Buttnekkiddoodles

Some 18-19 years ago, I worked as an illustrator for a classical music label and drew scores of drawings of composers. Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Verdi, Rossini, and gobs more. I don’t think I’m that grand at portraiture and that even less of my skill at it back then; but hey, I landed the gig and got paid to get better. So I’ve gone back into my collection and have reworked some of them

Sibelius was one of the earliest assignments I had. The second and third from the left were from those days. The others were recently added.

Drawn on ledgerbook paper, composition sheets with ballpoint, fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens.

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 I enjoy watching people at work. Over the last dozen years or so of going to life drawing sessions, I’ve turned my attention to the artists as they ply their craft. While not completely still, their movements are generally gradual enough to catch the gist of their posture with the added challenge of frequent adjustments. An artist standing at an easel may back off with some frequency but even those seated upon the bench know as a horse might need to shift to relieve pressure or numbness. I draw with ink so should the artist move significantly I either begin a second drawing or incorporate the new position right on top of the drawing in progress in the manner of pentimento. I’ve dropped into life drawing sessions across the country, but the primary place I work on my nude figure drawing chops is the venerated Palette & Chisel.  Some of these artists I’ve worked alongside for years such as my friend Misha, who hails from Minsk, Bielorussia where he studied art as a young man. A wonderful subject in his own right he is very dogged in his approach taking glimpse at the figure before working with a long practiced surety. Others rapidly look back and forth between page and subject. One in particular, Bodo, very actively tilts his head left to right while quickly looking up and down and working alternately on different sections of anatomy making him one of the more challenging to capture a likeness of. Mary Qian, seen in baseball cap and in the final drawing, frequently looks thru a pair of binoculars to help her with detail.

 U7    

Medium used: Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens, various Fountain Pens, Platinum Carbon Ink, deAtrementis Ink, Pentel Brush Pen, Tomoe River Paper, Hahnemühle sketchbooks, repurposed ledgerbooks, Stillman & Birn sketchbooks,

Going to life drawing means that unlike a great deal of sketching I do out in public, on trains, in cafes, and among people just going about their day; my subject may actually hold still for a known amount of time. That said, I still dig drawing the constantly moving artist, even if their movements are slight and return to a similar position.


  

In the cold grey of winter it’s appealing to work from nudes modeling the warm glow of the flesh.

Drawn with fountain pen, Platinum Carbon Ink, F-C Pitt Artist Pens on Tomoe River Paper. The last 2 were drawn with graphite. » Continue Reading…

I had the honor and the pleasure to be asked by Bruce Velick , owner of Winnow gallery in Santa Fe, NM to help raise funds for the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. The event was held just a couple blocks from the main plaza in old town Santa Fe at Winnow on July 6&7. The SFAS held an on-site mobile adoption on Friday July 6 during which two dogs were adopted.

Calico Jack, seen above, was one of the dogs up for adoption. As seen in the photo above, CJ and his female mate had a run in with a porcupine which got to close to their litter of puppies. CJ and the female receive about 100 quills between them which were removed by the doctors at the SFAS hospital. The puppies were not hurt. The family who owned these dogs, an Australian herding breed known as Blue Heelers, were not very engaged with raising the dogs and after the porcupine run in gave them up for adoption. Three weeks after they were brought to the shelter I got meet Jack who was  by then healed and his socializing was coming along very nicely. I spent about 25 minutes alone with Calico Jack in a “cuddle room” at the shelter where I played with him and drew him. He is seen in the sketch below but trust me, he didn’t hold that pose for long. I got my face licked, gave him some treats and did my best to add to the drawing all the while. Sweet and smart and eager to please, CJ was adopted Friday at Winnow gallery by Sam. The puppies were almost immediately adopted after arriving at the shelter ath the mother of the liter will go up for adoption soon.

Above, Calico Jack prepares to head off with his new pal Sam as Alex of SFAS completes the paperwork. A good day indeed.

Drawings were executed with Pitt Artist Pens and various fountain pens filled with Platinum Carbon ink.