Sketchbook - Ad attack

The latest Harper's Bazaar issue arrived yesterday. Ooo, more new things to draw! I like Madonna's outfit on the cover here, but her legs seem really long. It's as if she's been stretched or something. Or Photoshopped. Course, that could just be me.

I love this magazine. Some of the outfits are gorgeous, while others just crack me up. And the accessories are really out there. But it's the photos that I love. The poses, the wind blowing through hair and cloth, the lighting... it just attracts my eye in a way I can't describe. Though I really wish they'd lay off on the perfume samples. *gag*

These sketches were both from advertisements. It was the poses that I liked. The ad the fellow was from was an explosion of plaid. Sixteen people, all in various pieces of plaid clothing, with plaid-wrapped Christmas presents, and standing on a zebra print rug. (Click on the small version to experience the full plaid-gasm for yourself.)






This second sketch was from a perfume ad. That's not a perfume bottle, that's a smelly grenade. Somehow I doubt the bottles come that large.






And, that's all for now. I need to get things settled and start packing for our trip. See you next week!


"Today I see beauty everywhere I go, in every face I see, in every single soul."
-- Kevyn Aucoin

Poll results

Morning! Matt and I will be heading out to my folks later today, which means net access will be hard to come by for the next few days. So, things will be a little quiet on here. Hopefully I'll have some sketches and photos to share when we come back - I just need to remember to pack the camera.

For now, here's the results of the 'What would you like to read about?' poll...



Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll! I really appreciate it. Based on this, it seems I need to work more comic history and inspiration posts in now and then. I'd also like to keep sharing things from the morgue as well as stuff that attracts my eye, even if it's a little weird. Which, most of it probably will be considering I seem to like odd shapes, rough textures, and the way light falls on things. Like old trees or ruined buildings. Those are cool.

You know, I have some photos I took a while back around somewhere. I should dig those out. I'd love to get more into photography, but my camera is a little less cooperative. It also loves to eat batteries for some reason. I've changed the batteries twice in the last few weeks. It just sucks them dry.


"Protect me from knowing what I don't need to know. Protect me from even knowing that there are things to know that I don't know. Protect me from knowing that I decided not to know about the things that I decided not to know about. Amen."
-- Douglas Adams

Let's talk morgues

I've mentioned the morgue a few times and will do so again in the future. So, I figured I should sit down and define what a morgue actually is.

First off, yes, one definition of a morgue is a place where dead bodies are stored. That's not the kind of morgue we're talking about here. So calm down. There are no dead things, I promise. The kind of morgue we're interested in is also known as a morgue file or an artist's morgue. It's basically a collection of resources one uses as reference material as well as to pull inspiration from. When you get down to it, it's just a nice, fancy way of saying that artists tend to be pack rats.

Most of us artists are lucky, our morgues can be easily contained on shelves, in boxes, even on the computer. But some artists work in bigger mediums and their morgues, well, tend to take over their studios. If you live with an artistic person and they have a room that looks like this...



... you're better off just closing the door and leaving it alone. Seriously, don't touch it. That jumble of chaos - or as Rarity called it, her "inspiration room" - is a morgue.

Now, some artists are like me. I don't mind sharing the contents of my morgue. I also don't mind people going through my morgue as long as at the end of the day all the pieces are accounted for and undamaged. Nor do I mind if my morgue gets messed up, moved around, or tidied-up. If I don't like where something's been moved to, I'll simply move it back. End of story. If you do something like duct-tape books to the ceiling, I'm probably going to duct-tape you up there with them, but other than that, it's all good.

It's important to remember that not everyone is like this. Other artists will have a completely different reaction to someone messing with their special stuff.



It's always best to ask first. In fact, you should really ask before looking through an artist's morgue. The reason is, morgues are unique and special to each artists. They reflect that artist's personality and interests. And, some of these interests may be a little... intimate.

Hell, let's stop dancing around the subject... I'm talking porn / erotica here, people. The fact of the matter is, if you want to learn human anatomy, you're going to be looking at nudes. Want to learn it on the cheap? Then pick up a Playboy / Playgirl. When you're done with those, grab some Alberto Vargas, Olivia DeBerardinis, and Dan DeCarlo art books. Even your basic anatomy books will show you boobs. Some will even show you a penis. The thing is, some artists are shy people who fear being ridiculed by others. The last thing they want you to find out is that they look at nudes now and then.

