Taking the weekend off

I'll look for something interesting to post for the upcoming couple of weeks, but in the meantime I'm going to take a brief break from blogging for the weekend.

Joe

A little piece of my mind...

will have a little peace of mind. Today is my last day at my current position. I've spent 4 and a half years with the two companies and previously did freelance dating back to '98. I'm excited to go off in a new venture and look forward to posting some stuff that I will be doing in the gaming (poker/keno) industry.

No art today since there was no drawing session last night. I'll dig out some stuff in the meantime and hopefully put up some new stuff.

Different POV

Same pose as yesterday only a slightly different angle and much shorter drawing time. I may like it better than yesterday's post. It's fresher in it's immediacy and that makes me feel better.

Just sittin' around

This was supposed to be a 10 minute pose but the group wanted to extend it to 15 so I moved and did a short sketch for the final drawing of the evening for me. That will be tomorrow's post. As to this drawing, it probably turned out to be the best of the night from my hand. I should have spent more time on the face but I really wanted one more sketch so...

Old pose done anew

I have a great little drawing of Amber that had a very Art Nouveau look to it that I have been chomping at the bit to do again. So I asked her to take a similar pose (of course, she had no idea what I was talking about. Probably over a year ago) but because I was in such a hurry I didn't take the time to really pose her the way I wanted. However, I kinda like this one and hope to one day have Amber take the pose the way I wanted.

A bit better

At least in my mind it is. I was in such a hurry that it was nice to calm down and do a full figure for once. It seems I do a lot of vignette type of drawings since I like to latch onto specific areas that I find interesting. I'm going to have to look at the big picture more often and try to get some finished stuff out of these sessions.

Uh...

I was going to go back and clean this one up.  Then I realized it wouldn't be a "life" drawing.  One of the purposes of these little sketches is to see the immediacy of the subject and to capture that moment.  If I were to bring it back to the studio and fix it then...  yeah, you called it.  I'm shoveling some serious BS right now.  I just didn't nail this one and I'm gonna have to own up to it.  Tomorrow's drawing is better, I promise.

A little cheating...

but I am short on drawings.  More gestures from Thursday's truncated session.

Last night at the YAM

I had to cut my session short last night due to other obligations so I'm going to stretch the gestures out a couple of days. On a better note we had Amber back last night and she did her usual great job. Thanks, A.

Finally

I feel that I finally got to the drawing I wanted all night. It's not perfect but there was so much to draw in this great pose it was pretty much a fool proof sketch. A bit heavy handed and not very polished, but still it let me feel the night wasn't a total loss.

Lost edges

I wish I had done the hair differently on not at all. But otherwise I was pretty happy with this one.

Simple and better

Just simplifying the approach and switching to charcoal from conté made this a better drawing. Maybe not my strongest effort (definitely not) but it pulled me out of my funk for the evening.

Not quite back in the groove

This one was coming along until I rushed the face in the last few seconds.  Just wasn't having a good "likeness" evening.

Still struggling

Egads, it's hard to post these.  But it is a bit cathartic to put up one's lesser efforts in order to make the point that each drawing could be the last.  

One outta two

The top piece I'm okay with, but the bottom sketch started 30 minutes of frustration.  As you'll see in the coming days.

Sara returns

My gestures of our most excellent model, Sara Wright. As always, she did a great job. I only wish that all of my drawings were good, but as the week goes on any and all who come to this little site will realize that I was not at the top (or even the middle) of my game. Sigh, this happens from time to time.

Two views

Jeff as seen through the eyes of a tired artist. As you can see by the top drawing I was getting weary so the bottom drawing reflects my state of mind. The time for beer had arrived.

Not a leg to stand on

Again with the leg?! At least I explored the hands a bit on this one.

Seated

I seemed to be inordinately drawn to drawing the legs of this model. I also like the hands, something that I'm trying to get better at. I'm happy with the rendering on this drawing if not the fact that I didn't finish the head.

Left side...

must have been his best side. It seems my eyesight couldn't focus on the right side of the figure. Oh, well, it's just a sketch.

Two for Sunday

since I was out of internet service yesterday and much of today.  More of Jeff...

Woo Hoo...

back to figure drawing. Oops, maybe not woo hoo. A bit rusty. Damn!

Please let this be the last time

I post this old stuff. We resume tonight and I'm hoping everything goes smoothly. Anyhow, some more Indy stuff from Topps. Keep your collective fingers crossed.

More from the cellar

Spent the better part of the morning loading furniture for a Canadian client. Glad that's over. (knock on wood). Here's another Topps image. There may be one or more or even all of them used before. Sue me. I'll be back to the norm on Friday (I hope).

This is how I feel today

A little stydy

Another miniature, one that garnered no interest from the two shows.  I was actually quite happy with the exaggerated features and the loose handling of the paint. Eh, such is life.

Independence Day

It's unfortunate that today has become known simply as "The Fourth of July".  It is Independence Day for a our nation, a day that should take on more importance as time goes on rather than less.  Not merely another federal holiday, nor a reason to have a three day weekend or that day when we have the fireworks (along with the three weeks before and the three weeks after that the neighbors feel it's okay to shoot off their stash at two in the morning).  Today we should count our blessings that the men who founded this country had the backbone to fight for it, to fight for us.  Foresight, not hindsight, is what made this the greatest nation on the planet.  Perhaps the simple act of remembering what this day is truly all about would go a long way in keeping America great.

My favorite Al Williamson sketch

Another that he doodled while bringing his brush to a point.  These sketches made such an impact on me that when I do work with a brush, this is how I do it as well.  The fluid lines and the posture and gesture of the figure just makes me jealous.  And inspired.

THIS is how you bring your brush to a point!!!

I watched him warming up and bringing his brush to a point by doing a beautiful little sketch. Tomorrow I'll post my favorite of the sketches I have.

Al's version of "Gladiator"

Another little sketch by the great Al Williamson.