Howard at lunch

Today we all went to a deli-market place with a beautifully landscaped little patio area in the back with so many ferns and trees that I got overwhelmed. I had this idea of putting poor Howard's head at the bottom of the page to make room for folliage. (I'm trying to do the "click to enlarge" more often now.)

Quick lunch sketch

No exaggeration in scale here, I swear. The fact that I was sitting down and he was closer to me probably helped emphasize their size differences.

Script reading

I left the studio momentarily to walk across the street for a cup of coffee. After ordering my double-latte I noticed that two out of the three people sitting in there were reading movie scripts. This guy was taking notes on his. Hollywood.

Back to reality...

Well, that was it for the "uploadable" camping pictures. Back to the urban / suburban reality of Los Angeles. Vacations are great for bringing on new ideas, thinking up new thoughts and having weird dreams...

Camping '06 # 8 - waterbug

The kids caught this monster then let him (her?) back loose in the wilds exactly where they found it. I just spent 15 minutes during my lunch hour coloring it (the original sketch here). I've been needing to practice using digital color and sometimes these sketches prove to be perfect guinea pigs (guinea bugs?). We couldn't resist taking a picture of this bug while my son Jack held it. Click here to see - WARNING: not for the squeamish!

Camping '06 #7 - Jack

Camping '06 #6 - reading by firelight

That's Joan in the foreground left holding the flashlight reading to the kids before bedtime.

Camping '06 #5 - George

The campsite (click to enlarge). Our tent on the left, sister-in-law's tent in the middle, nephew George on the right. The Big Sur river was directly behind me as I drew this.

Camping '06 #4 - rafting

Camping '06 #3 - beading

This is how Joan relaxes - by working! I shouldn't talk, I guess I'm drawing while relaxing. She and my sister-in-law made lots of jewelry while the kids played. (Just for the heck of it - Joan's web site.)

Flash tutorial - how to draw a head

I just happened upon this introductory level tutorial on how to draw a head. Some good general information about art supplies for sketching, too. It's interesting to see how different people divide up the facial proportions. This one's a little different than the classic eyes-in-the-middle-of-the-head version I learned. Also, the facial expression slider at the end is amusing.

Camping '06 #2 - new tent!

We had the old two-bedroom tent for about ten years and finally wore it out. Joan got a new one for this trip.

I found a French watercolor journal I've had for 16+ years and never used. Great paper. I tried to get the dapple-light filtered through the trees, with only moderate success.



The kids were constantly rafting down the river just behind the tent. Their swimming clothes were likewise constantly drying on a clotheline alongside the tent.

Camping '06 #1 - car died

Driving by myself up highway 101 to meet Joan and the kids in Big Sur - in the middle of nowhere the power goes completely out of the car. I coast up the nearest off ramp, Los Lobos Rd ("the wolves" road). There was a gas station, but upon closer inspection it had been boarded up and abandoned for years, weeds growing around it. Luckily I still got cell reception and help arrived in a couple hours. Not a good start to the annual camping trip, but the rest of the trip would turn out fine, thankfully!

Eating watermelon on the porch

Well, I'm off to go camping, just like this time last year. The kids and Joan have already been there a week. There won't be any posting for a while - until next weekend. Hopefully I'll have some sketching to post!

Get that cherry

Another good use of chopsticks.

Waiting at the veterinarian's

Our oldest cat has asthma, it seems. They took him away for x-rays and I stood there waiting in the examination room. Poor old guy.