crónicas

Running away...

2010-08-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

I have to recognize that I just simply can't maintain a blog anymore, but I need a simple "bus stop" for me.

So I'm moving to a simpler platform to handle what I need, and tumblr seems to be the option.

If you are reading this, please update your bookmark to raulvillanueva.com and go there.
Is not going to be a real blog, is mostly visual and a link to my other presences on the web.

See you around.

Raul.

Sculpey mini creature

2010-06-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

Or mini monster, you choose.

These past week, on my lunch time at the office, instead of drawing I decided to sculpt a little, so I carried my sculpey and some tools with me. This is what came at the end. Is a mix of fish with... I have no idea.

I'm not sure if I'll paint it, at least in the near future, but I think I'll continue doing some creatures in my free time. This one is at least baked, so I don't have to worry about accidents.

Some pictures, I hope you find it amusing.

Forest pattern

2010-05-26T17:35:00.002-05:00

I forgot to post my last spoonflower pattern, so here it is, a forest.
I still have to order samples to check for the colors.

Little princess sculpt

2010-05-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

A change from all the patterns!
I'm slowly doing an illustrated short story (I will post my advances soon), and one of the characters is a little princess, and I wanted a 3D reference for the proportions and and hair locks, so I sculpted one this past weekend.
It was really fun, I need to do that more often, really.

Anyway, here are the pics, the head was done and baked separated from the body, and will stay like this until it is painted.
Is a small sculpt, just a inch and half / 4 cm. high in total.

I think the eyes are bulging too much, I might sand them a little, but I'm sure that when they are painted, will look better.

Hope you like this!

Elepez pattern

2010-04-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the final pattern with the Elepez.
As usual, click on it to go to my spoonflower page and play with the repeat size.

Hope you like it.

preview Elepez

2010-04-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

A quick peek at my new pattern design, the Elepez.
Should be ready and posted on Spoonflower this WE or before.

IF: Linked

2010-04-09T11:10:00.001-05:00

For this week IF, a pattern of linked dragons, in red, black and soft colors.
Click on the image to go to the Spoonflower page and see the design infinitely linked and repeated!

Hope you like it.

Bugs in the bush update

2010-03-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

I updated the colors on my Bug in the Bush pattern, and created a new color variant "fall".
I still need to print these and see if the colors are now what I want.

Labyrinth garden

2010-03-30T11:13:00.001-05:00

I finished the design of my new pattern for Spoonflower, a garden labyrinth in two variants, a empty normal one, and other with a mythological turn: a retired and old Minotaur taking care of his labyrinth, but one less deadly.

And also Spoonflower is having the contest of the week with a "garden" theme, so it fits nicely. But I didn't design this for the contest, it was in the works for a long time before, as you can see on my older posts.

So here, take a look at the designs, hope you like it.
Click on the images to go to my page on Spoonflower and see the pattern in different sizes and repetition formats.

Fabric printed samples

2010-03-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

It took some time, but the first samples from spoonflower arrived!
Printed in different kind of fabrics.
Overal they are nice, but some of the designs need tweaking, adjusting colors mostly. Also learned how much fine detail can I put in the drawings... it depends a lot of the fabric, it generates some kind of "detail resolution". Only one of the fabrics is really white, the rest are different hues of light brown.

I'll correct the ones I'm not happy with and print more samples, that while I continue with the Labyrinth and the Elepez patterns.

Here a couple of pictures of the samples, I hope you find them interesting.

clockwise: breakfast, buses, bugs in the bush and birds on cables.

dragons: red, light and black

Labyrinth II & Elepez

2010-02-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

Process update...
I think the inks for the labyrinth are ready, now to scan and work all the matching borders process, and the two versions of the pattern.
After that, coloring...

And I'm advancing the next one, based in an illustration I did some time ago, the Elepez.
Technically, is going to be a much less complex pattern... I think.
Here the unfinished inks of the Elepez and some clouds. Still missing the Avetuga, and I might add some flowing ribbon with the names, not sure yet.

Hope you like it.

Labyrinth

2010-02-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

My first participation in a Spoonflower contest ended very well, fifth of more like a hundred participants.

