Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Highschool

Whew, this is gonna be a long post!! It's probably going to get me in trouble, too! Well, anyone that knows me knows that I'm very (maybe annoyingly) nostalgic. I actually really enjoyed highschool, and really miss it. I had it really easy...I somehow managed to pass without ever turning in homework and ditching half my classes to spend my afternoon at the lake. No responsibilities at all!! I want to go back!! Anyhow, this above drawing is supposed to be me and my friend Em when we went as Sailor Scouts for halloween.

More Em!
Here is realistic Emli. She's fun to draw because she has real-life cartoon eyes- the kind that are huge with lots of shines and long eyelashes! I like her because she is smart and funny and good at a lots of things.
A little more cartoony...this blonde one above is "Cancer Victim Emli." At least that's what my mom called her when we washed the bleach out. I thought she looked cute though!
These are drawn from memory, and the little dinky doodles are about a year old. I had wanted to do some comic type projects involving some of my old buddies, but I never finished it because I figured no one would think it was funny except me.

Kacy
Sorry Kacy!! I don't have that many photos of you...and in the ones I do have, your hair is in your face!
Little cartoon hippie. Kacy is a really good actress and the best singer I know.

Christine
The first one is always too realistic...Christine is a really good painter and illustrator!

More cartoons from memory!

Megan
Realistic Megan...the ears are for real though!
Megan is a more pleasant person than the rest of us.
Cartoony-from memory-drawings. Megan looks like a pretty woodland creature come to bestow some elf magic on you!
A nice past time is playing the keyboard with a friend and writing songs about food.

Christine and Megan draw pictures too. I'm pretty sure they failed highschool art class as miserably as I did. We must've been doing something right...Megan and I were asked to paint a mural for the school...we had to recreate one of those Unicorn tapestries with a million little details. We painted it alright, but we also made sure to defile it by putting little weiners on all the animals. Next time I go to visit my parents I'm going to try to find it and take a picture.

Here's where they live:
http://misswithers.blogspot.com/
http://devicat326.blogspot.com/

Kathryn
Kathryn plays the bassoon. I haven't heard her play it since school though. I've heard she's really good.
By the way, don't bother asking me for any of these girls' numbers, ha! I'm pretty sure they all have boyfriends or girlfriends, or they're out of touch with me anyhow. Sorry!

Here's some fun that will get me yelled at...try and match the photo to the drawings! Don't expect hair colors and styles to help you though!

Here's a little bit more fun...my own highschool portrait. I'm being nice to myself!

80 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! I love these! You're so versatile! My fave is the last one though, the self portrait. It really looks pretty, because it looks like you! Plus its the only one I knew what teh subject looked like! Nice job!

Jennifer said...

Hi Katie,

Those drawings are very nice. I really like those "big eyes" in the drawings. With all the "big eyes" in your drawings, were you influenced by Margaret Keane?

Anonymous said...

How come you look so sad, though? Cheer up!

BTW, I like the hair. I'm a sucker for goils wit long hair.

Ryan Bullard said...

Sooooo Good!

Liz said...

I am so glad they made your blog a Blog of Note. It has become one of my favorite daily websites to visit, and inspires me to try drawing again. Go, Katie!

Anonymous said...

What cute girls and they all sound like so much fun! I don't have many pictures of my interesting group of highshool friends to draw which is probably good because I tried to draw my current friends and ended up apologizing profusely. I'm sure your friends will be overjoyed with their drawings.

Anonymous said...

Best ever yet!!!!!

I call "fie" on the "(too?) realistics", though--they're cartoony too and it's all good--all of 'em!

If you ask me, you should still do a thing starring you and all your old pals as a story/comic/graphic novella/whatever you want. Because you'd be plenty surprised how really universal the nutsy doings of artsy girls and boys are! I'd bet that millions would find it funny. Believe it!

Yizat said...

Jesus lord! You are soooo good! Stopit!!

no, really... don't

Tom said...

I feel like a broken record here, always posting comments on how great you are are characterisation and stuff, but dammit you are!

Tom
http://tomampoo.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

THese are awesome character drawings!! Love the different expression and your lines is very beautiful, nice flow!

Gabriel said...

This is probably your best post ever.

The third Christine looks like Betty Boop.
"Tan tan tan tan tannnnn tan, 'That's mysterious mose!'"

Anonymous said...

