Figure Drawing Week 12

Here are this week's figure drawings from Tuesday nights session at DCAD. So ok, some eh, that's how it goes some weeks, I didn't feel warmed up tillm the end. But the good news is that the figure drawing lab will continue every week uninterupted except for holidays...yay! The classes have proven to be very popular and so it was decided by the heads of the depts and the Dean to keep it running full steam.



See a bigger scan HERE.

A FEW SKETCHES

Here are a few sketches from over the weekend that I did on the quick while were were out and about. All done with a Generals pencil.

STILL LIFE SATURDAY

12 x 16 OIL


Today being Saturday, it's painting day, but since the weather was threatening to rain on us, Echo and I decided to do a still life at home. Her freind Teressa came up to join us as the girls wanted to go clubing later.

I stayed home and painted... and this is the result. I suppose I spent about 6 hours on this. I took breaks, cooked dinner, watched an little TV and came back, that's a great thing about a still life. You can come and go.

I may go back and do stuff, but I don't like to pick as that cam ruin a painting, i am trying to do everything alla prima. This is the second still life I've done, or finished. I did one last year in Arizona visting Bret's place. The still life is still set up so I look forward to seeing what the girls do. You can see a bigger scan here, the pick isn't great as the painting is still wet and I tried to avoid the glare.

Work-a work-a

Two quick sketches of my pal Jamar

Today I have to spin down to DCAD to hang my work in the Faculty Show. Orientation is this weekend and they always want the teachers art up for when the new students and parents come in. Then tomorrow I plan on doing some more painting with Echo. Not sure where we will go this weekend, maybe back to Brandywine Park, as it's easy to park and paint in with plenty of choice sites for the quick plien air study.

I've also been busy with the Turtles, inking up the rest of the pages I have penciled and laying out more to pencil. Luckily these stories always have long deadlines. I recived the first script for the new Image comics book I am going to do with Greg Thompson, so I am reading that and making notes, I'll start making sketches and character designs ASAP. If things work out well this book will be on shelves next spring sometime. We don't have a title yet but as soon as we do and I have some finished art to show I'll probably start a blogg just forn the book to help promote it and hype the darn thing.

School start in a week for me so I am putting all of my lessons back in order and coming up with a few new ones. I hope this years class is good, I would be incredibly lucky if they were as good as last years.

It also looks like I will be starting a storyboard for a new TV cartoon on Monday, more about that when it's finalized. So like it happens every fall I'll be super-busy, which is good...

On the Draw! Mag front all the interviews are in for 13, I am editing them now an they will go to the layout guy Eric in a few days, so 13 will certainly ship in early December, I hope the first week. Issue 14 is shaping up as well, I haven't choosen the cover artist yet, it could be Doug Mahnke or Joe Lisnser.

FIGURE DRAWING WEEK 11

Here are this weeks figure drawings from the DCAD lab. I was happy to hear the class was extended one more week, and that they are thinking to keep it running constantly except for holidays, which means there will be no month-off downtime except for maybe winter break. This week I was trying to go bolder, looser for most of the drawings, less contour, dealing with more tone. @$#%!! but it was a struggle as again the lighting was crap, not enough direct light on the figure...my, and many others constant complaint. Everything was a middle value and Shanna has a nice tan, so what is tan and what is shadow...ugh. Oh well...





A larger version here

Echo really did a great job this week, you can see her's on her BLOG

Turtles and sketches..

a bigger scan here.

Here is another TMNT page that I just inked up for the solo issue of the Turtles I am doing. I liked doing this page it has a lot of fun stuff to ink, like the textures in the sewer.

Also here are a few more sketches from Starbucks today. Echo and I had to run over to the printer for the 3rd proof on the book she's drawing and so we stopped for some coffee and ripped off a few sketches to boot. Man, people move quick or get up just as you are about the nail the nose shape....

Art Garden PAINTING--Kick-OUT

Today Echo and I returned to Gibralter gardens in Wilmington to paint with Pahl and Catherine, both teachers at DCAD. Steve was the only one other painter join us, but he left early and not long after him Catherine and Pahl as well. It seems the place was rented for a wedding. In fact people were there when we showed up, the garden was already filled with chairs and the musicians were setting up too, but the preist came over and told Echo and I we were welcome to stay and he like the fact we were painting, said Echo had a "beautiful smile". He felt that what we were doing contributed to the atmosphere. As family members and guests came in, wandering about, many came up to watch us paint and compliment us. Everything seemd fine, but it was kinda' distracting, so my attention was off, and I was trying to also pay attention to what Echo was doing in case she needed anything. It was humid as hell and I had 4 hours sleep last night, so I was a bit 'crunchy" as it were. Echo's friend Teressa was also supposed to join us, but by the time she arrived boatloads of people were swarming in. Buses were showing up filled with guests, this place is small, people were pooling up like a blocked artery and a cop was there to direct traffic. Suddenly we were told we had to leave as the bride didn't want to see us there...O..K...

So we either had to move to higher ground and restart our paintings or leave. I figured we should just beat it as it wasn't very condusive to painting anymore, so my painting was only maybe a quarter done..I had to leave it as it was..I am not so happy with this one and could have done a simpler scene...but I got art greedy! However you know, you learn from the good and the bad.


Here is my block-in, it started with promise but not to long after I was beset by the curious public..I also only had about 4 hours sleep last nite, so I was really kinda' foggy.

