Byron live studio.

Tried another life drawing group- this time 'Byron live studio'.
I think the trip down and through Byron bay kind of psyched me out a bit on top of the whole getting back to "seeing" (life drawing style) again. (So things are still wonky in the drawing department, plus I was sort of used to drawing on my sketchpad in pen- so using pencil was weird for a while.)
On weekends there's a giant queue of cars to get into Byron,- me trying to take an idiot proof way first time round took this route. Bad idea.
Anyway once there-I was impressed. A really kind and chatty old couple ran the place, and model was great . Plus they had fruitcake.
(although althletic as she was she'd try these neat poses that took a lot of strength-so she'd move quite a lot in these- actually she'd make a great sculptural model-very art deco sculpture shape in a way).

The scribbly pen drawing up top wasn't from life drawing - just thought I'd throw that in .
The reclining image head to the right(25min) was the last pose- so as I was finally starting to get it together a bit more, it was time to go.
Next time gadget.

Next!

Finished that cockatoo book(book 3) for Scholastic, - next the dingo.
Here are a couple of those previously posted roughs coloured. I've put far more time in these than could be sanely financially justified,
- although I never want to do a crap job- you have to keep these things in mind, and the whole job in perspective . The whole multiplier effect of the number of pages means that- if you spent a day per page- that would be 24 working days.(=So you can't spend a day on a page more like half that)

Yes we have bananas

First time life drawing in about 3 months. Always seems like I start for about 3 weeks then something scuttles it for months on end. So I was trying not to stress about things too much first time back,- here are a few images from it. The guy was pretty muscly- which is good from a reference point of view, but like most male models didn't stay still.
All done in ballpoint with the pad on my knee- (no rubbing out gives much added wonkiness- big heads-long shins etc)

Quick wobbly girl

What becomes of the powerless?

Well they can't use their computers for starters.
I wish I had a dollar for every time they cut the power around here.
Anyway here's some ballpoint ideas pages and pages of sabre tooth tigers I did when I had no power for a morning last week(some alright and not alright- mainly the open mouth ones- no rubber! but also they have longer necks and are a bit more roman in the nose than I drew them).

(The astute will see ideas for refurbishing this blog in the ideas pages.)

A few more plane drawings....

I was kind of in a good mood drawing these frogs on the flight to New York.
-Since found out that for my wife's book she'd wanted them actually "fly fishing"- which is a much cooler idea- so I'll post my updated ideas of that scene.

Below are a few in flight observations.
First the difference between the hostess on the safety video, and the real life one.


This guy below, who sat behind me on the Denver to San Francisco flight was scary weird. Looked like he was not long out of prison, and had perhaps combed/wet his hair down so he looked "purdy". Underneath his hawaiian shirt you could see the prison type tattoos (spider webs etc on wrist and neck). Constantly talking/responding to any announcement, halfway in a manner like a ADHD kid- but a scary profane kid. Said he wanted to get out of Texas because they were all incestuous sodomites(words to that effect). I thought "if YOU want to get out,- then Texas must be bad".
In the five minutes while waiting to get off the plane he
1. Berated pilots as homosexuals because he said that recent reporting in the news, where the two pilots had said they were arguing /didn't read the map and missed their destination, was wrong , and that were actually having sex instead of flying the plane.
2. Tried to convince me that we should pay $50 to "bang that girl", and that the person unfortunate enough to have sat next to him should watch. (girl was about 14 standing with her mother in front of me).
3. Kept calling out in between "You're Dragging your ass...like a dog....with worms!"

I wrote down on the drawing one of his more printable quotes "makes my ass wanna chew tobaccy!"



I waited 'til I was safely home in australia to draw him (from memory) but that's him alright.
Here is an easy guide to snowboarding-(from the inept to the inept)

Shakes on a plane 2:- the flight home.

A few homeward images.
Topmost are scenes of minneapolis- and no, their de-icing machines don't look entirely like that but yes, the plane, the people , and that weird faced woman do.
Well yes, there wasn't actually a snowman driving
but there could have been.

Shakes on a plane

Here are some of the' in flight' drawings from my recent trip. I'll post images and then come back and explain them. Also I'll do a proper Winter conference blurb with images- so I might eliminate the previous post I did and replace with the non "late night/sleepless in NY version".
Theres also a few other pics of odd people to scan in yet too.
Interesting the whole drawing with a ballpoint- I actually really love it now- a bit problematic in that there's no rubbing out mistakes(as you can see) but I love how fine it is and I love the light hatching I can do (if the plane isn't shaking).
Of the odd caricatures/drawings of people- the were all done from very surreptitious glances. I felt I couldn't just sit and draw them in case they objected to me staring, - but often it turned out pretty close(sometimes after a couple of tries- no rubber!).
The witch did actually look like that- except there was no broom and no cat- apart from that ....., but she did look like an obese Gene Simmons.

Quick dwarvy interlude

Book 3 Roughs Part2

Mates Series Book 3 Roughs, part1