Zoo Sketching

Gee whiz! I have been up to my eyeballs in work this week. I'm certainly not complaining but the heavy workload has left me with precious little time to update my blog. So here are some fun new sketches that I did at the zoo on the weekend of my birthday.
I did these in a new sketchbook which is comprised of 4 sections of different tones of gray paper. I like the way sketches look on gray paper. I have a lot of fun with it.
There were quite a few people stopping to watch and chat with me while I was sketching these two pages. A few people even asked permission to take pictures of me while I was drawing.
It was great fun!

Part 2 of "Subtract" - for Illustration Friday

Here are a couple more ideas that I had for this week's theme of "Subtract" on Illustration Friday. I've got a ton of these ideas swimmin' around in my head and I probably won't have time to tackle them all. Hopefully you dig these!

N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Subtract" - for Illustration Friday

Here is my latest submission for www.illustrationfriday.com
The topic this week is "Subtract".

I got the idea for this illustration on Friday morning when I read the new topic. But Friday was also my birthday so I took the day off from hustling at the drawing board and went to Disneyland with Lauren! I also had a fun and relaxing birthday weekend.

Now I'm back and ready to dive in again! This was a fun illustration for me because I think the idea is strong and communicates well. It inspired me to come up with a whole bunch of other "Subtract" ideas in this same style so I may illustrate and post some of those in the days ahead.

Thanks for checking this out!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 7 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 7 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This is the 7th and final consecutive day of my "Legendary" themed illustrations and I just had to go out with a bang!
I promised today would be a show stopper so, here's an avalanche of new legends for your viewing pleasure!

From the top down, here we go...
The first five appeared as on-screen illustrations for the series Destination Truth on the Sci-Fi Channel (about a team of investigators that travels the world hunting down local legends).
#1 The Chupacabra - Latin America
#2 The Nahuelito - Argentina
#3 The Ghosts of Thailand - Thailand
#4 El Lobizon - Argentina
#5 The Mamlambo - South Africa

#6 George Carlin (my all time favorite and an absolute legend to be sure)!
#7 John McClane (from the first Die Hard film), now that's legendary!
#8 Riggs & Murtaugh (from the Lethal Weapon films), legendary action heroes!
#9 Spiderman ('nuff said).
#10....Drum roll please.........Me! Lol. Believe me I would never have thought of this on my own but Steve Cozart and Diana Evans put the idea in my head that if I pulled off all 7 consecutive days of "Legendary" illustrations I should post an image of myself. So, here ya go!

This has been a blast! I can't wait to see what tomorrow's topic on IF will be. THANK YOU SO MUCH for stopping by and leaving comments. You really encouraged me to maintain my pace with this week long marathon.
I Love ya, everybody and thanks for playing along!

N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 6 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 6 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I am posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!

Legend #6 - Batman
Some fictional heroes reach a level that truly is best be described as legendary. I believe that Batman is one of these heroes. From the early days of the campy 60's television series to the present day films, Batman has been weaving himself into our culture. All along the way comic books and graphic novels have been spinning masterful tales supported by extraordinary writing and jaw dropping illustration. Batman is a legend in our time, an icon in our society and an ingrained part of our culture.
Here is my tribute to this modern day legend.

Oil on canvas, 16x20.

Tomorrow is my final consecutive day of posting illustrations under this "Legendary" theme and let me tell you this...
TOMORROW WILL BE A SHOW STOPPER! How many new legends can I pack into a single day? You'll have to tune in tomorrow to find out! I'll give you a hint...it's more than seven!


Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 5 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 5 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I am posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!

Legend #5 - St. Patrick casting the snakes out of Ireland.
Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! In my efforts to come up with something unique for today's illustration I dug into a little bit of the history of St. Patrick. According to legend St. Patrick chased all of the snakes out of Ireland. Technically I suppose this is more of a myth because it is considered a metaphor for converting pagans and Druids to Catholicism and "chasing" them from Ireland. I don't take a particular moral or religious point of view on this. I just thought it would make for a compelling "Legendary" illustration on this holiday.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another extraordinary legend!

Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 4 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 4 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I am posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!