You can see Echo's painting here.

I snapped a pic of Catherine painting, both she and Pahl were using gouache.

So after we were kicked out of the garden like Adam and the two Eves, Echo wanted to eat at the chinese buffet, so we headed down 95 to get some grub, I was pretty darn hungry by then as well.

I ate like a dog! I had a few plates of the usual buffett stuff then topped it off with some Mongolian Grill..yum!

After we ate we decided to go to A. C. Moore to get some art supplies Echo needed for a job and to grab some extra pencils and sketchpads (I had left ours home) to go to Starbucks and draw. We hit A C Moore as they were having a huge sale, I bought a lot of canvases and sketchbooks, tracing pads etc. Then we piled back into the car and zoomed over to Starbucks to sketch.

This Starbucks is kinda small, and there were not very many people..or really anyone sitting to be our subjects except for one guy outside waiting for a ride. Just before we left people showed up, but I neede to get back home so we could feed the dogs. Below are the two sketches I did, one of Echo (who kept moving here head) and one of Teressa.

FRIDAY NIGHT SOY CHAI SKETCHING

Tonight Echo and I rode up to the Starbucks on RT 3 in Manoa which is our usual sketch spot as of late. We both felt the need to sketch...it was an itch that had to be scratched! So out came the Ice Soy Chi latte and out came the sketchbooks...
A few people noticed we were drawing them and so we had to sally on...our secret activity discoverd...mwahahaha! A few folks put hands in front of their faces and one gal had her fiends sort of get in front...FOOL! I have X-RAY VISION! You cannot hide your form from my eyes or my drawing hand! Resistence is futile! Kneel before ZOMDISH!




Echo put her's up on her blog

Soy Chi Sketch-out

This afetrnoon Echo and I had to do some erands, first we had to drop off her files again at the printer for the children's book she's been doing which is convenintly 3 stores down from the comic shop, with a Mediteraniean resturant in-between. So we stopped there for a nice lunch, Hummus and grilled lamb...yumm!

Next we hit the comic shop real quick, not a lot out I wanted this week so we swung over to Starbucks on the way home as I had a hankering for their Iced Soy Chi lattes..mmmmm...getting addicted....
While we sucked down our drinks we skeched. Echo did a whacky comic called Krankee Pants which she'll put on her blog, while I did some sketching. I am also getting addicted to doing this every day as well....

FIGURE DRAWING WEEK 9

Well the summer figure drawing is coming to an end, next week is the last open figure lab at DCAD until the middle of next month. Boy I am going to miss it, and Echo and I are already talking about finding alternative sources until the lab starts again after the new semester starts.

Here are tonight's offerings, I felt a lot looser this week and the time seemed to fly, everyone seemed relaxed and was having a good time. Pahl, Catherine, Steve and Jessica all of whom where with us last Saturday for the plien air session were there to draw our ever faithful model Shanna. We've had a good group this summer and the whole show is run in such a great manner by Jane. Jessica is off to RISD in a few weeks and I'll miss her, she was a great student and a good friend, it was a lot of fun to hang and draw with here ouside of class, I am pleased to see her growing as an artist and feel good my teaching has helped.

Echo did a few really super pieces as well this week and you can see them on her BLOG. I can really see her getting better and a lot more confident week by week. I feel here work is less mannerd than mine, less hamperd. Sometimes I am too afarid to make mistakes..which I still do anyway.





a larger version here.

a larger version here.

Sketching Out

Over the last few days Echo and I have had many little trips about, catching up on many things like Doctor's appointments and such, so I packed our sketchbooks along because there are always opportunities to draw or sketch, even if for 5 minutes. Sometimes we'd stop between erands and grab a cup of coffe at Starbucks or like last Saturday after painting, the gang went to eat mexican and then hung at Borders to shop and sketch while having coffee. I have a little sketchbook that is really coming in handy and getting a lot of use. I am sometimes kinda' frustrated by what I get down, people move around a lot and getting their features down is tricky...I got the eye shape..oops...they moved or turned...I have to wait till they turn back..it requires you to stare which makes some uncomfortable, but FUCK IT! I am drawing you lady!

Sketching on the spot is fun but can be a challenge and requires focus, but like anything else, the more you do the better you get...but sometimes it's like starting the engine cold and the first few sketches show it. These were all done in a soft General's pencil or red Col-Erase pencil and are at original size.

SATURDAY PAINT-OUT REFLECTING POOL

Here is the painting I did this afternoon at Gibralter Gardens in Wilmington with Echo and a big group from DCAD. I have a bunch more pics to post which I will do sometime tomorrow. The painting is catch in little glare so I'll try and take a better pic.

MORE NINJA TURTLES

Another page inked up from the Ninja Turtles...Splinter takes an astral stroll.
A bigger scan HERE.

FIGURE DRAWING WEEK 7

Here are the drawings from last night's open figure lab at DCAD. I felt a bit looser last night, maybe it was that it wasn't so &%#@! hot this week. I tried also using a old red conte pencil I found in my old art bin. Echo also tried it for her last drawing. I liked it as it allowed me to really try and get some nice tones down quick.
I really want to almost just do this every day, set up models and even do draped figures. Echo and I will try modeling for each other and even try hitting the mall for some good quick sketching.



For this one I tried working in bold tones then cutting back in with the kneaded eraser



A bigger drawing HERE.
My favorite drawing of the evening...and then we were done.

Echo has some up on her blog as well.