I like this one. It’s fast and fashiony. Of course not all of these brushy things hit it off.
Below, the usual fine-point roller pen:
Tags: black and white, Brush Pen, men, sketches, women
June 5, 2010
0
“Compassion Club” Raids
By Jack Ruttan in montreal
I did one of my now-rare political cartoons, about this story.
I was mad at the time, and wondering if the drawing would be too harsh, but now it seems kind of mild. Ink seems to soak up a lot of the anger.
I’m not even that big a pot person, but think the laws against it are stupid.
June 4, 2010
0
New Things
By Jack Ruttan in cats, dogs, men, sketches, watercolour, women
Painted a ton of little pictures I’m pretty happy with. Above, is Mr. Boggedy on the balcony.
Serious Guy. That’s also the view from my Balcony, but he’s just imaginary.
More funny little pictures. The edges are masked with painter’s tape. The green type with slightly less tack, which can be “left on for 60 days,” or so the maker claims.
More characters. Upper and lower class. Again, I’m using yellow underpainting for that feeling of “warm light.”
A sketchbook page. More masked-off little paintings, and me with my new goatee, and the cats.
And a woman’s face, again with that “light.” Plus a frieze of walkers on the sidewalk across the street.
Lastly, a dog walker. I tried to catch the sense of him being pulled along. These beasts can do that, and some owners are literally scooting by!
Tags: Animals, cats, colour, dogs, men, Nora the cat, sketches, watercolour, women
June 3, 2010
2
The Power of Free Beer
By Jack Ruttan in montreal
Didn’t see many of my usual English language blogging buddies at the special Yulblog event last Tuesday. That might have been because it was a day earlier than the usual monthly get-together, and also in a special venue, L’Assoimoir on Notre Dame, just West of the Cathedral in Old Montreal. Might also have been because I was a little late in arriving. Still, had a great time, in my stumbling French, with a different gang.
Wasn’t too late, however, to sample the beer that was being launched there by Unibroue. Sylvain Bouchard (pictured) was on hand to uncap the bottles, and talk about the brew, Blonde de Chambly. You can hear a lot more from Sylvain about all aspects of the company’s beer, and brewing on his company’s site, http://unibroue.com
I don’t mind giving the plug, because of all the free beer. It was also cool that Unibroue takes blogging seriously enough that it wanted to incorporate our get-together into their launch. I chatted with Sylvain about the beer, and my own involvement with brewing, which was writing an episode of the TV show What’s That About? entitled The Brewery.
May 31, 2010
0
May Comic Jamming, Arthur, etc.
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour
The last Thursday in May means the Monthly Montreal Comic Jam. I actually worked on some pages of comics, but it’s more of a get-together for local artists, to share and show off, and also collaborate on things.
I got my bud Rick Gagnon to colour this picture of mine above, which turned out swell. He also inked over my pencillings for the character below:
Another of my pals works at the studio that produces the cartoon Arthur. All the animation is done with computer now, but there were boxes of old-school cels and backgrounds nobody was using, so we got these as gifts:
Here’s just the background, without the cel on top:
It was done in transparent inks, against a background of yellow underpainting to make the greens show up better.
I like the idea of yellow under, because it gives the picture warmness and its own light. I tired the same technique in a sketch I did of a couple of personalities who died this weekend:
Tags: black and white, collaboration, colour, Film & TV, men, Montreal Comic Jam, obits, Richard Gagnon, sketches, wash, watercolour
May 30, 2010
0
Belated Burlesque
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, womenI’m sorry, I’ve been a bit out of it, because of the unseasonal heat, and health complaints. Still sitting around, drawing, and twittering. Above is what I was drawing last Wednesday, at the monthly performance of Blue Light Burlesque. Mostly little bits and pieces. People moving, removing clothing (!) in the dark. Working on some more elaborate things, which you’ll see presently.
Also stacks of other drawings, which I’ll put up gradually.
May 18, 2010
0
Colourful Day
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, men, sketches, watercolour, women
Went to the park at East Mont Royal Ave today. Mont Royal used to be a working class street, with taverns and fast food restaurants. Now, with the emergence of the Plateau as a trendy neighbourhood, it’s a place where people go to be seen. So, I thought I’d draw some of them.
The dog above took off almost as soon as I started painting it. A part of sketching from life is using your imagination and experience, because the subjects aren’t sitting still for you. The people sitting on the concrete wall were there for a while.
Fashionable woman on the street:
Later, when I got home, the sun was still out. So I drew the cats in a typical scene:
The cats are so peaceable.
Another pretty woman, because that’s what my gigs entail drawing, so I’m working on them.
Hooray! Fun!
Tags: Animals, ballpoint pen, colour, dogs, men, sketches, watercolour, women
May 17, 2010
0
Oliphaunts, Etc.
By Jack Ruttan in sketches, watercolour
Today, a picture of Queen Suriyothai (a Thai cultural heroine) atop her elephant, or “Oliphaunt” in this case. And below, a taste of my mood lately, sometimes. Hoping to cheer up!
Tags: Animals, colour, sketches, watercolour
May 15, 2010
0
Animules, etc.
By Jack Ruttan in cats, dogs, sketches, watercolour, women
I just like the colour. Lotsa work to do, and I’ve been slacking off. The usual worries, but I hope things will be all right.
Tags: Animals, Brush Pen, cats, colour, dogs, Nora the cat, sketches, wash, watercolour, women
May 14, 2010
2
Cafe Day
By Jack Ruttan in men, sketches, watercolour, womenHung out at the café yesterday, and drew a lot of stuff. Here’s some of it.
That guy wasn’t grey before. He was sort of dark, but then I added blue. The magic of accident!
Girl, with bixi bike in background.
Tags: colour, men, sketches, watercolour, women
May 10, 2010
1
Finding My Way
By Jack Ruttan in horses, men, sketches, watercolour, women
Got some work to do. Just finding my way with a lot of drawings. I’m putting most of them up.
My commissions don’t call for watercolour, but if I can do things right in that, I can also handle the black and white. i like my new watercolour book, and also how things look in colour up here.
I think this sketch below, in pen on typing paper, will make an okay painting:
These are straight ink. I did a little overlay in photoshop of grey, and then moved it a bit. I like the “off-register” effect.
Not so happy with this businessman below, but I avoided photoshop tricks:
Tags: Animals, ballpoint pen, black and white, Brush Pen, colour, horses, men, sketches, watercolour, women
May 5, 2010
0
Painting up a Storm
By Jack Ruttan in cats, men, sketches, watercolour, women
Lotsa little watercolours lately. These are fun to do, and look more sophisticated than my usual production. It’s true that the more you do, the better you get at it. If I stop, it often takes a few lousy pictures before I get up to speed again.
A big part of it seems to be unconscious, like drumming. If I thought about it, I’d slip up (well, more than normally)
That’s Nora, looking kitteny, up top, and then Mr. B. below, a little more chunky than he really is.
Tags: Animals, cats, colour, men, Nora the cat, sketches, watercolour, women