Sour Arlyn... Bad Drawing #91!!!

I have this HUGE wedding project coming up, and it requires a LOT of drawing. A LOT. The worst bit is, I have to draw myself and Arlyn.

I've never been a good cartoonist. In fact, even when I DID excel at art (grade 12) it wasn't cartooning.

This wedding project is all about tooning things up. Luckily, before I even get at the wedding project, I have one other project that also requires tooning.

So here's one of the drawings from said project...

Not bad, not great. The nice thing is, I can SEE where the problems are, and I kinda see how to fix them. Too bad I can't fix that it looks REALLY film school... it's just where my skill set is at right now.

When this project is complete, I will put all the final drawings up on here, and explain how they all work together. The crazy thing about this last project, and the future wedding project, is my style keeps changing from drawing to drawing. I keep changing how I draw Arlyn and I.

I hope this little project that I'm just finishing up here on will be a good warm up for the wedding one... Hope...

Bad Drawing #91 - Sour Arlyn Knitting

Crazy video...

I love working in ink. If I weren't so lazy, I maybe could have been decent at it. But I just don't put any time into it, so I'm elementary at best when it comes to pen work...

This blows my mind. No bad drawing from me, just inspiration...

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

SUGAR SKULL PAINT JOB! Bad Drawing #89 and #90!!!

Well I'm back from Mexico, and in full-on creative mode. I've been editing my friends wedding footage like a mad man, and starting on a few other projects. One of these new projects is likely going to be the most time consuming drawing job I'll ever have, and won't be able to reveal til January (where I will rip it apart in my own self-loathing way).

In the mean time I will actually try and put up other stuff I'm doodling away at, in a sad attempt to sharpen my skills...

Anyway... This isn't so much a doodle, but while in Mexico I did do a little art project. I'm actually sorta happy with this (which is rare) so I decided to throw it up on the blog

I'm a HUGE tattoo fan. I've got a couple myself, and more planned for the future (when I'm super wealthy and can afford it). One of the tattoos I would like to get would incorporate Mexican Sugar Skulls. I've been into the design of these skulls for quite a few years, so when I ended up in Mexico for the first time last year, I hunted one down to take home.

See the little floaty skulls? yeah, like that

You can find porcelain sugar skulls in pretty much any shop in Mexico. However, I was a little disappointed with the designs. I was so used to seeing them in tattoos, I guess I sort of expected to see designs closer to what tattoo artists were doing here in North America. Not quite.

This is the one I eventually picked up...

Yeah, I liked it, but not really what I was looking for.

So this year, when we went to Mexico, I decided to try again, and again I found more of the same so-so designs... not quite what I was looking for.

However, at the resort we were staying in, you could paint your OWN pottery, and THEY had skulls as an option. Arlyn suggested we do that rather than buy a finished skull. I agreed. I decided to to sketch out my design the night before, and then Ar and I would go down and paint our own sugar skulls.

This was my design...

These were Arlyn's...

When we got to the table to paint our skulls, Arlyn changed her mind and decided to paint a fish. We sat at our table and got to work. I should also mention we decided to do this THE MORNING WE WERE LEAVING. This made the whole painting experience super stressful. I was swearing like a sailor the entire time... sitting next to a 7 year old girl (who didn't seem to mind the swearing, and instead just stared as I shakily painted a rose on mine)

There were guidelines already drawn on the skull that I didn't want to use, so they had to be painted over first. I felt rushed and stressed out, but I eventually finished. Arlyn and I left our skulls with the guy running the stand so he could add little details, and then varnish. This was really cool as the brushes we had were thick and unruly... and my hands were shaking the whole time. Stress.

Here's the guy touching up Ar's fish

When we came back after packing up our hotel room, and having our last lunch buffet, our art was done! Actually, I shouldn't say done, as the varnish wasn't dry yet. But they now had their little, fine line details, and slightly cleaner lines.

Ar's fish had new little details (which you can kind of see in this pic... little green spots, some black line touches)

Mine had little lines added to the green leaves (the little light green flecks) and the lines on the teeth (not sure I would have done that... but still looked cool)

We were worried about the pieces not being dry yet, so I went to the resort gift shop to see if they had a cardboard box. Like a bull in a china shop, I smashed into one of the gift shop shelves and smashed a painted porcelain plate of some sort. It was actually because I stumbled on something they had left on the floor behind me, but they made me pay for it. It was only 4 bucks, but whatever. I destroyed someone elses painted work while looking to protect mine. Awesome.

'

They gave me a receipt... souvenir

Anyways, we spent the entire bus ride to the airport trying to air out our pieces, and then mad the plane smell like varnish, but the pieces made it home alive.

