NURSE ON THE WARD

CUCKOO'S NEST

Rereading some favorite books and trying out some illustration ideas. This from the Sketches Introduction to the 40th anniversary edition of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: "Eight o'clock every morning I showed up at the vets' hospital in Menlo PRereading some favorite books and trying outark ready to roll. The doctor deposited me in a little room on his ward, dealt me a couple of pills or a shot or a little glass of bitter juice, then locked the door. He checked back every forty minutes to see if I was still alive, took some tests, asked some questions, left again. The rest of the time I spent studying the inside of my forehead, or looking out the one little window in the door. It was six inches wide and eight inches high, and it had heavy chicken wire inside the glass. You get your visions through whatever gate you're granted. Patients straggled by in the hall outside, their faces all ghastly confessions. Sometimes I looked at them and sometimes they looked at me, but rarely did we look at one another. It was too naked and painful. More was revealed in a human face than a human being can bear, face to face.Sometimes the nurse came by and checked on me. Her face was different. It was painful business, but not naked. This was not a person you could allow yourself to be naked in front of."

LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Uniball pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook

RORSCHACH HANDS, NO PROBLEM

11" x 16" Pentel brush pen and ink in Canson sketchbook

GREAMING IN THE FOURTH DIMENSION

18" x 24" Mixed Media on paper. I've been reading all of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series from the beginning as well as re-reading Cuckoo's Nest trying to come up with illustrations for it. Kind of mixed them up.

RALPH STEADMAN'S LITTLE SONG

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" ink in Canson sketchbook

PORTRAIT OF DANIEL

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" ink in Canson sketchbook.  He turns 94 years old today. "One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" -- Daniel Berrigan

Daniel Berrigan, SJ (1921-)

Peace activist and writer Daniel Berrigan, SJ, was born in Virginia, Minnesota, in 1921. His father Thomas Berrigan was a second-generation Irish Catholic. His mother Frieda Fromhart, of German descent, would feed any hungry itinerant who would come to the door during the Great Depression. Although his father had left the Church, Daniel remained attracted to the Catholic faith. Directly out of high school in 1939, he became a member of the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1952.

Daniel was deeply influenced by his younger brother Philip. Philip served in the army during World War II and after the war became a Josephite priest. Daniel marched with Philip in the civil rights movement at Selma in 1965. As Philip became more active in the antiwar movements against U.S. involvement in Vietnam in the late 1960s, Daniel joined him in the protests. Their most famous protest was in 1968. With seven other participants, Daniel and Philip burned 378 files of young men who were to be drafted for military service. This led to the Berrigans’ arrest with the other members of their group. For a time Philip and Daniel avoided their prison dates and were on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Eventually Daniel served two years in prison and was released in 1972. Berrigan wrote of the incident and the trial in his play The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

Other protests followed, leading to more arrests and prosecutions. From 1970 to 1995, Berrigan spent a total of nearly seven years in prison. He has continued his peace activism, protesting against the 1991 Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the U.S invasion of Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Berrigan’s political involvement has overshadowed his accomplishments as a writer and a poet. His reflections on war resistance, his time in prison, and peace appear in some 35 books of essays and poetry. Berrigan reflected on his life in his 1988 autobiography To Dwell in Peace.

Berrigan now lives and writes in New York at the 98th Street Jesuit Community.

YOU GET WHAT ANYONE GETS...YOU GET A LIFETIME

22" x 30" Mixed media on Arches paper

THE BARDO OF DEATH

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo black Sumi ink, crowquill pen and acrylic in Canson sketchbook. "For an ordinary person, the trauma of death produces a state of unconsciousness, which lasts for an indefinite time: it may be very brief or quite long. Traditionally, this period of blackout is considered to last three and a half days. Afterwards, the consciousness of the individual begins to awaken again and experience things in a new way. The interval of unconsciousness into which the mind is plunged by the trauma of death, and which lasts till the awakening of consciousness again, is referred to in Tibetan as the 'chö nyi bardo', the interval of the ultimate nature of phenomena; here the mind is plunged into its own nature, though in a confused or ignorant way.
The next phase of the after-death experience is the reawakening of consciousness, which includes the many days that can be spent experiencing the fantastic projections of mind, the hallucinations produced and experienced by the mind in the after-death state. " - Kalu Rinpoche