Then again, there are people like Rarity who don't want their stuff moved or messed with, especially by relatives. It's their stuff, after all. Can we say 'sibling rivalry' and 'privacy issues'? Sure we can. Anyone who has siblings or nosy parents understands that. Most of us have been there. So just ask first. It's the polite thing to do, after all.

Because I know at least one person reading this is probably curious... no, I don't have any Playboy / Playgirl issues. I do have a copy of 50 Years of the Playboy Bunny though. I also have my eye on Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds and love Vargas and DeCarlo. Unfortunately, I don't have any books of Olivia's art. They're a little pricey for the size. Hey, just because I don't draw adult content doesn't mean I don't need to know what the human body looks like naked. Besides, the women are lovely.

Anyway, now that the whole 'how to avoid drama from messing with an artist's morgue' has been covered, let's talk a little more about what goes into a morgue. Since inspiration can be found just about anywhere, just about anything can go into a morgue. Some common items are...

books
magazines
photos (physical and digital)
websites
movies / cartoons / documentaries / sitcoms
toys
art manikins
found objects (stones, hunks of wood, whatever)
sketchbooks
old artwork

...the list goes on.

One of the things I do is keep copies of every CN:H issue / trade that's been printed.



Vain and egotistical? Maybe. But, it's helpful when I need to reference how a character who hasn't popped up in a while looks. Yeah, I could bounce through the site, but this is much quicker.

As I mentioned before, I use Breyer horses as models. Trade magazines like Sketch and The Comics Journal are useful for info on the industry, but I also keep copies of Harper's Bazaar as well as store catalogs like Dover Saddlery and Ikea. What it comes down to is, if it sparks your interest, it's a good thing to keep.

This has gone on longer than I planned, so I'm going to end it now with a quick note. It's important to look over resources before adding them to your morgue. The reason is, you don't want to pick up a book that's too much for you to handle. I know that probably sounds mean, but hear me out. What I mean is, if you stock your morgue with references too far beyond your current abilities, you run the risk of intimidating yourself. Your morgue is for inspiration and growth. It's there to encourage you and make you happy. You don't want it to do the opposite. For example, if you're just starting to learn anatomy, picking up any of Burne Hogarth's books is probably a bad idea. While his books are wonderful, they're very complex and can be terrifying when you're just starting out. Find what works for you now and add to your collection as you grow.

Building your morgue is like the process of learning to draw itself, it's a lifetime effort. You won't build it in a weekend. Take your time, explore, and have fun.


"I must see new things and investigate them. I want to taste dark water and see crackling trees and wild winds."
-- Egon Schiele

It's a studio... it's under the eaves...

...and during the spring through to the fall you can hear the bats in the roof chattering. Which is so cool! Unfortunately, they're hibernating right now, which makes me a little sad. Still, welcome to the new studio! We originally had everything set up downstairs, with this room set aside as a spare bedroom, but the downstairs room was just too small for the both of us. So, we moved everything up here and just finished getting things settled a bit ago.

This is my little corner. Matt's section is on the other side of the room under the two main windows. There's also another bookcase - a necessity with two bibliophiles - a water cooler, the printer, a television, and the only closet in the house tucked into this room. It's tight, but comfy for everyone. Even Holly and Tiny each have their own spaces - though Holly keeps insisting all the spaces are her spaces.




The desk is actually a few mini Ikea desks placed next to each other. We ended up taking the cintiq off of the wall arm mount. Any little movement seems to set it off and make it start acting up lately. So, back to the desk stand it goes. The collapsible easel in the front is for inking and large drawing. I just have to plop the drawing board on it and it's all set. The drawing board is a little too big to leave in place when not in use. The easel's also useful for holding books open for reference.




The shelves are for fun stuff - toys, models, a few animation cells. It keeps them safely out of the way. My poor Usagi Yojimbo statue has a few missing pieces due to a mishap a few years ago.




Sketchbooks, the scanner, a dictionary or two, and some awesome original art. This photo is mostly for Chrispy's benefit. He'll understand why. *grin*




And, here's the morgue. Well, part of it anyway. How to draw books, magazines, art supplies, and tissues. Because during this time of year, tissues are important. They're also good for wiping the lead of your pencils after sharpening. The little tins hanging off the wall hold spare ink cartridges, nibs, and erasers. Just trying to keep things within reach, yet organized. I'm finding I have a hard time keeping track of things lately.

