Dressage. and crows.

This is how it goes. Wasn't too busy today, so I drew a lot of stuff. Flickr "available Sizes" sucks. Seems to fall right in the middle of what I would like. I can shrink it via the little numbers in the HTML thing, but then the pixels get all rough and destroys all the little lines. I suppose I could change my template. Don't want to destroy the whole thing, which can happen. (well, I tried, and I fixed it)

Anyhow, I worked at a stables for a while. The other one is a crow this morning outside my window.

Band

Here's an imaginary band I drew. A more realistic version (in a vague sense) of my "Skinny Nameless Punk" is the roadie. That cat must be deaf, or will be running away in a moment, when they strike up.

Lachine Canal Sketches

Drawing pictures while waiting for meetings. At least I get to sit outside, by the canal, but need practice drawing trees.

Cat and Guy

More cats, and serious-looking guys in the corner. God, writing is heavy-duty at the moment. I'm sure people would like to read in a blog about a TV scriptwriter making his way in the business. This is my 6th show, and I still feel like a neophyte. That's partly because I'm working with different directors on almost every show, and each has their own way of working. Still surviving, and trying not to get too stressed or defensive. It's only TV ... it's only TV...

Black Ball-Point Pen

People in the street the other day. Nice and scratchy.

That's actually not Terry Gilliam in front. It's a good-looking older man who was on the street the same day the bearded skateboarder guy was, too.

Delayed Update

Wow, I've been so busy at work. Nothing new that's been drawn to post. But paging through the sketchbook, I noticed that sneaky R. Gagnon has inked a drawing of Bono I did, during our meeting last Friday. So here it is. Just to give it a few more hits, here's a link to a comic strip the two of us collaborated on, if I can dig it up before going to bed.

Colour Sketches

Oh, hi. Here's crazy brain man, with bicycle above. And a sketch of Place Ville Marie (oh, all right, I got it wrong, some other downtown building), from life, as I was sitting on the banks of the Lachine Canal.

I think it's called the "Centre du Commerce," which translates as "Trade Centre." Kind of boring, but it's a prominent building on the skyline. Where's Mothra when you need her?

More Collaboration

More drawing with Richard Gagnon, letting him ink over my pencil drawings.

Aislin Illustration

This is cute. I'm not doing so many illustrations for the McGill Reporter Newspaper. But this issue, I got to illustrate an article by a famous Canadian Cartoonist, Aislin. A little strange, maybe, but he did a cover illustration, and the article went inside.

I was worried about the cartoon being too complicated, but it looks good in place. Don't know what Aislin would think about it, but I think it's cool. Strange caption underneath it on the web site!

Terry Gilliam Again

Yesterday's bizarreness was because I was watching "Tideland" by Terry Gilliam, and not enjoying it (all of those fake southern accents were incomprehensible). Feeling guilty about it, because Gilliam is such a persuasive salesman for unbridled creativity. I think it takes some dull discipline to go along with that creativity, and that's been my problem working -- reconciling the two. It would be different for me if I were a wild zinester, and wasn't always working for money. Still, I'd love to work on a film with him, though imagine I'd find it totally frustrating, but always "great" and "brilliant."

Skateboard Police

Somebody once said to me, "Jack, you're not a dreamer." But hey, look at this! I've created the "Skateboard Police" - hip authority figures who appeal to the young. Below is a man with a gun. Pictures of other things, mainly from reading about comic books.

Rainy Montreal Day

Just more drawings, on this Montreal rainy day. The first one, an imaginary lady, in her (I'm sure) very nice home far away from here. Second, a student, in a cafe, much closer to my world.

Dief the Chief

Tryin' ta draw the late Prime Minister John Diefenbaker for a project. This drawing is a little phantasmagorical, but better than the one that went in.

Dip Pen

Trying out my dip pen, on bristol board. It takes a bit to clean. I'd actually have to do illustrations more coarse than this, to reproduce, and not lose a lot of lines. Like R. Crumb.

Dog Walking

Nice day, but I'm not able to wander much, because work keeps me here at the home "office." Still, there's time to sit on the balcony and sketch. Mainly there are dog walkers, like this lady, and people taking their children to and from the local day care. It's interesting seeing them come in with an empty stroller, and leave with one or a group of tiny replicas of themselves.

Worried that too many of these drawings are of people facing the same way. Better get some variety in there!

Cute, and Overload

Drew this while listening to a podcast interview with the woman who does the "Cute Overload" blog. Can't have too many pictures of kittens!

Work's been stressful, but I'm managing it, so far. The weather's been so nice, it's hard not to sit on the balcony and relax. Trying to get all my work done. Thinking of this screenwriting blogger, who I guess I won't reference, because I'm not totally accurately reporting the story, but he got the go-ahead to write the pilot for a show he was pitching, but they wanted to see the finished script in four days. And, of course, it has to be great.

They honestly think you're as fast as a laser printer, and don't wander around an alley sometimes wondering what the line will be getting you from a shot of a goldfish to archival footage of the Empire State building (something documentary writers have to do, and be quick and brilliant about it).

Slightly larger sketches

These are from my slightly larger book, about 5 by 8 inches. Up top, the zither has too few strings. you'd think the artist wasn't really looking at one when he was drawing it.

Below, it's so terribly warm in Montreal right now, most people are dressed this way. Well, with a little more taste:

Little Sketches

Lots of little wash and pen drawings today in the 3x5 book. The first two are sketches based on ideas of old paintings, which I've doctored a little to look old. Below is a groom with thoroughbred on Newmarket Heath a la George Stubbs.




Below is an older lady from TV:



... and my attempt at drawing a guy in a funny cycle helmet:


A large old lady walking a dog,



And the equally decrepit dog she was walking:

Another Face

Still a little down, so wasn't doing much. This is another face from the little book. Tried colouring it in P-shop. More to learn about that. Maybe if I didn't drop out in the middle of tutorials....

Little Faces

A little book, about 3" x 5", so I'm putting little faces in it.