Tag: Pencil drawing

Meeting People

Ink in Moleskine

I spent the entire work day in a meeting today that was all about numbers, numbers and more numbers. I filled a dozen pages in my little Moleskine sketchbook with drawings of people looking bored. They fed us a nice lunch and it was good to meet some of my work colleagues from other offices. The meeting was supposed to end at 3:00 but somehow the guy leading the meeting missed that memo.

At 3:20 he handed out a 50 page Federal RFP (Request for proposal) and said it would be a fun little “activity” for us to read through it and decide whether there was anything in the RFP that would make us think we would or would not want to submit a proposal. This was just an exercise–it wasn’t a current RFP–just practice. This was after we’d studied 16 pages of budget reports looking for errors, with the error finders winning $5 worth of Carl’s Junior gift certificates (woo-hoo!). We could win more trips to Carl Juniors for playing this little game.

None of us in the meeting are really numbers people and we were tired and grouchy and wanted to leave. The other people at my table revolted. One woman whispered, “They don’t pay me enough to do this!” and the other replied, “This isn’t in my job description.” We all just sat there belligerently.

The meeting leader looked over at our table and asked why were weren’t reading and I blurted out “We don’t want to, it’s too much!” (So very professional of me.) That gave another table courage to tell him we were supposed to have ended the meeting 20 minutes ago. He said that explained why half the room had already left and he ended the meeting. Unfortunately my boss and I still had an after-meeting meeting with him and his boss.

Finally we got to leave and since I was in downtown San Francisco for the first time in ages, I decided to go to Nordstrom and buy a little new makeup. Mine was so old that it was probably carrying botulism (actually that might not be so bad–isn’t that what they make Botox from?). Hopefully I’ll be able to convince myself to take the time to actually put on the new makeup. I figure I owe it to the people who have to look at me!

Tags Pencil drawing, People

Drawing Life in general Sketchbook Pages

Slam

Sanford Draughting Pencil in Raffine 6×9 sketchbook

I finished watching the 1998 movie “Slam” tonight and I loved it! It’s about the redemptive power of art (poetry) in the life of a young African American man living in the Washington DC projects. When the movie ended I wanted more and decided to draw the lead actor. But in scanning through the DVD, looking for an image to pause and draw, I spotted this sweet boy and decided to draw him first. Now I’m too tired to draw anymore tonight. Since I’ve already had the DVD for a couple of weeks, I guess keeping it a few more days to draw from it won’t matter.

I’m going to cancel my Netflix subscription since I never seem to get around to watching movies. When I’m home I always seem to be more interested in drawing, painting, writing, or learning from and being inspired by other artists in the international art blogging community that has so enriched my art life.

Tags Pencil drawing

Animals Illustration Friday Sketchbook Pages

Illustration Friday: Run

I did this sketch from a photo I took at Golden Gate Fields in the very early morning when the jockeys are training new horses, running them around the track. I actually intended to do an ink drawing, but after a couple of unsuccessful but fun drawings with a Micron Pigma brush pen, I decided to start with a pencil sketch and THEN do an ink drawing and add watercolor. But I ran out of time, so here’s the pencil sketch.

I feel a little lame doing such a literal take on RUN but I’d been wanting to draw from my horse photos and the other options I thought of didn’t really grab me for drawing them (running out of time, running the show, river running, a Broadway run, running for office). I liked Michael’s suggestion (a nose running) a lot because it made laugh and was really original–but it was his idea, not mine.

I used a .5mm mechanical pencil in my 9×12 Aquabee Super Deluxe sketchbook.

Tags Animals, Pencil drawing