some drawings

I'll soon be uploading more now that I have more space.

Probably should add dates to these. Most are pretty ancient. Eventually I may sort them in some kind of order. At the moment they are all higgledy piggledy (now there is a strange expression... wonder where it comes from).

Almost all these pictures were drawn using ordinary pencils and cheap typing paper. When I was in high school an art teacher said one day that we should spend as much as we can on art supplies, because the better your tools, the better the end result. That didn't seem right to me, so then and there I resolved to use the cheapest tools I could get my hands on: ordinary paper, cheap pencils and pens.

meuse (179k) pencil and paper

Decades ago this was done for the cover of a magazine, but was never used. Easy to see why. The picture illustrates a story I wrote once about two characters who pass the time chatting and doing tricks like card sharps. The character on the left has totally alien kind of mind. The one on the right is more like us in its way of thinking. It is wise and gentle. They are both very knowledgeable and capable. At first glance the one on the right is the more talented of the two, but a closer look shows that it uses machines, the rings on its fingers, to concoct the illusion of the human girl. The character on the left however, is able to generate and levitate a real object (see how it reflects the things around it?) using forces from its own tentacles.

DemonGuitarist (159k) pencil and paper

(I've rescanned this picture at higher resolution.) I love to sit in on band practice sessions. They tend to have more energy and gritty edge than their more polished and perfected stage performances I drew this while a few friends were brushing up on their music. The character illustrated here is a very dynamic and charismatic person, Mark Sneddon, who I've known since we were kids, though lost track of lately.

Linda (51k) pencil and paper

Linda, at the time I drew this sketch, was pretty young -- in her early twenties I think. There was always something about her. She is one of the most attractive people I've ever met. Some of that comes from her obvious physical appearance, but most of it came from her impressive personality and quickness of mind. Something I wish I could portray.

MoonGirl (43k) pencil, chalk, pen, chinagraph pencil, crayon, cartridge paper

This comes from the bad old days when I used drugs. The only reason I sat down to draw this picture was that I was in such a rotten mood because I was withdrawing and didn't want to interact with anybody. This picture reminds me that even bad times can produce good things. There is no sense in saying "Oh I don't feel well enough to do anything good today." You don't know what can result. These days I don't use any drugs. It certainly makes life a heck of a lot easier. Regarding drugs, the law is an ass. People shouldn't use drugs, not because they're illegal, but because they make life worse. I enjoy life a lot more now.

alone (85k) pencil and paper

I was very depressed when I drew this. I'd broken up with the woman I'd loved for many years. I very rarely get depressed, but I had good reason this time. The thing about depression for me is that even though it is a horrible feeling it is still quite useful because I become very methodical and logical. I'm normally very easily distractible and flit from idea to idea, my mind constantly bubbling, but when depressed I become slow and deliberate. Very useful.

bird (70k) pencil and paper

Okay... another depressed picture. Can't remember why I was down here. One of the things I like to do in my pictures is very clear here. I have developed an understanding of where people look in a picture. I've drawn those parts in detail and the rest is fairly undeveloped, but because people don't tend to look at the sloppy parts they get the impression the picture is more detailed than it really is. Speaking of detail, because the bird is an even white I had to fill the area around it with some detail to prevent the picture becoming mostly blank, so I took my chair out to my unpaved, dirt driveway and drew some of it as the background (I'm not imaginative enough to pull it out of my head).

star (68k) pencil and cartridge paper

I'm not a party animal. Parties freak me out a bit. I went to a party with my girlfriend and felt too nervous to interact so I went and sat in the corner and drew. People leave you alone if you draw. This picture came out. The girl is Julie and the two critters were based on our two dogs.

dancing (150k) pencil and paper

Not much to say about this one. It was drawn as entry to a film and TV school. Attending it was among the greatest mistakes in my life.

hall (84k) pencil and paper

This picture illustrates a (rather crappy) story I wrote many years ago. In the story the girl is wearing a living dress that warms her, and her way is lit by a glowing robotic light that floats near her. These lights wander about the area, looking for creatures to illuminate. The scene is a large hall, kilometers across, inside a spaceship (there is no restriction how big you can build structures in space). The picture was something of a revelation for me. It was the first time I'd used all of the page in a full, detailed scene.

Android Hooker (60k) ink and paper

An experiment using a cheap 25 cent nib pen and a bottle of ordinary india ink. The main, girl character is re-used from a much older pencil drawing.

sunset (63k) pencil and paper

This was basically a doodle.

beach (142k) pencil and paper

Just a bit of fun.

VR Author (small) (40k) computer using a graphics tablet

What it feels like for me to build virtual worlds. I feel ephemeral in my dark room with my glowing monitor, and the world I'm constructing feels quite real.

VR Author (big) (280k) ditto

And a higher resolution version. Incidentally, this picture was drawn on computer using a Wacom graphics tablet.

the article (33k) pencil and paper

This was a poster for a band many years ago.

mechHands (140k) pencil and cartridge paper

Centaur (71k) pencil and poster paint on cartridge paper

This picture is ancient. I drew it back in the 70s. I always had a bit of a thing about centaurs. The weapon always grated with me though and I wish I hadn't added that. I distinctly remember why I did: The way I drew the hand it needed something under it.

what weapons do (108k) pencil and paper

I hate weapons. They cause many more problems than they solve. This picture is meant to illustrate that. If you pick up a weapon to use it against someone then you'll need it again when their friends or family seek revenge, and then again, and again... Weapons hold you in a cruel grip when you grab them, and they don't let go. I should have drawn the person as burning in flames instead of drowning in water, because the water is too peaceful and reminds everyone of the lady in the lake of the Arthurian legends. Maybe I'll redraw it one day.

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