FINISHED PORTRAIT

All of the shadow areas are done with the speedball ink.  After it dried I put about three more layers on.  Using the markers I would compare the values against two other values and then mark an area in and blend it with my thumb to get that rough surface that I like.  Don't panic when the paper starts to come apart in little balls.  And enjoy the fact that your fingertips are going to get really, really black.  Be careful what you touch...no folding white shirts on laundry day!  I was going to work more on the halftone transition areas but I kind of like the abrupt hard edges seen on the chin, cheek  and neck.  That's how I use the ink, brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brush marker pens in black and white.

DRAWING THE BIG AREAS OF DARK WORKING TO THE LIGHTS

I start working with the Speedball super black India ink using a #3 watercolor brush.  I used a little water with the ink in a little section where is see the shadow turning into the halftone just to see how it compares to the photograph.  Every area will be drawn with the various combinations of markers after this initial stage.  Remember not do draw a facial feature but the effect on the light on the forms. That is what I concentrate on and observe.

THE VALUES: LIGHT, HALFTONE AND SHADOW USING FABER-CASTELL PITT BIG BRUSH PENS

I take a piece of paper and make a chart using the brush pens that I'm going to use.  Black (which I'll use for smaller areas of shadow).  For the large mass of shadow I'll use Speedball super black India ink applied with a watercolor brush.  The top row left to right is Cool grey VI, IV, III and I.  The bottom row is Warm grey V, IV, III, I.  For white I may use the Faber Castell Pitt white or sometimes a China white marker.

I always keep a large piece of bristol paper underneath or to the side of my drawings to test out the markers or to combine markers to see what value is produced.

The six kinds of value are:

 Light - The areas that lie most nearly the right angle to the main light source.
Halftone - Area not squarely facing the main light source as it tilts
Shadow - When a plane turns completely away so that no mail light is on it.
Reflected light - Light that bounces back into the shadow
Cast shadow - A light intercepted by a form which then projects the effect onto another plane.
Highlight - A shiny or reflective surface reflecting back the original light source.

Value:  The position of the color on the above chart

DO THE DRAWING

I did the drawing next.  For this exercise I'm not caring much about getting the likeness.  I just try to loosely draw the contours.  If getting a likeness is that important I can make a graph using one inch boxes and place it over the photograph and make a corresponding graph on the paper to work from, or trace it on the page or even use a projector for a large work.  It's a lot more fun to eyeball it though.
This one will be a lot of fun because there is going to be a huge amount of dark area.  

BLACK AND WHITE VALUES

Several people have asked for a step by step explanation of how I go about drawing a portrait using the Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens and ink.  This is the photo of artist Roy Lichtenstein that I will be working from.  The  MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember in this exercise is that I will not be drawing eyes, ears, a nose or any other feature but rather drawing the effect of light spilling over these features.  Concentrate on that effect. Spend a lot of time just looking at  how the light spills over and observe the degree, intensity and direction of the light striking Roy before you begin.  Next I will draw an outline to work from.

TAXI ! WHERE TO?

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel pocket brush pen and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook.

THE WOLFMAN

19" x 24" Acrylic, Speedball super black India ink, Winsor Newton Series 7 #3 brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens on Bristol paper.  Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.  ( The Wolfman 11941)

THE JOB OF THE WRITER

19" x 24" Speedball super black India ink, Ph Martin red ink, Winsor Newton #8 Tolle 520 brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brushes on Bristol paper. "The job of the writer is to pull the judge down into the docket, get the person who is high down low, make him feel what it's like where it's low". - Nelson Algren

PORTRAIT OF FRANCESCO

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen, Speedball Super Black India ink, Winsor Newton Series 7 #3 brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook. From photo by David Seidner. An exercise in values with light striking an object and travelling over it.

