Sitting Around Watching Television

I was just sitting around, watching television, and decided to grab my sketchbook instead of my laptop.  

Normally I sit with my laptop on my lap as I watch television. Sometimes I multi-task and work or play as I watch TV, sometimes I watch a movie or other television program during the commercials of the one I am watch live, or sometimes I look up info about the program I watching and/or the actors in the program. I love computers!

However, this time I decided to just draw. The first image, above, is just one of my generic cartoons. It is not very interesting so I added some festive streamers to it and some colour. Still, was not thrilled with the image. Then I decided to draw a "Crumb" girl. Well, sort of in his style, but not quite. Alexander (my son) draws in the Crumb style much better than I.

We watched a three day marathon of The Big Bang Theory. 

I figured I may as well try drawing one of the characters so I sketched Penny, above.  I may revisit this show later and draw all the characters. This can be decided at a later time.

One of the disadvantage of watching three days of the same show is that you end up dreaming about it. It is difficult to turn off your brain so it is like watching the show 24 hours at a time! Ugh. LOL.

Nonetheless, I still enjoy the show.

Graphic Novel Group

The Graphic Novel Group (GNG) meets monthly in the basement of L.A. Mood Comics and Games shop to discuss a graphic novel. It is basically a specialized book club. We really enjoy attending. The conversation is always stimulating and interesting. Sometimes we have guest speakers in the form of graphic novel writers and/or artists.

Normally I just sit and listen, and contribute when I have something to say. This day (November 12, 2011) I had my little sketchbook with me and a pencil so I sketched the people around me.

Anthony always has interesting things to contribute. He is really good at finding meaning in the novels that others miss (okay, I miss). I love listening to him speak.

Bad Sketch

I debated whether or not to post really bad sketches. In the end, it is more honest to post all sketches from my sketchbook, excellent, good, medium, poor, bad, and horrid.

This sketch was done while I waited in a doctor's waiting room. I was facing the man who was staring at a television behind and above my head.  It is not a great sketch, and does not really capture his likeness, except for the blank stare. I was listening to CBC's Laugh Out Loud podcast while I waited. I wrote down their URL so that I could go to the site and check something out.

The purpose of my sketchbooks are many.  I use them to kill time while waiting, to draw things I want to remember, to practice techniques, to play with layouts and ideas for larger pieces, to record life events, as a visual journal, and just for the heck of it.  Most of the images are just scribbles or quick studies. I rarely do any highly detailed finished-quality pieces in the sketchbooks. These books or more for my own edification and amusement and not necessarily for others to view.

So, why am I sharing these images publicly? 

I am often asked to share my sketchbooks. People seem to like to see how artists' minds work. Of course every artist is different.

It may be helpful for some people, especially beginner artists, to see the process of keeping a sketchbook and to see that not all work is slick, detailed, and finished. It is okay to just have a few scribbles and doodles. It is okay to draw things that are ugly and unbalanced, to try new techniques, to experiment with styles, media, subject matter.

The sketchbook can have themes or be random.  The beauty of the sketchbook is that it can be anything you want it to be. You can keep it completely private, for your eyes only, or you can share it on the internet for the whole world to see.  There are no right or wrong ways to keep sketchbooks.  There are as many ways to work in a sketchbook as there are artists.

I hope to encourage people to go out and draw, not be afraid to put marks on paper, whether or not they feel their images are good or beautiful.

Balloons

Just some doodling to pass time.