Dimetrodon Prep I

After finishing Dr.Minceworm and seeing Detlef's latest efforts I started figuring out what my next item was going to be. Since that and my IF post gives me two official items completed I guess I can do another Dino without accusations that all I ever do is draw dinosaurs (although I know there are some purists out there that will argue dimetrodon isn't a dino)...plus I would like to point out I draw lots of mimes and skunks.



I've been trying to figure out what the composition and scale is going to be...at first I wanted to do a closeup with a head in the forefront and then another dimetrodon in the background. But for some reason I feel like someone is going to accuse me of not being able to draw bodies and limbs...I think that insecurity comes from all the times in my younger days when I always focused on what I felt was the most interesting part instead of thinking of the item as a whole...kind of like how sometimes people always hide hands in pockets or feet in tall grass...I still like to do just detail shots (and I've got some colored paper to do a detailed head shot in prisma color just for exploration...strangely enough I can't ever recall drawing on colored paper and I see so many great examples from people I know makes me want to give it a shot.)





I planned on doing a larger drawing again so I can try to wiggle in some detail work, even though I thought I'd sworn off big items...this one I am planning for is 20x30...



I actually really like the simplicity of this one and may do a smaller drawing of it or test painting as I try to get back into oils.







After doing another thumbnail that hit close I sketched out the setup on a large piece of white-board to see how the size vs. detail workout was going to be as well as placement. The general idea is okay but it still seems a bit stiff.While I liked the dimetro 'sitting' higher I'm not sure that their skeletal structure would allow them to get into that pose, so I kept them lower to the ground. Which led me to try something else a bit new to me...I typically use a lot of traditional reference materials but I've never actually made my own...

Next post: I made maquettes!!!

IF:Hierarchy...Low Man on National Forestry Service Ladder

Census taker for skunk gender and population identification...

Moley Moley Moley

Just a chronicle of the process of the mole. I think actual work time on the finished item was maybe 25-30 hours...part of the problem being I am slow (and you can apply that in a number of ways as my friends would readily point out for you) and work kept getting in the way...(I don't know I couldn't have just been born rich like everybody else). But I do continue to learn the importance of 'chunking' detail work. Too often as people start out in the art world they tend to procrastinate a lot and then try to cram large amounts of work into a short time span and the results aren't too stellar.


My one and only reference pic I took as I tried to figure out how the head, back, and belly would line up. And in case you were wondering, no...I'm not nearly this good looking in person...and yes, I do have ducks on my pillow, I'm just not happy to see you.


I did make some changes from the original drawing as I went...part of that whole 'letting the work dictate some of what occurs' thing. While I tend to do a lot of planning I try not to be too rigid. I didn't change the composition but just the detail work. In the upper left hole there was originally going to be a bottle and a mutant centipede. But I had moved the centipede closer to the one mole's ear because it just seemed visually creepier to me. Who just doesn't love a bug about ready to latch on to your ear...or better yet, crawling inside and laying eggs. Then I wanted a bottle still so I put a vase on the outskirts. Talisman was the word for IF so I put a lizard and talisman where the bottle and centipede were going to be at.

In the upper right hand corner I was going to plant another mushroom but changed it to a caged rat...I did this because I just didn't want to draw another mushroom.


The only other real change I made was adding a chair and bookshelf to the back. Originally I was just going to have a wall...but I wanted the picture to feel a bit claustrophobic...since Doc Minceworm is a fraud I figured part of pushing his image of competency would be to have a lot of stuff...plus it would serve as a distraction for sick moles looking for someone to heal them...adding to the ambiance of someone wanting to 'buy into the game.' Having a smaller room (him being a rather large fellow himself) cluttered would give him perhaps an illusion of being more powerful than what he is and continue to help sell him for more than what he is...Remembering old westerns with snake oil salesmen...they seemed to be large (usually tall not so much fat) characters with small 'trailers' filled with junk. As they stood in front of their moving structure it would make them seem larger than life.

On the back right shelf is actually a mole skeleton...the head and front hidden...but a mole skull rests in front of the jar on the upper left.

