Just Because!

Miserable Milton Website

2011-05-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

So now not only is Miserable Milton on Facebook, he even has his own web page! Check him out at http://www.miserablemilton.com

No really... do it now!

Pencil

2011-02-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

Big and fat... fun to write with!

Hot in New York City

2010-08-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Milton's trip to New York City turned out to be a bit warmer than he expected. Thankfully, he could wave his flag vigorously to create a much-needed breeze.

Under the weather...

2010-08-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Milton is feeling a little under the weather today. The doctor noticed that he seemed to be drained of color. Here's best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Taliban Hospitality

2010-08-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

Milton makes the most of a brief stopover in the Middle East, making some new friends in the process.

Australia vacation

2010-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Milton took a vacation to Australia and was introduced to some fuzzy, lovable creatures. Maybe next time he'll just buy some stuffed replicas and save the trip to the doctor's office!

Family get together

2010-08-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

Milton had a chance to meet up with family at a recent reunion. Sometimes there is a good reason why family's shouldn't get together too often...

Miserable Milton

2010-08-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

So true, I haven't been around in a while. True, I have neglected this blog. But at the same time, I have been reeling in adventure and fun and all sorts of creative activity! That said, I'd like to introduce you all to Milton... Miserable Milton to be exact. You can check him out at http://www.miserablemilton.com

Kiss Your Flabby Soul Goodbye!

2009-06-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally put my nose to the grindstone and finished writing my book, "Kiss Your Flabby Soul Goodbye!" It is now my second self-published book and I'm excited about the possibilities. I hope others are too, especially after they see them!

So don't be shy! Take a peek, order the book, tell all your friends and family. Welcome to yet another day on the journey!

Mark
http://store.payloadz.com/detail.asp?Id=494649

Cartoon practice

2009-03-02T04:17:00.000-08:00

Well, my cartoon buddies are starting to come along. Practice is paying off and I'm more pleased with the images I'm producing. Interesting how confidence grows along with practice. Must be a magic formula: practice + perseverance + patience = success? I might be on to something here...

My cartoons can walk!

2009-02-25T04:07:00.001-08:00

Having fun with my cartoons and hope to see them getting along by themselves. I mean really, you have to push them out of the nest sooner or later!

Photo shoot

2009-02-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of going to a photography workshop where we learned how to photograph models. It was a great experience and I think I came away with some pretty decent shots. Just four of the almost 200 I shot!

Dragons!

2009-02-17T04:48:00.000-08:00

So my dragon is starting to take shape. He's going to be one of my final portfolio drawings. I'm learning how to draw the legs and head and body parts. It's part of a larger drawing that came to my mind not too long ago. But I will say this... it's a blast to draw!

Business card

2009-02-03T05:39:00.001-08:00

So this is the beginning of my final portfolio for AIS (Art Instruction School). One of the first projects is to design a business card. Had a heck of a time figuring out some decent lettering after having experimented with quite a few. Then the cartoon figure... looks just like me!

It's a work in progress and hopefully I'll have everything done by the end of February. Well, that's my goal anyway...

Caricature

2009-01-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

Now I'm down to my final portfolio and today I was loosely sketching for some caricature work. It didn't even come close to what I wanted but it was fun!

Camera fun!

2009-01-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

I have some tabletop photography equipment to take pictures in hopes of selling my images. Been a lot of fun experimenting and practicing. Some examples of what I've done so far! Coooool!

Time to send 'er in!

2009-01-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

It's been said before... progress, not perfection!

I've shaded about as much as I can shade and I've drawn and redrawn as much as I can. Time to let it go.

These are all the pieces for this next-to-last assignment. I want to publicly thank everyone who has commented on my progress, especially those who encouraged the dream.

And I lift up a prayer to all those who don't believe in dreams, don't believe in the passions of the heart directed towards God above. May we always be what we are, and be it well!

Lord, if this is the talent you have given me and want me to use, then may that always be enough of an excuse for me to plow ahead and do it. Deo Gratias!

Close to done

2009-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, wrapping up Bertha here. Need to do more shading on other parts of the assignment then it's time to turn 'em in. Even with all my whining, I don't think I've been graded any lower than a "B" on any of my assignments. So this is all good, I'm learning a lot, and hopefully I can bring some beauty into this world that will bring a smile or two. And if I can get Bertha to smile, well, then that WOULD be victory.

