Friday, November 18, 2005

AEM Day 17 - guilty sketch


Originally uploaded by tallasiandude.

So for some reason I feel guilty about posting this sketch. But again... there it is. And really this was more an exercise in process anyway.

This had started as an attempt to draw a Shiva-like, Hindu-influenced, multi-limbed type of character. In my head, I was visualizing a friend of a friend I had seen performing traditional Indian dances many years ago, but as often is the case, I couldn't get it onto the paper, and frankly, the image was pretty fuzzy to begin with.

But the process. I saw this cool thing on Drawn! -- a flash animation showing a drawing evolve from a skeleton to a fully dressed woman -- and I figured I'd try to build the figure from the ground up, as it were. No erasing today, or at least no final cleanup. (although much is covered up by successive sketching layers and the final ink anyway.) Started with spine and clavicles, then femurs, humeruses... humeri? (ha, ha, that's funny!) Layers of muscle and then the first basic outline of the figure.

While (over-)shading the drawing from Day 15, at one point I thought a section kinda looked like shiny latex, which I thought was pretty cool. So I figured I'd try it here, and well... it didn't work, of course. So more cover work. But that's fine -- I'll try something else tomorrow.

And speaking of tomorrow, I may not post until late (like this is something new?) as I'm going to be celebrating a friend's birthday by seeing the new Harry Potter flick downtown. Whoo-hoo!



Aw crap. It's after 1AM again... *sigh*

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Guilty? Because it doesn't live up to an expectation of yourself? Well, I'm glad you posted it anyway. As you commented to me, it's the exercise that counts. Having company on this journey makes it so much more enjoyable.

Anonymous said...

yes, i agree with kathryn...

fwiw, i think she looks like a dominatrix version of shiva, her arms ghostly in the background.

tallasiandude said...

Ok, I'll fess up: I felt guilty posting a dominatrix/fetish-influenced drawing. (even if fairly tame and cartoon-like) It felt cheap and tawdry (his true self unmasked!) in the face of the other participants doing this wonderfully resonating, life-affirming stuff. (and that includes your beautifully sensual painting from the other day.) Ah, one of my many old enemies, Fear-of-Disapproval. So that's the story behind it.

I do like the ghostly arms, though -- may have to play with that...

Anonymous said...

Okay, I admit, I thought it looked a little dom-ix myself. And that's what I figured you felt guilty about. And I worried that if I mentioned what the drawing looked like to me, you'd feel judged. Which is SO not the point, because I like the drawing. :)

Anonymous said...

don't worry hun, i definitely wouldn't judge you for that. especially knowing what i've got stored in my closet. ha! ;-) but seriously, no need for shame here. my image of sensuality is no grander than yours, k?