“Drawing is putting a line (a)round an idea.” — Henri Matisse, Artist
I cannot over-stress the importance of drawing as an artist. Whether you’re an architect, writer, painter or a 3D computer animator, only drawing enables you to see with eyes wide open. Much has been said about our poor attention spans and our inability to stay focused. Drawing, both from life and imagination, strengthens those capacities.
“As a man is, so he sees.” — William Blake, Poet & Painter
This website has always been about the creative life, namely, artistic analysis and the work of other artists rather than about me or my own work. So, for the first time here on this blog, a rule will be broken; I will be showing a small sample of my own drawings, sketches, and studies all made somewhere between 15-20 years ago during the early part of my career. The lessor purpose is to show that, I too, practiced what is preached here, namely discipline and devotion to one’s craft. The larger purpose, of course, is to inspire you to keep drawing, as you most certainly did often when you first desired to become an artist.
*Please note that some of these images are of rather poor quality since they were photographed when hi-definition digital technology was neither convenient or affordable.
Figure Drawings:
My dreams of becoming a Classical 2D animator started naturally with lots of life drawing. Organized classes, after-school classes and additional drop-in sessions (at different institutions) filled many hours early on in my career. I cannot say enough about the wonderful teachers I’ve had in this area: Jerry Zeldon, Werner Zimmerman, and the late Walt Stanchfield.
Life Studies:
It’s very convenient to sketch what’s usually around. Great artists like Van Gogh, David Hockney and Paul Cezanne made masterpieces from found objects and life forms around them. Below are ink sketches I made of some horses and charcoal studies of my cats (oh, how I miss them!) Animals are always a pleasure to observe and draw.
Drawings from imagination:
It’s crucial to draw from imagination. Whether working from home or at the studio, I find it important to have a fun attitude when creating without reference. This is where I play, with no real goal in mind, with no fear and no expectations. You won’t know it at the time but here’s where your depth of understanding is truly revealed. The following sketches were done digitally.
On Location Sketches:
The opportunity to sketch exists everywhere at almost anytime. I’m especially stimulated when I travel, since new cities and cultures never fail to inspire. I like to draw anywhere from cafés to airport lounges. These were done inside a tiny 4″x 5″ sketchbook that I took almost everywhere I went. They capture memories far more powerfully than any photograph can.
Animation Studies:
To imitate and study the works of great artists has always been a huge part of my development. I spent countless hours copying and analyzing the works of major animation figures such as Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Milt Kahl. The more careful character studies below were made drawing from model sheets while the sequential animation sketches were made by copying directly from VHS freeze-framing of live video playback on a 14″ TV (This was not easy!)
Drawing with Alternative Media:
Sometimes it’s good to switch mediums. Technically, painting is something different from drawing, but sometimes they are the same. Here are a few pieces done relatively quickly (under an hour) made successively in oil, acrylic, inkwash and watercolor.
In Summary, I only want to say this: I did not show these to demonstrate my meager skillset, for there’s much more to art than skill and study. In fact, I actually no longer draw in this fashion (since I’ve moved towards abstraction). The point is, that drawing is fun. It’s also helpful. So let’s keep doing it.
“The important thing is to keep on drawing … Never graduate from drawing.” — John Sloan, Artist