Bertha breathes

2009-01-07T05:02:00.002-08:00

Shading and drawing, oh my! Working on giving Bertha some interesting looks and some cool folds. I'll make her attractive yet!

Bertha

2009-01-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

This is the final assignment drawing. I have to show I can draw clothing on a figure... too bad it couldn't have been on a lady who smiles! Yeeeesh! You can bet I won't be bringing this lady home to mom. She looks like she just found out her pet amoeba died. Oh well, work with what you have.

More drapery

2008-12-23T04:13:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to draw the different folds you see in the picture. So I've spent more than several days trying to match up lines and shades and tones.

I want to say that this is so much fun and that I'm having a blast, but that would be a lie. It's tedious and frustrating. I feel like a copier copying one image to create an exact duplicate.

But what I really don't like is that I'm trying to PERFECTLY reproduce a picture. I'm fighting AGAINST perfectionism yet I find that for this assignment, I have to get every line and curve just so.

I can see already that some of the proportions are out of whack. The shading is off and it doesn't match PERFECTLY the picture we're drawing off of.

I want to have fun when I draw and this is NOT fun. But I'm sure that what I'm learning here will translate into being able to create looser, more creative artwork. Let's hope so. In the meantime, I have to shake the cramp out of my hand!

Just smile...

2008-12-21T16:04:00.001-08:00

Folds and stuff

2008-12-16T03:33:00.000-08:00

A quick people sketch (clothed I might add!) and some more drapery. All this black and white pencil work is numbing. Might have to go get some finger paint and go to town!

Fashion Design 101?

2008-12-11T04:30:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing this isn't quite unlike dressing up paper figures with clothes (only I'm doing the artowrk!). Ruby Anne here gets a nice outfit from JCPenney complete with outdated stripes and outlandish hair do. The good news is, I don't have any plans on becoming a fashion designer!

Pretty in a dress

2008-12-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Hands and faces are still giving me fits! But hey, ain't she perty?

And still more...

2008-12-09T04:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, you may be bored looking at these. But when I'm a world-famous artist, you're going to say... "I knew Mark when he was putting up all these funky sketches on a blog." Then they'll put all these sketches in a book then make a movie of my life. So if you're not part of this process now, you won't get a cut of my movie profits. Howz that grab ya??

Still at it

2008-12-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

Human form, clothing, wrinkles, shading, posing, proportion. Practice, practice, practice...

Suiting up

2008-12-04T04:26:00.000-08:00

This is jock strap boy with some clothes on. Until you get the particulars of the human body right, the clothes just aren't going to look right. Working on the folds and how the clothing drapes over the body.

Tooning around

2008-12-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Worked on a lot of stuff today and always wishing I was farther ahead than I am. So for the heck of it, I did some tooning. Working on forms and faces and such. Maybe it's time to create my own happy little world of toons! Stranger things have happened...

Drapery

2008-12-03T04:15:00.000-08:00

Now on to the art of drawing folds known as drapery. This is all leading to putting clothes on figures (as well as being able to draw and shade folds). So now my respectable nudes can put on some respectable clothing. But for this morning, I got to learn how to respectably dress the corner of a table.

Jock strap boy... gridless!

2008-12-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

Yep, you guessed it. Jock Strap Boy is now free to roam the building. I put him on the lightbox this morning and traced him without the grid lines. The exercise is getting a bit easier and flows smoother. This assignment calls for just a line drawing so I'm going to finish him up tomorrow morning and send the whole gang in for a grade.

Jock strap boy

2008-11-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

Next assignment is to do a line drawing of this guy I affectionately call, Jock Strap Boy (for obvious reasons). This gets handed in with the Suzy and Henrietta drawings I did earlier. I decided to try my hand at a grid which is helping me to lay out the proportions better. After I finish the preliminary drawing, I'll put him on a light box and transfer him without the grid.

Even with all my griping I have to admit, drawing the human body is a fascinating challenge. And like anything else, the more I practice drawing the shapes and lines, the better I get at it.

I'm more intrigued by the female form if only because I have yet to come across one wearing a jock strap. And no, this is not a picture of me back in college posing for the yearbook.

Male figure practice

2008-11-25T04:23:00.000-08:00

On to the male figure assignment, then drapes and clothing, then the final portfolio. Then maybe I can come out of my room and play! :)

Henrietta and Suzy -- DONE!

