Babe 'n Boots - WIP

I've been feeling somewhat guilty about the lack of postings even though I'm inundated with holiday projects that will have to wait until after the holidays to be revealed so here is a little something - the second in my Tots postcard series.  I haven't had the chance to finish coloring it yet.  Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!

Graphite on Paper, 5"x8"

Perched

Bre and I met a entire lifetime ago through our respective neurotic dogs.  We don't see each other much anymore but special people stay with you.  I like this image because it is tranquil and bright...something I know she's worked hard to achieve.  Namaste Bre.

Ink & Digital, 8.5"x12"

Taryn

Taryn's first birthday was this afternoon at Ali Baba's.  She is Connor's younger cousin by about 2 months and her actual birthday was 5 days ago.  I started this as a small study months ago but kept developing the piece with the intention of gifting it to her but I couldn't seem to get the watercolor washes down right.  Kinda shot myself in the foot because: 1. the small size is not ideal for portraits, 2. not enough real estate to lay down complex color washes and 3. didn't use 100% rag paper.


I finally had to adjust my technique and work with the materials at hand instead of against it.  The product resembles more of an egg tempera painting than transparent watercolor.  The hues are laid down thick and opaque.  The scan picked up much more of the paper texture than the actual painting in which the colors appear better blended.

Watercolor on Paper, 4.4"x5.7"

In reality, the hardest part of the project was matting the finished piece.  Once more, I didn't think to start out with a standard size of paper so I could just purchase a pre-cut mat.  No problem right?  I've always matted my own artwork.  Long story short - an hour before the party, I was still wrangling the mat cutter with no time left to run to the framing store.

It's been an uphill battle with this one.  Here are the photos of mat and frame:

Matted, 8"x10"

Framed, 10"x12"

Duckling - Weekly Sketch

Connor was a duckling for Halloween in tribute to his favorite toy...yellow rubber duckie. He was so cute that I had to sketch him.

Graphite on Paper, 5" x 8"

Graphite & Digital, 5" x 8"

La Parisienne - Completed

I know at least a couple of people who have been waiting for this completion.  The problem with any digital piece is that it's so tempting to keep changing any number of different aspect in the artwork.  I'm going to call this the first iteration.  It's easier to consider it complete when I reserve the option of going back and reworking it.

Ink & Digital, 8.5" x 11"

Grizzled

I think I drank about 4 sodas and 3 glasses of tea tonight.  The result is that I'm wide awake at 3:00 am...but fortuitously, I was also able to finish a drawing on the caffeine high.  I must also be a little loopy since I decided to do the piece in charcoal.  I usually dislike charcoal.  I love the look of art done in charcoal, but like pastel...it's messy.  I also hate the feel of chalk on my hands, not to mention that it sometimes causes my skin to break out in allergic boils (TMI?) so I generally avoid both.  I do feel that I'm missing out.


Unfortunately, I felt this character would best be captured in charcoal so I dug out my old charcoal pencils and blending stumps.  Yup - these hands stayed spanking clean!  It's cheating, I know, but they also make pastel pencils these days so some other people must share my abhorrence of chalky media. 

Charcoal on Paper, 9"x 12"

Fall Colors

An exercise with landscape and staying loose.  

Watercolor on Paper, 5" x 7"

Daisies - Weekly Sketch

I'm busy making preparations for Halloween this week - most notably for the Colossal pumpkin carving contest.  The competition is extremely stiff  but I think I have a pretty solid plan this year.  Pictures to come next week.

This week's theme is Fences and Flora.  I wanted to work on some different techniques and atypical subjects for me.  I also wanted to get back to participating in the WC Weekend Drawing Events regularly.  

Pen & Watercolor on Paper, 4.5" x 6"

Atilla - Weekly Sketch

Since the last weekly was late, this one is early.  Hopefully this will leave me with some time to finish up some of the WIPs that are still hanging.  So far I've drawn or painted all of the dogs currently in our household except for Atilla.  I picked her up as a puppy at the city shelter 10 yrs ago.  Poor girl is the oldest of the bunch and even in her prime, never won any beauty pageants with her problematic Shar-pei coat but she can be handsomely soulful at times. 

Watercolor on Paper, 4"x6"

Malaise - Weekly Sketch

Just a tad bit late getting this up for the week.  A quick burnt umber wash for a piece I'm considering in the future that started because I had too much paint left on my water brush.  Profound. 

