Nathanael Lark Blog

New girl art everyday! - DailyDivaDrawing.com

2011-10-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

BOO!

I'm super excited to finally announce my daily blog exclusively devoted to girl art!

It's on Tumblr.

If you're a fan of buxom bombshells, sexy superheros or even just a girl in a tee shirt and jeans then head on over to www.DailyDivaDrawing.com!

I post a new piece of girl art literally every single day. I'm up to day 99 already so there's plenty of goodies to see over there!!

I hope you'll join me in the fun with daily doses of cutie patooties but if that's not your cup of tea, don't sweat it. I'm keeping this blog goin' too.

Happy Halloween everybody!

Vampirella Halloween Illustration

2011-10-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

With all this Twilight madness bringing vampires back in vogue I gotta think that old school fans of Vampirella are gnashing their ~~teeth~~ fangs.

Well, this one's for you!

I drew this 8x10 on chipboard with Prismacolor markers and pencils.

If you'd like to own the original art it's available here on eBay for a few days!

10 reasons why you’re beautiful the way you are

2011-10-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

As an artist who draws an awful lot of physically idealized bombshells I'd like to share my sincere thoughts about beauty.

This is not about the lies our culture feeds you to keep you insecure and buying things. This is not about you believing those lies & obsessing over your tiniest flaws.

This is about truth. The truth that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and just a few of the reasons why…

10 reasons why you’re beautiful the way you are.

1. Your flaws. Your flaws are part of your unique and beautiful stamp. They’re attractive. You want to fix them (and the magazines agree) but don’t! You have a crooked tooth? Beautiful. A scar? Beautiful. A weird sneeze, cellulite, a pug nose, blah, blah blah: Beautiful! Personally, I LOVE flaws & I’m not alone on this (trust me).

2. The crush you don’t know about. Have you ever had a crush on someone but were too nervous to ever tell them? Of course. Everyday that you’re walking through life someone out there is promising themselves that this will be the day they get the guts to talk to you. That person (and hundreds of others who pass you on the street) will think you’re the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen and never have the courage to tell you.

3. You said yes. Remember that time when someone asked for help and you said yes? Remember what a difference you make in other people’s lives? If you’ve forgotten then it’s time for a refresher. Helping people is beautiful!

4. You love. It doesn’t matter what or who you love or if the love is ever returned. The selfless and unconditional positive energy that you give when you love makes you more beautiful than any amount of reciprocated approval. You love, and that makes you beautiful!

5. They way you look when you think no one is watching. You adjust your skirt or sing in your car or drop your keys or blow your nose. Those small moments that you think are private rip away months of getting to know you and expose your humanity. And you know what? You’re beautiful!

6. Your interests. Fashion? Manga? Movies? Art? People? Music? Underwater nickle stacking? Your interests are one of the most beautiful things about you. They are a window into what excites you and ignites your passion. That’s beautiful!

7. Your body. Yep, I said it. Already you disagree. You have a long list of things you hate about it. Well, sorry to spoil your party but your body is beautiful. If you wanna test my theory then go ask out five guys today. Watch what happens.

Turn off your television, close your laptop, burn your magazine and look outside. How many “Perfect” bodies do you see? And yet people are attracted to each other, loving each other and enjoying each other’s unique beauty. YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL. Deal with it.

8. You just rolled out of bed. Have you ever had guys approach you or check you out on a day when you thought you looked like crap? Every woman I know talks about this. Wanna know why this happens? It’s because your walls are down. We see the real YOU and not your facade, and guess what; YOU are beautiful! Duh!

9. Your story. Your memories, your experiences, your fears, your strengths, your insecurities, your passions, your concerns your laughs and your cries. Your story. Maybe you don’t think you’re interesting. Maybe you shrink away from sharing how great you actually are but that doesn’t change the fact that you are great. Your story makes you beautiful.

10. The whole you. You are not a segmented & fragmented collection of characteristics, flaws and traits. You are a whole and complete human being. Everything about you (whether you judge it to be good or bad) contributes to the whole that is you. And the whole you is beautiful!

YOU, personally, are the only chance the world has ever had and will ever have to know the complete and unique expression of humanity that you are. You can share it or hide it but a flower is still a flower; and it’s beautiful even if no one ever sees it.

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”

-Oscar Wilde

Halloween Black Cat

2011-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Halloween Hottie hi-jinx continue! This time The Black Cat's got a gentleman caller...

8x10 on chipboard with Prismacolor markers, Prismacolor pencils and a few other odds and ends.

Halloween Batgirl

2011-10-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

She may have the bats on her side but those ghosts are a different story!

I sold the original art for this on eBay and now I kinda want it back. Lol. It went to a good home though!

Just like the Catwoman I posted yesterday, I drew this on 8x10 chipboard

with Prismacolor Marker, Prismacolor Pencil, and other mixed media.

Catwoman Halloween Illustration

2011-10-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, If this little feline gave me the option of Trick-Or-Treat, I'd definitely be thinking Treat!

It's time to get into the spirit of the holiday season by golly! Here's a little something I finished recently.

I drew this on 8x10 chipboard with Prismacolor Marker,
Prismacolor Pencil, and other mixed media.

Self-Esteem & Building an Animation Portfolio

2011-08-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take a good strong swing at building a solid Animation Portfolio.

For years I've lived right here in Burbank, CA among the studios and I've been terrified of rejection. A couple of years ago I submitted my portfolio to Nickelodeon and I received a follow up phone call to discuss it. The head of recruitment told me it was "Delightfully good" and had some notes for me on how to improve and resubmit.

I never did. The truth is that I've secretly always considered myself a hack and unworthy of any real level of success. That awful self-esteem has blocked me from passionately pursuing so many wonderful things in my life.

All that is over now. I almost died recently. I had a doctor tell me I was lucky. It was a close call and I'm quite simply finished doubting myself and settling for less than my best effort and full potential.

Wish me luck.

Close-Up Cutie: Wonder Woman (2 of 2)

2011-08-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

I can think of two good reasons not to resist...

3x5 drawn on chipboard with Prismacolor marker, Prismacolor pencil, gel pen and brush pen.

Close-Up Cutie: Wonder Woman (1 of 2)

2011-08-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

So let me get this right… you’re gonna tie me up with that lasso and then all you’re gonna do with me is make me tell the truth???

MAN! I just can NOT catch a break!

I've started a fun little series of these chipboard sketch cards called "Close-Up Cuties". They're a blast to draw and give me a free pass to focus on...uh... the details.

Tune in tomorrow for Wonder Woman's northern hemisphere!

I drew this on chipboard with Prismacolor markers, Prismacolor pencils and gel pen.

How To Approach Women

2011-07-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! Here's an easy guide for those of us who weren't born with "The Gift."

I've had my share of epic failures in this department. I once spent about twenty minutes working up the courage to ask out a total bombshell at a restaurant only for her to flash her engagement ring in my face while her friends giggled.

Or the breathtaking girl in my old office building who rode the elevator with me every morning for months. Every night I would go home promising myself that the next day I would ask her out.

One morning (in a moment of pure bravery) as I was about to exit the elevator; I turned, began to speak and was suddenly smacked on both sides by the aggressively closing elevator doors which knocked the papers out of my trembling hands and squeezed me out of the elevator and out of her life forevermore.

So, for all of you fine fellows out there who are maybe just a little less than smooth when it comes to the opposite sex, this one's for you.

P.S. I eventually found out the name of the elevator girl: Angela. A friend of mine learned it when he met her and she took an instant and amorous liking to him.

Video - How To Change The World

2011-07-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a great idea can be even better.

That's how I felt about the cartoon I posted on Monday. It occurred to me that I might be able to enhance the emotional weight of the panel cartoon by creating a video with music. Hopefully I've done that because I really love the way this turned out. :)

A great big thank you to Dan-O for the free royalty free music: http://www.danosongs.com

How To Change The World

2011-07-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have."

-Margaret Mead

Courage: a remedy forged by individuals

2011-06-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

Nowhere is your courage more evident or your strength more demonstrated than in the bold use of your individual voice in the face of group opposition.

Within you is all the strength and power necessary to begin to heal the world. Your voice. Your truth. your courage.

Use your voice! Love courageously!

Wear your courage like a badge of honor.

T-Shirts available: click here.

The world's most dangerous 11 year old

2011-06-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you've seen the movie "Kick Ass" then most likely you walked away feeling mesmerized by the unbelievable, over-the-top, pure nitroglycerin awesomeness of Hit Girl!

I certainly did and after a little nudging from Lauren (thanks, babe) I knocked out this new sketch card.
Swerve on over to eBay if you'd like to own the original!

A Bevy of Beautiful Babes

2011-06-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

A collection of cuties all packed together in one place and set to music. Hmm, sounds like a few clubs I can think of.

This time, however, you can skip the cover charge, the overpriced drinks and the inevitable dry cleaning bill. You don't even have to leave your seat for this one. I'm bringing the ladies to you!

Between personal work and private commissions I've managed to rack up a fair number of sketch card bombshells recently. I thought you might like to join the fun and spend some quality time with these lovely lasses.

Enjoy!

P.S. Yes, they are absolutely as much fun to draw as they are to look at.

Many thanks to Dan-O for the free royalty free music.

50% Quality is 100% Progress

2011-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a successful piece of art that you thought was poorly done?

If so then you probably also thought that you could have done a better job (and maybe that's true). Here's the dirty little secret of making progress with your career...

EVEN IF IT'S NOT YOUR BEST WORK, YOU HAVE TO GET IT OUT!

Most of us creative folks are perfectionists that revise and wait and fix and toil away on something which never ends up seeing the light of day. We want it - no - we NEED it to be 100% quality.

But if the cost of 100% quality is that you never finish it and get it out before the eyes of the world, then what good is it? Beautiful half finished work is collecting dust in closets the world over.

This is from my sketchbook - 11 years ago!!

DO THE BEST YOU CAN but don't sacrifice finishing it.

If finishing it and getting it out means that you can only deliver 50% of your potential, then do it. Get it out. Show it to the world and then do a little better on your next round. Grow incrementally. Stop waiting to be perfect before you announce your existence.

The world (including those that would hire you) will be far more impressed by seeing you work relentlessly to improve than they will by seeing you step out from your cave completely free of flaws.

First impressions are overrated. Persistence is king.

Get busy.

Today comes AFTER tomorrow

2011-06-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

The things you want most in your life are at the mercy of the things you don't really care about.

Think about something you really, really want in your life. I'll bet it takes some work and time to get it, right? Now think of all the things you casually want today that will stand in the way of getting what you really, really want.

For example: you really, really want a fit, healthy and attractive physique. You daydream about it. You imagine how good you would look at the beach. You imagine a new wardrobe and the attractive mate you would be drawing into your life and cuddling up with!

