Stoat: it's all coming back to me...

[Stoat]

Okay, here's my story. Went to RISD in the late '70s. Ran out of money after two years. Banged around for a few years as a freelance illustrator. My best work was pretty good...but I didn't always do my best work, and I was terribly slow. But, you know, I was getting there.

Then, to pay the bills, I took a job in the art department of a research and engineering company. Not bad. Kind of fun, really. Did everything from technical illustration to publication design. Any job where you draw pictures all day is a good job, right?

A couple of years in, we got our first computer, and I was. Just. Completely. Floored. Knocked out. Blown away. Bowled over. I lost it completely. For the next twenty years, I ate, slept and breathed computers. Gave up conventional illustration completely. I got to play with the earliest versions of image manipulation software (before Photoshop!) and 3D modeling programs. Scripting and programming languages. Markup languages. Publications software. Typographical software. Director. Shockwave. Shoot, I'd play with the operating system, if that's all I had to play with. I got a reputation for figuring out new technology quickly, so I got all the best toys first. I built prototypes. I *loved* my job.

So now it's, like, twenty five years later, and I'm pushing fifty (and it's pushing back!). I'm about to quit my job and move to the UK. And...I finally have to make up my mind what I want to be when I grow up. I don't think I want to chase the technology any more. I don't have the enthusiasm for new information that I used to have. Or maybe I'm just mentally slowing. I think I want to make art again. But with a technology assist.

Anyhow, of all the forums I looked at, CA seemed the most serious and professional. So I'll put a stake in the ground here, if I may...even if concept art isn't where I end up. This morning, I dug out my last ever sketchbook. There are no dates, but I think it's about 1984. Here's the frontispiece:

[Stoat]

Here's the next page in. Obviously, I had some kind of model for the top guy. I'm guessing a magazine picture. It turned into a painting: my last full oil painting. I'll have to dig that up this morning, too.

You'll notice from the standing guys that symmetry is something I don't do well. And yet, I often choose to draw symmetrical compositions. I think my weakness there niggles at the back of my mind, you know?

That's one area where digital painting makes it so much easier: flipping the illustration to work on it backwards. You can do similar things with conventional art (shining a light through the paper and looking from the back; tracing it and flipping the tracing), but it's so much more cumbersome.

[Stoat]

Yeah, here we go. Excuse the reproduction; my scanner is busted (this would be too big for it anyhow). Sure, it's an homage to da Vinci, but mostly it's an effort not to paint his genitals. Not that I can't paint genitals, you understand. It's just that...once you've got genitals on the page, that's all anybody looks at.

Am I right? Am I right?

This is what makes the comic book guys such geniuses. All those people in tights. You can paint nudes without those terribly inconvenient winkies and thingies and such.

Huh. I like the sketch better than the painting (isn't that always the way?). The second guy is obviously derived from the same image, whatever it was. Oil on masonite panel. My favorite medium.

[Stoat]

Right. Back to the sketchbook. Next page: bird man.

[Stoat]

Next page: Puss 'n Boots in sepia wash. Not a great drawing, but I did a little oil painting from it I was very proud of. I gave it away. I gave most of my finished work away.

[toubab]

impressiove works, love how you put shades and lights on bodies!:)

[Stoat]

Ooo! My first comment. Thank you, toubab.

Here's the last from the sketchbook. I'm not too happy with the way I rendered the animals, but I still like the idea. I was going to make a big two-panel painting out of it, like a religious diptych. The other panel (for which there are drawings around here somewhere) was the wedding portrait of the Dish and the Spoon. The little painting is a watercolor study. I never finished it; a bigger drawing of this is as far as I got with it.

[Stoat]

Oh, god. May you live long enough to embarrass yourself this badly. This is me, around 1985.

The provenance of this image is interesting. It was a little oil-on-panel, about the size of the palm of my hand. The background is gold leaf (the one and only time I used gold leaf). I had the painting at my desk when, years later, we were loaned a color Xerox machine (back when they were a quarter of a million bucks). I blew up the image about 1,000% experimentally. This one is about three feet by three feet; you can see the seams.

Then I mounted it on foamcore stuck it on the wall. Which thoroughly pissed off...exactly the people I wanted to piss off thoroughly.

[speedysam267]

those are some great paintings, and don't worry I think everyone as made a heroic pose at least once, they just didn't have a camera and canvas around!

keep posting, and How did you do the area within the circle for the last one? is that just light hitting the little ridges made by your brush?

[Stoat]

keep posting, and How did you do the area within the circle for the last one? is that just light hitting the little ridges made by your brush?

That's the gold leaf. When I tried to burnish it on, the leaf began to rub off, so I left it. So there's a bit of the panel from below showing through on the knobbly parts.

And just make sure, when you strike your heroic pose for the canvas, you don't have a really stupid haircut!

[Fraz]

Great works man. I especially love the all pencil drawings. You are a skilled painter too.
Do you plan on going back to traditional drawing, or are you just showing us to see what people think of it nowadays?

[Stoat]

Do you plan on going back to traditional drawing, or are you just showing us to see what people think of it nowadays?

Hm. Probably both. I'm trying to psych myself up, I guess. When I hunted up the sketchbook this morning, I hadn't seen those images...since I drew them, I'll bet. I'm touching base with the last place I was at.

I've developed all kinds of technical skills since then, but I suspect my drawing ability is frozen in time. And drawing is the master skill from which all the others derive.

What I need most is to get back to life drawing, but that'll have to wait a while longer.

[zerocforever]

great skill in pencil sketching, also great in painting too
would u teach me?:bashful:

zeroc sketchbook
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108389

[MeTaL-Mike]

ohhh man you've got some awesome stuff there. great sb

[zephyri]

Wow, these sketches/works are gorgeous, the sort of work I might inspire to myself should I ever find the time to fiddle with oils. I love your pencil work, the form and light is just wonderful and I love how none of it really gets lost when you transfer to paint. The way you handle flesh in the medium is beautiful too. Fabulous and inspiring! Oh, and its great to hear of another artist who frequently gives work away too, I'm a sucker for that.

