I will explain how I do my typography on my sketches. I go to Dafont.com and peruse the endless diferent typefaces. They are divvied up by categories. I select an unsusual one I like and then download the font to my desktop. I then load it into my Apple Font Book. Lastly, I type what I want to say in Photoshop and put it in the newly found typefaces. Then I just draw the type as if I was drawing any other object. That is why my type looks so dope.
Eagle
My friend Stephen Petronis chose the eagle to draw, in fact he chose the African masks too. I like when I can keep my brain shut off in the museum. I go on autopilot when I’m doing the drawing.
Japan
I prepped a page the day before I went drawing by sketching a lot of Japanese anime characters along the bottom. The next day, I went to the Natural History Museum and drew the dinosaur head and the ancient Chinese figure. When young boys looked over my shoulder at the museum as I sketched, their heads nearly popped off seeing the pile of cartoon figures. Of course, they knew them all by name. They couldn’t figure out what the hell I was doing.
MET
Last Saturday, I went to The Met to draw with the NYC Urban Sketchers led by art teacher, Mark Leibowitz. As you can see, my drawing is all over the place. Giant head, proportions are not even remotely in the ballpark. A failure if there ever was one. As I sat down to begin to draw, I found myself in conversation was some fantastic women artists who were sitting within earshot. I began to chat and take my eye off the drawing I was making but I kept forging ahead. In fact, I started to enjoy the company more than the sketching. One was artist, Amanda Kavanagh who I’ve been following for years on Instagram. Here we were meeting for the first time by pure coincidence. There were also some newbie artists showing great courage by coming out and drawing in public. I love those folks. I had a great day but I feel I should also post and show my work when I totally screw up. I didn’t do it in a sketchbook but used a single pre stained piece of watercolor paper which shows I felt it would be a tough environment to draw in on a crowded Saturday.
Studio Slew
I discovered the best life drawing class ever. It’s held at a place called Studio Slew in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The whole thing is run by artist Sam Lewis. The enormous studio is gorgeous with great light. I attended a 3 hour, one long pose session. A great model with only a handful of artists. They limit the number that can attend which makes for a nice environment. The model is dressed in a costume which I loved. Everyone there was so nice and friendly. Lovely music and a groovy vibe for sure. I intend to go to this place a lot.
Sugar Sugar
Back to my local diner early in the morning so I can draw all alone. When my friends show up later, I get my vegan breakfast and show off my new sugar doodle to them.
South America
I went to the Hall of Mexico and Central America Culture at the Natural History Museum. Then I proceeded to jam my sketchbook page with as many art objects as humanly possible.
Tea
I don’t drink tea. My wife drinks gallons of the stuff. I was home bound a few days with nothing to draw. My wife’s kettle had to pose for me.
Moose
Drew a moose in New York and then included some architectural features when I was in Bruges. I’m always adding elements to my drawings. They’re never quite done. I’m probably still not finished with this one.
Caribou
Drew this Caribou at the Museum of Natural History. Then headed to the. museum’s bird section and added some feathered friends in order to make my illustration less boring.
Mustard
I couldn’t think of anything to draw so I went to a big supermarket and strolled around the aisles. I was looking for something iconic. It was not as easy a task as it might seem.
White Pelican
I try to get my pals to decide what to draw at the museum. This way I’m usually doing something I would not have thought to select. Somehow, I like being in that position when I begin sketching. This week the country of France overtook the museum. They must be off from school or something. French tourists only. Quite nice. Another museum staffer introduced themselves to Stephen and I. After a long winter stuck drawing inside, we pine for some warm weather to change things up. Soon enough.
Ruebens
This is my drawing of the Renaissance painter, Peter Paul Reubens if he were alive today. He’d be a dude who’d enter those National Beard and Moustache Championships but never win. Ruebens was knighted so he’d be seen with the aristocracy now and again. His Reubenesque style would be very much in vogue so he’d have many commissions lined up. This concludes my series.
