Went through a lot of color choices and finally decided on this. I really want/need to loosen up but I also want to push to see how far I can retain some likeness. I think this still works and I like the result. Likely it won't go over well, but I'm kind of past that. I enjoy my work and look at it all the time. It's also been interesting to see what happens when I reach a skill level of drawing that allows me to rely less and less on replicating what's in front of me while still using reference. I erase so much less than I used to. Might be that I've reached the point where I can just take joy in the act of making and not pay as much attention to the tools or the skill. Well, that's the goal anyway.

 And with that, this blog turns 20. Back in 2006, I was in the middle of "Fite!" perhaps about halfway through. Fite was started because we'd moved to a very small town in the middle of nowhere and I couldn't get work. Well, to be fair, Fite was started before that but I concentrated on it because I was unemployed for the first time since I was 18. Webcomics were fairly new and Fite was part of something called Webcomics Nation. I posted there at least once a week, there were a few followers, I got interviewed once (though it never saw print). Fite was, in my mind, my attempt to 'sell out,' meaning do something more mainstream and less experimental. (Spoiler: it wasn't that mainstream.)

By the next year, I was already looking ahead to Tamino, working on designs and ideas for that story. Tamino would take a lot longer, not least because I was working again. And other things would distract me along the way, such as "Harlon." But even in 2006, there was a self portrait, one that would be recropped and painted and part of my one and only show. It would also sell there.

I really think keeping a blog, journal, something is a useful tool. It helps organize thoughts, see direction, evaluate what I was doing and might do next. I keep waiting for the big G to remember Blogspot is here and turn it off. All but one person (hi, Vince!) that used to follow this or whom I used to follow are gone. It's kind of sad, really but I still see the value in keeping this place. If anyone ever does have interest, I've detailed pretty much everything I've done in the past 20 years. Even if no one ever does, I do. And that's good enough.

Sometimes I just need to chill and draw. I've done so damned many self portraits, it's kind of sad. But I'm an easy model, available and cheap. I started with the top drawing in my sketch pad, trying to loosen up, which I did. Proportions are purposefully off, just trying to have fun. The initial idea was to 'ink' it, which I did. Then I wanted to play around with loose coloring. Did that, too. But when I was done, I kind of liked it better without the lines. I'm working on the colors but as of yet, haven't found a palette I like. So we'll see. I kind of like it in black and white but think it needs to be developed more. Or tossed aside.

 

 Decided to finish that sketch from a few days ago. It's a bit pouty but that's ok. Not a perfect likeness, but I like the image. Blue and brown is my favorite color combination.

 I've been lazy and putting off working on the next pages of the comic. But there are plenty of nights I just want to draw. And so...yet another self portrait sketch. What I will say is that my lines have become more confident over the years, with minimal erasing and 'scaffolding.' At least when it comes to my face. After this, I did work on the comic, suddenly remembering that I had to work on 'tags' for the mice as they're about to commit mischief.

 A quick, easy cheap page but a necessary one. It's time for the mice to start ruining things because that's what they do.

 Been forever since I did a page of this. I'm ten years into this comic and only half done. Tamino took me six. But I threw on some Beastie Boys tonight and got inspired. Smatt's a shit and I like him best. Sometimes it amazes me that I've got so much mileage from a character that was a one page throwaway from Tamino.

 Made this for a friend's birthday. He likes tigers. I've been wanting to do something for him for awhile as he was very kind to me, talking to me about my art awhile back. Turns out he even likes some of it which I didn't know. This was a quickly done piece but worked out pretty well for that. The sketch was my usual mess in that I started the drawing too big and had to draw the feet separately then connect them in Procreate. It all worked out.

 Here's a couple of misfires. The top one is taking the recent experiments too far. The face is too well defined and the colors don't mix with the grey tones. The bottom one was done from a pose I used for either one of the mice or the fox. I just drew me making the face and painted it. Still good to experiment.