[trevor]

after reading this i just have to ask
which pieces are the recent ones? and if they are all old
you have to start again man
too good to go for so long neglecting it
ps
not tryin to give you a bunch of crap
after my pancreas gave out on me this year
ive become a bit of a ass hahaha

i would love to see more, and more recent, work from you
the man elected jesus commands it haha

[Stoat]

Awww...shoot, Trevor. You're no fun. We could've had a really good blood feud or something.

Okay! Enough with the memory lane already. It's back to the basics for this little weasel. How was your morning? Mine was beige. Very, very beige.

[Stoat]

Shoot. I was going to take this week's Spartan Camp #18 (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=110065) -- I need to loosen up and work faster and 50 gesture drawings seemed just the thing -- but I only got to eight before the phone rang and I got lumbered with a stupid job. Stupid clients. Stupid not-being-born-rich. I'm going to be hella busy between now and Sunday, so here's my stupid eight:

[Doomgriever]

H0ly shiet! o_O man u rock! love the birdman!! anyways about that black painting u talked about. yeah that is weird :) stumbled apon the same situation too, but i found 5 black paintings with the headline "5 words"... and i was like... "um..OK?!"

[Christian223]

Hello, you draw well, the best way to learn is to teach, so why not teach?, i think that would be the best choice you could make in your life... think about it. keep posting.

[Stoat]

Thanks, Christian but...teaching? Holy cow! There're kids on this site half my age who blow me away! I got some serious catching up to do...

This lady showed up on our corporate website this morning winning an award or something, and she was just so shiny and pink...like delicious candy...

[ThaHellion]

I would love to see more of your old pencil style, but newer images. I think you should try to relive the style where you have shading, and while it is a delicate looking shadow, it gives the image all it's personality. I am not sure if I described it quite right, but my favorites were the minimal shading pencil renderings.

[Stoat]

Thank you, ThaHellion. I'm itching to get back to traditional media, too. I'm in the middle of a complex move, though, and all my art stuff is packed up. It's going to be a few months, at least, until I can unpack it in a new workspace.

Until then, I figured it was a good opportunity to play with Photoshop. I've done business graphics with PS, but I've never before tried to get arty with it. I'm having loads of fun, but this doesn't really look like me.

[zephyri]

Wow, i love the look of the coffee in that cup, looks like it might spill out of the screen. ehehe. And I think, to say you've never really used it for artistic purposes that you seem to have a great handle on the ways of painting in PS. That last sketch reminds me a little of Zhu Zhu's work: http://zhuzhu.deviantart.com/

[Liam Harvey]

wow these are really good

[Perenoid]

uuuuuuuuum, amazing.

[Stoat]

I'm having totally STUPID amounts of fun playing with Photoshop. And, yes, I really did have a red velvet sailor suit like that...for about ten minutes. Then I think they realized I was going to set fire to the house in the night if they made me wear it. I was youngest; I got hand-me-downs. But god knows when that thing was handed down from -- a Victorian orphanage, by the look of it.

[Jakers]

haha your crativity is a great thing. I like it when someones personality comes right out in their work.

The birdman, I also enjoyed...what about bringing him back and doing a nice digital? I don't know exactly what your wanting to dig back into though. thanks for correcting my aweful 'beetle' spelling. Don't be a stranger, I want to see what you do in the future

[Zord]

Welcome to CA Stoat, and to the sketchbook section. :)

The oils are what get me, just beautiful. Not sure about that haircut though ;).
Hope you keep posting and updating this thread, would be cool to see the progression in a year. Cheers!

[TheBeast]

*jahmy*cooOooffeee........oh sorry, it looks so delicius^^
realy great work here, please go on.... i want to see more!

[Mr.Delicious]

woo, bumped you up to 5 stars! those traditional ones from the beginning are soo awesome! did you work as an artist in the 80s? The Self Portrait made me laugh, but its so amazing at the same time... do you still have that jacket? and can i have it?

[MeTaL-Mike]

Man too bad you didn't make it to the spartan thread. your gestures look amazing man. hope to see you there one day.

[Stoat]

OMG! I have stars! I can't tell you guys how surprised and flattered I am. There are so many people in this forum whose work flat out blows me away. I tiptoe around the sketchbooks every morning with big eyes.

I posted the old stuff to kind of nerve myself up to begin drawing again. When I found that sketchbook, it reminded me that I had *something* before I disappeared in the bowels of a corporation for 25 years.

In a way, I kind of stepped on my own tail by posting the older work, though. What follows is going to be loose, sketchy and mostly digital until I can unpack my drawing materials.

Yeah, lucky me...I'm trying to sell a house in this market. The real estate lady was like, "about all this junk...can you make it go away for a while?" So my life is in boxes for the foreseeable future. Partly, I'm drawing to distract myself; otherwise, I might start screaming and never stop.

[Wasker]

Cool.

[Frank Gressie]

25 years?? damn, i'm not even that old...
looking backwards, can you give any advice?
love your last sketchbook and the oil paintings!

[Stoat]

looking backwards, can you give any advice?


Ummmm..."don't get laid where you get paid"? Or, ummm..."never take amphetamines when you have a headache"? Eh. Pass.

I really enjoyed my corporate job. All my friends and family thought I was nuts, because I had been Snotty McFineartist all my life and then all of a sudden I was a cubicle-monkey. But those early computer graphics systems were INCREDIBLY expensive, so if you wanted to play digital, you had to go corporate.

[Hellbeard]

Groovy work, man. I really dig those old school sketches. I think the hand-made stuff is much better than the digital works. The oils look really good too, good technique. What about some backgrounds to put those characters in?

[Stoat]

I completely suck at environments. That's something I'm going to work on.