Watercolor on Paper, 5.75"x4.5"

More Dogs - Weekly Sketch

I knocked out a couple more dog WC sketches for this week.  I'm slowing becoming more satisfied with the way some of these watercolors are coming out but there's still so much learning left that I'm seriously contemplating taking a painting course.  It's a tricky slope because as hard as I am on myself, I still find that most formal art classes do not meet my skill level.  The best way to grow artistically would be to participate in a professional creative group.  I think I may just be a little intimidated though.  

I'm now off to the Texas State Fair.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get a few good sketches and/or photos in.

Watercolor on Paper, 4"x6"

Pen & Watercolor on Paper, 4"x6"

Daniel Smith PrimaTek Watercolors

It's been a rough start getting back into the swing of things but I managed to finish another piece in September.  I've been using the Winsor & Cotman watercolors exclusively up until now and was satisfied enough, especially at this stage of my technical skillset.  Some peers have never the less encouraged me to sample better paints and after doing some research, I started eyeing Daniel Smith's brand of watercolors.  While not prohibitively exclusive like some other brands, Smith's paints are still on the upper tier of price range but they are raved as one of the best paint lines available. I found that buying them in sets will often halve the price yet I hesitated ordering due to the high shipping cost.  Freight usually would not have been so problematic but for the competition of Dick Blick (and their deep discount + free shipping) on my art budget.

The happy ending is that I generously received three sets of Daniel Smith triad sets from my MIL for my birthday this year.  I've heard from other artists that DS shipments take a little longer to arrive (another point for DB) but MIL ended up having to re-order as my shipment got lost.  My booty consisted of: Cadmium Orange Hue, Cobolt Violet, Cobalt Violet Deep, Isoindoline Yellow, Quinacridone Fuchsia, Terre Verte, Tiger's Eye Genuine, Sugilite Genuine and Mayan Blue Genuine. The majority is new to my palette with the last three within DS exclusive PrimaTek line (earth tones rendered from semi-precious stones and minerals). 


DS paints only come in tubes so I purchased another W&N travel set, emptied out the pans and refilled them with the DS paints.  Most of the colors were thick and buttery smooth except for the PrimaTek line which appeared lumpy and coarse.  Tiger's eye genuine had separated but I was able to blend it back together.  The synthetic colors didn't shrink too much overnight, however, the PrimaTek colors had dried to only about 1/3 the original volume...somewhat disappointing since this is generally an indicator of more fillers and less pigments.

My mother always complains that whenever Chris calls home, it's usually to ask about his dog which inspired me to test the new colors on a postcard of Rev.  As it turns out, I ended up solely using the PrimaTek hues supplemented by cotman yellow orche, ultramarine and burnt umber, which means I can't speak to the standard line of DS colors at this time.


Let's start with the positive.  Working previously from such a limited common palette, I was pleasurably entranced by the new colors in the Primatek line.  The Mayan Blue Genuine is an attractive deep turquoise hue.  The Sugilite Genuine has a lavender iridescent sheen...subtle but coyly enticing.  The Tiger's Eye Genuine is a very subdue brown, more yellow than burnt umber, not exciting but versatile.   It's probably a personal preference but because they're based on earth minerals, the hues are generally muted and incorporated well into my neutral aesthetic. They're rich without being vibrant, complex but not loud.  I didn't feel that I had to work at toning down the colors to achieve a natural likeness.  Conversely though, I felt that the pigment load was rather low. It took quite a bit of paint to achieve a strong tint.       


The other problem that I experienced was that the PrimaTek colors tend to lift fairly easy making glazing a difficult task.  This is probably due to the rather large particles of natural minerals vs. the microscopic particles of synthetic compounds.  I don't think this should be a deterrent from using the line, but the artist should be aware and adjust his technique accordingly else risk some annoyance as I did at first.


My overall impression is that Daniel Smith's PrimaTek line is worth sampling but it's probably not the best bang for your buck.  The low tinting strength and higher cost makes it economically unattractive especially when you consider that most of the hues can be replicated.  In essence, you're getting a little paint for a lot of money.  Now how much mileage you get from selling paintings created with semiprecious lapis lazuli, garnet and turquoise is another matter.  It seems like the PrimaTek line, as with a lot of commercially successful art, benefits from good marketing. 

Watercolor on Paper, 4"x6"

Shoes and News

Well gee golly, it's been a while hasn't it.  It seems I've been slacking a bit so let's get straight to business then.  Creative front:  nominal...that is to say, I've done very little art in the past three months.  Of course I have every excuse such as I was busy, lazy, depressed, sick, pissy, moody, hungry, fat, sleepy...wait a minute.  This feels like deja-vu.  