 Started another one of these last night and finished it this morning. Just wanted to see if I could do the same kind of experiment with my usual brush and style and it looks like I can. This is from another photo I took on the Tube in London. If these two weren't 'bro-muters,' I don't know what they were. It's actually a lot more fun keeping things as loose as possible, no sketch for most of the scene and then just concentrating on the faces. And yes, that's my leg in the foreground.

 I've been wanting to experiment with portraits for awhile. An idea that came to mind was to keep the background and even figure as abstract as possible while doing a much more detailed version of the face. So I prepared by doing a gridded version of the face and then free handing the rest. It was actually pretty fun and while I don't think the exact likeness is there, it captures the young man I photographed on the subway pretty well. And this is how we look at things, isn't it? With the important things in sharper detail, the rest a sort of blur of colored shapes. Next one I do, I'll try and keep the background even looser. Still, I'm pretty pleased. Here's a video of me painting it:

Back from London. I took a lot of photos I mean to use for future images, but this self portrait started from a photo my sister took of me on the Tube while there. I started sketching freehand, no grid or anything. Did a couple of corrections and got to the final one at the bottom. Then it was sent over to the iPad where I decided to keep things really loose. I really like the idea of having a very concrete, exact structure on which I can just mess about. This assures that, even if abstract or gestural, the features are in the right place. It gives me a freedom, oddly enough.

I got to this version in Procreate. As is often the case, I worked in highlights which I later dropped out. They made the image too complicated and, to my eye, didn't add anything. From here, I sent the layers separately to SuperVectorizer and then pulled them into AD.

This was the initial color pass. I wasn't satisfied with a few of the colors, so tweaked them and got to the final.

These days, I feel like showing the work is more important than ever. I'm pretty happy with this one. it came together rather quickly and I think works really well. I like the mix of precision placement and imprecise marks.

 

 It's been forever since I drew anything. Part of the issue was that I went to London for 10 days and, as usual, I didn't touch a pencil the entire time. Art is made in my studio and never anywhere else. Don't know why. I did bring my iPad and sketchbook. Never touched either. Still, this damned comic is taking too long. I have been going back and looking at old pages and I'm generally really happy with it. It's just such a HUGE task, even 2/3 done, it feels like a mountain. Well, one page at a time.

 Another day off, another page down. Still gotta pick up the pace. The tracks seem to take longer and longer to get done.

 Don't have it in me to work on a comics page but I did want to make something. This is one I've been wanting to do for awhile. 99 Mt. Auburn St. was somewhere I spent 14 years. Even if every moment wasn't gold, I was happier there than in any job I've had since. I started at the Million Year Picnic when I was 19 and left when I was 33. There is a part of me that never left. Though it's in a basement and the climate was never what I wanted it to be, I could see the sky and I was surrounded by comics. I want to do an interior painting at some point, with real paint. For now, this will serve as a decent reminder.

 Not nearly as much movement as last week but still some progress. Page 271, I'm particularly happy with the Smatt image in the upper left. Things are feeling a little Vegas-y and that's ok.

 Third page in two days. That's only because they were simple pages. Each mouse got his own spotlight. Smatt's in the background for a change. That won't last.

 And finished page this morning before chores and the podcast. Rooster gets his closeup next.

 And then I got enough energy to start on the next page. Just need to do the lyrics. Seems time someone other than Smatt got the spotlight.

 Been forever since the last one of these and this page doesn't really have too much to it. Well, at least it's done. They're having me work way more than I'd like to and days off are crowded with other things that need to be done. Hell, days I work are crowded with things I have to do. I'm too damned busy but the things I'd have to drop are the things I like to do. I wish I could drop the damned work part.

 Worked on the small things that bugged me. Calling this done. I'm happy with it. Has a kind of Hopper-esque feeling to it. Something different? New? Hell of a lot quicker than the other landscapes I've done. I kind of miss the messiness of the other ones I did recently. Might be more exploration to be done here. I hope.

