A Source of Inspiration, Drawn

When I was a little boy, and before I had a vocation (obviously) I was an artist; I was always drawing. I wasn't accomplished, per se, but it was natural for me, and it was part of my being.

It was also in the time of my youth that I developed an interest in airplanes, probably from seeing them first in movies, but also from just seeing them flying around. I was fascinated - the glint of sunlight off the wingtip of a sleek and beautiful flying machine was inspirational.  So much so that when it came time to have a vocation I chose aerospace engineering.

I am glad I chose that path, and that profession has benefited me, but... after five years of school, five semesters of college calculus, decades of employment, some good projects, some bad ones, two layoffs, productive encounters with a handful of smart people, and many more encounters with idiots... I find myself drawing an airplane in the desert. Not any old airplane though. This airplane is one of the exact model that I remember being inspired by as a youth.

Funny thing, a person can always "be" an artist, but he can't always "have an engineering job". That's because artist is a state of being while engineering is just a job.

Once again "being" is better than "having".

I am richer for simply being an artist than I could claim by merely having a job as a engineer.

I am fortunate and grateful for that.

An Angular Armored Vehicle!

On an unseasonably warm spring Saturday I baked in the sun and did draw this vehicle. The location was the War Museum in South El Monte. 

At the beginning of each of these sessions with my drawing class I have seemed to struggle with the method. Then I sit with the instructor Will and I explain the problems I've encountered. Each time he has provided directly applicable help which I then apply.

I am happy with this drawing, and I learned (or re-learned) some important techniques and/or concepts: 

[1] for this type of sketching it is counter-productive to attempt super accurate perspective
[2] make sure to accurately capture the height and width of the front of the subject
[3] make depth measurements relative to the front-facing view
[4] use a "double stroke" to execute lines to achieve a lively and  "sketchy" effect.

Sorry there is no humor within this post; I suspect that it was evaporated out of me in the brutal heat of that day.

A 5 Value Stag Beetle!

I've actually been busy with my drawing, pretty much, among other things, but, as for posting here, not so much. Once again though, the activity of drawing beats the activity of posting, pretty much.

Anyway I've been introduced to a new method of sketching. It's a five value system that uses warm gray markers applied to an oatmeal colored paper. I really enjoy the process and the results I am getting. More to come soon!