Temporary Blog, or New Blog for the New Year?

Lots of silliness, not being able to publish in the blog over the holidays. It got me to set up another blog http://ouchblog.ca/wordpress (now taken down!) on Wordpress, and now I'm getting it figured out (I think: it's not as easy as they say, at least to someone who has never heard of an SQL database before.)

Yeah: fun, and easy to understand that stuff is not, especially to such a non-linear 'creative' type such as myself. Even though my Dad was a programmer, and I used to go to his office after school and play on his PDP 11, I never was much good at typing in those numbers to make banners and such, even though I tried hard. My current adventures with CSS are an equivalent to that. I'm forcing myself to learn it, even though for others it would go much faster. But they couldn't write a Goat comic story! )

So, I'm going to keep doing things over there, twiddle with the template, add links, etc. and then migrate the archives for this blog over there. I've also got to associate it with the utopiamoment.ca address, which I think I'll be able to do (but all of this won't be as easy as it is made out to be, for a number of baroque and recondite reasons). I'll keep this blog up, but under the bizarre http://mruttan.ca/mruttan.ca/blog/blog.html address the machine gave me, because those ftp path things are hard to figure out(at least for me!).

I know it's a lot easier to keep all the files with blogger, and use their automatic system, even if it does conk out once in a while, but I like the control.

Anyone understand any of the above? If not, don't worry, it's not important. Except for you finding the new blog, and enjoying all that sketchy goodness the six of you people out there who visit regularly have come to love.

Cowboys, Parking

Above is a cowboy, parking, and below is Miss Precious Perfect and her friend.

All Washed Up

Here are Marr's two drawings from the other day, all washed up. It does help the blood stand out, doesn't it?

I like the pleasant and happy expression on the psycho killer. He's doing what he loves!

Same Place, Different Collaborator

Had my usual Friday night meet at the Cock N' Bull Bar. One difference though: Every other night I've been drawing with my friend Richard Gagnon. Well, this evening, Rick was visiting his family off in Saguenay, Quebec, so I was with his and my friend Marr, who had met with us during the last two Fridays. Marr enjoyed the process of collaboration, and the flexing of drawing muscles, so he and I kept the weekly tradition going.

Where Rick is a finisher, Marr is a storyteller, with an amusingly morbid imagination. He saw the insulin needles of one of our friends at the bar, and came up with the scene of the guy injecting himself, above. I continued it across the centrefold to add a horrified, but fascinated, girlfriend. Also, I got to do a lot of the finishing, this time.

Below, it's Marr doing the inks, also choosing the subject. I had drawn a woman's face on the page (of a brand new sketchbook, by the way!), and Marr put her into this scene. I had the idea of adding the other arm, belonging to Harry, I suppose.



The last drawing is by Marr alone. This character is wearing my sweater and scarf. Not my smile, however. Since these were both done in my book, I've taken them home, and might add some lights and darks later. At the moment, they're as the original artist left them.



I'm looking forward to Rick coming back, of course, but working with another imagination is a fun new experience. In every collaboration, you never know what's going to end up on the page.

Cat Scanning

Yesterday was a bit of a trial. I didn't have family to do a Christmas thing with, so instead I learned about SQL databases (the first time I've heard of such things) and WordPress in an attempt to rescue this blog. Should have known things would be set to rights before long, but it was frustrating watching the wheels spin, and nothing being posted. Check the temporary sister blog I set up on a web address which is going to expire at the end of January: http://ouchblog.ca/wordpress

So, I drew a lot. Above is a comic strip which started with that first panel, the man staring at the cat on the scanner: a drawing that hang around my sketchbook for months.

Then Nora the cat decided to sit on my scanner, and would not get off, so I scanned her.

I'm happy she didn't consider it a high-tech litter box.

There's a whole website devoted to people who put their cats on scanners. So, it's not that unique an image. But I like how she looked down at the last moment, so the scan captured her nose, even though it seems separated from the rest of her. Cubist cat.

That inspired me as to what to do for the rest of the comic.

Last, a disturbingly (now I see it -- it wasn't obvious before) hairless gorilla, done in gouache.

Drinking

I don't know. I was worried about this one while drawing it. The barrel wasn't round, I didn't know where the blacks were going to go. Nothing was planned out. But I sort of just went with it, and ended up enjoying myself.

Cheez, Louise! I was mucking around with this blog a lot, because for a couple of days (actually only one) it wasn't working. Now it is. But now I've successfully (I think) set up a blog on WordPress, after a lot of screwing around with PhP, and then finding out my server has the program set up automatically (but an earlier version, so we'll see how that works!). Still, it would be nice to have things slightly more spiff, design-wise, and all under my control.

Finishing off a sketchbook.

With the end of a year coming up, it's appropriate that I've filled up one of my sketchbooks. It's a little hardcover one, about seven inches square.