2008-11-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

I've had it with these two women. Erasing, drawing, erasing, sketching, erasing, shading. You get the idea. Time to send them in for a grade. Women seem to be my biggest challenge in life AND in art!

Black Artagain

2008-11-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

Nothing particular in mind... just rummaged through my art box and found some paper I haven't used in awhile. Chalk, white conte, mask, charcoal... you name it, it's on paper now. The first one is chalk on sketch paper. Nice and messy!

Suzy getting shaded

2008-11-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

Making progress on Suzy...

It absolutely amazes me how the slightest adjustments to the lines of the eyes changes the whole expression and character of the face. Let's just say that Suzy has undergone a number of eye changes in this whole process and I'm still not happy with the result. Nevertheless... let the shading continue!

Fall Spectacular

2008-11-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just can't resist picking up your camera and heading outside on a gorgeous - but rare - fall day in Ohio.

Gord n' Hand

2008-11-12T06:18:00.000-08:00

Slowly but surely, I've been working on my Henrietta and Suzy drawings. Shading, sketching, ERASING! Shading, sketching, ERASING! My paper has a lot of holes in it but doggone it, I'll have my drawing!

In the meantime, enjoy these lovely sketches of my hand and a gord I drew this morning as warm up exercises.

Stand by for stand by!

Parts is parts

2008-11-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

Practice, practice, practice... body parts!

Henrietta takes shape

2008-10-30T04:34:00.001-07:00

What is it about the human body that is so difficult to portray in art? The lines, the proportions, the shapes... I draw light and find myself erasing line after line after line. After awhile, it feels more like a mechanical drawing than it does free-flowing art. One line looks right then I realize it pulled the proportion out of whack for another part of the body.Can you tell I'm a wee bit frustrated this morning? I always hope that working on a creative art project would daily rejuvenate my spirit. Today, it sucked the energy right out of me.

But since throwing in the towel isn't an answer, I'll just push forward.

Hitting the road

2008-10-25T04:07:00.000-07:00

Off this weekend to visit the family in Michigan. Ended up making a card for mom this morning and need to head out of work before loading up the kids and hitting the road. Going to be a long day, but good to see the family.

Paper clips and frustration

2008-10-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

Spent time this morning working on Henrietta. Drawing this line, erasing that line. Looking at the photo... redrawing. Proportion not right... elbow not in place... wrong angle on this line. Makes me want to be one of those abstract artists where I just get a few gallons of paint and throw them indiscriminately against a wall-sized canvas. Where's my punching bag when I need it???

With a few minutes left in my 30 minute morning draw, I sketched out my paper clip holder. Sometimes, a little pen and ink can redeem an entire morning.

The birth of Henrietta

2008-10-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Juggling a few assignments, I move on to Henrietta. Wow... what a hairdo! This exercise is about foreshortening and of course continues building on the skills of drawing the figure. I was able to rough out her form in line this morning and will building on her the next few days. Now if I can just get a hairstylist in to help her with that mop!

And seeing these pictures side by side, I can already see where I need to make adjustments. FUN!

Figure drawing

2008-10-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

Trying to see what the best way to start a figure drawing is. I've tried the boney landmarks, drawing the major shapes, drawing the bones and/or muscle. Seems like proportions get skewed in most cases. This is one of those times where I wish I was in an on-site art class where I could just look up at the teacher with big, round eyes and say... HELP!

Watercolor flowers

2008-10-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Got some watercolor pencils and just HAD to try them out. Drew, threw some water at it, then finished it up with regular colored pencil. Not a Van Gogh (well, at least I have my ears), but it was fun!

Suzy taking shape

2008-10-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

I sent in my line drawing of Suzy but I have a copy of the drawing and decided to practice the shading (which will be the next part of the assignment). So here's Suzy taking shape.

Suzy sketch

2008-10-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nurturing a Twinkie hangover, I finished my line drawing of Suzy and am ready to send her in. The assignment to send in is the line drawing of Suzy, the shading of my naked lady friend, and the face parts shading exercise. So it's all going into a big envelope and into the mail. Two lessons left to go! Woooohoooo and a big Yeeeeha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

2008-10-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

What's a birthday? Well, for one, it means you made it through another year. Trials, tribulations, joys, sorrows, adventures, love, frowns, and smiles. Friendships won... friendships lost. A valley of tears softened by love and consolation.

