Because of popular demand

So these are 2 pages facing each other from the beginning of my sketchbook. This current incarnation of book isn't as interesting as others, and if i find THOSE i'll definitely scan them in for all to see. 

I've come to realize that i've taken to sketching way too seriously. I mean yes its a means of keeping you loose and fluid. a way to have your skills stay up to muster. and a way for you to figure images out, either for a client or for a larger piece for yourself. But sketchbooking used to also be a place to explore the use of line and color. a place to just follow strange train of thought either through images or words or both. I used to cary a small stick of glue and scissors, in case i found an image that inspired me. My books began to fall apart from all the crap i'd keep in them, and the pages i'd glue in them and all the places that they were taken. 

I don't necessarily want them to fall apart anymore, but i would like to feel the freedom that it created.  Once i finish this book, maybe with the next one i'll be able to recapture that feeling. Or maybe i'm just trying to recapture a past that can never be redone and its all an act of futility. What do you think?

More Pictures for you to look at... and a Book!

As you can tell, i am still working on hands, feet, and heads...

But i like showing you the difference between a drawing done a couple of months ago, and one a couple of weeks ago. I feel that i am not only getting more confident with my line work, but also my color spaces. I feel like i am getting better in showing volume through color and line, without it having to be a long multi hour painting....

I also just picked up this book that has started to really inspire me, or at least remind me of what i used to do (and still can do) to keep the creative juices flowing. It's called the "An Illustrated Life:Drawing Inspiration from the private sketchbooks of artists, illustrators, and designers". 

 I find it fascinating and think it'll help inspire anyone. I may start posting up random sketchbook pages soon. Not just the sketches, but the full unedited page... see how that works out. Enjoy the day!

More Watercolor Sketches

When i was in HS, i had to take Watercolor. I hated it. I felt i didn't have the patience nor the skill to pull off really nice pieces, like the ones i admired. In painting classes i used acrylics because it was fast and forgiving. It taught me how to use the brush. It also showed me my love of bright beautiful colors during the time i only wore black. Years later when i realized that you could be a color artist, i decided to use the small portable w/c set i had gotten years earlier. I figured that i needed to learn how to master this medium which for years had actually only just scared me. I decided that the best way to get over it, was to just use it during figure drawing classes. As "training wheels" i still used my w/c pencils that i had fallen in love with at age 16. Here are some examples from said figure drawing classes and i think you can see that i've gotten over my fear. I may not be as good as some w/c artists, but i enjoy using them more and more. i hope you do too!

Long awaited and long deserved!

These are from the second to last ASIFA drawing class. He had some interesting poses. The times range from the beginning 1 minute to the last 5 minute. Usually in class i work in various media as the time progresses. I did find though that after a couple of life drawings, my ability to draw a figure from my head improves dramatically. I hope that you enjoy.