Storyboards from The Response - our potential Oscar nominee!

Just two more days until we find out if our short film The Response has made the final cut for an Academy Award Nomination! As I mentioned yesterday we made the Academy's Official Top Ten list so we've all got our fingers and toes crossed for the February 2nd announcement!

As promised here are some of the storyboards that I created for the response back during pre-production in 2008.

How I did it...
1. First and foremost was a complete reading of the script and a discussion of it with the Director. This is where we made some decisions about pacing, blocking, camera angles, etc. The point of this discussion was for me to get inside the Director's head and obtain enough information about the Director's intentions that I could create the boards that would tell the story as the director envisions it.

2. I created a frame template congruent with the designated aspect ratio. In this case it was 1:1.85

3. I roughed out the boards in graphite and presented them that way to the Director for review/approval.

4. I incorporated his notes and then tightened up the approved boards a bit pen and brush pen (for solid black areas and hair texture).

There's a ton of dynamite info out there about the breadth of the storyboarding process. I just wanted to quickly share with you the broad strokes of how I approached this specific project.

 It feels nostalgic, magical and surreal to look back on these boards knowing that a year and half later they would be a part of a film which is this close to an Oscar nomination. 

Tune in tomorrow because I'll be sharing some of the preliminary sketches that went into the creation of the movie poster! Hopefully you'll dig taking a peek behind the curtain to see some of the ideas that didn't make the cut.

Thanks a million for reading!

A possible Oscar nomination!!!

A short film which I storyboarded and designed the movie poster for has made the top ten list for a possible Academy Award nomination! An Oscar! I can't believe it!

Here is my poster design for the film.

The title of the film is The Response and here is a link to the official Academy Awards press release announcing their ten potential nominees for Best Short Film.

The final official nominees will be announced on February 2nd (this upcoming Tuesday). Please come back and visit so that I can let you know if we made the final cut!

Here is a link to The Response official film website. If you are so inclined you can find me by clicking on "Credits" and looking for my name under "Storyboard Artist".

The Response is a courtroom drama based on the actual transcripts of the Guantanamo Bay Military Tribunals (officially known as the combatant status review tribunals or CSRTs). In the film, three judges must decide the fate of a Middle Eastern detainee. Is he an enemy combatant, guilty of providing material support to Al Qaeda and responsible for the deaths of several American soldiers? Or is he an innocent victim of circumstances as he claims?

My experience working on this film was absolutely wonderful and I really, sincerely felt the whole time like I was part of something very special. The subject matter was and is so important and I am very fortunate to have been a part of it.

I want to give a big shout out to Sig Libowitz (Writer, Producer and Actor) and Adam Rogers (Director). Thank you both so much. It was a blast!

Tune in tomorrow because I'll be posting some of my storyboard artwork from the film as we lead up to the big Academy Award Nominations announcement on Feb.2nd!

Brand new bombshell sketch inspired by my sweetie

You just haven't seen cute until you've seen my sweetie pie all tuckered out and ready for bed in her pajamas.

Okay, that's a bold statement I know. Especially with kittens and babies and all manner of cuddly creatures competing for that coveted cuteness award. But, in my book nothing tops Lauren in her PJs. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I drew her that way.

Her pajamas are so adorable that I had to resist the temptation to post a photo of them here. First there's the issue of her privacy and second there's the entirely unappealing prospect of me sleeping on the couch...again.

It's certainly no big secret that Lauren inspires a great many of my Bombshell Illustrations and this one is no different. I sketched this with a blue (#20044) Col-Erase pencil. After that I scanned it and colored it up loosely in Photoshop.

Here's how I did it...

1. I copied and pasted the sketch into a new layer (I then had two sketches total) just in case I made a big fat mistake and needed a new raw sketch. It's always good to have a backup.

2. I selected the background with the selection tool.

3. I reversed the selection so that only the interior of the sketch was selected.

4.  I filled the interior with a shade of blue and the settings on "Multiply" (this is they key which keeps the sketch lines visible and prevents the entire sketch from simply being filled in and covered up).

5. I colored in the dark tones with the pencil tool (settings once again on "Multiply").

6. I colored in the highlights with the pencil tool. I used the same color as the fill but changed the pencil settings to "Dissolve". This now makes whatever I draw lighter. Nifty!

7. I created a new layer (for my background).

8. I reversed the selection again (so that the background was then selected) and filled it with pink. The nice thing about this being on a separate layer was that I was able to adjust the transparency level in order to make the pink the exact shade that I desired.