But also the realization that indeed, what hasn't killed me has made me stronger. So before I get into any deep philosophy, enjoy my newest birthday past time... drawing and shading pictures of nude 1950's models!

As Aneta says, progress... not perfection. Good grief! Time to quit shading this lady and move on. Suzy is waiting!

Naked lady

2008-10-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

I'm working on the outline and shading of the naked woman figure. I got the critique back and have resketched the figure and am outlining the shaded areas. At the same time, I am working on the line drawing of Suzy so I can send that in as well. It's all work in progress and I'm looking forward to some fantastic results!

Practice, practice, practice...

2008-10-08T04:44:00.000-07:00

I received critiques back from AIS on the standing male and female nude figures I drew. You might be able to see some of what I drew under the overlays. These pictures are the critiques from the school so I can make correction and get back to it.

All play and no work makes Jack a poor artist. So, back to work!

Suzy grid... again

2008-10-06T03:18:00.000-07:00

I spent my 30 minutes this morning working on yet another grid patten so I can produce a reasonable facsimile of Suzy for the AIS course. I'm not beat yet! It has been frustrating, but as a friend of mine says: "Progress, not perfection." Onward and upward.

But I also played around with some ideas from Bert Dodson's book, "Keys to Drawing with Imagination."

I found beauty!

2008-10-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

For a number of reasons, I hate living in Ohio. But today, I wanted to get some pictures so I decided in a ho-hum kind of fashion to take my camera out after church to see what I could find. I actually went into the city of Cleveland (GASP!) and found... beauty.

My goal was to find the location of the CIA (no, not the Central Intelligence Agency... the Cleveland Institute of Art). It's a cool autumn day today with blue sky -- something that gets VERY rare in the Cleveland area as the winter approaches. So I parked the car and went strolling. To my amazement, I found a beautiful garden outside the Cleveland Museum of Art which is across the street from the CIA. Even more amazing was the fact that the museum itself is now open and is free!

I walked inside, not sure what to expect. I had to leave my camera bag with a museum guard, but then managed to weave my way through the maze of galleries. It was quiet and very thought-provoking. It was like being transported to another world.

Portraits and paintings, sculptures and statues, Tiffany glass and period furniture. There were paintings of men and women who have changed the world and more importantly, there were artists who captured personalities and poise and BEAUTY!

I spent an hour walking around and taking pictures. I was lost in it all and it was wonderful. Such an escape from the dust and grime of everyday living. It was like a drug, a way to forget and be removed from the problems of the day.

It made me realize that we are co-creators with God when it comes to beauty. He gives us the trees and the moon and the stars. In return, we can use our feable minds to paint, sculpt, draw, and imitate the beauty that is all around us. Maybe the lesson for me today is that there is beauty all around us, if only I have eyes to see.

Nearby is the Cleveland Museum of Art and Severence Hall which is home to the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. And very close by is the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Who would have thunk it? They were here all the time and I refused to see it all. Now... what would it take to be immersed -- if only for a short time -- in all this beauty?

Dashboard

2008-10-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

I picked up one of Danny Gregory's books (again!) and found the inspiration I was looking for. Or should I say, I once again found the courage to put away my anxieties and frustrations about art and being creative. So on my lunch break, parked along the road admiring the fall colors, I decided to sketch part of my dashboard. Loose, free, unperturbed... just because.

Suzy taking shape

2008-10-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

So I darkened some of the lines of my Suzy sketch and ya know, she looks like something out of a child's coloring book! Something is just not right here and I can't put my finger on it. But since it's for an assignment, I'm wondering if I'm not going at this as a mechanical exercise as opposed to letting the lines flow. Not sure, but I'll keep at it.

Here's to you, Suzy Q!

I'm working on it

2008-10-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I've tried to scan my pencil sketch of Suzy and the scanner just refuses to pick it up. The pencil is very light so I can make corrections. So for now, you'll just have to believe that I'm still on the job. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy my humming rendition of show tunes from the 1970s...

A prayer breather

2008-10-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Something that just hit me as pertinent this morning. Yes, a little more on the serious side but certainly fuel for the tank...

Matthew 11:29: Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.

