Adventures in Spaaaaace...

And also in speed drawing.
Today, just to change it up a bit, I decided to try out a bit of speed drawing using Corel Painter. I have recently manifested a tendency towards getting Very Serious during art making, and that place is the opposite of the playful learning and experimenting which is kind of vital to the process. It also takes all of the fun out of things, squashes innovation and in short, is the fastest way to dry up creativity that I've ever managed to figure out.
Thus, I am always annoyed to find that I'm back there again. Fortunately, I know how to get out of that mindset pretty quickly.
In order to drop kick the inner perfectionist right in the seat of the pants, I cracked out the Wacom tablet and decided to just play for awhile, just like you do in kindergarden when they pass around the crayon bucket.
This guy was the result of about 3 hours of "don't overthink it, just draw.." speed drawing. I rather like him. Soren says he looks like me.

Me in spaaaaaaaaaace. With blue hair and space pajamas on.

Cafe Triste, Berkeley CA

I took Ree out today to do some drawing en plein air as we artist types call it. Soren had some errands to run so we settled in at the Cafe Triste in Berkeley and did a bit of life drawing. I didn't draw any single person so much as form a kind of aggregate person from bits and pieces. The sweater was from one guy, the hair from another and the attitude towards his sandwich is from still another.

I feel more comfortable drawing this way because if anyone catches me looking at them, they can't come crashing over and yell at me about how I'm drawing them -  because plainly I won't be. And yes, that scenario has actually happened to me. Never underestimate the land speed of crazy in the San Francisco Bay area.

Anyhow, it was nice to get out of the studio for a bit and spend some good artist's date time out with my daughter, a pot of Irish breakfast tea and our sketchbooks.

It's a matter of balance..

I drew this one on the back of some handouts at my Diabetes education class today. It seemed appropriate to the appallingly boring lecture at hand which was all about keeping one's sugars under control to avoid the Abyss of Awful Comorbidities and Complications.
Overall I would give that class a -25 on the cheerful topic scale and I cannot recommend skipping it with enough vehemence unless you absolutely have no choice in the matter.

The worksheets and handouts were particularly dreary.

Really, if they'd just let me make a "So you've got the 'Beetus" comic book, I'd manage to be informative AND entertaining. You'd think you'd kind of want that, but apparently the nursing department hit some kind of "clip art clearance sale" like it was the last crab rangoon at the all you can eat buffet.

But I digress...and also rant. You all know this about me, but it bears repeating.

Anyway, have some art...

Ok, so here I go again...

I have neglected this blog. There, I said it out loud and admitting it to myself and others, I throw myself upon the mercy of the Blogger gods in the hopes that they will understand and give me another chance to redeem myself and reclaim my quest to achieve 365 drawings IN A ROW.

Whassat, Blogger gods?
You say "Go for it?"

That's awesome of you. I do believe I will. Starting now.
Or rather starting with this drawing I did yesterday. It's a good kick start, I think, to a whole new year.

My daughter calls this one "Hobo Hamster or Vagrant Vermin." Consensus has it that he needs a hug and also a peanut butter sandwich.