apply it to my scientific illustrations.

damselflies

2011-04-26T14:16:00.002-04:00

trying out something different for a damselfly illustration

more graphic design

2011-04-26T13:18:00.001-04:00

some more from my graphic design class...

cd design

2011-04-26T10:40:00.001-04:00

CD design for a made up band for my graphic design class last semester!

group of thirty!

2011-04-19T19:16:00.003-04:00

Come by OZ Studios to see the grand Group of Thirty! Visit my creatures and blobs.

134 Ossington Ave
Toronto, On

Opening night: Thursday April 21 - 6:00pm - 11:30pm

If you can't make the opening, stop by some time and check out this huuuge space!

Dope poster by Mr Curator, DAVE!

graphic design

2011-04-19T19:06:00.003-04:00

Here are some card design for my graphic design semester. Last one is a mailer.

^ final design

technical illustration

2011-04-18T16:57:00.003-04:00

Here's a bunch of stuff I did this semester (and one from last):

exploded view of a [not so exciting] shed I designed:

layout for a DIY magazine featuring .. my [not so exciting] shed!

a caster I took apart, measured, drew:

toy design! (looking for the built photo)

SCHOOL'S OUT!!

2011-04-18T16:48:00.003-04:00

OCAD: done
Sheridan: out for the summer
Me: time to breathe
You: look at new stuff I'm putting up!

happy holidays!

2010-12-24T05:11:00.004-05:00

Happy ho ho holidays from Singapore!

some media experiements

2010-12-19T19:28:00.004-05:00

I have a sweet media class where we play with materials to create some crazy effects to illustrate sometimes very simple subjects. Here are a couple watercolour experiments and some process work:

different ways of getting the shell texture. mostly wetting the whole area and dropping in colour as it dries, with some drybrush on top.

masking and splattering wet on wet to create the waxy texture, also lots of sponging wet on wet/dry on wet/wet on dry, spray bottle. some pen on top to bring the details out.

experiment crazy with frisket, alcohol, paper towel blotting, sponging

The finals didn't actually work out great :

the candle kind looks like a rotten pear, forgot a cast shadow too

Anyway.  Here's an older scan of some leaf warm ups with a nib pen on mylar.  Mylar is so fantabulous.

thesis!

2010-11-18T10:18:00.002-05:00

First two thesis pieces for my survival guide to the city:

looking at the grasshopper - blending in with your surroundings (concept to change)

looking at the dormouse, stocking your den for the winter

thank you!

2010-11-04T01:26:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone that came to the opening!! And also to everyone that attended to but didn't. It was super sweet, a little silly. Photos soon.

In the mean time, working through the craziest week ever. Hopefully I'll have something to show by the end of the week. Right now I'm making a table out of balsa wood.

vlad

dad on the lawn

dad watering the lawn

ottawa

2010-10-27T16:14:00.004-04:00

......... listening to french radio stations in my parents' blue and orange house, eating too much cake, playing with road salt.

MAKING MONSTERS!!

She Creeps

2010-10-23T21:31:00.004-04:00

She Creeps: an art show for the bizarre and eerie

I'm in a group show with twelve other girls! Twelve super-awesome-this-year-OCAD-graduates.. and me. So if you don't come for me, come for them - they do some super cool art. They are pretty cute too.

Here is a little preview of my work. I'm doing un-scary monsters.

Work will be up from Friday, October 29 to November 29.

Opening:
Friday October 29th
7pm - 11pm

Function13 Gallery

156 Augusta Ave

Toronto, ON

Work by:
Melanie Banks
Alex Boake
Inga Borisenoka
Kiyomi Burgin
Chelsea Canlas
Anjo Chiang
Erica Glover
YooJin Guak
Frances Lee
Kristi McConnell
Kira Shaimanova
Sam Singh
Kate Thornley

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=155380991162272

watercolour play

2010-10-23T20:55:00.004-04:00

I've been playing around with watercolour for my media class at Sheridan - we're trying to recreate rust and other weird weathering textures. I've been looking at "Creating Textures in Pen and Ink with Watercolor" by Claudia Nice and it is super super.

Mmmmmmm watercolour... so clean and portable. Wet on wet, dripping in water or paint... you never know what it will look like when it dries. So unpredictable and exciting. Lately I've been playing with layering and frisket and alcohol and lifting colour off with paper towel. Salt! Bruising! Sponges! Fan brushes too! So much fun.