But today has been a tough day. Work was hard, life is stressful and you just feel like relaxing tonight with the television and a pizza, a beer, a donut, etc. You don't REALLY care about those things more than your beautiful new body but... you have them anyway and skip the exercise.

BOOM! You've decimated today's opportunity to take a step toward your true burning passionate desire. Your dream is delayed another day and believe me, these days add up to years very quickly!

We all have to be willing to put the things we want today AFTER the things we want tomorrow. We have to be willing to do the work when we're too tired to do the work. We have to value are REAL desires over our casual ones.

There's no secret to this. There's no trick. It's just about you and your own personal willingness to do things that are painful, hard, boring, inconvenient and tedious because they lead you to what you TRULY and PASSIONATELY care about.

This is what separates most of us from the people we admire.

I'm willing to bet that you (like me) have burning desires on your list that have been there for years. They sit there and you keep planning on getting around to them. But years have gone by in the meantime. YEARS! How long do you plan to let this slide?

It's all about H.A.B.I.T.

2011-06-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Think of something you've been avoiding and see if it fits into one or more of the H.A.B.I.T categories below.

This acronym came to me today as I was thinking about how to achieve goals.

We start by imagining a goal that excites us! That excitement carries us through the first few steps of getting there and then reality sets in.

We face the less than glamorous, completely un-magical day-to-day dirty hard work that's required to actually achieve the goal.

In my life personally, this is what usually puts me off course. I hit the wall, lose enthusiasm and drop out. Then I get a new exciting idea and start all over.

So, in contemplating this, I came up with the following little nugget. It was a huge breakthrough for me and I intend to begin doing my utmost to put this into action.

HABIT

Mastering this ‘HABIT’ is critical to achieving your goals for these are the elements that create the greatest and most powerful barriers. These are the reasons people quit. Let none of them stop you.

Stay strong and undeterred when the action you need to take is…

Hurtful (causes you pain)

Arduous

Boring

Inconvenient

Tedious

For me, this is the real nuts and bolts of why I don't get certain things done. Items that fall into one or more of these categories tend to get pushed aside and avoided. Time to change that!

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Step by Step reference card for ya!

2011-06-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

In support of yesterday's behind-the-scenes Sketch Card Creation video, I've created a simple reference card that you can save. You might like to print this out or put it on your mobile device and keep it handy for the next time you're sketching.

Here ya go!

Just click on it to see the full size version and then drag it onto your computer desktop. You can also right click it (PC users) and select "Save image as".

As always, feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions about my methods, materials or techniques. I'm always happy to share!

Enjoy!

Video Tutorial - the secret it out!

2011-05-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

The secret recipe is up for grabs, folks!

My first video tutorial is available and I'm giving up the goods. I'm excited to share the methods and materials that are central to what are fast becoming my most adored works: Sketch Cards.

You know me; I'm not the competitive type. I think there's room for everyone! If I can share a method, material or tip that inspires you to push your art further, then I have done something right. If you take the ball and carry it further than I have, then we've both done something right!

So, kick back, fuel that creative furnace and enjoy!

The sketch card created in this video was a private commission for A.W. in Lansing, Michigan. Thanks, A.W., it was a blast!

E-Publishing, here I come!

2011-05-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Today I registered for an e-publishing workshop. I'm going to learn the complete process of creating and posting e-books for e-readers like the iPad, Kindle, etc.

I'm enormously excited about this! I've got an art book which is almost completely done and ready to roll. It's a pretty unique idea (I haven't seen anyone do it yet) and also completely fitting for me. When I announce it, you'll say "OF COURSE Nathanael would do that!" Lol.

I've wanted to talk about it for almost a year but I've been keeping a lid on the project until I knew I could get it released. I'm almost there! Wish me luck!

The weirdest tool at my drawing board

2011-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's definitely not the first thing you'd expect to find at an artist's work station. Pencils: check. Pens: check. Markers and tape: check. Lint roller? Lint roller? Anyone?

Yep, I keep a lint roller right next to the drawing board and let me tell ya - it's a huge time & money saver!

As an illustrator I often make use of visual reference when I'm working on a project. Authentic details and accuracy are frequently required in my work. Back in the day it meant trips to the library - a HUGE time consumer (plus many coins in the copy machine). Then came the internet and I could print out all my own reference images right at home (but the cost of toner can crush you)! Then, finally, came the Smart Phone.

Now I just look up my visual reference right on my phone and keep it next to me while I work. No trips to the library, no print outs. The cost of time and money is practically eliminated.

My phone has a flexible, silicone case on it which means that it easily and naturally sticks to my angled drawing board...as long as the case is LINT FREE!

And that's where my delightful little lint roller comes in. I keep my phone case free of lint and my phone subsequently keeps me in efficient, low cost reference images.

Yep, definitely not the first thing you'd expect to see at an artist's work station but certainly one of the most valuable.

Step by Step Spidey Sketch Card

2011-05-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm back in the blogosphere after some pretty intense work obligations. Thanks for hangin' with me! I've got some really amazing projects to announce soon. I'm under some non-disclosure agreements until they are released to the public but I'll start blabbin' about them as soon as I'm allowed. :)

I thought it might be fun to share the behind the scenes creation of the Spidey sketch card that I created for that fundraiser I mentioned in my last blog. By the way, I got the date wrong in my last post. The fundraiser is May 21st. I'll let ya know how it goes.

Here's the step by step creation of ol' web head.

Sketched him with red col-erase pencil on 8x10 chipboard. Inked him with colored ultra fine Sharpies and Prismacolor Premier fine line markers (LOVE those premiers). Started laying in flat areas of color with Prismaclor markers.

Continued laying in color with Prismaclor markers. In order to create tones or values (shading) I add additional layers of marker color once an area is dry. I build up the layers of color in the areas that I want to make darker. It's similar to a watercolor painting in that way. I also use progressively darker markers to speed things up.

More layers and tones. Right around this time I remember thinking about Todd McFarlane saying how he had backed himself into a corner when he designed this style of webbing for Spiderman. It's so detailed and dynamic that it turns out to be quite a bit of labor all by itself. Old school fans of the character probably remember the days of Steve Ditko and John Romita when Spidey's webs were just an easy-to-draw criss-cross pattern.

I start to choose and add colors as a graphic element in the background. I like using background shapes, colors and outlines as tools to accentuate the main image. I think of those background elements as a supporting cast whose job it is to make the star look amazing!

I saturate the color. Now here's the big secret to rich, saturated color with markers...add colored pencil on top! The marker ink provides a solid color base upon which to layer in colored pencil. Once you do that, the colors get deep, rich and saturated. It doesn't need to be done in every area but it's a tremendously helpful and useful technique in the areas where you want it.

Scanned and complete. The scan rarely maintains all of the dynamic punch of the original. Often I need to make hue, saturation and contrast adjustments in Adobe Photoshop in order to make the digital image look as good as the original. I don't cheat though. I don't typically make improvements or do any digital cosmetic surgery. Usually I need to mail the original off to the buyer anyway so there's no use in misrepresenting the artwork.

So there's a behind the scenes look at how this Spidey sketch card came to be. Now let's all cross our fingers that he raises a few bucks for a good cause at the fundraiser!

Whirlwind of delightful goodness!

2011-03-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Gee whiz! It has been a BUSY month for your boy here!! Sorry I've been absent but my-oh-my do I have some fun things to share with you!

First up, THE FUNDRAISER! I was asked recently by a friend of mine if I would be willing to donate some art to a silent auction fundraiser for her son's preschool. Now you KNOW that NLark loves the kids! I said yes (of course) and decided to create 3 brand spankin' new 8x10 sketch cards.

Here they are...

These were all drawn with Prismacolor marker and Prismacolor pencil on 8x10 chipboard. The fundraiser is at the end of April. Afterwards I'll let ya know how much loot these little bad boys were able to haul in for the preschool. :)

Poison Ivy Sketch Card

2011-02-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

It's like a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup. Two great tastes that taste great together. Chocolate + Peanut Butter = awesome. Beautiful women + Comics = MORE AWESOME!

Now, Poison Ivy makes you itch but let's just go ahead and ignore the blatantly obvious sexual double entendre here.

This gorgeous lass popped into my head last night. Only us art geeks get visions of sexy comic book characters, I suppose. Nevertheless, I grappled inspiration and got to work! The result is the botanical beauty you see before you.

So, while the rest of my gender was drifting off to visit the sandman with visions of Kim Kardashian (and the rest of her media reinforced ilk) I was turning a piece of cardboard into a delightfully fictitious femme fatale.

Sketched with Prismacolor marker and Prismacolor pencil on 5x7 chipboard.

Hope ya dig it!

Own an original!

2011-02-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

You wanna piece of me?! Well now you can have one! Six of my original full color 5x7 sketch cards are up on eBay.

I've been having a blast lately creating these sketch cards.
Also I'm totally stoked at the idea of giving them a good home in the hands and heart of someone who loves 'em! If you've been in the neighborhood lately then you've seen Batman and The Punisher. But I've been a very busy boy and there's more!

Here's a look at all six sketches that can be yours!

Felicia Hardy A.K.A. The Black Cat (from Spiderman). Even with a supermodel wife at home, Spidey gets to hang around this gal all day. I'm tellin' you - Peter Parker's got it made.

Psylocke (of the X-Men). My most embarrassing high school crush. It's astounding that I was able to get a girlfriend in the middle of that!

White Queen (of the X-Men). Hey, if you can accept muscle bound guys flying through the air with superpowers then you can accept this little cutie running around in her undies kickin' butt!

Spidey. A nerd gets superpowers and scores a smokin' hot girlfriend. Stan Lee got the formula right with this one. Sucked me right in!

Good ol' brooding Batsy. Just once I'd like to see his reaction to a fart joke.

Dark, gritty, brooding, ultra violent, wearing tights and we still believe it. Only in a comic book!

So heroes, if you like something you see then lace up your boots, pull on your spandex, fasten your cape, jump on eBay and go duke it out for justice (or at least a decent little sketch)!

Step by Step 30 minute sketch

2011-02-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Start clean and end messy! Knocking out a 30 minute sketch means I've got to have my tools within quick and easy reach. Then I can hit the gas!

Here's a behind the scenes look at how I created the 30 minute sketch of The Punisher which I posted last Friday.

Since I keep my official drawing table at an angle for most of my work, I do these quick sketches at the dining room table. I need that flat surface to spread out all my toys.

8 minutes of progress and I've got the sketch right about where I want it in order to start inking. I'm sketching with blue (#2044) Col-Erase pencil on Chipboard.

17 minutes of progress and I've got my pencil sketch a little more refined and inked. I inked this with a black Prismacolor fine line Premier pen.