Just like before, six pee sticks later and I've discovered the culprit.  Why six?  Well, you always want a second, third, fourth... opinion in such circumstances and also you get a discount buying in bulk so I very appropriately got the 'family' pack.  To be perfectly honest though, I get a measure of entertainment watching the lines magically appear. 


Yes, we're expecting another child!  We are, of course, ecstatic to welcome another Le Johnson.  As this is an art blog, I won't go much more into the topic here but I do feel I owe it to my followers to explain my prolong absence.  


In other news - I just celebrated another birthday.  Connor turned 1 year old.  By tradition, he's permitted to select one item from an assortment of objects to represent his future vocation.  For reference, my parents claimed that I chose a pencil thus indicating my destiny as an illustrator.  Connor picked a rubber yellow duck.  We're all perplexed.  I question why the duck was even added to the tray.  I mean...isn't this the one instance when I can actually direct my child's future.  Where was the stethoscope, the gavel, the beaker, the Declaration of Independence?   Is my son to become a hunter, a vet, a farmer, or a peking duck chef?


Finally we return to art.  My future babysitter, Noelle (because she owes me big time now :-p) really wanted some zebra patterned Toms after seeing a pair at Neiman Marcus.  Being NM, it was out of the price range of a teenage babysitter so I agreed to paint her existing pair.  I rationed that it would take very little time to paint a few black stripes on some white canvas shoes.  Voila...this is the pair that I received:

Before, Black Canvas Women's Shoes

Observe that it is indeed NOT white.  Do you know how many coats of white paint it takes to cover a black background?  Neither do I, having lost count, but I am very happy with the results.  I almost want a pair myself...almost...if I can get over the fact that I think Toms are one of the ugliest shoes ever invented.  Anyways,  I think it was worth the effort to put a smile on sweet Noelle.

After, Pure Awesomeness 

La Parisienne - WIP

This is a piece that I'm really excited about and wanted to share my work-in-progress.  It will be a digital piece and in fact is the prize for the winners of the last contest.   I though they would appreciate a peek.   I inked the lines a while back but in the middle of coloring it in Photoshop, my mouse cheesed out (haha...pun).  Anyways, one may inquire as to why I don't use the more preferable Wacom to begin with.  It's because I no longer have a dedicated work area and my round dining table is too small to accommodate a 9"x12" tablet ergonomically.  I may still have to break it out for the remainder of the painting even if it mean I'll be working on the floor.


Some of you may recognize this darling.  She turned two years old a couple of days ago.  Let's hope I finish this piece before she turns three!

Pen on Paper, 9"x12"

Percy's Picnic

For anyone that does not yet know,  my brother is a writer.  A witty, brilliant writer.  He's also a bum.  A very happy and well adjusted bum, mind you...but make no mistake about it...he's a Le through and through.  While he was born with the literary talents, he is unable to draw a decent rendering to save his life.  (His stick men however, are commendable).  I on the other hand, through years and years of training in scientific academia, can write a logical thesis like nobody's business which is all fine and well, but there are very few people with the fortitude to endure one of my dissertations.    


We have (had) grand visions of collaborating on the greatest children's book ever created.  It was to be epic, dazzling, a melding of two genius creative minds for a toddler masterpiece, that serendipitously, whose audience would not have the verbal aptitude or manual dexterity to criticize our work.  Didn't I say it was genius...save for one factor.  My brother is a bum and I, in all fairness, a quasi-bum.  


Fearing a chicken or egg scenario that would ultimately thwart our plans to conquer the world one alphabet book at a time, I began some preliminary character development.  Granted, I didn't entirely conceive these characters from scratch as they, by happenstance, were referenced as some of this week's sketch subjects (previously mentioned in my last posting).  Still it's something to take a squirrel, a meerkat, some lavender, some other kind of reddish flower and weave a compelling story around one delightfully whimsical illustration of the combination.   Admittedly, 'delightful' might be tooting my own horn but given the choices (lemur, llama, orangutan...dog), I think Percy came out alright.    


Introducing Percival S., the squirrel.  He's British by the way.  Imagine him with a cute squeaky little British accent.    Click to see larger version.

