A New Chapter – Finding My Own Style (Part 1)

It’s been a long break but it’s been a wonderful time of reflection and contemplation. No matter where my thoughts take me, they somehow always take me back to my love of art. Not just the physical art, but the process of letting my imagination pour out on paper.

I’ve decided to lean into that heart beat and dive deeper into my “hobby” of sketching and see what happens when I let my imagination run loose! While doing so, I want to discover and embrace my own style. I have a massive appreciation for talented artists in the world, but what I’m learning is that the best way to appreciate and thank them isn’t to just do fan art, but to be my own artist. (Not discrediting fan art because it is still amazing and I love it too). But that’s where this next chapter is taking me, finding my own style and embracing it.

Step 1: I’m going to be stepping out on a limb and producing my own unique creative art where you’ll get to see my own imagination! Regardless of how it’s received, I’m excited to embark on the journey and get to know myself better through my own art.

Step 2: Name changes and social media! I’ve gotten married since I originally started this blog, and I thus have changed my name. I’m going to leave the blog name as-is because it was with my maiden name where I produced my favorite work of all time and had my dream come true by being selected as the Disney 2015 D23 Challenge finalist. I am still on cloud 9 from that!! But I’ve started an Instagram where I’m producing all original art! If you’ve enjoyed the blog and want to see where the next chapter of finding my own style leads, than please follow my Instagram! @meglaughlin.art

The Instagram is where I’ll be posting all my new creative endeavors for now. This isn’t goodbye but a “see you around.”

So here’s a sneak peak of what will be posted on my Instagram and Part 2 will be found there…

To start, I’ve been dreaming up a series of sketches that reimagine inanimate objects as if they had personalities as people. What would they look like? What is their personality?

Here’s the first bit!

a couple who loves to dance the night away by Meg Laughlinan baseball pitcher at the top of his game by Meg Laughlina dancing queen by Meg Laughlin

Thank you to all the followers and friends and I hope to continue to connect with you via Instagram!

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January 18, 2020 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Figure Drawing, Movement, Quick SketchesTags: adventure, animation, art, blog, Character Art, design challenge, disney, disney art, drawing, experimenting, expression, Figure Drawing, finalist, friendship, hand drawing, imagination, love, movement, next chapter, quick sketch, quick study, sketch, sketching, tonal drawing Leave a comment

Captivated by Baby Yoda

Who isn’t captivated by Baby Yoda! Disney created a character who has stolen our hearts. It goes to show, actions speak louder than words. Art is truly expressive because Baby Yoda is a leading character with no lines! His actions, expressions and gestures say it all. The character artists have done a fantastic job illustrating Baby Yoda in a way that makes us feel like he is speaking to us without any words. He is so full of life, emotions and inquisition. Well done Disney (as usual). So in the spirit of this wave of adoration for Baby Yoda, I decided to do my own fan art!

By Meg Laughlin (formerly Meg Carpenter)

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character ArtTags: animation, art, Baby Yoda, blog, Character Art, disney, disney art, drawing, expression, fan art, hand drawing, imagination, mandalorian, movement, quick sketch, quick study, sketch, sketching, Star Wars, tonal drawing, walt disney, yoda Leave a comment

A Facial Expression Says a Thousand Words

The phrase is “a picture says a thousand words.” But what about the picture speaks? I wanted to sketch some fan art today and was exploring various options. I normally do classic Disney characters and images, but I figured I’d challenge myself with something more current. Wreck-it Ralph immediately popped into my mind, and as I started researching his character, I realize how expressive he is! Then I realized that his expressive nature is a part of who he is! So I couldn’t accurately depict Ralph without illustration just a few of his many facial expressions. Each of these speak something different but together they tell us how “animated” Ralph’s personality really is!

February 1, 2019 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character Art, Movement, Quick SketchesTags: animation, art, blog, Character Art, disney, disney art, drawing, experimenting, expression, hand drawing, imagination, quick sketch, quick study, sketch, sketching, tonal drawing, walt disney Leave a comment

It’s a Girl!

