One of my favorite late night events at Space 55 is Storyline, which happens every third Saturday of the month (that’s tonight!) at 10:30pm.
Different people get up and tell stories based on the monthly theme. It is always a great show, as well as a fantastic opportunity to do some sketching…
In honor of President’s Day I drew a couple of our Founding Fathers. It was the least I could do, since we get a paid holiday in their honor. Plus, I will take every opportunity to draw Abe Lincoln. (He’s just so odd looking!)
I would like to thank our American currency for providing reference photos.
(I had to borrow a fiver to do this one because I just don’t roll with that kind of cash.)
Remember in the last blog post when I said I have to be careful when using the white pen or else I overdo it? Well that there is a perfect example.
For GW I didn’t have to borrow any money, as I was able to supply my own single. This time I didn’t go quite so crazy on the white pen, and I like it better here.
Making this drawing gave me flashbacks to my cherished Garbage Pail Kids collection. Back when I was about 10 or 11 years old (circa 1988) I frequently copied GPKs in an attempt to learn to draw. In fact, the first drawing that I ever remember taking seriously, and where I actually managed to stay focused for more than a couple of minutes, was when I made a copy of “Well Done Sheldon.”
But my very favorite GPK was Gorgeous George (and his twin Dollar Bill).
Here’s a couple more Big Head Richards. I took another shot at him in the steampunk hat because I didn’t like the first one. I think I did a better job on the goggles this time, but I still don’t like them all that much.
I found an opaque white gel pen which I used to add highlights on the lenses. I have to be careful when using the white, because it’s tempting to go nuts and put highlights everywhere, thus diminishing it’s effect.
I did this one at Indian Delhi Palace, where we went for Valentine’s Day. I did the initial sketch at the restaurant and then colored it with markers later at home. I had fun drawing his hands on this one.
Also, in an attempt not to complicate this drawing with too many different colors, I just splashed the entire background with yellow, and then used a darker yellow to suggest a bit of depth. I like how the red shirt plays against the yellow background, but I wish I had added a bit of shadow to the shirt, cuz it’s looking a little flat compared to the rest.
When Richard saw this one he said, “Wow, that’s really good. It almost looks like someone else did it.” Then he winced and said, “I meant that as a compliment.”
I did this one at Wildflower Bread Co, which is one of my favorite restaurants, as well as one of my favorite places to sketch. I just love the teeth on that guy in the background. I have a hard time drawing mouths in general, and it don’t usually draw teeth, so that was a pretty weird choice for me to make.
Sometimes, for reasons unknown, you gotta draw the pope. Like when you see him on the cover of Time Magazine and think to yourself, “Now that’s a chin.”
My drawings of late have generally been very colorful with lots of contrasts, so a guy with white hair in a white outfit was a good exercise in holding back.
When I did the yellow background I guess I was thinking about heaven and halos and the light of God or something. When I showed it to Richard he said, “It’s like those icons.”
To which I replied, “Say what?”
Then he went into his office and came out with these two religious icon things that he got in Romania. Both have yellow backgrounds.
So maybe it was the religious art from the days of yore floating around in my subconscious that inspired the yellow background.
I’ve been carrying sketchbooks and various drawing tools around for about a hundred years now. And during that time I’ve purchased dozens of different little kits and bags and things to hold my pens and stuff.
Then while back my sister-in-law told me about this thing her friend made to transport her kids’ crayons. I was so inspired by the idea that right then and there I sketched out a design for something similar that I could make for myself…
Then over the next few months (yes months, because I’m that slow) I sewed it together. Then I tried it. Altered it. Tried it. Altered it some more, until finally…
What a beautiful functional pouch!
Okay so my work is a bit sloppy. I’ve never been very good at sewing (or any other sort of crafty, 3-dimensional, pinteresty type stuff) but hey, I made this all by myself. And check it out! It’s got slots for all my pens, pencils, and shading markers. And it even has a little button pouch for my sharpener and eraser.
I used to just carry everything together in one big zippered pouch, but that would become a problem because the graphite from the pencils would muck everything else up, and sometimes the pens would leak on each other. With the different slots for different utensils, they stay organized and clean.
The original design had a string on the end so that when it was time to go, I could just roll it up and wrap the string around it. But that was too bulky for my purse. So I cut off the string and added a couple buttons instead.
Now I just fold down the flap…
Turn it over…
Fasten the buttons…
And bam! I am ready to go!
Here is the newest edition to the big head Richard drawings. We went for a steampunk look today with a top hat, goggles, and this old military style jacket that I found at a garage sale a couple years back.
He was originally wearing socks but I asked him to take them off because that would have been boring. I am glad I did, cuz I think that foot is my favorite part of this drawing. He is sitting in our “fancy chair” which is always fun, but challenging to draw. Someday I will figure out a way to simplify it and still retain it’s character.
And dang it, I really wish I had done a better job on those damn goggles. Those goggles are killing me. I’ll just have to try again next week.
sketchbookfactory 