Long story... long, that's how I now have Bad Drawing #89 and #90! "Skully McSugarVarnish"

Wow... been a while... Bad Drawing #88

I've been on a blogging break, but not a shitty drawing break. SOON I shall update with wonders that will make you say "Wow! I see why he was one of the top 3 in his grade 12 art class... but that's where he peaked!"

I would end this entry right now... but I feel like I should post SOME sort of image... lemme check around me...

AH!

This is sort of a drawing!

Last year I went in search of a calendar for my desk at work. I couldn't find anything cool, so I settled on one I thought would be humorous... BONES!

Bones is a crime procedural show I was into for a couple of weeks until I got tired of their stupid computer animations of murders and implausible enhancing of crime scene shit. Anyways, when I bought the calendar, I was in the midst of those few weeks of "Bones is TV awesome!" so I wasn't quite thinking right.

So now, 10 months later, I'm in hate with the calendar, and the hate only got worse when I turned it to October and found this guy...

Yeah... so this guy would be looking over at me from my office wall.

I decided I needed to do some defacing, and since it was Halloween month, Dr. TJ Hodgy became Dr. Eatyourface.

Bad drawing #88 "Booooooooonessss...."

New online Sketch Program!??! Bad Drawing #87

I was linked to this new drawing program.... (click on upper image to visit the site)



I drew Hurley with his newly infected ear, standing on his bad that he's confined to while his leg surgery heals.

Oh Hurley.

Lil Money Pit - Bad Drawing #87

Poor Hurley! Bad Drawing #86!

Look... I know I haven't done anything worth while (or even not worth while - but with effort behind it) in a long time, but I've been busy.

I've been busy, and that leads me to not draw. When I'm MOST busy I usually shut down, do nothing, and watch a lot of TV.

However, I did find myself drawing today, so I took a pic and uploaded it.


I did this while trying to call a vet clinic to get a second opinion on our dogs fucked up legs. Hurley needs to have an operation to fix his bad knees, a costly one. He has one knee that is kinda bad, and one that is so shitty painful he won't even put pressure on it anymore - It just sort of hovers in the air.

Anyways, I doodled on a pad at my desk as I awaited a call back...

Bad Drawing #86 - Our Poor Hurley

"Thomas Birthday Card" Bad From The Past!! Bad Drawing #85

I've never posted this oldie, but since I have nothing else to post right now (cuz I haven't drawn in a bit) I figured I'd throw it up. I'll get to this whole drawing a million drawing things soon... I'm kinda focused on some writing stuff.

This was Mika's 7th Birthday card. She's turning 10 this year. I have not improved my drawing skills at all in the last 3 years.



Mika ... Bad Drawing #85

Steam Engine! Bad from the Past! - Bad Drawing #85

REAL drawings still to come, but here I have a little something I did while bored at work.

Mika gave me a coloring book page of an engine... I decided it needed to be more "Thomas"-like and gave it a face... then kept going...


Sort of a drawing?

I'll do better... getting my drawing on this week!!

Bad from the WAY Past! Bad Drawing #84

Yup, here's an oldie for ya while I don't draw right now.


I did this in Grade 11, when I had dreams of being a Disney Animator. I couldn't even cartoon very well, but that didn't matter.

I flat out copied it from a binder. I didn't use any of that lame "Structure" or even tried to get little things like "detail" or "sense" into it. I just sketched it down, and did some awesome shading.

Bad Drawing #84

Gotta start drawing again soon.

DOGS! Bad Drawing #83!

Today's drawing is a simple one... done on a napkin.

because we're suckers for cuteness, we have two dogs, Hurley and Boomer, both Boston Terriers. Hurley is a VERY good looking Boston, and Boomer, while super cute, is a little odd looking. Now keep in mind, she is still a puppy, and puppies do have awkward stages, but there was just something about her I thought looked funny, and couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Until this morning.

While eating my sandwich, I looked to Hurley who was sitting beside me, staring forward, and then at Boomer, who was staring at Arlyn. Seeing both dogs in profile I was able to see what it was that made Boomer look odd, and today I drew it out on a napkin to show Arlyn.


If you look at the structure of their heads, both dogs have very round noggins, but Boomer's is just set way forward.

I think this is cuz she has a super big brain. This would explain her ability to break out of anything we put her in.

She may be a super villain yet.


Bad Drawing #83... Hurley and Dr. Boomer VonEvilpup.

YOU LIKE BURGERS?!?! Bad Drawing #82!!!

I know, I know... "What the hell??!?"

I have big big plans to draw, or paint, or create, but I'm also busy and super lazy.

I do however still doodle about, but always nonsensical like the thing below...

There you have it. I call it "You like burgers?!"

Bad Drawing #82!

Scraping the bottom... Bad Drawing #81!

I haven't been drawing AT ALL lately. At all.

This is the closest to anything I've done lately...


Yeah I doodle with a sharpie on a DVD I found lying on the floor.