The old-school stuff is a little misleading: those probably aren't sketches as such but are things I had been working on for a while. I often did drawings multiple times until I was happy. I'm very slow.

I'm hoping digital will help me loosen up and be more sketchy -- at least in my preliminary drawings. Electrons are cheap and ink doesn't have an "undo" button. :)

[Mark Tarrisse]

Well I must say you do amazing things ! :)

[Pascallo]

You show some really nice stuff in here. I love this style of drawings:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1513535&postcount=4
c´mon and show us more!

[alyssa milano]

nice stuff... like the autoportrait too...and interesting story... i m glad you dropped on my sb.... thanks!

[Christian223]

Haha!, it shows that you are having fun with ps, keep having fun and posting... holy carp, thats funny :)

[Drunken_hand]

I am humbled by your skill, and pretty stoked that you actually came to my sketchbook. Your art's amazing and I hope to see you getting back into it. Show us more!

[Mischeviouslittleelf]

Very nice stuff! If you ever think about teaching some pencil techniques I would be happy to learn! Actually, it would be an honor^^

-Even

[Jack the R]

What's great about your commentary about mullets and heroic posing, is that half the guys you've given it too have been photographed with goatees and other stylized facial hairs, with their pants around their hips, posing like thugs. :tihi:

You're structures great. I'll keep an eye on this sketchbook although there's not much I can tell you.

[light]

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=232212&stc=1&d=1194182970
This is gorgeous. I really like your traditional stuff man, hope to see some newer.

[Naomi Ningishzidda]

you're a funny guy

great satyr....

I don't look at the genitals, btw...

I'm generation X....I look at your fucking soul

/m\

[Hellbeard]

I completely suck at environments. That's something I'm going to work on.

The old-school stuff is a little misleading: those probably aren't sketches as such but are things I had been working on for a while. I often did drawings multiple times until I was happy. I'm very slow.

I'm hoping digital will help me loosen up and be more sketchy -- at least in my preliminary drawings. Electrons are cheap and ink doesn't have an "undo" button. :)

I'm quite a novice compared to you but you may still find this useful: what helped me to not feel I suck(and actually suck) at backgrounds.

I realized that I invest a lot of creative energy in making characters, I'd try to make them express my intent(or emotional charge) in every aspect. Simply put I'd try to draw them as well as I could and the backgrounds were more of a boring chore. As a result the backgrounds looked boring and uninspired. It dawned on me, then, how to put as much creative energy in drawing the background as the characters. The background has enormous potential to enhance the characters and to convey the artistic intent. I started thinking about the background as a character in my drawing. How can I make the background contribute to and enhance the emotional intent of the work. Background gives context and opens up more possibilities for expression. Sometimes, when I'm planning a piece with a BG it forces me to abandon some conventions in regards to posing and action of the characters, I think that's a good thing. It's also a fun exercise in imagination: what's there?

As for conventional vs. digital- a pencil has undo, and sometimes it's not so bad to work on something for a long time. Maybe you're slow but you're also very good and I personally would like to see more physical media. That being said it's also a personal bias of mine so I guess digital isn't all bad. I don't wanna come off as a jerk but maybe I am so please excuse me for pushing conventional.

[AmontilladoAg]

woot for hideous velvet hand-me-downs :D

Your old stuff is fantastic :) Do I detect some Rockwellian influence?

Can't wait to see more of your recent work, btw -- I'm likin' the Holy Carp :)

Cheers :^^:

[Stoat]

Thanks for the nice words, folks. I'm a little taken aback. I find visiting this forum a very humbling experience -- there are some mind-blowing illustrators here.

Heh. Found this cleaning the basement today. Old, unfinished oil on canvas, about the same year as the other old stuff I posted. The moment I saw it, I remember how many times I repainted his stupid face, and never got happy with it. The idea was, the one up top is the mama of the one Mister Smarty Britches there has just stuck a shiv in.

[Killer Napkins]

very awesome sketchbook man... love the oils there.. keep at it!!

[Miles_]

Wow, you are really talented. The early pencils kind of remind me of marco djurdjecvics work. I love that style of high contrast rendering. Keep posting man.

[Kravenous]

Wow very nice work!! We might be in the same boat, my corperate was a little shorter though and for now I am still in it.
can't wait for you to get set up and draw again, good luck with the move.
cheers

[mohd al mahdi]

Movements of people very strong
Study successful

[smugbug]

First off, thank you so much for taking the time to post in my sb.

And...wow. LOVE your pencil work. But I adore those gesture drawings. They show a real awareness of the shapes/forms but with a great rhythm and energy.

So glad you decided to come back to the crazy creative world - your talent will certainly be a grand addition!

[alteredvision]

Thnks for the crit on my work, and nice work here! Just a question, when I do the digital painting, what brush should I use to maintain the sharper stroke? I have been using the wacom intuos pad for about 2 weeks now, still trying to get the hang of it.

[Keenox]

Nice work over here... I like the pencil drawings the best. I don't have any crits by now. Hope to see more good work! :)

[koeifan]

wow... nice. No crit

[PieXags]

...holy crap man, definately approve of this. I'll be checking back here a lot, really could learn quite a bit.

More!

[johanerik]

That pic of you 1985... I seriously want that on my wall.. It's priceless.. I was 5!! "The Lost Boys" was 87.. But I get that nostalgia feel.. Back to the future, teen wolf, Goonies and cocoon.. Everything comes back like a hit from thors hammer....

[Chris Bennett]

Hey Stoat,
You have this marvelous facility, all the skills and talent are there. In my view the concern isn't about learning more skills but putting those things you already have (and you have a huge amount) into something you believe in. Easier said than done I know, but there is no other way as far as I know. I wouldn't be shy of the retro thing, its only a problem if its done consciously as a mannerism.

[warhole2]

verrry good stuff!

[JRStagg]

gawsh, i want your drawing hand and your eyes lol!

