This drawing, with a bit of watercolour, was done years ago in North Vancouver during a figure drawing session. Probably 15 - 20 minutes. Watercolour, subtly employed, can have wonderful affects. The challenge of working fast forced me to ditch excess thinking. And it's funny, because at first I thought, "Oh, this is terrible." Then the next day, with fresh eyes, or checking out the drawing in a mirror, I think, "Wow! How did I not see how good this is?" Never throw out your artwork immediately after a drawing session. Give them a few days and look at your work with fresh eyes.
Meet Dr. Lorna Breen. She was in the trenches of the front line inside the New York hot zone during the first wave of the pandemic. She saw the massive influx of patients she knew she could not save (29,000 deaths reported in April, 2020). She contracted the virus and after recuperating, went straight back to work. A week and a half later, the hospital sent her home. Her family intervened to bring her back home to Charlottesville, Virginia. During her visit with her family, she seemed “detached.” She passed away April 26, 2020 at the UVA University Hospital in Charlottesville from self-inflicted wounds.
"She tried to do her job, and it killed her… Make sure she’s praised as a hero. Because she was, she’s a casualty just as much as anyone else who has died."
—Dr. Philip C. Breen, Father
A little bit of an issue with the foreshortening of the figure. Model: Meadhbh (Maeve)
2B Pencil, Soft Charcoal Pencil on 5.5” x 8.25” Moleskine sketchbook.
Sketch of Amy with various arm positions. A preliminary Moleskine sketchbook work-up for a future full-sized illustration. 2B Pencil, Soft Charcoal Pencil on 5.5” x 8.25” Moleskine sketchbook. Model: Amy_D
Nat checking her email. The polar fleece blanket colour and texture didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.
Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Sanrio Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 8.5" x 11" paper
I enjoy drawing the forms of the back. Especially when classically lit.
Pencil, Charcoal Pencil, Pastel Pencils and white Prismacolor pencil on 9” x 12” Strathmore Toned Grey sketchbook paper.
A challenging media—Crayola wax crayons!
A self-portrait: I find that I’m grasping for something that always seems to be out of my reach. I didn’t bother to enter the official competition because I don’t have access to the specific colour set that they specified in the brief. I did enjoy drawing this self portrait with a medium I would not have considered. An awesome change of pace!
Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Sanrio Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 8.5" x 11" paper
Quick ballpoint sketch of Mr. Batman (that’s why it’s a little wonky).
Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Sanrio Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 8.5" x 11" paper.
A breakdown of the Bic4 pen and No-name 10 colour pen layering that I’ve used.
Drawing in a single direction instead of using back-and-forth movement alleviates some of the blotching that happens when using ballpoint pens. The back-and-forth method usually deposits the gunk that builds up on the tip of the ballpoint, smearing them in unexpected and unfortunate places on the drawing. When using the back-and-forth method, I usually have a napkin handy in order to clean the tip of the pen. Model: Meadhbh (Maeve)
Bic4 Ballpoint Pen, Sanrio Novelty 10 Colour Ballpoint Pen on Archival 8.5" x 11" paper.
Inspired by Charles Dana Gibson’s “Woman: The Eternal Question” (supposedly a drawing of his muse Evelyn Nesbit). I’ve always loved Gibson’s loose, graphical penwork. Working hard to be more ‘loose’ with my pen drawings.
Model: Meadhbh (Maeve)
A drawing that turned out better than I expected. Two hour seated pose.
Pencil, Charcoal Pencil, Pastel Pencils on some weird pad of paper I found in my closet.
Malik straining to keep the twisting pose. Decided to leave this one as a slightly rough red Bic pen sketch for now. There’s something to be said about the energy found in the work-up drawing.