9. Using the same color pink, I used the pencil tool (settings on "Multiply") to loosely draw the shadow at her feet.

10. I sat back and marveled at my masterpiece (right before I started nitpicking it for flaws).

And that's it! This is still just a fast and loose approach to the coloring but I enjoy the way it looks and it's a nice way to spice up a normal sketch. I may still give it the royal treatment with a full color finish in Adobe Illustrator. Not sure yet.


Let me know if you you'd like to see this sketch as a finished illustration and I'll get crackin'!

Outdoor watercolor painting

Sometimes my creative impulse surges beyond the boarders of pens and pencils.

Being outdoors and facing nature is always inspiring for me. In Monday's blog I mentioned how I'm aesthetically attracted to the urban landscape and that's true. But there is a balance that I hunger for and find in natural surroundings.

Sometimes I can capture exactly what I'm feeling with nothing more than a pen like I did with my sketch of General Sherman tree in the Sequoia National Forest.

Other times however, I just really need to paint! It's great to just dig in, splash around with color and build a nice little sketch the really captures my own personal vision of what I'm seeing.

I love to use watercolor when I'm out sketching this way. It's such a free and spontaneous way to paint plus watercolor supplies are light and easy to carry. I love to use the Windsor & Newton travel set . It's small, light, easy to pack and tremendously versatile.

For watercolor sketching I often use my Canson All Media Sketchbook made of 90lb cold press watercolor paper. Above are two watercolor sketches from one of those sketchbooks. The top one was painted at Lake Piru (California) and the bottom one was painted at Malibu Creek State park (also California).

I hope you dig 'em!

Drawing Batman on a Gino's East restaurant table

Always carry a Sharpie (and be ready to draw)!

That's an important lesson that I learned the hard way by being forced to pass up about a zillion opportunities to draw on something in public - legally.

Gino's East in Chicago encourages patrons to leave graffiti on everything in site. Guests are allowed to cover the walls, benches, tables, you name it! I had dinner at Gino's with my family during my recent holiday vacation in the Midwest. It just so happens that this time I had a Sharpie with me.

I had a blast decorating our table with ol' Batsy. It reminded me of the importance of being ready to draw at a moment's notice. Sure I had my sketchbook and a few pens with me (I always do) but having that Sharpie with me made all the difference in the world. The pens I use in my sketchbook would not have gotten the job done but the Sharpie was golden!

I'm not the type to leave graffiti in places where it's not welcome. I love to share my art but that's just not my thing. Gino's however, was asking for it and by golly, I just couldn't pass up an opportunity like that.

So now I'm going to start carrying a Sharpie at all times. Rarely will I use it in the sketchbook but when opportunities like this present itself, I'll be ready!

P.S. As if the active encouragement of creativity weren't enough, Gino's East also dishes up what is far and away my favorite pizza in the country. In fact, I love it so much I'll plug it with a link: Gino's East. You're welcome, Gino's. Now feel free to compensate me with a lifetime supply of pie.

Keeping the pen moving!

Okay, I admit it. I have a weakness for cherry picking my subject matter for things that will make pretty drawings. Often this means I avoid the hard stuff. This is no way to live!

For shame (I say silently to myself)! What sort of artist are you? Are you so vain and afraid of doing bad work that you will be satisfied doing pretty drawings of the same ten things for the rest of your life? Are you a hack? Yep, I quietly beat myself up like that until I get my butt moving again and make an effort to grow.

This growth exercise is about keeping the pen moving. You won't have time to cherry pick your subject matter for exclusively comfortable drawings if you make a commitment to start a new sketch immediately each time you finish one.

Here's how it works.
1. Find a place to sketch (weather it be people, cars, tress, a mixture, etc.)

2. Pick something at random and sketch it quickly.

3. When that sketch is finished, look up from your sketchbook and start sketching the very first thing that catches your attention.
"But I don't know how to draw that!" I can hear you exclaiming. Too bad. Dig in and get to work. You've got some growing to do so hop to it!

4. Rinse and repeat.

It really is that simple but it certainly isn't easy. If you're like me, you will do a ton of lousy drawings and a few solid gold winners that will make it all worth it. It's a lot like working out at the gym or the track. It's painful and you don't want to endure it but when it's over and you're another step closer to being fit, smokin' hot and sexy you feel pretty fantastic about yourself!

Architecture sketching in Chinatown

Chinatown in Los Angeles is a bustling urban landscape and choc full of inspiring things to draw.

As much as I appreciate a beautiful natural landscape I also have a strong aesthetic attraction to urban environments. There is something about the cluster of concrete, brick and utilitarian objects that just appeals to me.

I truly see beauty in an alley filled with dumpsters and litter. I somehow naturally look past what is, in essence, the dirty side effect of an industrialized society. Instead I see powerful lines of perspective. I see interesting compositions. I see power lines, pipes, fire escapes. I see details that I could never in a million years make up out of my head which reveal the beating pulse of the city.