Legend #4 - Johnny Appleseed
Anyone out there ever wake up at 3am, mind racing with ideas for drawings and paintings? If so then you know exactly how I came up with Johnny Appleseed here. Just a good ol' fashioned middle of the night inspiration. I had some fun experimenting with a very flat, graphic style. I really pushed and stretched that style with the way I handled the trees.
I hope you dig it!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another extraordinary legend!

Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 3 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 3 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I am posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!

Legend #3 - Al Pacino
I was beyond excited when I was commissioned to illustrate this portrait montage of one of my all time favorite actors, Al Pacino. My client had selected 3 of Pacino's film characters that they wanted used in the montage. They appear as follows...
Top - Tony Montana (Scarface)
Middle - Carlito Brigante (Carlito's Way)
Bottom - Michael Corleone (The Godfather part 3).

I found great reference for Tony and Michael but Carlito was tough to find. In the end I simply took some digital screen captures on my computer from the DVD and used those as reference.
This was a blast to work on and it was really tough to hand over the original when it was all done!
Colored pencil on tinted paper.

By the way, with regards to Michael Corleone, I offered my client the option of using young Michael from part The Godfather part 2 (way cooler in my opinion). However my client wanted to capture the arc going from young Pacino (Tony) to middle age (Carlitio) and finally to old (Michael).

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another extraordinary legend!

Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 2 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 2 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I am posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!

Legend #2 - The Abominable Snowman
Behold! A monster so fearsome and carnivorous that it shakes you to your very core. Abandon your skis, your snowboards and sleds. This creature shows no mercy and if you should delay he will surely swallow you whole!

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another extraordinary legend!

Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

"Legendary" - Day 1 of 7 - for Illustration Friday

Day 1 of 7 - The topic for Illustration Friday this week is "Legendary".

This week I will be posting a new "Legendary" themed illustration everyday for all 7 days!
In keeping with this delightful theme I'm going to see if I can make my effort legendary as well!

So gather 'round ladies and gentlemen and fix your eyes on the center of the stage! I present to you an extraordinary spectacle, an enormously dynamic, creative, astounding feat of imagination and endurance. Ladies and gentlemen behold....

Nathanael Lark's "7 Days of Legendary"
starting with this one...

Legend #1 - Miles Davis
This timeless epic of unbelievable creative effort was created as a Christmas present for my father. The original now hangs in a frame at my parent's home in Madison, WI.
Colored paper with black and white colored pencil.

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for another extraordinary legend!

Thanks for playin' along everybody!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

The Hulk and Human Torch! - Re-release

Last summer I ran a blog titled Summer Slam 2008. It was a collection of artwork created and posted exclusively during that summer. I did a lot of really fun stuff which as a reader of this blog you may never get a chance to see unless you go check out that blog specifically.

So I've decided to post some of my favorites from that summer here in this blog, starting with these two. Here's The Hulk and also The Human Torch (of the Fantastic Four) re-released for your viewing pleasure! I'm also posting the preliminary sketches.

Here is the original Hulk blog.
Here is the original Human Torch blog.

-Big N

"Intricate" - for Illustration Friday - win this original sketch!

Here is my latest submission for www.illustrationfriday.com
The topic this week is "Intricate".

Whew! This week's topic threw me for a loop. I really had a mental workout coming up with something for this one. I made a solid effort to craft a strong solution which cleverly illustrated the concept of intricate versus simply creating a complex drawing and giving it the title of intricate. This was tough for me because I challenged myself to accomplish this task with a simple image. Creating a simple image that illustrates the concept of intricate - now that's a mind bender and also the reason it took me so long to post this week!
Alas, here it is and I think it worked out pretty nicely. Now, here comes the fun part...

WIN THE ORIGINAL SKETCH FOR THIS ILLUSTRATION!
Above I have posted the diagram which I modified (for aesthetic reasons) to use in the illustration on the chalkboard. I will mail this original signed sketch to the first person who can tell me what this diagram is for! Once you post a comment with the answer, click here to find my email address on my main profile page and send me a follow up email so we can correspond about the particulars of mailing the sketch. I'll post an update in the comments section once someone has won so until then...have at it!
I have also posted the original sketch so that you can see what your grand prize looks like. I'm so excited! I really hope someone solves this - have fun!

Arianna (my sister) you're disqualified because you're a smarty pants and I know this is probably easy for you!