*sigh*

UPDATED! Graffiti Request... Bad Drawing #78, 79, 80!!

As I was toiling away on my Thomas the Tank Engine editing, I got this message through our inter-office chat system...

(2:37 PM) Arlyn Bantog: Nana was asking if we knew anyone that can do graffiti

I thought a brief moment, then responded.

(2:37 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: nope... What does she want?

I wasn't getting an answer, so as I was now distracted from work anyways, I opened up MS Paint and got to work... as I worked, Arlyn responded.

(2:41 PM) Arlyn Bantog: a painting for Jode's birthday
(2:41 PM) Arlyn Bantog: i said either one of us could probably do it depending on what she had in mind
(2:41 PM) Arlyn Bantog: so she's getting pictures together
(2:41 PM) Arlyn Bantog: it could be a case of photoshop and print on canvas

(2:43 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: you can send her this...

I laughed at her response.

(2:43 PM) Arlyn Bantog: did you just make that now?
(2:45 PM) Arlyn Bantog: haha
(2:45 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: no I had it on my desk top for months... heh
(2:45 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: just waiting... and waiting... for you to ask
(2:45 PM) Arlyn Bantog: that's amazing
(2:45 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: thnx
(2:46 PM) Arlyn Bantog: i'm emailing it to her

(2:53 PM) Arlyn Bantog: your bubble letters are so 1988
(2:54 PM) Ellery_Vandooyeweert: I know, eh! You know why? 'Cuz in Grade 7 I was EXTREMELY Jealous that girls in my class could do them so well, that I spent hours trying to learn....
(2:55 PM) Arlyn Bantog: bubble letter envy.... i remember that feeling

Later, Arlyn got this response from Nana...

Thanks for the graffiti Ellery, I was considering something to do with final fantasy that he plays CONSTANTLY...hes got a character or whatever you call them and i was sort of thinking of that character in a graffiti art setting...its really hard to explain and it doesn't have to be EXOTIC...i don't know anything about gaming so i cant ask him anything else as I just texted him and asked him what his game was...i wouldn't even know how to get to his game although I know his character wears a hoodie... I really don't know what it is this is getting so confusing...i thought about a med/small in whatever medium...need to know the cost as well. materials and artistic compensation. xoxo i have been looking online and there's too much, but if i come up with a style? xoxo

I knew from that e-mail EXACTLY what she was wanting.




*Update.

Apparently Nana took a Banksy book out of the library and said she would mark out what stuff she liked as a guide what to do... I'm not sure how Banksy's art would work with Jode and his obsession with hooded characters in Final Fantasy...

Before she could send me anything I took some initiative on my own...



You may now all exit through the gift shop....

Bad Drawing #77! Valentine's Day Robot!

Okay, so this is REALLY reaching counting this as a drawing, but hey, if someone asked "can you draw me a robot?" and I drew this, then it would count. So here it is, Bad Drawing #77!


I did this at Boston Pizza. At BP they have these hearts you can buy for a dollar and then write whatever you want on them. I was eating at BP the night before Valentine's Day and decided to buy one. It's for charity you know...

BTW, I'm "Rutty", "Peanut" is Arlyn's nickname.

I didn't just get her a 1 dollar Boston Pizza heart though, I also got her this monster named Wayne...



Wayne has 4 roses, cuz I gave Ar a rose just before valentines 4 years ago in my attempt to woo her (didn't work... at least not right away) and then added one every Valentines since.This seems a fine idea now, but I can see it backfiring in 20, 30 years...

TAKE THAT, SKULL! Bad Drawing #76!

Arlyn bought these little pot/egg things at Ikea the other day for 5 bucks. They fit together like those russian doll toys... the ones that fit one into the other... yeah those.

Anyways, she bought them saying "We can paint them like sugar skulls!".

So while at work yesterday, I kinda sketched out how that might look... and then for no other reason other than I love Ewoks, I drew an ewok poking it with a spear.

"Ewok Poking Skull"! Bad Drawing #76!!!

Another Bad Project - Pay it Forward 2011! *aw crap*

Around the beginning of this year, this messaged popped up on a couple of friends Facebook status:

First Five - Let's hear it:Pay it Forward 2011~

I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here~ They must in turn post this and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment on their status~

~The rules are that it must be handmade... by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime .........in 2011~

Well this just seemed an awesome opportunity to get some free stuff from people who I think make awesome art.

The only problem is, by jumping in and commenting, I'm left having to make 5 people something handmade.

Well I did it anyways, I commented both on Meeka Stuart's and Karen Francis's status, and then reposted the message as my own status.

I'm not entirely sure WHO I have to do stuff for, I have a rough idea. I THINK my list is:

Meeka Stuart

Well she sent me stuff, so it's only fair I send something to her... but what?

