Hey Any and All

I am moving to my official website, artusagi.com, where I will continue the posting of various art things (which I have been remiss in doing lately, apologies) and where I will have some other cool stuff. It is still under construction, but serviceable, so bear with me.

The Raven - shadows and highlights

The girl has yellow highlights and blue shadows, the raven has blue shadows and green highlights. The green is more like iridescence. Colored inks, like before.

Raven Painting - Filling in skin tone

Adding color with inks. The skin is always the hardest, because you notice immediately if it isn't smooth. Also, the color is hard to get when you're mixing your own colors. But anyway, it's a good start!

Sketch and Skirt

I did this sketch while I was making the NBTSC T-Shirt logo. I'm currently in the process of inking it. I apologize for the crappy picture, I had to use my camera because my scanner hates me.
Blue hipster skirt done! Hoozah! Picture taken in my messy messy apt.

Wrap Skirt Progress and More Paintings

The sides all sewn together, and hooray, it fits!
Now cutting out the interfacing for the lining of the waistband.


Also: Two more paintings in the sketch phase. I've touched up the sketches and sealed in the graphite with gesso entirely on the top one, and about halfway on the second one.

Wrap Skirt Coming Along

Making darts for the new wrap skirt. First I pin, then I handstitch (baste) it in place.

Without the pins in the way, it's easy to sew the dart. 

Then I take out the basting and it's done. 

Now the ties... pinning them here. 

And here I'm sewing along the edge... I wont show turning it right-side out because it's really an annoying job. Let's just say that's done too. (>_>)

Pickles and Painting

A batch of pickled jalapeños.

A sketched out painting! It's two canvases side by side, and both were severely smudged. The one on the right I painted gesso over the smudges and lightly over the lines. I started doing that to the one on the left as well.

Yes. Today was a varied day.

Blue Hipster and Purple Wrap

Basting the waist band down. I'm going to have to hand stitch the band in place because attempts with the sewing machine proved to be disastrous. 

Laying out all the shapes needed for another wrap skirt. Added an extra 2 inches to the back piece and 1 inch to both front flaps. (as well as added inches to the lining/waistband pieces)

Blue Hipster Skirt

Took the zipper out before cutting the waist off.

Cut the waist off.

Sewed the zipper opening closed temporarily so that it doesn't slip around while I'm working with it.

I lifted the top of the ribbon trim so that I can tuck the waistband hem under it then sew it back on.

The hem was tucked under the ribbon and I pinned it down. Next step will be to sew it down. Then I'll re-attach the zipper and I should be done!

The Purple Skirt is Done!

I did a slip stitch on the hem...


...and attached a snap button.


It is now done! It fits me perfectly. I don't think I have a better fitted skirt than this one. It falls nicely and I can wear it over pants no problem - it doesn't ride up the sides or get stuck to the fabric of the pants. Now that this one is done, my mom requested one in the same style for herself! So I'll be working on that and...



This skirt that I got at a thrift shop for 3 bucks.



It has a high waist, and I'm going to turn it into a hipster skirt. (one that sits on the hips instead of choking the waist). Here is the plan. I'll take off the zipper and set it aside for later. Then I'll cut off the first decorative ribbon trim that is serving as a waistband, to about 2cm above the second ribbon. I'll lift the ribbon and turn the fabric under, then sew the ribbon back on, making a new waistband. The second ribbon trim happens to be at the perfect level, so it should fit well by the time I'm done. That's what I'm hoping anyway. (>_>);