There are tons of things all around me that I haven’t drawn, and one is the view out the studio window.

I took about 25 minutes and did this loose marker rendering while waiting on Rick to get ready for lunch.  I don’t know that I was very successful, but I was trying to convey a more convincing scene with less detail than I normally would.  I don’t do landscapes very often either, which I need to remedy.

click for larger view

I’ve been refining my marker rendering in my sketch book lately.  I don’t know how much refining I’m actually achieving, however.   Here are a few quick sketches.  Michael Thomas (the main character from my comic, Vex) and a guy that vaguely looks like Poirot.

This…is pretty much what’s going on there.  There are two things that kind of creep me out about this even though I drew them.  One is the eyes of the guy in the bomber jacket…those kind of got away from me.  And the arm.  I drew the arm early on then got in the mood to draw heads.  I do like the fact that the fat gut in middle seems the only one aware of the giant disembodied arm.  Also unintentional.

All were done with a Pentel Brush Pen and a 30% Cool Gray Prismacolor Marker.

Usually when I’m getting a little frustrated with drawing, or when it feels like pulling teeth getting a job done, it’s most likely due to a lack of sketching.

It’s hard to  just sit and sketch when there are deadlines on the horizon, but sometimes that’s exactly what I need to get motivated.  The freedom and spontaneity of sketching loosens my imagination up and helps me push myself more than I would when doing work-for-hire jobs.  I’m more likely to play it safe and keep within my comfort zone with a piece that someone has paid me to do.

After spending a little time experimenting I can then take the techniques and styles that I’ve been playing with in my sketchbook and apply them to “real” work.