Black Nostalgia and Gold Stars

Charcoal on Vellum Bristol

I still need to work on making the eyes more proportional and not as dark, but the overall shape of the face is getting better. It’s also the first time I’ve drawn in about three months. I’ve been putting most of my effort into the manuscript that goes along with the webcomic. Trying to get back to doing a little of both each day.

An Amtrak train passes before the work train pulls the railcars through the station.

Charcoal on Vellum Bristol

First attempt at drawing lips from photographs.

Charcoal on Vellum Bristol

Unfinished eye. After the stress of drawing lips for the first time I wanted to draw something familiar. I will finis it with an eyelid and the shading of the eye socket.

These trash creatures (like the one above) may be the basis of a new project. Looking at crumpled up papers and seeing curled up creatures is reminiscent of finding figures in clouds or ink blots, but the key to the project is going to be getting the viewer to see them as creatures made of trash.

Silver Gelatin Print

Silver Gelatin Print

 I wanted to see how well the textured glass in the walk sign would show up. Might have needed more direct light.

Wanted to see how well I could make a lower contrast image. My earlier work has been compared to x-ray images.

Silver Gelatin Print

The fly on this bench wasn’t the focal point of the image. I should have gotten closer like the next frame, but I was afraid to scare the fly off.

Silver Gelatin Print

Crunchy contrast that I love, but not really a whole lot of content. I’m more testing what the film is capable of here. If the fly had been at this range the previous shot could have been framed to include it better.

Silver Gelatin Print

Couldn’t pass up the opportunity when there is a skull next to a the image with a bicycle where the rider’s head is detached.

A much clearer trash creature. There is even an eye. Printed dark, but the paper was brown. I could increase contrast in a final print, but in the work prints I’m more concerned about viewing the images for culling purposes.

Silver Gelatin Print

Cant decide if I should print this one darker with more contrast to bring out some more shadow in the trash creature. Will have to experiment.

Silver Gelatin Print

Maybe a tent that one of the trash creatures lives in.

Charcoal on Vellum Bristol

Sometimes you just have to push through this shit – when you start doing crappy people and want to put it on hold – you fucking draw something hard like a Doors tee shirt and get over your shit. I did this sketch on my lunch break.

Focus tomorrow – Noses.

Focus this week – better eye holes and better hands.

Pencil on Vellum Bristol

After a while it gets hard to keep drawing the same thing with only incremental improvement. I’m not going to stop drawing people forever, I’m just shelving it for a few days.

Charcoal and Ink on Vellum Bristol

After a while the frustration negates any progress that was made and I end up with a drawing like the one above. I might work on lettering for a few days.