642 Things to Draw #6 - Van Gogh's Ear

Van Gogh's Ear

Graphite

Okay, so I drew the ear he did not cut off, and I really used Alexander's ear as my model. Van Gogh would have been fortunate to have such a beautifully shaped ear!

Every Day in May Challenge # 24

Draw something cold or cool.

Ink, Inktense, Watercolour, Graphite

This is supposed to be an ice cube. It is cold. The room is warm. It is melting.

I once heard that ice cubes are difficult to photograph. I just discovered they are also difficult to draw. This was my third attempt at drawing the ice cube. This challenge was challenging.

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.

Mandala Moment

This doodle reminded me of a mandala so I called it Mandala Moment at MacDonald's.  Here is the definition of mandala:
Definition of MANDALA

1

: a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe;specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation

2

: a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image

(Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/)

As you can see, it is not a true mandala. Also, I spelled McDonalds incorrectly. However, I did entertain myself for a hour and a half while I waited for the doors to open at work.

February 22, 2009

My family got me a strawberry chocolate Boston cream cake for my birthday. It was delicious. I had the last piece on February 22 (which is not too bad considering my birthday was on the 19th)! I also used this as an EDM (Everyday Matters) assignment: draw a shadow.

February 20, 2009

I used this as an EDM (Everyday Matters)assignment

February 2, 2009

Most Monday nights, for the last little while, I meet with my friend Patti Murphy at Williams Coffee Pub for a coffee. Patti comes into my end of London (Ontario) from Lucan (Ontario) on Monday nights so that her son can attend a soccer practice at a local high school. It is great seeing her once a week.

Last night I arrived a bit early so entertained myself by drawing in my new Moleskine sketchbook. I drew what was in front of me on the table. The sketchbook is 3½" x 5½" so this is a pretty small drawing. Since so many things were incorporated in this drawing, I decided to use this as a submission to several EDM (Everyday Matters) challenges (listed above). The above sketch took about an hour to do. I started it while I waited for Patti and finished it later, at home (added the shading). That is a lipstick stain on my mug.

You can see the bleed through from the first page (the pen & ink) that I did. Although I liked the way the ink laid down, I did not like the bleed through. The graphite worked very well and smoothly.

Tools used on above sketch:

• Moleskine sketchbook
• 2B Mechanical pencil
• Kneaded eraser