Aw I love all of these. I'm an extremely nostalgic person as well, so this isn't helping anyone!
The portraits are all wonderful, I do think I like the one called cupcake time the most.
My firends and I also went as Sailor Scouts for Halloween one year. Good times....
do you have links to your other firend's sites?

Anonymous said...

Man, I really love your stars-in-the-eyes theory and want to steal it.

Ryan Khatam said...

that christine pic is really nice

Unknown said...

Ha... drawing high school is fun. When I was bored in college, I'd get out my old annual and draw pictures of random people, then write a caption commenting on their lives. Then I did it on the annual itself and when my mom found it she screamed, "Why must you desecrate everything??!"

That ain't got nothin' to do with nothin'! Great drawings you did though!

Marc Deckter said...

Ok, I'll give it a try:

#1 = Megan
#2 = Em
#3 = Kacy
#4 = Kathryn
#5 = Christine

You look so sad in your high school portait!

Me said...

fun stuff

Anonymous said...

Those are really good! I envy you!

Anonymous said...

These are amazing! I love the girl with big ears. She's so sweet looking!

Anonymous said...

I remember some of these, they are hilarious.

very funny self portraits as well

hee hee

your pal

-luke w

Davis Chino said...

Holy crap are these good.

It would be VERY interesting to see how you put together a comic book panel with characters like these. I'm sure we'd ALL love to see one--even a rough.

Funny how you note when a drawing is "from memory." Are you just trying to dodge recriminations from your subjects?

IamOSI said...

sweet! the likeness in your charicatures are on point. diggin your work.

Robert said...

Good Morning From Gallileo,

I have just started sketching faces and enjoy your blog immensely. You post so many perspectives that it is very helpful to spend some time studying how you create your characters expressions and the overall statement of the drawing. At some point when work lets up , I am going to look for formal training.

Keep On Sketchin! and Thanks!

Brian Brantley said...

Haha! Omg, that charicature of yourself would make the greatest cartoon character ever. The depressed nostalgiac adventures of Katie Rice. lol.

I am so sorry though. But you draw everyone so natural, unique, smiling.. and then you got these swirly little depression hairs swinging around yourself. Looking completely worried and uncertain. Hehe.

Anyway,, before my attention got swung around on the last picture, I just wanted to say - best cartoon girls ever. They're so FUN! Just looking at them for individual design is wildly impressive.

I think you draw the coolest mouths and teeth. They fit so many moods and have such style. The eyes vary so often which I find amazing. They never seem static or formulatic. Every drawing seems out on a limb. The poses & quirks of each character is amazing too. I have a crush on your Emli drawings. And the anatomy is wonderful, despite how much you may hate to speak of it. It's all bent to enhance the character, but completely believable.

Oh, btw, have you even seen My Neighbor Totoro? I think you would love the littlest girl's design in that film. Plus the way Totoro animates had some of the coolest 'feeling' I've seen out of an animated character. The texture, personality, and general make up of the thing is felt so well through his movement. Lastly..

1 - Megan
2 - Emli
3 - Kacy
4 - Kathryn
5 - Christine

Bhuvan Pathak said...

hi,
This is Bhuvan from India, It really seems to have nicely potrayed the cartoons by your friends. Even if u r not in touch aftet ur Highschool, soesn't matter, this is only the real tribute to a friendship...............

Keep it up.

Sunny said...

Wow,very cooland congrats on being a blog of note!

Annie said...

Wow...you are so talented! I also visit your site daily because you inspire me. Awesome, simply awesome!

m c b l u e said...

Cool! Your drawings are great! I hope I'll have one of myself.. Hihi..

ANester1 said...

So cute! Lots of good friends and fun -- that's what I love about you're art!!

Anonymous said...

Your girls are great because, like these(especially these), you're infusing them with real life. I think that's more the reason they work so great, rather than the techniques or any theories; you've already subsumed all the "theories" long ago anyway...there's other artists who draw the same stuff but there's nothing inside them, imnsho. Makes for nice drawings sometimes but no soul, you know? But not to put anyone else down--that's not cool. Yours are just better with each post. When are you gonna pitch that show of your'n? It's all right here! : D

last frontier said...

Hi Katie,

you didn't accept yet my challenge to make a cartoon of myself. I can send you some more pictures...I would love to have your cartoon of myself in my own blog profile. You are a drawing genious !

Anonymous said...