23 minutes of progress and I've got some color blocked in. I even had time to get some tones and modeling in on the face. Here I'm coloring with Prismacolor markers.

30 minutes and I'm all done. I added most of the white with Prismacolor pencil but those really saturated highlights were done with a Sakura white gel pen. The sketchy background tone was done with a black Prismacolor pencil using the side of the lead (not the sharp tip). Also, I added his stubble as the final step.

This is what my workspace looks like when I'm all wrapped up. Nice and messy. I love the look of creative aftermath!

Here's a scan of the finished sketch.

30 minute sketch - The Punisher

2011-02-18T13:45:00.000-08:00

There's a lot you can do with a half hour of your life. Sketching homicidal crime fighters is just one.

And by golly that's how I chose to murder my thirty minutes last night. I jumped in with another 30 minute sketch and this time I did it with guns blazing (these double entendres are just impossible to resist).

Gee whiz, I was a HUGE fan of this character back in the day (comics, not movies)! Mike Zeck illustrated some insanely exquisite stories and posters of The Punisher. I, (in true geek fashion) had my bedroom walls covered in those richly illustrated posters.

So, while the girls at school were making a fuss about the New Kids on the Block, I was reading The Punisher (and harboring some SUPER TOP SECRET enjoyment of Hangin' Tough).

Thanks for takin' that little trip down memory lane with me. It's fun to draw a character that I loved so much as a yougsta!

30 minute sketch - Batman

2011-02-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I had such a blast with that last 30min sketch that I decided to jump back in with Batman.

The image in my head was slightly different than the finished product here but I'm totally cool with that. To be honest, the image in my head was slightly beyond my ability. It was super valuable for me to realize that I couldn't quite do it and also why I couldn't do it.

Drawing quickly has a way of unapologetically exposing my weaknesses. Since I don't have time for reference material or reworking, I've got to rely on what I REALLY know.

In this case my knowledge ended just shy of the image in my head but that experience tells me point blank what I need to work on. In the end I knocked a decent little sketch and I learned a little about my current limitations.

All is well in Gotham!

Angry Birds or Awesome Art?

2011-02-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had thirty minutes to kill and a decision to make: play Angry Birds on my iPhone or knock out a sketch.

I decided to take on the fun challenge of completing a color sketch in those thirty minutes. It was a fun little speed exercise for me. I was amazed at how focused and resourceful I became when I had a specific goal and a time limit.

I got into an instant flow and just let this little cutie come pouring out. It was good solid fun and now I've got something to show for my thirty minutes. Sorry birds, I didn't miss you at all. Please don't be angry.

Prismacolor Marker, Prismacolor Pencil, White Gel Pen and Ultra Fine Point Sharpies on Chipboard. Booya!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

If you've been slacking off on your resolutions then you've got another shot!

Today is the first day of the Chinese new year and this is the year of the rabbit (my sign). Hopefully that means all sorts of good fortune for me and my fellow cottontails. In the meantime, enjoy this happy little fella courtesy of yours truly.

Happy New Year everyone!

Brand New Look - Bold New Taste!

2011-01-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

Not even Kryptonite can stop me!

Well, if you're here and reading this then I'm sure you've noticed the bold new flavor of this blog's redesign. It's all part of my passionately positive outlook. Something inside of me is feeling heroic, excited and ready to tackle the world! It's time now that the look and content of this digital space match that attitude.

So...BAM! POW! WHACK and KA-BLAM! Things around here are about to shake up! Don't worry, I haven't gone and gotten too big for my britches. I just finally realized that I (like absolutely everyone) have a superhero inside of me and it's time to let him out!

Come fly with me!

Coming Soon!

2011-01-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

What up, ya'll!

I just wanna touch base and let you know I've got some explosive new visual goodness on the way. I've been deep in the lab cookin' up the magic potion so I haven't been able to drop anything new lately.

It's all coming soon, though. Thanks for your patience! Here's a sneak peek...

Colonel Sanders, that's just wrong!

2011-01-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping you have as much fun viewing this as I did creating it! I was literally giggling through the process of creating the sketch. Enjoy!

Props to my brother Jared for helping me develop this idea. Thanks, bro!

A Fanboy comes full circle

2011-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I was one of the masses who waited with bated breath for the release of the first issue of Spawn back in '92.

It was a helluva time to be a comic book fan. The industry was changing. Creators were stepping into the spotlight and charting brand new territory; blazing a trail if you will. Image comics was forming from a roster of explosively popular artists and the fans were going absolutely bananas. I was one of 'em.

As a one time starry eyed fan boy all grown up to be a professional illustrator it was down right thrilling to touch this character with whatever meager measure of ability I've managed to scrape together.

Thanks to Todd McFarlane and all the Image boys who launched a dream in a magical time of creative risk and experimentation. You ALL inspired me and gave me fuel for the hustle!

Museum Watercolor Sketching - This place loves artists!

2011-01-13T09:06:00.000-08:00

It's official - these folks are far and away the coolest!

I took another trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum recently. Here's a link to last year's trip. I fell in love with this place last year but this time they knocked my socks off with their kindness and hospitality.

As I was sketching, an attendant approached me and asked me if I'd like a bench or a stool to make myself more comfortable. Cost? Free. I was dumbstruck.

I've been in numerous museums where the only thing they had to say to me was "Put your sketchbook away. No drawing!" I even got kicked out of a clothing store once for sketching so this type of kindness was new to me.

I accepted the offer and took a bench over to a painting that I wanted to sketch in watercolor. That's when the attendant said: "Oh we also have easels available if you'd like one." Gee whiz! This place is just amazing.

I didn't need the easel but the offer was wonderful and the museum's overall graciousness towards artists really impressed me.

Two crayons and a restaurant napkin

2011-01-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

Two crayons and a napkin - now that's getting back to basics!

I recently spent a wonderful day in Chicago with my brother. We topped the day off with a trip to my all time favorite pizza joint - Gino's East!

You might remember my Gino's sketching adventure from last year. That one starred Gotham City's favorite man in tights so this year I went with ol' web head.

For the record: drawing on a napkin with crayon is HARD! Holy smokes it requires such a delicate touch to avoid ripping the napkin to shreds.

Now don't get me wrong. I know this sketch is garbage but it was fun hanging with my bro and trying to spontaneously muscle my way through a napkin drawing.

Somehow this little crayola concoction managed to garner some praise from our waitress and she asked if she could have it. My pleasure. How cool to know that it actually put a smile on someone's face!

Tools for creating White Effects - Part 3 of 3 - White Out Pen

2011-01-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the third and final installment of this three part series dedicated to useful tools for creating white highlights, effects and accents!

Day 1: White Prismacolor Pencil
Day 2: White Gel Pen

Today's tool...White Out Pen

This little beauty has become a staple of my sketching kit. My favorite brand is BIC and these are available at Target, Wal-Mart and office supply stores.

Here's why I love it...
1. Completely opaque line which you can apply to any surface and on top of any media.
2. Easily fills in large, solid areas of white.
3. Easily creates a bold, thick line.
5. Very sturdy and long lasting. There's plenty of white out in every pen.

Things to watch out for...
1. Difficult to achieve a consistent line width. Keep in mind this pen was not made for drawing.
2. There's a bit of a learning curve because you've got to squeeze the pen as you're drawing with it in order to keep the whiteout flowing.

Here's a few examples of how I use the Whiteout pen in my sketches.

Here is I used it loosely in conjunction with white Prismacolor pencil to create the appearance of snow.

Here I was a little tighter with it and still using it in conjunction with white Prismacolor pencil.

Here I used the gel pen to create the white outline as a graphic element.

Thanks for joining me in this 3-Part Series. I hope it was helpful and fun. As always feel free to shoot me a comment or email if you have any questions. Thanks again to Blake for writing in with a question about these tools and inspiring this series.

I'd love to hear from you if you've tried these techniques or if you've got any fun suggestions for new tools to use!

Tools for creating White Effects - Part 2 of 3 - Gel Pen

2011-01-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to day two in a three part series dedicated to useful tools for creating white highlights, effects and accents!

As I mentioned yesterday, these are useful tools for sketching on tinted or colored paper.

Yesterday's tool: White Prismacolor Pencil

The second tool up to bat...White Gel Pen

I fell madly, deeply and hopelessly in love with this tool (sorry, Lauren) the first time that I tried it. My favorite is the Gelly Roll (medium tip) by Sakura. You can pick this up at most art stores or online.

Here's why I love it...
1. Nice opaque line which requires no pressure from your hand like a pencil does.
2. Extremely fluid line flows easily from the pen - very easy to work with.
3. Works well for tight drawing or loose sketching.
4. Creates a pure, saturated white which is a level up from even the best white colored pencil.
5. Fantastically sturdy. It's great for field sketching and really holds up to rough handling.

Here's a few examples of how I use the white gel pen in my sketches.

Here is I used loose, sketchy touches of the gel pen on top of white Prismacolor pencil to create the water effect.

Here I used the gel pen to create the white outline as a graphic element. I also used small touches of it for highlights and texture on the scarf.

Here I used the gel pen to create the thin white outline and all of the small highlights/graphic elements. White Prismacolor pencil was used to create the general light tones on the shirt and face.

Tune in tomorrow for the third and final tool in this 3-part series.

Drop me a line if you've got anything you'd like to add or if you have any questions!

Tools for creating White Effects - Part 1 of 3 - Prismacolor Pencil

2011-01-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Over the next few days I'd like to showcase three dynamite tools that I use for creating white highlights, effects and accents!

Sketching on tinted or colored paper gives you the opportunity to use the natural tone of the paper as your middle tone and then explore creative ways to add white accents to your work.

The first tool up to bat...White Prismacolor Pencil

Prismacolor pencil is an extremely versatile tool for creating white effects. Here's why I love it..

1. A full tonal range is achievable depending on the pressure of your hand.
2. The soft lead allows for a rich, deeply saturated white (the best I've seen of any pencil brand).
3. Colors easily on top of any existing media (super helpful when you want to go back in to something and add those last minute touches and effects).
4. Works beautifully tight or loose.
5. These pencils sharpen to a razor point in most pencil sharpeners.
6. These pencils are sturdy. Carry them around in your sketching kit without worrying about breakage.

Here are some various methods for using the White Prismacolor pencil in sketches.

I was pretty tight here. Notice how I softened the edges of the highlights in the hair as well.

I used a heavy handed, saturated approach here to create snow.

I kept it light and loose in this sketch to create the impressions of some clouds. Also a few highlights in the grass.

Here I scribbled in the white very loosely to create these cherry blossoms.

I used the pencil sparingly here just for accents.

Tight use of the pencil here combined with pure black to create an old time cartoon feel.