Libera nos, quaesumus, Domine, ab omnibus malis, praeteritis praesentibus, et futuris: et intercendente beata, et gloriosa semper Virgine Dei Genitrice Maria cum beatis Apostolis tuis Petro et Paulo, atque Andrea, et omnibus Sanctis, da propitius pacem in diebus nostris: ut ope misericordiae tuae adiuti, et a peccato simus semper liberi, et ab onmi perturbatione securi.

(Deliver us, we beseech Thee, O Lord, from all evils, past, present, and to come; and by the intercession of the Blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and of the holy Apostles, Peter and Paul, and of Andrew, and of all the Saints, mercifully grant peace in our days, that through the assistance of Thy mercy we may be always free from sin, and secure from all disturbance.)

Suzy Gridlock

2008-10-01T04:27:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation and a bottle of scotch (okay, that's an exaggeration. I don't even like scotch!), I gridded my lady, Suzy. The grid is compliments of GridArt (after I bought their product, of course. Check out their website at http://gridart.com). And what I ended up deciding was to cut off the bottom 2 inches to make the 8x10 picture fit on 8x8 worth of space.

This morning, I set up the grid on my paper and lightly penciled in my lady. The lines are so light that the scanner couldn't even pick it up. So as I darken the lines, I'll post the results.

Thanks for bearing with me. Someday, we'll all look back on this and laugh... with a beer!

Be accursed, you foul graphing system!

2008-09-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

So I think political science majors shouldn't have to deal with numbers. Graphing to create more accurate portraits involves numbers. Hence... ergo... I'm not having fun with this!

30 more precious minutes spent (invested!) in trying to figure out how to take an 8X10 picture and reproducing it accurately on an 8X8 grid. Not having much luck.

For your viewing pleasure, I have sketched a picture of me and my fun with graphing.

A boy and his camera

2008-09-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness... look who figured out how to take pictures of himself in a mirror! Boy + Camera = MISCHIEF!

Patience!

2008-09-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

In working with this assignment to draw the lady's head, I decided I would sketch out a grid first so I can be accurate (for the sake of the assignment and my own artistic perfectionism). So wouldn't ya know it... I used my full 30 minutes figuring out how to set up the stupid grid! And I'm not sure I set it up right. Time for patience. I'd rather start out with a proper set up than to find out half way through that I didn't.

So in the meantime, enjoy this head study I did some time ago...

Doodles, noodles, and a night stand

2008-09-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Spent some time doodling noodles. One loop turned into another into another. I did it in pencil although I wish I had done it in ink. So I know next time, ink time!

Was sitting in my bedroom and just got a hankering to draw my nightstand. Realized that the bed next to it is really BIGGER than the nightstand, so proportion didn't quite sink up here. But it got the ink pen flowing and me out of the refrigerator.

Portrait journey

2008-09-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

So now I'm getting back into this portrait for my art class. I put the assignment photograph on a light box and traced the outlines. My focus here was more about figuring out the shading which perplexes me on many occasions. Trying to get the shading to produce the effects I want. So here's the first go around. I expect to do many more so if you get bored, hang in there!

More faces!

2008-09-26T04:39:00.000-07:00

Quite honestly, I had no desire to shade and tone and draw nice clean lines this morning. I was more in the mood to just color outside the lines! So no planning or layout, I just took an ink pen and went at it.

The first lady is a portrait I'll be working on for AIS, so you'll be seeing more of her (yes, it's a woman!). Just wanted to lay down some lazy lines loosley (lay lazy lines loosely... more fun with words). But as I work more on it, she'll start to look more like a real person.

The second face is Tina from Mark Simon's book, "Facial Expressions." Tina is in love with me, she just doesn't know it yet. So as an expression of my love, I created her in scratchy line. If this doesn't win her heart, nothing will.

Face parts part deux

2008-09-25T03:13:00.000-07:00

Finished up the assignment from yesterday and then just scratched out a face on paper. No inspiration today... just doing the work.

A walk in the park

2008-09-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Took the camera out to get some mid-afternoon shots of the park. Always interesting how light plays with a picture at different times of the day... enjoy!

A Turn for the Worse

2008-09-24T05:56:00.000-07:00

A Turn for the Worse

Mervis Teels had spent a rather frustrating day as deli counter guy at
the local Hank's Food Shop. Order after order... day without end.

