Buttnekkiddoodles

Slowly coming out of the winter, tho I know in this part of the country it’s a big tease.

       

What am I to do if I don’t loiter? Some artists comment,”You draw so fast!”. But if they watched me, they’d observe I’m anything but a blur. I may use techniques that achieve great effect, and I prefer to say I draw fluidly, but, it ain’t speed. Decisiveness rules the day. But, it still takes time. And, if your subject seems to be comfortable and settled into what they’re doing, enjoy what you’re doing. Slow down a bit, look more deliberately.

Perhaps it’s that I draw in ink and with pigmented pens, and use multiple nib sizes and brush nibs that cover rapidly. It might also have to do with not sketching in pencil first then switching to ink or paint. Once warmed up I might get to final contours and tones early in the process. Still, if you’re going to adorn a dress with flowers, or convincingly portray a head full of curly locks and beard stubble, time flows on, and easily enough, you’ve spent 20-30 minutes trying to capture a citizen enjoying a book while sipping away at a beverage.

I see the following tools used in the above drawings: various fountain pens, Pitt Artist Pens, white grease pencils (aka White China Markers) and White Big Brush Pitt Artist Pen. Papers would be: Strathmore toned paper, Yasutomo, Utrecht toned paper, Cachet Eartbound, different ledger books, Tomoe River Paper.

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.

 

This image was deleted last summer in a hurried and ill considered attempt to lighten the load on an old computer that was huffin’ and puffin’ to keep up. This is the drawing for a tattoo that my dear friend Lisa is now sporting on her upper right arm. The drawing was done with Pitt Artist Pens  on Utrecht toned paper.

Back at the Palette & Chisel where I drew Anne sporting a new hairdo. You may have seen her, a model I’ve drawn several time (refer to posts “Sprints and Longer Poses” and “Nudes from the Past Month” where she can be seen with her signature Page Boy cut. A very good model, imaginative poses and really clear definition of muscles. She brings a very bright personality and baked goods. Drawn with Pitt Artist Pens and white China marker on recycled Utrecht paper.

The above drawings are from the tremendous show of WWII posters at the Art Institute of Chicago “Windows On The War”. Go on line and check out the large format, stenciled prints by the Soviet print collective TASS. I got stopped from sketching in the galleries by the guards who informed me of a sign I had walked right by without noticing that precludes tripods, flash photography, and sketching. I’ll make an effort to secure permission next week to do so but I’m not holding my breath. I guess it’s largely for insurance reasons but it’s gotten to be more of a pain in the ass trying to draw in some museums.

The blue ink is largely Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron though I make some use of Pitt Artist Brush Pens.