On pink colored paper I applied heavy pressure for the thin outline, teeth, eyes and jewelry. For everything else I used light pressure and softly laid in the tone.

Drop me a line if you've got anything you'd like to add or if you have any questions!
Tune in tomorrow for the second tool in this 3-part series.

BIG THANKS to Blake for writing in to this blog recently to inquire about methods of applying white effects. You inspired this 3-part series, man!

Tattoo Remix

2011-01-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

The beautiful thing about illustrated tattoos is that they're so easy to change.

I had a little fun creating this remix of my 2011 New Year's Girl. She's got some new colors and a brand new tat. Frankly I'm flattered that she thinks so highly of me.

Sketchbook Page Uncut

2011-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

I love to jam-pack a sketchbook page. It's important to be loose and carefree in a sketchbook. Sketchbooks (as opposed to finished pieces) are a golden opportunity to fail, learn and grow without the pressure of performing well or pleasing a client.

This particular page was filled in four different locations.
1. A Casino (upper left hand corner sketch of the girl).
2. Deli (the top character and wardrobe study).
3. Airport (all of the lower left gesture sketches).
4. My parent's dining room table as I'm home visiting (all of the sketches in red).

In fact, you may even recognize the sketch in the lower right corner as the basis for yesterday's New Year's Girl.

Happy (sexy) New Year!

2011-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

A lively gathering, a highly anticipated countdown, noise makers, confetti and... a lower back tattoo. Alright so maybe that last one isn't a tradition yet but a fella can dream right?

In keeping with my "New Year's Girl" illustration tradition I offer up this festive little lass. So here's to all you dreamers (like me) who intend to log some real progress this year. Go get 'em!

"Winter" - for Illustration Friday

2010-12-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

"Winter" is this week's topic on Illustration Friday and it reminded me instantly of these two illos from earlier this year.

Both of these little goodies are based on adorable true stories inspired by my sweetie pie, Lauren.

Fascinated by the intricacy of a single snowflake, Lauren took it upon herself to name it. Here's the story.

This time Lauren walked on a frozen lake for the very first time. Here's the story.

Enjoy!

Merry Little (Sis) Christmas!

2010-12-25T06:58:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

This is far and away my favorite time of year. Best of all I feel excused to effusively demonstrate my natural childlike exuberance.

My little sister (not so little anymore) has always been a source of creative inspiration for me. Like me, she loves Christmas. She's also quite a fan of snuggly little pandas and this delightful combination of affections inspired this little illustration. Love you, sis!

Also, here's a fun one from the archives...

However you choose to spend this day I hope that you're surrounded with love!

Very Best Wishes,
Nathanael

Free Holiday Desktop - John McClane!

2010-12-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you joined me yesterday for the free Lethal Weapon desktop download then you're sure to get fired up about today's little diddy. Boys and girls, I give you... Die Hard!

If John McClane doesn't make you think of Christmas then your diet of holiday entertainment is sorely deficient of essential nutrients. No, Twinkie's aren't gonna cut it (yellow dye number five not withstanding).

What you need is a good old fashioned hostage situation taken down single handedly by an NYPD detective who only dropped in for the holiday to patch things up with his wife, see his kids and make fists with his toes.

And should you find yourself on the wrong side of the law this holiday season, keep in mind that there's no way you'll win but you can buy yourself a little time. Just remember to shoot the glass!

How to download (1280x800 pixels.):

1. Click on the image above (a larger version of the image will then open in a new window).

2. Right click on this new, larger image.

3. Scroll down and select "Save Image As" or "Save Link As".

4. Save the jpeg to your computer in a place that's convenient to you.

How to apply as your desktop:

1. Right click on your desktop.

2. Scroll down and select "Properties" and a new window will open.

3. In this new window, select the "Desktop" tab.

4. Click the "Browse" button.

5. Navigate to the location where you saved the image, select it and click "Open".

6. Under "Position" scroll down and select "Center".

7. Click "OK" or "Apply" (to preview it) and then "OK"

8. Pour some egg nogg and gave lovingly at your glorious new desktop.

Enjoy!

Free Holiday Desktop - Riggs and Murtaugh!

2010-12-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everybody!

If you're anything like me then you've got yourself a mature, refined, cultured and discerning taste for fine holiday entertainment. As such a person of elevated taste I offer to you my humble illustrative contribution to one of cinematic history's grandest holiday films - Lethal Weapon.

That's right, kids. Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh: two of Santa's little helpers. I don't know about you but I feel one heck of a lot more cozy knowing that Mr. Joshua's not out there wreaking havoc.

So snuggle up with your favorite semi-automatic 9mm Baretta (or six shooter if you're an old timer), and download this festive holiday illustration for use as your computer desktop.

How to download (1280x800 pixels.):

1. Click on the image above (a larger version of the image will then open in a new window).

2. Right click on this new, larger image.

3. Scroll down and select "Save Image As" or "Save Link As".

4. Save the jpeg to your computer in a place that's convenient to you.

How to apply as your desktop:

1. Right click on your desktop.

2. Scroll down and select "Properties" and a new window will open.

3. In this new window, select the "Desktop" tab.

4. Click the "Browse" button.

5. Navigate to the location where you saved the image, select it and click "Open".

6. Under "Position" scroll down and select "Center".

7. Click "OK" or "Apply" (to preview it) and then "OK"

8. Pour some egg nogg and gave lovingly at your glorious new desktop.

Enjoy! Stop by again tomorrow for another 80's action holiday hero!

A closer look at those cuties

2010-12-16T22:41:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday I posted some photos of a couple of revived sketches-in-progress. I've got some nice quality scans of them now so you get get a closer look.
Enjoy!

How to revive an old drawing

2010-12-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but the longer I leave an unfinished sketch in my sketchbook the less enthusiasm I have for finishing it. After banishing these sketches to an eight month limbo I decided to kick myself in the pants and take a crack at reviving them.

Here are both original sketches from back in April.

Since the freshness of the idea was gone, I needed something to get me excited about drawing these again. I would love to tell you that I reinvigorated my enthusiasm with a wild inspirational moment. However, it came down to what I call "The 10 minute rule."

I make a pact with myself that I am going to sit down and give it my best effort for ten minutes. After that I'm off the hook and I can walk away if I want to. However, what I often discover is that after ten minutes, I am totally engaged, focused and enjoying it. The excitement is back because I've gotten past the inertia.

Simply getting started is always the hardest part. After that, I get into my groove and wonder how in the world I ever could have resisted doing it. After all, it's so much fun!

Click here to see some nice scans of these sketches.

I'm very pleased with the way these two sketches turned out. The moment I was finished I looked at them and scolded myself a little for letting them sit for so long.

"Nathanael, you can't share beautiful things with the world unless you get off your fanny and finish them."

Insecurity Alert! I was pretty fond of these two sketches when I first knocked them out. The longer they sat in my sketchbook the more afraid I became that if I returned to them I'd completely botch 'em and eviscerate the glorious potential that they once held. It took some guts for me to take a swing at this after building it up in my head like that. I'm glad I did though. It feels great to push past an insecurity when it's got its icy grip on me.

When Monsters Go Viral

2010-12-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I occasionally like to poke around online and discover what nooks and crannies my work is popping up in. I've scoured a lot of nooks, I still don't know what a cranny is but I've found another viral golden nugget. Here she is (the Nahuelito)...

I originally illustrated this for the Sci-Fi channel. I did a series of these illustrations based on mythological creatures which appeared on-screen to support alleged eye witness accounts. The name of the show was Destination Truth (season 1).

It seems someone out there has enjoyed my foray into the world of myths and legends. Here's the site . As always, it's fun to see my work get a little love out there in the digital universe!

A Poem for all you Christmas Cuties

2010-12-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's official. The holidays are in full swing and beautiful lasses are abound. So all of you gorgeous bombshells out there shuffling through malls and coffee shops in your hectic blur of holiday shopping remember this...

See you out there!

P.S. this little diddy was inspired by my own personal regular girl so if you catch me out there sketchin'...Autographs: yes. Christmas kisses: not so much. ;)

Black Friday Sketch-a-thon!

2010-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

What does a die hard artist do on Black Friday? Mall: yes. Shop: no.

This past Friday I joined the bustling crowds at the mall. I parked three blocks away to avoid the chaos in the parking ramp. I walked in, burrowed into a cozy seat in a coffee shop, started rockin' the brand new album from Girl Talk on my iPhone and selected my targets. Here are the results...

I had a ton of fun doing this. Coffee shop sketching is a blast for me anytime but mix it with a mall on the busiest shopping day of the year and you've got a recipe for good sketching. Anyone else out there dig in to their sketchbooks this past weekend?

How to ride a turkey

2010-11-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that it's actually possible to ride a turkey? This blew my mind when I found out. Here's how (in two simple steps)...

Step 1: Meet someone who can draw.
Step 2: Have that person draw you riding a turkey.

It's so easy!

Here's a fun little sketch I worked up recently of my little nephew (3yrs) celebrating Turkey Day like a vet! Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

Pumpkin Pie? Naw...Cutie Pie!

2010-11-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Turkey day is fast approaching and I'm reminded of this cute little pilgrim that I worked up awhile back. So, pardon me as I blow the dust off of this one and submit it for this year's feast.
Enjoy!

Who loves the Yeti? - More viral goodness

2010-09-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's post I thought I'd have some fun and share some more viral goodies.
It seems that the Yeti (abominable snowman) is a popular dude. Here's my Yeti which has gone viral.

These folks were cool enough to leave a link back to my blog so I'd like to do the same.

This first site is devoted entirely to the Yeti. Now that's enthusiasm! Here's the link (scroll down to April 14th, 2009): ILove theYeti

This next site is jam packed with all sorts of adventure related content. Plus the author appears to be a fan of the original Predator film so he automatically gets my vote. Michael May's Adventure Blog

I'm going viral!

2010-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing my work popping up in more and more unexpected places and this one had me laughing out loud this morning! I've gotta give props to these folks (or this person) for a highly creative (and hilarious) spin on my work.

Here's the viral goodie...

Clearly my little Marvel Superheroes are winning that battle against Mojo Jojo! This really cracks me up because Mojo Jojo (from The Powerpuff Girls) is one of my all time favorite villains. This is just too great! Here's a link to Mundo Drive where this appeared.

Also here's a quick look back at my original illustrations which have found there way into this delicious viral internet soup. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Dessert!

2010-09-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Dessert is spelled with two "S"s because you always want seconds. Remember that old spelling memory trick from grade school? I think it was supposed to help us remember the difference between dessert and desert.

Well, if you were stranded in a culinary desert and you could only have one dessert (that's my idea of a clever segue way boys and girls) wouldn't you love some cupcakes? We're waaay beyond those limited flavors that you remember as a kid, though.