IF:Drive-In Theater

Parenting tips #47 from the 1970's: I remember in my youth the family loading up in our station wagon and going to the drive-in. We saw such classics as Tentacle about a giant octupus...I remember in one of the first scenes a baby stroller being there one second and then the next it gone with a woman screaming...the movie ended with some guy releasing his trained killer whales and they eventually killed the giant octopus. The second feature was (not sure of the name...Squirms perhaps) about radioactive worms that were eating people. I remember a scene where a guy turned on a shower and worms poured out of the shower head and started eating through the guy's cheeks. You don't get high quality entertainment like that these days....Strangely enough I only remember making it through that one double feature. Well years later I found out the reason...a favorite secret of overworked parents was to put cough medicine (which in them days I'm guessing was pretty much straight alcohol) in the sippy cups mixed with juice...the result was a pretty quick trip to la la land for all of us kids. It is amazing that any of us made it out alive but I have to admit, kids were a lot tougher and easier to handle than the modern variety...so it all couldn't have been that bad.

And the Mole is finished!!!


(click to enlarge)
This is Doc Minceworm...a fraud. The idea here is that as he 'treats' patients he and his critters rob them blind...and they are none the wiser. I posted some of the development earlier but plan on throwing it all in to one post sooner or later...I scanned and paneled the item together which is about 15x20 in size. Some of the subtle shading was lost a bit but trying the photography route made it too dark and I couldn't adjust the levels out.

IF:Impossibility

The mime didn't mind so much going to the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit...but he sure wished that smart-butt guard would stop asking him if he had any last words...

Mole-man update...the mole-man is done for all intents and purposes...just had to bring it in different lighting to touch up the values...will be posting it next week! The good news is that I pulled out one of my old drawing that I intentionally set aside 'completed' in the same manner so I could come back to it with fresh eyes and see what sort of value adjustments needed on it...and man does it need it...

IF:Talisman

After a rough few weeks I promised myself that regardless of what was going on I was posting this week. I thought I had some pretty funny ideas for some of the past few week's words but you'll just have to take my word for it...but you know any picture that includes a disgruntled housewife trying to throw out a man's threadbare 20 year old underwear has to be good for a chuckle...

Unfortunately I couldn't make this weeks word funny even if I hung a clown nose and mime outfit on it...being about 70% finished with my moleman pic I did have a hole that needed filled and a talisman would work perfectly...so I sketched it in last night...that is one benefit to working slower than pete...you can properly grow a picture with all the minerals and fertilizers needed. I am at this exact second 95% finished with the item and I'm going to finish it tonight...right after I finish drinking a large sweet tea and the rest of my tuna sub.

IF: Instinct

"You see son, by trusting my keen instinct I've always managed to avoid danger in the great outdoors..."

Moleman update...slowly but surely...at this point I've got all of the major items plugged in and just need to work on the background and accents...if someone would figure out a way to stop or slow time it would sure help...


(click to enlarge)

IF: 'Cell'ebrate

What prisoners do when the ingredients sealed in a plastic bag (and hidden in the toilet) ferment into alcohol...

I actually learned about this while visiting a prison (and by visit I don't mean I was actually in prison nor was it a 'scared straight' program for artists heading down the path of a life of crime). After several of the inmates were found to be drunk (one of which broke three pairs of handcuffs...gee let's give inmates access to weights)they did cell checks...and found about 10 gallons of booze hidden in various areas, including the toilets so it would be chilled...they would shove apples, kool-aid, bread, and sugar in a bag of water (sometimes juice) and let it ferment...

And the moleman continues!



(click to enlarge)

IF: Hard (Time) for Seahorses

"These women don't have a clue...I'd like to see them be able to get pregnant and have to feel what it's like to carry all of this weight around in THEIR belly..."

On a side note...several months(?) ago on Drawn.ca (a great site if you've never visited)gave a shout to a project that is going on called 700 Mole-Men...on this site is a listing of names and brief descriptions of characters and it seemed like such an awesome idea that I decided to throw my hat in the ring as it were...most people have tended to do fairly quick drawings but there are a lot of great images...I'm too stupid to do small so I'm working on a 15x20 piece of illustration board...plus I haven't done anything serious with graphite since my wiener dog pic...Check out the site and give it a shot!!! The list alone is worth reading for grins.

