Buttnekkiddoodles

Portraiture is tuff enuff and admittedly, I struggle with catching a likeness of the subject at hand. Even when I pose someone, who can hold still, and I have loads of time, I just as often run right into the ditch. I find it amusing that given an unaware subject (save the nudes scattered throughout) who may fidget, and leave at any moment, I have just as much a chance of capturing something essential about that person as I might were I to set up ideal conditions for portraying that sitter  as others might recognize them. So here is a wall of attempts to see what’s recognizable from rear and oblique views, when the person gives me little to work with. Clothing and posture may at times hinder or help convey the personality of the subject.

                                                                                   

These sketches, done in public, often in transit, where drawn on a variety of papers – Utrecht and Cachet toned papers, Clairefontaine, and a preponderance of various ledger books. Michael Kalman has turned me onto the new series of sketchbooks by Stillman & Birn.  Drawn with a variety of inks from several fountain pen inks – Iroshizuku, Platinum Carbon, Noodler’s, Diamine,  Calli, to ballpoint (especially the Bic Bold 1.6mm, also like the Pilot Ageless), gel (Uniball Impact RT)  and rollerball pens. I make heavy use of  Pitt Artist Pens. The fountain pens I enjoy working with are – Pelikan 115, Pelikano Junior, Pelikan M205 Duo, Namiki Vanishing Point, Lamy Studio, Lamy Safari, Graf vov Faber Guilloche, Graf von Faber Classic, Faber-Castell Coconut Ambition. Occasionally I like using a bristle brush pen such as the Pentel and a couple made by Kuretake and Kaimei. Not to be forgotten is my darling little Ugly Duckling, the grease pencil.

Woke early, made it downtown and into The Palette & Chisel by 7:30 AM, where I drew till 7 PM that night. Knocked out some sketching on the train to and fro as well. Opening drawing is DeLawn, hadn’t drawn him in many months. Brought a ton of stuff to draw with but wound up only using the black and grey Pitt Pens and a couple fountain pens gassed up with Platinum Carbon in my current ledger book. My figure drawing has been quite uneven as this post will bear witness to. Sorry if the images are not sharp enough. I’ve been photoraphing them with ahi-pod rather than scanning them on the hp because the ledger book is too large to fit on the scanner.   

          

   

Still fighting with artificial intelligence. Going in to the Apple Store where I hope two things happen. First, that they help upgrade my understanding and skills with this damn thing. And second, I refrain from insulting their company programmers who have added steps and inelegance to the method of editing a website. Super clumsy. I’ll accept that till further evidence that the bug brain in the works is me. I’m the dummy. Trying to get recent nude sketches and transit drawings on here but as I’ve complained for the last 3 post, it’s been frustrating. I did get advice from someone to just post to Tumblr, but I’m looking to make sales from this site one day, so I must adapt to or solve the system.

Love the paper in the ledger book I’m currently drawing in, tho the scale has pluses and minuses. Playing around with the usual suspects regarding pens and ink but something doesn’t seem tone clicking. Can’t tell if the drawings are any good. May need to throw a monkey wrench into the works and bulk up or change entirely the tools I’m using. Been attending sessions at the Palette and Chisel in anticipation of the New Year’s Day 12 hour life drawing marathon.

  

     

Visconti fountain pen w/ Platinum Carbon ink

Argo Tea

Cool Daddio readin’ the paper

problem solver

Got into a life drawing session Friday nite with mixed results. I’ll post those later. Wanted to get several quick studies of the fellow with long hair reading the paper but people kept sitting in front of me blocking my view. Still running into problems trying to get the web page to look as I wish. Graf von Faber fountain pen, Noodler’s Ottoman Blue Ink, Pitt Artist Pens, Visconti Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon Ink. Working in an old ledger book given me by Louisville Ed. Big and roomy, perhaps a bit awkward drawing in tight public spaces like a bus or the orchestra, but it’s best attribute is how impenetrable the pages are.

Caught Larry Coryell wit Paul Wertico and Larry Gray at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Terrific performance by a hopped up trio. Had a decent vantage point with enough overhead light to see what I was drawing. In the drawing on the CTA transit system, bottom right, the guy with the shaggy hair reminder me of “Shaggy” Rogers  from Scooby Doo. Fountain pen w/ Noodler’s Ottoman Blue ink, Pitt Artist Brush Pens, including a new White PAP, and white China marker. The toned paper is an older Cachet, pre Daler-Rowney buyout, sketch book that keeps a crisper edge than the toned Utrecht sketch books I make heavy use of.