Sketch Blog

dilophosaurus

2009-11-09T08:49:00.004-05:00

Dilophosaurus!

You know what's fun to draw? Dinosaurs.

And not just because I spent the majority of my childhood drawing them.

It's because they're just cool. You can quote me on that one.

I'll have you know these are not toys, they're articulated visual reference models.

djehutynahkt

2009-11-01T11:07:00.005-05:00

Dancing mummy sketch because I couldn't think of anything good to draw and I was on a sugar-high from eating too many kit kats.

On Halloween I went to the "Secrets of Tomb 10A" exhibit at the MFA. Because creepy crumbling mummies and Halloween kind of go hand-in-hand. Here are a few pics..

The amazing hieroglyphs painted on the coffin. This one reads "eye owl vase legs gosling feather seated person upside down bowl vulture." Couldn't have put it better myself.

Before leaving, I had to stop by and visit what my brother and I call the 'Harry Potter portrait hall'.

Oh, and p.s.: It's pronounced "je-hooty-knocked."

barbarian

2009-10-13T08:16:00.005-04:00

Oh, she's a toughie alright.

Eager to finish it up then get to coloring. I'm thinkin' grizzly or black bearskin. Polar bear was so last year.

swimwear

2009-10-11T16:22:00.003-04:00

I'd hurry up and put in your order for Summer 2010 before all the sizes are picked over.

ex libris

2009-10-06T08:01:00.001-04:00

Part of a drawing for my web banner. I kinda switched things up and gave him a big bear-type nose and smooshed his head proportions to look more solid/compact. I like how it's turning out.

Have I ever told you how much I love libraries? Man, they are tops.

Last night I spent the evening working on some drawings at the awesome Brookline Public Library. The historic building and recent renovations make it a great destination to hunker down and get some work done. In the lower level there are a row of pod-like study carrels that protrude from the outer wall of the building. These are great but I've never had success getting anything done in them, mostly because I felt like I was being punished in a time-out corner or about to be jettisoned into space. This visit, I chose the spacious reference room in the back of the library. Filled with fat, classically-bound books abutting study tables and framed by oil portraits of stuffy old men and stoic civil war generals, this room was much more my style. I plunked down at a table, spread out my stuff, and was able to 'enter the zone' for a solid two hours. Bliss.

Lately I've been having a bit of a hard time avoiding distractions, disruptions, and staying focused when I'm working. I love my studio apartment, but sometimes it is downright horrible for working when you're surrounded by potential distractions like books, action figures, internet, food, you name it. It doesn't exactly say "workspace" so much as "hey sit on this comfy corduroy couch and read that new book and maybe while you're up be a doll and get me an ice cream sandwich". Hence my predicament.

I expect to be visiting the reference room at the library regularly now. Because I can only equate drawing 'in the zone' to a bizarre combination of clarity, hypnosis, and whatever it is that cats feel when they tango with catnip.

wossname

2009-09-30T09:04:00.002-04:00

I don't know, you tell me.

Maybe it's a sirrush. Maybe I'm just a big nerd.

the science of 8 limbs

2009-09-24T10:28:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday I attended a free screening of Ong Bak 2 at the dashing Somerville Theater.

Little did I know I would discover a newfound love of martial arts movies. Not that I didn't like them before, but it's almost as if I wasn't ready for them. I cite animation as my major influence in drawing and you really can't get more animated than the choreographic tangle of limbs and flying fists showcased in these types of movies. The fights are both elegant and brutal, humorous and cringeworthy. Granted, another great source to look at for pose and gesture is ballet. However, I find ballet sorely lacking in rooftop chases, rope darts, and stuntwork involving elephants. I'm picky like that.

Hungry for a knuckle sandwich.

Sweep and recover.

Thumbnails done on the T.

Um, this one wasn't in the movie.

buggy

2009-09-21T09:24:00.004-04:00

Quick sketch before the workday pulls me into the void. I need to get my hands on some Legos again.

In the meantime, I'll continue to haunt The Brothers Brick.

dive dive

2009-09-20T11:03:00.004-04:00

Thoroughly impractical and purely ornamental dive suit sketch.

I love how some of the early diving suits seemed to be fashioned more from suit of armor aesthetics than scientific ones. I guess that's why steampunk is so visually pleasing.

quickie

2009-09-18T10:24:00.005-04:00

Quick little sketch of atomic robo while I wait for my coffee to kick in this morning.

Pardon the neglect that has fallen upon the blog. I feel like I forgot to feed the goldfish or somethin'. I'm working away on making things for the new website, so it won't be long now! Eventually, I'll be switching to a new blog there, leaving this one for digiarcheologists to find in the year 3020.

In the meantime, please don't go belly up on me.

MNU

2009-08-23T12:33:00.003-04:00

Wikus van der Merwe from District 9.

Go see the movie. I can't speak highly enough of it.

hellhound

2009-08-16T09:19:00.006-04:00

Born of the unholy union between a pokémon and a charcoal briquette.