QUICK SKETCH EXERCISE

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Uniball pen in Canson sketchbook just trying to exercise the eyes and hands while looking at and copying from Jame Jean sketches.

CONDO PICASSO

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pental brush pen and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook.  This is what happens after looking at work by George Condo and Pablo Picasso.  It's fun to draw cubist style work, great eye/hand exercise and kids love it.

OREGON COAST

16 1/2" x 11 1/2" Uniball pen, watercolor and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook. Another quick sketch on a lazy day.

PORTRAIT OF LUCIEN FREUD

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook. My nephew Dean Simpson and pal Andy Simpkin took me down to London in 2002 to see the Freud show at the National Gallery. It was one of the highlights of my art life. Lucien is being judged harshly now after his death because of the way he lived his life, but I am reluctant to judge him because of my hard won understanding of human fallibility, beginning with my own.

FATHER DAN ON THE WAY TO THE CAN

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook (from photo by Thomas Good). A good man who helped the poor and stood up for his belief in non-violence. When asked how many times he has been arrested for protesting against war and nuclear weapons, he said "Not enough". He will turn 94 years old on May 9th. "We spoke out, committed civil disobedience, and went to jail because the peace hangs senselessly and precariously upon weapons costing billions to build and billions to improve — weapons which become more useless as we add to their destructive force. With this money we could have fed the world's people. Half the children on earth go to bed hungry — millions more have retarding and stunting protein deficiencies. Instead of building the peace by attacking injustices like starvation, disease, illiteracy, political and economic servitude, we spend a trillion dollars on war since 1946, until hatred and conflict have become the international preoccupation."

QUICK STUDIES

QUICK STUDIES - 11 1'2" x 8 1'2" Uniball pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens in Canson sketchbook. For practice I've been looking at and drawing a lot from James jean sketches. The way he runs things together in his sketchbooks creates some great dreamlike images.

FAST AND LOOSE SKETCH FROM JAMES JEAN SKETCH

More fast and loose sketches with a Uniball pen while looking at James Jean sketches.  11 1/2" x 8 1/2" in Canson sketchbook

DAVID GRISMAN & DEL McCOURY

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel pocket brush pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook.  Love their brand of music and I really get into Grisman's facial expressions when his fingers fly on the mandolin.  One of the best things visually is the way the stage lights illuminate the musicians and instruments.  A treat for the eyes, ears and heart.

PARK SLOPE BROOKLYN IN SPRING

1 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel pocket brush pen and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook.

RATNER'S 111 2nd Ave NYC

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook. I was listening to an interview with Bob Mankoff on NPR during which I heard him say " I'm not arguing, I'm Jewish". So funny! It brought back memories of when we used to go to Ratner's deli after concerts at the Fillmore on the lower eastside in New York. It was in Ratner's where I heard a customer ask a waiter "Why are you arguing with me"?, and the waiter responded "I'm not arguing, I'm Jewish".The place was open 24 hours a day and the old waiters really took care of you. They also gave you an education. I learned a lot of phrases like "nosh", "haimisher mensch" and "schmooz". Those guys never smiled, but oh man...the food was delicious! Egg creams! Pastries! Cheese cake! Sigh! Today I wondered if it was still around but found out that it went out of business and closed about 10 years ago. So in a moment of nostalgia I drew this from one of the last photos taken of the place in it's final rundown condition. I'm sad that its gone but I cherish the memories that were made there.