Here's a technique sheet I'm using to prep for a candle and a shell necklace. They will be up soon too!

big sshhings happening

2010-10-19T20:13:00.004-04:00

Lately:

- started degree number two with a bunch of exciting/crazy classes at Sheridan
- thesis topic at OCAD approved!
- podcasts galore
- harvest festival
- no sleep
- too much yogurt and cheese
- moved from here:

to here (for real):

here are my traffic light tomatoes to prove it:

Coming up:

- first two thesis images
- some Sheridan scans
- preview for "She Creeps" - opening October 29th

bus stop

2010-08-16T12:09:00.002-04:00

everything i ate in san francisco

2010-07-03T16:10:00.014-04:00

Last month I went to San Francisco for a little holiday.  Now I want to live there.  I love food, therefore I love San Francisco.  Here is a silly post of (really almost) everything I ate there.

empanada from ...it doesn't matter

almost done .. steamers with .. beans ..from hog island oyster company

some kind of pulled pork leg salad .. super yummy also from hog island

donuts from bob's

uhh .. a buck double from burger king so we could use the bathroom ..

a jumbled delicious mess from whole foods rest stop

clam chowder in a bread bowl from fishermans wharf

oysters and seafood cocktail form swan

eggplant from king of thai noodle! so cheap!

papaya salad from king of thai! also so cheap!

deviled squishy egg from mango's

pizza with asiago, mozzarella, Italian gorgonzola, sweet fig preserve from Croatia, prosciutto, parmigiano, and balsamic from tony's pizza napoletana

sambazon bowl from the plant cafe (fruit on top of acai blended with apple, frozen mango, strawberries, on top of house made granola)
umm.. drumsticks ...
chicago deep dish pizza with broccoli, mushroom, canadian bacon from patxi's

really yummy fries from bean bag cafe

roasted pears, cheddar and gorgonzola cheese with chipotle remoulade on  focaccia with avocado from frjtz

garlic fries with white truffle artichoke ketchup

pear salad from asqew grill

mmmm .. clam and garlic pizza from golden boy

pork taco from la cumbre

liguria foccacia!

dried cherries, nectarines, white nectarines, pluots, oranges, peaches, white peaches, raisins of all sorts, pears

kate's kitchen tofu ceviche!

turkey and provolone sandwich with pesto and sundried tomatoes and artichokes from molinari!

vegetable noodle soup from king of thai noodle!

and some thai iced tea

four barrel latte!

far west fungi truffle macaron

blackberry cabernet gelato!

chez carla! waaa!!

nothing new

2010-05-02T12:39:00.002-04:00

I post old because I have nothing new ...

invitation

2010-04-06T23:40:00.004-04:00

------------------------------------------------------------

~* invitation *~

You are cordially invited to a special celebration!

What: grand opening of my illustration website!!!
Why: because I needed one!
When: now!!
Where: here!! http://www.ericaglover.com
Dress: anything comfy

------------------------------------------------------------

After who knows how many hours (80-100? maybe?) of numbers and letters and brackets and headaches and crossed eyes and Dreamweaver and CSS, it is finally up! Chekkkkitout!

p.s. I still don't understand it ...

amy

2010-02-25T12:16:00.002-05:00

andre

2010-02-18T11:40:00.002-05:00

book!

2010-02-05T19:34:00.003-05:00

Sketch for a portrait for my dad's book .. there will be four portraits!

(I don't think I've ever cross hatched in my life)

sheridan

2010-01-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

applying .. to Sheridan??

squirt

2010-01-20T23:59:00.003-05:00

meow

happy new year!

2010-01-18T15:42:00.005-05:00

What I have been up to the last four months (since my last post):

1. started thesis!
2. quit thesis
3. work
4. food
5. nothing

Then I got a library card.

6. read Eat, Pray, Love and wanted to go to Bali
7. went to Bali
8. hung out in Singapore

Anyway! This is about all I did last semester:

i prefer rainbow rain

rainbow rain on your windshield/window/glasses/clear umbrella/greenhouse

child sized portions of guilt

2009-08-18T22:21:00.009-04:00

here are the little things i did for the show

^ vlad and i both drew this at the same time .. actually at the same time

and here's my name

some old things ...

2009-08-17T19:38:00.003-04:00

Some photos, some old stuff, something really old

child sized portions of guilt

2009-08-02T17:37:00.001-04:00

Come to our art show!!

more photos ...

2009-07-30T19:37:00.004-04:00

heart burger

heart burger 2.0

vlad's alien alphonso

wooooah kinder SURPRISE!

some travel photos

2009-07-21T15:54:00.005-04:00

Random photos from a bunch of places ...

peru

vietnam

thailand

norway

prints!

2009-07-21T15:07:00.001-04:00

Silly scans of some quick print play:

digital??

2009-07-12T10:37:00.004-04:00

Some of my digital disasters for school.

p.s. I don't know what happened to the colours (in the first and last)!!!

squiggles

2009-07-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

"Hello, I am Seedhead."

"We are the Mushroomheads! We are so full of love!"

... lovely to meet you.

old thangs

2009-07-11T18:24:00.004-04:00

OLD THINGS! First and second year of school!

ding dong

2009-07-11T17:23:00.001-04:00

Time for a blog.
Let's see how it goes.