More movie people above, trying to be Sean Connery and Michelle Feiffer from Russia House. Below, kind of a Matrix guy, and an anonymous comic book character. Bottom, just an office woman yelling in the margins. That's all!

Encore

Forgot about this one, but after Rick reminded me in a comment on the last post, found it on the back side of a page. It's Gene Hackman and friend from The Conversation drawn by me, and inked last Friday by Rick Gagnon. What's the point of drawing people while watching movies? Purely for the giggles.

Homework

The guys from yesterday's post, Marr and Rick, gave me a drawing to take home and ink. Marr did the central figure, Rick filled in the rest. I struggled with it, because some of the details were quickly sketched in, and I didn't have the artists around to explain it to me. I thought "that guy" was the person in behind. There was a roughly hemispheric shadow on the front guy's shirt, but that was it.

So I did one version, and after having scanned it, finally got what they were getting at. So I had to strengthen the shadow, darken the arm, and add the ear. I underlined the word "that." Still can't figure out why they're holding hands.

Then There Were Three

More hands to draw at the Cock N' Bull Bar. I'd have to label these "Gagnon and Marr Fridays," but that's too awkward. Still, our third friend's presence was welcome, and gave a new perspective to things. He'd brought his sketchbook, which, if you'll recall from last week's post, his wife gave him, but he hadn't taken out until he was in the presence of Gagnon and I. We've been doing some drawings in that. These weren't scanned, they're snapped with a compact camera.

Marr drew this, and Rick inked it. I added about four lines, at the end: around the arms.



This is a drawing by Marr of Wong, the pub's chef, inked by me.


Here, Rick is autofocussing, as he takes a picture of me taking a picture of him. He and Marr gave me a birthday gift that night, How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. I don't really want to draw comics the Marvel Way, but it's a lot of fun, anyways.


Finally, two old guys, drawn by me, gone over slightly by Gagnon. I thought it was dark enough, but there's always room to do something.

Collected Goat

On my website, in my new Comics section, (please give a visit) I've just put online my comic strips about the Goat and Rabbit, two characters I drew in the 90s, and had adventures in what was essentially the Canadian literary world.

It was published for a year, 1990-1991, in a magazine called Books in Canada. That used to be a nice little book review magazine I remember from high school and college days, and then it got glossy, and I was published in it. Thanks to editor Paul Steuwe, who gave me my run. The mag doesn't exist any more, but before it died, it was bought by an outfit which made it kind of right wing. Then it was shut down, and all the articles on it were published online without the writers' permission.


Drawing everyone in it as an animal I thought that would help me in a satirical way, because you're not drawing Margaret Atwood, you're drawing a seal, and you can make points about racism, etc, using lions and sheep. I don't know if anyone got it, but I met a couple of fans. The strip was cancelled after a year and replaced by reruns of Drawn and Quarterly strips. Still, I'm pretty happy with it. I put out these strips as a zine, and am now putting them online, so you can all enjoy them. And, it spurs me on to make new stuff.

900th Post

For my 900th post, I give you a drawing of a guy looking at a clock, and being scared. That's it. Don't ask me to explain, because I don't understand it myself. I'm sure there's an exciting story behind it, about the passage of time, or maybe there's a monster hiding in the clock, but that's for you to figure out.

Maybe he's a blogger, shocked at how much time has passed. At least I still have more hair.

Bettie Page

This isn't such a great drawing of the late Bettie Page (top, darn it), but I like the shot of the cat commenting on it.



Below, hide your eyes, kids! Drawing nudity, from my art book The Figure in Motion. The trouble with this book is none of the photos in it are of postures ever adopted by real people. Bad girl superheroes, maybe, but that's not my speed.

Christmas Cards

Since I didn't have many Christmas cards to send, I painted them individually, or rather, on a big piece of paper divided into four. The people getting these don't generally go on the Internet, so I don't think I'm spoiling the surprise.

These were painted freely, and as quickly as possible, because I seem to make fewer mistakes that way. Of course, they could all be mistakes, as they correspond to no known natural objects (aside from a few deer), but that's fine with me. And I hope with my recipients.

Crinkly Paper

The paper was thin, and somewhat bent, though I kept the scanner lid down, and it's hardly noticeable. I think the above is a couple of strange tourists in Venice, which I hear is mainly underwater these days. That's a drag, if true.

Black Ballpoint Pen

Hey, I actually took time out from stuff to draw things for the blog. A little busy these days, even though I'm hardly leaving this room. One of the disadvantages of computers. Kitten is driving me nuts as well. She likes to attack the computer when she's in the room, and yelp when she's locked out.

Anyhow, above is a knight drawn with the black ballpoint pen. I think that helmet would be impossible to see out of.

Below is kind of Judd Hirsch from "Numbers," and a crazy guy.

More Hands Make the Sketching More Fun.

Getting a little crowded at our table at the Cock N' Bull pub in Montreal. Rick's writer friend Marr was there with his wife Kari. I had brought my super watercolour pencils. Marr added a scary crocodile to my drawing of a couple of regulars, and I enhanced that, while Rick added colour. It has a nice Jack Davis feeling to it.