I chose "Doc Minceworm...a fraud"...I figured he is a bit of a snake-oil salesman and envisioned him as someone that would literally rob his patients blind...so that is the direction I am going. I also am trying to incorporate all of the elements and principles of design into the drawing (except color of course) as a test run for a possible project idea.


I did a quick character sketch and a couple of very loose pics for placement of items...Then roughed out the real pic on the illustration board and I've started doing all of the shading a bit at a time...I have all of Dr. Minceworm's helpers robbing the guy as he gets his 100% guaranteed healing therapy...


The only bad part is going to be once I've shaded it all I am going to have to go back and adjust all of the values to help make sure the form and texture really pop...I've been careful to have a sheet of paper under my hand to keep from smudging but as areas get completed it is fairly obvious that spots are too light to really work at this point.

IF:(Flawed) Dinner Service

"Waiter...there's a fly in my poop."

The influence for this true life scenario...Brought to you by the letters P and O...remember Sesame Street before it was hijacked by Elmo...and there was the blue bald guy with the mustache eating in the fine dining establishment that would say,"Waiter, there's a fly in my soup."...then the waiter would do things like throw out the soup on the floor and then put the fly back in the bowl...I think that is where things started getting off track for me...

IF: Dude that is just way too much (climbing) to get up there...

Why some cooties become pubic lice instead of head lice...


Let me apologize for what may be the absolute worst cartoon of all time...I felt dirty just typing it up...

Oviraptor process

I really enjoy seeing the process people go through in creating a work. Not only is it great to see the transitions and helping spring me to new ideas and methods, but it also gives insight into how a person's mind works...and if yours works like mine let me be the first to apologize to you...


This is one of the sock puppets that were whipped up pretty quickly at the start of the school year in prepping for a project. (Hopefully as time progresses then they will all make another appearance in a more refined mode.)



Each sock puppet took about 5 minutes to quickly render. Upon completion of about 10 of these I got the hankering to do a micron drawing. And I thought the cassowary would be a great animal to render.


So I grabbed a reference picture and whipped up a cassowary...once I did the line work I remembered that someone asked me to do a pointillism piece so I started playing around with the shading using dots...then my mind said, "Hey, why not add watercolor to this." Then my mind said, "Hey, why not do a big dinosaur pic using pointillism with that fairly decent sized piece of illustration board." So knowing one of my online cohorts (the ever lovely Jane D'oh) was having a birthday coming up I thought 'perfect' timing and excuse...


I went online and found a skull pic...careful to avoid other people's renderings. I think one reason I like to draw dinosaurs is because you can do this! And because (as far as we know) there aren't any running around it allows you to put your own twist on a skeleton while fleshing it out. This was the exact skull I used for prepping the drawing.


Next I did a quick drawing of the skull in pencil and then fleshed out the rest of the face. I then went in and reinforced lines to get the primary contours I wanted to keep.



I then lightly redrew with more detail the oviraptor. I again started by redrawing the skull then fleshing it out. Remembering advice from James Gurney (check his blog out if you want to see a scientifically minded artist...link is on my barratuna site). Finally I started adding the points. One thing I had to be careful about was making sure I was paying attention to what the form of the creature was. I worked in 20 minute to 1 hour blocks adding in points. I would then break for an hour or so and then come back and do more.

The bottom pic has the levels adjusted in photoshop so the pencil lines are more easily visible to the viewer.


I continued to work on the item until complete. The image consists of exactly One million four-hundred thousand and three dots...or I could just be making that up. After completing the image I was hesitant about adding color to the illustration board. Having had some nightmares with water color on illustration board (and liking the stark contrast of just the b/w) I ran some prints on heavy paper.


I painted 10 prints by hand trying different color variations. Most people like the green variations.


But there is just something different about the blue one that I find interesting. I had planned on doing a red and yellow version and doing a Warhol effect but after weeks of dealing with this and the artistic attention span I decided to move on to the next project...

COMING SOON...the MOLEMAN...and by soon I mean anywhere from the next week to month...

Oviraptor

(Click to enlarge to rid some of the fuzziness and help with the detailing)

It was a long strange journey in creating this item. It all started out as working towards a sock puppet design...and someone asking if I had ever drawn using stippling or pointillism after doing my Wiener Schnitzle drawing...or as those lovely people from the UK say...drawering... or is that just a bad stereotype? Anyway...I had a fairly decent sized piece of illustration board (10x15 I believe) and some new microns thanks to Steve of Flying Turtle fame and got after it. Once I finished with the drawing I had some thicker paper and decided to make some prints to try adding water color...and I did. I was actually pleased by the end results and may at some point add watercolor to the large original...but I kind of like just the plain starkness of it so who knows...


The watercolor versions are slightly less 'intense' in person and of course the scanners aren't good at picking up some of the subtle shades of blue that appear or some of the washes used.

IF:Similar

"I had a similar incident at the Knott's Berry Farm goldfish pond with a fancy carp..."

IF: The reason we were never conquered by the balloon people from space...

"And after we wipe out the Needle People from the planet Cacti we will take our reign of terror to Earth!"

IF:Hypochondriac sharks always wanting second opinions

"While I appreciate the fact you want a second opinion there are two big reasons why I know you don't have a broken bone in your leg..."

Much like the dental instructor our medical teacher often doesn't get my humor...or lack thereof...so I feel obligated to tell her sharks don't have bones but rather cartlidge...and no legs...

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving!!!

If: The Grim (Re'Pair)...He's French...Wa Ha Ha...

Okay...the story...Today was inservice day which usually results in spectacular meetings...for hours on end...for some reason during these meetings I tend to draw a lot of pictures involving death...so low and behold when I checked the IF topic it was 'repair'...and the image immediately popped into my head. So I sketched it out and along came the dental teacher...and the following is the mesmerizing conversation that occurred.

DT..."Who is that"
Me in my best French voice..."It is the Grim Repair...(insert bad stereotypical French laugh)"
DT..."I don't get it."
Me..."Well you know the French talk funny so instead of saying Reaper it would sound like repair...and then they laugh bad."
DT..."But you talk funny and you aren't from France...you're from West Virginia...and why is he dressed like that."
Me..."Because he is the French Grim Reaper."
DT...'Oh, I get it now...but who is the guy on the ground and why is he laying there like that?"
Me..."It is a French person...and he is dead...because that is what the Grim Repair does..."
DT..."But why is the dead person dressed like that?"
Me..."Because he is a mime...""
DT..."But why is he a mime?"
Me..."Because everyone that lives in France is a mime...that is how their society is."
DT..."Oh...do you think other people of your kind will get it?"
Me..."Yes, I think they will...because people of my kind are observant and usually a little bit tilted...not that you aren't tilted and all but well...you teach people how to brush their teeth..."

Two hours later at another meeting the Dental Instructor was sitting beside of me and an English teacher.
DT..."See if he gets it."
I show the picture and ask him if he gets it.
English Teacher in his best French voice..."Why it is the Grim Repair...(insert bad French laugh)...
DT..."Whatever"...rolls eyes.
Me..."Oh, we're not done...Ken, why is this guy on the ground and dressed like he is?"
ET..."Because the Grim Repair expires folks...and the guy on the ground is French...which makes him a mime...because everyone in France is a mime...that is their whole population."
At this point the dental teacher shakes her head and tells us whatever...and I really French it up and add a poodle...because all French people...who are mimes of course...own dogs...and those dogs are poodles...because that is the only type of dog there is in France...and because the mime was coming back from market at the time of his expiration he had the only things that French people buy because that is all they eat...French bread and a bottle of wine...and everyone lives near the Eiffel Tower, so I threw that in...(although I couldn't talk the Dental teacher into leaving the meeting to get me a reference picture so I just had to wing it...)

THE END

IF:The REAL reason the topic was sent late...

"Egad!!! I threw my back out again at the all night midget toss and brussel sprout buffet...It'll take me hours to drag myself to the computer to send out the topic..."

Yeah, we've got people watching you Penelope...

IF:No Strings Attached?

So she says to me...'Mike, without a long term commitment I won't even give you a kiss'..So I says to her 'Sure thing toots, til death do us part'...and I'm laughing to myself and thinking,'Boy I sure got over on her...I'm a housefly, how long of a commitment could it be...'

IF: Sugary

"Well, look at the bright side...If we have to turn to cannibalism no one is going to complain about a disgusting taste..."