Monthly Archives: November 2011

The Entomologist

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This sketch started off as a rocking alligator in a public park. You know, the ones with the giant spring underneath. You can kind of see it in the creatures snout. It seems a bit too big, and truthfully, it is. I am just so grateful to have such wild ideas running through my head. Further proof that God wants me to be happy.

As I mentioned before, this started life as a child’s play toy and grew from there. This is a big drawing by my standards. It is approximately eleven inches by fourteen inches. I kept the sketch loose in the beginning and what I found was I am able to really experiment with the lines. The cargo is a great example of what can happen when I can really open up and play.

Pugly

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When Stephanie and I were first married, she had a Pug. I would wash that dog, and in a matter of a day, it would smell like a rotting carcass all over again. It had a bad hip, so it walked on three legs, even after hundreds of dollars of surgery, bad eyes and respiratory issues, so it got snot on everything it smelled or layed on.

God, I loved that dog.

I used the eraser to “draw” in the highlights. I wanted to create the illusion of fur on the dog’s head. I used the backdrop in this sketch a bit differently. By using the oval shape, I was able to round the corners on the background and create a more intimate setting. I will use this technique again.

The Wensleys

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If you’re curious as to what the family looks like, well, here they are. This is as far as I’ve gotten to date. I would love to give them names and stories soon.

Wensley Mfg. Co. Don’t plan for “if”…plan for Wensley.

I was going to put a W in each of the medallions, but I felt it might be a bit much.

I didn’t do the third step of putting the dark lines in this time. I wanted to leave out some detail and make it look more like a tintype.

Wensley 88

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I can really appreciate the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. Especially, the ones that depict machines that won’t be built for hundreds of years. He was truly a renaissance man.

I am talking with a friend of mine about building a Wensley something-or other. It doesn’t have to do anything but look neat and have moving parts, powered by a motor system of any kind, even human. Wensley is my made up company name from another world. They make everything from electro-shock-socks to coat hangers. The logo is the “W” you see above. I think I may have borrowed it from Wonka.

Swamp Study II

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This is what I have been working on today. I wanted to show what the scene looks like “put together”.

My house has been taken over by pre-teen boys, therefore, my entry will be truncated due to the overwhelming desire to play Minecraft. Unfortunately, this is the best computer to play on and I don’t really have the strength to argue.

Croc

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When I was younger, my family would vacation in Myrtle Beach every year. Part of the routine was to go feed “Ally the Alligator”. No kidding, we would go to this park and walk up and feed alligators. We’d throw pieces of bread in their mouths and watch them clamp shut. What the hell were my parents thinking? We have video footage of it.

Flash again. Since the time I have been drawing every day, I have seen my techniques change and develop. I am really surprised how much I rely on those techniques developed, while drawing, in everything I create. Drawing every day is the gift I give myself and it gives me so much back.

 

Swamp study

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This is what I’ve been working on today. Not really a sketch, but it’s from my head and hands, so it qualifies. There will be a lot going on in the center of the image. I am developing some animal characters for it as well.

This is Flash. I use it mostly for animations and such. The graphics were created in it. If you think my stuff is good, Tim Hynes has perfected the skill of vector graphic creation in Flash. Here are some prime examples; Drum, Comic, Lunchbox and Helmet.

Rucker 13

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This is an idea I have. I created it as a Steampunk motorcycle, but it turned out to be more Art Deco than anything. The sketch is a rare glimpse into my pocket sketchbook. Not because it’s a mysterious enigmatic repository for my deepest secrets, but more because I usually draw at my desk or in my larger sketchpad. I carry the pocket sketchpad just in case I have an idea. It’s also a place to park quotes I find interesting and my grocery list.

I enjoy drawing mechanical objects a lot. I like to imagine how systems fit together and what they look like. In this case, I was more concerned with the systems than the overall look (hence, Art Deco vs. Steampunk).