In the middle of Chinatown, while soaking in this urban beauty, I made this sketch. I sketched it with brown ink (the Japanese made Le Pen) in my Moleskine sketchbook. Brown ink just felt right. I can't explain it logically except to say that choosing a brown ink over a black ink made the sketch feel somehow softer, warmer and more appealing. It felt like a necessary addition to an otherwise hard and cluttered urban scene.
What I found appealing about this scene is exactly what I mentioned earlier. The cluster of utilitarian objects and powerful lines of perspective.

Chinatown is full of environments like this while also offering fascinating architectural contrasts with buildings of a more classical Chinese design. From its architecture to its people, Chinatown is a rich hunting ground for the artist!

Observing with IMAGINATION

If you have ever looked up imaginatively at the shapes of clouds and seen more than a just a function of the weather then this will make perfect sense to you!

I had an experience while riding Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland that strengthened the way I observe. This happened early in the ride (inside the cave, just after the waterfall when I was rounding the curve and heading towards the lighting storm).

In the shapes of the shadows across some walls of the cave I saw what looked to me like the head, neck, upper torso and forward thigh of a monster. After taking that ride a zillion times I somehow suddenly saw this shape. I observed it intensely, imagining myself drawing it and burned it into my memory. When I got home, I sketched it (inventing and filling out the rest of his body).

This experience reminded me to see with my imagination as much as I see with my eyes! I have heard it said that observing is different than simply seeing because observing is seeing with a purpose. As artists we observe all the time. However, it is also important to imagine.

Our subject matter is all around us. Even in the unseen. Start observing the negative space between objects. Look at the shapes of a rock formation and imagine that shape creating something new. Are you sketching a quaint little cafe? fill it with characters that aren't really there. What you see need not be the end, it can be a mere beginning. The world around you can serve as a spring board for a grander (or smaller) story that you wish to tell.

In short, let your observations inspire you, not limit you. Use what you see, add your imagination to it and suddenly even the common shadows around you are rife with inspiration!

How to sketch the larget living thing on earth

General Sherman Tree is on record as the largest living thing on earth and standing next to it with a sketchbook is a humbling experience.

A posted sign informs visitors that a six foot tall human being standing next to this tree is equivalent to an ant standing next to a six foot tall human being. With that in mind as I looked up at this tree my fear of spiders suddenly seemed quite ridiculous.

I created this sketch during a visit to the Sequoia National Park. At first I could only stand in awe and quiet reverence before this natural wonder. I felt small and insignificant. Yet somehow I also felt important in my roll and connection to this earth and its history. Instinctively I felt the pull to express this experience creatively. Step one: soak in the experience, enjoy it. Step two: think like a draftsman, draw it.

Approaching this sketch became a manageable task as soon as I broke it down to it's essential basic shape.

1. I imagine the tree as a basic cylinder.

2. I think of the cylinder as a true three dimensional form and imagine lines drawn across it's surface (as seen in the example above). Those lines would curve up away from me as the cylinder extended far up above my eye level. This helped me place the branches in a way that looks convincingly like thay follow the form and surface of the tree.

3. The lines would curve down as the cylinder got closer to the ground with it's lower section below my eye level.

4. The cylinder would appear largest at the base where it was close to me and grow progressively smaller as it extended up and away from me.

Those four basic principles helped me to create a small sketch which I feel still maintains a sense of the subject's grandeur.

My experience standing before this ancient giant was enriched by my experience drawing it. Being there physically, though remarkable would not have felt complete. Drawing it without first standing silently in its presence would also have been too shallow. But to experience and then draw, that is the nectar of my life!

Sketching at the DMV brings tremendous rewards

Carry your sketchbook with you at all times!

This is my personal mandate and my most recent trip to the DMV provided yet another rich opportunity that would have been missed without my sketchbook.

No one smiles at the DMV. I noticed this while sketching and then I actually stopped to watch for a smile. Eventually I gave up. But then, I saw two smiles and they came in the most delightful way.

A mother took the empty seat next to mine and her daughter (about 5 years old) sat across from her. The woman had arrived with a newspaper but abandoned it immediately to watch me draw. She called her daughter over right away and sat her on her lap.

As they both watched me draw I heard the cute little sound of the daughter's exclamation, "Wow!" A few moments passed and then I heard "Look mom, pancakes!"

The little girl had excitedly taken notice of a sketch of pancakes that I did on that page during a recent trip to Ihop. I looked over and saw both her and her mother's wide smiles. I told them about my recent trip to Ihop for the all you can eat pancake breakfast (I'm a hug pancake fan)!

