Ancient History Sketches

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Originally uploaded by Tim Clary.

In the summer of 2002 I decided I really needed to get back to drawing. In order to push through my usual bouts of self-doubt and procrastination I decided to use the cheapest materials I could (a $.99 9x12 newsprint sketchbook, charcoal pencils, and a kneaded eraser) and commit to filling the book as fast as I could. Two months later I had 50 pages of fast, fluid linework and dynamic compositions. I was quite pleased.

This was a great exercise and really sparked my creativity. (If only I could sustain that kind of energy all the time!)

(And since I can't figure out how to get multiple images to fly over here from Flickr, here's the link)

Scott McCloud @ R.I.T.!

Whoa! Just saw that Scott McCloud is going to be at R.I.T. on Monday Sept. 18th promoting his new book, Making Comics. Very exciting!

If you don't know McCloud, you should. He's probably the most important writer examing comics as an art form. His two previous books, Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics are seminal works not just in the comics field but are also studied in Graphic Design and Semiotics programs around the country (possibly the world). Soooooo glad I didn't miss this announcement.

Pete Turner @ Eastman

Nicole and I spent a wonderful day at the George Eastman House in Rochester. For those of you in the area you'll definately want to check out the Pete Turner exhibit which runs until February 4th. From the Eastman website:

The current exhibition, Pete Turner: Empowered by Color, on view through Feb. 4, showcases more than 50 world-renowned photographs representing all facets of Turner's work, from his first African expedition in 1959 to his latest images of architectural spaces. He is a photographic visionary who has pursued his uncompromising thirst for color saturation. Turner is a master colorist who broke all the rules in a pre-computer era, using the camera and wide-angle lens as his tools. His images have influenced generations of photographers and continue to inspire the way we view the colorful world around us.

His work is truly beautiful and if you've never been to the Eastman house (this was my first time) it's definately worth the trip for anyone interested in photography, architecture, botanical gardening, or art in general.

Everyday Matters Challenge #81 - Streetlight

Finally getting around to an actual challenge drawing! Here's a streetlight on the Erie Canal bikepath in Pittsford, NY. I had ice cream with Nicole there last Thursday and took some pictures of the canal. This sketch was done a few days later from the photos using Pitt brush pens and a touch of color pencil for the purple. (First time I've tried the new grayscale brush pens, I'm pretty excited about them) I may add some background detail of the canal but maybe not.

Nicole always asks me, “Can you smell the purple?” when we walk past these flowers.

Africa: An Artist's Journey

Laura from the Everyday Matters group recently posted a list of Artist's Journals that have been published as books. (Thanks Laura!) I'd like to add Kim Donaldson's incredible Africa: An Artist’s Journey to that list.

From Amazon.com:

Africa: An Artist's Journal is a fascinating invitation to share in the art and experience of walking where the animals walk. Kim Donaldson, an internationally renowned wildlife artist, grew up in Zimbabwe on a 150,000-acre ranch of unspoiled African bush country traversed by rivers, hills, and valleys and teeming with game. It is this stunning landscape that first inspired him to swap his hunting rifle for a camera and a sketchpad . . . and begin a lifelong passion for capturing on paper the wildlife of his native continent. Donaldson's stunning paintings and sketches have an intangible quality that can only be achieved by someone who has spent many years in the bush. Filled with spellbinding information about wildlife, culture, and history, this captivating journal is packed with scores of paintings, sketches, maps, and excerpts from Donaldson's diaries and notebooks to create a vivid and multilayered impression of this mysterious continent. Magnificent photographs and dramatic illustrations detail the spectacular plains Donaldson has visited, including Masai Mara, South Africa's Cape and Natal regions, the Serengeti, and Zembezi Valley, and more. The result is an enthralling journey through the magnificent expanse of Africa's most wonderful and surprising natural wonders.