Drawing at the Simpsons’ Scoring Session
Yesterday we had the opportunity to be guests at the orchestral scoring session for the annual Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween show with composer Alf Clausen, orchestrator Dell Hake and a roomful of tremendously gifted performers. We stayed for the entire morning session and loved every eerie, spine-tingling, rip-roaring moment. We were in the booth half of the time, which is a good distance from the orchestra, but we could still see through the glass.
I had looked forward to drawing the musicians but somehow portraying them ‘realistically’ just didn’t seem appropriate, given the subject matter. So I did it this way, instead. They were drawn in pencil first in my Moleskine … then inked onto tracing paper which was scanned and colorized in Photoshop. Getting likenesses was just about impossible considering that their faces were about as big as a thumbnail held at arms’ length, so I did what I could and ‘winged it’ for the rest. After one of the breaks we were allowed to go inside the recording stage with the musicians provided we didn’t make a sound (no dropping of pencils on the floor.) Since we have always been fans of the long-running series this was a real thrill for us. There’s something magical about being close to a large professional orchestra playing outstanding music to another very, very funny show. Set your TIVOS – don’t miss this one hour special.
I have some more drawings which I’ll post tomorrow or the next day – from the brass and woodwind sections.
Fall hiatus
These past weeks we have been in the throes of work-related moving. Today there was no time for drawing, so I pulled something out of my journal from a month or two ago so that this space wouldn’t go wanting.
I probably could/should have taken a few minutes to draw some of the things we are moving, but in the heat of the moment, with the gaping maw of the U-Haul calling and surrounded by cleaning people, and piled high boxes, it was not high on my list of things to do. It probably should have been, in retrospect, because if today wasn’t a “carpe sketchum” moment, I don’t know what would be.
Tomorrow will be better, and perhaps even a little more relaxed. Maybe I’ll tell you the story of how I made lox in my refrigerator with some good salmon, kosher salt and vodka, and how I got the recipe from my ophthalmologist, who knows his lox.
Until tomorrow, then.
Givin me the wild eye
I was vacillating all week about what I was going to do for the “Draw an Eye” challenge for the Everyday Matters group, and I finally decided to paint the excessively large eyes of my American she-bulldog, Ripley. I don’t know if it’s a birth defect or a characteristic of the breed but Ripley’s very large eyes seem to point in two different directions, giving her a decidedly ‘unfocused’ and inattentive look when she gazes straight at me. We noticed this characteristic when she was a puppy, and when she was in a particularly rip-roarious mood her eyes would widen, exposing even more of the whites for a distinctly rabid, mad-dog appearance. We came to call this “giving us the wild eye.” Although it’s not apparent from the angle of this drawing, she really does have ears. Uncut, of course. She’s doesn’t go for any of that west side cosmetic surgery stuff.
blue
First, some acrylic paint on paper, then a rough sketch with a graphite stick. Later, some whiting from a caran d’ache crayon.
Big Mike is home safely from his European trip. He was supposed to have landed at LAX at the same time that yesterday’s Jet Blue Airbus was making its emergency landing and took over all the runways. However, he was unable to make his connection in Newark due to plane delays so he came in five or six hours later. You should see his journal – it is stuffed to overflowing with text and ephemera, and he has even more stories to write. I am so glad he decided to take it along with him and was so devoted to keeping it up. More about the trip later.
Everyday Matters – Metal (but not new)
This week’s challenge is to draw something metal. I haven’t done a new painting or drawing specifically for the challenge, yet, but in the meantime here’s something from about a year ago.
It was drawn at a Tibetan exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif. about a year ago, then painted later at home with watercolor, based on color notes I had made. (The museum did not want wet media in their exhibit)
This was painted on watercolor paper in a journal I made.
Everyday Matters Challenge – Draw a Collection
Once upon a time I decided to collect copper molds as a decorative touch for my kitchen. I probably have a dozen and a half of them but these are a sample. I have used the fish once or twice for a salmon mousse, and I don’t think any have ever been used for green jello and Cool Whip. Many of the molds are various rounded and domed shapes but among the other interesting ones are a lobster. a nesting hen, a bunch of carrots, strawberries and a cat. Yes, a cat. That one sort of stops me in my tracks because I think if one is going to use a mold it should vaguely relate to the food served. Lobster terrine, chicken pate, carrot torte … cat ??? Shudder. Most of these molds were picked up for pennies at garage sales and flea markets from people, no doubt, who grew tired of polishing them or perhaps the recipes wore out their welcome at many a Thanksgiving or potluck supper. For me they are decor, little more.
I painted these on 140 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper, using three different ‘styles.’ The tarnished fish was painted very slowly and with as much detail as my primitive skills would allow. The chicken was painted more rapidly and loosely with more bright colors indicating reflections from other things in the room, and the rabbit (yes, that’s supposed to be a rabbit) was painted even looser still.
I suppose this could count for “draw something metal” as well, but I’d rather challenge myself to do something different for that one because it will give me another chance to try something new, to experiment and to grow. For me, it’s not about how many I do or how fast I check them off the list, it’s about the enjoyment of doing.
Illustration Friday – Roots
This is something that I had already drawn last year in the forest near our house, so I couldn’t resist using it.
It was painted in a book I made using 140 lb. watercolor paper, using Caran d’Ache neocolor II watercolor crayons and a Niji waterbrush – very portable for working while sitting on a rock by a stream! I added the text later when I scanned it.
