Utopia Moment sketches and writing by Jack Ruttan and friends

New stuff. I guess kind of the same, but I like it like that. I’m also enjoying some of the new gadgets on the blog. Don’t want to make it too busy.

I tried a couple of new themes, but didn’t like them as much as this one. This one was pretty old, and didn’t have a lot of devices I could use in it, but seems to be working.

I’ll fool with some other stuff, and see how it works. Unfortunately, I’m not a genius with CSS or any kind of computer programming, though I hazard to tinker.

This quick sketch I think really captured an aspect of Nora, the new cat. As spring comes in, she’s sort of lording it over the other two cats. Or, at least they’re nervous of her, but seem to hold their own. It’s a house of happy cats, still. Which is great.

I Photoshop coloured the woman I drew yesterday. Not that great at it, but that’s how you learn and get better.

I just found this in the book, and thought I’d put it up, part of a late night blog post. That makes me feel less guilty about not posting anything yesterday.

Just means “pictures,” I think.

A lot of technique involved in watercolour. Maybe it’s not something other artists deal with, but I find I have to work and relearn things if I want to do something well that isn’t just totally an accident.

Sounds as if I’m down on it, because it never looks as polished to me as my black and white drawings. I still get a kick out of working with it.

I want to paint, rather than just people blankly looking around, pictures with life in them. That’s why I like the visible strokes, and backgrounds which aren’t totally uniform.

I was drawing in that little book. Hence, things take less time to do. I’ll have to think about the implications of that.

Not sure what the black squiggle means. I had intended it as a design element, to balance things. This morning it looks ominous.

I did some more of these, but I’ll put them up later. Good night again!

Everyone’s been looking to the left, this time. Sometimes that seems easier. I’d also like to draw some things that have more of a story behind them, so they’re just not some anonymous face looking … to the left, for instance.

I like these little paintings. Though I have to take my glasses off to do them. The biggest is four inches high. These others, more like three and two.

No, he’s not Pedobear:

Another garish, unlovely watercolour to spoil your morning. But I’m not going to stop doing them. Maybe I will, and then what will you say?

Yesterday’s comic was my trying to do that. Get into a working routine that doesn’t take me too long (nobody’s paying for those pages yet! But they’re a lot of effort), and see what works.

That means finding what I’d like to do, and in what style. Also, as I usually do with the sketches that go on this blog, I’m just just putting whatever develops during the day out there, without too much thought beforehand of whether it’s good or not. Not censoring.

Impression of a news reporter, and delinquent boy from tv:

The character in yesterday’s comic isn’t me! He’s also not someone I know, though there are aspects of both. Don’t think he’s going to be a continuing character. Anyhow, it’s been a while since I did a comic regularly, and for some reason I’ve found them difficult to do. Trying to get out of that. And I enjoy telling stories, no matter how eccentric!

Nerd boy drawn mainly with the Pentel brush pen:

I’m also trying out techniques. Yesterday’s story was drawn with a dip pen, which was a little bit awkward, but I’m getting back into it. Other stuff is drawn with a Pentel brush pen. I also fool around with the pages on the computer a bit. Usually just to adjust the tone of the scan, but sometimes I try to fix things. I’m trying out a lot of what the computer can let me do, so that I can produce images that are funny, fast to produce, and look good.

Struggling with the dip pen (a Hunt #102 Hawk Quill):

Writing and drawing makes me feel good, and I’m lucky to be blessed with at least a modicum of ability, or inclination, towards these disciplines. The season’s been psychically rough so far, and I’m trying to smooth it out, get things running.

Woman from a “Making of” doc on a DVD, in colour ballpoint and black roller pen:

Meanwhile, I’m putting up yesterday’s production of sketches. I really do miss sitting on the balcony and drawing people. So during the Montreal winter I’m drawing people I see on DVDs I’m watching, or snapped with the camera, or who have just popped out of my head. Funny, they’re not the most dramatic scenes, but there you go.

Awful day yesterday, but got better. Did some drawing late at night with the Staedtler coloured ballpoints. That helped.

Always sketching: busy hands. I added her dress pattern via photoshop.

Yay, C’boys! One of them is vaguely Francis Ford Coppola, director of the Godfather films: