You know, there’s nothing like holding a palette full of paint in one hand and twirling a brush with panache in the other to really make one truly feel alive.
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Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles Sketchbook
Category: Sketchbook
Back in 2004 I was contemplating getting into using the watercolor medium. For many years I created illustrations with colored pencil and gouache, an opaque water based paint. Watercolor paint started catching my eye to the point of inspiring me to give it a try. But what would be a worthy image on which to test this new medium? The first piece to drip out of my brush involved an alligator and a bunny rabbit, but then….. MONSTERS!
In the classic Frankenstein movie with Boris Karloff, there is a moment when this big lumbering beast comes across a little girl. As an audience, you know what this behemoth is capable of, and the little girl who is none the wiser just sees a potential playmate. What if some monsters got snagged into playtime with a fearless little girl who just would not let them go? Instead, she is the monster, and they are the victims. With that backstory in mind, I created this piece which turned out to be the launch of my interest in fun monster art:
Some of you may have seen the above painting on my website, but what you have NOT seen before are some of the preliminary sketches from my sketchbook that were drawn in the quest for just the right combination of monsters to be tormented by this situation. An illustration doesn’t just fall into place with the first critters that come to mind. Below are a few beasties that didn’t make the cut:
The six fellas above were just a few of the dozen and a half heads that came out of my pencil. Three faces were needed, and three faces were found, but not all in a row. Scattered amongst the many pages of exploratory monster drawings were the three you see below – the three that made it into the final painting:
So, there you have the genesis of my interest in monster art! I also happen to love the Muppets, so that might help explain a bit of the ol’ Henson influence that may come through now and then, too. Come back again tomorrow for another strange creation that’s a vision, but only an illusion – a monster that has nothing to hide.
A few days ago I shared with you a few sketches I did last weekend of several composers I had the privilege of seeing at a panel discussion about their line of work. Their line of work helps put me in the frame of mind to do MY line of work (which is drawing if you didn’t already know), so why not do some doodles of these musical artists the only way I know how – in CARICATURE!
I stress the word “caricature” because with my last posting, there seemed to be some who missed the fact that I’m a CARTOONIST when responding to my art. I don’t do flattering portraits. My hand can only draw how I really see the world, so be afraid – be very afraid.
Seriously though, I have the utmost respect for my subjects. I LOVE their music, and really appreciated their insights brought forth by moderator Daniel Schweiger last Sunday afternoon.
So, I present to you today images from my sketchbook of David Newman (Hoffa, The Affair of the Necklace, The Spirit), Nicholas Pike (Parasomnia, Return To Me, Star Kid), Lee Holdridge (The Tuskegee Airmen, Splash, Secret of Nimh 2), and Ken Thorne (Superman II & III, Lassiter, Help!). Enjoy!
Thanks again to the great Peter Hackman for getting film music fans together for such a great event! Looking forward to next year’s!!
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I have a confession to make. It’s not something that I talk about much here, but it’s something that is a part of my daily life. It’s an obsession really. I’m not ashamed of it, but I’m also not sure how common my obsession really is. So, here goes….
Hi, I’m Chad, and I’m a film musicaholic.
Whew. Felt good getting that off my chest. Really, though, I love orchestral film music – especially while I am doing my drawings, and living here in the Hollywood area there are multiple opportunities to feed this hobby of mine. This past year I met a fella from the midwest named Peter Hackman who shares in this passion. So much so, that he formed a group called Fans Of Film Music, and this past weekend Peter put together a terrific event that film music fans across the globe should know about.
First, Friday evening about 30 film music enthusiasts gathered at a restaurant in Silver Lake, CA just to swap stories and get to know each other. I had never been to anything like it, and was amazed to meet these folks, many of which work in the film business or in the music industry. It was amazing hearing tales of being at James Horner’s first film scoring recording sessions, or about encounters with legends like Jerry Goldsmith or John Williams.