CONTEST UPDATE...
Diana Evans has won the original sketch today (March 11th), less than 24 hours after the contest began. Wow! Congratulations, Diana!
You can find her entry/answer in the comments section. Also, here's a link to her blog and website.

Thanks for checking this out!
N Lark

P.S.
www.illustrationfriday.com is a website that posts topics each week for artists from around the world to interpret, illustrate and post.

Yellow tank top - Hubba Hubba!

Here's a fun little illustration inspired by the purchase of a yellow tank top that Lauren made recently.
I sketched this by hand and painted over the sketch in Photoshop.

Jumper

Here's a fun little sketch that I knocked out last night. This is hand drawn with color tints added in Adobe Photoshop. The idea for this started with my desire to draw the hands and a big heavy character attached to them. That's it, simple as that. Sometimes I will work an entire illustration around the impulse or desire to draw some small part of it. In this case it was the large powerful hands and then I challenged myself to build a character around them. Here's what I came up with.
I hope ya like it!

P.S. The sketch was done with an HB graphite pencil on laser paper. Laser paper is extremely smooth and the HB graphite just glides over it in a creamy way. It made the whole physical process of drawing it a very fun and tactile experience.

Molly flies with hearts

Here's Molly's latest adventure.
I used the gouache and colored pencil sketch from last Saturday as a template to create this vector illustration. I'm really enjoying this new character of mine. Right before I began writing this blog I looked out the window and saw large puffy clouds in a bright blue sky. It gave me the idea to draw Molly sitting dreamily on a cloud far up in the sky. Who knows, maybe I'll do that one next.

Gunfire, unfinished painting

I've been hesitant to write about this because I've been a little shaken up by it. I also want to be respectful of everyone affected by this. Still, I experienced something on Sunday that I feel I need to share.

I was in Glassell Park this past Sunday revisiting a street that I had seen before. It was a beautiful, quiet residential street set against some hills and tall palm trees.I had returned on Sunday to paint. I only had about an hour of good daylight left so I challenged myself to complete a decent oil sketch in that time. I taped up a sheet from my canvas pad and got to work.
I was interrupted once by a very kind older man who had some kind words to say. A few cars drove by and people smiled at me while I painted. I was only painting for about 15 minutes when I heard it.

First it was a loud (and close) crack. There was a pause and then 4 or 5 more loud cracks. I dropped to the ground. I knew it was gunfire and I was thinking about stray bullets. It was quiet for about 45 seconds. Then several people came out of an apartment building about 30 yards from me. One woman reacted to something she saw and screamed out, running back in the building and yelling for someone to call 911. From where I was, it was impossible to see what she was seeing but I knew what it was. Someone had been shot.

I was stunned for a minute. People started coming out of their homes and apartments and walking toward the scene. I started putting away my paints.

In no time the police were there and there was a helicopter circling overhead. The fire truck came down the street and the ambulance - all with flashing lights but so sirens. The silence was erie. One of the neighbors who had come out was telling me that a similar shooting had taken place two years earlier, almost right where we were standing.

I never walked up the block to look at the scene. I didn't want to. It felt somehow disrespectful. Also, I have seen something like this before, just a several feet away from me and the image is burned into my mind. I just packed up all of my things and left.

I learned in a news article later that a man had been shot and was pronounced dead on the scene. I found the article online.

So many thoughts race through my head when I think about this. I was painting, creating. Simultaneously, and just a short distance from me someone was taking a life. A man was alive in one quiet moment and then I heard the sound that killed him. I was close. I also feel guilty for not witnessing the shooting. It was so close to me but I saw nothing. I was painting, looking in the opposite direction at the landscape and the next thing I knew I was ducking down at the sound of gunfire. I could have been a witness. I could have helped in some way if I had seen something. I could not have saved his life but I could have helped the police. I don't know. I just don't know.

For what it's worth I am posting the oil sketch that I started. I don't think I'll finish it.

Frozen Yogurt Sketchin'

Here's another batch of public sketches but this time there's a twist. Instead of sitting at a coffee shop, this time I was sitting at a frozen yogurt shop! Whoa now, calm yourself. Take a deep breath. I know, I know, it's a dramatic twist of events and an extraordinary blast outside my comfort zone. Hey what can I say? I like to live on the edge!