LA Natural History Museum Sketches
January 27, 2020
I hadn’t been sketching in forever. So I asked a few of my friends to go to the Natural History Museum LA County this weekend. Continue reading “LA Natural History Museum Sketches”
Category: Drawing
Inktober 2019
October 20, 2019
Inktober is back and I’ve been trying to stay on top of creating one each day. I feel like I’m starting to get a rhythm back again drawing traditionally. Just wish I could spend more time on them. Here’s a few that I’ve liked. Continue reading “Inktober 2019”
Inktober….it’s back!
October 1, 2018
Well, how the time has flew. We are back in Oct…I mean Inktober. Continue reading “Inktober….it’s back!”
When is too much, too much?
March 26, 2018
We all know our jobs are getting more and more complex. There is an ever increasing amount of skills, training, and development needed in VFX and Animation. But when is enough, enough? Continue reading “When is too much, too much?”
Inktober begins again…
October 2, 2017
Well, Inktober begins again! This is the 3rd year I’ve done it. It’s a super fun exercise in daily drawings.
Jake Parker started it in 2009 to improve his inking skills. It’s now become a world-wide sensation.
Here are a list of this years possible ideas for each day and the basic rules.
My October 1st drawing: Lego Benny in Space
Ipad Pro – Wins!
July 3, 2017
I had an amazing surprise yesterday for my birthday. My wife, Tamiko gave me the Ipad Pro as a complete and utter shock. I thought I was only getting a traditional sketch pad and some pencils, not a new digital sketch pad!! Then my friends; Kathy, Kiyong and Teresa surprised me with getting me the Pencil! The funny thing is they didn’t tell each other what they had got. I’m still setting it up but I’m totally floored to test it more after work tomorrow!
Thank you so much…and thanks to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes! Have an amazing 4th of July everyone and be safe!!!
Ipad Pro vs Surface or neither?
June 19, 2017
I’ve used a Wacom tablet for years, and I’ve had a Cintiq for a couple years, but I just couldn’t get used to you. I’ve tried drawing with various pens before on the older Ipads, but none of them felt same as a drawing in my sketchbook or the sensitivity of a wacom stylus. Now, I’m considering either an Ipad Pro or Surface tablet. The advances in the Ipad Pro and pen or the Surface seem to finally hit the mark. For years Steve Jobs was quoted as never wanting a stylus with it’s devices, but I’m sure glad they changed their minds. The Pencil from Apple is amazing.
Hometown heroes
May 29, 2017
When we’d release a new movie, the PR dept would ask the cast for their local newspapers in order to see if anyone wanted to do a write-up for anyone on the team. This got me to thinking of my hometown and one of my local heroes, Paul Pelletier.
Composition of Outdoor Painting
January 23, 2017
Some books just rise above the others, some seemingly choose you, and some just keep coming back to you through all your years.
I was introduced to “Composition of Outdoor Painting” almost two decades ago. It still is one of my go to books of choice. The book was first printed in 1941 (now in it’s 7th printing).
Edgar Payne (1883-1947) was a gifted plein-air painter whose powerful work and impressionistic style inspired many an artist. His bold use of color and rugged landscapes captivated audiences. He was one of the first artists to illuminate the Sierras and the Southwest.
I was lucky to see a traveling show of a large body of his work: Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey in Pasadena several years ago. The link above is a retrospective book of his work and was printed to coincide with the show. The printing is top notch, but I have to admit seeing the originals are simply sublime.
Here is a nice retrospective video on Edgar Payne
Payne wrote his book at the latter part of his life and gives us a wonderful insight in his thought process and painting language. It is filled with pages and pages of thumbnails for compositions and his suggestions for what makes a “good” composition.
I simply love his line work and simplicity of his design of composition (which is not simple at all). His dated prose style may not be for all readers, but there is a certain tone to it that I rather enjoy. The book is filled with designs and compositional instruction that any artist will devour. Whenever I am at a loss at a composition, I am always drawn back to this excellent book for some help.
“Originality is but old thoughts made over.”
-E.A.P.
Well, it’s Inktober…I mean October
October 3, 2016
Every October for 31 days artists take to the challenge in completing 1 ink drawing a day. Inktober was started in 2009 by Jake Parker. Since that time it’s blossomed into a ritual for artists to shake off the dust from their pens, brushes, and quills.
I took part in it last year. It was a lot of fun and a challenge to crank out a drawing a day (every day). What I think is the best part of this challenge is forcing consistency. Imagine if we were able to pick anything from our lives and focus on it every day (even if only for a month).
The rules are simple:
1) Make a drawing in ink (you can do a pencil under-drawing if you want).
2) Post it online
3) Hashtag it with #inktober and #inktober2016
4) Repeat
Jake has a cheat sheet of ideas for 2016 if you would like an idea to work with each day:
