I'm going to try to remember Throw Back Thursday. It's fun for me to go back and try to remember what was going on in my mind that made me doodle what I doodled on that day.
It's cool how the internet can bring people together from far away places to make things. "Graham's Up the Tree" is based on a true story from the life of author mbpardy ... He's in Australia - I'm in Seattle area. When he posts these images at his page I see comments from people who grew up with real life versions of these characters I drew -- People that actually looked out the window and saw this little guy high up at the top of a tree... where no one else could go.
For these Grahams Up the Tree drawings I used a Pilot Custom 823 with FA nib. This pen is legendary. It has a very soft nib and a giant vacuum filled tank of ink so you can write and draw for days.
Three kings stopped a walking man to ask advice about their dreams.
But the man said, "Oh no please, I don't want to hear these things."
"I have dreams of my own although they'll never come to pass...
I just work my life away while all you rich guys sit and laugh."
(2B pencil on 158mm x 137mm paper) "They're not flag-waving wannabes, or finger-pointing-blamemongers. They're true British Heroes! They were born with spines of steel, have spunk by the bucketload, and their upper-lips aren't just stiff, they're rock-solid! They're the type who'll kick those mad-dogs aside and proudly march, bare-arsed, into the midday sun!"
Hey Boos!!! My friend asked me to draw this sooooo yeah! It's a little Bunny based on my persona Peekaboo. That's what it was originally was gonna be but I decided to draw this instead and I'm really proud of it!
This portrait is the darkest in the series, examining the internal malice that persists even when communication is restricted, illustrating that evil doesn't require a loud voice.
* Visual Focus: The mask's mouth is horrifyingly held closed across the center by surgical thread and a needle, which only covers half of the wide, unnerving smile. The stitching reveals a set of sharp, feral teeth underneath. Disturbingly, a pair of prominent horns protrude from the top of the mask's head.
* Symbolism:
* The Stitched Mouth: Represents the idea of selective silence or the censorship of truth. The fact that the stitching only covers half the mouth highlights the "half-done" nature of modern morality. The revealed sharp teeth suggest that even in silence, the capacity for vicious, cutting, or "devilish" speech remains barely contained. Showed directly on the piece by the date being misleading.
* The Horns: A classic, unambiguous symbol of the Devil or pure malice. This is the figure's core identity—it suggests that even while hiding behind a neutral mask and being partially silenced, the individual's "tongue like the devil" and evil intent are still very much present, emphasizing the inherent corruption and hypocrisy behind the facade.
Hey Boos! It's me Peekaboo! This drawing was made by a lasso tool (some parts arent lasso tool for design purposes) and the day before yesterday I got surgery on my arm so I get to skip out on PE!
"Nowhere Fast" is a compelling still life that blends mundane domesticity with surreal, slightly ominous undertones. The scene is anchored by a wooden table where a spilled glass, a pack of matches, and an ashtray with a smoldering cigarette suggest a moment of interrupted pause or quiet, long-term stagnation. Dominating the foreground is an oversized, weathered cigarette carton boldly labeled "WARNING", its subtle but unsettling presence hinting at a consumption that leads nowhere.
In the background, a vintage RCA television set displays a stylized amanita mushroom, a recurring symbolic motif that adds a layer of psychedelia and altered perception to the otherwise drab setting. The earthy, muted color palette and soft lighting create a feeling of weary introspection, capturing a sense of being perpetually stuck in a cycle. The piece masterfully uses everyday objects to explore themes of vice, time, and the quiet, slow march toward an uncertain destination.
