Saturday, March 31, 2007

Portrait in pencil

A couple of weeks ago I recieved an unusual request at my Honk'n'Holl'r blog. It was a request to draw a blogger's portrait. It seems that "Fake Dane" ask many artists to draw the very same portrait from his picture. He says that it is interesting to see how each artist will paint or draw the same subject uniquely. He then posts all portraits he recieves on his blog. I accepted his request and this is the result.


This is the original photograph he sent me

Fake Dane
And this is my attemp at Fake Dane's portrait
Pencil and charcoal on paper, 8.5X11


Sorry I took so long in getting the portrait done, but I was kind of busy last week because this happened:


Lily Alice
Born March 28 1:54pm
Frank's first Grandchild!!!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Read It 'n' Sketch It --- Round One


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket



Read It 'n' Sketch It
What is it?

Well, it is a very simple creativity exercise for drawing that is based on four keywords. The keywords are prompts to inspire the creativity buried deep within us, and bring that creativity forward in drawing.

Here's an example
The keywords were
bull dozer, pear, chessboard, and the action key word was eat
This was my result

Another example
The key words were
Rabbit ears, VCR, Cheese whiz, calculator

Well, as you can see the pictures do end up very quirky, but they are fun to do. They do force you to think 'outside the box'.
I'm really not expecting works of art by any means (did you see the above pictures?), but I would like to share what I got from doing these exercises, and that is simply 'FUN', with a capitol eph, ewe, ehn. Pulling in from creative juices that you just didn't know was there before is almost euphoric, and gives you the drive and energy to try more. If it wasn't for my artist friend, and the laughs we had over many coffees while doing these exercises that he'd throw at me, I don't think I would have driven myself to keep practicing, and drawing.


Some of you know my See It 'n' Write It meme challenge I have going on at my Honk'n'Holl'r blog. I based See It 'n' Write It on these creativity exercises by throwing four pictures at you and you are to write a short-short story, or peom, or any style of writing based on those pictures.
I have a round of See It 'n' Write It up, so I figured that why don't I use the keywords I used in that round to start a Read It 'n' Sketch It
challenge meme thingy sort of, based on those early creativity exercises.
These are the keywords I used to generate the pictures for See It 'n' Write It

Megaphone, pills, chord, and the setting or action word was sunset

Here is my submission for this round based on the above keywords.

Dance of the Cialus
Pencil on paper, 8.5x11
(As you can see, I had a lot of fun creating the visual puns for this round. Must have been the little blue pills that I used for picture promting for See It 'n' Write It. I couldn't get some of those musical Viagra commercials out of my head. You'll notice I even poured myself a 'stiff one')

I will also post the submissions for Round three of See It 'n' Write It at
Foxxfyrre's Honk'n'Holl'r
This round had a hilarious story by Bud Weiser of Wtit: Tape Radio Blog
and a submission emailed to me by Maggie. My submission is still in edit due events of the week, but I will be finished shortly

And this is one reason I'm just a little behind in my writing for this round



I will have another Round of See It 'n' Write It, and Read It 'n' Sketch It up before the weekend.

And please, don't forget Mimi Lenox's Blogblast for peace. Get your peace globe here, and have it spinning for June 6th 2007






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Monday, March 19, 2007

Read It 'n' Sketch It,


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


I have mentioned quite often on my art blog that an artist friend got me started in drawing. One of the methods he used was a creativity exercise where he would write four words at random on my sketch pad. The object of this was that I would merge three of the words into a drawing, and the fourth word would represent an action of the drawing, or the setting. The words did not have to be drawn literally, but should at least be recognizable in part as that item.

Here's an example
The key words were
bull dozer, pear, chessboard, and the action key word was eat
This was my result

Another example
The key words were
Rabbit ears, VCR, Cheese whiz, calculator

Well, as you can see the pictures do end up very quirky, but they are fun to do. They do force you to think 'outside the box'.
I'm really not expecting works of art by any means (did you see the above pictures?), but I would like to share what I got from doing these exercises, and that is simply 'FUN', with a capitol eph, ewe, ehn. Pulling in from creative juices that you just didn't know was there before is almost euphoric, and gives you the drive and energy to try more. If it wasn't for my artist friend, and the laughs we had over many coffees while doing these exercises that he'd throw at me, I don't think I would have driven myself to keep practicing, and drawing.


Some of you know my See It 'n' Write It meme challenge I have going on at my Honk'n'Holl'r blog. I based See It 'n' Write It on these creativity exercises by throwing four pictures at you and you are to write a short-short story, or peom, or anystyle of writing based on those pictures.
I have a round of See It 'n' Write It up, so I figured that why don't I use the keywords I used in that round to start a Read It 'n' Sketch It
challenge meme thingy sort of, based on those early creativity exercises.
These are the keywords I used to generate the pictures for See It 'n' Write It

Megaphone, pills, chord, and the setting or action word was sunset

Your mission, if you choose to accept it,
is to not think hard, or long,
but rather, let your mind 'find' the keywords. Let your mind wander while only focusing on these things. Grab a pen, pencil, marker, crayon, and a piece of paper and let those wandering moments of clarity flow from your mind's eye to your paper.
Do not be critical of what you are drawing, just let it happen. These do not have to be literal representations of the items. They can be animated, distorted, even given arms and feet. Just let it happen.
You will be surprised where your mind will take you and what you will eventually draw, even if you don't think you have any art skills at all. I was one of those people that thought he could not draw at all, but with fun creativity exercises like this, I learned that if I just did it, it would happen.
If you do accept this mission, please scan and post the result. I will link to it, and with your permisson post the drawing on my art site.
I tag anybody, and anyone that wants to have a little fun doing something out of their ordinary routine. I'm going to play too.

And please, don't forget Mimi Lenox's Blogblast for peace. Get your peace globe here, and have it spinning for June 6th 2007

Saturday, March 17, 2007

St Patty's Day


I'm half Irish and obligated to do so.
(BUT IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH PROMPTING)
If you aren't wearin green
Consider yourself
PINCHED

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Decaring Winners, Cuz I can.

I've let this contest go a little too long, but I've also been very busy with work and have not had too much time to blog. This year so far has been brutal. Along with the winter that just won't quit. Blizzard again this weekend, and it's March. So, back to the contest. I've decided that I would award two of the best blog friends I have--blog friends that have supported my art, and have even read my Honk'n'Holl'r blog, probably to their dismay. Namely Mimi Lennox, and Gale Martin. Earlier in January, Mimi posted a new picture of herself that was photo manipulated. The photomanipulation that she used is also a tecnique that I use to draw from photographs. Seeing that picture, I just had to draw the Real Mimi as I see her. But I didn't stop there, Mimi also posted a shout for my contest that included the picture, Midnight Swim. I am sending both to Mimi. Gale has also been one of my best supporters and a True blog Friend, and I have decided to send her the picture After Bath Reflections. Just let me know how Gale.
I don't know how much time I will have to draw as of late, so I'll have to put this blog on hold till I can get more content ready. It's been a real pleasure. I'm still doing Grafiti-my-Blog if you want to have fun and test your own art skills. And I'm also a supporter of Dona Nobis Pacem. I just hope I have more stuff drawn before June 6th.
Mimi, thanks for your patience. It took me too long to get this post ready.