They laughed and it was a really nice moment. I'm grateful of course that I had my sketchbook with me so that I could draw, practice and pass the time. However, what I cherish most about that trip to the DMV is how my sketchbook facilitated such a pleasant exchange, added a small amount of magic to a child's life and caused the only two smiles I saw in the entire place.

How I create a Tombo Brush Pen Sketch

As promised here is my exact step by step process for creating a Tombo Brush Pen sketch.

Here are the tools I use:
1. Stabilo point 88 pen (brown, fine 0.4). This pen is used for the initial line sketch.
2. Tombo Brush Pens numbers 990, 942 & 992 (in that sequence). These are used for the tones.

Basically this works very much like creating a watercolor painting. I build the tones up in layers working from light to dark. I sketched this guy while waiting around at the DMV.

Step 1
I create a loose sketch directly with the Stabilo pen. No underlying pencil drawing.

Step 2
I add shapes of tone with the Tombo Brush Pen #990. I leave some areas white because these will be my highlight ares later. These are my middle tones.

Step 3
I add a darker layer of tone (with pen #942) on top of your existing tone to help create more depth and volume. These are still my middle tones.

Step 4
I add the next layer of tone with pen #992. These are my dark tones. Some of the areas that I initially left white are now filled in with this tone. I do this when I know for certain in advance that a particular area is going to be dark. I don't bother to spend the extra time layering in the middle tones.

Step5
I go back in with my first and second brush pens (#990 & #942) to blend some of my tones to create smoother transitions and to fill in excessive white areas. It's always better to leave more white space than you need in the beginning. It's easy to cover it later but it's impossible to get it back if you cover it too early.

Step 6
I use #942 to rough in a background tone. I also look for little touch ups to do and this part of the process is simply a matter of personal taste and aesthetics.


A few things to remember
1. Tones get progressively darker with each layer.
2. Ink buildup can make the paper quite damp so use a light touch or you may find yourself degrading the paper and scraping up bits of pulp. Unless of course you are sketching on a good sturdy paper.
3. The Stabilo pen that I'm sketching with here is water soluble which means that it bleeds slightly as I lay in the tone with Brush Pens. In this case I like the way it looks and the bleeding ink actually asists me in building up my tones. However if you want to maintain your original crisp lines under your tones, use a waterproof pen to sketch with.


And that's how I rock n' roll a Tombo Brush Pen sketch! There are other brush pens on the market (I'm also a big fan and owner of many Faber Castell Brush Pens). I've been experimenting with and enjoying the Tombo pens so much lately that I thought I'd share my thoughts.

Give this a spin and drop me a line! I would love to hear your thoughts and see what you do!

Rediscovering the Tombo Brush Pen

The Tombo duel tip brush pen is a powerful tool which I have been neglecting for about ten years.

Please forgive me if I sound like a commercial in this blog post but when I find a tool that I adore I feel compelled to share my experience for anyone else out there that would like to give it a spin.

The Tombo Duel Tip Brush Pen is exactly what it sounds like. A pen on one end whose nib is made to feel and work like a brush. On the other end it writes and functions like a pen or fine line marker. I bought my first one in 1999 (gray), toyed with it a few times and pretty much abandoned it. I liked it a lot but I just wasn't sure when or how to use it effectively. I never took the time to explore it properly.

Fast forward ten years when I have loads more drawing and painting experience under my belt and suddenly this little toy is like magic! It's funny how the same tool in the hands of the same artist can either be dead weight or a conduit of creativity depending on the artist's own mileage and experience.

I really enjoy the way the brush pen adds tone and life to the sketches that I do. As I mentioned yesterday I greatly enjoy sketching directly in pen. Adding the brush pen effect as a secondary technique really rounds the sketch out nicely in my opinion.

My first three sketches above are of my six month old second cousin, Amarii. I met him for the first time this past holiday season while visiting family in the Midwest.

The second batch of sketches below that were all done at a shopping mall shortly before the Christmas holiday.You can see the brush pen in full swing. This page also gives a nice comparison between sketches done strictly in pen and those that have had the brush pen effect added.

Overall it's a very useful tool provided that it isn't overused. Tune in tomorrow and I'll post a step by step series showing exactly how I create a sketch using the Tombo Brush Pen!

'Night!

Pencil or Pen?

Pencil or pen? Which tool is right for the job?

Granted this is a highly personal choice for every artist and in many cases may seem dictated by the subject matter that you're sketching. Nevertheless I have found a few universal truths that might help if you're on the fence with this choice.

