Drafting Table World

  I’m on the last page of penciling then I have to ink, and paint the last three. I’m using water colors to paint with. I’m only using shades of gray, and some white. I wanted this comic to resemble an old universal monster movie.

So then I wonder what it the point? I should just give all this stuff up, and cave. Be like everyone else, and work, and come home, and veg out watching survivor. Why even bother going on there seems to less, and less a point. The answer is that I can’t. I was born with something in me. It was there from my first memories, and continues to be there, and will be with me when I die. It my get strangled, and cut from its supply of oxygen from time to time. However it always rises back over, and over. I might not live long enough to tell all the stories I have bottled up inside me, but I’m going to do my best to have fun trying.

How ever I found it totally cool how this behaves like an actually pencil or pen. As it gets darker the more pressure you put down on the electronic pen. Also you can use it like an air brush to add all kinds of details to your art work. I can’t say that I have any negative things to say about this pad yet. As I have gotten around to exploring all the things you can do with it yet. One thing I will say about it however it will make coloring my inked art in photo shop much easier than with a mouse. This pad I bought also comes with photo shop elements 8. I haven’t gotten around to installing that program yet as I’ve already have a photo shop program on my computer. Also this pad was pretty affordable it cost me about 100.00 taxes included. For a first time pad user I think this is pretty good for a starter. If I really start to like it I’ll look at getting a larger one in the future. For now I’m having fun with the one I have.

Growing up I had little interest in reading books, and novels. I was how ever fascinated with the art work in comics. I was into them before I even knew how to read. I would look in wonder at the pictures,  and guess at what the story was about. I got into them through my older brother who bought them growing up as well. It was through looking at his comics that got me hooked on the art form. When I was in school is where I first started getting flack for being into comics. Teachers would discourage the reading of comics, and push for me to read books.  Telling me things like I shouldn’t be reading comics I should start reading books. Now one thing that my teachers didn’t realize they were doing was discouraging me from reading in general. I ironic thing is that if I had never started reading comic books. I would have never started reading books.  In fact most of my friends that were comic readers went on to read books. They became avid readers from starting out on comics. Also my friends who never showed an interest in reading comics. Never showed an interest in reading anything else.  Now they read very little if at all in their adult life. I guess my teachers thought that they were doing me a favor, but that wasn’t the case. They should have encouraged me to read no matter what the format. Reading after all is reading, but some literature is not as equal as others.

Vicky works alongside Stuart Morris Design Studio, she is a keen arts and crafts enthusiast who particularly enjoys drawing, sewing and candle making!

Art is a form of human expression, and a form of communication. It is in us by nature to be artistic in one way or another. Even a person that claims not to be artistic in anyway, if you look dig deep enough you will find something artistic about them. It is something we do on this earth that separates us from all the other living things on earth. It starts when were small children were off playing pretend outside with our friends, or coloring with crayons in a book.  When we play pretend, draw, color, or make crafts as children we are making art. Are we doing more however? I believe we are telling a story to those around us, and to our selves. We are communicating though story telling, because every piece of art has a story to tell. Art means to me a way to communicate how I feel, and view the world around me.  Through a story, song, poem, movie, drawing, or painting. Also I can explore my self through art. By creating a story I can explore some of the deeper questions I have about the world. Creating art for me give me a feeling I can’t quite put into words. It makes me feel happy, and rewarded. However it does something else it almost puts me in an altered state. That may sound a bit over the top, but it is true. When I’m drawing, and it really is clicking it is on another level. It can sometimes be like falling in love. As I said it’s hard to put into words. When I’m sitting alone staring down a blank sheet of paper. I don’t see a blank sheet staring back at me. I see the beginning of a story waiting to be told. Nothing makes me happier than to tell a good story.

Drawing the head and figure by Jack Hamm, is one of my most often referred too books on my shelf. This is an excellent book for anyone looking for a place to start when learning how to draw the human figure. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, or have been drawing for quite sometime. The book is affordable, and is available at most bookstores.  Also it has a lot of great information for drawing. It is also packed with great illustrations by the author. Some of Jack Hamm’s drawings are very inspiring.  What I like most about this book is that it has step by step lessons on how to draw the human figure. For example there is a page on how to draw the eye, and also a page on the ear. So this book goes into great detail. Where as with some other books they assume you have a lot of drawing knowledge already, and skip over stuff. Now the only draw back to this book is that it doesn’t go into great detail on muscle anatomy. Other than that this is an awesome how to draw book, and is totally worth picking up. Jack Hamm has several other very good how to draw books out as well. I have reviewed one other of his books in my past blog.

