Category Archives: Drawing

February 21, 2020 · 3:30 pm

Drawing: Lynda Barry

I love this video that features comic-drawing rebel professor Lynda Barry doing her own thing. Around the six minute mark, Lynda confides in the audience that she knows that most folks abandon drawing when they try to draw a nose! She proceeds to draw a bunch of fun noses. First, she begins by drawing what her cousin advised to be the proper way to draw a nose, circa 1962. Then, she riffs on the wonderful world of noses. Starting with the shape of a head, Lynda Barry, one of our all-time great cartoonists, guides the viewer into visual anarchy. If there is only one rule to follow, it is this: the drawing still needs to “read” as whatever it is you’re drawing.

Making Comics

Lynda Barry has worked as a painter, cartoonist, writer, illustrator, playwright, editor, commentator, and teacher and found that they are very much alike. She is the inimitable creator behind the seminal comic strip Ernie Pook’s Comeek as well as numerous comic books and graphic novels, and is the recipient of both the Eisner Award and the R. R. Donnelly Award. She lives in Wisconsin, where she is an associate professor of art and a Discovery Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her most book is Making Comics, published in 2019 by Drawn & Quarterly.

Making Comics

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Tagged as Art, Books, Cartoonists, comic books, comics, Drawing, Education, Entertainment, graphic novels, Humor, Lynda Barry, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Story, Storytelling, Visual Storytelling

October 16, 2018 · 6:32 am

New York City Focus: Airbnb Drawing Session with Ben Ponté

Here I am drawing Grand Central Terminal.

You can’t deny someone what they love because love will find a way. So it is with me and drawing. I’ve always loved drawing. I draw very well, if I do say so myself, and I don’t have to make excuses for it, thank you very much. You wouldn’t begrudge a ballerina for dancing very well or a professional singer for singing very well. I think you know what I mean. I think I know my way around words too but that’s another story. It’s not about conceit. No, it’s simply talking about how someone is built. This is what they know.

What I’m getting at is that I took a drawing work shop recently. The photos here of my efforts during the session. The truth is that any artist, no matter how good, can always make good use a creative workout. That’s why life drawing sessions are so popular: most of the people aren’t trying to learn the basics. No, they’re having a creative workout. So, I was beyond pleased to discover this drawing session offered through Airbnb during my stay in New York City.

Chrysler Building

Wow, you just can’t go wrong and, let me come back to this, your skill level is NOT the important thing. Say, you went to do a yoga session. It’s like that. Everyone moves at their own pace. Funny I should mention yoga as the instructor for this Airbnb experience, Ben Ponté, is both an artist and a yoga instructor. Well, it makes total sense to me.

With all that said, I had a blast. And maybe, at my relatively high skill level, I was tapping deeper into our shared activity than one could expect from a novice. Again, it doesn’t matter. First, I’ve spent a lifetime developing my art. If someone walks in and is trying out something they are new or unfamiliar with, they are simply going to need to take things one step at time.

New York Public Library

Look, I’ve been hitting the gym regularly since the start of this year and it has become very apparent to me that I’m at a beginner level to say the least. I’m more into recovery exercises from years of being a coach potato. Well, maybe not a total coach potato. But, there you go, we all have our stuff to work out.

The moral to this story is pretty straightforward. Be passionate about life and go out there and tackle new things but know your limits. If you have to take small steps, then so be it. Before you know it, you’ll reach a master level. It’s good for the soul and just plain fun to reach a certain skill level. I have my faults but I can always come back to the drawing board in more ways than one. And, at an actual drawing board, I feel right at home.

Bryant Park

I found a moral but the big point also is that I sense everyone had a good time under the leadership of our very upbeat and accessible instructor. Yes, I can’t praise Ben’s course more than to state right here that it really got me thinking and got me motivated. I’m telling you, it’s a creative workout–and we all need that. Everyone can lay down a mark and express themselves. That is one of the big secrets, I suppose, to drawing. It’s all about process. The only way you’ll get it is by actually doing it. The same thing with going to a gym: the only way you’ll get results is by actually working out at the gym.

