No one plans on starting the new year off with getting sick and battling a nasty cough and cold. And yet here I am… Ah well. Until I get myself feeling 100%, here are some bears. And a girl. With some marker seeping through.
I just had a chance to check out the the animation design of Mary Blair over at the Cartoon Art Museum. I wasn’t aware of Mary as one of the first women concept designers for Disney, or her work by itself. However, you instantly recognize her style, since her designs and color styles are distinctly apparent in such classics as Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Peter Pan, The Three Caballeros, and more. She designed the It’s a Small World ride in Disneyland! You can’t escape her work. We have all grown up with her style and whimsy, and I find myself smiling at images of her art that keep popping up in my mind. She managed to capture something iconic, full of warmth, surreal, and yet playful in her designs. I can only hope to try to emulate some her essence in my own work. Go check out the exhibit! It’s up through March 18th, 2008.
Enrico Casarosa is the architect behind this very cool premise. On Sunday, March 6th, artists from all over the world will meet, wherever they are, and spend the day wandering through their city, documenting their day through drawings. People post their drawings to the site when the day is done to share with everyone. Now, artists generally take their books out to draw on their own, but this is an actual organized event that will happen simultaneously in several different countries. How Enrico got this to be an international event I have no idea, but it’s probably the coolest thing ever. And a great way to make artist-friends in your area!
Solveig is a wonderful model who we work with occassionaly at Expression College for Digital Arts. I’ve been spending time at the college instructing drawing labs. Feels good teaching the importance of a solid foundation of drawing skills to the students. Plus a chance for me to keep up the figure drawing and try to get better. There is always room for improvement. How those skills secretly slip away if you don’t keep up on a regular basis. Like doing scales for a musical instrument, drawing from life is imperative to keep your mind and eye sharp as to understading form, weight, light and composition.
