Thursday Sketch Party!

My sketchbook still has a couple hundred pages left in it and I'm trying to close that gulf so I can start my next sketchbook with the really nice paper in it. I bought my current Moleskine (my first) without realizing that there were different varieties of paper and formats to be had. The good news is that because the paper is gentle I approach the sketchbbok with a preciousness that I don't ordinarily embrace when 'sketching.'

I love drawing from life because it hones that mechanism for preserving and recalling information that is so necessary as a comic book artist.
In some cases I will coat the pages with Gesso so that one drawing doesn't bleed through to the preceding or following pages. I did that on this set of pages but I'm looking for alternatives because the surface gets too 'slick.'
I bought Lindsey a sketchbook yesterday so that she can have fun too. I think everyone should try it. Sketching teaches you to look at the world with a discerning eye and pick those parts that stand out as important in a virtual sea of possible information. It's a nice thing to 'edit' the world with your eye.

A Blue Shell Attack Means You're #1

I'm not huge into video games but when I do play I almost always enjoy a solid racing game. Mariokart was one of the first digital realms that I ever felt like I had some mastery over. I loved to play the original on Super Nintendo, then 64 and most recently Double Dash (I'm a console or two behind.)

I LOVE Mariokart. The 'Boo Pipes' are my favorite kart for heavy racers
Lindsey and I often race. I took it super seriously for a while and the first time she beat me I kind of freaked out. since then I've scaled back my enthusiasm to a reasonable point and it's just good fun; the way all games should be. I hope you find my little tribute worthy and an accurate portrayal of the fun and excitement that is MKDD.

Here are the inks just for fun. Color does a lot to make it Mario's world

Chalkboard Musings

For Lindsey's Birthday I got us a mini-vacation at the Kennedy School in NE Portland. We have a special relationship to that place in various ways so we like to revisit it when we can.


The room we stayed in had a huge wrap-around chalkboard and some white chalk to play around with so we played. It was fun. I got Lindsey to draw a little bit at the end.

I used my covert skills and snapped a picture of her.
I call him 'angel-bear' because he loves the baseball team in Anaheim...

Yes; I put Star Wars in this too

This is Lindsey's portion. Aliens have come for a man and he is gleefully going with them.

Facts and Figures (Nudes Ahead!)

Periscope hosted a figure drawing session last night and these are my drawing from that set of hours. It had been several years since I had done dedicated figure drawings but it was as if I had never stopped. I used a pentel pocket brush for the wash and my pentel brush pens for the black.

My lighting preference is a double light source but I know my fellow studio-mates would rather a single high contrast source; this time is was a sort of compromise born of available materials.
As figure drawing sessions go it was really nice. Our model was great at holding interesting poses even in our long suffering, ancient studio nap-chair. I'm looking forward to the next one and I'll be sure to post those too!

Mad Men and Hot Ladies!

A while back Periscope studio decided to start a sketch tumblr and one of our early topics was "Mad Men." I like the look of the show and I enjoy the themes they explore in the series (culture clash, sexual politics, doomed chauvinism, identity, creativity, etc.) I decided to draw the most beautiful people in the cast and tried to pull my color choices from actual frames of the show.

I'm thankful that a woman with Ms. Hendricks' curves is considered 'hot' by the rest of you too now. I've been saying it for years;ask Lindsey.
I used a lot of little pictures to help including some posed for by my friend and fellow Periscoper, artist Erika Moen. I wanted a lady to stand in for Joan and Betty.

Having friends who will pose for you is great because it really allows you to determine what sort of compositional choices are realistic in real time. You need not rely on stock Internet photos or your imagination alone. Sketch out you idea and then pose it; it is like scientific verification!
Here are the inks if you are curious. Joan/Christina's mouth is a little too big (but Steve Lieber caught it before I finished the colors!) There are a few little things here and there that are worth changing on the next one but I had a lot of fun. The color in particular really brought it together (I think.)

You can see patterns and gradients in the piece above and all of those were added digitally by me! I haven't really tried much of that before and I think it worked well this time. I love learning from my mistakes and modest advances on a piece like this.

World War Doodle.

Happy post independence day post! I like to celebrate the formation of my nation (and its' subsequently brilliant secular constitution) as much as the next guy but I don't do it with fireworks. I like to show my pride by doing what the sacrifice and efforts of many unsung American heroes allow me to do as a job each day: draw a picture!

I gave the dinosaurs American gear but you shouldn't read too much into it! The Mammals aren't any specific opposing power either.
I hope you all enjoy this poster. I encourage you all to find a way to show your gratitude toward all the public servants that make our country what it is. By that I mean teachers, public employees of all stripes, troops, emergency service personnel and every American who makes a point to embrace the pluralism that makes me proud to live here. Thanks to all of you!

I am depicted here in Oklahoma at the wall of Patriotism they have in 'hobby lobby.' It was not yet June; I was amazed.

Dewey's Tuesday Grab-Bag!

I have a few 'targeted' blog posts coming up but for now I have some drawings and points of interest that I'd like to share before I forget! The first of these somewhat unconnected offerings is a little painting I did of my cat in anticipation of a project that I'm developing with writer Paul Tobin. More on that front as it becomes appropriate to divulge details.

I'm really enjoying the qualities of Gouache. I might even make a painted comic, of modest length, as an upcoming project.
I played a show with my friend Josh Malm at the Aladdin Theatre on the 11th of this month and I was able to do a little drawing of one of the opening bands. All I had was a sharpie and a 0.05 micron. It's like having a broadsword or a scalpel when you want to spread jam on your toast.

These guys knew how to work a crowd but they were a little crass backstage; I suppose that is rock n' roll for the most part.
Here is another drawing of Lindsey that I did while we were eating at a restaurant. We went to Genie's to try their breakfast fare. I liked Lindsey's French toast but I was not a fan of my own pancakes. I think it was probably a fluke because the rest of breakfast was great. I think Lindsey is very pretty and I like to draw her.

My current sketch book has really thin paper so I didn't add a wash behind her; I still like this image as it is with the tints of white pen on the off white paper.
I've got plenty of drawings in process and lots of projects in the cue. Come back and visit. Feel free to tell me what you think and what sorts of things you might like to see on the blog. I'm open to including suggestions and stealing your ideas! Happy Tuesday. Thanks all!