The level of creativity that goes into these little treats is astonishing! Some time ago I had the pleasure of trying a "Pancake Breakfast" cupcake. Pancake flavored cake with a syrup filling and real bacon sprinkled on top. No kidding. It was amazing!

So next time the bell rings to come in from recess you don't have to be sad because you suddenly remember that today is that kid's birthday in your class and he brought cupcakes for the whole class!

Pin-Up Girls go BOOM!

2010-08-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I was inducted into Pin-Up and Cartoon Girls!

I have a confession. When I was a wee little scrapper still learning my way around the pencil (mind out of the gutter please) I had a glorious fantasy of what I would do some day far away when I could draw well enough. Toiling away to learn my craft I vowed that one day when I was good enough...I WOULD DRAW CUTE GIRLS!

Oh you don't even have to say it. I already KNOW that I've got issues! Nevertheless it seems that a boyhood fantasy has brought about something pretty darned delightful.

I have been a fan and follower of Pin-Up and Cartoon Girls for quite a while and it houses some of my all time favorite artists in a sexy, classy and creative homage to the beautiful female form.

Obviously I don't even begin to class myself with the all-time greats but it sure is a wonderful feeling to breathe some of the same air!

Click right here to swing by to check out my cozy little corner of the site! Then put on a pot of coffee, get comfortable and immerse yourself if the vast archives of deliciously talented artists offering up their creative interpretation of some downright gorgeous babes.

Indeed that boyhood dream has come true!

Watercolor Painting at Descanso Gardens

2010-08-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Los Angeles area and you have yet to visit Descanso Gardens then you've got a homework assignment! This place is simply gorgeous with 150 acres of flowers and botanical collections.

A rose that I painted from a photo that I took during my visit.

During one of my visits the lilacs were in bloom. I flashed instantly back to one of my favorite childhood memories. When I was a boy my mom and I would take long walks together. Sometimes while we were on a walk she would cut some lilacs to bring home with us. Once home, she would put some in a glass with water and place them in my room for me. I can remember how my room filled with that beautiful scent. I would lay on the floor and draw or color with my window open, the fresh air breezing in to circulate the lilac scent around my room. Amazing. Thank you, mom!

It was wonderfully nostalgic to stand there at Descanso surrounded by hundreds of blooming lilacs and drinking in that aroma.

Painted from a photo that I took during another trip.

Painted from life at Descanso Gardens.

Here comes fall!

2010-08-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

The first day of fall is fast approaching and I'm getting excited! As an artist I find fall to be one of the most inspirational times of the year.

I love the colors of fall, the change in climate, the promise of holidays soon to come. For me, this time of year kicks off a very magical feeling. I love going to Michael's Arts and Crafts Store and seeing all of the fall merchandise and decorations. I love smelling the scented candles like Pumpkin Spice and Autumn Harvest.

All of this wonderful atmosphere soaks into me and I get creative. I know I'm a little early here but I just can't help myself. Here's a fall themed Batman painting of mine from the archives. 16x20 oil on canvas.

Sketching a Femme Fatale

2010-08-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the sketch for the illustration I posted a couple of days ago.

I sketched this with a blue Col-Erase pencil (#20044) on laser paper.
I find the silky smooth surface of laser paper to be really fun to sketch on. A large part of my enjoyment when drawing comes from the tactile experience of the drawing tool in my fingers and the feel of the paper beneath my hand.

I literally choose what type of paper to sketch with based on my mood and what I'd like to "feel" while drawing. Of course there are other project related considerations or limitations which dictate what range of tools I can work with. Once I know what those limitations are though, I work within them in whichever way feels the most fulfilling to me.

I think it's safe to say that I value the experience of creating as much as I value the completed creation. Drawing is a lot like life in that way.

YOUR Creative Power!

2010-08-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

"The Creative power within us makes us into the image of that to which we give our attention."

I read that this morning. Simple. Elegant. Tremendously powerful and (in my view) truthful. The only remaining question is: to what shall you give your attention?

Everything counts. Television, books, celebrity gossip, movies, family, advertisements, the news, the economy, work, dreams and aspirations, and on and on and on. The world is competing fiercely for our attention but our thoughts are still our own (provided we're not sleepwalking). So...

To what shall you give your attention?

Make that choice CONSCIOUSLY, consistently and relentlessly then back it up with action and watch your life become as you wish it to be!

AK-47 vs. My Pencil

2010-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Which would win in a battle between an AK-47 and my pencil? Take a look at this and then you tell me.

Lauren's niece recently posted a photo of herself firing an AK-47 at a shooting range. I'm far from a violent person but I've gotta say that she looked cool doing it! Also, having artistic sensibilities I was suddenly overcome with inspiration. A drawing needed to happen. Immediately.

Fortunately for me this creative urge struck me around 9:30 in the evening after I had finished a good day's work. I could jump in and indulge this inspiration full force and guilt free!

Lauren's niece has a particular look which lends itself well to being depicted as a femme fatale (even without the Kalashnikov). I took full advantage of that fact and drew this little gem right from my gut.

It was one of those glorious creative sessions where time evaporates and the pure, unfiltered joy of creativity powered me non-stop from inception to completion.

I wrapped up at 2:30am and I don't even remember getting up from my chair. It was awesome.

So which would win the battle between an AK-47 and my pencil? Well, the AK-47 is capable of instantaneous death and destruction while my pencil is capable of instantaneous life and creation. It's an age old debate.

You tell me.

Star Gazing

2010-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

When was the last time that you just stopped what you were doing and looked up?

I am in awe of our sky and the vast reaches of space that extend beyond it. Numerous times in my life I have been lucky enough to gaze at the night sky far from the unnatural lights of an urban environment. What I see in that setting is absolutely breathtaking.

Stars in numbers far greater than I could have possibly imagined seeing with the naked eye burst forth against the dark swath of space. It's unbelievable. I have spent hours staring at that extraordinary sight. As trite as it sounds, that experience truly does make me ponder my own (and everyone's) existence.

This is my humble creative offering in honor of that experience. For those of you living in a city (like me), hopefully this will hold you over until your next opportunity to enjoy the night sky in its most magnificent state.

Attraction is Distraction

2010-08-17T01:03:00.000-07:00

As an artist, feelings of attraction to your model or subject can be counterproductive but you can use that energy in a way that benefits your art. In my post "7 steps to drawing a coffee shop hottie" I stated that 'Attraction is Distraction' and I want to elaborate on that.

There is a certain level of artistic integrity and professionalism that needs to be present when drawing from a model or sketching someone in public. You're not there to gawk or to make that person feel uncomfortable. That being said, feelings of personal attraction to your subject can aid you in your work provided that you channel that energy properly.

I attended a private life drawing workshop once where one of the artists was filling his page drawing nothing but the model's breasts and nipples. These weren't anatomical studies. These were outright lusty drawings of what appeared to be his favorite part of the female body. It seemed somehow invasive to me and stood in my mind as an example of how NOT to channel the energy of attraction. For this artist, attraction was distraction.

Making attraction work for you.
There may be times when you intentionally seek out an attractive model or subject to serve the purpose of your art. I regularly do this in my coffee shop sketches. Whether your feelings of attraction are intentional like this or accidental, the point is to know how to make this energy work for you.

Sexual energy is a raw and powerful tool in the hands of the purposeful artist. Left unchecked however, it can eviscerate your focus and obliterate a drawing.

Drawing can be a visceral experience and the lines that finally appear on paper can be the result of personal feelings filtered through a process of draftsmanship and technique. Using your feelings of attraction to power and fuel the inspiration of the drawing is an excellent and very productive use of that energy. For your consideration I offer a simple 3 step process for taking control of your feelings and directing them in a creative way.

3 Steps to channeling attraction energy.

1. Have a goal. Decide what it is that you want to communicate with your drawing before your begin. Having a goal in mind creates a channel for your energy. Without this you run the risk of simply drawing to gratify lust and the drawing lacks purpose, direction and communication.

2. Ask your self: "Why am I attracted to her/him?" Observe your model/subject and force yourself to answer this question. Decoding the specific things that cause you to feel attracted will help you identify which areas of your drawing to push, exaggerate or possibly even diminish.

3. Look beyond the physical. Make a conscious decision to look for the non-physical attractive qualities of your model/subject (even if they're imagined). You may find that the quality which is most attractive to you is your idea of what that person is like. Find this and imbue your drawing with it (gesture, facial expression, mood, action, etc).

It is not my intention to reduce the whole affair to a cold, calculated formula because it isn't. Rather, I aim to present tools which can help give creative direction to a powerful and potentially useful feeling as opposed to being at the mercy of that feeling. Don't bury your feelings, use them.

7 steps to drawing a coffee shop hottie

2010-08-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

Wanna draw a gorgeous coffee shop girl? Gather up your drawing skills, mental focus and good ol' fashioned passion 'cause Papa Lark's gonna break it down for ya. There's a million ways to do this so here's one that I like a lot.

1. Observe! As soon as you choose your subject you've got to carefully observe her. She might be leaving soon so you've got to get a solid enough impression that you'll be able to work from memory. this is key!

2. See the finished drawing in your mind. Imagine it complete. The clearer this picture is, the easier it's going to be for you to get it down on paper whether your subject is still there or not.

*Mental Game - Attraction is Distraction.

She may be pretty but you've got art to create! Use her attractive qualities to fuel the inspiration for the piece (gesture, attitude, style, etc.) and then quickly change mental gears to the work of solving drawing problems. See your subject for her artistic value and focus on getting that down on paper.

3. Start with a loose sketch that focuses on the overall. Don't refine your drawing yet. Just get it down on paper with a focus on capturing the attitude and character that you want to communicate.

4. Once your sketch is loosely laid down you can go back to make revisions and refinements (like the above example).

*Mental Game - Are you keeping that picture in your head? Are you clearly seeing the drawing that you intend to create? Nice! Let's keep truckin'...

*Tools - For this sketch I began with a blue Prismacolor Col-Erase pencil (#20044). This sketch was done on the brown paper of my Cachet Earthbound Recycled Sketchbook.

5. Finalize your line. I chose to finalize my line for this sketch in black ink. However, I used a very thin line because I didn't want the black ink to show up too much in the final piece (once again sticking to that clear mental picture).

*Tools - In order to accomplish this exceptionally thin black line I inked this with a Copic Multiliner SP (0.05).

6. Time for color. There are an endless variety of media and techniques to play with but for this particular sketch I chose marker. Your only concern at this point is laying down flat colors (without tones or shadows).

