I’ve been drawing upon various themes lately in my sketchbook, one of which is “pretty girls.” It’s not an unpopular subject among cartoonists and illustrators, in case you haven’t noticed, but it’s certainly a worthwhile one. That is, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s fun to study different types of women or qualities that I find attractive and try to translate that to a (at least somewhat) pushed, cartoony sort of character that still comes off as pretty or sexy somehow. It’s a subjective process. What it is that makes a person attractive can be an elusive sort of thing. It’s not always in the details, and there is no single type that best exemplifies beauty. I’ve mostly been exploring petite types and models or young women. Typical, but hey, that’s what I’m drawn to at the moment and that’s what I’m exploring. Beauty is personified in all kinds of people.
Of course, all that egalitarian sort of talk aside, the most important pretty girl in the world is my fiancée, Jamie. Here’s a drawing of her.
Here’s a noir guy for you. That slightly goofy rumpled detective who comes off as nothing but cool, due to his calm confidence, charisma, and cleverness (pardon the aliteration).
To celebrate Pi Day, here’s a very “edutaining” piece on the mathematical constant:
I came across this video from comedy duo Hard N’ Phirm (video by Keith Schofield), oh, about a year or two ago, and I thought it possessed a kind of genius. I still do. Parents, shield your child’s ears from the section at about 2:00 through 2:40. Although, if they watch television or listen to popular music, they’ve probably heard it all before anyway.
One interesting and oft-commented aspect of the song by Hard N’ Phirm is that it is exactly 3 minutes, fourteen seconds (3:14) in length.
What is this obsession with numbers? Madness and superstition, I tell you, and it will not end well!!!!!
I just came across this great archive of interview videos with Jules Engel, “Golden Era” Disney employee, UPA co-founder, and founding director of Experimental Animation at CalArts. He taught Christine Panushka, who would later become head of that same department. I had the privilege to study under Christine when I was 16 and attending the Animation program at California State Summer School for the Arts (at CalArts).
Some of Engel’s other students include John Lasseter, Henry Selick, Tim Burton, and Glen Keane, among many others.
I looked up the weather at around 5:30pm. “76°, feels like 76°.” I set up the mini-Weber on my front steps and at around sunset, I lit the coals and took these pixelly photos. In the dark, I grilled artichokes, short ribs, and chicken breast while sipping Sapporo from a glass. It feels like summer has begun here in Los Angeles. Here, there is no spring. Maybe it will rain again. Maybe not. There are only two seasons, really. Summer and Rain. Slumlords roof their buildings with Scotch tape and construction paper and pray for global warming to come faster. At least for today, the air feels sweet and light, the smoke wets my appetite, and this dusty little corner emulates perfection.
Okay, so this post does not contain a comic strip/page like I said it might, but I had to post these car sketches. I happened upon the old Caddie yesterday and the Model A today. That’s some good luck in carspotting! The owner of the Model A told me about an upcoming car show. On Feb 23rd at Huntington Beach High School, there is a show of 1967 and earlier VW Busses. This is pretty much my fantasy car. Might be fun to attend. We’ll see if I can get my butt out there, though.
This is a sketch based on the crazy lady I recently met at my local diner. Maybe I’ll tell the story of our conversation in my comics at some point. I’m working on the first page/episode of my comics series now. It ain’t much, but it’s a start. Anyway, enjoy this sketch for the time being. Maybe my next post will be a comic! How about that?
I know I’m a total dweeb for saying this, but I’m excited that Lost is back. Sure, they treat each episode like a carrot on a string, and I’d be harder pressed to explain Lost to someone than I would Quantum Physics. But I guess, kind of like a longer length novel, I’ve grown attached to these characters and the character of the island. I love the imaginativeness of the show and the mystery and I love seeing how they can twist and spin it out even farther. Despite a frequent lack of answers, some corniness, a mishandling of extras/incidental characters, and plot lines that at times just never lead anywhere, Lost’s makers have one great skill and that is to create something compelling. I actually get kind of giddy when I remember Lost will be on later that evening. I’ll pop some popcorn and get glued to the set.
