Not Quite A Tutorial: The Beach With Sugar

One of these days I want to try my hand at doing some type of drawing tutorial. I have a deep desire to pass on some of the knowledge I've picked up over the years, but sadly, I really am a horrible teacher. I hope to overcome that in 2010, so for the time being, this little series of sketches will have to do, as a precursor to the big ol' festival of drawing knowledge yet to come.
Last Friday, my girlfriend, Sugar, and I celebrated the 2 year anniversary of our first date (Woo-Hoo!) and I wanted to make her a card. After running through a number of design possibilities in my head, and then sketching a few rough and quick thumbnails, I decided on one that I had tried to do the year before that hadn't turned out too well. The concept was sound, because we both love the Oregon Coast and make it over there as often as possible, unfortunately the execution was the best. For example, you'll notice that the characters came out okay, most of the background is all blotchy to the point of a full blown buggers-muddle.




One thing I've noticed is that my style has evolved quite a bit over the last year, although it is not as obvious in this quick rough version, seen below.

In this next version, you can see some of the style change I mentioned, it has become looser and more fun, at least in my opinion. Not too long ago I rediscovered the joy of drawing with colored pencils, a light color to start off with, and then I go over the lines that I like with black. By way of disclaimer, this technique looks a lot better in person, so yes, all of these images have been digitally manipulated.

Being that I'm a bit of a knothead from time to time, I forgot to scan the finished version before I gave it to, Sugar, but the version below is pretty much the pose I finally went with. I'm really looking forward to the coming year and this new style I'm developing, very retro, with a fair amount of contemporary snarkiness, if you know what I mean.

So, there you have it, thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!

A Belated Beach Post

Yeah, I was really hoping to have this done the Monday after our return but I've had so much going on that I didn't get it done. Anyway, in case you missed it, my girl, Sugar, took me to the beach a couple of weeks ago. It was really an awesome trip, because not only did we have a grand time, but it was supposed to rain the whole time and it virtually DID NOT, which if you are at all familiar with the Oregon Coast, you understand just how amazing that is. I hope to do some more drawings from this trip soon, but for now, this is a semi-quick one in walnut ink & Copic pens of me and Sugar hanging out on the wharf in Newport .

Have a great week.
Cheers!

Road Trip—Guess Where?

Seascape: Walnut Ink.


Beach Cabin: From Sketchbook.


Stubby Lighthouse: Walnut Ink


Hey Kids! If you guessed the Oregon Coast—sometimes called the Pacific Wonderland, you are 100% correct. Yup! Me and my gal, Ace, are heading for the Oregon Coast today so these images might look familiar to you, it's because they are all reposts, a first here at Walk on the Wiles Side, by the way. This will be something of a working road trip: gonna do some sketches, get some reference photos, do some research & get some inspiration, as well as scout for venues to carry my T-shirts, but it's not all work, I fully plan on eating way too much and lounging a bit, but most importantly, hanging out with my gal. Anyway, we'll be back soon and I should have stories, sketches, and maybe even some exciting news. Have a great week.

-Cheers!

DeLuxe Retro Motel

DeLuxe Retro Motel; sketchbook

This one comes under the heading of: germ of an idea. In other words this is the nucleus of a possibility, it may or may not become something substantial, but only time will tell. This is not a motel that exits, at least not to my knowledge. Although if it were an actual motel it would be on the beach at the Oregon Coast. As a point of interest, it looks like there might be a destruction derby underway in the parking lot, car A appears to be hurtling towards car B at a breakneck pace going in for the kill. But this is just over exuberance on the undershading—which is kind of like the drawing version of underpants, but not really. And yes, if this were an actual drawing and not a page from my sketchbook, I probably would have fixed it, or worst case scenario, done it over entirely.

Seascape in Walnut Ink

Seascape in Walnut Ink #1

I think I may have mentioned last week that lately I have been working on taxes and other unpleasantries, well things are coming along okay on that front, nevertheless, I am way past due for an excursion to one of my favorite places, the Oregon Coast. Sadly, I don't think it is in the cards, at least not for a little while. Anyway, to help dull the edge of my beach craving I did this serene little seascape with a walnut ink wash. Not perfect, but overall, I'm happy with it, and best of all it takes me on back to where I wish I could be.

Cheers!

Beacons: Unfinished Splash Page

Hey Kids, sorry for the missed posts, I've been busy with T-shirts lately, so haven't posted like I should, but I'm trying to beat the holiday deadline. Anyway, this is something from 2005, its the splash page for a graphic essay (an essay in comic book form) which I never finished. The title is Beacons, and it was to be about depression and hope, but I never got around to finishing it, although it may happen someday. Just for the record, the image in the bottom right corner, is actually a photograph that I took of the spiral stairway at the Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport Oregon. Hmm, the more I look at this, the more I would like to return to this project, although I would need to start over completely, if for no other reason than my skills have improved since I first started.

Stubby Lighthouse

This one captures all the rustic, dilapidated charm of the beach trips to the Oregon Coast I remember as a kid. It evokes the smell of damp smoke (from both bonfires and fireplaces) in the salty air, which is one of my fondest childhood memories. Pretty short for a lighthouse, but I'm quite pleased with it just the same. Hmmm. I might just have to revisit this one. Walnut ink & brush and pen on watercolor paper.