"Education" — Pencil on paper 2010

Ah yes, I know you probably think I’ve been holding out on you a little. Dangling the carrot. Well today is your lucky day, it’s time for a completed drawing to make its interweb debut. Those with a keen eye and a decent memory may remember a previous post containing one of the preliminary sketches that helped shape the final drawing. It’s also featured on the back of a recent batch of business cards I had supplied by the lovely folk at Print Together, a “green” printing service who use 100% post-consumer recycled stock and vegetable based inks.

I had planned to post this last image sometime ago, it seems it slipped my mind though.

The same corner from a previous entry in a much more completed state.

My studio is currently without any form of conventional cooling; not good when combined with the recent Melbourne heat. Hmm, I feel that this is something I really must rectify soon. I kicked aside my fragility and strong dislike for this weather, mopping the sweat from my brow and other regions with the sleeve of my t-shirt, and somehow managed to survive a lengthy drawing session yesterday — making some decent progress on the new drawing I might add. Please refer to the supplied photographic proof accompanying these words. These shots are just of the right-hand side… The rest is looking rather splendid and much more finished (I generally work a drawing left to right). Being the tease that I am, images of other areas of said drawing may surface on the interweb sometime in the distant future.

In other news, I assisted a very young person I know in releasing a small limited edition story book titled “A Toothbrush”. I’ve been able to hang onto a few copies and will be making them available for purchase either through this website or from a wonderful local designer store located to the west of the city named Mandrake and Willow soon.

Detail of the new drawing. She’s a little further along now.

Yippee, my camera is finally again back in my possession! So as promised on Twitter and Facebook, here are a few happy snaps of the latest drawing! It features a litter of puppies, five of the little guys to be exact. At the risk of sounding like a broken record… Let me say that I am really excited by it’s progress so far. Heck, I am extremely happy with the slowly growing pile of recently completed work sitting beside me. I wrote off well over an hour the other day just looking through them all. Starting to organise a few things for next year, stay tuned!

In other news: UPS are having trouble locating my large format scanner. The tracking number I have been supplied by the vendor is of no help, it’s returning invalid. Doesn’t seem like it even made it to the depot… I must say, the whole situation seems rather suspect to me.

“"Yes Sir”" Detail — unfinished.

I do hope you all experienced a lovely Friday 13th today. I myself had a rather pleasant day and spent the evening filling in detail on the new piece “Yes Sir” (working title), which I think you’ll agree is coming along quite nicely! Well I believe it is time this old man got a little rest. Goodnight all!

“Yes Sir” rests on drafting board while I get some sleep.

Believe it or not, the four pastel drawings featured in this post (which I drew around the age of ten) are not images from a disturbed little boy, contrary to what a great many people thought at the time.

I wasn’t a violent kid who beat up on his peers, worshiped satan and tortured animals in his spare time, I was actually a pacifist. I didn’t want to take part in violent games and clearly remember once sending a neighbour home after he ran over one of my toy plastic dinosaurs with my sister’s Barbie car. I wasn’t a damaged or bullied child screaming out for help either.

One of the skills the artists I looked up to displayed, was the ability to evoke strong emotions and thought. These were some of my early attempts at creating powerful and emotional art which made people think. Back then (and still now) I believed art was much more than just a showcase of amazing technique and draughtsmanship. I had seen a lot of expertly rendered images that just felt cold, left me feeling nothing.

On another note, there are a few recently finished drawings hanging around my studio at present. I might post a sample of one in the next week or so (we’ll see if I can drag the old scanner out). Could make for an interesting contrast.

One of the quickly scribbled, crude sketches from the planing stages of the most recent drawing…

An early layout sketch.

Seems a few of you out there found the Gradation of a Woman post interesting. Here are some more photographs I snapped while working on that same drawing.

If my camera is in arms reach I will generally take a few photos while I draw. I find it can be rather helpful for me to process and actually “see” the drawing from a detached perspective. There is also the additional long lasting sentimental, nostalgic benefits.

Enjoy!

The finished piece!