Redtail

I've got a pretty grandiose painting on the drawing board and it includes airplanes. As I was going about the planning stages of this project I realized it's been about a decade since I've last tried to paint airplanes. I thought I would be in my best interest to see if I could even do so convincingly before committing to a large-scale endeavor. Sitting down at the easel for about an hour netted me this little painting; it's nothing to write home about, but I think it's a success. I'll have more to share with you good folks in the future.

Oil on (oil-primed) cotton canvas. 12" x 4 1/4"

Desolation Road

Last year I read this book. I thought it was weird, especially at the beginning and at the end, but it was good. At the time I remember thinking that I wanted to take a crack at a cover image. As life tends to, things got in the way, and the project got shuffled to the back burner. Thankfully there was something about it that just stuck with me and, after a lot longer than I care to admit, I finally got around to making a painting happen.

The next few weeks are going to be pretty hectic for me, but I think a calm period is in sight. There are some pretty big projects brewing on that horizon, and I'm filled with excitement at the thought of what's to come.

Oil on linen. 22" x 32".

Bamf!

A few weeks ago I jotted out some X-men inspired thumbnails and then kind of abandoned them. (They're thumbnails, it happens.) In a lull between projects I decided to flesh one of them out and further my exploration of a new pencil. It's quick and dirty, but I like the direction it's leading me in. More to come -- I hope!

Pencil and quick digital color.

Ugly Mug Mondays! #15

Just a quickie for Ugly Mug Monday! this week. There's a lot of real work that I should be focusing on, but all work and no play causes Jack Nicholson (and myself) to go insane and try to murder his family.

I feel I took it too far and over-worked it, but that's how it goes. I wish pencil were as facile as paint can be. Oh well.

Pencil on bristol. 2.5" x 3.5"

Rock Out with Your Spout Out

When I was in school I took a class in the sculpture department. After the midterm he split us into two groups: the first group simply had to make the best sculpture they could, but only one piece; the second group had to make 100 lbs. worth of sculptures. Six weeks passed and the final critique was upon us. The sculptures were displayed around the room, and do you know what was immediately apparent? The work of the kids in the second group was far superior to the work of the kids in the first group, and here's why:

The kids in the first group sat around and planned, and sketched, and worried, and fretted about what would make "the best sculpture ever". They did more thinking than doing, and talk is cheap. The kids in the second group would make a sculpture, and then they'd have to make another one. And another one. And another one. And, you guessed it, another one. By doing so they learned what didn't work and transferred the knowledge to the next piece.

The message was simple: you learn to do by doing; not by thinking; not by planning; not by scheming -- by doing. That's the point behind these 10-minute paintings. If you want to learn a lot about painting (or drawing, or sculpting, or seeing), then I'd highly recommend you give this a shot. I've learned a lot so far, and I can't wait to see what I learn in the future!

Each square is about 4" x 4". Oil on illustration board.

P.S.
The story about the sculpture class didn't actually happen to me, it happened to a friend of mine, but it's just easier to tell in the first person. Besides, the moral doesn't change.

Reunited, and it feels SO good!

Is there anything in this world more pure than drawing from a live model? Figure drawing is a long drink of cool water as you come in from the tilling the fields in the hot August sun. It's therapeutic. It's cathartic. It's awesome. It's what keeps you sharp and helps you discard the clutter in order to focus on the fundamentals. People should do it as much as humanly possible. (And then do it some more!)

From last night's figure drawing session:

2-minute poses

20-minute poses

40-minute pose

Ugly Mug Mondays! #14

I am King Cheez-It. I am not amused.

I was digging through files on my computer and I came across a handful from my last trip to New York. I became overly addicted to Cheez-Its and, well, you've got to do something with the empty boxes, don't you? And sometimes you've just got to wear a box on your head.

Casein on canvas paper. 2.5" x 3.5"

Ten-Minute Challenge

I recently came across an interesting little call to arms -- so to speak. The idea is simple enough, as all great ideas are; pick a subject and paint it. Over and over and over again. But there's a catch: you only get ten minutes for each painting.

This was my first crack at it. All in all I think they turned out well. I got kind of tired after the fourth one; painting at a sprint kind of wears you down. I'm going to work this into my daily painting routine; at least for the foreseeable future. Now all I'll have to do is figure out a better place to set up. (I was almost quite literally painting in the dark this afternoon.)

Each square is about 4" x 4". Oil on illustration board.

Ugly Mug Mondays! #13

Ugly Mug Mondays! are going to be making a return in a big way! This one is a littledifferent from the last ten ugly mug posts I've offered, but I've learned a lot since then, so I don't think anyone will hold it against me. I like the little casein paintings I was doing and I plan on getting back to those, but I have plans for this particular drawing. Stay tuned!

11 x 14. Pencil on layout bond.

Back to the drawing board!

I've never understood why people despair over that phrase. You mean I get to spend more time drawing? Cool! I've always enjoyed drawing; so much so that I'm never without a sketchbook so I can sit and sketch wherever I am. Unfortunately I don't spend as much time doing more serious drawings as I'd like. Now that I have all of this extra time on my hands I plan on changing that! I'm going to be spending a lot more time at the drawing board!

Charcoal and conte.