Thursday, December 9, 2010

Scattered, but Happy. Serious, but Cartoony.


Psst..I've had an idea. (Shocking, isn't it?) More than an idea, really. I've had an idea for a picture book and I've written the first draft.

I would like to pursue this idea. So I need to plan the book, prepare thumbnails, and then draw illustrations. The illustrations will require characters that are somewhat more cartoony than my usual moleskine fare, and also more active. The characters will need to be almost theatrical in their poses. I consider this an opportunity to improve any number of skills. I am going to study bodies and their poses, and perhaps this will get me to buckle down and master the ever elusive hand. It seems to me that I need to know how to draw realistically first; then I can be as cartoony as I want to be.

Every now and then while sketching a target individual in my moleskine, a well-meaning person would lean over me and tell me with great enthusiasm that I was good, and ask have I ever thought of drawing cartoons. I would accept the compliment and then mutter under my breath that I am not a cartoonist. That was not my goal. Not at all. The sketches were to improve my "serious" drawing and painting skills.

But now I've seen that I have improved enough to potentially illustrate, and that means, maybe, in a cartoony manner since that seems to suit best what I have in mind.

How interesting.

Never say never.

And if I never do the book, that's okay. I'll be a better artist for the exploration.

I am scattered but happy. I am also continuing my ink and watercolor sketches, at least one larger watercolor painting, and an even larger acrylic work. I want to paint much more in acrylic.

And I have many more ideas than I have time.

So I am returning to Illustration Friday, a website that provides a weekly topic for illustration. And I'm going to try various styles/ideas. Some will work, and some will not, I guess. My first effort is to illustrate this week's topic of "Prehistoric". You will be proud that it is larger than my pocket-sized moleskine (6-1/2" x 10") In fact, the quote Illustration Friday gave as an example suits my illustration just fine: "Drawing is still basically the same as it has been since prehistoric times. It brings together man and the world. It lives through magic." (Keith Haring.)

Painting hasn't changed. The critics have even always been there.

Speaking of critics (of the discerning kind), I am honored to have received the 2010 Top Watercolor Painting Blog Award from a website designed to provide information for online graphic design degrees. In an e-mail they sent me, they say that they consider my blog to be "a resource that explores the art of sketching, or provides inspiration for your next painting..This is why we've featured your blog, as it is one of the best to teach our readers."

Aw shucks.

OK, I accept.

Tell me I'm good looking, and I'll accept that compliment too.

[P.S. - My apologies to the first few folks that commented, but I forgot (how could I?) to mention that if I had a creativity award I would give it this month to Raena for the amazingly creative and magical addition to the page in our joint sketchbook. So if you have a chance, and haven't visited already, please check out our shared blog at 2'nFro!]

32 comments:

  1. Hey good looking! Your "prehistoric" illustration is charming. I am not sure I understand the pizza...did I miss something? Well, I like the sounds of these goals. I am a real fan of the focused artist....! I look forward to seeing the new work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. As always a thought provoking post. Funnily, I've just checked into Illustration Friday for the 1st time in ages too, but no cartoons for me. Love this illustration for prehistoric.

    Congrats on recognition!

    Thanks for your recent comment on my blog, it was appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cute way to fish for compliments, good looking. Love the serious drawing of the cavemen. :-p

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the lady cave woman's expression, go for it good-looking! (although I'm missing your original Dan profile picture a little bit)Congratulations on the award!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Dan, you're Sooooo good looking :)

    Seriously though, a well-deserved award and I'm THRILLED TO BITS that you're doing a book. I want one! Your writing and your art are both excellent, and I'm sure you'll throw in a little of your unique humour.

    I can hardly wait to see the finished project, but I suppose I'll have to!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations on the richly-deserved award! I love your sketch (I'm a B.C. kind of gal) and think that cartooning is not only fun but very rewarding. Although I haven't discussed it, I've been doing cartoons for four decades. It's another branch to the fine arts and worthy of serious consideration. Go for it!

    ReplyDelete
  7. So exciting to be germinating a book idea!! I'm sure it will be fun to do. And Congrats on the award....

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great illustration for 'prehistoric', especially the stone age palette.
    Well done for the award!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am very excited about your new project. Break a leg, as they say. Your illustration made me smile!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey, where's the pizza? Is it gone already?

    I think this is a wonderful sketch and I'm very excited to see what happens with this book!

