Utopia Moment sketches and writing by Jack Ruttan and friends

Pencil drawings, coloured and otherwise. The title of the post is the title of one of those great old Andy Loomis art technique books. But one I don’t have.

This is a pencil drawing in my big book. I was too lazy scan it, and stitch it together, so I snapped it instead. Now I feel to lazy to write anything about it. It’s kind of self-explanatory. All my drawings of women at the moment are going to my burlesque project. But I felt like drawing some men for a change. God, I just noticed how short one of those arms is. I guess that’s why it’s in pencil!

Bought these pencils at a new art store I saw, that had opened up on Laurier Street near Papineau. There used to be a framing shop which had a smattering of art supplies. Now, I guess they thought they’d move out and expand the art supplies. This is welcome, because there’s a dearth of independent art supply stores in Montreal. Still, I wish there was a place which sold things which weren’t like all the other places. Probably would pay too much for them.

Anyhow, I thought the pencils were on sale. They weren’t, but I bought them anyways, because I wanted to patronize the store. They were $2.00 each, but very nice pencils. They seem to slide across the paper a little more easily than the cheap variety. I was careful not to smudge too much, and even sprayed fixative over the paper afterwards. But pencil drawings don’t last long sandwiched in the book (we’ll see).

Not going to draw too many all-pencil scenes, but here’s one. Like usual, it’s just a collection of characters that happened to end up on the same page, vaguely unified by a sketchy background. And, as usual, I’m now seeing plenty of things I missed, and could finish up. Work on complex things is hardly every finished. There’s always something left to do.

Just because I found it this morning via the #kidlitart discussion group on twitter, here’s some advice from an art teacher on how to improve one’s work.

…in old Montreal. Sketched this reader: a very proper older lady, hair slightly blown by the wind. A hoard of daycare kids thundered by several times in a running exercise, and she never looked up, or moved at all.

Below, it’s the terra-cotta pencil. I’m getting more interested in backgrounds to these kinds of things. But I find them more successful when there’s a story, or attitude to the character that I can express. Rather than just trying to suggest physiognomy.

Drew some nuns this morning, after watching Doubt. Pretty cool film. I liked the backgrounds, which I could have sworn were Montreal, but were carefully shot in the Bronx, New York. The bonnets are a little fantastical.

I’ve been in a bit of a mood lately, and not posting much. But still drawing things. Some of which are clever, or all right. I’ve actually got 3 comic strips on the go, which I’d like to finish. Those, of course, are all brilliant. We’ll see.

In the meantime, because Easter weekend was warm, I sketched some animals and other things I saw from my balcony. These you see here (some are a little exaggerated). Also played with my graphics tablet. Those you won’t see! At least not now.

In the meantime, check out my Good Friday Window Cats.

Saw a cute cat downstairs when I went out to get groceries. So I pledged that I would snap every cat I encountered on the trip to the supermarket. The last one is my girl cat, in the window. The toughest one to get was the orange cat, cause a beefy guy was sitting on his step when I took out the camera. But I pretended he wasn’t there, and snapped the cat, and that was that.

I’ve gotten in trouble for some of my street snapping. But that’s part of the game.

Cats are slime. Little cat this morning woke me up by knocking over books and a fan, as above. I’m sure she thought she was awesome.

Below is a rendering of cat violence at its worst, chez Ruttan. The large cat, Mr. Boggedy, thwacks with his eyes closed, which is a little ineffectual. But he’s always very relaxed, until he runs away. Nora, on the left, usually starts things. Ms. Boggedy likes seeing other cats get thwacked.

Random pencil drawing of cat (Mr. B) and plant.

He’s watching you. Right now.

Just more drawings, with photoshop flourishes. I’m getting into the WACOM tablet, but still can’t really draw anything with it.

The first one worked out pretty well. Kind of Frank Miller-ish, except it’s a non Frank Miller subject. Will work on making blog posts more exciting. But at least they’re quick to do!

New Wave kid. The above and top are more or less inspired by the film Control, about the lead singer of Joy Division. Below, just things on the street. Dogs go by, people go by.

Sometimes I wait a while and then post a lot of sketches I’ve done, but didn’t post, for whatever reason. Nice not to have to look at my friend’s death notice first thing when I visit the blog, however.

Kind of like what a complete page in my sketchbook sometimes looks like, rather than a nice drawing excerpted and isolated to show you. Again, the usual paints on a thin, sketchbook paper.

I’m a little bit torn up this morning, because a pro illustrator (more successful than I, at least) looked over my website and said the things in black and white were more “professional” than the ones in colour.

She was trying to help, and be honest, (and she’s probably right!) but I’m just barging ahead anyhow, hoping someone likes something. Artists have huge egos, and I’m no exception. I think it’s part of how we function. Personally, I’d like to have a less fragile one, so I can take criticism better, but at the same time not be in denial about my level of ability. I know some artists like that (and no, it’s not you!)

My trouble is that if I’m in any way methodical or self-critical about what I do, I get blocked, and the work gets awkward. The fun drains out. So I purposely put on blinders. I seem to get much more praise than critique, anyhow, so have learned to take it all with a grain of salt. If people want to buy it or print it, then I feel it’s all right. Sometimes they do. And I know I’m not Bob Peak or Maurice Sendak, but that’s okay.

I think successful people in general don’t let failure or shortcomings slow them down, or get in the way. Of course, if you have no talent and think you do, you’ve got problems, and will go through life frustrated, like some artist-manques I’ve known. Such as this writer who knocked off an atrocious “novel” every two weeks, simply by free-writing for extended periods of time. He got angry and frustrated, because people didn’t think of him as the new Henry Miller. There are obviously combinations of talent, business-sense, and confidence which let you succeed. I think it’s pretty rare to have all three, elsewise we’d all be rich.