Sunday, December 29, 2013

Sketch A Day #6 - Miscellaneous Stuff

Lots o' little stuff here, wasn't using the white charcoal on this page. Started drawing with my little mechanical pentel, a holdover that I used for years, and it looked really nice of the toned paper. Next thing i knew, i had a bunch of little sketches on the page.

HB graphite on toned paper

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Michael Jantze's Norm!

The great Michael Jantze gave me the gift of an original Norm strip yesterday, and its a beaut. I'm even featured in the last panel in the black t-shirt. My wife and kids think that he absolutely captured me and I'm enclined to agree with them. To see the strip up close, go here! If the jam section has enough room at the back of the newest Norm Graphic Novel I may have a piece in there as well. I wait with baited breath.

You can follow the adventures of The Norm on Youtube at the jantze Studios link as well. Lots of archived material to work your way through!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Sketch A Day #4 - Woman's Face in Shadow

A new sketch on the very lovely tanned paper.

So here is the deal. I hate the sketchbooks section of the art magazines. Do you know why? Because the sketchbook is the place that you can make mistakes, take chances, screw up and its OK. By cherry picking the best of the Adam Hughes sketchbook, or the Kevin Nowlan sketchbook, what we end up with is even doubly defeating to artists like myself.

Because what it says to us is, "Not only is their finished work better than yours, but their sketches are practically flawless." Not fair, not fair at all. So the deal is, for the next year, I'll show you all the sketchbook pages, warts and all, and i won't hide even the stuff that I'm utterly embarrassed by.

Thats the sketch a day manifesto here.

Today's sketch (well, actually from last night) has its problems.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Sketch A Day #3 - Nude Figure Study

More toned paper, gonna be working this sketch pad for a while. A figure study of a nude, draped over what looks to be a medium sized ottoman. Artistic, and very comfortable looking pose.

Generals Charcoal White pencil, Ritmo Charcoal HB pencil, Strathmore Toned Tan 400 series

Friday, December 20, 2013

Sketch A Day #2 - Female Head on Toned Paper

working on freeing myself from the same materials i've always used, so moving to do some sketches on toned paper, and using that as a midtone, is just one way to do it.

also using white and black charcoal pencils to work against the grain of the paper. Should be interesting. Could be terrible. You'll have to let me know. My critical filter will be up, probably higher than yours.

A female head, study in contrasts, not bad, not great. Page 1 of this sketchbook.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Sketch A Day #1 - The Sandman

Getting back to it, and going to try to do the sketch a day thing... we'll see how long a slow artist like myself can keep this up.

This Sandman is india ink on bristol, a little PH Martin's white on top, and zip-a-tone via photoshop. Enjoy!

This is an inking of a sketch started a while ago, and inspired by my visit to the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco to see The Sandman retrospective, and hear Mike Dringenberg talk about the work. I've not seen Mike in about 15  years, so it was nice to go and see him.

More on that later!