And, that's the studio. I spend most of my days in here, so having things comfortable is kind of a necessity. Otherwise I'll want to go hangout downstairs. And when I do that, nothing gets done. There are also little things and areas that catch my eye and stimulate me a bit. Such as I keep getting the urge to sketch the supplies on the desk or the manikins on the windowsill. Course, that could be because I've been enjoying the whole sketchbook thing. Either way, it's a good feeling.


"The studio, a room to which the artist consigns himself for life, is naturally important, not only as workplace, but as a source of inspiration. And it usually manages, one way or another, to turn up in his product."
-- Grace Glueck

Sketchbook - "We Are All Prostitutes"

I was wandering around YouTube earlier when I ran across an AMV of Cool World. I've never seen the movie, but decided to give the video a try anyway. Afterward, I just had to sit down and try sketching some of the female character's dance moves.








Here's the video that started this whole sketching mess.



Thanks to these three sketches, I've met my sketchbook goal for this month! I wanted to do sixty pages. As of this moment, I've done sixty-one. What did this prove? Not a damn thing. But, it was fun!

I don't think I'll be setting a sketchbook goal next month though. I read about something called the Sketch-a-Day Challenge where you're suppose to do a nice, finished sketch once a day for the whole year. I think I'd like to try that starting January instead. I also read about Sketch Crawl, where you spend a day wandering around your area and sketching things that interest you. I'd like to try that too, but not until sometime in the spring/summer. It's a little too cool around here right now. I can't wait to give that a try though. Downtown historic Plymouth and some of the back roads in the area have lots of interesting things just waiting to be sketched.

As for now, Matt and I will be heading out to Iowa in a few days. Which means, my folks will probably want to take a peak at my sketchbook. *looks at book* Oh dear.

Well, maybe I'll get lucky and snag a chance to sketch some of their neighbor's cows. Or that old schoolhouse that's partially falling down. That's pretty. What? I like the look of ruined buildings.


"Dancing: the vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music."
-- George Bernard Shaw

From the morgue - Terry Moore's 'How to Draw' Series

One of my favorite comic creators is Terry Moore. In fact, it was his series Strangers in Paradise that got me hooked on comics in the first place. Before reading SIP I was convinced that comic books were filled with nothing but ultra-muscular men, overly sexual women, and simplistic plots. Terry's work acted as a gateway into this world and made me realize that my views were incorrect. I now have a lot of love and respect for comics and the industry surrounding them. Not to mention an interesting, if stressful at times, job. That wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Terry and SIP.

So when Terry mentioned that he would be releasing a series of short 'How To' books a few months ago, I had to check them out. And, I'm glad I did! There are two available so far... How to Draw Women and How to Draw Expressions.



These books are short - around twenty-four pages each. But, they're packed with useful information. Not to mention sketches! And, they're inexpensive, something that's hard to come by when dealing with most 'How to Draw' books. The How to Draw Women copy had some wonderful information about maintaining balance - did you know that the center of balance for us women is lower than that of a man? Meanwhile, the How to Draw Expressions had an interesting exercise on simplifying expressions that I can't wait to try.


From How to Draw Women...




From How to Draw Expressions...




If you're interested in reading more, you can pick up copies of both books at Terry Moore's store. And while you're at it, check out Strangers in Paradise, Echo, and Rachel Rising. Hey, what can I say? I'm a fan-girl. I admit it.


"Every woman is a rebel, and usually in wild revolt against herself."
-- Oscar Wilde

Sketchbook - Fun with Loomis

Morning! Here's the rest of the sketches from yesterday evening. Still just trying to figure out proportions and such.








"Sometimes being naked with fear is a good experience. It teaches us a lot about ourselves and about life. It is scary but it awakens us."
-- Leo Babauta

From the morgue - 'Sketch Magazine' #27

I've been meaning to share some of the references that Matt and I have in our library. It just keeps slipping my mind. But, now's as good a time to start as any, right? Right!

One of the magazines that I really enjoy is Sketch which is published by Blue Line Pro. It's filled with interviews and tips, as well as ads for Blue Line's art supplies and reference books.

I just started reading it last year after running across a few copies at That's Entertainment - the wonderfully large comic shop up in Worcester. Occasionally I get lucky and run across a back issue that I missed. Which, was the case with Issue 27.

