Alien Astral Projection

An alien astronaut caught in the act of astral projection. At least that's what I kept thinking it turned out to be. I call this one impulsive, but it was done bit by bit over a few days, during minute long breaks over  work activities. The impulse was to keep doodling something even though I was really busy. At first a pencil doodle with just that funky helmeted astronaut, I was in the "artsy" doodle mood. The left page done, I thought of those artists that use the page spread on their sketchbooks. This time it was my mini-moleskine, which has been getting plenty of use due to its portability. The right page followed, and the astral projection idea started. A this point, some 2 days ago, I decided to ink it, just to get some brushpen ink time in, and then it just evolved into this dark ink "party". Got some art time from it, picking at it during the busy day. And I tell you, I was really busy for this to take so long. At least the last inking session didn't take so much time, though I went over some of it because I had started with a fine point "Sharpie", and I don't like the ink from those. Brushpen and PITT pens were used in the end. Hope you like this spacey and impulsive idea. Not my usual style, all "designy" and "moleskine-doodley". Having fun with the adjectives. Oh well. Hope you liked it!

Walking Sketches 18FEB12

Today we had some of my daughter's cousins over, while their mothers visited. They were kind of restless, so we went to the park to vent some energy running around, and socializing. Of course, I brought my mini sketchbook with me, sensing a good opportunity to get some quick drawing done.
We didn't stay too long, but the fact that my daughter was entertained with her cousins freed my attention enough to get some exercise walking around, and to get some impressions down from the folks and things I saw while I was there. These on the left are rather quick shots. Clockwise from top left: A girl walking on the sidewalk, checking her cell phone (so many folks stuck looking at the little screens these days, but that's no surprise). In the middle, a little girl, towing her little brother on her toy wagon. Good old Radio Flyer, it was. Some basketball player stopping his game to text. A man and his bicycle riding toddler, looking to the side at some other activity. My daughter swinging happily on the swing set, and that same couple of kids with the wagon on their way out of the park.

I stopped my walking for a while, so I could stretch my legs on a tree stump along the walkway. The pattern in the tree trunk said "draw me", and I thought it was a good idea to try something more complicated, at least while I was stretching out. I started outlining it, and then said, the heck with it... lets go at it a bit painterly. Even with a little pencil stub (I couldn't find any decent ones in my bag) it was fun to go from outlining to just shading values out. The texture was so complicated, with mold, and bark in different stages of decomposition, that I had to look at it a bit more like a whole, thinking in terms of light and dark. This helped out a lot. At first, my drawing didn't look anything like a tree stump, but once the values were more or less in place, I could work on a bit of detail, and fill in the voids. It actually looks like a tree stump now.
Well, that's it for this one. Hope you liked it. Thanks for dropping by.

Walking Sketches 18FEB12

Today we had some of my daughter's cousins over, while their mothers visited. They were kind of restless, so we went to the park to vent some energy running around, and socializing. Of course, I brought my mini sketchbook with me, sensing a good opportunity to get some quick drawing done.
We didn't stay too long, but the fact that my daughter was entertained with her cousins freed my attention enough to get some exercise walking around, and to get some impressions down from the folks and things I saw while I was there. These on the left are rather quick shots. Clockwise from top left: A girl walking on the sidewalk, checking her cell phone (so many folks stuck looking at the little screens these days, but that's no surprise). In the middle, a little girl, towing her little brother on her toy wagon. Good old Radio Flyer, it was. Some basketball player stopping his game to text. A man and his bicycle riding toddler, looking to the side at some other activity. My daughter swinging happily on the swing set, and that same couple of kids with the wagon on their way out of the park.

I stopped my walking for a while, so I could stretch my legs on a tree stump along the walkway. The pattern in the tree trunk said "draw me", and I thought it was a good idea to try something more complicated, at least while I was stretching out. I started outlining it, and then said, the heck with it... lets go at it a bit painterly. Even with a little pencil stub (I couldn't find any decent ones in my bag) it was fun to go from outlining to just shading values out. The texture was so complicated, with mold, and bark in different stages of decomposition, that I had to look at it a bit more like a whole, thinking in terms of light and dark. This helped out a lot. At first, my drawing didn't look anything like a tree stump, but once the values were more or less in place, I could work on a bit of detail, and fill in the voids. It actually looks like a tree stump now.
Well, that's it for this one. Hope you liked it. Thanks for dropping by.

Shopping Nun

As I went about quick errands yesterday, I spotted this nun at a local supermarket. Mini sketchbook at hand, I quickly roughed this strange visage, with all due respect, of course ;). Obviously, I worked it over once I got home. Given old nun traditions, I think this nice lady was wearing most antique garb. The sketch doesn't give her justice, due to the quick "capture" time I had. Almost everything she was wearing was of the blackest black color, pristine, and well cared for. There was even lace, but one can't bee to careful trying to look closer at your quick sketch subjects, so some of the details were not captured. Her face deserved a study. The shading, well, I'm sure, its not too close to the truth, but I had to improvise. The black of the cloth was deep. She seemed a happy retired nun going about some grocery shopping, gliding along with her shopping cart. Smile on her face all the time.

It was worth a photo, but I didn't see an opportunity that wouldn't call attention at the time. So there you have it. Thank you nice nun. You were a great sketch subject. And thank you, viewers, for stopping by.

Walking Sketches

I've been lucky today. Even having lots of work to do, I was able to draw a couple of things. The trick is grabbing the moment. Time is precious, and there's always something pulling you this way and that. This afternoon I took my daughter for a short scooter jaunt around the neighborhood. I also took a tiny moleskine sketchbook I had neglected for some time. I was able to draw a few doodles while keeping track of my wandering charge. We both got a little exercise, and I got to sketch at the same time. Impulsive, or obsessive? I don't care. Any art time is a good time. Thanks for dropping by.

Robots in my Notebook

I drew some robots while at work. When someone is multitasking while working with you, doodling while waiting for their attention is not rude, is it? I don't think so. Office ink pen on lined paper doesn't look so bad after all, especially when I'm having drawing withdrawals. Quick short lines. I kind of like these guys. What do you think? Thanks for dropping by, and remember to have a great art time!