Tag: art

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Sketching Students and Such

It was mostly a workshop day in class Monday for my Comics students, drawing and fashioning stories for their final project. That gave me time to sketch them as they worked, on my attendance notes. Mr. Drawing Board Belly, bedbugs, Batman and other goons showed up, too - none of whom are my students.

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Dead to Me

Another cartoon by an MCAD student from our class:


Heh. Actually: I liked Zombies Calling, really liked Friends With Boys, and LOVED The War at Ellsmere, by Faith Erin Hicks. ALL recommended! Apparently, Zombies Calling was to her what Dave Sim's Cerebus was to me. Cartoon by the talented Jei Gross.

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MCAD: Mad Paul

We'd gotten through to the mid-term of our Intro to Comics class at MCAD and my students knew where they stood. They had their grades-to-date and knew where I thought could improve, what they could work on certain areas and weaknesses for the latter half. Spring Break was a week or two later, and I figured they return for the last push refreshed, but they were exhausted! Within a week or two everyone was on track, with renewed energy for their Final Comic.

One young lady, Chan once again decided to challenge herself by doing a 20-page comic (only 4-6 pages were required). My reaction?


Somewhat skeptical, a little scared for her, a little scared of her (she'd no doubt pull it off, with panache). But she was taking a risk she'd crash and burn.

This exchange apparently kicked off a weekly cartoon she called Mad Paul Mondays, tracking the last few weeks of the semester...







Well, Chan kicked that comic's ass. Behold: Moviegoer!


I still can't believe she was unfamiliar with the work of Jaime Hernandez. Great job, Chan! Everyone did a nice job on their finals, actually.

And now, as of yesterday, it appears Mad Paul may be a series:


What, was she peeking in the window at our house last night?! Mad Paul may be a joke to Chan and her fellow students, but unfortunately for my wife and daughters he all-too-often makes an appearance here at home!

Anyway, they must miss me. I miss them, and it's only been a few weeks since the last class! Not Mad Paul - Sad Paul.  = (

There are more cartoons of me, but I gotta get this scanner up and working or replace it ASAP - then I'll post the rest.

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Art Students at Work

The latest class was a workshop day - no lectures, demos, guest speakers or in-depth critiques. That leaves less for the teacher to do. Luckily, I had my trusty Pentel Pocket Brush and some marker paper, so was able to sketch some artists at work.

Sure, a good amount of what artists do is drawing, but so much - especially in early stages of the creative process - is the hard brain work of writing and/or planning. Considered and refined are characters, design, composition, layout. Stories are tossed, creative lovelies are snuffed out, the work takes shape as decisions are made, new paths discovered and forged.

Every artist is not only in the process of honing their skills and craft, settling in on their style, but are in the act of creating themselves. Call it exploration, expression, self-actualization. These presentations and personae are experimented with, some discarded for a new look, sometimes they fit like a glove and stick...at least for a time.

Each artist gets comfy with how they like to work: tools, environment, trappings, habits and posture. Most have a tendency to get their noses right down there into the work. I know I do.

Students nowadays come equipped with their own laptop and headphones. They're plugged in to keep inspired and entertained, to research conceptually and visually. Alongside the traditional tools of brush & ink, pencils and a sketchbook is a tangle of cords, and a slick screen.

A relaxed posture can belie a confused creative mind. Those somewhat scruffy-lookin' can have the most ordered thoughts and/or work spaces. Some that appear more together can be most disorganized or work away amidst chaos. I've been all of these and more.

Drawing/writing/creating is part what we see, part what we know. We observe the people and world around us, filter it through our selves, our personality and sensibilities to capture truth, perhaps create new worlds. We explore, test an idea there, make a mark here, feeling things out tentatively, striking out boldly in an effort to convey and connect.

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Hai! Sensei!

After an exchange in class last week, one of my students whipped out this quick cartoon - LOL! I was incredulous, throwing my head back, laughing at the notion she plans to do a story 4-5 times the length required for her Final. I wasn't laughing at her, but bowled over by her audacity and confidence. A wonder to behold! And more yet, she'll no doubt pull it off and with panache. The Future of Comics is here, folks. We'd all best get our butts in gear! FYI - I am too large for my own good, do wear Hawaiian shirts, but go sans belt and do not tuck.

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A Bunch from Sketchbook Month

Some doodles I've done during March as the Saturday Sketch-Day blog has gone daily for a time. Drop in and see what me and my SketchPals have been up to. Esperanza Spalding! If you haven't watched her perform you owe it to yourself to check her out. A couple memory sketches of students...


Elongated Archibald Leach at the piano from The Awful Truth -

This lady's neck was even longer in the photo from which I worked.

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Stolen Scary Monsters?

My artist pal, Brent Schoonover recently found this Halloween CD in his garage, recognizing the art...

...as the cover art I did in '92 for a Look & Find Scary Monsters book.

I've not seen the CD package yet, so am not sure if the same publisher put both out. But more likely the art was appropriated by a third party without permission. In a way it's a tad flattering, but mostly this kinda thing drives artists crazy. In this case the original publisher owns the copyright to the image as I did the book as work for hire. Otherwise...this Hulk would be mad.

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Pop Art Love Couple

  This piece was done for a client who had it printed as a large poster, presenting it framed as a gift. Another version was done with a additional background color. We're available to do a custom piece like it for you!

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Not really a poet; but surely he was a poem

The place was not only pleasant, but perfect, if once he could regard it not as a deception but rather as a dream. Even if the people were not "artists," the whole was nevertheless artistic. That young man with the long, auburn hair and the impudent face--that young man was not really a poet; but surely he was a poem. That old gentleman with the wild, white beard and the wild, white hat--that venerable humbug was not really a philosopher; but at least he was the cause of philosophy in others. That scientific gentleman with the bald, egg-like head and the bare, bird-like neck had no real right to the airs of science that he assumed. He had not discovered anything new in biology; but what biological creature could he have discovered more singular than himself? Thus, and thus only, the whole place had properly to be regarded; it had to be considered not so much as a workshop for artists, but as a frail but finished work of art. A man who stepped into its social atmosphere felt as if he had stepped into a written comedy.

G.K. Chesterton - from the first paragraph of his The Man Who Was Thursday.