Cubist Comix

Free Drawing, Anyone?

This is a good example of a working idea and self-expression. Every sketchbook that I do starts with a cover; with the cover I hope to see the tone for the rest of the book. This idea had been on my mind for quite some time and I felt the moment had come for me to do this. The statement is unabashedly frank and to the point just as it should be.

Being an artist, especially an up and coming artist, puts you in a certain situation in the public's eye; you're seen as starving and in need of their skewed, benevolent assistance. Because of this, they somehow feel that they are entitled to art direct you, despite their ignorance and lack of aesthetics. Then to add insult to injury, they try to bargain with you as if you were at the flea market or something. Aside from that they also expect you to be a plastic surgeon, "Could you remove the three rolls from my husbands chin?" Trust me, I've heard it all and then some. I guess that at the bottom of all this lies the utter lack of respect that some people have for artists; their total failure to recognize the years and work that go into making the things that we make. I've always believed that people think that we spring out of bed one day and voila, suddenly we are artists!  All of this, is of course, a cruel test that we all have to pass; in the end it will either make you stronger or it will make you quit. I personally am too bullheaded and arrogant to let that happen. "He's so arrogant," some will say. Art is about belief, if you don't have it then you're dead. The majority of these people could never have the perseverance and patience to refine a skill. That's why there are artists and why there are people who work at McDonald's for a living. I am currently doing a larger, slightly different version of this for a collection of stories that I hope to bring together sometime in the near future. Pen and ink in Aquabee.

Girls and Caffeine

Drawing in cafes is something that I've been doing for years and to this I day I still find it to be an enjoyable and productive experience. When you frequent certain cafes you're bound to see the same faces; even if you don't know them personally you still know them in a way. Take for instance the young lady in the shorts and boots, I see her almost every time that I go to this certain cafe. She's always there studying with a friend. I'm sure it won't be the last time that she appears in my sketchbook. Hopefully the next time that I draw her I can get her face into the picture. The tricky part about drawing people in a cafe is that you have to do it in a way that doesn't look obvious or lecherous (not easy). Like anything else, it takes practice. As I was drawing this girl the gentleman in the bottom illustration sat at the table next to us; I had drawn him way back in November and here he was again. See what I mean? I do all the drawing in my sketchbook with a Rapidograph pen; I've tried other pens, the Micron for example, but they just don't feel the same to me. I guess it's probably because I've been drawing with a Rapidograph for 25 years and have gotten used to the feel of real ink on paper. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

Weekend Road Trip

 

Here you have the results of a weekend road trip that I made to Davis, a city that is an hour away from where I'm located, along with my wife and our dear friend, Jenny, this past Saturday. The first drawing that you see was done in the car; quite a challenge I must say! Have you ever tried this? I must admit, this came out better than I thought; the shaky line quality actually adds some character to the drawing. Go figure! The second image was done at the Local Borders Books after we had finished having dinner. We were unaware that they would be having music that night so without even trying I found my next unsuspecting victim. The girl that I drew was thin, fair skinned, and had wonderful curly red hair. She sang for about 45 minutes so I had plenty of time to draw her. Her voice reminded me a bit of Tori Amos. Borders was very busy that night and we were sort of cramped in, but my trusty Micron pen prevailed anyway. Both drawings were done in my small Moleskine Cahier notebook. I have resolved to draw anything and everything that comes into sight this year. Micron in Moleskine.

Our Modern Day Addiction

I sometimes wonder, "Do people remember when these things didn't exist?" I seriously doubt that many of us do. At this point in time, some people might swear that the sky would fall upon them if cell phones were to vanish. Would it? Of course it wouldn't. I sometimes ask myself if I really need to have instant access to everything and everyone at all times; do I really need to constantly browse the internet? Hey, don't get me wrong, access to information is awesome but not all the time, everyday. Sometimes you have to give it a rest. There are times when it's nice to have a quiet moment or two so that we can get back to ourselves. When was the last time you did that? The neat thing about cell phones is that they all have this really cool button that says off; click it, you might like the results. The less of these technological gadgets that we have the more opportunity we have to focus on the simple things in life. Drawing, painting, good conversation, and so on. This drawing was done almost a year ago; I hadn't posted it because I felt it was too negative. Recently, I've changed my opinion about that. Blogs are for writing about yourself, warts and all, and sharing that with whomever might be interested. I was also inspired to post this when I saw that my good friend, France Belleville, had recently posted a similar drawing on her wagonized blog (there's a link to her page on my blogroll). Stop by her blog to compare our different approaches on the same subject. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

What Else Would I do?

"Draw all day, every day." These are the words that were running through my head as I was finishing this latest sketchbook page this afternoon. I know that this is what I'll do for the rest of my life. What else would I do? After nearly thirty-eight years of drawing it's really difficult to imagine myself doing anything else. Sorry, but installing upholstery just doesn't do anything for me. So, anyway, here you have yet another collection of unsuspecting victims; they were all drawn while I was in the company of friends chatting and swilling coffee. The page feels a little unbalanced, especially on the right. Maybe I could insert a quote; does anyone have any suggestions out there? Over all, I must admit that I like this, the mixture of words and pictures is pleasing to me. I see lots of possibilities in this mixture, a mixture that I want to explore a lot more in the months to come. Micron in Moleskine.

Past, Present and Future

I did this drawing with the idea of eventually turning it into a large scale easel piece. I started the larger piece but abandoned it shortly after I started it. To this day it languishes in a portfolio in my studio. Luckily, this pen and ink version exists; I certainly like this version quite a bit, perhaps even better than the large scale watercolor that I had planned. Overall, I would say that the design pleases me, the line work also pleases me, the texture, line quality, etc. Whenever I look at older pieces I always find a small hint of what was to come even if I no longer do things in the same manner. This certainly hints at things to come despite its date. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that visit my blog on a daily and weekly basis and my fellow bloggers who inspire me with their wonderful work. Thank you. I have exciting changes planned for this blog in the coming months; lots of new work will be posted; some pleasant surprises are assured. Pen and ink on illustration board.