Big’ol Mixed Bag
So I have finally picked up a drafting table for my one-bedroom Korean apartment (Thanks Becky and Tyler!).
It is a fine table. Level and smooth…so smooth. As of now, I have been doing much more writing than drawing. Working lightly on 3 or 4 stories has been very luxurious and liberating. It hasn’t provided the immediate documented feeling of reward that marching ever forward with one story, but it has been great to bounce to another work when the wells dry up on another.
I have been going back to previous drawings completed before Korea and using them as springboards for watercolors (I also picked up a decent 12 paint acrylic set for 6 bucks!) Most of these drawings I am returning to were completed whilst I was at US Bank Visa. Virtually no free-time existed in this horrid occupation, so these drawings were completed with bursts of mandatory creative expression. 30 second to 2 minute bursts. This resulted in less than one drawing a day. or a couple small ones. I had to make them count! I had purchased 05 Pilot G2 pens instead of 07’s. Initially I was disgusted with the mistake. “These pens are far to sparing in their line girth!” Suffice to say I was pleasantly surprised when I found that they were great for detail ( a shamefully obvious notion). It was around this time that I began to regularily use copy paper for drawings. As long as the work was in black pen or Sharpe, this cheap (free!) paper was ideal for making traces of my own drawings. This enables me to do character profiles and change their expressions without burdening my time.
I had the psycadelic psychedelic cartoons of the 70’s in mind when I drew this character. Mismatched body parts and texture were the goals. He looks a bit like sweetums from the muppets! He was also one of my new watercolors! It felt good for something to turn out well. I may make the bags under his eyes flesh colored…
Next is another example of a semi character model. Though this old woman could be anything, I like to think of her being a kindly old gypsy witch. She really needs a cart and a mindless goat companion. I also drew a picture of her casting a spell on a man-wolf. If I find it I will post it.
She was a joy to do in watercolors. I honeslty enjoy the back blue wash more than anything. I should have stopped painting her face and body about one or two strokes back.
I almost hesitate to show this one. She has been with me for awhile. Perhaps she will fit in somewhere with the old gypsy woman. I will put up a picture I have where she is in the forrest. She craves an environment above all else! My favorite part about this drawing is flow that her claws have. The don’t look like any specific type of claw. The could be a bird’s but there is such a fluid illustrated look to them. I like to think they are unique to her.
They shall be green!
She would easily be a “Little Green Riding Claws,” but that really doesn’t tickle my brain. It’s out there, all it needs to do is come to me.
Though I am nuts about this gentlemen’s hat, coat and physique, the puppet needs to change. Weight distribution and posture needs to be addressed along with his face. I just wasn’t sure what the puppet should be. Instead of having it be a messed up character, I might have it be a normal person-puppet. Or maybe a REAL PERSON!
I love my hobo! He was drawn for the flash animated portions of a stage production. The lost “thousand yard stare” of his veteran eyes, and the revolting infected sores on has face make me giggle. In animated form, his hands shook with an alcoholic fury.
This was another product of Visa internment. Done in about 2 minutes it is an ideal picture for photoshop or watercolor developement. Extreme detail like the horses anatomical correctness are glazed over with expressive strokes. There is only a trace of a constrictive forrest waits to be defined! The lines on the knights lance make it look a little too much like a carrot. I hope to make them work. I have also come up with a great eagle shield emblem. This a picture with a story that needs to be defined. I can’t wait for the next step!
I drew this panda while observing a class before teaching. This panda is unhappy…so he eats.
He will soon be enveloped in warm photoshoped brown and green washes