In my early days I sketched exclusively in pencil. My eraser was my best friend and I used it liberally. Eventually I dared to sketch directly in pen, with no erasable safety net. Since then I have grown to love pen sketching and actually prefer it in most cases.

Here then, I offer a few pros and cons that I have encountered for each option.

Pencil -Pros
1. Extremely forgiving and allows for easily correctable mistakes (erasing). Great for sketching difficult or unfamiliar subjects.
2. Very versatile with developing tones (degrees of light and dark, shading).
3. Won't leak or blotch
4. Responds well to the pressure of the hand (light or dark lines).

Pencil - Cons
1. Dark, permanent lines are difficult to achieve making scanning and reproduction more complex.
2. Easily erasable lines can create a crutch for an artist and weaken discipline/draftsmanship.
3. Smudges and may require fixative at an extra expense to the artist.
4. When dropped, a pencil lead can shatter not only the tip but also in multiple places inside the wood.

Pen - Pros
1. Dark, permanent lines make scanning and reproduction easy.
2. Ink (which cannot be erased) forces an artist to make clear choices and draw with greater thought and certainty.
3. Tips won't break when dropped.
4. Won't smudge and lends itself well to the addition of color or other media.

Pen - Cons
1. Very unforgiving and makes sketching difficult or unfamiliar subjects an even greater challenge.
2. Might blotch or leak.
3. Less versatile with developing tone.
4. Some pens can dry up without warning leaving the artist without a tool to sketch with.

Ultimately it is my view that an artist committed to personal growth should be well versed in both pencil and pen. However, I hope this list is helpful if you should find yourself in a situation where you must (or simply want to) choose just one option.

Now if only our society could agree on a resurgence of fanny packs, I could carry all my options with me all the time!

What has your experience been? I'd love to hear some more pros and cons! Drop me a line!

Martin Luther King Jr.

Today we observe Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

In thinking about what to post today I remembered this small, rough drawing from an old sketchbook of mine. The sketch is about four inches tall.

Perhaps it would have been more thoughtful for me to create something brand new and original in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. today. However, I think it's more fitting to share an old drawing that was done on a day that has no official association with this national holiday or this man's life.

After all, his was a dream and a message of hope, equality and freedom that I feel is important everyday. So this is my small offering in honor of an important historical figure and perhaps more importantly in honor of a timeless dream that is as important to all of humanity today as it has ever been.

Love,
N

Sketching from Rembrandt

Standing nose to nose with and original Rembrandt sketch is one of the most simultaneously humbling and inspiring experiences an artist can have.

The main purpose of my trip to the Getty Center yesterday was to visit the temporary exhibit Rembrandt and his Pupils. The exhibit features numerous works from both the master himself and those of his students while examining the differences between them.

Rembrandt's lines are remarkably loose yet brilliantly informed. I was struck immediately by how loose and free his sketches were. However, each loosely placed line was clearly backed up by thorough knowledge and exquisitely trained draftsmanship. It's one thing to simply lay down a loose line and quite another to lay it down just as loosely but in the right place the first time!

The top three sketches and the bottom left sketch are studies from this exhibit. The top three are from Rembrandt's students and the bottom one is from the master himself (a head study from The Prodigal Son Returns). The bull on the right is from a Dutch drawing exhibit also currently on display at the Getty.

The Prodigal Son Returns. My experience studying from this masterful sketch was nothing short of extraordinary. Rembrandt's sketch explodes with life in gesture, line, tone and expression. Every aspect of the sketch contributes to the story that is being told. I chose (quite humbly indeed) to study the head of the father.

The challenge was to stay loose! Sketching from this master it is tempting to freeze up and draw tightly and carefully to avoid mistakes. But that misses the entire point. I forced myself to keep my pen moving loosely with no preliminary pencil sketches. Straight to ink.

Overall I feel like I had a successful trip. Partly because of my drawings but mostly because of the learning experience overall. At one point in the exhibit, Lauren pointed out to me a quote on a wall by one of Rembrandt's students. It was so perfect I had to write it down in my sketchbook. I have a close-up of it above.

Yep, that pretty much sums it up!

"Wilderness" - for lllustration Friday

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

In order to complete this sketch I took a field trip to one of the most awe inspiring locations in Los Angeles. The Getty Center is an exquisitely designed museum and garden perched high above and overlooking all of L.A. The view extends all the way to the ocean. Simply being there was a delight! But alas, I can only sit still for so long before that itch to draw overpowers me and so...

This sketch is a study of a piece by Herman Van Swanevelt in the Dutch drawing and painting exhibit currently on display in the west pavilion. The original piece was masterfully accomplished with a mixture of ink washes and and line. It had a wonderfully aged and classic appeal.