"I need two pounds of Vienna Bologna, sliced
kid's-lunch-sandwich-thin" or "twenty pounds of salami loaf, cut into
cubes." It didn't help matters that the `pick a number' machine had
three times dispensed duplicate numbers, causing Mrs. Sasselback to
experience hyper-ventilation when she attempted to order roast turkey
at the same time Gloria Zapf was clamoring for lime Jell-O pasta salad.

Mervis was considering the repercussions of going `postal' from behind
the deli counter... he wasn't good at dealing with stress. But
thankfully, the day soon came to an end... it was time to go home.

The only thing stopping Mervis from decompressing was the daily
commute. And today was no exception. It took only 30 seconds for
Mervis to make an amazing transformation from mild-mannered deli guy
to stark-raving road rage idiot. And all it took was for the lady in
front of him to decide she wasn't going to use her turn signal.

Mervis let loose a string of profanity through his rolled up windows
that would make a construction worker blush. Feeling bolder, he
continued on with his journey. It was the unfortunate second driver
that felt the full force of Mervis' wrath.

Little Jenny Darsnipple was proud of her new driver's license. She had
been on it for just four days. That fact wasn't enough to impress an
irate Mervis in the least.

For when Jenny failed to signal a left turn, Mervis stayed with her.
He bumped the back end of her car and furiously gestured with his
hands for her to pull over. Out of fear and lack of thinking, Jenny
complied.

Mervis stomped up to the driver's side window and motioned for her to
roll it down. Timidly, Jenny did. And without a word, Mervis reached
into her car, yanked on the turn signal arm, and ripped it off the
dash. Jenny screamed, Mervis smiled... the whole thing was over in
fifteen seconds.

And that's how it worked for the next ten cars that Mervis pulled over
that day. He even ran into Mrs. Sasselback and after he ripped out her
turn signal, he wished her a good day. Mervis was starting to feel better.

So it was quite the talk of the town when deli customers came in to
Hank's Food Shop the next day to find a thirty pound Spam sculpted
into the shape of a small animal sitting on top of the deli counter.
Arranged neatly on the Spam body were eleven automobile turn signal arms.

Mervis called it his little porcupine of shame... at least that's how
he explained it to the police.

copyright 2008 Mark A. Kwasny

Face parts

2008-09-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

This is yet another practice assignment for my AIS (Art Instruction School) work. The face parts are already there, the exercise is to shade them adding tone and texture. In my 30 minutes this morning, I was able to get a lot done. You can see an unfinished outline drawing in the bottom left corner.

Tomorrow... part DEUX!

Ink a tree

2008-09-23T03:26:00.000-07:00

Say "ink a tree" three times fast. Lots of fun when you've got nothing better to do!

I drew this while I was sitting in my car at a lunch break. It was either do some sketching or subject innocent bystanders to my singing to the song on the radio. I decided that letting others enjoy their day was better than my own personal gratification.

A nose by any other name

2008-09-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd pick a couple of noses to sketch. Get it? Pick? Oh, I crack myself up. Not my proudest accomplishment, but at least I'm 30 minutes closer...

30-Minute Dash.

2008-09-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

I am so glad to be posting regularly on my blog again. I have made a non-blood pact with Roma to draw SOMETHING for 30 minutes each day. For those who saw my earlier posts, I am in the home stretch of finishing my Art Instruction School (AIS) program but have bee procrastinating big time. This morning discipline may be the only way I can get the course finished before my time runs out in February 2009 (on the course that is. I don't think I have any terminal illness).

Life gets in the way and no matter how good or bad it may be going, something will ALWAYS get in the way... if you let it. So for the past week or so, I have been making 30 minutes of art work my second priority each morning. Interesting how easy it is to surf the Internet for 30 minutes or stare into space for 30 minutes. Yet how crazy is it to not take part in your passion for a measly 30 minutes. Time is the one resource you use that you NEVER get back. 'Tis a shame to waste it... no?

So drunk with success on my art work, I'm now working with another buddy to write for 30 minutes each day. It's amazing how much more committed (to the Funny Farm!) you get when you know someone is checking up on you. And even though I get frustrated that I'm not making more progress, I can now say that I put in 30 minutes of writing EVERY day as opposed to the zero I was doing previously.

Amazing how it can take years and years to come to see the truth applied to one's life. The answers are always simple... the doing is the hard part.

Of course, if someone sends me some chocolate, I might write and draw even longer (or I might just end up sitting in a corner stuffing my face full of chocolate!).