 Did another couple versions of this. I ended up using the people from that other photo and my own photo. I dumped a ton of detail, trying to get it down as far as I could. It passed one test; when I asked my best friend, Max, if he knew where this was, he answered correctly immediately. This is all about color and shape. I like some of the messiness of the top version. The lower version had me do something I never do; use a base color other than white. Both feel like early evening on a cloudy day, cold to me, which is what I wanted. Going to sleep on it.

 Another one of these. It's SO hard to keep these things loose and abstract while giving an idea of the place. This is Cardullo's, one of the oldest businesses still running in Harvard Square. The hard part is that this was done from something that's not my photo, which I don't like to do. But the photos I've taken don't have the original sign, the one I remember all too well. So might have to do something about that. We'll see. Right now, it's too damned sunny. Just playing about and wondering if I should move to paint.

 Tried to do some abstract stuff tonight, both based on the same image or reference for that image. The top came from a pencil re-draw of me I used in the painting I based on the Caibotte image. I kept things loose, tried to have a sense of 'paint,' originally went for primary colors but changed my mind later on. The second image is my directly referencing the same image from last year but doing everything on one layer, trying to keep a real painterly approach and as abstract as possible. I like both but that bottom one is making me think I might pick up actual paint again sooner than later. There are things paint can do that digital can't. Either way, I like both of these for different reasons though I know almost no one else will.

 Utterly reworked the image from yesterday. Redrew the sketch, redid the paint layers twice until I got something I liked. I wanted the weird lighting one gets on the subway and I wanted the look into nothing we all often get when sitting there. I think it shows up in the "Three Horsemen" as well, just in a different way. All this is just an exercise so I can do SOMEthing. Should be doing the comic. Didn't wanna. Well, I'll pay for that later.

 And then there's this, done afterwards. This is from one of the photographs I used as reference for "Three Horsemen." I liked his face and thought to do a closeup in a different style. Still working on it though it has some elements I like.

 Nothing to see here. Just messing about with yet another self portrait because I had time and wanted to make SOMEthing.

 Another one of these from tonight. Because I could. I'll double check on it tomorrow if I get the chance.

 And a quick finished version before I go out grocery shopping and then podcasting.

Still haven't had a lot of time to draw or make anything. Last night, I had a little time and the will just not the inspiration. This always means one of two things; self portraits or Rembrandt. The middle two sketches I did last night, the bottom one from the day before. I did the 'finished' version above last night, too. So, at least I made something. 

 Work has become really, really horrid. They're asking for more of my time even though I'm part time. It's sucking pretty much all my creative energy out of me. I utterly wish I could stop. I honestly hate that place. Not the people I help, the behind the scenes stuff. Regardless, I got a page out, which I honestly didn't think I would. Spotlight on Smatt. Each mouse will get his own page. Then they'll be back together. I decided. Today.

 Here are the two sketches I did tonight. The Alex Horne I finished. I did a 'finished' version of the lower one, based on the overly complex self portrait I did of me in Harvard Square but I didn't like it so didn't keep it. I did like both sketches.

 I've had no artistic energy lately, again, because of work. They're giving me less time off and I'm just too tired most days to make anything. I did manage this portrait of Alex Horne tonight. Trying to loosen up more with my drawing. Also trying to keep out of the realm of caricature. I like how this came out. Should scan the drawing and post that, too. But at least there's this.

 Yesterday, I turned 61. And I did as little as possible because I needed the rest. I did crank out a voice over gig though it turns out they sent me the wrong script which I didn't learn about until after I recorded it. So now I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if what I did was usable or if I have to redo it. Today, which I also had off, I managed to get this done from start to finish before lunch. This particular track has been VERY easy which leads me to believe that I'm going to be screwed for the next one and I haven't even looked ahead to see what it is. I think it's Digby offering up his take on the murals, but I can't remember. I know Act 3 is getting close to done. Still, I need to keep up momentum on this project. I will say, the mice are some real favorites. They're such little shits but they're fun to draw.

 Had a little time after work and after dinner with friends to finish this page. Two pages within a week is blindingly fast for me. I really plan to try and dedicate more time to this long running project this year. I've been working on it for ten years, which is a damned long time. I'm still happy with the work, just not the time table.