So, the posting has been a bit sparse lately, yes? Well things have gotten busy in the work and life categories, but I've also been working on my portfolio-in-the-making and prepping for a new website. That's right, be on the lookout soon for an honest-to-goodness, genuine website with pictures and words and things you can click on. Because if I don't do something with all this stuff, I will indeed, lose the last of my marbles.

In the meantime, I'll be right here. Eating cheese doodles and not answering your calls.

versipellis

2009-07-24T09:15:00.005-04:00

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
Better stay away from him
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor.

-Warren Zevon, Werewolves of London

loup-garou

2009-06-28T22:05:00.004-04:00

Finished drawing

Sketch

Sorry vampires. Werewolves will always be cooler.

cat's meow

2009-06-27T21:19:00.011-04:00

The rewarding part of taking the time to work in layers and masks in photoshop is that it results in a highly customizable image. In other words... let's play dress up!

I think I'm going to have to draw the little lady a fella so's she can go out dancing...

bee's knees

2009-06-16T01:06:00.009-04:00

1920's gal.

Drawn after watching The Painted Veil. I'll fully admit and it should come as no surprise that I'm a sucker for period pieces, mostly for the costume design, settings, and period language. While the photography was beautiful and the bleak story well-acted, I'm partial to the one review on Rotten Tomatoes which simply stated:

"If the cholera doesn't get you, the dialogue probably will."

deatheater

2009-06-13T08:30:00.005-04:00

A Deatheater/dark wizard from the Harry Potter series.

Not sure who this guy is yet, but I definitely wouldn't mess with him.

bot

2009-05-27T15:06:00.004-04:00

Note the contrapposto. Oh that's right, I paid attention in Art History, it only looked like I was napping.

I think this guy deserves a proper coat of paint in the near future...

sabretooth & wolverine

2009-05-21T10:24:00.010-04:00

Because they should have made a movie out of the opening credits of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

I'm just sayin'.

In addition to some mad researching, this was practicing styles, playing with proportions, and trying out some new techniques. And boy, did I learn a lot on this one. You wouldn't think that drawing hands and feet stupidly big would be that much fun. But it is.

storm

2009-05-12T14:41:00.002-04:00

Lunch sketch at work.

Ok, so I'm on a bit of an X-men kick. Bear with me.

magnum

2009-05-10T16:15:00.006-04:00

Hey mom, I know you read this thing.

This one's for you. Happy Mother's Day.

stars and garters

2009-05-07T08:57:00.004-04:00

Yay!

Beast from the X-Men.

If you ever have a few spare minutes, I highly suggest checking out the Library of Congress' Flickr photostream. Chock full o' history goodness and intense stares. Like Captain Poncelet, here.

atomic robo volume 3

2009-04-29T08:49:00.008-04:00

Hey kids! Atomic Robo volume 3 kicks off today with Atomic Robo and the Shadow From Beyond Time #1. Get thee to your local comic book store and pick up a copy. Atomic Robo is genuine and downright quality stuff, put together by an amazing team. You just can't go wrong. Also, Brian and Scott were kind enough to have me on board for a mini-comic in the back of this issue.

That's right, Jenkins is in it. So you know you're in for a good time.

wonder woman

2009-04-22T09:15:00.008-04:00

Diana, queen of the Amazons. Kicker of asses. Wearer of fashionable, yet practical sandals.

Finally got around to finishing this one. Turned out worlds different than what I started from, which given the fact I had left it lying around for a while, isn't surprising. The sketch was looking too 'vampy' and not at all like the Wonder Woman I would draw. She should have presence. Y'know, like she could beat the snot out of someone, but still be distinctly feminine. Girl power and all that....stuff.

Heroes: Andrew Loomis

When I was around twelve, my dad brought home a bundle of books for me from a local library sale, one of which was a well-worn copy of "Fun With a Pencil" by Andrew Loomis.

The book contained some of the best draftmanship, caricature, and studies of the human figure I had ever seen. It was published in 1940, and looking at it now, much of the content is un-PC in an almost comical way. But damn, the man could draw. You looked at his work and knew that he was a master at what he did. I admit I never really used any drawing instruction books when I was little, and that's not out of any pretentious conviction. I was more interested in trying to duplicate the finished product, so I could care less about going through any series of steps or jumping through hoops. I learn through imitation, mimicry, and my own stubbornness.

Unfortunately, to my knowledge all of Loomis' books are out of print. However, I recently discovered that some wonderful soul has scanned/made pdfs of them. It's an amazing treasure trove, so don't say I never gave ya nothin'.

Andrew Loomis book collection

wonder sketch

2009-03-28T19:19:00.011-04:00

Wonder Woman work in progress. We'll see where it goes from here...

Geek review:

The new DC animated Wonder Woman movie arrived from Netflix the other day. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I have most of the direct to dvd movies DC has been putting out lately (such as New Frontier ). In the words of a friend: "Come for the above-average animation, stay for the extreme violence." Animated comics goodness aside, it was the voice casting that earned this one major points. Keri Russell was surprisingly good as Diana, Alfred Molina was non-surprisingly a wonderfully villainous Ares, but let's face it Nathan Fillion as Steve Trevor, heck... Nathan Fillion in anything is certified good times.