*Mental Game - If you're working with marker your color choice is going to be permanent. Take a moment here and check in with your mental picture. Really see each color for everything in the sketch and decide if they're working. You might need to change something and this is your last chance. Incidentally I was originally going to make the dress in this sketch blue (to match the real life subject) but I felt that yellow would be more striking against her hair color.

*Tools - I dropped in my color with Prismacolor Art Markers. These markers will saturate and possibly bleed through your paper so make sure the back of the page is empty. I also like to put another sheet of loose paper under the sheet I'm sketching on just in case. It's saved me more than once.

7. Adding tones. Start by building up layers of color with the markers in the areas that you want to make darker (this is where the paper gets pretty saturated). Let all of that dry and then work and blend into it with colored pencil. I like to use a combination of hard and soft pencils. The hard pencils are good for fine lines and detailing and the soft ones are great for covering larger areas and blending. The soft pencils also offer a nice dense layer of color so I used them to color over all of my thin black ink contour lines.

*Mental Game - As the sketch begins to take its final shape you may feel a spontaneous need to embellish and/or add details that weren't a part of your original plan. Go for it! The mental picture is there to keep you on track but not to inhibit your creativity.

*Tools - The hard pencils that I used in this sketch were Prismacolor Col-Erase and the soft pencils that I used were Prismacolor Premier.

There ya go! Let me know if this was helpful and/or if you'd like to know more about location sketching. Now get out there, snuggle in to your favorite coffee shop, pick a subject and make some art. Be respectful and have a blast!

All shapes and sizes - rock it with confidence

2010-08-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

In contrast with yesterday's statuesque beauty I'd like to spotlight this bouncy little coffee shop lass. Tall? Nope. Model thin? Nope. Cute enough to make you forget your own name? Yep!

Let's dispense with this whole tired notion of advertisement based beauty definitions and enjoy the gorgeous life all around us. This exuberant little beauty came bounding through the coffee shop all full of confidence, energy and excitement with her friends. Charisma like that is a powerful thing and I think it has a positive effect on people.

Enthusiasm is contagious and this little gal was a five foot nothin' living proof of that. She had a high energy laugh that was so authentically happy I could see it cause smiles on people all over the coffee shop. Lightening in a bottle and cute as a button.

So I humbly offer forth my meager creative effort to capture that little blue firecracker who turned heads and spread a positive vibe.

Now get out there and share your joy! People all over this planet are counting on you!

An evening gown for coffee?

2010-08-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Ladies, who says a cup of coffee has to be a casual experience? Maybe you think flip flops and shorts are the proper attire for an afternoon cup of joe or smoothie. Nay I say! If you've got a perfectly good ball gown hanging pressed in the closet and you happen to be thirsty...well...you know what to do!

Living in Los Angeles certainly provides me with plenty of interesting sights and this was no exception. It's a bright, sunny southern California Saturday afternoon and a tall, elegant young woman with model good looks strolls by the local coffee shop in an evening gown. Her sidekick: an adorable, sprightly little pup. Her beverage of choice: A bright pink fruity concoction in a clear plastic cup because bright pink fruity concoctions are hardly worth ordering unless they shine like a beacon through the Saturday afternoon crowd.

Now before you accuse me of sarcasm let me remind you that she clearly made a distinct enough impression on me that I felt compelled to draw her. In fact, I commend her for her bravery. I think we could all use a dose of that kind of confidence.

You know what? That's it. I'm inspired. Tomorrow I'm going to wear an evening gown to the coffee shop. See you there.

Caged... and the rise of a creative consciousness

2010-08-09T01:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know many people who aren't feeling the pinch on some level. This is my respectful tribute to everyone who is. Despite the bleak forecasting and overbearing negative chatter, I remain an optimist.

I'm optimistic because the human spirit is brighter and more powerful than any economic cycle. I'm optimistic because all around me I see people getting creative and re-imagining the direction of their lives. I'm optimistic because times like these force people to unlock their talents and the world benefits as a result.

As bitter as the struggle can be I think we're accelerating toward a critical mass of people that are beginning to see beyond grinding out an existence and into creating the life they imagine.

Perhaps Margaret Mead said it best...
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

A Creative Light in Stormy Seas

2010-08-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

So last night Lauren and I rented Julie & Julia and took a fun emotional ride through a very fine film. Then, somewhere deep in the night as we slept in the cool air of this glorious southern California summer, the residual effects of the film took hold. Today my mind is seeded with a personal truth that I dare not ignore.

Life...will DEFINITELY provide obstacles, avert plans, alter courses and at times create a stunningly convincing illusion of failure. None of this however, should be allowed to eclipse my soul's true passion.

Life has delivered some choppy waters and by neglecting this blog I have conceded to putting a part of my passion last. I have succumb to obstacles, averted my plans and altered my course. I still smile everyday at the fact that I am lucky enough to make my living as an artist but it is equally important to me that I give freely and generously share my creativity. If my life is an ocean casting tumultuous waves then I must learn to be a better sailor and if necessary, take out the oars and row.

I'm sorry for my absence. I will do my utmost to put my passion first and use my creativity to share good things with the world. If you're still with me, thank you.

See you soon!
-Nathanael

Taking my sketchbook to Disneyland

2010-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

In case you weren't aware - there are much more eye catching things at Disneyland than Mickey. Just sayin'.

Days like this make a strong case for keeping that sketchbook with you at all times.

I took my sketchbook hiking!

2010-04-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

If your sketchbook hasn't got any scrapes, stains, grime or grit on it then something is definitely wrong!I took my sketchbook hiking and it was fantastic!

This past Sunday morning Lauren and I joined some pals for a hike through Big Santa Anita Canyon ending at Sturtevant Falls. What a stupendous time it was! We gallivanted through tall grass, over boulders and across streams. I breathed deeply of the sweet clean air and stood in awe of what nature can do so effortlessly.

Standing before such beauty I dared to venture a sketch or two. I don't kid myself that I can compete with nature but she filled me with an inspiration that yearned to be expressed.

Tomorrow I will post more about the hiking/sketching adventure (with photos) but today I just want to say "Thank you" to mother nature. Your beauty, perfection and timeless truth is not lost on me.

Lauren...Still Smokin'

2010-04-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the completed sketch from the progress that I posted on Saturday.
I knocked this one out with a combination of colored pencil, pen, marker and brush pen.

With regards to the eyeshadow I have to quote the great Chris Gargan and say...
"A little purple goes a long way". He's darn right about that!

Thanks to Lauren who once again inspired me.

Enjoy!

Smokin' Hot Lauren

2010-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

When Lauren walked in the door I darn near fell out of my chair!

Last week Lauren went to the salon and got her hair done. She also got her nails done that day (French Tips - my favorite)! Meanwhile I was cranking away at the drawing board but then I heard her key hit the door. She walked in and...
SHAZAAM!

Dang, she looked good! I was all smitten and googlie-eyed like an adolescent. So I did the only sensible thing for a man to do in a situation like that: I whipped it out (my sketchbook, you dirty bird).

Me: "Stop, baby! Sit right here."
L: "Oh..um..okay."
Me: "I've just got to draw you right now."

And so I proceeded with the sketch that you see here. I'll finish it up soon but I like how it's turning out so I wanted to share it with ya.

Top 10 reasons to LOVE chipboard!

2010-04-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

If you have not yet sketched on chipboard then you have not yet lived!I'm far from the first to do this but I began doing it recently and it's a blast. For those who don't know chipboard is a thin but fairly sturdy cardboard like you might find inside a new store bought shirt in order to keep it looking flat and pressed.

I purchased a ream of this stuff from Kelly Paper. I bought the 11x17 size in case I wanted to work large but typically I cut it down to various smaller sizes. I feel like I could write all day about this stuff but I have heard it said that brevity is the soul of wit. And so...

The Top 10 Reasons to LOVE Chipboard.

1. Super portable and easy to carry.
2. Stands up well to handling which makes it great for sketching at coffee shops, bars, etc.
3. Takes lots of media like a champ (pencil, pen, marker, pastel, ink, gouache, etc.)
4. Makes an awesome giveaway if you sketch someone in public and want to present them with a gift (see my post on Sunday for a perfect example)!
5. Cut to any size that suits you and go nuts!
6. Perfect for trading with other artists. Swapping original sketches is fantastic!
7. Fan yourself with it if you're somewhere hot (no kidding, this works).
8. Use the natural tone of the board as a mid tone, then add darks and lights for a cool effect.
9. Stands up strong to repeated erasing (for those days when you're just not on your game).
10. Adds to your skill set and archive of practiced techniques.

By golly with a list like that how can you go wrong? Drop me a line if you use (or start to use) chipbard. I'd love to see and share with other artists about this.

Dig in and have fun!

My humble sketching skills warrant a free coffee!

2010-04-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a surprise I got last night! To properly set the stage I'll need to back up and begin the story on Friday night...

Lauren and I went to a coffee shop and I was sketching. One of the employees stopped by the table and chatted with me for a minute about my sketches. It turns out that she's an artist as well (portraits). I told her that a few nights prior I had used her as inspiration for a sketch. Here it is...

She adored it and shared it with some of her co-workers. It was fun and it felt great to spread good vibes with my art!

Lauren and I were back at the coffee shop again last night (Saturday). When I got to the counter to order my coffee (and an ice water for Lauren), that same employee was there. Then she tossed out the coolest offer. She told me I could have the coffee on the house in exchange for a sketch! I was totally surprised and happily agreed. I told her that I would color the sketch I had shown her last time and she could have that one - if that was cool with her. We shook hands on it and that's when we introduced ourselves officially and I learned her name is Bianca.

So I went back to the table with my free cup of coffee (and Lauren's ice water) and proceeded with coloring and finishing the sketch.

I stopped a couple of times to chat with some other folks who stopped by to share kind words or talk about potential projects for my illustration services.

When I had wrapped it all up I took it back up to the counter and delivered it to Bianca. She was kind enough to pose for a photo with the drawing and give me permission to use the photo here.

It was such a fun an unique experience! It's always a treat to know that my artwork has a positive effect on people and is capable of delivering some measure of joy to a person's day. Thanks to Bianca for the cup of Joe, to Laure for keeping me company on yet another session at the coffee shop and to EVERYONE who stopped by with kind words to say!

We've moved!

2010-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Lauren and I have moved to a new place. Thanks a million to Scott, Frank and Pauline for all of your help! We really like the new joint. My workspace is fantastic. Bay windows, hardwood floors and lots of natural light make it a delight to work in. But sometimes a fella just wants to walk away from the big fancy drafting table and draw the way he did when he was a kid so...

I plopped down at the dining room table on a Sunday afternoon and created this fun little moving announcement. Obviously the little sign in the ground has our new address on it but I took it out for this internet post. Gee whiz I can't have all those gorgeous female fans of mine stalking me at my house!