Fantastic work! somthing worth showing off! i demand a bigger 1024x768 picture for my desktop! lol joking. :D

[J Love]

Stoat,

Thanks for the kind words on my sketchbook - this is some hugely inspiring stuff you've got on here, I really love the pencil work and the painting of the lady. Best of luck with your move, and I can't wait to see more from you!

J

[Mikaul]

thanks for commenting in my book!


really great stuff in here! you have a great sense of anatomy, i cant wait to see more stuff from you and hear more of what youre going to do when you grow up

[Reika]

I am in awe. Keep posting :O

[Delmar]

Impressive work with oils and pencil!

and don´t worry, you've got at least another 50 years to figure out where to go in the fields of art ;)

Keep em coming


Ps.: You're definitely one of those guys i'd like to have cup of coffe with, and just listen.....

[incolorinred]

I like the oriental rug in post #27. Nice.

[Dan Valkar]

superb work man!!! awesome pencils and painting ..wow...amazin' art in here...just keep postin'!!!

[Doggy]

Oh man, that satyr! I agree with what someone said early in this thread: teach=)

The mullet is forgiven=)

[Aly Fell]

Just saw your CHOW entry and thought I'd check out your sketchbook. Smashing work here, I just want to see more! :)

[Proprod]

Stoat,
You inspire me, I am a 34 year old self taught freelance Illustrator and artist. I have a young family and I really want to make a success out of my dream career. Reading your short Bio on the starting page gives me the encouragement to be a success, I really look forward to be in your position when I am 50 something. To still have enthusiasm for my art and profession, I have come to realize watching some of the artist on here that are 'yes' young then me too and kick arse over me at the present time. That it will come down to experience, and hope to be strong in skill and style when in my later years.
Thank you for your inspiration.

[Stoat]

It always spooks me when I see my sketchbook rise to the top and I haven't touched it. I'm in that part of my relocation where I'm trying to throw away 80% of my crap so I can even put this house on the market. In other words, the painful part...and a LONG way from the goal. But I'm making time every morning to sketch. Usually time stolen from work, so that's okay.

Proprod, not everyone here is college age or younger. And I'm finding some aspects of art easier at this age. I've finally gotten some things through my skull. Like, I don't try to fake it when something isn't working. I *finally* realized it's not worth trying to 'finish' my way around an inadequate drawing.

Anyhow, thanks to everyone for stopping by. New stuff when I've dug out from under a little!

[mrgrumble]

well hello mr. stoat!
great work you have here! i'm a current risd student, i was about to leave last year due to money (and other) reasons as well, but figured i'ld try to pull through in the bleak outlook that those four letters might help on my ol' resume :S

in any case, i love the work you've shown, but was hoping you perhaps had some more pen/ink style work to show? judging by your avatar and webpage image you've got quite the chops with the nib~

hope all is well
-tim

[trevor]

love the updates
and the full page of asspats hahahaha
everyone is calling you mr staot
but i distinctly recall you saying you were wearing a red velvet sailor suit dress!
so maybe im an idiot
or perhaps im the only one paying attention hahahah
didnt realize you were at risd timmy(grumble)
and stoat if you want any tips on PS that may help make your life easier let me know
ive spent he last 10 years figuring that beast out
and the last 2 learning some hard lessons about painting in it hahah

[resonanteye]

Thanks for the thread; I got wrapped up in a specific very stylized work for the last eleven years and I'm just now trying to go back to my root and be looser with my work too. It's hard when you have been immersed in something for so long to just go pick up a regular old pencil and draw on some random piece of paper...and do things for fun and to open up again to sketching

you've given me a boost, for sure. (I'm not young enough to be your daughter or anything , either...quite)

thanks for the inspiration, glad I'm not the only one returning to the beginnings with my artwork

[Ignominious]

so pencil sketches at the beginning of the thread are so amazing!

[Hilbruks]

Your pencils are just awe(and me)-inspiring. I can't wait to see more of them. Please keep posting.

[Hilbruks]

I just read your story, Kind of a pitty that you stopped doing art, but it will be really interesting to see how your search goes. I'm subscribing to this thread and I am looking forward to your next posts. Godspeed :)

[Stoat]

I've never been a confident or graceful sketcher. I'm an obsesser and a polisher and a worrier. Bad habits, so I'm making myself work in ink with a minimum of planning. I got a cheap cartridge fountain pen and sanded the ball off the nib (something I've been doing for years...works a treat, and you don't cry if you lose it) and I've been making myself draw (mostly) every day.

Working mostly from photo refs, which isn't optimum -- but I'm stuck in a soul-killing cubicle for the foreseeable and I think I'll go potty if I draw another apple or cup full of pens. I go to images.google.com, put in random word combinations and draw the first thing I see that looks interesting. Mostly animals, at the moment.

While moving, I found a lovely blank sketchbook -- cream with brown flecks. So, here goes the first six pages. Chronological, top to bottom. I don't know if you can SEE it getting easier, but I can sure feel it.

[Christian223]

Wow, im drooling in amazement, great skills. A suggestion, why not draw from imagination to excersize your creativity? "I'm stuck in a soul-killing cubicle for the foreseeable and I think I'll go potty if I draw another apple or cup full of pens" you said, so why not draw crazy and fun ideas?.
Keep posting! :yayca:

[Mr.Delicious]

I love how natural your anatomy looks. All the animals look awesome too, youre makin me realize how behind i am in my studies hahaha.

hope to see more!

[Stoat]

Thanks, Christian. I'm kind of warming up to that. See, my usual pattern with a bound sketchbook is to start out well, really pleased with myself...then a few pages in, do a horrible, howling stinkburger of a really bad drawing. This so disgusts and demoralizes me that I abandon the sketchbook completely.

So I'm sticking to refs for the moment, at least for the bound book. I've been doing looser sketches from imagination outside the book.

