THINGS TO COME

This week’s portrait is of Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter.

 

Originally, this was titled, “Happy Valentines Day”, but with the past 2 weeks news cycle, I felt the need to take this one in a whole different direction and make it a little bit political.

Beyonce has been a person I’ve wanted to draw for a while now. What’s challenging about her is that there really aren't many good reference photos of her that haven’t been retouched. I have no idea what she really looks like, and as a result I found it much harder to get her likeness down on paper. I think she’s black but in the majority of her online pictures she looks white with a very even tan. 

I used the Pan-African flag colors to complete the image as a result of the recent drama over a song she released and the costumes she chose to wear during the Super Bowl half time performance of that song. People were outraged and want to protest her choice of costume. It reminded them of the Black Panther movement and even worst according to some, that she is black. Even Saturday Night Live made a comedy video about it.

If any of you get a chance, rent or buy the movie, “H.G. Wells Things To Come”.  

I thought at this point in time we as a society would be on to bigger and better things, kind of like Star Trek the Next Generation. But we seem to be stuck holding on to the past. Fear of color, fear of religion, fear of sex, fear of life. “Things To Come”, does feel a lot like our current society. The solution in this film to dealing with all the people who got in the way of advancement was to gas them to sleep.

On a weekend that’s suppose to be about love, there is so much hatred out there.

Anyway, this project isn’t about my politics, it’s about art. Besides I can’t and don’t have the time to teach a bunch of faith believers the ideas and concepts of God and loving your fellow man that kind of stuff though should be included in all their bibles.

Happy Valentines Day, what ever that means.

Hey, if you want to get away from the human race this weekend, join me at Long Beach Comic Expo for the drawing event I will be hosting.

 

Cosplay Life Drawing at Long Beach Comic Expo This Coming Weekend!

Once again with the gracious support of the Long Beach Comic Con and Comic Con I will be hosting another life drawing event.

I have 2 amazing models, Amina Santana and Aryiel Hartman posing as aliens from the newly discovered planet named, "Planet 9". They will be doing a 3 hour session from 5pm to 8pm in Ballroom A at the convention. And as always, there will be a 1 hour prelude in the convention main hall, in artist alley. It will be announce.

The address is 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802. (The entrance to the convention will be behind the building)

These events are uninstructed. So you might wonder, what would you gain from attending?

Well....

The thing I hear from people the most is, "I can't attend because I can't draw."

What I am trying to get people to experience and understand is that there's a lot more to life drawing then just being able to draw what's in front of you.

For a seasoned professional, being able to put down what you see in front of you is important in order to qualify for certain commercial art jobs. But a huge part of drawing is problem solving. Seeing what's in front of you and then figuring out how to express it in a thoughtful manner on paper or through what ever medium you use.

This kind of creative problem solve can carry over to all sorts of jobs, from book keeping to cooking, from home decorator to music writing.

You're basically training your unique, creative way of thinking to solve a visual problem. And this training will carry over into other fields.

And you know what's really amazing is that you don't even need anyone to start this process.

Start today, right now!

Pick up some paper and look around you for someone or something to draw, and just draw, do it every day this week, when ever and as often as you can. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, just put some thought into what you're doing.

By Friday, look back on what you've done so far. I bet you'll see something in your drawings that wasn't there before. Even better, think about any small problems you had to solve during the week. What kind of creating thinking went into solving it that seem different from the past?

Life drawing by no means will solve all problems but it will help by getting you to start thinking outside the box. And imagine how much fun it could be drawing with a group of people who are also thinking outside the box.

Hope I see you on Saturday.

COME DRAW!

NEW DIRECTIONS

This week's portrait subject is Frederick Douglass.

I am surprise that no one has thought about doing a movie about him yet. Born a slave, secretly taught to read, escaped, married, became a speaker about the rough and horrible lives of slaves and published several books. All this took place between 1818 and 1895. He was also the first black person to be nominated for Vice President of the United States and when his first wife past away, he remarried to a white women.

His life story seemed to defy the norm of the time. If ever there is a story worth telling this is it.

February being Black History month, I thought he'd make a great subject for my art.

I think I am about to enter a new phase with my art. I just purchased a bunch of large drawing paper.

Two weekends from now is the Long Beach Comic Expo, where I will once again host a costumed life drawing event! They've been going well and the convention owner is pleased and open to the idea of continuing them as part of the convention experience, which is great.

If you have time, come by the convention and see what I am up to and of course draw with me!

Since starting these weekly portraits a few people have requested drawings done of them. That could be fun but I want to know if anyone is actually reading this blog every week or am I just typing to my future self. So I have an idea, the first 3 people to comment here on this blog will be the subject of a future portrait installment. This offer is off the table in 7 days (February 17th, 2016).

I think I know who I am going to draw next...

It's THURSDAY, Is It DONE YET?!!!

What a way to role into February! I didn't think I'd get this week's image done.

This week's portrait subject is Rosario Dawson.

 

I've wanted to draw Rosario for some time but of course never did so. Once I decide it was going to be her, a lot of procrastination began throughout the weekend and into this week.

It's a real challenge trying to draw someone you're attracted to. And in this case I just couldn't see her features, I might as well had drawn a giant heart and called it a day. But I gave it my best and the first result on Sunday… well… here it is…

I knew it wasn't working and suddenly I realized this week might not happen! I tried redrawing her a few times again, even used watercolor, I texted one drawing to a couple of friends to see if I was on the right track. They were encouraging but I just wasn't feeling it.

Tuesday night changed my mind set. I went to the weekly drawing workshop at the Art Directors Guild, drew my favorite friend/ model, Jennifer Fabos Paton, and another friend of mine showed up with her purple/pink hair, got me excited and focus enough that I came home on a high and was able to really see Rosario!

And I tried a mix media approach, markers, acrylic and colored pencils. I think I pulled it off but I really think if she were to sit for me, I could get pass the attraction and really do another nice drawing of her.

So Rosario, if you happen to see this and think I should try again, contact me and let's plan a date… I mean a day for you to sit for me and I'll create a proper portrait of you!

In the meantime, the week is over and I haven't figured out who's next, pure drama!