The alarm clock goes off, and it’s time to get up. Time to face the world again. Most of the planet goes through this every morning. Waking up to face another 9 to 5 day. For most people who love to draw, paint, and engage in other various creative outlets. They still have to have a dreaded day job. Some artists are lucky, and their art is their day job. So if your someone who has a creative outlet how do you stay inspired if you have a monotonous  day job? Well short from winning the lottery there is no easy way.  Most people will have all the creative juice drained from them, because of there day job.  Come home all worn out, and end up watching reality TV. However it doesn’t have to be like this at all. Most people will always say they are too busy to do this, or that. So they can’t engage in there hobbies like they use to. They get caught in the cycle of eat, shit, sleep work, and watch TV. They average working stiff still has at least a half hour, or hour to themselves every day. It’s up to you how you want to use it. So try turning off the boob tube for once, and get creative for that hour. It can be done, because I have done it, and continue to do it. I had a schedule for my drawing. I would come home from work have supper, clean up, and then from 8pm to 9pm I would draw. While I was at work I would plan what I was going to draw for that hour. That’s all you need is to carve yourself that little niche of time every day. It can be done. So think about what your going to create for that night, and not who is going to get picked on the bachelor.

“We don’t make mistakes we just have happy accidents.” The famous words of one of my favorite television artist instructors Bob Ross. If you don’t know who Bob Ross is. Well he was an American painter, and art instructor.  He is best known for his TV series called The Joy Of Painting. Which ran from 1983 to 1994.  I first discovered Bob Ross, and his half hour show, The Joy Of Painting. Way back in 1994 when I was knew here in western Canada. Just having moved here only a few month prior from the eastern Atlantic provinces.  I was immediately sucked into to this extremely calm, and peaceful world of Bob Ross. I would watch as he talk his viewers through one of his paintings. Which where always some sort of landscape, and nature setting.  He made it look easy, and his techniques were easy to mimic. His voice was very serine peaceful, and relaxing. Many times I would mellow out so much watching him paint I would fall asleep. I have read some of the criticisms of other artist against  Bob Ross’s style of art. Saying that learning from him would only turn you into a copy cat of his style, and an artist would never grow beyond it. I counter that with saying the Bob Ross style was made for the everyman. So they could experience the relaxation, and well “joy” that comes from painting. Also his style could be used as a starting point for an artist, and a clever artist would find a way to grow beyond the style. What everyone agrees on however is Bob Ross was loved by millions. They tune in regularly to watch him create simple yet breath taking paintings within 30 minutes.  Bob Ross believed everyone should experience the joy of painting, and not just a select few, and  He helped millions achieve that.

If you have ever written something, drawn something, or painted something. Then you will know the feeling. Your sitting there staring at a blank word processor screen, sheet of paper, or canvas. The minutes turn into hours, and nothing is happening.  It’s the dreaded creators block, and there seems no way around it. Many times I’ve found myself in that situation just staring, and thinking. I try to draw something, and its like I never held a pencil in my life. Nothing comes out right I can’t draw a thing. So In frustration I put my art tools away and leave my drafting table. Now what can you do to over come this block? Well that is a tough question to answer, and what works for me may not work for you. I sometimes will go for a walk, and that will help remove the block, and get the creative juices going. I may also just browse my past art work, and get inspiration from that. Look through all my art books as well. Seeing a paintings by Joe Jusko, or Frank Frezetta will usually get me fired up. Also listening to music can help as well. In those cases how ever when nothing works at all you just have to walk away. Now I draw, paint, and I write. In the cases where I can’t think of anything to draw, I can go write something.  It is very rare that I will have a creative block on both fronts. Also I have experienced the opposite as well where I am on fire, and can’t stop drawing.  I have so many ideas in me that I feel like I’m going to burst. Those are great moments when it hits you. One thing I feel is important to help maintain a healthy creative flow of energy. Is to have a good solid social life where you have friends in your life, and you spend time with good quality people.  I never thought about this before, but it is true. I heard a comic artist mention this once, and it really made me think. An example I can think of is when you have been out on a date that went really well. You went for dinner maybe a movie afterwards. This can really get the creative energy juices flowing in you.  After spending time with time with this person your on a creative high. How ever having draining toxic people in your life can drain you as well. These toxic people are bad for you all around, and won’t help your creative process. So its important to have a healthy well balanced social life with quality people in it. With this entrée in my blog I didn’t go out to have an ultimate answer to creators block. More to share what I do for myself. I hope that you might find an answer in it for yourself. However sometimes you can’t force it. You just have to walk away.