My favorite part of this issue was a five page section by Mitch Byrd about how to add motion to your drawings. I'll have to keep an eye out and remember that the actions of the characters affect the background elements as well. There's so much stuff to remember, it's so easy for things to just slip your mind.

I don't plan on scanning sections of magazines or books often, but since this issue is out of print and not available on the Blue Line site, I figured sharing this little bit can't hurt.











Interesting, eh? If you'd like to read more Sketch, stop by the Blue Line Pro website. They have physical back copies of most of their issues as well as a few available for digital download.


"Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating."
-- William Hazlitt

Sketchbook - Timed draw

Hey guys. I apologize for the quiet over the last few days. Matt and I did some rearranging Wednesday/Thursday and after that, my throat started acting up again for some reason - it didn't want to let me breathe. Silly throat, oxygen is good for you. As a result, I spent most of the last few days asleep. But, I can breathe again which means, it's time to get back on the sketchbook wagon!

Today I decided to play with more timed drawings. I'd used the Thirty Second Drawing app on Posemaniacs earlier this week. But, after using it again today, I decided I wasn't very fond of it.



It's a nice app, don't get me wrong. It's just seeing the bodies without skin made some of the poses a little hard for me to decipher.




Thirty second sketches. Source - Posemaniacs.






After the first set of sketches I went looking for an alternative. And, I found the Figure and Gesture Drawing Tool on Pixelovely. The nice thing about this one is, there's also an animal option available. On top of that, you can choose between thirty seconds, sixty seconds, two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, or a class.



And, they're full photos. Which made tracking the limbs a little easier for me.




Thirty second sketches. Source - Pixelovely.






After a bit, I thought I'd give the ten minute option a try. Maybe a little more time would let me do a more detailed sketch. Unfortunately, I didn't like it. I started to get nervous and overly aware of the fact that my grasp on anatomy is mushy. Source - Pixelovely.






After giving the ten minute option a try, I went for the two minute one. Which, I liked much better. It still wasn't as much fun as the thirty second version, but still nice. Source - Pixelovely.






I've still some sketching to do this evening. I'd like to work with the Loomis skeletons a bit more. And I have to admit, I'm exited to try the thirty second sketches with animals. They have horses and cows! Yes!


"When I can't do something, this always impels me to study it."
-- Theodore Sturgeon

*squeee*

I found the missing clamp to my sharpener! It was tucked away in a box of supplies. I'm so happy!



That little metal bit with the wing nut and the black plastic section on it? That's what was missing. And now it's found! Hey, it's a really good sharpener. Besides, Matt bought it for me years ago. So, you know, it's special.


"Joy is my energy and energy is my powerhouse."
-- Sara Genn

Planning ahead can make you ornery

I like helping others and try to do so when I can. Yet, it seems that whenever I need assistance, everyone runs away. Matt claims it's because people feel I'm competent enough to fight my own battles, as well as the fact that I take responsibility for my actions and mistakes. That's nice, but it doesn't stop the emptiness I feel inside whenever I think about it.

It's one of the reasons I'm trying to get a handle on the traditional media again. I love the cintiq, it's worked wonders for me. Unfortunately, it's starting to show its age. And while we were lucky enough to get it at a discount due to the model being retired, we're not going to get so lucky next time.

If push comes to shove and the cintiq conks out before I've saved enough to replace it, I need an alternative in place. Thanks to studying other artists, I now know that there are pens that you buy once and simply refill the ink when they wear out. As long as you take care of the pens, they'll last you a lifetime. Holy crap! What a revelation! The process of learning how to use these supplies is terrifying and makes me feel clumsy and vulnerable. Still, my mind keeps trying to tell me that if I figured out how to use color pencils, markers, and the cintiq somewhat decently, then I should be able to figure out how to use a brush pen and some Rapidographs.

The chances of humiliation and embarrassment are high, but the cost of the equipment is a lot easier on the pocketbook than a new cintiq. I can use a tablet to color. I just could never get a handle on drawing with one for some reason. And, if necessary, I can always go back to markers and color pencils for the covers. They're hell on the wrist, but I only need one every few months or so. While my Crayolas are no good, the Prismacolor pencils held up wonderfully in storage. And the Copics seem near indestructible.

I admit, I'm also hoping that finding an alternative which lets me use the cintiq less will help preserve the life of it. This baby gets a lot of use - hours and hours a day, every day. If it's only used for toning and coloring and remains off otherwise, it should last longer, right? I don't need ultra pressure sensitivity or whatever the new ones have. I just need the screen on this one to not give out on me.

