Posts Tagged ‘Art’

My newest drawing: The Dragon.

Magician and one half of Scottish band Marmaduke Duke. Prismacolor pencils on 4×6″ black paper. Finished 6 December 2016. ~14 hours.

The Twilight Sad played two gigs in Portland yesterday, and I had the pleasure of chatting with the guys for a bit after each. I had drawn a portrait of James, and gave it to him after the first show, a small acoustic session at a local record shop. James is absolutely gracious and kind. And contrary to what he said, he is definitely NOT “an ugly bastard”.

My latest portrait: JP Reid (The Dragon), musician, songwriter, and one of the sweetest people on the planet. You may know him from his collaborations with Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro. Please listen to his bands: Sucioperro and Medals. <3

Graphite on 11×14” Bristol board (drawing is approx. 6.5×11”). ~46 hours.
Finished 17 July 2014.

[click image for full size]

So, I’ve been waiting to post these portraits until I had a chance to show the band – and show them I have. The boys have taken the original drawings home with them. I still have no words for how their hugs and smiles and comments have made me feel. <3

At the Doug Fir, Portland Oregon, 10 February 2014.

The portraits (click for larger version):

Simon Neil

James Johnston

Ben Johnston

Those boys, and their tour manager and their crew are so wonderful, sweet, and full of hugs. :D

—edited to add:
My beautiful photographer friend Hillary has put up some of her gorgeous photos from Seattle and Portland on her blog: Hillary Joy Photography :D

The barely-used laser-lit guitar owned by Matt Bellamy of Muse.
Mirrored plastic, Sculpey Premo! clay, acrylic paints, glass cement, X-acto knife.
Finished 28 August 2011.

It had been five years since my last attempt at drawing a portrait, so I finally made my little fingers get off their figurative asses and take up the graphite I’ve been storing away.
The result is the best portrait I have done to date.
The downer is, even though I was incredibly careful about comparing proportions (I don’t do the grid thing, that wastes a ton of time and I just don’t work that way) – the proportions are still just a tad off. His face came out just a bit too short somehow. Whatever, I can count it as just another practise run. Still annoying. It seems no matter how hard I try to be really good at any one thing, I always come out just under par.

Anyway, for those interested: David Tennant in Graphite on 70lb Paper.
click to view full image