A Bad Day For Polar Exploration

This is an ink drawing done from a photo in the New York Times of a ship running into a few problems as it navigates an ice field. I'll concede that the ship in my drawing appears to be making its way through either a body of water or a giant pile of lumpy mashed potatoes, but trust me, it's ice.

Figure Drawing at Gage Academy

I recently took a weekend figure drawing workshop at the Gage Academy with Juliette Aristides. She subscribes to a very rigorous, classical approach in her workshops, which made for a really intense weekend and a kind of art instruction I'm not accustomed to (she was not afraid to stop me and say "no, you're doing it wrong.") Although we did one longer drawing over the course of the two days, I'm actually happiest with these two 20-minute value studies. I would highly recommend her courses for anyone who wants to really push themselves in their drawing.

My Triumphant Return

After several months of inactivity - during which time I'm sure all my fans have been crying themselves to sleep every night - I have finally found time to resurrect this blog. All of us here at Revenge of the Pencil, Inc. apologize for the lengthy absence. I moved from New Orleans to Seattle in March and, while I have continued to draw, there have been numerous demands on my time (primarily the really excellent beer they serve here in the Pacific Northwest) that have kept me away from this blog.

And what better way to come back than with Vorosh the Hunter? This was drawn from a Magic Card on loan from my friend's 10 year old son, who pronounced this drawing "pretty good." Astute viewers will notice that I initially spelled Vorosh's name wrong and had to make a correction. It may be a bit unsightly, but what choice did I have? Vorosh the Hunter does not cotton to spelling errors.

Last One From New Orleans - The Pirate's Alley Cafe

This will be my last post from New Orleans. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be moving to Seattle and leaving behind my home in the swamp. I've had some amazing times here and I hope I've managed to capture at least a little of the city's crumbling grandeur in my drawings. It will probably be a month or so until I can post again since I won't initially have access to a scanner in my new home, but I do plan to keep drawing and posting from Seattle.

This pencil sketch was done in the courtyard of the Pirate's Alley Cafe, one of my favorite bars in the French Quarter. I've stopped in there on Mardi Gras day a few times and it's always a great scene. This is one of the many places I'll miss when I leave town tomorrow.

Me Vs. Van Dyck, Round 2

This is a charcoal pencil drawing based on a painting by Anthony van Dyck called "Study of a Man's Head." This is the second drawing I've done from a van Dyck piece - the other one is here - and I am forever amazed by the depth of his skill.

Elephants in Ink

Here's another one drawn from a photo. I really liked the composition and the deep shadows in the original image and I wanted to see if I could capture that with a pen.

I also find myself wondering what exactly these two elephants are up to. I like to think the one on the right is saying something along the lines of "Hey, you've got something on your face. No, not there. A little to the right. No, wait, a little to the left. Oh, let me just get it for you." Either that or they're sending secret trunk signals that will precede their taking over as the dominant species on this planet and sending us all to work in their underground salt mines. I call the big shovel!