So yes, I'm currently snuffing about trying to find alternatives because I know what's coming down the chute in a year or so. And, trying to force you guys to donate enough for me to purchase a new piece of equipment is not something I want to do. It's also something I doubt you want me to do. *laughs*

Oh, I should probably mention... I hope you guys don't mind wonky looking inks for a bit. It may take some time for me to get comfortable with traditional inking again. As a result, I may be bouncing between traditional and digital for Issue 15. In theory, drawing larger than necessary and shrinking the art down to the actual print size should help minimize any errors. And toning should help to hide the rest.

And no, this post is not a 'cry for you to donate'. It's just me running about and blowing off steam. Part of it could be because it currently looks like an art supply cart and a bookmobile collided on my desk. Between going through the bookshelf for references and trying to track down my old supplies and researching new ones, it's utter chaos here. Trouble is, I don't know where to store anything at the moment. The worse part is, though I found my pencil sharpener, I can't find the bottom part of the clamp that holds it to the desk. It's a wonderful sharpener, especially for color pencils. Most out there tend to damage the pencils as often as they sharpen them. This one, not at all. But, I can't find the whole clamp. My poor sharpener. *sniff* Come back, clamp! I love yooooooou!


"The hallmark of creative people is their mental flexibility... Sometimes they are open and probing, at others they're playful and off-the-wall. At still other times, they're critical and faultfinding. And finally, they're doggedly persistent in striving to reach their goals."
-- Roger von Oech

Sketchbook - Timed draw

I discovered the Thirty Second Drawing app on Posemaniacs a bit ago and thought I'd give it a try. I think I'll try to do this is the morning and in the evening for fifteen minutes at a time each. Maybe it'll help teach me how to get gestures and poses down quickly.





I apologize. They're not exactly interesting to look at. But, it was fun.


"You learn to draw by drawing."
-- Mick Maslen

Sketchbook - More brush pen practice

Morning. Here's the rest of yesterday's sketchbook scratchings. Just more practice with the brush pen and some quick heads from the Loomis book.

I like how the trees came out in the background here, though I will definitely need to use a more delicate pen for smaller lines and details.





Matt and I ran up to Dick Blick in Boston last night and poked around. As a result, I'm going to try an experiment. If it works, great. If not, I'll be inking page one of Issue 15 twice. Yep, I've a brush pen, a few delicate pens, and some comic boards. Let's see what happens.

I'm a little nervous about inking pages traditionally again. But, if it's faster, which the brush pen seems to make it, it's worth a try. I'm fed up with the eight to ten hour inking marathons.


"In the beginning, people think vulnerability will make you weak, but it does the opposite. It shows you're strong enough to care."
-- Victoria Pratt

Sketchbook - Brush pen practice

Hey guys! I really liked how quickly the inking went when I used the Prismacolor brush pen for the cover of Issue 15. The pages take so long due to the inking process, which can take anywhere between eight to ten hours to do. So, I figured I'd try to do a bit of practice with the pen.



I'm still not crazy about how thin the ink seems to be. I also did this in the sketchbook, which led to a bit of bleeding. But, it did go fast. The whole image was inked in about a half hour. Much better than the time it took to do the digital version. I need more practice to get better control of the pen. And maybe, eventually, a better grade of pen. The Prismacolor pens are more markers than true pens.

Until then, here's a sketch of Rarity. It was bound to happen eventually.




"I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true -- hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it."
-- Ray Bradbury

Sketchbook - Fun with Don Rosa

More sketchbook scratchings, this time of Don Rosa's version of Scrooge McDuck. I love the Disney ducks, both the comics and DuckTales. But my favorite is probably The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. Yeah, Scrooge is a miserly hothead at times. Still, the grouchy old codger is pretty cool.

I love how expressive Don Rosa made the characters. It's something I want to improve on in my own work. So, I figured I'd grab my copy of the book and try to sketch some of Scrooge's poses for body language practice. Poor Scrooge. My skill at drawing Disney ducks is lacking.






The hands were always really interesting to me too. Even in the DuckTales cartoon, the hands were very expressive.




Aww look, happy Scrooge.




Scrooge McDuck: "I got where I am today by being smarter than the smarties and tougher than the toughies."
-- DuckTales