Cheers!

Mark

P.S. Wondering how to work in 30 minutes of photography in each day...

Well hi there!

2008-09-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

Hello there, ladies! My name is Bob and I'll be your host while that weird goober of a man Mark is gone. So what say you and I scamper off to someplace fun like the body shop? That creep Mark didn't even finish the rest of me! Well, at least I have two eyes to behold your beauty. And two lips that won't open. And... URGH! When that guy Mark comes back, I'm going to break him in half. Good thing for him he didn't give me any arms or hands. Until next time...

A change of pace

2008-09-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd take a break from body parts today and try my hand at some pen and ink. The subject seemed appropriate for a Sunday...

Winner by a foot

2008-09-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

I drew these off of some photos in a book. Something less than real about them (probably because they are feet not attached to any bodies). And I have to admit... I'm not a fan of feet. Well, at least not ugly feet like these!

I gotta hand it to ya!

2008-09-19T04:16:00.000-07:00

Cylinders, spheres, and cubes... oh my! Amazing all the little pieces that make up a hand. And even more amazing is how much practice it takes to get some of the old pictures of hand drawing out of your head so you can make them better. So here's my attempt at breaking some old habits...

Sick in bed

2008-09-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

Spent the better part of the day in bed today with some kind of cold or something. It all started Tuesday where I was feeling a bit under the weather then blew up into full blown nasal drip and aches and pains. So I got to wondering (as someone with way too much time on his hands does)... if your nose is draining all day, is that fluid coming from your brain? And if it is, does that mean your brain is shrinking from loss of all that fluid? And if you were to add a cold cup of water to your brain at some point, would that make everything better?

I'm drinking lots of hot tea because I heard that tea is good for you (unlike a few doses of Old Grandad Whiskey which is REALLY good for you). Maybe my brain can't tell the difference between cold water and hot tea. It's kind of fun playing games with my brain.

Of course, I was kind of hoping that if my brain was indeed draining, then hopefully all the stupid stuff would be leaking out and not the good, happy stuff. It reminds me of the old days when doctors would take a leech to a vein so that all the bad stuff in your body would come out with the blood. Has anyone coined the term "brain leeching" yet?

Rest assured that if you see me walking around, blowing my nose constantly and there's a big grin on my face, you can bet your four quarts of toe jam that my brain leeching is working.

That said, I can't wait for the winter months and all those runny noses.

Arm and hand

2008-09-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

If I had a question for God today, it would probably be, "Lord, why did you make the arm and hand so sophisticated?" He'd probably answer, "So you can hold a Twinkie with a firm grip." I'm not sure that's what He would say, but I think it's a good guess.

Meanwhile, I struggle with the complexities of the human body...

Male/female figures

2008-09-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Spent an hour this morning sketching even though I had only scheduled 30 minutes. Looking forward to getting back into the groove!

A few summer photos

2008-09-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July fun

Mark's mental health prescription

A bridge that spans the river in Brecksville Reservation

A nice family taking a stroll through the park...

Back on track

2008-09-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

Back on track with my figure drawing and my art course and stuff! So says the brave guy with the pencil...

A few pictures

2008-07-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

Cemetery in Ohio

Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia

Morning dawn in Ohio

Yes, but...

2008-07-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

... is it art??

Mid-life magic?

2008-07-04T06:26:00.000-07:00

Skimming through a book called "Finding Your Perfect Work" by Paul and Sarah Edwards. This excerpt is from their book and the ideas here are what I believe are some really exciting things to work for. Now, let's see if I can put my skills and talents to work.

Presidential Race Madness

2008-07-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

Obama and McCain
Dash our hopes down the drain
With prattle of peace and goodwill
Their prescription it seems
Really just means
Four more years of political swill

“Trust me” they say
“I’ll put your troubles at bay”
As they oink at the trough of taxation
Yet still war remains
Body bags still contain
The price of a floundering nation

“Change!” they both prattle
As they go off to battle
Sparring with words of no meaning
We scream “that’s enough!”
“Life is already too rough
To listen to the two of you screaming”

But fight they continue
In this political snafu
As we Americans wait up to see
The endless debate
Has made us irate
Yet we still watch all night on TV

In the end, it’s the same
Four years of blame
To the candidate who can’t rearrange
We’re stuck in this rut
We know in our gut
That nothing really will change

For you see, my good friend
When faced with the end
The blame will come back you will see
Don’t blame the one man
Who tells us he can
When the real blame falls on you and on me.

Latin prayers

2008-06-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been all that inactive. There is a creative line in me that just refuses to die. I did manage to compile a little book for all those so inclined to prayer...

http://markkwasny.com/capp.htm

Enjoy!

Mark

Photos

2008-06-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have picked up a camera and have snapped a few photos. You can see some of my results at http://photo.net/photos/kwasny

I also posted my trip to a local botanical garden at: http://www.markkwasny.com/

Happy viewing...

Mark

Walkman

2008-06-29T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hanging lamp

2008-06-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

Cartoon face sketches

2008-06-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Lines

2008-06-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Pinwheel

2008-06-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Drawing on the fly

2008-04-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

In the process of moving (my second time in the last 8 months) so my stuff is everywhere and computer access is minimal. Still working on faces and bodies and stuff. But isn't it amazing? Spending so much time learning how to draw people's faces and body parts and in the end, we all end up the same... a heap of dust and ashes. Yet this most noble of God's creation is a source of endless study and fascination. I am fascinated too! And just for the heck of it, I drew a pile of books and pictures lying on the floor. They won't become dust and ash for awhile yet...

Mouthing off

2008-04-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Richard Huston was kind enough to comment on my last drawing with "You might want to try suggesting the teeth rather than trying to render them individually." A total 'duh' moment for me. So I went to my trusty shelf of art books (and you thought I just bought them to put on the shelf to collect dust!) and found some good examples of how to render teeth and mouths. So here are some attempts at not making my mouths look like orthodontic nightmares!

Big eyed hat lady

2008-04-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

So the quest to draw the human form and faces continues... You see, doctor, I've had this problem of drawing people with really big eye balls and really nasty teeth. Yes, yes... I'm sure it stems from my childhood...

Faces!

2008-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

More face sketches from my face book. I'm guessing that none of the models in the book will be calling me to commission a protrait this week, but I'm okay with that (wiping alligator tears from eyes).

A little ink, a little color... all in a day's fun.

Pharoah girl and duck boy

2008-04-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Not my proudest moment, but it was an exercise in creativity! I decided to sketch this lady in pen (no pencil baselines to work from) and then I worked on duck boy with a graphite stick. I called the girl Pharaoh lady because of her hair and chiseled face (this is probably what Pharoah's daughter looked like as she poked around in the kitchen cabinets looking for a candy bar) and duck boy has webbed hands (maybe he just got out of the water and he didn't have time to transform into his fully human self). What did I accomplish here? Well, it kept me from extending my Sunday nap to an hour from 30 minutes! (Don't even ask me how to align all these graphics on Blogger cuz obviously, I haven't figured it out!)

St. Sebastian and friend

2008-04-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Another stab at and more practice with figure drawing. The guy on the left is a practice drawing from the Art Instruction School course. The attempt at the right is from Antonello da Messina's painting of St. Sebastian. I was focused on shadow and proportion and didn't even attempt the facial features (in good time, my friends... in good time).

Fun with faces

2008-04-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

I took an art book off the shelf and blew the dust off. It's called "Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists" by Mark Simon. It's a book filled with portraits of people's faces. Men and women, ages 20 to 83. I've used it every once in awhile, but I just had a fun day with it today. Scratched out a few faces for your viewing pleasure.

Human shapes

2008-04-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

For this sketch, I focused on drawing the forms I saw in the body: cones, spheres, cubes. Then I shaded in and smoothed over the straight edges. This is fascinating study and I can see now why artists spend a lifetime studying the subtleties of the human form.

Fun faces?

2008-04-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Faces only a mother could love (although I'm not sure whose mother). Just a little fun with a pencil and some new Faber Castell Pitt brush markers.

Human time!

2008-04-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Looks like the home stretch for the AIS course. The next several lessons cover drawing the human figure. What I've been waiting for! I started to sketch and didn't like what I was seeing (is this a nightmarish, recurring pattern or what??) but kept at it. The exercise was to just look at a picture they provide and do a rough sketch, going for shape and proportion and shading. So this too will be a new journey, a new adventure. Because I really look forward to the day when I can draw people and cartoons. It's a driving urge, not sure why. But for whatever its worth, here are the results of day #1.