Buttnekkiddoodles

Wintering in Chicago with a brief jaunt to NYC. The above drawing is in the Field Museum in Chicago during an outing with about 40+ Chicago based Urban Sketchers. Drawn with Faber-Castell Pitt Pens and fountain pen, plus White Pitt Pen and white China Marker.

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The chair that resembles a baseball mitt was by the Men and Women’s lavatories in the Oyster Bar beneath the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal, followed by pictures of that and police officers in the GCT lobby. The three drawings of animals are from the exquisite dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History.

I accidentally trashed this entry so I’ll attempt to reinstall it.

When I originally put this post up the Illinois legislature put a rider into  Senate Bill SB1342 that made it a felony to record on duty officers of the law without their permission. This bill had majority support in both houses from both parties. I still haven’t obtained an understanding of how broadly the term “record” will be interpreted. My personal belief is the recording of police or law officials is not a threat to their effective performance of their duties and actually serves to enhance the public and court’s understanding of conditions on the ground during police actions. This rider serves to restrain the roll of the press, the freedom of speech and the nature of informed consent necessary to have an enlightened citizenry whose job it is to elect officials, judges, representatives.

                  

    

Some of the medium used in the above drawings were:

old ledger books and diaries, Utrecht toned sketchbooks, Stillmann & Birn sketchbooks both the Alpha and Epsilon series, Seven Seas Tomoe River Paper, Moleskine watercolor sketchbooks.

a variety of fountain pens, Lamy Studio, Pelikan M215(fine, medium, and broad nibs), several Faber-Castell fps, – Ambition, Ondoro, and Graf von Faber-Castell Classic and Guilloche, Sailor 1911, Sailor brush nib! Namiki’s Vanishing Point and Falcon, and Pelikano Juniors. I fill these pens with Platinum Carbon ink, Noodler’s Ottoman Blue and Electric Eel, and several Iroshizuku inks.

White china Markers aka grease pencils, and Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens

                              

While I love drawing out in public and capturing spontaneous events, a practice that helped me when I went into court and drew the proceedings for a local media company, The environment is dynamic and shit don’t hold still. But, if you happen upon someone overcome by exhaustion or boredom, their catnap becomes your opportunity to record a very natural moment where the subject isn’t posing, self aware, tense, or twitching, given to nervous movement or distractions. They may still be restless in sleep and adjust them selves automatically for comfort sake, or stirred by dream anxiety, but, you can get several minutes of fascinating pose or expression. My usual custom applies where I take advantage of the several pens I carry so that I can go from detail to broad areas and back to specific features. Given how the paper is reacting I may use Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pens, fountain pens of which I like, Pelikan M215, Pelikano Juniors, Sailor 1911, Lamy Studio,Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche and Classics, Namiki Vanishing Point, Namiki Falcon, Saior Brush Nib fountain pen, any of which could have a fine, medium, or broad nib, the broad being my preferred. I also make use in toned paper of grease pencils aka White China Markers.

The sketch books I enjoy vary considerably and while I tend to prefer smooth or hot pressed surfaced paper I occasionally will turn to more textured pare such as water colored paper for the attributes it brings in surface and absorbency. Some of those books and pads are, Strathmore tan and grey toned hard bound sketchbooks, ledger books – those lines don’t bother me, Moleskine watercolor sketchbooks – the only Moleskines I bother with, Seven Seas River paper – great pad, lousy binding, StillmN & Birn Epsilon Series – the bound, not a fan of spirals, and A sketchbook, name unknown, that uses a renewable source called Lakota from Nepal.

Rarely if ever have I used graphite in sketchbooks for some forty years now, I have used Faber-Castell Aquarelle graphite and do like the intensity you can get in the washes of this very beautiful water soluble medium. Mostly, primarily, preferably, I use ink. Ballpoint pens were the go-to tool for years by in the last decade and a half I use brush pens or fountain pens and in those the inks I like are Platinum Carbon which sets up so you can apply washes over you line work. I also like some of the Noodlers Bulletproof inks though they release a bit depending on the paper being cellulose or not. I also like Irishuzuku inks tho they are not water proof they are gorgeous inks with lovely flow.

Shot out to the Big Apple where I took in a little action at Belmont race track. Pretty slim crowd. But enjoyed hanging with Rob & Barney-G. We dined on deli take out, whitefish salad out by the paddocks.

Following 3 drawings done in Chicago just before heading off to NYC & Portland, Oregon.

    View of Edgewater and downtown sky scrappers from my back porch during a neighborhood blackout.

Heading out from O’Hare, did the above sweep of the boarding area. I seldom seem to settle into these air terminal transit drawings.

          

While I was drawing the statue of Theodore Roosevelt in front of the Portland Museum of Art, I heard a scuffle develop behind me and turned in time to see 3 men tumble to the pavement. A couple of cops had just taken down the man depicted above in light pans and racing striped jacket. Cops came flooding into the area and grabbed and cuffed another fellow from a nearby bench.

  

The above drawing is a clear example of why I invest a little more in some drawings. The multiple light sources was so compelling and challenging and made the drawing more specific to character, time of day, mood, and an effect some landscape architects might call “light pollution”.

    

Life drawings from the Palette & Chisel 12 hour life drawing marathon.

Drawings done in Utrecht & Strathmore toned paper sketchbooks, Moleskine watercolor pad, with Pitt Artist Pens, Pelikan M215 & Visconti Rembrandt fountain pens using Platinum Carbon ink, and White China marker grease pencil.

Life drawing.

Medium: Pitt Artist Pen and white grease pencil highlights on toned Utrecht paper.

Dimensions:12″(h) x 9 1/2″(w)

Date: 1/14/13

signed: Darn

Price: $350 shipping included