Lauren got a kick out of watching me create the announcement so she snapped these pics. Thanks, L!

Back... with a new policy & a Free Original Sketch Giveaway

2010-04-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, no lame excuses. Life got a twisty for me and I neglected my blog. I apologize. I love posting, I love your feedback and I'm just plain old fashioned sorry for the disappearing act. Which leads me to my new policy...

For the rest of 2010, if I go more than one full week without posting I'm going to give away a free original sketch to the first person who busts my chops for it. That's right! Loud and clear, plain and simple. No whining, no back peddling, no garbage excuses. I get lazy, you get a sketch. Simple as that.

That's the new policy, here's the bonus...

THE FIRST PERSON FROM MY LIST OF FOLLOWERS TO DROP ME A COMMENT WILL GET A FREE ORIGINAL SKETCH RIGHT NOW!

I'm super duper grateful that none of you have ditched me during my vanishing act and I want to extend my appreciation. Just two rules...

1. The winner must be someone from my current list of followers (presently numbering 35). No fair signing up right now just to get the free sketch. ;)
2. The winner must also be someone who has not received a free sketch from me yet.
How easy is that?

Thank you SO MUCH for sticking around and if you've just discovered this little corner of the blogosphere then I say welcome! Stop back often because I'm about to go on a rampage posting up new art and I don't see that tidal wave crashing any time soon.

Love ya.
N

P.S. I almost forgot - those two sketches posted up top there are from a recent coffee shop visit. Enjoy!

Polka dots never looked so good!

2010-03-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

Lauren owns this dress and it blows my mind every time she wears it.

One afternoon Lauren walked into the studio and stood there stunned for a minute.
"Uh...honey...why is my green dress hanging up next to your drawing table?"

That's when I showed her this little illustration and my minor infraction of invading her closet was forgiven. I think she was just relieved to learn that I hadn't been wearing the darn thing!

So once again my sweetheart inspires my creativity. Thanks, babe!

Incidentally I have this vector illustration available for licensing in my gallery at Shutterstock.com. I've made a number of sales with it and it's fun for Lauren and I to think about someone out there using and publishing this illustration of her in her infamous green dress.

Coffee Shop Cutie #6 - Lauren at Disneyland

2010-03-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a sketch that was inspired by my sweetheart Lauren during a trip to Disneyland.

She and I were there with some of her family. I was watching Lauren as she watched her nieces ride the teacups when I got inspired the sketch this.

By golly I'm a lucky guy. After all these years she still effects me in this way. Sometimes I look at her and it hits me like POW! She's beautiful.

It's a wonderful thing to have a woman in my life who inspires me and calls forth those surges of creativity. Thank you, L. I love you!

Coffee Shop Cutie #5 - Go get her phone number for me!

2010-03-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

Upon seeing this sketch, a good buddy of mine told me that he wanted me to go back to the coffee shop, hunt this girl down and get her phone number for him!

But alas, this little lady looked quite different in real life and is a classic example of how I often embellish upon what I see while I'm sketching. She was attractive certainly, but different from the way I have chosen to depict her here. It is rarely my goal to simply copy. I almost always make a conscious effort to take what I see as a starting point and then bring something more to it as an artist. Sometimes I will take various visual element from several different people and combine them into a single character.

When nature doesn't give you what you want...embellish!

I have also encountered situations where the reverse is true. I have seen women, landscapes, life moments so beautiful that I literally pause and take them in. The urge to sketch in those situations is often eclipsed my an inner recognition that what I'm seeing is much better than anything that I am able to put down on paper given my present level of ability.

Things that may have given me pause ten years ago, I can now do in my sleep. But nevertheless, life will always confront the artist with that which is more beautiful than his/her ability can match. Thus, the artist seeks to learn, grow and expand.

Hopefully as a result of that, the artist will also share and then all the rest of us can benefit as well.

Just my two cents.

Coffee Shop Cutie #4

2010-03-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

Women's hairstyles fascinate me.

The main motivation behind this coffee shop sketch was the young woman's hair. I love the creativity and aesthetic attention that women give to their hair. There is so much variety and so much of it is beautiful. I could easily sit for hours just making reference sketches of hairstyles.

Incidentally I find that well thought out hairstyles add a lot of authenticity to an illustration. It's critical to avoid the temptation to slack off n this area by drawing something generic. Having a good archive of reference sketches has proven invaluable to me in my work.

It's also just good old fashioned fun to draw!

Coffee Shop Cutie #3

2010-02-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here's another quick sketch from a coffee shop.

This was a young woman immersed in her headphones while writing a paper of some kind on her laptop. She was deadly serious and quite focused the whole time I was there. I don't know what she had going in those headphones but whatever it was it certainly didn't distract her from her writing.

Breaking away from my usual haunt, I did this in a coffee shop inside of a large shopping mall.

Coffee shop cutie

2010-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

Unlike with the drawing I posted yesterday, I didn't get caught sketching this young lass.

Lauren joined me for the last half of my sketching session on the day that I created this and the drawing I posted yesterday. By the time I started working on this one Lauren was sitting with me and that created excellent camouflage. No one suspects a fine upstanding lad sitting with his lady to be doing anything creepy.

The way I figure most people see it is that a guy sitting in the corner by himself sketching attractive women is lonely, desperate, odd, socially inept and possibly even a little (or a lot) unsafe.

But a guy sitting in the corner with his gal and drawing attractive women? Surely that guy is a professional. He's creative, talented special and possibly even a little bit attractive himself.

That's the magic of social proof. We all feel a whole lot more comfortable about something when we see that someone else likes it.

But I'm cool with all of that of course. I'm a dork and I know it. I'm probably even a little socially inept. I'm not creepy though so at least I've got that going for me. And as for sitting alone in the corner sketching away while the world thinks I'm a hazard... well I guess I just have to apologize in advance if my presence makes folks uncomfortable.

Worry not though, I'm just a goofy little art boy trying like mad to improve my craft and maybe knock out a few winners to share with everyone. Enjoy your coffee, I promise not to stare.

Busted for sketching a girl at a coffee shop

2010-02-24T23:49:00.000-08:00

I got busted while trying to discreetly sketch this cutie at a coffee shop.

I normally pride myself on my ability to discreetly sketch people in public without them noticing. I keep it on the low because I don't want people to feel uncomfortable. This time however, I got busted.

I was sketching at a coffee shop and I noticed this young lass in line to order her drink. I took a few furtive glances and got started on this sketch.

After she had ordered her drink she went to wait for it by the area of the counter where the staff hands out the finished drinks. I had an even better view of her there so I was able to get a couple of good looks at her without her noticing me at all.

Immediately following my second extended look (as I was about to look back down at my sketchbook) my eyes shifted over and noticed to my shock and horror that her friend was standing right there! She was staring directly at me, watching me watch her friend.

I reacted on impulse by quickly looking down at my sketch but then I just had to acquiesce. I looked right back up at the friend who was smiling now. I smiled too and shrugged. I put my hands up in a gesture that said "You caught me." She smiled wider and leaned over to whisper in her friend's ear.

I quickly buried my nose in my sketchbook like a dope and prayed that I wouldn't have to face further embarrassment by showing off the half completed sketch if they decided to walk over. Fortune shined upon me and they both left without stopping by.

I suppose the odds were in my favor, though. Who the heck wants to go confront that creepy guy in the corner who's been staring at you and scribbling away furiously in some mysterious book. Those are the kinds of guys who drive broken down old vans with duct tape and black spray paint over the back windows. Those are the kinds of guys you avoid at all costs if you value your life.

James Bond 007 I am not.

Starting my oil painting of Greece

2010-02-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the rough preliminary sketch for an oil painting of Greece that I am doing for my mom.

My mother asked me for an original oil painting for the dining room back home. She loves the Greek Islands and the gorgeous ocean side landscapes that are common there. After pouring over cascades of beautiful reference photos we settled on this arrangement.

This has elements from several different photos arranged together into a single composition.

I'm very excited to paint this! In my mind I can see the masterpiece but it will be quite a challenge for me to match with paint the vision that I have in my head. I'll keep you posted as I progress through the various phases on this project!

George Carlin was a genius!

2010-02-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

George Carlin is my all time favorite comedian!

I created and originally posted this illustration in 2008 when George passed away (as part of my then Summer Slam Blog). I decided to post it again here since I've been on a roll lately with posting illustrations in this style.

I love to listen to his comedy while I spend a good long day at the drawing table. It never gets old! His performances were not only hilarious but poignant and thought provoking.

Henry Ford said: "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it."

I think George Carlin was doing his part to help all of us remedy that.

Here is a complete list of the links to all of the other people and characters that I have tackled so far with this style.

Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Wolverine
Spiderman
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

Superpowers give you a big head...literally

2010-02-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

As promised here's my Spiderman illustration in this fun cartoony style.

Here also are the preliminary sketches which came first.

I actually like several of these sketches and I've been thinking about going back and creating final color versions of them. It would be fun to have a series of these cute little Spidey illustrations.

Once again I scanned the pencil sketch and colored this in Adobe Illustrator.

Just like yesterday's Wolverine, this Spidey was created for my 2008 Summer Slam Blog.

The thing that I love most about working in this style (or any style, actually) is best exemplified in a quote from Orson Welles that I keep taped above my computer monitor.

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations."

Limitation gives me (as an artist) a framework to play with. Once I have a box that I know I need to work within, it gives me all sorts of freedom to begin creative experimentation. I ask myself: "How can I express this idea within the confines of this style?" That's a challenge and I love it!

Here are some links to other people and characters that I have tackled so far with this style.

Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Wolverine
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

Bouncy little Wolverine!

2010-02-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

When this little guy springs into action I don't know whether to cower or laugh!

This rambunctious fella is from the ol' Lark archives. I created him in 2008 as part of my then Summer Slam Blog.

Here's the step by step ink and colored pencil drawing that came first!

To create the digital version I scanned the red pencil sketch and colored it in Adobe Illustrator.

I just love the challenge of approaching established and familiar characters or real life personalities in a new and interesting way. We've all seen plenty of stunning Wolverine permutations over the years and I hope that I've added a little something new to the mix.

If you dig this style then tune in tomorrow for Spiderman!

And in the meantime, here are some links to other illustrations that I've done with this fun, bouncy approach..
Barack Obama
Susan Boyle
Albert Einstein
Myself and Lauren (for our 2009 Valentine's Day Card)
Luke Skywalker
The Hulk and The Human Torch
Riggs and Murtaugh (from Lethal Weapon)
Riggs and Murtaugh - Remix!
John McClane (from Die Hard)
Jason (from Friday the 13th)

Enjoy!

The Notorious D.O.G.

2010-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

As a big fan of hip hop music and of The Notorious BIG in particular I was ecstatic when I was commissioned to create this T-Shirt design inspired by the late great rapper.