Those of us who show up to a museum armed with drawing supplies and anxious to learn need an effective way to study the techniques of our heroes on the fly. If that sounds like you, read on!

How to accomplish this effect the fast and easy way.
1. Start with brown paper

2. Lightly and loosely sketch out the boarder and simple basic shapes of the composition in graphite. I used an "F" lead here. It's light enough not to show up too much as I progress the drawing.

3. Begin laying in tonal areas with a brush pen. For this sketch I used two Tombo brush pens. #990 (middle tone), #992 (dark tone)

4. Continue to build and define your tonal areas by putting down layers of tone with the brush pens.

5. Allow the ink from the brush pens to dry for a minute and then add loose ink lines to accentuate areas, add volume and strengthen tones.

6. Beg your sweetie pie to take photos of you for posterity (thanks, Lauren).

7. Have a blast!

Now look how easy that was!


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

For Haiti

No art today.

I just want to send my very deepest and most sincere love and compassion to all of the people in Haiti.

Do bad drawings! Here are some of mine...

I cringe at what I'm about to do. I'm about to post some old drawings of mine that I find absolutely awful. But it's for the greater good. So here goes...

Yesterday I mentioned that I often fear ruining a sketchbook page by doing a bad drawing. That's true. However, the degree to which I push past that fear is directly related to the speed of my own growth and progress.

For example, the top two pages posted here are from an old sketchbook of mine in October of 1999. The very top page is literally the first time I grabbed a pen and decided to try my hand at sketching people in public. Yikes! Those drawings are horrible and I even knew it at the time. The second page is even worse and that was almost a week later.

I was very, very diligent though. I was determined to improve and I blasted through that sketchbook, working my tail off to improve this particular skill. The third page above was created after about a month of practice being out and about sketching people. It's certainly no masterpiece but I think it demonstrates a pretty solid improvement. Certainly not bad for about 30 days worth of practice.

The major lesson I take away from looking through that old sketchbook is that growth is impossible without a willingness to fail. That's a critical lesson for me and I've noticed that it applies to a whole lot more than drawing.

Do bad drawings. Hundreds of them. Take risks. Fall on your face. Embarrass yourself. Fill sketchbook pages with drawings that make you cringe and over time your progress will be astounding.

Copious Creativity: Jam-pack your sketchbook pages!

Draw like you mean it!
These are the words that go through my mind often as I am working or out sketching for fun. Even in my recreational sketching I am compelled to learn something and truly get something lasting and valuable out of my session. Which leads me to a practice of mine that I'd like to share and invite you to try.

Jam-pack your sketchbook pages! I mean really get in there and use the available space. There are some tremendous advantages to trying this. Here are a my top ten (in no particular order)...

1. You force yourself not to abandon a page because of unsuccessful sketches. Look above to the top page and you'll notice on the bottom that I crashed and burned on a sketch of a kid with a Mohawk. So, in the space right next to it I tried again. Why? Because I don't like it when a drawing kicks my butt like that and I was committed to filling the page.

2. Unusually shaped empty spaces force you to think creatively about how to fill them. Suddenly you become much more observant of your environment and you search for that object, pose, design or idea that suits the space. And why in the world wouldn't you want to be more observant?

3. Mileage! Experience is the best teacher and any draftsman knows the unquestioned value of drawing, drawing, drawing, drawing, sleeping, eating and DRAWING.

4. Kick the crap out of creative block. Barrel through that mental brick wall by filling up pages until your fingers bleed. Sometimes just the sheer and unrelenting commitment to draw copiously will bust you past a road block. How can you stay stuck if you refuse to stop moving?

5. Greater odds of brilliant work. Like many things in life, this too is a numbers game. Do five hundred sketches and you're bound to stack up quite a few winners and some that might even lead you down the path to a delightful finished piece.

6. It keeps you loose. You simply can't fill up page after page with tight, over-rendered drawings. You'll go bananas and it'll take you ten years to fill the book. Sooner or later you'll loosen up and then the world is yours. Quite literally. Fast and loose drawings will leave you feeling absolutely free which leads me to...

7. You'll become fearless! Are you like me, often finding yourself afraid to make a bad drawing? I'm often terrified that I'll mar a perfectly good page with a bad drawing. That way lies artistic death. Live! When you start jam-packing your pages and giving less emotional attachment to every little sketch you are free to create without limits. Now you're cookin' with gas!

8. It will strengthen your thinking. Sometimes I get into a mental rut and I don't even know it. When I start jam-packing my sketchbook pages I'm forced to think differently. There's something about knowing that you're going to pack the page that kicks a different mental gear into overdrive. For example I might suddenly wish to sketch the same person in a series of movements (which I would not normally do). Also the fearlessness I mentioned earlier helps you approach subjects that you might have normally looked right past or avoided and that's a sure-fire way to amp up the ol' mental synapses.