Incidentally, if you look closely, you can see my wireless router password and the extension and password of my work phone. So if you're in my neighborhood, you can steal my wifi and listen to my voice mail.

Drop by. We'll ahve coffee.

[Mr.Delicious]

oh awesome, I live near boston, I'll have to steal your shit

[Redfender]

Stoat
you are one funny guy
and i feel your cubicle pain
sometimes i wish theyd fire me so i can go home and draw and not feel guilty about it
plus i just sold my house in december if you can believe it
this girl just shows up on the 15th and says ill take it, moved out on the 22nd, and now im living with (gulp!) the inlaws. buying a house in this market is much more fun than trying to sell.
oh and you're sketches are good but i can see what you mean when you say youre trying to loosen up, they feel very tight to me. otherwise they kick butt.

[Stoat]

Yeah. Lifelong problem. When I was a freshman in art school, one of my drawing teachers gave me a hunk of flourescent orange chalk the size of my fist and made me draw with it all semester. Looking back, I can see that he was trying to make me loosen up. If he'd explained that to me, I think I would have taken it with better grace. As it was, I just assumed he was a sadistic bastard. There was a lot of that going around.

I'm a "her," incidentally. I always feel silly mentioning that, but I also feel silly when I don't.

[Aveh]

No crits from me, just a nagging vote that you need to update more often!!

I like the pen sketches, whats the point of sanding off the ball? That comment intrigued me but at the same time left me completely clueless, I think I stared at mine for a good 6-7 minutes wondering what the result would be if I did that..

How are you coming along with the digital stuff?

[Carbono]

I love your anatomy... You got some really strong lines. You should post more, its a pleasure to see your works!

[Stoat]

I like the pen sketches, whats the point of sanding off the ball? That comment intrigued me but at the same time left me completely clueless, I think I stared at mine for a good 6-7 minutes wondering what the result would be if I did that..

It gives it a fine point. I really like how it feels, too. The ball makes the pen slide around on the page; removing it makes it sharp. I like it when my drawing instrument almost cuts the surface, whether it's a very sharp pencil or a very rough paper.

I used to cut nibs flat and then bevel them, so they made a thin stroke side to side and a thick stroke up and down. That made them like very small calligraphy nibs. I liked that for writing. Well, one time, I accidentally snipped too much and got a stroke that was very fine, but the same in all directions. It turned out to be splendid for drawing.

I messed up a lot of nibs before I got good at it, though. If you go too far, it either won't hold ink, or it pops on the upstroke the way a dip nib does. My current pen, I stropped along a knife sharpening stone -- first the coarse side, then the fine side. Then 'polished' it against the leather of my sketchbook cover -- first the rough side, then the smooth side. It sounds like a lot of trouble, but not really...and it'll be good until I (inevitably) lose it!

When I'm in the UK, I always pick up a fistful of cheap pens -- 79p each in the supermarket! You used to be able to get cheap fountain pens in the US like that, too, but I guess kids don't use them any more.

[Stoat]

I took you a pitcher! Pen A is perfect -- ink flows freely and smoothly, and the line is the same width in both directions. Note that the ball is flattened, but not totally removed.

Pen B needs a bit more work -- it's petering out on the side-to-side marks. It needs a little more polishing, I think. But it's worth fixing, because the nib is springy and I can lean on it a little and get a wider, darker line, like a dip nib. Well, I did pay almost £2 for this pen!

[Hilbruks]

Hey Stoat. Long time no update. Would love to see some more soon. Your sketches in post 80 look fantastic. Hope to see more soon :)

[Light_User_Syndrome]

Great stuff, Stoat.
How long do your sketches take? For instance, the Frontispiec on the first page.

Also, I've been considering drawing birds. I really like you sketches.
What are you referencing for them? Real life or photos?

I'll return! THanks for sharing your endeavors.

[Penumbra]

I absolutely love your drawings. The satyr is great. If you've been around a while I wonder if I know you? I've been working since 1988 in the fantasy field and print market. Your work looks familiar to me.
Anyway, post more soon.

[Stoat]

I'm still immersed in trying to sell a house (in the US in this market. Because god hates me, that's why). All my art stuff is packed and gently decomposing in the garage. But I got a copy of Manga Studio 3 (http://my.smithmicro.com/win/manga/index.html) for my birthday and figured I'd stick something in my sketchbook so it doesn't die.

This program is a blast to play with. I recommend trying out the demo version, if you like doing inks or panels. I can't work out the difference between the $50 version and the $300 version, except maybe auto speech balloons and more textures.

Edit to add: shucks, y'all. I should've kept a better eye out on my own sketchbook. Penumbra, you haven't seen my work unless you're an engineer; I've worked for an engineering company doing illustration for the past 25 years. I'm trying to limber up the old, old fine art muscles in preparation for doing something....else.

Light user: the drawings at the beginning are old, from my student days. I don't remember how long that took, but my guess would be some hours. An awful lot of that time would be sharpening leads -- very soft lead, very pointy is how you get that effect. The later bird sketches are from photos. Morning exercises: hit Google Images Search, type in a word, draw the result. I only do that for practice, though. It's much better to draw things from life, if you can. Birds are tough -- that's why Audubon used to shoot 'em (he was a crack shot, too. He had to be to avoid mutilating them).

[johanflod]

hello Stoat and all the best of luck with your house !

when I see your sketches and paintings I do not see a single thing to critisize. just keep up the good work man. totally looking forward to see more from you ! Thanks for sharing your old sketches and everything.

[BRAT_777]

Hello! I have to tell you, I got such a wonderful compliment from you in the critique section of this site, and went to your sketchbook link to see a bit of your work. My jaw absolutely dropped and my heart actually skipped a beat!! Your work is some of the best work I have seen in a while. I feel honored that you paid me a compliment! So let me just say, bravo. I am so inspired, thank you for sharing. :) :) :)

Oh, and in regards to your first comment in your thread...