When does art cross the line? When does it become something offensive, and disgusting?  In my opinion is when you have to kill something for your art. I’m going to kick this off with a story that has been pretty hot this week. That revolves around  Gordon Ferguson, head of the sculpture program at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, and one of his students Miguel Michelena Suarez. The story is that Miguel Michelena Suarez, decided to kill a live chicken by cutting its throat, plucking its feathers, and putting it in a pot. He did this in his school cafeteria in front of a group of other students.  It was all part of live performance art. The message was to show the other students where their food comes from. Like starting a forest fire to show the devastation of forest fires. Well as to be expected the some of the students freaked out, and called the police. No charges were laid, because there is no crime in killing a chicken. The school it self was not so impressed, and as a consequence Miguel’s art instructor Gordon Ferguson was fired. A huge controversy formed around this. Many people claimed the school was interfering with freedom of artistic expression by firing the teacher. Such a huge back lash was caused by this that the art instructor has since been given his job back. Now the question is that is what Miguel Michelena Suarez did art? The answer to that question for me is simple. Yes. However is it good art, or bad art? That is the real question, and did his art cross a line art shouldn’t cross. This is my thoughts, and opinion on the subject. His art crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed, and also I think it is bad art. He could have made this statement without killing the chicken.  Killing something for an audience for entertainment, or to make a statement, or what ever is wrong. This is where artistic expression starts to go down a dark path in my opinion. Now I’ve heard the argument on a lot of comment pages to this story saying that what is the big deal it’s just a chicken. Millions of them are slaughtered every day for our consumption. Yes this is true, but they’re not killed in front of a crowed as part of a side show. This response, and how common it was actually surprised me. Even the animal rights groups barely made peep about this.  What if this guy had slit a dog, or cats throat. Shit would have hit the fan big time. Even though people around the world eat dogs, and cats every day. Denis Leary really hit the nail on the head when he said, people want to save animals, but they only want to save the cute ones.

Well the snow is finally gone, and summer is headed our way. I got my first bike ride in for the year this weekend.  It was a pleasant morning, and the air was fresh. I rode my bicycle through the near by trailer court close to where I live. Going through the new part with all the fancy new mobile homes, and through the old part with the more run down looking ones. Spring has always been a really inspirational time for me as far as art is concerned. It’s when everything has that feeling of new all over it. It’s a great time for generating new ideas. When ever this time of year rolls around I’m always reminded of when I was a kid. The school year would be winding down, and summer holidays would be closing in. I would begin to really ramp up my drawings. Spending nights drawing all sorts of cool things.  It was a great time when everything still seemed larger than life. I wish I could say that I still get into that same mood as an adult.  The magic life held to you as a kid seems to dissipate with the adult years.  Well for me it did anyway, but that’s not to say I’m not a happy person now. After my bike ride I came home to draw in the old sketch book. Just blasting out quick sketches of various stuff. Trying my best to use up the high of the beautiful spring morning. For the most part it worked. So spring is here, and summer is coming soon.  I think I’ll run along, and draw something cool.

There you have it, and that is how you can come up with a super hero.  Well that’s how I come up with that particular one anyway.  I hope you had fun reading this, and I hope it gave you a few I ideas of your own.

RELusion76: Your artistic talents are not just confined to painting and drawing. You're also a writer, and musician. Can you tell me a bit about that? Mijail Quesada:  Well when I wrote my first novel, I never meant for it to be a book, I sort of wrote it like a diary but I mixed it with fantasy. I just wrote whatever came to me. I never planned it. As for music, I play the piano, guitar and I have a baritone voice which I usually use to sing rock songs. I’ve made a few themes myself, but they need to be polished and recorded in a studio. RELusion76: When did you first start writing? Mijail Quesada:  When I was eight or nine, I was asked to recite a poetry for school. We could choose any artist we wanted. Instead I chose to recite my own poem. It was a poem about dying for my country, for its glory. While the poem got lost my mom still tells guests about it. RELusion76: Tell me about your website, and what it is all about? Mijail Quesada:  Its about my artistic creations, being that paintings, writings, music, computer software or websites. Its still missing on the last two but will soon be completed. RELusion76: Is there any advice that you would like to give to any struggling developing artist? Mijail Quesada:  You have to believe in yourself, your destiny. As if you were already there, at the point you want to be. Believe in yourself more than anything, if you don’t do that, at the firsts struggles you are more than probably going to give up. People who have had real success have been through lots of defeats too. But they learned from it, and that led them to victory. Without the loses they wouldn’t have made it. Also, be patient with yourself when you are first learning, because probably things wont go smoothly, but its a process like walking. So, don’t expect nor demand great at the beginning, because that would probably would get you down. And don’t show your early works to anyone nor talk about them, only do that when you are not an amateur anymore. If you are a spiritual or religious person you could also pray to a higher being, God, or whatever you believe in, but don’t ask to make you a great artist, but to make you work in your abilities, to practice, and to be constant. Mijail Quesada is a surrealist painter, rock vocalist, pianist, guitarist, writer of the novel “Sex, Rock and Venja”. And also a programmer, web designer, database administrator and have his own event planning business. He is currently developing innovative android apps and a rock album. His website is:www.soulmisha.com

Mijail Quesada is a surrealist painter, rock vocalist, pianist, guitarist, writer of the novel “Sex, Rock and Venja”. And also a programmer, web designer, database administrator and have his own event planning business. He is currently developing innovative android apps and a rock album. His website is:www.soulmisha.com

Mijail Quesada is a surrealist painter, rock vocalist, pianist, guitarist, writer of the novel “Sex, Rock and Venja”. And also a programmer, web designer, database administrator and have his own event planning business. He is currently developing innovative android apps and a rock album. His website is:www.soulmisha.com