Charlene Havelchuk

Charlene wrote this on my status:

I officially comment!

I retract my comment? I realized I can't make anything hand made that's actually cool.

Okay, yeah I guess cookies are home/handmade. Ok you can count me in again. But I warn you, my oven has a hotspot and don't blame me if they're a little too crispy.

So I guess she is in... Not sure I saw her repost the Pay it Forward though...

Geoff Manson (maybe?)

Geoff wrote this on my status:

Can it be a print of a personalized digital painting? Last time I made anything with my hands was when I did cross-stitch as a kid, and no one wants THAT.

So I don't know if he is in... I guess?

Karen Francis (maybe? cuz I clicked on hers?)

I'm not sure I have to send her something just cuz I commented on her status...

Anyways, I will figure out something to do for all of them, I suppose, and post it up on here when finished. However, the real point of this post is that my Pay it Forward from Meeka Stuart already arrived!



The Sock Monkey is for me, the little red guy went to Mika, and the gnome was claimed by Arlyn.


The Sock Monkey has a "Rutty" tattoo (which is my sometimes nickname). It is awesome and my first sock monkey.

Another Ewok? Bad Drawing #75!!!!!

I have no idea why, but as I was editing away at work, I suddenly had this need, NEED, to draw an Ewok (even if poorly)


It was when I got to his feet that I realized, once again, that I don't know what to do with feet. Maybe I should start hiding them behind props like comic artist Rob Liefeld was known for...


Speaking of Liefeld, this is an awesome post someone did called "The 40 Worst Rob Liefeld Drawings" and it's pretty funny. If you were a comic nerd in the 90's, you know his art well. I even had posters on my wall of his work.

He did some really bad drawings, but fuckit, I still like him. He definitely had a style of his own! CLICK HERE!!

Teen-tini and Jenn-tini! Bad Drawing #74!!

Rolling along with the sketch-a-doodle assignments, here is last weeks "Martini Party".



I had originally wanted to do two people at a party, all stylized and such... like the Madmen DVD covers... but alas... I settled for cutesy cartoony again.

But see? It's Teen and Jenn... And Jenn has her drunk eyes and hearts cuz she gets all "I'm gonna tell her I love herrrrr"...

This weeks doodle is still coming!

My First "Dr. Sketchy's"!! The Camilla D'errico Show! Bad Drawings #63-73!!!

So a couple of weeks ago I went to my first ever "Dr. Sketchy's Art School", which is basically life drawing, but the models are posing dressed in a burlesque style (or so I understand).


I've been told every show has a different theme, and this time the Dr. Sketchy's theme was the art of Camilla D'errico. Well, that was reason enough for me to dust off my life drawing skillz and stare at half naked people.

I like Camilla's work. I first saw her art at a comicon 5 or so years ago on Main street in Vancouver. She had a table there where she was selling prints of her work. I saw the young girl sitting behind all the anime style art and asked just about the worst thing you can ask an artist:"Did YOU draw this?". I made up for it though by going to her art show the next night and buying an original piece for $150 bucks.

Her art hasn't changed much in the last 5 years. Generally she does paintings of cute girls wearing something on their head. But it's working for her, still really good, and I'll definitely buy her new book coming out, so good on her.

Anyways, on to the bad drawings!

The models were made up in the style of girls in Camilla's paintings. Photo credits to Ms. Heather Renney!




So this first little set (Bad drawings #63, 64, 65) were one minute poses. How much can one sweat when realizing they are super rusty/shitty at life drawing in a single minute? TONS. SO MUCH. Wow I was sweating.

I believe these next 4 drawings (#66, 67, 68) were 5 minute poses. I could be wrong though, I didn't write it down. Looks like 10 minutes worth of sketching to me. I'd be super sad if I found out they were 30 minute poses.



Just before the break, there was a prize round. To win the prize round, you had to somehow incorporate robots into your sketch. Check it out! Was bad drawing #70 the winner?!?!

Nope, I lost. But let me state it now. I WILL WIN A PRIZE ROUND AT DR. SKETCHY'S! THIS I COMMAND! (...or predict. Whatever.)

Oh, and a side note, not related to drawing (at all) - Right after the break was this super weird burlesque show where one of the girls awkwardly danced and then made sparks with a disk sander and a piece of metal.

I'm still not sure what I was watching.

BACK TO DRAWINGS! I believe this was a ten minute pose. Bad Drawing #71


Holding a skull! (#72)


From behind! And the last drawing of the night! (#73)


As I looked at my drawings at the end of the night, I thought to myself "well, not great, not terrible... sort of adequate?". And then I walked by Camilla's sketchbook...

Yikes. Glad I wasn't sitting beside her.

On the way out Ar got a postcard for Mika and had Camilla sign it.


So that ended my first life drawing since 1994. Wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I definitely need to do it more often.