Goals are deceptive, the unaimed arrow never misses.

[warlock1234]

wow, i am very impressed and enthused about your modding your tools, very little done but definitely makes the difference, also just wanted to drop a great work your way..

[AmontilladoAg]

Ooh, nice weasel pic! :) Show us mooaaarrr! (and good luck w/that house sale, btw)

Cheers :teeth:

[kidult]

Love the weasel and you are right manga studio is super fun!

[DannyMuskens]

Wow, sorry for the useless comment. But Im blown away, your sketches from 1985 man, they are so great! And to think I was only 1 at that time, I dont know its just crazy.

I really dig the oil painting derived from one of the first drawings of the man, the usage of colors and the expression of the piece is just astounding.

And your sketches, man, what detail and form, everything is so alive. And your rendering is beautifull, it adds that extra little bit.

Im gonna subscribe and hand out 5, wish they had 10, and pray that you will post a lot more. I cant wait to see more!

[Liam Harvey]

man those are crazy animal studies way back on page three! im just going through your sketchbook again for inspiration, and well you need to know how badass they are.

[[LITTLE-FEET]]

nice work! and your life drawing is so cool and neat!

[squidmonk3j]

great sketches, hope to see more soon:)

[markey2d]

you have alot of confidence with your lines, its really admirible.
every thing looks great keep it up.

[abigbat]

I seem to have lost half an hour in this sketchbook - I took a peek and simply couldn't escape. There's some highly impressive work on display here; your grasp of anatomy and your imagination and creativity in particular is incredibly inspiring to me. Keep posting because I simple can't wait to see what you produce next!

[light]

Man that reference work is incredible, im inclined to ask how long youve been doing art seriously but it honestly doesn't matter just keep doing it.

[Stoat]

Heh. The comments amaze me. I feel like a complete idiot saying this, but I think my sketchbook is the most overrated on CA. Maybe that's because I just cleaned out the room I've used as a studio for twenty years and handled dozens of half-baked, unfinished pieces of my own crap. Never in my life have I been so aware that, if I work hard and really apply myself, I can TOTALLY suck.

There are people on CA who are heartbreakingly good. Browsing here every day is humbling and uplifting at the same time.

At the moment, I have all my conventional art stuff packed, hoping to sell my house. I'm going a little nuts. I just went to Dick Blick to buy a folding stool and walked out with $200 worth of stuff.

I can't be trusted with a drink, an internet connection and a credit card.

[light]

how big are the pages on those sketches in post #80?

[strybjorn]

there is some really excellent stuff going on here - im really looking forward to seeing some more of it!

i read in the UK thread that youve quit your job? im assuming your going to be doing more art from now on, yes? as a career? i hope so, coz your work is excellent and deserves money :D

[Stoat]

I left the sketchbook at work, Light, but they're small. Maybe 6x9? I have a *very* hard time working large and, left to myself, love to work tiny. Like, miniatures.

Got to sell the house before I quit the job, strybjorn, (mortgage!) but I'm sure hoping to make a living at fine art -- the way I intended thirty years ago. I've really loved my commercial art job, cubicle and all, but I'd like to turn the work relationship around the other way. Instead of receiving assignments and trying to fill them, I'd like to make pictures and then...they sell or they don't. I'm tired of struggling to see the picture in somebody else's head, you know?

Now, *what* I'm going to make pictures of, I haven't decided. Animals of some kind, probably. I suck at landscape, I can't really do likenesses though I like to draw people, and I don't think my beloved would like me doing nudes for a living.

It's kind of spooky, playing "what do I want to be when I grow up?" in midlife.

[Chris Noeth]

Your work is very unique and I like it alot!

Best wishes,

Chris

[snubbed]

I was all pumped about your art and the sketches. Liked the shit from the 80's especially well, but your new stuff in the sketchbook was looking really tight (slang way - not critique way) and I was gonna' tell you all of that. Then I read the comment "I'm a she, by the way, not a he" and I was like WTF? Didn't I just look at a self portrait of a dude standing all superman like? And I went back thinking, maybe she isn't as good as I thought? But it really was the pose of the self port that made your jaw look all heroic like and you didn't have the superheroine extra inflated breasts we see so much of on CA (and that I draw so much of, I guess). So now I'm back to liking your work. Good job! lol.

Mostly, though, I really like that you're pushing 50 and changing shit up in your life. I bulldozed through 30 a couple months ago and have decided to do the same. Maybe in another 20 years I can do it once more. You've inspired me - artistically and goal/motivationally. Double good job.

[Stoat]

Heh. Yeah. I was a little worried after I posted that old self-portrait and people still called me "dude." But, hey, I could hardly paint myself with huge hooters, could I? My friends would have teased me raw.

Sometimes, shit gets changed up whether you like it or not. I've really liked my life so far. I absolutely expect to like the next part even more. The changing between them part? That I don't like so much.

[donalfall]

Well, moving house is meant to be the second most stressful thing you can do in life. I think you have to accept that, on the internet at least, 'dude' and 'man' are gender-neutral ;) (Or at least, gender-specification-too-lazy-to-check).

Your sketches are great, you certainly aren't over-rated. The years of commercial art practise shows through, everything is really solid. You'll have no problems selling art pieces at your standard. Waiting patiently for more....

[shamandalie]

Nah, your sketchbook ain't overrated. I looked at your works and my jaw dropped. @_@ You really have awesome skills, master. PLEASE POST MORE ART. :)

[krispee]

Stoat, my man, you`re really very good, keep it all up ya hear!

moving to the uk did i read somewhere?
where in the uk are ya moving to and why, may i ask?
i`m from the uk and nosey, although i guess you`ve already worked that one out right? :wink:
plus i also work in engineering.....

kris

[Mescher]

your self-portrait story is hilarious
and your sketchbook is great :)

[Jussi Tarvainen]

Hey Stoat,

Thanks for sharing your story how you got here. You are very highly skilled and I have no doubt if you work hard on your weaknesses you said you have(and it's great you are are of your weaknesses) you can be what ever you want to be. If you need any extra motivation I suggest you listen to Bobby Chiu's podcasts at www.youtube.com/digitalbobert.

