Mad Dog Summer by Joe R.Lansdale

 18 months ago, I read a collection of short stories someone lent me called 999. It was a collection of horror-type stories and the story, Mad  Dog Summer was recommended as the stand-out. I like American gothic stories, always have done. There is something about them, I can't really say more than that. I mean I would, but I cannot really explain what it is. Anyway, Mad Dog Summer is really good, and the imagery is strong and I meant to do a couple of doodles based on that story.
This pictures aren't really representative of the story, as much as what I thought one of the character looked like to me as I read it.

Denzel got an Oscar for Training Day?!

I've wanted to watch Training Day for a while. I like Denzel Washington and I do prefer it when he is 'baddie', or a morally suspect character. Though, this film was disappointing. It kind of goes through the motions and is quite generic. Dr Dre cannot act menacing. Sneering isn't acting, son. Washington is better in most of his other things, even Safe House. Dear oh dear.

Intermission painting

I don't know how this painting and creativity things work.
This for instance, came about because I was painting something else. Though nothing was working, I kept on hitting dead -ends. The concept wasn't as good as I hoped, and it kind of translated badly into the painting. So, I threw it aside and got some reference and whacked this one out in a hour. It means nothing. I like drawing faces with the eyes closed (easier as David Choe remarks) and birds are awesome. Simples.

The Dark Knight Rises

To say, I enjoy Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy wouldn't be true at all. I like Batman in comic book form, it hasn't always garnered the best stories but recently it is one of the better comics. Grant Morrison had a decent run, but Scott Snyder has taken it to the next level I think. The Black Mirror was a superb stand-alone TPB and the Court of the Owls is a revitalised spin on the best aspects of Batman and everything that surrounds that idea.
Anyway, I 'like' Batman Begins and I think The Dark Knight flounders badly once Rachel is killed and Dent's fall from grace begins. Also if that film didn't have Heath Ledger it would half the film it is. However, I like how The Dark Knight Rises dealt with the the journey of the character and how it enhances other aspects in the previous films. The ending also, wasn't the ending we needed but the ending we deserved.

My interpretation of Alien 3, I guess.

I like to do a drawing or a painting whilst being distracted by a film sometimes. Usually, if I've already seen it so I don't miss anything. I usually listen to podcasts, so I don't get too influenced.
The reason I like to draw while being distracted, is so how the influence of what I'm watching comes through my drawing. Sometimes it's subtle or bears no link to the film whatsoever. Though my theory is there has to be something that seeps through, intentionally or not.
I've rambled about this long enough.

 The other sketches were from the last few pages of my previous sketchbook. I remarked in an earlier post from today, that I bought some more sketchbooks. These are first two drawings that I did this morning whilst listening to the latest Deathsquad podcasts.

A tree of sorts

I usually just draw things that have faces. I have awful experiences of drawing trees, more that I find them tedious things to draw. Here is a tree painting I think I did at the beginning of the year, that I forgot about.

Sketches

 One of my failings, which I'm aware of, is my lack of drawing practice. Well, drawing for the sake of drawing. Trying new things and making marks. I haven't been using a sketchbook as often in the last few months as usual. Some years I have gone through 16 a year. I've had my current one since August. Not good enough.

I guess, I have less free time, so I just leap into doing paintings and not much else. Though I noticed my line work was becoming stiff, so I thought I better start to improve my habits.
I bought two new sketchbooks today (17/06/2012). Nothing flash, just something to scribble in. Here are the pick of the last week.

Curfew- short story

 I came up with an idea for a short story about a year ago. My second one that I keep revisiting. I have trouble coming up suitable endings, so I haven't taken it to the next level. Also I keep changing my mind on the details. These images are kind of speculative in terms of design and method.
I feel the results are mixed, but I thought I should post them all.

The Apparent Career Suicide of Alan Belcher

I really enjoy painting or drawing of fighting. This is because of the strange compositions and body positions you can get. I especially like the transitions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

This image was a response to the Palhares vs. Belcher. Palhares is a dangerous leg lock specialist, who had trouble getting a fight. Belcher stepped up. In the initial stages of the fight, it looked like this was going the same way as the last couple of Palhares' fights. He was on the ground and has Belcher's leg. Though Belcher battled, and subsequently bettered him and TKO'd him.

Never assume. Yadda Yadda Yadda.

The Boss

Working on some mediums I need sharpening. The top image incorporates an old acetate method I used during University. Mixed feelings about these but I wanted to draw a line underneath them.

MCA

 A couple of portraits of Adam Yauch/ MCA who died recently. When I first got into Hip Hop when I was about 13 I think. I started with Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Beastie Boys mostly because I wanted to listen to the earlier stuff, that was good and didn't rely on bad language.

I was going to make the colour version, another addition of Rappers and the things they say, but I decided to leave it unfinished as I didn't want it to ruin it.

 I was looking through my deviant art gallery and I was looking at some of university course work. During the end of my second year and the beginning of my third year, before I discovered the joys of monotype printing and massive oil paintings, I was exploring the effects of acetate and tracing paper. I found an art shop near me that sells acetate, which was the main reason I stopped. I could find it, but not the right kind that held ink well. Treating tracing paper with fixative makes it less opaque and it interesting in terms of layers. The only issue I haven't really solved, is the warping aspect. The only way I have overcome this is limiting the amount of media I use and more water-based paints are no good.

Left is a portrait of Nick Cave and the other one is Ryan Gosling in Drive. Great film by the way.

Rappers and the things they say.

I had this idea a few years ago and did complete a few paintings for it. I have already done one of Pharoahe Monch too. I will pick it up again, though finding decent reference is a nightmare.

 These are a series of experimental drawings I tried. Basically, I think my pencil and line work is the strongest aspect of my art and illustration. However I don't think I've ever successfully translated that into a painting. Plus I haven't been drawing as much I should have as life does seem to get in the way.

All of these are created using the same process. A base colour is put down, and then a layer of Gesso primer. Then the pencil. No real planning on the image. The top one was a portrait of Cat Power, and the other two are from stock photo sites.

A better scan of my Gunslinger painting from t'other day.

Mother's Day Card

I forgot this one.

I thought I already posted this. I quite like how this turned out. It took just over an hour.

Roland Deschain from The Dark Tower

I haven't figured out how to scan MDF paintings in bits well yet without the joins. I apologise.

This painting has been a battle, and this is as finished at it is going to be. I will come back to it, to refine a couple of elements, when it no longer annoys me.

Justified

I love the US TV show, Justified starring Timothy Olyphant. It has a strange feeling to it, it is laconic and very involving. It also has Walton Goggins, who was the stand out performer in The Shield. Essentially it is about a US Marshall who embodies a Western hero in the vein of Clint Eastwood, who operates in Kentucky.

I needed to paint something and was rather lazy about coming up with a concept or pursuing something I already had in mind.

I was intending to do more to this before I posted it, make it a kind of poster with text and the like. Though I came down with a heavy cold this weekend, so did very little to it. I will do at a later date perhaps.