9. Personal gratification and outright motivation. Have you ever flipped through an old sketchbook of half filled or abandoned pages? I certainly have. That's an empty feeling. On the other hand I have also flipped though old sketchbooks just brimming over with work and that feels fantastic! It reminds me that I'm not a total hack (something I have to remember consciously sometimes) and it makes me want to keep the fires burning. Nothing like an avalanche of past hard work and success to make an artist feel worthy, inspired and motivated!

10. The opposite sex will find you attractive. Okay, maybe not but who knows. I mean, talent and highly developed skills are attractive qualities aren't they? At the very least you can be the most talented nerd at the party. And if you want to know how that story ends, talk to Bill Gates.

Just remember, your sketchbook is your playground and by golly you ought to out there playing!

Drawing heads, not faces

There is an enormous difference between drawing a face and drawing a head. The former refers to a portion of the latter as if it were somehow completely unrelated.

In my early years of drawing I was preoccupied with drawing faces and not heads. I wanted all of the features to be well drawn (nose, mouth, and for goodness sakes the EYES)! The problem with that approach however is that it treats the whole three dimensional form and proportion of the head as an ancillary concern and that is a critical error. I think there is a tendency for beginning draftsman to do the same. If a person is not careful, it can become a detrimental lifelong habit.

I drew these heads quickly while observing and sketching at the mall. Notice that the features of the heads are only loosely suggested. I think these sketches are a good example of the strength of observing, thinking about and drawing the head in it's entirety. The head itself has character. It is more than just a shell upon which to draw an interesting face. The head has shape, gesture, planes, anatomy, proportions and deviations from the norm that all add up to make it completely unique and full of life.

Draw a well constructed, interesting head with character and you will have a dynamic drawing which strengthens your draftsmanship and far exceeds successfully drawing a face alone.

My breakthrough - a visceral experience!

Yesterday I mentioned that while sketching at the Milwaukee Art Museum I had a real breakthrough in the way I observe and draw. I did and it was fantastic!

The interesting part of it was that I didn't learn anything new. But somehow a portion of my knowledge which had been lying dormant and neglected sprang to life and began to really inform the way I draw. There is an enormous difference between what a person knows intellectually and what they know, feel and experience on a visceral level.

The breakthrough happened like this...
I was staring closely at a portrait, admiring the bold and purposeful brush stokes. Suddenly my enchantment with technique gave way to real observation. I could see very clearly how the artist was using the brush strokes to draw the image. The shape and placement of the brush strokes was what created the draftsmanship! With a brush load of paint, the artist applied the shapes of tones and colors in their proper size, location and relationship and this was what created the image. There was no actual line. Just shapes of tone and color properly place and related to each other in order to create an illusion of depth. I remember most vividly how the planes of the nose in the portrait changed directions from the top to the underside of the nostril with nothing more that a single brush stroke which changed in tone.

Now I know that sounds obvious. Like I said earlier, this was not new information. But somehow in that moment it just clicked for me. I have become so preoccupied with line in my drawings that I have been forgetting about seeing and creating the shapes of tones (values, ie: degrees of light and dark). Right then and there I knew how to begin to remedy that.

I pulled out a brush pen (a pen with a brush-like tip that creates a line which will change width when responding to varying pressure from the artist's hand). I figured the best way to sketch on paper as if I were actually painting the tones was to use a tool that behaved much like a paint brush. Click here to see the brush pen that I used. In this case I used a light gray (#272).

I didn't do any preliminary sketching in pencil. I dove straight in with the brush pen. I quickly and loosely sketched in some basic form shapes and proportions as a starting point. After that I brushed in the shapes of the tones, paying little attention to anything else. I wanted to "draw" the image with shapes of tone rather than line.

I loved this exercise! Overall I think the drawings are decent. Certainly not great but they were created for the purpose of learning and I was stepping outside of my comfort zone. It reinforced the old adage that your drawing helps your painting and your painting helps your drawing. Even though I wasn't using paint, I was creating the drawing as I would if I were painting and it was tremendously valuable for me. I highly recommend this approach for anyone seeking to improve their observation and draftsmanship. Just one more great tool in the arsenal.

Sketching at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Yesterday was my last full day visiting my family and my home town of Madison, WI. All of us (my family, myself and Lauren) drove down to Milwaukee to spend the day at the Art Museum there.
It was phenomenal! First off, the architecture was astounding. Then, of course there was the art collection. I had barely entered the place before I was overwhelmed with subjects that I wanted to draw. For me the major challenge was trying to see everything and still squeeze in time for the ol' sketchbook.