So now I have to keep going!
But since I don't do a pattern just for the contest, because it takes me a lot of time of planning, drawing, inking and coloring, I will participate if some of what I have fits the theme of the current contest.

I have several ideas for patterns in the list, but the new one is a labyrinth, here a picture of the process, is just the basic structure and distribution of elements, and the matching borders. There are going to be stuff there that is still not draw.

I plan to ink the drawing in several layers of canson paper so the elements can be moved or corrected more easily.

If all goes well maybe in a week will be done.
Mmm... the drawing and the inking, maybe the scan, not sure about the color.

And I'm going to try a new ink.

I have so much planned for this drawing... is going to take me a good time to finish...

Spoonflower

2010-02-07T15:45:00.000-05:00

I created an account in Spoonflower, and I'm uploading the patterns that are ready to be printed there. I'm just starting to test the service but for now, looks great.

These are the patterns that I have with color applied, that was new because the colors space have to be LAB, and it don't behave like CYMK. But to learn is to grow, so no complains here.

Take a look at the designs, go to spoonflower to see how they look repeated. I'm planning to sell they there, but I still have to receive my first test swatches and see if they print as they should and the colors are Ok, after that, they will be available. And I plan to sell the fabrics here (in Lima) by request, and we are planning to develop some products too... nothing defined yet.

I'll keep you posted.

This last one is part of the pattern of the week contest, if you have some time, take a look nd vote, really it doesn't matter if you vote for me or not.

See you later.

Patterns II

2010-01-20T15:16:00.002-05:00

A new pattern.
This one was designed thinking on breakfast, and tea time.
For napkins and table cloth.

Now I want a tea... and muffins!

Dwarf mini Munny 2010

2010-01-12T11:10:00.003-05:00

Is back from the dead!
Or at least, from the storage shelf.

Is funny how one detail can stop a process, in this case was the eyes. I wasn't sure how to do them, and the doubt just paralyzed me.
But as you know this year is all about finishing stuff, so I said what the hell, and did the eyes... after that, all went smoothly.

Is not going totally as planned, but I like it more now, the original plan was simpler, but that was boring, I like detail, so I'm just adding it as I go along.

What is missing on the head is the silver scales at the back of the head and some lights on the eyes, after that the body.

And yes! The Axe! (Glee!)

So, the pictures:

Mi acrylic metal paint is old, and making details with its been a pain.

Patterns I

2010-01-11T15:16:00.005-05:00

Last year I created a series of patterns.
It was a joy to do them. Pure drawing and inking.
They were done as a part of a project, we were going to do our own xmas gifts, the plan was to screenprint fabric with the patterns and then do shopping and messenger bags for friends and family.

I chose to do the screenprint myself, and that meant buying all the material, and basically learn to do it on the fly.

All was a disaster.

No problems with the patterns, or printing them on large format.

I got the materials... but the burning of the screen with the images, the time, the space, and even the noise (the pressure water on the screen do a very loud and weird noise) complicated things to the point in which was very obvious that it was going to be impossible to have all on time for xmas... even if I managed to have the fabric, we had yet to do the bags.
And I was working mostly at night.

So, yeah, another incomplete project.

Of course we got gifts for xmas anyway...

And since all the patterns were for xmas, I didn't put them here.
Now the story is different, I'm writing over one of them, the Buses... inspired in our cataclysmic public transportation service here in Lima/Peru. I like it a lot (the pattern, not the actual buses!).

But here is bigger for you to look, the basic module and the repeated pattern.
Latter I'll put the others.

Welcome

2010-01-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

As promised, new blog.

Totally new design, I hope you like the art, if a little dark.

And also new address... well, if you have www.raulvillanueva.com bookmarked, all should be ok and you are here without you knowing, but the blogger address changed, so check what you have there.

As I said in the old nest, new year, new decade, new blog.

Clean, I didn't import the old posts, so if you are looking for something that was there, be my guest and go there.

And please forgive me if I change and move some stuff around here, I'm happy with this, but not sure I'm done.

See you around.