Katie,

I really do think (and agree with a lot of others) that these are among your best. All of your friends in highschool were, not only unique, but unique looking and they all definitely had their own styles. These drawings very beautifully define all five of them.

Obviously, I know which photos match whom. The fact that others have guessed correctly indicate that you really drew their individual likenesses well.

I love your self-portrait too!

Does it embarrass you that your dad and I comment? I hope not; it's so much fun for us to watch your progress, especially when we can't see you doing the actual drawings, as we did every day for so many years.

I can't wait to see you next week. Hopefully, you'll bring some art work with you. I love you lots.

Mom

Oberon said...

.......i predict you will have your own cartoon show.

Unknown said...

*Love* this post. :)

Anonymous said...

What's really amazing is that you were both well adjusted in high school and you became a cartoonist. I didn't really think it was possible to do both...

-Josh Divine

MoRxN said...

may i ask what materials you use to colorize your (killer!) drawings? i mean, do you use brushes or some kind of pens or markers? i mostly draw in b&w but i wanna do more color stuff, i've tried airbrush but it sucked (takes too much work and patience), i've tried acrylic and other stuff but nothing seems to click for me. my blog is still empty but i'll put my sketches on it as soon as possible - I'd be glad if you gave it a look then

Uli Meyer said...

Katie,
These are great as always! But can you draw an ash-tray, for example, that doesn't look like a girl?
Enough girls! (I'd never thought I would say that!)

ULI

mayo said...

Hi , Katie ( ^ ^ )

So cute !!
Wow ! First one , Is it Sailor Moon's costume !?
You really seem to be having fun.

Tom Reagan said...

Do one of me! Those are so cool!

Just steal my picture from my site at TomReagan.com

You are very talented!
tom@tomreagan.com

Randy SFO said...

You're a talented woman!!! My partner used to work for Wild Brain, an animation company here in San Francisco. You're style would fit with what they're doing. Don't know if they're hiring or not, but just a thought. Nice!!!

Annette said...

wow! Did you draw those pictures? They are brill.
Made me laugh....well done.

Annette said...

Brill pictures..made me laugh....well done.

Odette said...

You are so talented! I love these drawings!

Matty said...

Good stuff! Digging back for some inspiration!

limpy99 said...

I like the hippie the best, but cool drawings all around.

Jon McNally said...

Super-awesome post, Katie. Well done. This is what it's all about, as far as I'm concerned.

Anonymous said...

Aloha
I caught this blog from JohnK's blog and I am amazed with your style, it's really fantastic.

Good luck in all your future projects.

Evan R.

butteray said...

your work is really great;; i love the phone doodle page; I doodle mostly arrows; what does this say about me!
Keep up the great work.

Ivy said...

I should really try to shut up and not comment on every post. BUT! That was the best one yet. I nearly went into a SEIZURE! Where do I start? (First off, my friends and I were the cast of Sailor Moon in highschool in Halloween! I was Jupiter). My favorites here are your friend with long brown hair, crouched down, the singing redhead with braids, the CUPCAKE song one! Cute! Aw shit I like all of them. And the self portrait is a perfect finale. Vanderful, darlink, it reeaally is.

angeLboo said...

I soooo envy your talent *sigh* the farthest I've gone with arts is the coloring book. Teehee!

Good job! Keep it up! We love it!!!

Anonymous said...

You're from Incline Village? I'm from Reno. I had no idea.

Anonymous said...

Katie, what shapes do you generally use in your basic construction of characters? For drawing faces and open mouths and body structures and things?

Peter said...

Ms. Rice, you sketch so much. It's admirable! I admit I'm guilty of looking through the pictures and not yet reading the text (I have the same problem with magazines).
Thanks for posting! Keep up the greatness!

Queen of Sleep said...

You're pretty much the most talented female artist who's work I've ever seen. (Hope that doesn't narrow it down too much, because you're phenomenal!)

If I could draw like you, I think I'd pretty much be rich and famous for life.

WIL BRANCA said...

Wow, Katie - these are really great!

Marlo said...

good hands on cupcake time

Whoamelly said...

I think you are amazing.

admin said...

Hi Katie,

I saw this article and remembered seeing your blog earlier, so I wanted to share it with you. Obviously, you've got a talent that makes you stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Keep it up!

Here's the article: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/04/05/arts.drawing.reut/index.html

Anonymous said...