All the stuff I've seen here are very nice. Like the style you setch and you have a lot of details in your sketches and those paintings are really nice too.
Would love to see a stack of new work:)

Hey what's the Weasel Academy of Fine Art all about?

Have a good one!

[Drunken_hand]

Yo Stoat, you're female? Awesome! ... Sorry that took me so long to find out.

Just lookin' through some more of your art postings, I'm still blown away. Your animals are awesome and full of character. Thank you again for gracing my sketchbook with your presence... even though that took place some months ago... :D - just going through here reminds me of how big of deal that is.

Best of luck on your housing situation, moving, and career! And shoot, I'd love to see more art too when you get the time, it's inspiring!

[Gib]

Just klicked your "Academy of Fine Art" link and had a good laugh. That busy weasel shouting at me to go away is just great.

So I ended up here und have to say; some stunning work!

[ccsears]

awesome! reminds me of my teacher's and my teacher's teacher's work...

something about design schools though...you can spot a graduate of risd or art center from a mile away.

5*s from me. michelle obama fist bump for keeping it old school.

[call me snake]

Great thread!
I'm loving all of your work, wouldn't mind seeing your engineering illustrations either.

I think it's interesting when you get to know something about the person behind the sketchbook. Entertaining read and again, great pictures, and good tips on the inks.

Please keep at it!

[2kre8]

I love your sketchbook please post more, I also like the fact that you are older, most people are younger on this forum, not all but allot of people are. You give me something to strive for Thanks.

[Pawkfox]

Mind blowing, If I was this good I'd have a job by now! doing bad sketches and illustrations for people who underestimated my ability, but I'd still have a job!!
But then again, I'm a lazy kid. Hehe.

Nothing more interesting than listening to an older person with lots of stories about his life. (and wise advice)

P.S I'd also want to know what this weasel academy is all about =D

Keep up the art and stories!

[Mescher]

Nothing more interesting than listening to an older gent

Haha. I love your art, but I to be very honest I keep coming back to your sketchbook because I think the gender confusions are hilarious.

Awkward and totally unfounded, but hilarious.

[Hybrid_75]

amazing sketches stoat. didn't realise you're a female either, i dunno what that changes but I just thought you were a dude... awesome stuff though. I love the pen sketches, never been much of a fan of using pen myself and seeing how well you use the medium I'll probably never bother :)

[Stoat]

Oh, shucks, y'all...I'm really sorry. I keep forgetting to check my own SB for comments. The main reason I posted one at all is that I think it's only right if you crit somebody's work, they get to see yours. Fair's fair :)

The RISD faculty show is every two years. I started in an off year, so I made it all the way through the Foundation program before I knew what my teachers' work was like. It was a real eye opener. Some people went UP in my mind, some went DOWN.

Anyhoooooo...this week, I think I'm going to be an animal artist! I'm doing little teeny pencil drawings to see if I'll find that interesting enough to spend the rest of my life on. I love doing little teeny stuff. On my monitor, this is about life size:

[Fly]

Thats a small cat drawing. would look good on a stamp!
i liked drawing portraits in a 1inch note book. tell my niece got hold of it..
I like bird man has a good mix of human and bird not the usual head/body swap looks natural almost. At first didn't even notice it was a mix.
and the cat i like them too the way you've clothed some. Reminds of Alice in wonderland and obliviously the moon song :p

you need to post more though! keep up with all these comments :p

[kidult]

Animals have to much fur to render!!!

[D@niel]

Realy nice cat!

[RandAlThor]

Loving the pencils... tell me, is it hard being so good ;-)

[maxetormer]

good thread man, inspiring work :) keep sharing

[BlackMamba]

Woah this sketchbook is awesome! i really love this. keep making more of the character drawings, they look so realistic :D

[SMILEFACE]

dig the weasel jolly good show lets see some mo

[krispee]

yep, definitely a cool cat!

kris

[ManaBurn]

Good stuff!

[Hilbruks]

I really think it's going to much time between posts. Looking forward to seing more :)

[GaussianRaider]

I'm eager to see more half baked crap, the sharp style really impressed me (I'm definitely going to try the sharpening trick, if I understood correctly the procedure)...how is it going with the house?
I think most people assumed you were a male with an awesome mullet :P

[theUNKNOWNsketcher]

Realy great! Respect!

p.s sexy avatar

[JoelD]

I love your animal drawings... incredible. That last cat drawing is fantastic, the paws look really formed, like they are coming out of the picture... makes the picture so strong.

Thankyou for commenting on my thread with the Siamese cat. I want to study animals for the range of gestures... I believe that it is great practice for any artist to be able to interpret and reproduce animals.

[deepbluehue]

I really like your animal drawings in ink. Thanks for sharing your work!

[Sceptyr]

Well Ms Stoat, you truly are an inspiration. Your sketchbook may have evil powers though, for the life of me i couldn't leave it behind and go to my psyc class. (or super good powers... not sure)

Anyways, i'm not really sure i can give a crit...seeing as how all your posts have been unbelievable. The only thing i can say is draw more! everyday! But thats just greedyness on my part, wanting to see more posts :) Keep 'em coming.

[Quigleyer]

WHY, oh WHY have you not cropped this and made it your avatar yet?

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=232227&stc=1&d=1194184426

the 80's... to bad I was too young to remember them.

AWESOME sketchbook man. Your draftsman skills are top notch.

[kev ferrara]

I would love the updates as much as the previous drawings and paintings... except there t'ain't no updates. Are you creating anything, my friend?