On Monday, Jan. 21st, MLK day, it was rainy and cold. I didn’t have anything planned for this day. No coffee dates, no lunches, no meetings. And I was trying to fill my time in San Francisco, doing creatively inspiring things. Sketching, meeting sketchers, looking at art, meeting people in Bay Area animation. I needed to find something to do to keep the juices flowing. This would’ve been a good day to go to the Cartoon Art Museum. I wanted to see the Mary Blair exhibit they had showing there. Alas, the Cartoon Art Museum is closed on Mondays. In fact, it seemed most museums are/were closed on Mondays. So I just decided to get out to the café and huddle over a glorious coffee and my sketchbook. Ritual Coffee was calling my name. I drove out to the spot at 1026 Valencia. It was crowded. I shared a table with someone. My latté arrived and it was indeed glorious, with its lovely “Rosetta” made of coffee crema and foam. I pulled out my drawing materials and I decided to play with inks today. No smudged or smeared graphite, no losing of the line when I go in with watercolor, no erasing. I used a #0 Rapidograph technical pen and Kuretake brush pen and I stuck with smooth, plate-finish papers that the ink would glide onto nicely. First, in a Moleskine Sketchbook and then on a pad of smooth Bristol. Both surfaces are a joy to ink on and the Bristol takes watercolor okay. I also dedicated myself to drawing people on this day. Really, that’s about all there was to draw in this place, anyway. Lots and lots of people in various sizes, shapes, and fashions. This was a really great place to observe and sketch.
I went to my local polling place today and cast my vote in the ‘08 primary election. My neighborhood polling place seems to be in a different location every time. Once it was in a barbershop on Pico called “The Headmaster.” This time around it was in someone’s junky old garage. It smelled musty, it was loaded with different kinds of weird junk and what space was left over had everyone just short of being shoulder-to-shoulder. One of the funniest parts, though, was this sign hanging outside the door. Now, you’d think they could maybe take this down on election day. I mean, what kind of message is this sending to potential voters?
In case you can’t make it out, the hand-painted portion of the sign reads:
DO NOT DISTURB!!!
YOU AIN’T BEEN
COMING BY
DONT START NOW
I’m a Story Artist and Illustrator living in Los Angeles with my wife, daughter, and three cats.
In my earliest memory, I am drawing a picture. Three decades later, the picture is still being drawn. It’s one I never want to finish.
On Monday, Jan. 21st, MLK day, it was rainy and cold. I didn’t have anything planned for this day. No coffee dates, no lunches, no meetings. And I was trying to fill my time in San Francisco, doing creatively inspiring things. Sketching, meeting sketchers, looking at art, meeting people in Bay Area animation. I needed to find something to do to keep the juices flowing. This would’ve been a good day to go to the Cartoon Art Museum. I wanted to see the Mary Blair exhibit they had showing there. Alas, the Cartoon Art Museum is closed on Mondays. In fact, it seemed most museums are/were closed on Mondays. So I just decided to get out to the café and huddle over a glorious coffee and my sketchbook. Ritual Coffee was calling my name. I drove out to the spot at 1026 Valencia. It was crowded. I shared a table with someone. My latté arrived and it was indeed glorious, with its lovely “Rosetta” made of coffee crema and foam. I pulled out my drawing materials and I decided to play with inks today. No smudged or smeared graphite, no losing of the line when I go in with watercolor, no erasing. I used a #0 Rapidograph technical pen and Kuretake brush pen and I stuck with smooth, plate-finish papers that the ink would glide onto nicely. First, in a Moleskine Sketchbook and then on a pad of smooth Bristol. Both surfaces are a joy to ink on and the Bristol takes watercolor okay. I also dedicated myself to drawing people on this day. Really, that’s about all there was to draw in this place, anyway. Lots and lots of people in various sizes, shapes, and fashions. This was a really great place to observe and sketch.
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