Buttnekkiddoodles

This may appear as a quiet moment, in which a gentleman enjoys a beverage in a reflective manner. He, we, sat in the largest coffee cafe,  four stories of previously mentioned but unnamed corporate chain cafe, worldwide. Long lines of caffeine hounds queued for their turn a one of several baristas on each floor. A similar wait ensued for their order and the possibility of a place where they might sit to enjoy same. I hurried to capture him, and let go an attempt at including his friends that I may yield my much desired chair to a person hoping to join his friends.
Drawn with a fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Clairefontaine Goldline Watercolour sketchbook. Once I got home I added the text with a new ink. The appropriately named Antietam by Noodlers. Antietam of course being the day September 17, 2862, during our Civil War, when the largest loss of American lives in a single day occurred, 22,717 killed, wounded or missing.

 
At North & Wells in Chicago, sits a coffee house that has been the site for an avid if not rabid coterie of chess….enthusiasts? practitioners? maniacs? nuts? That’s it. Chessnuts. Almost exclusively males who exhibit a wide array of styles. Some are the cool, collected strategists. Some chatter continually. Boastful at times. Some get very demonstrative, oozing complaints and protestations most commonly during the raid paced games where a clock is involved and moves are made within a few seconds.
  
One cat in particular catches my eye in part because he wears a yellow fedora, brim up, and pull down such that his eyes are hidden beneath the wave of his hat with gaze riveted to the maneuvering on the board.

Wagering occasionally takes place, and tempers are raised with contestants parting in a huff, the extended handshake ignored,   but matches often appeared collegial with the appeal of the game and social interaction the primary payoff.

Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Clairefontaine Goldline Watercolour paper.

 
Wel, well, well. I had been truly saddened by Faber-Castell’s decision to discontinue the Big Brush Pitt Artist Pens. I raised a fuss. Actually contacting the company to share my thoughts about losing a tool I regarded as essential in my array of drawing gear. Capable of laying down a broader swath of pigmented ink, it not only provided greater, faster coverage than the original Pitt Artist Pen, a tool those of you familiar with my work know I cherish, but a much wetter stroke that was then easily smudged, wiped, smeared and blotter before it dried and then became waterproof. I was….well, I was pissed!!
But, I think it was clear a large brush was crucial in filling more page and working live in dynamic settings. When I’m in a hurry and drawing a scene that could change, I need the efficiency of laying down lots of tone, color and including my fingers to get as much texture and descriptive marks as possible.
so Faber-Csstell has come out with a Dual Nib Marker. As you see in these photos, one end has the big brush I referred to and a new, .8mm nib. Shown next to the PAP medium nib which is a .7mm nib, the .8mm gives a strong line which is a good compliment to the flexible big brush.

Looking closely at the two scans of the masked woman in the blue coat, drawn while I was on the bus with her, you can clearly see not only do I use different size nibs,a medium fountain pen nib, a 1.5 bullet nib PAP, a regular brush nib PAP, but also a Big Brush nib. On her coat I’ve even put to use an Ice Blue #148 on the collar, and the Sky Blue #146 for the folds and the main parts of the coat with successive lays to deepen the hue. In addition I use my fingers to smear and blot wet pigment as evidenced on her ball cap and the shadow behind her hair bun. On her cheeks and on her hat fingerprints create micro hatched. Those were easily added by sweeping my thumb across the bigger brush nib then quickly stamping the page.

 
In the lower left corner of the above page is a sketch I did while watching a YouTube video interview. My principal tool was a Faber-Castell .5mm Warm Grey IV Pitt Artist Pen. See how many individual strokes I had to use, and how many times I had to keep going over some areas to fill in and darken areas such as her cheeks, eye sockets and hair. Resembling a #2 graphite pencil in value and hue, it took a lot of work to build up the image. Again, all while she was, listening, smiling and talking. I finally went over the hair with a Warm Grey V PAP which helped deepen the value and solidify her hair.
One little detail to note: the few Dark Naples Ochre you see that were my initial lines to minimally lay in her proportions.

Recent addition to my friends family, this silver canine is chalk full of appeal. And how about those jaw muscles? ‘At little bugger ever sink his teeth into ya, the vice clench of death could mean he becomes a permanent appendage. Fortunately, he’s easy to rationalize with and quite the cuddle bunny. Don’t tell him I called him a bunny. Mr. Tovy.
Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn sketchbook.

 
Sometimes a drawing just doesn’t seem compelling, or finished, or is enough of a disappointment that you just want to go back into it. A self portrait I did bugged the hell outta me and then, as I sat down to have lunch, I was looking over recent work, including the aforementioned selfie when my lunch arrived. The grilled salmon. I had also been looking a friend’s drawing of a captured warrior who would surely be tortured. The rest just fell together or conjoined.

 
Drawn with fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on a Stillman & Birn sketchbook.