Monkey Business - Weekly Sketch

This week's subjects are again from the WetCanvas forum - the theme was zoo critters with some flowers,  shrubbery and a domestic pet thrown in for good measure.  It's usually a dog or cat...always a dog or cat I've noticed.  People really like them.  This time it was a dog.  I didn't draw the dog.


The first piece is a quick pen and watercolor wash I did as a warm up.  Monkeys.  Three monkeys to be clear.  The second, a lemur.  Just one.  The third which is in the next post for reasons that will become apparent includes said zoo critters,  flowers, shrubbery...but no dog.  Have I mentioned yet that I didn't draw the dog?

Micron & Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

M. _ Water Garden & Cockerel - Weekly Sketch

This week's sketch is a 'two for the price of one'.  I frequent a pretty neat art forum that has some awesome artist (mostly traditional) and some not so awesome ones.  Some days I'm humbled while one other days I get a nice ego boost.  It's a learning opportunity either way.   They have daily, weekly, monthly events/challenges that I've begun to participate in.  It lets me hone my skills, paint subjects I usually wouldn't consider and lets me explore beyond my comfort zone.  I also like the help and suggestions available from other professionals.


This week's references were irresistible to me for their sheer potential.  I chose these two because well...I've never drawn either ever before and felt it would be a challenge to paint them in watercolor.  Boy, was it ever.  Watercolor is a beast that takes some planning.  While there is some measure for corrections, you can't simply paint over as you would acrylic or oils.  Still - I'm having a blast even if I'm not entirely pleased with the results.  Would like more contrast and I probably need to expand my color palette as it feels a little dull.  What do you expect for the bargain deal price of 2 weeklies for the price of one!


Almost forgot!  There is an easy challenge attached to this one.  First person to tell me the location (city) of the subjects in the paintings gets a print of my next piece (not going to say what it is just yet though).  Bonne chance!

Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

Watercolor on Paper, 5"x 8"

Panda - Weekly Sketch

I broke out the Faber Castell brush pen for this week's sketch.  Many artists I know love this pen for its line quality.  I'm not an inker per say but I'm always impressed by the work that other artists do with this pen (Check out Michael Stovall's blog).   The brush tip has proved to be more durable than the Tombows thus far.  The ink is even and smooth but I've heard that they tend to run out fairly quickly.  I've been yearning to try the Pentel brush pens, which are refillable, in comparison.


Sometimes I get the urge to draw something ridiculously cute just because I can.  There are very few things that I can think of which fits the bill better than a Panda.  Perhaps a baby panda...Awwwwwww!

Pen on Paper, 5"x8"

Heather Skies - Original Postcard Giveaway

In appreciation of Anthromorphologie Facebook followers, fans, likees or whatever is the terminology these days, I will be giving away free stuff from time to time.  Cool stuff like prints, art supplies, custom portraits, original artwork and perhaps even a certain little baby boy if he doesn't stop crying right now and take a nap.  All you have to do is be a fan and follow directions.


I did this piece as a warm up after my extended hiatus and to try out my new Winsor & Newton Cotman colors.  Truth be told...of the 45 additional colors in my new palette, the only debutante to make it into this exercise was Cerulean Blue.  I don't often do landscapes but I'm trying to incorporate more into my repertoire if only to break up the day.


This quaint hillside scene is painted on 140 lb Strathmore CP postcard size watercolor paper, sealed and ready to be mailed out to one lucky fan.  Wouldn't it be nice to open your mailbox and get something other than bills and solicitations.  Of course it may get a little wear and tear courtesy of the USPS but I'm sure it'll only add to the charm*.  Just comment or "like" this posting.  I'll draw a name from the respondents and post the winner on July 10th. 

Watercolor on Paper, 4"x6"

*I cannot be responsible for lost or stolen mail. In the event that it is lost or stolen, artwork cannot and will not be replaced as it is an original.  Additionally,  there is no refund since it is free.

Connor - Weekly Sketch

I'm playing catchup this week since spending the extended memorial weekend in Austin.  I brought down my sketch kit with the intention of getting some work done but alas, utilized the better part of my trip shopping, eating and sleeping.  It was nice but back to work now.  I haven't been completely unproductive though...just haven't had a chance to scan anything until now.  


Here's the first - some quick sketches of the little guy.  Back in high school and college I would doodle in ballpoint pen next to my lecture notes.   These days it has replaced a pencil as my tool of choice for sketches.  I find that my penciling style is often too rigid and contrived.  The loose pen lines appear more organic and interesting.