Here is the approved pencil sketch which I used to create the final color version (above) in Adobe Photoshop.

The final color version still looks a little too slick to me and lacks texture but that was the specific style that my client was after. I was asked to create an "Airbushed" look. I may still go back and play with it a bit just for my own fun and satisfaction.

In order to properly fuel my inspiration I pulled out my Biggie CDs and played them back to back while I worked on this. I had a blast creating this and finding a creative way to turn Biggie into a pooch!

My Sweetie's astounding study of Sorolla!

2010-02-17T23:16:00.000-08:00

Today I simply have to throw the spotlight on my sweetheart Lauren and her gorgeous oil study!

Lauren painted this beautiful oil study of a Joaquin Sorolla painting on a 14x18 canvas. She was super nervous about painting the two little boys. She was worried that her draftsmanship of the figures would fall short but look how nicely this turned out!

Lauren and I are both big fans of Joaquin Sorolla (often referred to as the Spanish John Singer Sargent). It's nearly impossible to find a book of his paintings locally so L and I took a road trip down to San Diego where some of Sorolla's work is on display and we heard a rumor that a book of his paintings was available in the gift shop.

What a fun trip! I got in trouble with museum security for sketching without a "Sketching Pass". The guard made me put away my sketchbook and pencil until I could acquire proper permission to sketch in the museum. So I went to the front desk prepared to either pay some hefty fee or argue my case and it turns out that "Sketching Passes" are free and tossed out like candy to anyone who cares to ask for one. No I.D., no questions, no nothin'. THEN WHAT THE HECK IS THE POINT OF REQUIRING A PASS?

Anyhoo, I got my pass (a sticker) and stuck it on my shirt in a place that was covered up by my sketchbook while I was drawing. The same power hungry security guard spotted me sketching and didn't see my covered pass. He came rushing over gleefully to bust me but I simply lowered my sketchbook and showed him the pass emblazoned on my chest like the Superman logo. He said not a word and sulked away.

But alas, I digress. The point here is that Lauren and I got the book and she chose one of her favorite paintings from the book to create a study of. So here it is in all it's glory. I'm so proud of her! Nice job, sweetie!

Sketching under firecracker bombardment

2010-02-16T13:23:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday the New Year's festivities in Chinatown made for some great sketching.

Lauren and I went to the main temple there where the majority of the festivities take place. They have performances (including the classic dragon dance), martial arts demonstrations and a plethora of firecrackers.

Everyone gets into the firecracker spirit and it's unnerving to stand there and sketch because of the loud sudden cracks happening at random times on all sides of you.

Additionally there is an official lighting of a string of hundreds of firecrackers. Once they are lit the rapid fire blasts and smoke build for several minutes. It's pretty intense. Here's a pic I took of the smoke lifting from the area...

We had a great time. I enjoyed sketching portions of the temple and also the people inside the temple praying and learning their fortunes for the upcoming year. Lauren was kind enough to take this pic of me sketching...

As much fun as I have there each year it is clear that I will never completely fit in. Being six foot five in a massive crowd of people who rarely stand taller than my shoulder or chin makes me a bit of an oddball. But (as Lauren's family likes to point out), it's impossible to lose me in the crowd!

Chinese New Year Bombshell

2010-02-15T23:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a little cutie inspired by this Chinese New Year - the year of the tiger!

February 14th (Valentine's Day) was actually Chinese New Year's Eve this year. I celebrated with Lauren and her family. There was a large and jovial get together at her older sister's house. First we stuffed ourselves silly on delicious, authentic, home cooked Chinese food. Then all of the "Grown Ups" hung out at the kitchen table talking and laughing while the "Kids" gathered up for a good long, rambunctious game of Monoploy. Yeeeea! Old school Monopoly!

Now which table do you think Lauren and I were at? Grown Ups or Kids? I'll give you a hint: I draw pretty pictures for a living, still read comic books and get excited at holidays. You better believe we were rollin' those dice on the Monopoly board!

Well, I got roasted at that game but I did manage to come up with a fun idea for an illustration to celebrate the holiday. Up above is my Chinese New Year Bombshell along with my initial rough sketch. Drawn by hand, scanned and tidied up in Adobe Illustrator.

I love it when an illustration idea comes to me out of an atmosphere of pure joy and celebration. Hangin' with Lauren's family, getting schooled by her nieces and nephews in a board game against the backdrop of a holiday was the perfect setting for inspiration to strike. It did and here's what I've got to show for it.

Hope ya dig it!

Step by Step Valentine's Day Card!

2010-02-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! As promised, here is the brand new illustration that I created for the 2010 Valentine's Day card that Lauren and I sent out. Following that is a photo journal of how I put it together. So cozy up with your sweetheart and enjoy!

First and foremost Lauren and I went shopping for some blank cards and envelopes that we liked. Once we had those, I created my illustration custom to fit.

I started with a very small and very loose thumbnail sketch by hand.

Next I scanned the sketch and created all of the cleaned up final work in Adobe Illustrator.

Next I printed the 5"x5" image two at a time on an 8.5"x11" sheet of card stock and then cut them out with an X-Acto knife.

Next I pulled out a pad of StudioTac. StudioTac is a pad of adhesive sheets. It provides a fast, clean and easy way to apply adhesive without dealing with glue or spray. The pads are a little pricey so it's not always my first choice but it certainly has its applications.

Next I place the illustration cards down on the StudioTac to apply adhesive to the back.

Next I removed the illustration cards (now with adhesive on the back) and placed them carefully on the pink insert cards that Lauren and I had purchased. Here you can see the finished stack of them sitting next to the envelopes.

Lastly here's the final card and envelope together.

And that's the whole kit and kaboodle! This was a ton of fun and Lauren and I always enjoy being able to create something custom for our family and friends.

I hope everyone has a stupendous Valentine's Day!

Love ya!
N

Where valentines and mass murderers meet

2010-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

A you may remember, Valentine's Day fell on the day after Friday the 13th last year.

I remember being quite taken with what an odd pairing that was! It didn't take too long before my twisted little brain thought of a way to blend the two in a way that gave me a good chuckle.

Hence here's a little illustration from the ol' Lark Archive. At the time that I released this I was submitting it for the topic of "Celebration" on IllustrationFriday.com. Here's that blog post from last year.

This was sketched by hand, scanned and then colored in Adobe Illustrator.

As you may have guessed from the past several days worth of posts, this is all leading up to my 2010 Valentine's Day Illustration. Please tune in tomorrow for the official release of that as well as a bunch of pics showing how I assembled it into the annual V-Day card that Lauren and I sent out to our family and friends!

Public Watercolor Sketching

2010-02-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

I love to go watercolor sketching in public. It's a fun, fast and loose way to explore people and environments.

I was cruising through a sketchbook from last fall and came across these sketches. I created these while hangin' out with my sweetie at an outdoor shopping center. We grabbed a little table near some food vendors and both of us did some sketching.

Actually this was the same day that I saw and sketched that guy who was intensely and furiously clipping his nails! You may remember my blog post about that fella.

These sketches are a mix of pencil, pen and watercolor.

2009 Valentine's Day Illustration

2010-02-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the illustration that created for theValentine's Day card that Lauren and I sent out last year.

I had a blast with this. I chose to illustrate clothing that she and I actually own and wear. It was a nice little touch that added a sense of familiarity for our family and friends who received the card.

I still smile when I look at this!

I created this by starting with a hand drawn sketch. I then scanned the sketch and colored it in Adobe Illustrator.

If you dig this you might want to check out the Valentine's Day painting I posted yesterday.

Old School Valentine's Day Painting

2010-02-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun little illustration from the ol' Lark archives.

I painted this in 2007 for the annual Valentine's Day card that Lauren and I mail out to family and friends.

I have really vivid memories of working on this. I woke up earlier than normal each morning so that I could spend an hour or so working on this before I started my day. It was a nice way to go about it. Early in the morning while it was still dark and quiet outside I was peacefully starting my day with a painting. Additionally the subject matter was so whimsical and light that it put me in a wonderful mood each morning. Hmm... I should get back into that habit.

This was done with watercolor and colored pencil on cold press illustration board. The full size painting is 8.5"x11".

Enjoy!

Valentine Cutie Pie

2010-02-09T22:57:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day brings the sweet and sensitive side out of my artwork.

You may recognize this little cutie from the 3 Minute Sketch that I posted last Thursday. If not, here it is again for ya...

I guess I'm just a big ol' sap. I love Valentine's Day and all of the sweet things that go along with it. I just can't help myself.

Valentine's Day also makes me feel extra creative and I get all sorts of fun ideas for things to draw and paint. Today I really wanted to revisit my sketch from last week so I decided to finish it as a vector illustration. Needless to say this means that I imported the sketch into Adobe Illustrator and tidied it up there.

This was lots of fun! I really enjoyed playing with the color palette and going for something a little unexpected with the hair and eyes.

Hope ya dig it!

My Honest Truth About Approaching Women

2010-02-08T22:32:00.000-08:00

Gathering the courage to approach an attractive woman is a lot like being whacked in the stomach several hundred times with a sledgehammer. The only difference is that when it's over, the sledgehammer doesn't reject you.

Then again, a sledgehammer won't laugh at your terrible jokes and give you smooches either so I guess it all evens out in the end.

In my case though I have typically experienced more sledgehammer than smooches...or rejection. Back in my single days my problem wasn't getting shot down. My problem was that I chickened out before I ever approached at all.

The true story I posted yesterday about my clueless nature with women who approach me reminded me of this cartoon I drew in a sketchbook back in 1999. Even though the draftsmanship is shoddy I'm still quite fond of it. It's real, it's personal and it perfectly captures my dilemma back then. As personal as this dilemma was for me I can't help but think I wasn't alone in this. Surely I can't be the only guy to ever get his stomach twisted in knots over the thought of approaching someone.

Despite the honest, dorky and revealing picture it paints of me I feel a tremendous creative urge to tell the stories that expose my most vulnerable sides. I can remember conceiving and illustrating this cartoon in a flash. As soon as I got the idea I was full throttle to get it down on paper in a fun and visual way.

Holy smokes! I just had an epiphany! I stopped typing this blog for a minute to go get a drink of water and it hit me...

My interaction with women I'm attracted to has usually been closely accompanied by feelings of uncertainty, self doubt and nervousness. However, when I get a chance to later reflect on the experience I turn to the one area of my life that I can count on for certainty, confidence and comfort...my artwork. It is my security blanket. I can be naked, vulnerable and honest in my illustrated depictions of myself because those depictions live in the context of something that makes me feel wonderful and free. Wow. I just realized that right now.

Seriously...I'm having a moment.