Cubist Comix

New Faces, New Café... More Coffee

Here we have a new batch of drawings that I did recently at a new/ old favorite cafe of mine. Since starting this blog last year, I have spent countless hours drawing unsuspecting victims that come in to do homework, chitchat, strike business deals, sleep, etc at various cafes, both locally and out of town. The particular cafe where I did this batch of drawings is one that Ive frequented off and on for the last 5 years or so and one that I had stopped coming to (sort of). I think that atmosphere has a lot to do with the drawings I do at any given cafe; the more comfortable I am, the more I'm going to draw.  This cafe, Empresso Coffeehouse, is comfortable, has a good vibe and is always filled with unsuspecting victims for my pen so it's easy to see why I like going there.

    

Art On The Run

Here you have the first of what I refer to as Art On The Run or drawings created while out and about or traveling; I feel that this will add a new dimension to my blog and give you, my dear readers, more of an insight into my creative process. This particular drawing was created at the request of my friend and fellow artist Christyna McMahon while I was in Southern California visiting family and friends last week. It was the combination of Christyna's request and my recent acquisition of an iPhone that made this possible. Ultimately, the important thing here is the challenge of creating a drawing on the spot wherever I may be and to share it with all the wonderful people that visit my blog from across the globe. I must admit, I really like this idea of creating art on the run; I hope that you like it as well.

Freedom Through Dreaming

This idea began one day as I sat at the cafe. As always, I was looking for an unsuspecting victim to draw when I spotted the lovely young lady pictured here. I originally did this in pencil with the idea of finishing it up later or on a return trip to the cafe but that all changed when I got home; the cool, overcast weather combined with the luxury of a day off spurned me into action. I became excited with the possibilities that opened up to me in that moment and I decided to just let myself go with what I was feeling. The first thing I thought of doing was experimenting with my pen and ink technique; having mastered cross hatching I, now, would like to add and expand that into something new. The second thing that came to mind was turning a basic cafe drawing into something strange and new. I didn't know what I would end up with but I can certainly say that I love what happened with this. This is just a preliminary drawing for a finished illustration that I intend to do within the next two weeks; I can't wait to do it as I've had even more ideas come to mind since I began this.

This Is How You Escape

I always carry my sketchbook and Rapidograph wherever I go; it's something that I've been doing for twenty-five years and it becomes more ingrained as time goes on. Most of the drawing that I do is done at local cafes and other assorted places: doctor's offices, parked car, etc. Why do I feel so compelled to do this? Aside from the fact that its a deeply ingrained habit, I feel that I do this in order to build momentum and thrust myself forward to where I want to be in the future. There's a terribly long and complicated story behind my reasoning that would take up more space than I have here so I'll spare you the details. Drawing, every single line, is going forward and not giving in; it's my inner voice telling me, "This is how you escape." Through my drawing I will attain my freedom and ultimate recreation.

The girl in the upper left hand corner was drawn a couple of weeks ago at a Starbucks in Davis, California. It was hard not to look at her; she was gorgeous. Her features seem to be something of an ideal to me: black hair, fair skin, full lips, etc. She reminded me of Jane Morris, the iconic artist's model of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood. Believe me, this drawing doesn't do her justice but at least something remains and she's not totally forgotten. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

Please check out the great new site, Beerpump, that el señor R has begun for drawings of beer taps/ pumps from all over the world. Sooner or later you'll see something of mine there (Se lo prometo señor R!).

Johnny Cash Was Stoned

Sometimes, without even trying, you end up hearing the strangest things while waiting for food. I say this because I remember a recent conversation that I overheard while having lunch last week at Perkos Cafe in Tracy, California. It was a cold, rainy day and I had some time to kill so I thought I would get a bite to eat and do some drawing in my book. I was glad that I found this place as I wanted to find a cozy place to ensconce myself for an hour or so. Luckily, the waitress was able to seat me at a booth near a window; lunch that day consisted of a California burger with beer battered onion rings and a Sprite. As I neared the end of my meal I ordered my first cup of coffee and pulled out my trusty sketchbook. As I said, there weren't too many people eating at the time so I decided to set my sights on the abandoned building across the parking lot to my left. As I was drawing I could hear a couple that had walked in and were talking to the waitress; I remember the husband boasting about the fact that he had seen Johnny Cash perform umpteen times over the last fifty years and that Johnny had been "Stoned every time." Only in a cafe do you hear such things; you can't make this stuff up! The same thing happens when you ride the Greyhound; there's always some guy who just got out of jail sitting right near you telling his story to whoever wants to hear it. Ah, the United States. Rapidograph in Aquabee. 

Refinement, Fine Cuisine and Fine Art

Refinement, fine cuisine and fine art all in the same place? Not exactly. Unfortunately, this would be wishful thinking at best. After years of living in a cultural wasteland, I've started asking myself if maybe I'm asking too much or if I am really living in Purgatory. Time and time again I've tried to embrace the local art scene, but up until now I've come up empty handed. What is happening here seems to be happening in a lot of places here in the United States; cuts to school arts programs are rampant and this has led to a degradation of our culture. It's like Danny Gregory says in his book, Everyday Matters, kids are rewarded for wanting to pursue sports but God forbid that they want to grow up to become an artist. After all, let's not forget the starving artist and the famous dead artist myths that we constantly perpetuate; it's so stupid that you just have to laugh about it. What ever happen to being well rounded? Have we forgotten about that? That seems to be the case here in the US. Perhaps you see some of the this where you live or maybe you're lucky and you live where this doesn't exist. This page is what I see where I live; maybe it's a bit harsh but, hey, sometimes the truth hurts. Shame on us for being so closed-minded and for not having more intellectual curiosity about the world around us. Rapidograph in Aquebee.

Another Day In Purgatory

This page began just like most of my pages do, at the local cafe while indulging myself in my sketchbook. The night that I began this page was another typical cafe night; a night filled with coffee swilling, sleep-deprived students. Both of the guys that I drew were wearing black jackets thus causing me to use up all the ink in my freshly filled pen. I was going to continue drawing that night but I was getting a little irritated with the run of the mill, made for the masses music that was being playing as I drew. I swear, the song that was playing was just one big blur of dead and gone; jeez, you can only take so much of this kind of crap. The two drawings to the left of the page were done spontaneously; although they were done from my imagination, they still reflect my thoughts. The top one refers to my disdain of artsy-fartsy, tourist-trap, ready-to-buy art. Man, I hate that crap! Who sells this kind of work? Mindless, talentless hacks. Who buys this kind of work? Mindless, Walmart-loving schmucks. The way I look at it, it's a match made in heaven. The guy at the bottom came about because of a recent article that I read in which the city that I live in was named the most miserable city in which to live in America by Forbes Magazine. It doesn't get any worse than this, folks. For years I've said it but no one listened; now I been proven right. I touched upon this very subject in my November 23rd post, Purgatory; Trust me, I don't call it that for nothing. Anyhow, the look on the guys face is a perfect reflection, not only of my face, but of many people that I run into here in... Purgatory. Rapidograph in Aquabee. 

What Would Picasso Say?

As an artist I encounter all sorts of crazy things and  situations; this recent sketchbook page is a fine example of what I'm talking about. The drawing at the top was done at one in the morning in San Francisco while I sat around with my wife and friends having coffee. This particular cafe is open twenty-four hours a day and attracts some very interesting people. By the time we arrived at the cafe we had been in the city since the very early afternoon and I was feeling a bit frustrated by the fact that I hadn't drawn anything in my book. Well, as soon as we got to the cafe that worry was over; as we were standing outside, I saw a man and a woman walking into the cafe; the man was wearing a dress. It just so happens that we sat directly behind them, so despite the fact that it was one in the morning and that I was tired, I knew that I had to draw this. You can't pass stuff like this up, you know?

The drawing at the bottom was the result of a conversation that I had recently. During the conversation I was  told that I should try to exhibit my work locally despite the fact that I had already stated that people from all over the world see my work on a daily basis via my blog. As I was listening to the other person I wondered to myself, "What would Picasso say?" If there was an artist with supreme confidence in himself, it was Picasso. I've always admired his straightforward, no nonsense way of doing things; he did what he wanted and when he wanted, but above all he did things his way and didn't care what anyone thought. Miles Davis was this way, too. What can I say folks, you have to always believe in your self; thinking that you're a great artist isn't a sin. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

Another Day At The Cafe

 One of the most frustrating things about drawing people at a cafe is the fact that some of them cannot sit still for one second. The young lady whose torso I've drawn here is the perfect example of that; I saw her come in and sit down with some people that were already there. As soon as I saw her I knew that I wanted to draw her; she was very pretty; she was Asian, fair skinned and had long, jet-black hair.  She would sit, then she would stand, then she would sit again! At one point she was leaning over the table with her nice derriere in the air but as soon as I started drawing her she sat back down. Talk about frustrating! I eventually gave up and settled for drawing her torso, not that I'm complaining or anything but I really wanted to draw her face. Oh well, I'm sure that there will be a next time. At the cafe there is always a next time. The girl with the designer glasses was studying with a guy and, obviously, didn't move quite as much as the other girl therefore making it supremely easy to draw her. For some reason the thing that I remember most about her was her hearty laugh. Rapidograph in Aquabee.

I originaly posted this yesterday but wasn't too happy with it, it needed some touch ups. I redid the lettering using a thicker pen point and added some shadow to the seated girl's blouse, etc. Ah, much better. What can I say, I'm as anal as they come.

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.