“It’s called being a bad ass.” – James Rhodes (War Machine)

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Finally back from my not-so-brief hiatus to focus a bit more on the Ghost Scrolls. During my break, I’ve been thinking more about what I want this blog to be and  my experience with my first “Sketchbook of the Month” — which took two months to complete. After much thought, I’ve decided that this blog will serve as a journal of my endeavor to push my meager artistic abilities to the next level.

A few of the new features I’ll be publishing are: On My White Board (OMWB), Art Trading Cards (ATCs), Artist of the Month and Food for Thought (working title). Next month, I’ll also be bringing back my Sketch of the Week (SotW) as I draw through a brand new Moleskine sketchbook. I’ve done some preliminary sketches in the book and, let me tell you, using a Moleskine for the first time takes some getting used to. I’ll also be experimenting with different styles, media and techniques. It all sounds great, but where to begin?

While interning at Marvel, Tim Tuohy (assistant editor at the time) looked at my high school portfolio and suggested that I “study the basics.” He went on to say that, “George Bridgeman should be your Bible.” So, in the summer of ’93 I found myself hand drawing page-by-page Bridgeman’s Guide to Life Drawing. After that, I tackled Bridgeman’s The Human Machine. Tim was right. I found the notably square interpretation of the human figure to be a perfect complement to my naturally round style of drawing.

That summer of Bridgeman has served me well. It steadied my hand through four years of college anatomy classes, not to mention several more of doodling and illustration. Although it’s woven deep into my interpretation of the human figure, lately I’ve found manipulating the figure difficult. My mind is willing, but my hand is weak. That said, the time has come again for me to take up the collective lessons of Bridgeman’s Drawings. For the rest of the summer, I will be focusing on both human and animal anatomy. This will include coffee house sketches and perhaps more than a few trips to the zoo. I’ll post any sketches that I think are worthy. Feel free to comment, question or critique.

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