You’ll have to pardon my rambling, if it comes across that way. I just felt like jotting all this down. I’m still in New York City as I write this. And I’m still right in the middle of a thousand and one things related to being in New York City! Ah, the city that never sleeps!

Alright, I had better find a way to wrap up. Well, I highly recommend Airbnb for so many reasons. For the purpose of this post: try out the Airbnb experiences! And, when in New York City, get your Airbnb creative drawing workout from Ben Ponté! Vist Ben right here. Check out his Airbnb session, “Sketch Your Way Around New York” right here.

24-HOUR COMICS DAY: Henry Chamberlain at Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, October 6th, 2018

Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle

I am looking forward to this year’s 24-Hour Comics Day, kicking off world-wide this Saturday, October 6th. I want to approach it from many sides. As I always do, I will include the hotel I’m staying at. This year it is the Mayflower Park Hotel. As a lot of my regular readers know, I like to include sketches in my observations as much as possible, whether for a book, travel, hotel review, or whatever it might be.

24-Hour Comics Day 2018

I will have my comics-making coincide with the internationally observed 24-Hour Comics Day. I will start drawing from 10 am on Saturday and continue from there to 10 am on Sunday. There are a bunch of guidelines to this activity. The goal is to create a 24-page narrative in sequential art. If you finish early, great. Or you can take a detour from that goal and work on whatever comics project you like. There are other variations, like creating two 12-page comics. I will attempt to do as much as possible, leave the process open-ended.

Okay, with all that said, I anticipate doing a lot of drawing. I foresee doing a lot of full-on comics as well as creating a bunch of drawings that I will end up in need of a proper comics framework at a later date or may end up just standing alone, as is. And, suffice it to say, I intend to honor my gracious host, the Mayflower Park Hotel.

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Filed under Cartoonists, Comics, Drawing, Henry Chamberlain, Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, Seattle

Tagged as 24 Hour Comics Day, 24-hour comic, Art, Artists, arts, Cartoonists, comics, Comix, Drawing, Entertainment, graphic novels, henry chamberlain, Independent Artists, Mayflower Park Hotel Seattle, Media, Pop Culture, Publishing, Seattle

January 24, 2016 · 7:00 pm

Review: POP PAINTING by Camilla d’Errico

“Pop Painting,” published by Watson-Guptill, is an essential guide for artists and anyone interested in contemporary art. The art world can seem like a murky and mysterious place depending upon where you look. However, some things about art are pretty straightforward: successful art requires a focus on theme coupled with a dedication to craft. I know this as an artist and art lover. As a working artist, I juggle a number of tasks. And, at those times when I could use some inspiration, I’m always pleased to find great art books from Watson-Guptill that demystify and enlighten.

Camilla d’Errico is a professional artist who follows a certain routine and way of seeing the world. She presents a highly engaging collection of work that falls within the category of Pop Surrealism. This is an art movement that, in a nutshell, takes various elements in pop culture and places them in a dream-like environment. The results can be quite stunning. In her new 248-page full color book, “Pop Painting,” d’Errico shares with the reader her views and her methods. She takes an honest step-by-step approach providing real examples with real solutions.

In the world of art and art-making, there are many things that remain constant and always will be: art training still involves life drawing, perspective, and actual hands-on work. As we bring in other disciplines, we still respect, and need, traditional methods. In the last twenty years, right alongside digital art, we have seen an explosion in interest in art-making stemming from the basic sources of drawing and painting. This had led to the comics medium being acknowledged as an art form in its own right. And this is something that Watson-Guptill has whole-heartedly embraced with books specifically on all aspects of comics from drawing to writing. So, it is no surprise to see this latest book, “Pop Painting,” with its unique focus on Pop Surrealism. It will be of interest to anyone, from the generalist to the specific fan. For more details, visit our friends at Watson-Guptill right here.