wagonized

Saigon, 1971

I had a discussion once with my stepfather about "realistic" drawings. To sum things up: he contended that past the "wow" effect of realism ("look at how real the eyes are!" "look at the rendering of the light on the cheek!"), you are left with not much but realism, a mere feat -- and that in itself does not constitute art. This conversation comes back to haunt me every time i draw a realistic portrait, because unfortunately for me, i couldn't help agreeing with him. I did this drawing today at lunch, staring at a photograph by Richard Avedon. 2B pencil on Bienfang® paper.

Hang in there

Shirts, jackets, "petits hauts" -- mostly old stuff that i've been lugging around for years.

"Between the bugs and the benz..."

"... there's a balanced machine". That's what the American ad said in the mid-70s to promote the new Peugeot 304. Probably one of the very few cars i prefer as a sedan. Although, come to think of it... :-)
Pen and watercolor in Moleskine.

Ami Six

When i was a kid and i could tell the brand & model of a car just by its sound (!), i usually got his one mixed up with a Citroën 2CV -- i guess because they shared the same engine. Pen and watercolor in Moleskine.

The first kick i took

... was when i hit the ground. I remember reading somewhere that Ronald Reagan actually wanted to use Born In The USA for his campaign. Ha. Tonight i wanted to draw with my new Prismacolor® pencils.

Love/Hate

I spent some time tonight looking at photos by Richard Avedon. I loved the one of Robert Mitchum, so i did a quick sketch of it. I read somewhere that drawing a portrait is not so much about the person you draw than what you pour into it. I kept that in mind tonight as i drew -- not worrying about rendering "Mitchum-ness", but just having fun. B pencil on Canson.

It's not easy bein' green

Sometimes, i have a bad tendency to shorten my "ladies" so they fit on the Moleskine page. And sometimes, i run out of space -- as i did for the Renault below. But heck, i'm posting it anyway. The lady on top is one of my dream cars -- the 1975 (or is it a '74?) Saab 99.

My new Moos

Today, i received a new batch of Moo™ cards in the mail. They are tiny (about 3 x 7 cm, or 1 x 3", approximately), fun to carry around, and to swap with strangers :-)
At moo.com, you can have your own pictures turned into cool cards, or purchase cards with designers' illos on them, like the incredible Andrea Joseph!

Yellow and gray

Funny how these faces come out when i least expect them. I sit down, i start drawing, and an hour goes by. I added some color with my Prismacolor® colored pencils.

Sunny day lady

A sunny day Morris Minor. The Pilot® V5 pen didn't agree too well with the watercolors.