No time to write! Just a pair of characters for today.
Tags: men, sketches, watercolour, women
August 10, 2011
0
Extreme Norosity, and other things.
By Jack Ruttan in cats, men, sketches, watercolour, women
Nora was looking cute the other night. So I painted her. Was she THIS cute? Still, pretty darn cute.
More of the usual thing. A pilot woman, in front of a Battle-Star Galactica kind of thing.
One of my usual sketchbook pages. Including Garlic Heads.
Tags: Animals, ballpoint pen, cats, men, Nora the cat, sketches, watercolour, women
August 9, 2011
0
Painting Away the Blues
By Jack Ruttan in cats, men, paintings, ruttan's place, sketches, women
Painting and drawing stuff makes me feel better. here’s are some things from yesterday and this morning! Above is Bamako the Black Cat, whom I’m taking care of for the moment, and an Evil Skwirl.
Below, some sketches from my balcony I drew with a ballpoint pen I just bought. Can’t resist trying out a new pen, even cheesy blue ones from the dollar store.
Faces I had drawn a while earlier, but just basically coloured in:
Tags: Animals, ballpoint pen, cats, colour, men, paintings, ruttan's place, sketches, women
August 5, 2011
2
Heroes and Ordinary People
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, men, watercolour, women
In the brush drawing, I’m imagining Wonder Woman’s frumpier, older cousin. I always think that these glamourous types have relatives who are less impressive, and jealous of them.
This is Cyrano de Bergerac. In one of his works, he built himself a pair of wings, and flew to the moon. Gotta love that Cyrano!
Then, just a bunch of random colour sketches of things on the street. I’m happy with these, because I kept the contrast up. Not easy!
Tags: Animals, colour, dogs, men, pencil, watercolour, women
August 3, 2011
0
Trials of Moms, etc.
By Jack Ruttan in men, watercolour, women
Lots of parents go by here, taking their charges (sometimes unhappy) to the nearby day care. May draw a few more, as there are all kinds.
Just some more faces, with that yellow treatment I was speaking of:
Tags: men, watercolour, women
August 1, 2011
0
AddYellow
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, watercolour, women
I’m still messing with yellow, which gives a quality of “light” to my sketches. Of course, I also have to manage the lights and darks to make this work.
This is some mad spaceship. I used to draw spaceships all the time as a kid, influenced by Star Trek and 2001 A Space Odyssey. I still love the 1960s style of futurism, a la Vaughn Bode and others, which still strikes me as elegant, and futuristic to boot. Interesting how each decade has its own style of futurism. A little harder to parse these days, but that means the science fiction illustrators have to work harder, to invent a convincing “look.”
Yay, it’s Gollum:
And, someone in a blue catsuit:
Tags: colour, sketches, watercolour, women
July 29, 2011
0
Stuff Out of My Head…
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, women
…Or, I’m not telling you where it came from! One of those kinds of days.
Tags: men, sketches, watercolour, women
July 28, 2011
0
Pretty Women
By Jack Ruttan in paintings, sketches, watercolour, women
I’m getting used to the idea that I’m not a particularly precise or careful painter, but the better pictures seem to be the ones I don’t fuss over too much. I’m not good at underdrawing and structure. When I try to use them, the results seem forced and stiff.
I think these are nice, because I relaxed with them. Still have to worry about drawing, lighting, and colour, but that’s stuff you learn with experience. Making pretty pictures is good, too, but they won’t all be great!
Tags: paintings, sketches, watercolour, women
July 26, 2011
0
A New, New Book
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour
Picked up a new sketchbook on the way with a friend to the new “Harry Potter” movie on the weekend. It was on the sale table at the art materials store, so I thought it was on sale, but turned out to be not. We were in a hurry to get to the show, so I just picked it up anyhow. I wanted a new book; the old one was almost full. It’s pleasant to start in on virgin pages.
Typically, however, I started this page in the back. Shy about what happens on the front page, in case it’s a mess. But here I was drawing pictures of this Quebec actor whose face I liked (don’t have the magazine lying around out of where I could pick up his name! Antoine Bertrand). I’m getting busy again, which feels good, but there’s always the question of how to order your day, when you have to piece it together by yourself. I also like finding time for posting on my blog, and twitter, etc. That actually helps — a form of networking!
Tags: colour, men, sketches, watercolour
July 22, 2011
0
Sonja and I
By Jack Ruttan in montreal
Shot of a drunken me (Jack Ruttan) and the estimable (and late) Sonja Skarstedt at the now-defunct Double Hook Bookstore, sometime in the early 1990s. Photo by Geof Isherwood.
Tags: books, literature, montreal, photos, poesy
July 20, 2011
0
Announcer Guy
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour
Tags: colour, men, sketches, watercolour
July 18, 2011
0
Dudes
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, men, sketches, watercolour
Recently painted a lot of dudes, or guys, or what have you. Faces seem to work better if I leave more white in them, but as usual, it’s all experimentation. The more I work on things, the better stuff gets. But if I go away from it, I seem to lose the touch, and have to paint a few bad things to get up to speed. Still generally fun.
I seem to be getting more contrasts in, which is good, but staying loose.
But the picture below is a little insane. Sort of just added things as I went along. Astronauts! Dogs! A hammer! Doesn’t mean anything, but I think I’ll work on keeping the colours a bit more rational. It’s still fun, or maybe I’m just in a mellower mood today.
Tags: dogs, men, sketches, watercolour
July 18, 2011
0
Yellow Dog
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, sketches, watercolour
Painted a lot of things. Haven’t posted many yet. Maybe I’ll try something new and post only GOOD drawings. That would be a switch.
Tags: Animals, dog, dogs, sketches, watercolour
July 13, 2011
0
People Sitting
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, women
Still doing pinup girls, though this one is kind of rubbery. Bear with me, please! Also, a sitting guy.
Tags: ballpoint pen, men, Pen & Ink, sketches, watercolour, women