The Androgynous Space Pilot
Lineweights
…making contact with paper
Author Archive
Telephone Pole
Telephone Pole!
Drawing at the Mall
While studying figure drawing my instructor would have us go to the nearby mall and draw people. Each time we had a challenge to draw people at the food court, draw people walking, draw people on the first floor (fore shortening was the toughest), draw people on the escalators, etc. This is one of the best ways to practice and get some pencil mileage and study figure drawing.
Oh dear, how the time flies…
I remembered one important point of websites, especially blogs, and that is to always keep the content fresh. I’d like to say that my lack of fresh material was due to my busy time as a designer but alas, being unemployed and looking for work can lead to many distractions. I did finally planned and went on the vacation that I needed to open my eyes and learn more about places other than California and indeed I have. I spent a week in Texas near Dallas catching up with an old middle school friend and an old high school friend who have been making a pretty decent living there for the past decade. My experience has concluded that home is where I can make the best living for myself. I’ve been couped up in California for so long I was blind to give other places a chance. I am now back on the job hunt, stronger than ever, never holding myself back. I remind myself that I am never bound by a place or by people and that I can embrace other places fitting to my living needs and goals.
Pre-ID Days
Long before ID I got to work with a few good fellas on a project that didn’t get a chance to take off. We did do a series of comic strips for the initial idea and was about to work on a Flash animated version but then people got full-time jobs, went back to school, or started families. I still keep in touch with these fellas from time to time.
The first character I call, Hoot Sensei, an owl who teaches self-defense using Aikido. The early concepts of Hoot Sensei was a pretty generic old short character that could kick your ass. But that was too generic so after a few more iterations I thought about giving him a Steven Seagal look but still keeping that old wise and humble character.
The second character was a challenge. Puffin’s are hard to draw. After doing many studies and drawing puffins for weeks, I got down to work to create Paco the Puffin who is a, how do you say, pretty flamboyant hair stylist.
Wannabe Tagger
At some point in my life I did try to do graffiti. It is the most hardest thing to do. Here was one of my failed attempts.
Making suggestions for later on details…
One most important thing about sketching I remind people are they are your personal notes to something that may become refined later on. I think a lot of people are apprehensive when it comes to sketching because what they draw doesn’t look exactly what they saw or what they imagine. Bringing and idea to completion takes time. Even the great masters took the time to plan and figure out how to get to the final piece of their work.
Sketching is a lot like note taking. You want to take as much as you can so you can go back to it for reference. You’ll most likely do more sketches after that to refine you idea. Below is a sketch of a droid I thought up quickly in my head. All the lines are merely suggestions of robotic and mechanical parts, nothing very specific, but just a quick and general idea. I can go back to this sketch to refine areas I want to later on to finalize the final idea of the droid. When sketching don’t draw the the details, make a suggestion of them, quick and fast.
Your keys, wallet, cellphone, and sketchbook…
Ok. So I’ve been guilty at times for not bringing a sketchbook with me. Sometimes we forget or we’re just plain lazy. Make it more a habit to carry it with you. You mind is always teeming with ideas and when you’re out there, many things will visually impact you and invoke some sort of idea or inspiration.
Today was one of those days where having a sketchbook came in really handy. I was at Borders meeting with a couple of people when I spotted a young gentleman who have been serving in the Army. He was wearing this really kick ass army coat. I never knew that the Army issued such awesome threads.
Bunnies
Here’s an idea. If you are stuck and don’t know what to draw, just pick something and try to do many iterations of it. Take it to many levels, push and pull to see what you end up with. Do something to the subject that you normally wouldn’t do to it. This will help you generate ideas while getting mileage you need. Don’t ever get stuck figuring what to draw. It should be spontaneous.
Random Musings
I could say I’ve been busy which is partly true after getting a second job but, for the most part I have been lazy. And, looking at the time I could be spending on doing more creative things, I end up chosing something unproductive and unrewarding. Then I go into a cycle of regret and loathing that I question myself if I even have the passion to create anymore or if I was just looking for that steady job to pay my filthy habits. There are many books that have been read partially or have been unread, many drawings and sketchings that haven’t been finished, and many ideas that haven’t seen the light of day on paper. Perhaps all creative people go through this cycle of aspiration and laziness.
Side or Profile View
I have to admit that Tomasz Migurski really reinforced this idea when he saw my sketeches. Sometimes it is better to start from a side or front view of a drawing. It makes it easier on the brain and allows us to think about and break down the components of a design. Once we are comfortable with the design we can tackle it in perspective using the side and front views. Also try drawing with a really dark pen to boost your confidence in committing to your lines. This sketch was done with a fine pilot pen and Sharpies.
alessandrocayetano
Kingsley Leong
dancrlo
domperalta
fariselmasu
harberfront
joeyperalta
joncorpuz
anime
armor
art
ball point
batman
bear
car
car design
caricature
car sketch
cartoon
character
characters
color pencil
concept art
concept car
concept design
daniel simon
dc
demo
design
design sketching
disney
disney characters
doodles
drawing
entertainment design
evil
face
faces
face sketch
female
figure drawing
girl
head
helmet
hero
hockey
horns
ID Sketching
illustration
industrial design
life drawing
line drawing
Lineweight
magoo
marker
mask
mecha
monster
music
pen
pencil
people
perspective
portrait
princess
prisma
prismacolor
product design
robot
robotech
san francisco
scary
sci-fi
scott robertson
sketch
sketchbook
sketching
star wars
street fighter
syd mead
teeth
tom
worm
Flickr Photos
![3628692459_fb755191a7[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/2581/3682050553_72c5080af1_s.jpg "3628692459_fb755191a7[1]")
![3628695853_a1e6a40195[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/3568/3682863860_b7c69e3aea_s.jpg "3628695853_a1e6a40195[1]")
![3629536468_4c1c67e0c2[1]](https://live.staticflickr.com/2470/3682050349_88c7a10598_s.jpg "3629536468_4c1c67e0c2[1]")
Our Favorites...
- Audrey Kawasaki
- CG Channel
- Chad Harber
- Concept Art
- ConceptDesignNews
- Core 77
- Coroflot: Design Portfolios
- Daniel Simon
- David Fleming
- Design Sketching
- designBoom
- Dominic Peralta
- Drawingboard
- Faris Elmasu
- Fengzshudesign
- ffffound
- gnomon workshop
- Harald Belker
- ID Sketching
- Joey Peralta
- Jon Corpuz
- Keep Drafting
- Machines & Humans
- Mark Behm
- Mark Colton
- Massive Black
- MICHAEL DiTULLO
- Mike Mattesi
- Notcot
- Paula Chang
- productdesignforums
- Ralph Mcquarrie
- Ryan Chruch
- Scott Roberston
- ShrunkenHeadMan
- SIMKOM
- Sparth’s Co:lab
- Syd Mead
- thejsun
- ToyFon
- Upwell Design
Lineweights 