Pages from yesterday. More studies from Corbis.com photos, excepting a couple obvious doodles here and there.

Sketches from today and yesterday. Started with the boxed sketches on left yesterday in order from top to bottom. Today started with the little girl in top center, then worked left to right.

All images pulled from corbis.com after a search for "portraits."

Boxed sketches from yesterday -
1:: unknown.
2:: man on bus (1974)
3:: Masai woman

Sketches from today are as follows -
1:: Tunisian Girl in traditional dress (her eyes were even larger).
2:: George Bernard Shaw
3:: Anthropologist Professor
4:: Xhosa boy at initiation
5:: Florence Pernel

bashful 'bot is bashful.

found that penciliy goodness again

Pulled out the pencils yesterday and ended up drawing the evening away while chatting with friends on Facebook. I've made worse use of my time.

ImagineFX Cover Contest

Playing around with ideas for ImagineFX's 50th cover contest. I'm approaching this a little differently than I have before in that I am using texture overlays. I'm not sure how I actually feel about it - Part of me really likes the texture that this affords the image, but the other part of me is rebelling against the idea of not having painted what I'm seeing. To make this work in my head, I am looking at this as more of an exercise in graphic design.

Overall, it's fun playing around with a technique I've not previously used. I'll post further updates as I get a long.

In other News
I'd like to give a shout out to the crew at Nth Degree Fanzine, who I have worked with on and off over the past couple of years. They are back after a bit of a hiatus and I'll be doing at least one image for their online edition in the next week or so.

Also, wanted to say "Thank You" to Ben Watson and his dad Richard for some good advice and direction the other day. I really appreciate your time!

Contemplation of the world around us

I have been in a creative funk the past few days. I dumped a lot into a project that saw absolutely no return, and consequently was very discouraged by the result. In truth, I have probably taken it a bit harder than in reality I should have. However, the resulting slump has left me with some time to think about things, and that's never a bad place to be.

During this time I have drawn or painted absolutely nothing. In a way, it feels liberating, and I have used the time to do other things around the house, which I'm sure my wife will appreciate.

A few days ago I stumbled across this article on the New York Times :: Reviving the Lost Art of Naming the World. After reading it, I was left with a strong desire to do something I normally do anyway - that is, observe the world around us. I thought about how much time we spend in front of the screen viewing the world through a filter - not truly engaged with it. When I was a child, I couldn't fathom not being out in the muck and dirt and trees and shrubs. It was my world. I remember going hiking for hours at least, the full day until sunset usually, in the Ventura foothills in California. I did a lot of trespassing in those days, but really, there was no one there to say we couldn't. I remember the chaparral, dry gullies, and rattlesnakes and lizards. Poison oak and avocado trees ... The idea of being something apart form this never even entered my mind.

Living in the North West now as I do, observing the world is still very much a part of my life. I think, to truly be an effective illustrator, and artist, it is something that we have to do. And really, I would be surprised if an artist didn't do this. Being aware of your environment, where you live, the creatures that inhabit that world - these are the seed for creativity. And if you're someone who enjoys creating new worlds, as I am, where better a place to start than in our own backyard?