My best friend is having a baby girl! This is baby number two for her. When her first little one was born, I made her a baby rocking chair out of recycled window jams (last image. Their last name starts with a T and the room theme was florals and pink). So for this new baby I wanted to make her something as well! (Gotta share the love 😉 )

I asked her the theme of the nursery and my friend told me it was going to be baby animals and a neutral color palette! I was so excited because watercoloring immediately popped in my head! I had been on a kick of drawing and watercoloring elephants so I felt like this prepared me well! The tricky part was to make them cutesy and fun but still realistic. These animals were so fun to design and make! I gave them to my friend at her baby shower this weekend and she loved them! Yay! Now we are eagerly awaiting for the little one’s arrival!

October 7, 2018 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character Art, WatercolorsTags: art, baby animals, baby girl, blog, Character Art, children’s art, design challenge, drawing, experimenting, expression, friendship, gift, hand drawing, imagination, love, nursery, painting, sketch, sketching, water, watercolor, Watercolors Leave a comment

The Gentle Grace of Giants

I love elephants. These animals are incredibly massive but they have such a gentle grace about them. Maybe that’s because we typically see them moving slowly, or standing still. But their creation is such an odd but beautiful balance of swift grace found in a large creature. It almost makes them appear like and huggable. I wanted this watercolor to enhance that feeling. I wanted this beautiful creature to reflect its small and gentle spirit.

August 30, 2018August 30, 2018 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character Art, Figure Drawing, Quick Sketches, WatercolorsTags: art, blog, Character Art, drawing, elephants, experimenting, expression, form, gentle, grace, hand drawing, imagination, quick sketch, quick study, sketch, sketching, watercolor, Watercolors Leave a comment

Hosting with Character

I hosted a “Christmas in July” Party the other night, and went all-in with the food. There were traditional Christmas deserts but I took a spin on some things since we were in the heat of summer. I often see place cards at buffets and such, so I decided to take my own spin on place cards.

My goal: Fun and Witty Characters that portrayed each food item in style. Some characters are a play on words, and some are all about their expression!

These were super fun to make and experiment with Character design! So much can be conveyed by a raised eyebrow, arm position and ever posture of a character. And the place cards were a hit at the party!

July 29, 2018 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character ArtTags: analysis, animation, art, Character Art, character design, character development, drawing, experimenting, expression, hand drawing, imagination, portrayal, quick sketch, quick study, sketch, watercolor, Watercolors Leave a comment

Lifelong Friends

If you know Hercules, you know Pegasus. In Disney’s famous Hercules, Pegasus is the iconic sidekick and best friend that is always by the hero’s side. Pegasus grows up with Hercules and develops his own character and attitude just like Herc! I did this sketch to illustrate this characters growth into his own personality. 

June 5, 2016 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character ArtTags: animation, Character Art, disney, disney art, friends, hand drawing, hercules, loyalty, pegasus, sidekick, sketching 1 Comment

The Power in Small Beginnings

These are two simple sketches with pencil and pen variations on a canvas. First is your Simba, and then Wall-e and Eve. The canvas forced me to be quick and less detailed because it was a rough surface. Few lines can speak so many words though. I enjoyed playing with this medium!
Just like Simba, you never know when your journey to be king will begin. It’s never to early to start dreaming, the adventure awaits! I love The Lion King and young Simba’s. Could be why I named my dog Simba 🙂 Wall-e and Eve find their adventure beyond their surroundings, exploring expanse of the world yet finding joy in the simplest of things!



May 22, 2016 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character Art, Quick SketchesTags: adventure, canvas sketch, Character Art, hand drawing, simba, the lion king, wall-e and eve Leave a comment

Never Lose Sight of One Thing

…it was all started by a mouse.

Steamboat Willie and the iconic scene for which Mickey Mouse is known. This sketch is about understanding the scene in full, it’s not enough to just depict Mickey.

Process is very important to me as the means of visual development, so I’ve attached process pictures of my sketch.

  
  

April 15, 2016April 16, 2016 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character ArtTags: Character Art, disney, disney art, mickey mouse, scene layout, sketching, steamboat willie, visual development, walt disney 4 Comments

We’re your Friends

These minor characters make a big scene in Disney’s The Jungle Book. Their appearance and personality are hard to forget!
I chose the sketch these characters because I am trying to get away from the orthogonal drafting that I do in architecture. I want to keep my pencil looser and be able to sketch expressive characters!

April 6, 2016April 6, 2016 by Meg Laughlin Categories: Character ArtTags: Character Art, disney, disney characters, expression, sketching, the beatles, the jungle book, we're your friends 2 Comments