Choosing between experience and sketching seems to persist as a theme in my life. I am constantly pulled in two directions. One part of me says, "Ooh, Ooh, draw, draw, draw! Look at all this stuff! Draw!" The other part of me says, "Lay down your sketchbook, get in there, experience it and live life you big lug!"

And so I try to find the balance. I may not always fill as many sketchbook pages as I'd like but in the end I think I have a richer life for making the decision to participate as well as record.

So here's one of the pages that I worked on yesterday and a couple photos of yours truly (courtesy of Lauren). The sketch of the woman's head in the upper right hand corner of my page is the one that I was working on when the photos were taken.

I also had a real breakthrough yesterday in the way I observe and draw! Tune in tomorrow for that and the sketches that go with it!

This ice is safe but these fish are not!

Well in the past 24hrs I'm sure it hasn't been too tough to figure out that Lauren and I braved a frozen Wisconsin lake (Monona) for some ice fishing. Actually, it's more like we timidly walked out onto a frozen lake amid numerous brave souls out there fishing, just for the experience.

It was actually the first time that either of us had ever been out on a frozen lake among all those ice fisherman. We had been driving by them and Lauren was really intrigued. I asked her if she'd like to walk out onto the lake and she jumped at it. So, I made the turn, parked the car and about three minutes later we were standing out on the lake.

My toes were the real casualties that day as I kicked away the snow drifts in my canvas shoes to show Lauren the solid ice beneath. She was so adorable with her mixture of wonderment, apprehension and excitement. We took a few pictures and quickly decided that the fifteen degree temperature plus the wind was enough to warrant a hasty return to the car.

No, we didn't actually fish (although we did come upon an abandoned fishing hole which had been drilled). But we did have a fun new experience, albeit quite brief and darn cold!

Is this ice safe to walk on?

Today I took Lauren on more winter wonderland adventures in my home town of Madison, WI. I'm working on the final illustration of what we did today. This little sketch should give you a hint. If you're from the Midwest this is a no brainer, but for everyone else...tune in tomorrow!

A snowflake named Herman

The answer to yesterday's riddle is... a snowflake named Herman!
Let me explain. Lauren is with me for a few days visiting my family in Madison, WI where I grew up. We live together in Southern California and she's a Cali native so these Midwestern temperatures have got her shiverin'. I think it was about nineteen degrees yesterday.

My mom and I took her downtown and around the university campus for a little sight seeing yesterday (we were hanging out on State Street for any Madison residents out there keeping score).

As we were walking back to the car it began to snow very softly and it was quite pretty. Suddenly Lauren noticed a snowflake on her coat sleeve. Not just a clump of fallen snow but rather a single, delicate, perfectly crystallized and preserved, splendidly unique tiny little snowflake. She stopped!
"Oh my gosh, look!" She cried.
"What, what?" I said.
"It's a snowflake." She replied in an almost reverential tone."It's beautiful." There was a pause as she smiled, stared at it intently and nearly nudged it with her cozily gloved fingertip as she said "I think I'll name him Herman."

It was quite possibly one of the most adorable things I had ever witnessed. A single snowflake in its infinite uniqueness and perfection mixed with a childlike innocence with a heart open enough to love and appreciate it.

What a moment! Life can be so very, very tender and beautiful.

Thank you Lauren, I love you.

When the West Coast and the Midwest combine...

What do you get when you mix an exuberant, childlike Southern California native with the frigid temperatures of a true Wisconsin winter?

Tune in tomorrow for the answer and the final illustration based on this sketch!

Here's a hint: his name is Herman.

Lily Allen Remixes

Being a fan can seem like a one sided deal. You get to enjoy something that you love but you don't get to give back. That landscape is changing though and some creators out there are encouraging it.

When you drop Lily's newest CD into your computer you have access to individual track parts from each song which you can download, create your own remixes and play them on her website. How cool is that? Giving fans an opportunity to be involved, create their own spin on the music and share it.

Humbly, I offer my own attempt to give back and keep that blazing locomotive of creativity forging ahead. As a visual artist I have my own version of a remix and here are a few I'd like to share.

These remixes really come from the heart because to me this is more than just a collection of color variations. This is representative of all those life moments that this wonderful music has seen me through. Between her first and now second album, Lily has provided a backdrop soundtrack to my joy, my pain, my creativity, my failures, successes, my hunger, my laughter and everything else under the sun. I'm grateful for the opportunity to use this extraordinary online medium to share my creativity in the attempt to give back.

Thank you sincerely for looking, reading and sharing it all with me. All of us are keeping this creativity rollin'!