Ballpoint Pen on Paper, 5"x8"

Parallel 001

I recently came across some sketches by an artist, L Filipe dos Santos, that's reminiscent of the Rorshachs in my psychology days.   The idea is to create an illustration from the shapes of random inkblots.  I decided it would be a neat exercise to stretch my imagination and found that I really enjoyed the exploration. 


I first used acrylic to create the image below in my Moleskine sketch.

Acrylic on Paper, 10'x8'

I then illustrated my interpretation using pen over the inkblots.  I will upload my drawing at the end of the week but I'm extremely interested in what everyone else perceives.  Post your interpretations or better yet,  download the the image above and create your own vision using whatever medium you'd like.  

Il lettore - Weekly Sketch

A little over a year ago in a rare act of sibling solidarity, my brother and I agreed to get matching themed tattoos if I design them.  We decided on Roaring 20's sparrows.  Maybe it's my aversion to pain or my knack for procrastination but to this day no birds yet.  I think it's some deep seated psychological issue because really...surely even the most tardy offender must be able to knock something out in 18 months.


In an effort to get inked sometime this decade, Chris went solo instead and asked for an image of a fox reading a book; I suppose because he lives for books and fancies himself clever.  I envisioned something dark, gothic.  Mr. Fox in a heavy velvet robe sitting in the armchair of Poe's library.


This is what came out.

Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

It's probably because of my recent submersion into watercolors yet somehow, this actually reminds me more of my brother - light, whimsical, skinny legs?  I'm still working on the tattoo but this nevertheless is dedicated to you Brother.

Winsor & Newton Cotman Watercolor Pan Set

I needed a watercolor pan set for plein-air painting and sketchbook journaling.  Most of the artist sets were priced higher than I wanted to pay considering I didn't want a double investment in both tube and pan colors.  The opposite end of the spectrum just didn't pass muster so I was happy when I came across Winsor & Newton Cotman colors.  WB artist line is highly popular with watercolor professionals and the student line is reputed to be quite good.  The variety of palettes, from compact cases to all in one field boxes, also attracted me - in the instance, it was their sketcher pocket box set.

Winsor & Newton Sketcher Pocket Box Set

This particular set consist of 12 half pans with most of the essential hues and a collapsable brush.  At around 2"x4", it fits nicely in a pocket or purse.  The case is made of sturdy plastic and although perhaps not as attractive as metal tins, certainly is more robust for the field.  However, unlike traditional sets that clip into rails, the pans sit in the molded wells of the case which causes them to rattle and sometime fall askew when transported.

While it can be observed that some of the colors were not as intense when compared to the best artist colors, it was nevertheless highly satisfactory and better, with many single pigment colors, than most any other student set.  The discrepancy was mostly found in the 'hues' that were used to replace some of the more costly colors although they do also make real cadmiums and cobolt colors (none were in this set).  

Overall - the price, quality and size were perfect for my intended purpose.  Have a handy waterbrush loaded and this set is perfect on the go.  My only complaint was the lack of black in this pallet on an outing to the Arboretum last weekend, but in the future, I intend to refill the empty pans with my choice of artist tube colors.

I tested the set out on an illustration of my brother.

Ink and Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

Respite - WIP

While organizing and consolidating all of my art supplies, I came across a set of Loew-Cornell acrylics.  I've been trying to replace most of my old stock with better grade products to save myself the headache and time of messing around with sub-par materials that just won't work the way they should.   Well, here was an almost new set of scholastic paints that I could either toss or wait until Connor gets old enough to enjoy them (in his predominantly WHITE room) but I decided to have a little fun testing out some Strathmore 400 series acrylic paper.


I chose a set of primary and neutral colors.  Surprisingly,  I am quite pleased with the way it's coming along.  I am especially fond of how there's subtle energy and movement in the warm colors juxtaposed against the calm demeanor of the subject.  I don't feel like it's quite finished yet but I want to let it sit a while before decided where I want to go with it.

Acrylic on Paper, 9"x12"

Comments and critique welcomed.

More Dancers - Weekly Sketch

Some flirty dancers. Practicing a variety of styles and techniques for each of my weeklies.

Watercolor on Paper, 5"x8"

Moleskine Watercolor Notebook

I think from time to time I will try to do a product review because I like to experiment with different products and from my experience found that there's a scarcity of comprehensive information readily accessible.  My inaugural review will cover the Moleskine watercolor notebook. The Tombows that I have been using were adequate in the Moleskine classic but they neither blended well as watercolors on the paper nor was the nib fine enough for my inking taste.  I was therefore impressed to try the watercolor notebook as most enthusiast recommend it for journaling and field studies. 

