The Spark

India ink & ink wash on bristol board 

A few illustrations for the April issue of the Hypocrite Reader. Be sure to check out the articles!

India ink & color pencil on bristol board

A more "designed" piece, also for the Reader.

Saturday Morning's for the Birds

India ink, watercolor lampblack wash, and color pencil on bristol board (vellum finish); clockwise from the top-left: Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Magnificent Frigatebird, Glossy Ibis, and Chinese Pond Heron

Woke up at 8:30 with nothing to do, so I drew some birds. I might try to brave the weather to shoot the thunderstorm later today/this afternoon seeing as how everyone else I know will be recovering from their respective hangovers and will therefore be indisposed. If inclement weather forces me to seek refuge indoors, then I can always attend to that personal project I mentioned yesterday/earlier this morning.

Crop from larger image--I don't have a proper scanner (HP no longer makes Vista-compatible drivers for the antediluvian one I own), so you'll just have to put up with the grey backgrounds

Long Live Analog!

India ink, watercolor lampblack wash, and color pencil (!) on bristol board; minor color adjustments in Photoshop CS3

I bought a set of old-fashioned lettering pens and nibs a few days ago, and have been experimenting with them since. So far, the results are impressive: The pressure control of a two-dollar No. 55 student dip pen (yes, the kind you dip in inkwells) is simply peerless; Wacom's tablets are but pale (and expensive) imitations in comparison, at least when it comes to inking.

That said, the former is not without its drawbacks. Improper penmanship can easily result in unsightly ink blobs, excessive pen pressure can ruin the drawing surface, and India ink is a punishing medium in general. But I suppose that one indulges in analog illustration for the same reason one shoots film in this day and age: For the discipline it breeds and unmatched results it produces.