Friday, May 30, 2008

baggelboy's continued...

Here are my second and third efforts... contributions...to baggelboy Alan's moleskine; a two-page spread, centre-fold stylee of our old tomcat (sadly no longer with us) inspired by a recent Flickr comment, and daringly executed for the first time in gouache (gwash) which failed to behave itself (unlike the cat in his day who was no trouble at all). Fortunately, I had made up my mind to create a mottle effect using a baby's bathtime sponge I got from Boots the chemists to apply top layers of gouache-gwash stuff. In the photo, as in the painting, he looks to be leaping in front of a green backdrop but, in truth, he was merely sunning his nether regions on the lawn.


#2 stretched cat

After that I wanted to do something simpler in felt tip (Faber Pitt brush tip pens). Corbis online image stock (recommended) provided the inspiration. The woman is based on an early promotional photo of Lucille Ball - she was quite a stunner in her youth! My drawing doesn't do her justice. The bloke is probably just some bloke with a cool fedora and a Tommy gun - a male model no doubt! Frankly, he wasn't lantern-jawed enough for my liking...but he cast a mean shadow! Lucy is thinking ''wonderful'', not to my drawing - possibly my drawing! - because she looks so pissed-off. It's a sarcastic ''wonderful''.


#3 meanwhile...

On to #4 this weekend...

16 comments:

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

OH! These are wonderful and that's not a sarcastic comment. Love the kitty on the grass. I did one sort of similar a while back (only not with "gwash") of my kitty, also now gone. I should do another similar one only with gouache. I love the texture. :-D

And of course Lucy is great. :-D And the Dick Tracy guy too.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Nice variety! :-D

Ian russell said...

I'm hoping to make up with variety what I lack in style or theme. thanks Mary!

Andrea said...

The bottom one has a very film noir style, lovely work!

Thanks for posting, we had a bit of a drought there.

Cheers!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I can't post because I have no group moleskine in my possession now, having sent my latest one off.

But I was starting to miss you guys!

Thanks for posting, IAN! :-D

steve said...

Awesome Ian. I love how you included your music influences in the book somehow here as well, adding another dimension and personal touch. The cat, with the economy of space and the green is a beauty!

Johnnynorms said...

Green sponging is a wonderful idea, and it came it out really lovely. Me go Boots...

Johnnynorms said...

Talking of music Ian, it was good to see Radio Fleas back on air, and Otis Rush was a hell of a way to kick off - a rush to the head.

Ian russell said...

thanks steve. I may begin to regret noting the musical influences by about christmas! strange enough to think we'll be doing this at christmas.

cheers, johnny. already got next week's lined up. the otis rush I pinched from youtube, some old american TV show (I should have linked to it because it's from a period when everyone looked sharp! ah, but it's easy to find). I was looking for that song after the sunday scribbles prompt and it was good I found that version rather than Led Zep's. youtube has some amazing vids of old shows featuring bluesmen. in fact youtube is a great place to waste time - sometimes you'll find a whole film on there that someone's cut up in ten minute sequences. crazy place!

Ammon said...

Great variety of work. I really like that bottom piece. Nice idea with the big shadow.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I love that shadow too! SUPER!

Ian russell said...

it caused me angst that shadow... for three days it lay on my desk, shadowless, just the outline of where a shadow should be - like a chalk line around a body in a detective show.
I didn't know whether the page could take that amount of ink, whether it would seep through or how it might blend with the ink laid immediately around it. on the fourth day I could bear the absence of it no more!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

It's very successful! Did it seep through?

Ian russell said...

no. but the watercolour did (the next one, no.4) but only slightly you might not notice. with the shadow one, I did two coats letting it dry in between.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

cool, thanks for the info! :-D

baggelboy said...

Nice