And So It Begins...

As you may recall, I mentioned that I had begun looking for images of centaurs for reference for a drawing I was doing for a friend. Naturally I came across the colossal statue of Theseus and the Centaur, by Canova. It's a very striking piece, and I recommend you go look it up. Of course, I could hotlink it...but uh...I don't want a Canova masterpiece drawing away from the pale first image I did in this quickie sketch series. I'm no dummy.

A Herald

This fella was probably the harbinger of the Neo-Neo-Classical insanity that was to follow. I'd been asked by a friend to draw a centaur that he could reproduce to tag his music equipment in order to distinguish it from the ubiquitously black equipment of everyone else. So...centaurs...certainly a motif of the classical age...a little image research later, and I was up to my eyeballs in marble figures. Those to follow.

The Calm...before the Greco-Roman Storm...

A messy quickie portrait in sepia ink. As you may have noticed if you're a truly keen observer, I "blotted" (an industry term for letting loose an unintentional torrent of ink in the middle of your work) on the left eye (her left, smart guy). Some say it enhances the beauty. I'm not necessarily one of them...in case you thought I was preferential to my own work.

Greco-Romanity...

This underdeveloped quickie begins a series of drawings I did of classical and neo-classical greco-roman statues I took to drawing these last few weeks. I'm not sure what drew me to them as subject matter; however, I did discover that I enjoyed the interesting plays of light and dark on the surface of marble rather than on flesh. So, I was able to get some quality time in analyzing anatomy and structural composition while also getting to look at the human form in a different way. Sounds high-falutin', don't it?

The Moose Rider...

That's right, that's right. Once again, my quill was called to the duty of inscribing internet favorite president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. I'm quite sure you can't blame me for it. This Teddy was a warm-up for something I was working on...but I can't recall what. Sometimes, my warm-ups make sense and often coincide with whatever I'm working on. This one...uh...did not. I feel as though I need to do one of him fighting a laser shark or something...just to get my internet fame up another few points.

Blame Fuseli...

Once again, something less of a quickie, and more of a finished piece. In fact, I don't recall what started this one. It's sort of cobbled together from a variety of reference and sources. It's just...well...it is what it is. And in sepia no less...

"I said 'Good DAY!', sir!"

Guess I can't really call this one a quickie. I'd say it's rather obvious that it's somewhat more involved. At home, I've almost exclusively been using my quills. However, I have a regular drawing hangout where nibs and and ink well aren't really practical. (I've yet to find a pen that satisfactorily mimicked the action of a good flexible quill.) I have a variety of pens that I do like using, but I'd fallen out of practice with them, so I tried to get some warm up work in. I'd intended to only draw the gentleman on the right...then I figured, might as well do the fella on the right. I'd call it an artistic choice that I stopped at the middle-left gentleman...but that was the point that I ran out of steam. Still, a fairly good effort if I say so...

Per un Pugno...of sketches

A pair of li'l quickies. Quick brush pen sketch of directing great Sergio Leone. Then a parallel pen of Mark Damon. I was just trying some quick technique things out, and figured some spaghetti would do the trick.

I'll repeat myself...

You may think this is the same thing as last time. Look closely. You'll find you are mistaken. Similar. Not same.

Something Peter Falk Said About Choosing Hats...

Ignore the title, I didn't know what else to say. (But for that wonderful monologue Pete has about hats, see Wim Wenders' wonderful Wings of Desire). I've had a few discussion with artist type friends about drawing like you paint or painting like you draw. I do in a sense. But, of late in particular, I've wanted my work to be more painterly (a word I've never liked...not because of what it means but it just looks like a crappy word to describe what it means). I'm not sure what I lack in this department...I think part of it is my strong dislike of redoing things, ESPECIALLY if I'm the one that screws them up in the first place. Making a bold stroke may strongly enhance a work...or it might cause you to have to repaint a bunch of stuff...Hmm, this hurdle is high.

The General Steamboat Sherlock Jr.

Today's quickie was an all too brief tribute to the genius of Buster Keaton, who remains my favorite of the silent comedians. I still recall seeing Sunset Blvd. and hearing Buster speak his only line, "Pass." I've seen other speaking films with him since then, but there was something eerie about hearing the great Stone Face utter a sound. Perhaps it was merely eerie because it was in Sunset Blvd. Anyhow, if you've not seen at least The General, you've done yourself a great disservice.

"John, Paul, George, or Ringo?"

I did this as I was gearing up from the Alice in Wonderland Show at the Hive (My March Hare can be seen Here!). Initially I wanted to do something with the strange characters on the train from Looking Glass. Problem is, the book's been pretty well picked over for imagery. On that train, however, you never saw what the beetle beside the Goat looked like.

The King of the Jukebox...

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Louis Jordan...I couldn't have asked for more entertaining subject for this quickie.