Moeskine Watercolor Notebook

The books come in a pocket sized 3.5" x 5.5" and a larger but still extremely portable 5" x 8" landscape. With 60 and 72 pages respectively, there's an ample amount of creamy, thick 200gsm, 25% cotton cold pressed paper and unlike some other thread bound sketchbooks, I like that the pages lay flat for use when open.  The cover has an elegant yet professional leather texture with an elastic closure similar to the classic series. 


I purchased my large notebook from the University Co-op art store for $19.99 but subsequently found them for much less from online vendors such as Dick Blick.  Tragically, a quick assessment of my art cache revealed a shortage of any decent watercolors paints so for this demonstration, I was relegated to using the Tombows ABT duel brush pens and some Fiber-Castell watercolor pencils. 


Voila! A quick study of barn owls.

Mix Media on Paper, 5"x8"

The owl on the left side was painted using the pencils while the pair on the right, a combination the brush pens and micron.  I primarily used a #5 Royal Aqualon round that I purchased in a variety 3pk on clearance for $0.01.  For that price, I couldn't resist trying them out and found them quite favorable at least for this application.  The watercolor pencils are a scholastic grade so it was hard to get the intensity and pigmentation to do proper gradation and blending.  I found this frustrating to the point of turning me off to watercolor pencils but I will definitely try a better grade and see how I fair.

The versatility of the brush pens became more apparent when using the proper paper.  I was able to easily blend using the colorless blending pen or a brush, control the intensity of color by dipping the tip in water and building up hues by glazing.  I liked them enough that I ordered a set of 10 beyond my usual shader colors.

The paper held up extremely well even with heavy washes with no bleeding whatsoever.  There was only minimal warping and doubtful any with lighter applications.  The slight tooth of the paper is also ideal for techniques with other media such as charcoal, graphite, and pastels that cannot be achieved with the classic smooth paper.  Needless to say, I am extremely pleased thus far with this notebook and suggest it as an companion to those who already love the classic Moleskine.

On a related note, I just ordered my first Kolinsky sable brushes and of course some artist quality watercolors.  I am beyond giddy.

Julie

More than once has someone (always a dude) commented that I only draw girls of the caucasian variety.  That's completely false...perhaps not completely. I just seem to have a better grasp of white proportions and features but we're going to remedy that. This is my pretty cousin, Julie.


Practicing the ol' wash technique using India ink on Canson montval 140 lb watercolor paper. It's a heavy wash so I like using the sturdier stock and I tend to overwork my pieces. 

Ink on Paper, 7.5"x10.25"

I CanCan Weekly Sketch

Who's up for a pinup?  I used a micron and Tombow brush pens again, although watercolor markers are not ideal on the non-absorbant Moleskine sketch paper.  Made my life a little more difficult but what can I say - that's what I had handy and what's a little challenge.  It also gives me a reason to try out my new Moleskine watercolor book next time. 


I have to credit the ever effervescent Jason Chalker and his sexy women (albeit the blue and green extraterrestrial variety) as the inspiration for this piece. 

Micron & Brush Pen on Paper, 5"x8"

Ribbons

I took this past weekend off to visit Austin.  It's been more than a year since I've been back and didn't realize how much the city has changed although some things remained as good as ever - El Chili, Polvo's, Jerry's Artorama...I-35 traffic.  We also hit up Eeyore's Birthday and the Buda wiener dog races in addition to catching up with some dear relatives; overall a great break and I look forward to returning more often to reconnect with some dreadfully neglected friends.  For now though, I'm happy to get back to work.


This is a study for a large watercolor that I'm planning.  The sketch was completed using a combination of micron, brush pen and Prisma marker.

Mix Media on Paper, 10"x 9"

Famous Dogs in History

I dusted off a 5 year old moleskin recently and started greasing the rusty gears so to speak.  I have a tendency towards precision - a mechanical pencil sort of anal-ness - and in the past, would have trembled in fear without my trusty eraser to correct any errant lines.  My main goal now is to attain a much looser and free style.  Alright...some of you may think that I haven't given up much control by the initial sketches but...baby steps - no eraser right! I bought some Tombow ABT duel brush pens a while back that I decided to finally try out.


The subject choice?  People love dogs but people love dogs dressed up as humans even more. Easy! I've posted the progression of the first four and will update as I finish.  

Leica the Dictator (not really)