Masks

These are two African style masks I drew on the front and back of my idea book at work.
I recently bought a book on African masks, I started researching them for a design project when I was in first year design and I have always liked them so recently I have found myself sketching them and trying to develop new masks out of the bits and pieces of the real ones.

Vulture Lady

I love having a sketchbook on me.

Last Sunday Beth and I were out for breakfast. This breakfast joint that we frequent had quite the line up and while we were waiting Beth pointed this lady out to me. The lady was wearing a checkered black and gray shirt with a huge puffy collar, she had a bucket hat on and had certain birdlike mannerisms. Really and truly, the more you looked at her the more birdlike she seamed, because of her collar she looked like a specific kind of bird. So when we finally got to sit down I whipped out my sketchbook and put pen to paper. I added some of the surrounding environment but I could not remember what the painting looked like behind her so I gave a shout out to Across the Universe.

I think I might do a larger version of this sketch.

It was done in my Moleskin with my Tul pen and watercoloured later at home.

I will be making an exciting post soon so check back in the next couple of weeks for BIG NEWS.

Not as big as the pregnancy thing but pretty big.

The Valiant James Returns with a Sketch of Old Tweety

Wowwy wow wow wow... Has it been a long time or what?

So much has happened in the past couple of months and I have neglected my blogging something fierce.

Why do you ask?

I'm a gonna tell you.

Where to start...

Firstly I have recently tried to re-capture my ability to communicate in French. I graduated almost a decade ago with a French diploma from Silver Heights Collegiate (No longer in existence). Since that time I have used my french never. My wife and I had plans of moving to Montreal in the next year so we thought "Let's update our French." So that is exactly what we did. We went to a institute called Alliance Francais and started to learn french again. It has been a very rewarding experience not only because my early schooling has allowed me to pick up the language quite fast, but also because my teacher turned to be from the Congo. As it turns out he is the chairman for an anti-war organization called Hand in Hand for Peace. He needed help organizing and producing an updated video to play after he finished giving speeches about the problems the Congo is experiencing. I have done what I can and in the last couple of weeks I have helped him produce a 13 minute long photo-montage/documentary.

While doing this the wound on the side of my head has closed up and left me with a healthy scar. I will have the rest of the nevus sebaceous removed in another 7 months.

Speaking of 7 months, Beth and I are putting our plans for Montreal on hold. We still have intentions of going but we have to postpone due to pregnancy.

Yeah you heard me right. Beth and I are having a Baby! So I hope you can forgive the radio silence for the last while but I have needed some time to gather myself and come to terms with the fact that I have some serious responsibility coming my way.

I'd like to thank all the friends and family to this date who have been amazingly supportive of Beth and I. It all seems less daunting thanks to you all.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who has checked back here and silently cursed me for not updating. I will do my best to keep fresh sketches and art pieces a flowing through this blog... site... thing...

Kazu Caricature

Kazu Kibuishi is a great man.

I came across his work about two years ago through the Flight Anthology books, from there I found his blog and have bought and read his Graphic Novels. I like his style of drawing, it is simple and to the point, it communicates quickly and easily. A lot of detail and atmosphere is added through the colouring coupled with subtle texturing his work is second to none right now. Just as important as his graphic style is his story. He tells very engaging and exciting stories that do not dissapoint. He has just wrapped up the sequel to his first colour Graphic Novel Amulet. I am pumped. I went to the Schoolastic site the other day and I watched and interview with him on my lunch break at work. While doing that I did a quick caricature sketch of him. It is not accurate enough to do the man justice but I liked something about it so I gave it some colour and here it is. Enjoy.

HellBoy II

Here is the oil painting I have been mentioning. I had a lot of fun painting this. It was a great learning experience. Only problem is oils are messy and hard to clean up. I would suggest using a paper palette.

Is it me or is life just crazy? and not just crazy but CRAZY!

Just me?

I thought so.

Angelina est tres Jolie

I have been working on doing caricatures lately. I chose to try Angelina Jolie this time because it is harder for me to draw women and I needed somebody with prominent features and she fit the bill. I must say caricatures are fun until you find somebody who is without character. And some people are they have no features that stand out, it can be painful to work with but I'm getting better and better with every drawing. This is another quick sketch from my moleskin coloured in photoshop.

Brain Goiter

I just had some surgery to remove a growth from the side of my head. It is called Nevus Sebaceous and had some health risks. So I had it removed. You can see me above with some civil war style head bandaging. I sketched out an artists rendering of what the growth might have become in time.