Cafe Racer Sketch

I started this out in pencil and wasn't happy with the definition of the lines so I used a pen brush to finish it up. I wish I could remember what kind of bike this is.  I think it had a "W" on the tank, but I omitted it on my sketch.  I'd love to be able to get one of these if I could figure out what it is.  Of course I'd be happy picking up any number of bikes.  Any number!

Graphite Sketch: Portrait of a Woman

This drawing was done with several forms of graphite.  I saw her in a magazine and liked the snapshot vibe of the photo.  Looking at this drawing, I'm reminded of how much I like to draw and paint people.  Be on the lookout for more portraits in the near future.

Another Concept Bike Sketch

 

Here's a second concept bike.  This time done with brush pens.  

Japanese Customs Remind Me of Light Cycles

Here's my Tron light cycle / Japanese custom scooter / general sci-fi inspired concept sketch.  I did it in Photoshop, trying to work on my tablet drawing skills. Anyway, you've got to check out the links below. 

So... Earlier this month I discovered Japanese Vanning.  Uh...  I'm not totally sold on this Vanning thing, but Japanese custom scooters are pretty amazing looking.  Again, maybe not very utilitarian, and who knows how legal they'd be in California, but I may want another scooter.

Star Wars: Leia Photoshop Drawing

 

I was going to try a sketch of Boba Fett with my new Wacom Tablet.  Instead when I went to find an image I ended up on FanPop with a pic of Carrie Fisher.  It's way more fun to draw scantily clad women than bounty hunters, or really, most other things.  There may be inaccuracies, like with the face and the thigh, but I can assure you that I focused on getting the boobs right.  Ha.  Actually I think I missed that too. It's okay.  I like how it all came out.  Next thing I need to learn with Photoshop is how to play with blur filters on different levels to make soft transitions for skin.  

Finished Painting: Motorcycle Portrait

 

I need to take more photos of the process of doing the painting.  I went from my drawing, to filling in the shapes with paint, to the finished product.  The last portion consisted of working the shadows, highlights, and filling in the details. 

Developing Painting: Motorcycle Portrait

I began this painting with a pencil drawing from a photo, then started filling in the shapes with black and gray.  I forgot to take a photo while it was still sketchy.  It's also a bit neater than usual, too.  I like the mistakes and eraser marks.  Oh well...  Note to self:  Next time, take more photos earlier in the process and don't be so tight with it...  (Continued)

Bobber Drawing

I did this one in pencil and then finished it with a dying marker.  I love the crop of it.

Holiday Wrapping Paper

This is just creepy to me.  Neat, but creepy.  I had a doodle of a motor that I put into Photoshop to play around with and began drawing.  It began as a hand, then the eye consumed all.  I could see this as some of the most Kafka-esque wrapping paper.  

Ukulele Player Doodle

I play the uke from time to time so I doodled out a ball-point pen sketch.  I'm not so much into the Hawaiian music as much as the diversity of this little, unassuming instrument.  The things people can do with ukuleles are amazing.  Check out Jake Shimabukuro.  He's the king of uke currently.

Actually, while writing this post I got distracted finding other links of some wonderful uke playing.  Most of it doesn't actually show diversity.  Just go on YouTube and do some searches for "ukulele" and your favorite band...  This is cool.  And so is this, for example.  Damn, what talent.  There's a lot to love about the interwebs.  Oh and one last very catchy, but inappropriate one with major profanity (Seriously.  I'm warning you.).

Ducati Sketch

Just a rough sketch of a Ducati, then layered and flipped in Photoshop.  I like the glassy feel on the black.

Two Up Sketch

It's another Pitt Pen Brush drawing.  I think I went straight to paper with the pens, starting with the lightest, working towards black.  After finished with the drawing, I decided that I liked it better cropped close than showing the whole bike.  The original photo was from a cool, photo intensive motorcycle magazine, Dice.

Smoking Dragon Doodle

It's just a doodle inspired by a tattoo design of Ouroboros, (a dragon eating it's own tail). I had to look it up on Wikipedia, and found out that in the mythology of many cultures it represents a sort of phoenix, symbolizing rebirth, immortality, and duality.  I like that by humanizing half of the dragon with a gut, legs, shoes, and even a cigarette, I'm polluting the original symbolism connected to it.  To be human, we're sorta throwing out the potential rebirth, immortality, and duality.  It's a strange serpent in the garden of eden.

Harley-Davidson Mini Bike

I was looking at this old Panhead from an article on motorcycles in Cuba, in the latest issue of Cycle World.  As I starting sketching it, it started feeling like a toy to me.  Again, I started the drawing in pencil, and switched to a set of four jumbo Pitt brush-tip pens.  I'll play with these for a little longer, then probably get into something terribly messy like charcoal.

Harley-Davidson Super Glide Sketch

I love the simplicity of the motorcycle.  At it's heart, the machine is built for the single purpose of moving forward and is basically a motor and transmission, seat, wheels, controls, and a chassis to hold it together.  Nothing is wasted on the design of a bike.  Everything built into it is essential to the function.

I like the simple lines and how blueprint-like the drawing came out.  I used a graphite stick and regular drawing paper, took a photo and put in in Photoshop.  I adjusted the levels, and desaturated part of it.  I had trouble with some elements of the left side of the drawing, but intentionally left the smudges and missed lines.  I appreciate the sketchy quality with evidence of the process of creating the piece.  I think it seems more human and way more interesting than a fully-perfected work of art.

An Arm Stabbing another Arm with Vandalism Sketch

Again, done at a meeting.  What is it with me and meetings?

This was done in pencil on copy paper and then I threw it in Photoshop and selected all of the dead space around the subject.  I put a mask on it, then adjusted the hue to fade the background.  I am enjoying playing with sketches in Photoshop especially with my new Wacom pen.  (It's my new toy, that's why all the praise.)  

Actually, if you want some weird flash art done, just tell me what you want before the meeting starts...

Staff Meeting

Hmm...  I wonder what I might feel subconsciously at meetings.  There should be hints in this doodle, but I'm just not seeing it.  I guess I tend to doodle anywhere I have something to write with.  In high school, I drew illuminated manuscript style on my Chuck Taylors.  Now I guess it's at meetings.  The difference is that now I am attentive to what's happening in the meetings.  In math, well...  I maybe should have paid more attention.

I wish I could see some of those old Chucks.

Badass Eyeball

I love how evil this turned out.  This could look cool on a fuel tank or fender.  I like the jester or devil above the eye.  He just sorta popped out to me.