1989

[ellenmillion]

In 1989, I started my first sketchbook. I had been drawing long prior, mostly on scratch paper, or lined paper, or whatever I could get my grubby paws on. A few items have survived the pre-sketchbook period:




This is my first book. I was 6, I think, and just learning about quotation marks, which are liberally scattered throughout.


And of course, I had to have portrait of the artist and author on the back page! This is me. :P Some water damage, and the pages and tape have badly yellowed.


I was unreasonably proud of this piece - it was the first time I'd concentrated on shading, and one of the first times I drew from life. It was a week-long (?) art class, the first one I'd ever taken, and I thought I was hot stuff.


These are looseleaf examples of stuff I most liked to draw - big skirts! Long hair! Elfy goodness! Note that my elf influence was pretty much book covers and Tolkein at this point - I didn't find ElfQuest until 1992 or so. You'll see the impact on my artwork when I do.


And here's where I started a sketchbook. At first, I thought a sketchbook was the most amazing thing ever, and suitable only for perfect, finished art. That idea lasted for all of 5 pages. I started this on a trip driving to the lower 48. The name of this one is 'The road.'


'Goes on'


'And on'


'Forever.' Apparently I was a little bored and saw a lot of road on that trip.


This is another piece I was terribly proud of - and I gotta admit it took courage to try to draw it... reflections! Transparency! Glossy surfaces! It's no wonder I didn't actually finish it. This was drawn on the ferry, along with a couple of other sketches of railings and lifeboats and such.


But don't think I was all good and drew just from life, oh no! I was horribly romantic and loved adventure stories with martyrs and mean people who get their just deserts. Also, I couldn't draw faces. I tended to draw a lot of girls with gags or scarves because I couldn't figure out pretty mouths to save my life. Also, hands were completely out of my range.


I was just figuring out twining things. I think this was probably strongly influenced by the Sleeping Beauty book (Disney's) that I had at the time.


At that time, my big plan for the future was to run away into the wilderness and raise animals in a cave on the tundra. This was the map for the cave. I don't know if I assumed I would just find a natural cave in this configuration, or if I was planning to dig it out by hand...

Next up, 1990. In which I learn more about shading, get more story packed in a page, try horses and dragons, and attempt armor.

Comments

[mythandwonder.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing these! They're great to see. Makes me think about *maybe* sharing some of my earlier work.

[andreags.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha, omg! I drew maps JUST LIKE THAT when I was a kid too!

[renatus.livejournal.com]

I love seeing other people's old artwork! It's so much fun to get a glimpse into childhood thoughts and ideas. Thank you for sharing these. :D

I wish I had some of my really old artwork, but somehow it all vanished into the ether. I've got most things I did from age 16 on, though, so that's good. Wait 'til you see the results of Project Janus... :)

[jessicolors.livejournal.com]

LOL @ the cave!! That is so hillarious, in a supercute way. ^^
You´ve inspired me, so maybe I´ll show some pics I made when I was little. Just maybe... ;)

[littlefire.livejournal.com]

Oh Ellen, this is so cute! Thank you for sharing! It made me smile today!

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I met you in 1991, which means you were into ElfQuest by then. :)

[jenelycam.livejournal.com]

Too cool!!!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

*counts* No, it couldn't have been - I wasn't allowed to take college classes until I was a junior, which would have been 92-93!

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I did find a *hilarious* 'Spidersilk doing her best codfish impression' portrait from your surprise party in 93!! Ee hee hee!

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

Oh. Musta been fall of 92, then. Ok. :) It falls under the "I've known her just about forever" stage at this point. :)

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

*laugh*! I wanna see it!

BTW, that picture you did in your art class really *is* very good, you know. The one of the man's profile. :)

[ellenmillion.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I did find proof of EQ corruption influence starting in 1991! Which makes sense, 'cause I wasn't all that shiny new into it when I met you. :P

[flasher.livejournal.com]

heheh
so I'm not the only one with distict pre-Elfquest/post-Elfquest art stages. Every once in a while, I have a massive regression and Elfquest fluff comes pouring into my sketch book. I try not to let it show too much but I have a wolf/DFW painting laid out where it escaped.

[celticwren.livejournal.com]

*LOL* The Cave! I love your comments as you describe the pictures, the bit about finding a cave like that or having to dig it out by hand cracked me up. :) Your stories look more coordinated than mine, I recall one where I kept drawing, I was mainly inspired by Cinderella (Rapunzel is why I am dedicated to growing my hair long), so I drew wevil sisters, and as the story went along in my head they eventually got scribbled out as they were "destroyed". Gee, I wonder where those pictures are, probably in AZ...
I can understand being proud of the thrid one down from the top, it is pretty good. :)

The Road...Goes On....And On...Forever...

Thanks for sharing! Now I want to scan some old stuff, I have a pre-Elfwood history too, but most of my oldest stuff is still at Home in AZ. I recall I got my own stationary and wrote my name at the top of every sheet so that my brothers wouldn't use it (it has cute kittens and little flowers on it, who wouldn't want to use it! *LOL* ), and that is what I drew on as well..