Sketches from the waiting room of the Queen Elizabeth Health Centre in Montreal. I was there to accompany a friend.
No one seems to mind me doing this. Cat and maus are imaginary….
June 21, 2023
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QE Health
By Jack Ruttan in ballpoint pen, black and white, sketches
June 16, 2023
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Gene Luen Yang
By Jack Ruttan in black and white, cats, collaboration, comics, sketchesBack in the early 2000s, I got to do a workshop at Montreal’s Blue Metropolis Book Festival with the great Gene Luen Yang. A movie adaptation of his graphic novel American Born Chinese is currently coming out.
The book the movie is based on is an amazing exploration of being young and having a Chinese background when you are living in North America. Certainly opened my eyes to a lot.
Here are a couple of drawings I created at the workshop. Not brilliant character design, but I was collaborating with the rest of the people at the table, and most of them weren’t artists.
He told me some interesting things. For instance, one of the hardest parts of drawing was getting your characters to stand up straight inside the panel. (computers can fix this, of course, but then you don’t have nice original art to sell).
His other point was to have one story happening on the page, but then implying a second story going on inside the characters’ heads.
But the coolest thing for me at the time, was hearing about Avatar: The Last Airbender. I picked the series up on DVD from the local video store, and it was a revelation to me.
May 10, 2023
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Guest Cat and Random Bird
By Jack Ruttan in cats, color, Jack's House of Cats, paintings, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
Things seen outside my friend’s back door window. Painted in watercolour in my cheap Dollarama sketchbook.
March 20, 2023
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Random Sketchbook Page
By Jack Ruttan in heads, Portraits, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
Like, from about 2018 or 19? I used to put these up when I did them. But got out of the habit, what with Facebook and all taking over from personal blogs…..
March 8, 2023
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Bad Paper Squirrel
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, watercolour
Now this critter was painted on incredibly lightweight paper (one of those make your own greeting card packs). She cockled up very badly, but I was able to flatten her.
Reminds me of a story about a job I worked at, colouring cels for an animated TV show that never made it to air….
March 7, 2023
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Watercolour Therapy
By Jack Ruttan in color, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
Got a ton of thick, good quality watercolour paper lately.
So, I’m just trying to paint, without worrying about ruining good paper. Not all of these are masterpieces, or will go on walls.
But they feel good to do.
Watching the paint dry, as Jill Thompson put it. I wonder what she’s doing, these days?
I sort of love backwash, which is supposed to be the worst sin in watercolour, anytime. But I think it’s cool and interesting.
January 24, 2023
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New Year!
By Jack Ruttan in sketches
Just trying to keep this thing up to date. I still use it. I don’t know who visits it….
November 28, 2022
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Cat Head
By Jack Ruttan in cats, watercolor, watercolour
Tags: cat, watercolor, watercolours
October 19, 2022
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Digital Burd and Flower
By Jack Ruttan in sketches
More digital things, thanks to Clip Studio Paint, and my Huion pad and stylus. Not too inspiring as a work of art, but I’m getting into pressing all the right switches and finding the commands. Someday I’ll record some things on Instagram, and you can see my wonderful process….
September 4, 2022
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Puck the Dog!
By Jack Ruttan in digital, dogs
Here’s a little picture of a dog I did for a birthday card. I was a little influenced by this artist I know on Twitter.
Sometimes it’s hard drawing dogs, and making the eyes not creepy. Adding a little white often helps, but some people just do “people eyes.” Or dots, as in this case.
July 20, 2022
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Puddle Duck
By Jack Ruttan in ballpoint pen, heads, sketches
Bits of a sketchbook page! Ballpoint pen and highlighters.