    And thanks for the mention! Have you received the book yet? Just wondering what condition the pen was in by the time it arrived! I've finally gotten mine to write, by storing them tip-down in my cup. Still, they seem a little cheap. It's amazing that James Jean uses them for his fantastic work!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AGH!! I just found the pizza! LOL...LOVE that additional humor!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. A charming sketch/painting of the cave folks. Your posts always make me chuckle. Keep up the good work and please inform us when the book is published...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Dan, OH WOW! A book! I'm most interesting in reading about your experiences as you develop the concept! Congrats...and I mean MAJOR Congrats! on your award for you blog; most deserving. OK, and I like your toon/drawing/illustration. Funny and nicely done too!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You seem pretty focused for a scattered guy. The book idea sounds fun, why not go for it? Your blog is always entertaining and informative so savor your award.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, getting into doing a book! This will be interesting. Enjoyed your sketch about painting in the caveman days. You think they really had pizza, lol? Congrats on your award. Hope we get to see some of your acrylic painting here too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations on your well deserved award!
    Love the cartoon and glad you are finally seeing the light, good looking.
    Put me down for a copy of your book, please.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It's been awhile since I visited (couldn't resist the pizza), and you're as cool and talented as ever. Good looking too. Congrats on your achievements and YES - do the book!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Looking forward to seeing more pages and ideas for your book!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yay, Dan! Congrats on the honor. I hope it renders you even more fans. I'm excited about your book idea and can't wait to see what comes of it.

    No form of self-expression should ever be considered less than serious. If you look at Norman Rockwell's illustrations you can see "cartoony" aspects. But, would you in any way consider them less than worthy of serious consideration? Any means of highlighting or representing the human condition is art in my book.

    Rock on, my brother-in-art!

    -Don

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks everyone for your encouragement - I'll probably need it to keep this book idea going. I notice after the first few posts that most of you dropped the "good-looking" like a hot potato - well, my mother says it's a terrible picture and I'm much better looking than that, and my wife says I look so much younger than the picture. lol. Debra, I miss my little cartoon avatar too. Kathy and Don, thanks for taking me seriously! I am very complimented to be called brother-in-art by such a fine artist as you, Don.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love how you brought modern elements into the sketch to illustrate the quote by Haring. Clever and fun. I never noticed that a paint palette resembles a pizza with a slice missing! Congratulations on your blog award, too...it's well deserved.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations for the much deserved award! Your prehistoric illustration is great (I love the expression of the middle character ^^). And it's great to read about your ideas - your enthousiasm is very inspiring and contagious. And of course, you're very good looking, and we should say it more often!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great 'Prehistoric' illustration. That caveman looks like he has some story ideas of his own. I totally relate to your 'having many more ideas than time' issue.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Congratulations, Dan. I look forward to the book and I love the pizza. I love the artist's stance--hand on hip (he's so hairy).

    ReplyDelete
  25. I smelled the pizza too...congratz on the award and I do love your idea of the book. I too look forward to seeing that project take shape. G.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congratulations on the award... I self published my alphabet book... so even if only your friends and family want a copy... you CAN publish your book, when you are ready :-) It's pretty easy too.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you Dan for your comments =) indeed it's great to get back into drawing and posting again. I am glad that I am not losing too much in it. It's fun designing cards for people I know. I used to do that a lot for my friends in highschool for their birthdays. ^^ I could go out and get any cards, but I'd rather give them the one and only card for them in the world

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love the pizza in this - it's really funny, and a very clever and witty comparison poiont for the stony palette.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great, I love the way he has stepped back to view his work. Love the touch of the pizza too.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Great sketch and interpretation of the challenge. Congrats on the book idea. :) I sure hope you get farther than I did. I got the book written and balked when it came time to do the illustrations. More of my....FEAR. I look forward to watching your progress and maybe I'll get inspired enough to sit down and work on my own illustrations. Good luck! It's very exciting.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you to all of the rest of you! I probably shouldn't have said anything about the book plans - for a while I think, I'll just be honing my skills - but I can't keep a secret. Thanks, Captain Elaine, for the idea - I remember your book! And Sherie (Pthaloblu), I can so relate - we will see. I have a post coming in which I post a picture that FEAR made much longer in the making than it should have been. FEAR is an obstacle that we must overcome! I think my biggest obstacles now - since I am pretty much angry at FEAR - will be distractions and focus. We will see..

    ReplyDelete