Many of these folks attended the John Williams concert held at the Hollywood Bowl Saturday night, but quite frankly, the icing on the cake is what went down Sunday afternoon at the Dark Delicacies store in Burbank. Mr. Hackman was able to gather together some amazing composers for a panel discussion open to only 45 attendees: Brad Fiedel (Terminator, T2, True Lies), Lee Holdridge (Old Gringo, Mists of Avalon, Splash), David Newman (Nutty Professor, Hoffa, Ice Age), Nicholas Pike (Return To Me, Sleepwalkers, Star Kid), Ken Thorne (Help!, Lassiter, Inspector Clousseau), Brian Tyler (Fast Five, Battle: LA, Rambo), and Christopher Young (Priest, Love Happens, Spider-man 3). Aaron Zigman (The Proposal, The Notebook, Flash of Genius) was scheduled to attend, but had a family emergency that prevented his attendance. Wonderfully moderated by film music critic and historian Daniel Schweiger, the hour and a half panel was riveting with these maestros telling tales of their experiences in their chosen profession.
I had a great seat, and sat there with my sketchbook in hand working on quick sketches of the panelists. Once at home, I finessed the drawings a bit. Anyone could show you photos of the day’s events (which you will probably be able to see on the Fans of Film Music Facebook page very soon), but I thought I’d share with you a few drawings instead…
If you like these, perhaps I’ll show you some more sketches of the other panelists later in the week. And if you’d like to see other art of mine related to the world of film music, CLICK HERE!
I like drawing bears, and every once in awhile I’ll take up a page or two of my sketchbook to doodle more versions of the fuzzy fellas. I don’t know what it is about them, really. They seem so huggable until you come across one in person, especially if you get between a momma and her young. Come to think of it, momma-in-law bears probably aren’t so great either. It’s not that they maul you with their claws, but the emotional mauling they can inflict will really do a number on your psyche. And they always seem to overstay their welcome.
If you like these critters, feel free to CLICK HERE to see a previous post from when I went bear happy.
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I was thumbing through my most recent sketchbook and thought that perhaps you might enjoy this little blue pencil/inked sketch of a mean ol’ pirate face. He’s so bad to the bone that he comes complete with a skull scrimshawed on his tooth.
The title of this piece is “Arrrrrrr!” You may ask yourself, “why seven ‘r’s’?” Answer? Because seven are much more intimidating than six.
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“I admire machinery as much as any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for us. But, it will never be a substitute for the face of a man, with his soul in it, encouraging another man to be brave and true.”
– Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870)
Well, I’m not sure the fella above is texting another man to be brave and true. Instead he is probably texting a friend saying “Yo, I’m down at the Coffee Bean where some weird dude keeps looking over at me and scribbling in a book!” I try not to be noticed when I’m sketching in public, but sometimes it’s hard to hide on a small patio. Lattè cups aren’t quite large enough to duck behind. Oh well. Still managed to squeeze out a sketch in between sips before the stranger got up and left.
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Back in the 1990s when the internet was young and naive, something called “e-mail” began to creep into our collective consciousness. I am usually not one to jump on a technological bandwagon immediately, choosing rather to observe its acceptance by others to gauge the likelihood of its staying power. For example, only recently have I been convinced of radio’s permanence.
That being said, I wasn’t the first to join the world of e-mail, but when I finally did almost fourteen years ago or so, I chose to set up my tent with the likes of Hotmail. For these many years, it has been a blissful existence where they have granted me access to instantly send a note to friends, family and business associates whenever I wanted to. As a result, the world was a smaller happier place.
However, Hotmail giveth and Hotmail taketh away. Two weeks ago, my blissful web existence was given quite a jolt when I tried to log in to my Hotmail only to be callously and digitally informed that I no longer could have access to my e-mail account with the excuse that it was perhaps hacked.
To further complicate matters, I was being asked a security question I have no remembrance of setting up, and as a secondary measure, I could contact them via a questionnaire in which I am to remember details of my account that I no longer can open. I filled this questionnaire out twice, only to have Hotmail continue to say they don’t believe that I am me.
Hotmail does not provide a phone number. They do not provide an e-mail address, nor a live internet chat system. So, what is a cartoonist to do? Well, here in my case I am letting the hundreds, perhaps even thousands of you to know of my struggle with this Microsoft product through my drawings and words. Treasured messages from family, important business e-mails, and not to mention my contact list are all locked behind whatever reason they have decided to bring my life to a screeching halt.
If one can’t depend on something as simple as an e-mail system, how can one ever be convinced to get a cell phone or to believe in the existence of Bill Gates? If the internet is no longer young and naive, then neither am I.
UPDATE: This issue did eventually get resolved. This post remains live, though, as a word of caution to you!