Ann Margret Monday

Ann Margret - digital sketch

I've always had a crush on girls with that 50's pinup look. Like a Gil Elvgren Painting. Ann Margret, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dawn Wells and Diane Dixon all have that perky radiance that I don't see enough of these days.

This one started out a lot weirder than it ended up (see below), it had some creepy large eyes, but in the end I just wanted to see if I could pull off a cute, pinup style image.

Progress shots of the portrait - click to view larger

The view from the couch

Here are a couple sketches done on the laptop during movie time.

First one is Stephanie with Mofo, watching crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

This next one was from some adult sharing site where people upload sassy pictures of themselves and their partners, I just couldn't resist drawing that face. As I drew this on the laptop I was watching Predator on VHS, and then "Tower Heist" (which is okay, sort of a light hearted Ocean's 11 with an ensemble cast of big names, including Matthew Broderick in a scene that evokes Ferris Bueller.)

Filamanders feel it all

Allow me to introduce you to the most sensitive animal that ever existed; the Filamander. Unique among the animal kingdom, this tetrapod is as closely related to Mammals and Mollusks as it is to Lizards and Amphibians but it has no tail. What is most significant about the Filamander though is the arsenal of sensory organs it possesses. Its visual system relies partly on its skin to help interpret the world around it through the use of Photochromatophores. Similar to chameleon skin in structure, its function however is to provide visual information from the electromagnetic and ultraviolet spectrum, as well as thermal vision. Its wide flat head functions with a hybrid of radar, sonar, and harmonic echolocation. All this makes it an incredibly efficient hunter that is able to locate tasty worms and insects that may be hiding underground. It also proves quite effective for mating, with males understanding with great acuity what females are feeling and understanding exactly the precise moment to fertilize.

Self-Portrait

It's been a while since I've done a regular, boring old traditional self portrait that wasn't part of some other narrative type painting.  I also wanted to try drawing from observation on the computer which I hadn't really tried yet. It has always seemed a little counter-intuitive to me to draw something as fluid and organic as life drawing or landscapes on the computer, but after doing this I can see how versatile and useful it would be. If you look at the different stages of the portrait below you'll notice how proportions and colors are much easier to change when it's a digital file, not to mention how much quicker it goes (around 2 hours). 



click to view larger.





click to view larger.



Various Foxes

Been busy lately, lots of projects and exhibits are finding their way to me which is wonderful and I hope it keeps up.   But while that stuff is in the works here are some other things I've been having fun with. 

I drew this while watching the Planet Earth series on DVD.

The "bee-ZAR Tibetan Fox" as David Attenborough describes him.

Had to start a new sketchbook since I filled my other one, this was the first entry.

..and the figure studies continue... These are a great thing to keep yourself painting while waiting for someone to respond to you about a project.


"The undeniable joy of being alive" Oil on Bristol 17" x 11"
click on image to view larger




foot detail - I'm gonna learn how to draw feet if it kills me

Did you ever make something and then forget that you made it?  Or somehow convince yourself that you are doing something "just this once"?  It's a miracle of the human mind that we can engage in a certain type of behavior under certain conditions that we would otherwise avoid.  For me I tend to forget about many of the things I've made if I don't see them after I made them. Such is the case with these full rear view figure studies.  Each time I've told myself "I'm just going to paint one from behind in a provocative pose just this once to get it out of my system."  Then I paint it, stuff it away with the other paintings and forget that I've made it. After finishing the painting above it occured to me I'd been here before....4 times now in the past couple months apparently, see below.