[Augmenton]

Wow, an artist after my own heart... Slow, meticulous, in love with soft and pointy lead, enjoys ink too... Awesome! Now all I have to do is bring my work to your level and I will be happy.

One thing I have to say is that all your people, men in specific, tend to look pretty much the same. Like clones. Great anatomy, sense of color, and light but they all look related to each other! Though at least your people look like real people and not manga/comic book miss-haps as mine do... :p

I really enjoyed everything, and I love your style. I say screw moving and tear all your art junk out of the boxes. If anything, having all your stuff packed up leaves more room for being a messy, creative artist in all that now free space!

Good luck to you and your adventure to rediscover your inner fine artist, cheers!

[Hellart]

Heritage classic~~~

[Bill]

More Drawings please.

[Lhune]

I'm just dropping by to thank you, 'Mr. Stoat', for being such a great inspiration to me and giving me quite a kick in the arse to keep doing what I'm doing and get better at it.

Thank you, and please keep the pictures coming! They're absolutely amazing :).

[AztcFireFlower]

I just came in for a peek, and wound up getting a big bowl of grapes to munch on while I spent the next hour reading your very funny comments and absorbing the superb work. I'm an expert at sharpening charcoal pencils to rapier points, now I've got a new skill to look forward to, shavin pen nibs!!!
I've not seen many women displaying this caliber of skill. Almost all the strong illustration folks are dudes. I'm stoked that you are female. Awesome to see what you've got here. You've paid your dues in school & in the field and it shows. 1st rate and as Chris Sears says, you remind of my teachers (we've had the same mentors here in South Cali) who are stars in their fields.
Yep, I can relate to the mid life career move, but, you've got it everything it takes. Dude(ette) your set. I second what Chris Bennett commented; You have to simply re-invent the skills you use, that is put old skills to use in new ways. Old world illustration skills is a rare art indeed. I can see that your understanding & technical know how runs deep (I envy that. Myself, still learning the know how). Armed with that you'd blow us all away.
I really can't wait to see what you do with all that embedded art stuff stored in your noggin.

[patrick j jones]

Great work, Stoat, liked your life story too, reminded me of my own path :0)

[Morderischen]

Aww. A shame we haven't got to see more of you, but if you ever see this thread again, your work is truly inspiring! I hope you show us more of this incredible artwork ^^

[Velocity Kendall]

i enjoyed reading your commentary stoat!

[TinyBird]

What is this... Your name is Stoat yet there's only one awesome mustelid pic featured here?!
By Jove, I've been had! More weasels, man. Weasels.

[atdoodle]

amazing stuff.I really would love for some help in improving my level of art.I'm self taught from books and videos and i'm trying to improve my knowledge and art skills.I know the level of skill on this site is exceptional and my friend told me I'm out of my depth going on here...but I hope that I might learn or get help from you guys.

[AestheticMachine]

gnarly old stoat. moar!! :D

[Dana_T]

BEAUTIFUL freaking work. Wish I found this sketchbook earlier. Please post more soon!

[krysjez]

it's been an absolute pleasure looking through the previous pages. :hugsmile:

[Velocity Kendall]

post more work stoat, the weasels are winning

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091027225254/uncyclopedia/images/5/5e/Weasels_ripped_my_flesh.jpg

[LordLouis]

Stoat, please come back to your sb!
I am so awestruck by this.. would you mind me coming over from Essex? :P

[Hatton Slayden]

wow your sketches are really good

[Partisan]

DAHAAAAMN! ...thats all I am gonna say.

5*

seb

[ian_ruff]

Beautiful stuff!! I love the ink sketches. . . even more than the commentary which is enough to keep me coming back anyway. 5 * from me.

[Velocity Kendall]

bump-

[Lightship69]

Hi matey.

After much neglect I have finaly gone through your SB and I find that "Hey!" another one in the same boat as me, I was in at the start of all this technology crap too in the 80's and mullets. Only with me it was computers, mixing desks and recording studio equipment and it was ok while it lasted.
I dont know how it was for you mate but suddenly (it seems) I find myself hurtling at 50 years old and wondering where the hell life went! But I leep telling myself this is what I want to do! improve my art more and more, because of my love of it and there is no heavy lifting involved! ha ha ha ha.

can you please break out your pencils, pens and pixels and post some more inspiration please, thanks and all the very best to another apprentice crinkly person (scary thought isnt it!?).

[Kapri]

Awesome art, awesome story, awesome humor = awesome sletchbook. Your latest post in the WIP showcase about being a banana had me laughing out loud.

Please post some updates. :yayca:

[Antgirl]

Your use of light and shadows to define shapes is fantastic. I don't know if I'm explaining myself well but your art has a solid feeling to it, like if I touch it I'd actually feel the object or person, I'm talking about the colored pieces like the one in post 3 and 8 and the keyboard on 17.

[samthemule]

lovely work, subscribed

[Harmageddon]

Hey Stoat,
thanks for taking the time to help me out in my struggle with light/shadow.
Great work you've got in here btw - very good quality stuff all round.
Funny how life turns out sometimes, eh? Ah well, sounds like you've had a good time so far, I'm sure you'll be having good times in the future as well.
I sincerely hope so, anyway. Cheers.

[sullivan west]

Wow you're pencil/watercolor pieces are lovely. I'm sure you get this a lot, but they remind me of Rockwell. I hope you post some more!

[Satupeikko]

Awesome works here. I love your pencil works, really inspiring!
Post more please!

[Nuked Tofu]

My eyebrows disappeared into my hair while looking at your sketchbook. And I love your comments, they had me yukking. Your self-portrait is hilarious (and amazing, especially the lighting on your face).

I also appreciate the mini autobiography at the beginning... It comforts me, as a young'un, that I'm not quite sure where I'm going after I graduate, 'cos, well, you never know what'll change.

Thanks for checking out my WIP! I am definitely going to push myself harder now.

[ThomasM]

wow great skill with a pencil!