Marr had a sketchbook, too. A gift from Kari, though he had hardly opened it. He did this guy, inked by Rick, and snapped on his portable camera.



Then Marr got Kari to draw this character. I added a couple of faces in the back, and Rick inked.


Rick was also busy inking these characters drawn by yours truly:



So, the blog looks busier now, at least.

Dereliction of Duty

Sorry for not posting at my usual regular clip. Been a bit more discerning in what I put up here, and haven't really drawn something complete which I like. Been having a birthday, and doing business stuff, which, happily seems to be working out. So, the next decade seems bright. I am 50 now, but people tell me I look in my 30s. I credit this edgy lifestyle of mine. Also, walking and cycling everywhere. Plus I got an involuntary skin peel in my 20s thanks to a furnace explosion. Still, I'm a 50 year old who still gets acne, though I'm not very wrinkly.

But enough about me. I've decided when there's not a cool drawing to post, I'll put up pictures of the cats, or something like that. So here's your cat. It's annoying Nora, getting hair on my printer.

I've noticed that getting the reflections of light in the eyes makes them come alive. You know, in movies, they have a person whose whole job is holding up such a light in front of actors, just out of camera range.

Just Monkeying Around in Watercolour.

Drawing Party

Went to a thing the other night called a "drawing party." Sounded better in French. One thinks the last thing one wants to do at a party is draw. Actually, at many parties, I end up drawing. This was fun, though. Wish I had a link to the facebook page or whatever showing all the different things the people drew that night. There were comic book artists, animators, designers. Our host's place was a paradise of books and art tools, etc.



Someone told me not to show this drawing to the person in the left corner. I did, anyhow. I think it was okay.

Busy Night

Busy night at the Cock N' Bull, at the usual table, doing drawings with my friend, R. Gagnon. Above is a careful drawing of mine, inked by Gagnon. She resembles the villainess in some pulp story.

Below is Yang (in green), the hero of a Western comic Rick showed me, from the era of the Kung Fu tv series.


A guy that Rick drew, and gave me to ink:


Finally, Rick thought he was done, when I drew a person from a photo from his book about hoboes. He was inked well by Rick, and then the band started setting up. Our friends fled from near the stage to the bar, and it was time to go home.

More Inky Stuff

Black and white, again.

Caleche Horses, and positive reviews

Another sketch. Hard to keep the lights and darks in line, but as a former Calgarian, and a person with dealings with horses in that existence, horses rule. These are the horses you see in Montreal. Well, there are also those the police ride. Haven't seen them for a bit.

Plus, a nice thought forwarded via e-mail from Gagnon about that zine he and I did:

Truly TRULY enjoying a slow exploration of the C'n'B collaboration with Ruttan. I'm not a drinker, but I do love face-and-behaviour-watching at bars (and the good old Cock n' Bull is filled to the glorious frothy brim with good watching!), and you've captured so many interesting faces, expressions, moments...

Really, you make me want to pick up a satisfyingly thick marker and a small blank notebook so that I can fill them with impressions of faces.

You're truly gifted. Thank you for sharing.

MJ

Betty Goodwin is Dead

Oh no, no no. I have to write another remembrance. Betty Goodwin was one of Canada's major artists, and a wonderful lady. I interviewed her for a cover story for the Montreal Mirror free weekly paper, which for complicated reasons never got published, but we were always on nice terms, meeting in the street. It seems her husband pre-deceased her by a few weeks. She was pretty frail in her later years, and had Parkinson's disease, but kept making art. I hate the idea that I won't see her on the Main anymore, in line for a sandwich.

Space Girls

Promised some drawings from Mary, the girl sitting next to me at Expozine last weekend. Her table was filled with posters, zines, craft items from her and her friends. Seemed to be doing good business. She was nice enough to draw the space girl above in my watercolour book. I nearly screwed it up putting watercolour on it later (she'd said I should do that), because the drawing was in water soluble ink, but I think it's okay.

Very interesting how it's a totally different style from the kinds of things I do. This is my space girl, for instance:


I was tempted to say it's a girl vs. guy art thing, with girls doing decorative playful things, while guys are more technical, trying to imitate life. But then I thought of a lot of guys who do the simpler style, such as Marc Bell, and Siris.

Anyhow, I think both styles are great. Of course, I love playing with the realism, but enjoy simple, designy things, too. Here are some people faces from the fair, which Mary drew that day:

Expozine Day 2

I splurged for a table this time, so I wasn't just sitting in the cafeteria area drawing folks. Didn't sell a ton of magazines, but had fun and met people, which I suppose is the point. My book looked kind of the same amidst all the other books. So I just painted faces of the funny people all day long.



The girl beside me drew some cool things, and gave them to me. I'll post them when I find them. Hope this is enough for now!