DISTURBED MAN AT BI-MART

I seem to attract my share of weirdos and I don't know why. I was in the hardware section of the local Bi-Mart store completely focused on what I needed when I felt a presence close to me...too close. I look down and there he was: some old dude in a blue coverall suit talking to me about the "goddamn Chinese and their light bulbs and I'm not gonna buy 'em." I backed off two steps and began to quickly assess this fellow. Why is he talking to me? If I saw me in a store I would not come up to me babbling all kinds of nonsense...then he starts in with "the damn Gubmint and I'm not gonna let Obama tell me what to do...take away my guns"...blah blah blah and so forth. Should I tell him they have more nuclear weapons than they will ever need and don't need his guns? Should I tell him don't watch the news because it will just make him scared so he'll have to go out and buy things he doesn't need to make himself feel better? Sigh. I decided to tell him that it was going to be ok. That often times my mind obscures my capacity to see things clearly and what I do then is grab my pen and sketchbook, put on some nice music and relax. I looked into his watery eyes and he seemed to calm down. I told him at the very least go have a root beer float then go to the library...they have a great selection of Bach cd's free. It may have worked for as I was leaving the store he was in the office supply section looking at pencils! - 11" x 14" Uniball pen and Faber Castell Pitt big brush pens in Strathmore sketchbook

ROBERT HUNTER POET

11 1/2" x 8 1/2"  Pentel pen, Speedball super black India ink, Kuretake ink and Faber-Castel Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

BILL KREUTZMANN MUSICIAN

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brush pens in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

PHIL LESH MUSICIAN FALLOUT FROM THE PHIL ZONE

 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Speedball super black India ink, Winsor Newton #12 roung brush and FaberCastell Pitt big brushes in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

BOB WEIR MUSICIAN

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Speedball super black India ink, WInsor Newton Tole Series 620 #6 brush and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

MICKEY HART PLANET DRUM

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Speedball super black India ink, WInsor Newton Tole Series 620 #6 brush and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

STITCHES

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes, crowquill pen and Speedball super black India ink in Moleskine A3 sketchbook. In 2009 I had a basil cell carcinoma removed from my nose. During a Mohs procedure my doctor removed the tissue, then a plastic surgeon reconstructed the nose from the side and stitched it up. After five years there is a 95% chance of non-recurrence. Take my advice....wear that sun block every day and become a hat person.

MONKS BLESSING PORTLAND, OREGON

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo ink and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Canson sketchbook

KALACHAKRA CEREMONY

KALACHAKRA CEREMONY  - 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo black Sumi ink and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Moleskine A3 sketchbook

HARVEY PEKAR WAITING FOR A JUMO

Study from Waiting For A Jump by Harvey Pekar and artist Gerry Shamray. I'm trying to improve by studying Shamray's work and I love all of Pekar's stories. This panel I did from Shamray is 11 1'2" x 8 1/2" Uniball pen and Speedball super black India ink using Winsor Newton Series 7 #3 brush in Canson sketchbook

STUDY OF STERANKO PANEL

Study from a panel by the great Jim Steranko. I'm learning about perspective and dynamic shading by copying his work. 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Speedball super black India ink, Winsor Newton series 7 #3 brush in Canson sketchbook

HARVEY PEKAR AROUND THE WORLD AND BACK TO EARTH

Study from Around the World and Back to Earth by Harvey Pekar illustrated by Ed Piskar 11 1'2" x 8 1'2" Uniball pen and Speedball super black India ink, Winsor Newton Series 7 #3 brush in Canson sketchbook

PORTRAIT OF ROBERT COLESCOTT

5 Minute quick sketch of one of my favorite artists (Robert Colescott 1925-2009) 11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Canson sketchbook.

YUN LEE AND TOMMY KANE

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen and Faber-Casrell big brushes in Canson sketchbook

MONKEY (THE CRITIC)

1 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen in Canson sketchbook. This is the one who says "Hmmm, not good enough"

MONKEY (THE MOCKER)

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen and Faber-Castell big brushes in Canson sketch book. This is the one who laughs at your artwork.

MONKEY (THE HOWLER)

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Pentel brush pen in Canson sketchbook. This is the ugliest and loudest. A cross between a monkey and werewolf. He tries to bring you down by getting you to compare yourself to others. He manifests just as you are doing your best work.

EXPERIMENTAL FACE

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo ink, watercolor and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Canson sketchbook

BEARDED TOMMY KANE

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo ink and Faber-Castell Big brushes in Canson sketchbook

FARRELL'S BAR AND GRILL

11 1/2" x 8 1/2" Fude brush, Yasutomo ink and Faber-Castell Pitt big brushes in Moleskine A3 sketchbook.