Two Things

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A two-part post this week; 

containing this goofy (and rather stiff) anthropomorphic pencil swatting at a dip-pen dragonfly...

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...and this detail of a fun, original painting that is being offered at auction to benefit one of my favorite organizations; the Denver Young Artists Orchestra

 

I can't say or write enough about how mesmerizing and professional the young musicians of the DYAO are. We enjoy their concerts year after year and continue to be blown away by the full and gorgeous classical music they produce. 

 

I'm excited to support them in any way I can!

My music-themed piece is an original; permanently mounted on 1" deep cradled birch, and carefully varnished with a rich and glossy UV protective coating. This artwork needs no frame--it's ready to hang or stand on a shelf or table in your home! Click on this link to see the whole piece:

The Wake-Up Call

If you've been watching the fantastic Mozart in the Jungle, you know that the production is doing an excellent job portraying the excitement and joy, and also the despair and difficulties inherent in being a musician (or truly, any artist or creative). Despite the challenges, the arts continue to flourish; in a big way thanks to benefactors, patrons, donations, and fund-raisers. 

 

So please, nurture all the arts, and the dedicated young musicians of the Denver Young Artists Orchestra. Check out their auction and if you can, support them by participating. In addition to my artwork, there are many fine items to consider.

 

Thanks very much for your support of the arts--especially Young Artists!

Screenplay Process: Part Two

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Cameraman. (Detail)

The first painting-to-be is about the filming of a movie.

This is a detail of the nearly finished, inked piece--pre-watercolor washes.

My resource photos are pretty basic.

For the pillars, I took a photo of a column on my porch.

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In another part of the picture, the Bride of Frank has pencilled-in shading.

My own hand as photo ref.

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After the pencil lines are drawn to satisfaction (notice I didn't write "to perfection") I lightly shade the piece with a 2H pencil. The outline inking is done with a small brush, the shading is done with a Hunt 102 Crow Quill nib...

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...and the zen-like part (notice I didn't write "tedious part") begins. Yes, I love the look--and the process of--layered cross-hatching.

After a constructive critique by some fellow illustrators, I finished the pen-work. Rather than add paint now, I want to ink up the other two drawings first, so next post will be about picture number two: The Editor.

Thanks for checking in!

Cupboard Goblin: Process

Work on a series of paintings for prints led me to the idea of this little goblin-thief, surprised in the act of pilfering something from a household. Here's the road to completion:

 The earliest sketch that's survived shows a bit of my initial idea. But I needed some help with the pose, among other things...

...so this mannequin ended up posing for me--in a drawer.

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My first thought was that the little fellow would be medieval-ish and stealing some liquor, but this bottle would have been goblin-sized, not human-sized. So I modified it to be a ring, and changed the face...

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...and changed it some more. Also bumped the clothing to Victorian.

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I traced up the border and cupboard sketch, with a back door in the cupboard...

 ...which didn't work; too much clutter. So here's the final inked line drawing, without the back door, ready for paint.

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A detail of the lettering, and egg-and-dart-woodwork.

And a closer look at a detail of the completed work.

Had him (and a few others) printed up as affordable, premium-quality posters and cards. If you like them, please click on the link below and check 'em out at my online store--I appreciate your support!

Tom Sarmo's Shop

Thanks for the visit!

Amazing Victorians

 Who's dour and stodgy?

Much criticized, and often stereotyped as a dour, stodgy era, the Victorian period actually exploded with vibrant art and scientific discoveries, fueled by the inquisitiveness and varied passions of the people during that time.

I love the Victorians; their art, literature, and curiosity!
And I especially love the art of Sir John Tenniel, most famous for his illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice books, but a contributor to Punch magazine as well.

But getting those incredible illustrations transferred to a printing press was a complex task, made possible by brilliant scientific discoveries of the age--in this case, engraving and electrotyping.

Preliminary drawing for Father William by Sir John Tenniel.
(Image from Tenniel's Alice, 1978, The President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Tenniel's illustrations were meticulously hand-drawn, using very hard 6h pencils--especially made for him. He worked in the "facsimile-style" for engraving; drawing directly onto the surface of the wood block before sending it to the engravers.  First, Tenniel worked up his composition, transferred the drawing via tracing paper directly onto a boxwood block, and then finished the detailed line-work. When completed, the block was sent to the talented engravers, the Brothers Dalziel, who carefully preserved the style of the artist while cutting the design into the wood.

 But the demands of high-quantity printing would wear down an engraved block.

The solution: Electrotyping, discovered in the early part of the nineteenth century, and perfected by the Victorians.
It was a fantastic invention--basically transforming the wood engraving into a harder, metal plate. The process: A wax mold (subsequently coated with fine graphite dust) or a lead mold was taken of the engraved block. This mold was then immersed in a bath of metal salts and H2O, along with a bar of the same metal. The mold is the cathode--connected to the negative terminal of the electric source. The metal bar--the anode--is connected to the positive electrical source.

Electrotype Diagram*
When the electric power was activated, the bath gave its metal content to the surface of the mold. The electrical current flowed through the (copper in this diagram) anode connected to the positive terminal of the electrical source, through the bath, and into the coated mold (the cathode). A metal film (the electrotype) grew onto the electrically conducting coating of the mold.

 The result: A sturdy metal engraving plate capable of many printings--amazing!

A colored version of the engraving, from a special edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published by Random House in 1946.

 So, who's dour and stodgy?
(Photo ca. 1883-1886, by Eadweard Muybridge)

 Thanks for reading!

 

*"Electrotyping" by Easchiff - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electrotyping.svg#/media/File:Electrotyping.svg

Wishes and Surprises

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Oliver Twist on the road to London; a thumbnail sketch, approx 3" x 4"

I wish that, along with drawing from life and other necessities for artists, doing thumbnail sketches had always been a favorite occupation. But it hasn't been, probably because I am a terribly undisciplined, lazy man.

But I'm doing them. In part because I must (for an upcoming project not related to Charles Dickens); but mostly because they have suddenly become entertaining. A nice surprise.

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The Artful Dodger finds Oliver Twist; another thumbnail sketch, approx. 2.5" x 3"

Thumbnails are supposed to be for working out--and I mean Working out--compositional ideas. Wish I could say I did that, but no--just sat on the couch like a schlub and drew these, nearly without being conscious. Suppose it shows, but a very good time was had nonetheless.

Where'd they come from and why? I was looking through a book about Harry Clarke--an illustrator-god--and saw this...

...very weird illustration. (Um, find me an  illustration by Harry Clarke that isn't weird.)
It caught my eye--the yellow and black a surprise--and it's been on my mind all week.

Wish I could tell you why Oliver Twist ended up the subject of my yellow, (er orange--another surprise) thumbnails. Oliver Twist was not on my mind at all, but it is a favorite book (Charles Dickens being an author-god).

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Fagin, Sikes, and Nancy; yet another thumbnail, approx. 4" x 5"

Wish I did more life drawing, worked harder at composition, and made millions of thumbnails. And probably would if I was goal-oriented, immortal, or something else that I'll never be. Unless I get surprised someday.

 And last, thanks very much to all of you who read my blog. The follows and comments are great too but mostly I appreciate that you take the time to come by.