Huh......where are your highschool male counterparts?....I'm curious to see how adaptable your "design" techniques are... (much like the rest of your loyal fans)...Anyways, I figure it will be pretty easy, with all the boys today wearing girl jeans and growing there hair long and stuff...more and more boys can be funny and cute too...maybe even funnier and cuter...?

no....

but we're working at it...

-jabob

Anonymous said...

What a fun post! Nice drawings all around with tons of personality.

Mia said...

Oh my gosh.. I absolutely LOVE your work. I'm am SO jealous!!!! I MUST have a signed piece! I'd love a cool pic for my blog.. maybe use my blog profile pic with a spinning wheel next to me..

I couldn't find your email, so thought I'd ask here? Is that something you'd have fun doing, and what would it cost me? Be gentle.. *grin*

Brian Brantley said...

Do a marker post for the next one if you can. I think the coloring jobs are a thing of beauty.

Anonymous said...

Hi Katie,
Have you ever done any of the people that post you comments, that would be very cool to see.
Your in my fav's now so I will keep checking to see.
Amazing pieces of work, their facial expressions and attitude brings them to life.
Hope your getting a fair bit of exposure.

High Power Rocketry said...

Some of those girls look very pretty :)

R2K

Heather Sybil Chavez said...

Oh...I love them all, they are so cute and colorful

Anonymous said...

These are sooo good and i love the way you color them.

CORKY said...

I was Sailor Mercury one Halloween haha!

What can I say that hasn't been said before: you're brilliant!!

Although I don't have the brain capacity to match the fotos with the drawings, I did get some right I hope..hehe! I like how you invent their characteristics with your style, but can amazingly resemble the actual person. That's hard when you turn someone into a cartoon and not a caricature!

Sweet Jeebus!

Unknown said...

Sweet Stuff I'm a fan

k

Fulton Beal said...

What a superior post Katie. Each and every one of these images is just bursting at the seams with crazy goodness. Fabulous

Randeep Katari said...

katie - i'm sure my comment will get lost in the sea of comments you've already received, but great stuff. Love your drawings, you are a constant inspiration.

-R.

Lucas said...

WHOA! I love your highschool portrait the best of all! You're so talented, I'm so glad I came across your blog. I'm going to bmark you right now :)

Mitchel Kennedy said...

Hey Katie, really cool drawings! It's fun to draw friends, isn't it? Thanks for the links to their sites.

My highschool had the EXACT SAME ID cards, except our background was red. Whacky.

Highschool bored me, mostly... so it's great that you loved it so much!

Anonymous said...

Love your style, very expressive, your accentuation of features is sublime.

Can't wait for the shirts to hit.

Best of luck, B oh-so-good.

P.

David Germain said...

Hee hee! Your friend Kacy looks like a young Brooke Shields (at least she does the way you drew her). Nice pics overall as usual. (The less said about my high school days the better btw.)

New Monkey
Oh, and Katie, you're an expert at drawing girls right? How about girl monkeys? There's a girl monkey on my blog you can check out if you like. :)

PotatoFarmGirl said...

Why do girl cartoonists dress up like sailor scouts? There must be something wrong with our brains....these drawings are quite charming though.

Janie said...

Wow! Those caricatures are awesome! And cute too... nice work.

David Colman said...

real cute look to your girls..... funny and cute mos definitely....

love the little blurbs on each..... so you liked high school...I did too...picked up good habits @ least, allowing me to be a good boy who knows how to be bad.

cheers

Anonymous said...

WAAAAAAAAAH! It's Emli! I just posted, and it's not showing. Stupid blogs! I hate them more than the word "blog!" Which is quite a lot, by the way!!! I wanted to tell the world how wonderful that your drawings were...and how horrible the photo of me that you "blogged" was! I can't believe that you're even participating in something called "blogging." eww...it makes me feel gross even saying it...kind of how you feel saying "Buncha Crunch."

David Germain said...

I'd also like to comment on the drawings you called realistic. They actually are still pretty cartoony. I'd even venture to say that the only truly "realistic" images in the post are the photographs of your friends.

I'm certainly not saying this is a bad thing. On the contrary, it's a very very VERY good thing. More pieces of animation should have "realism" like your drawings. Are you reading this Chris Landreth? >:P

Sju Trettio Ett said...

i miss drawing with you and christine in art class, and fun poems in computer class, and crazy movies up at lee's house like welcome to woop woop