Sketches
Unknown Worlds yield Unknown Results….Yield….Yet Go at the Same Time….We could all learn a lot from Tom Waits….and from Leonard Cohen….With Time Comes Success and Recognition….Probably best not to force it….Let Time take care of things….For some of Us, Sketching is Thinking….We don’t know what we Think until we start to Draw….For me I have learned Not to ignore the urge to Draw….It’s important to Me Now….Drawing….Sketching….Painting….Writing….I draw for a Living, that will not change….I am a working man, and that reality will not change for awhile….I plan to be a working man for quite a few years to come….I am fortunate because I love what I 
do….At times I wonder what it would be like to have complete freedom to draw and paint whatever I want….But for me, that doesn’t hold much intrigue….I don’t long for that freedom….I like the “paying work” that I do….I like the projects that I am hired to draw….Maybe I need the structure….Maybe I need the balance….Whatever the reason, there is no doubt that it works for me….I am ideally suited to my role as an illustrator….that, plus having a small amount of free time to pursue my own creative work along the way….And I do believe that it can be different for some artists….everybody’s different….I enjoy the right amount of artistic freedom, and the right amount of time to pursue my own creativity….Too much time to explore is stifling to the process, and is unproductive….I’m a producer of artwork, and it’s 4 parts others, 1 part for me….That’s just about right….I Love it when I have that Balance….
Earlier I mentioned Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen….Two of my favorite Artists….Music and Lyrics are their Art….Tom Waits has been one of my favorites for over thirty years….I like the way he pushes himself as an Artist, without judging himself too harshly….At least that’s the way I perceive it….He’s done musical work over the years that doesn’t resemble his previous work in the slightest….
You would be hard-pressed to prove it’s the same artist….and there’s something about his self-challenge that I really admire….It’s inspiring to see an artist push himself in a totally new direction to see what he can produce….I don’t love everything he does….That’s not it….I love the challenge that he gives himself….and even what I would consider his less successful work, it still has integrity and some intrigue to it….Part of its appeal is him meeting his own challenge, in my mind….Leonard Cohen, on the other hand, I have only been aware of for a short time….I’m not sure why he went virtually undiscovered for so long….How does that happen?….What I see in Cohen’s work is an extraordinary talent with lyrics in particular….some of his music is also very special….haunting melodies….As an artist Cohen seems more careful….To me it seems he takes a lot of care putting his artwork together….he’s an excellent craftsman, as well as poet and musician….Not to say that he doesn’t challenge himself like Tom Waits….just that, like me, he prefers to work on his craft, and get it just right, before he releases it….I can relate to that….I think that introspection and refinement shows through in his finished work….There’s definitely a finished quality to it….
There’s a great deal one can learn from other artists….and I feel there are different things one can appreciate about each artist….some things you see at 50 years old that you didn’t see at 20….For me I need a certain amount of time to do my work….and a certain amount of time to reflect on it….If I have that, the work comes out well….measured, but not overworked….loose, but not careless….a little bit of Tom Waits….and a little Leonard Cohen….that’s what works for me….some Inspiration and some Reflection…..An artist needs to push into new and different directions, leaving enough time to evaluate and enjoy the journey and to feel proud of the final product of that journey….So, that’s where I am right now as an artist….Hoping to stay busy in my professional life….and have just the right amount of time to sketch and paint and enjoy the mix….Unknown Worlds yield Unknown Results….Yield….Yet Go at the Same Time….We could all learn a lot from Tom Waits….and from Leonard Cohen….With Time Comes Success and Recognition….Probably best not to force it….Let Time take care of things….
The Looney Bean
Did you ever have a certain spot you visited on vacation where your mind seems to drift from time to time when you return home…. ? For us that would be a small cafe in Mazatlan, Mexico….The Looney Bean….Nothing special–just a neighborhood coffee-house–a hole-in-the-wall, or actually one in a series of holes-in-the-wall that stretch down a sandy stretch of shops, empty storefronts, and restaurants that make up a “Mexican strip-mall” at the end of the Playa Bruja area north of Mazatlan….This is “down and dirty” Mexico–and I don’t mean that pejoratively–this is just a practical, modest neighborhood shopping and eating area….I’m just trying to paint you a picture here….one that’s accurate, and captures the true charm of this place….No fountains with plazas….No valet parking….No landscaping–unless you consider the occasional palm weed or Bougainvillea bush coming up through the cracks in the sidewalk….So I think you’ve got the picture….If not, above is a snapshot I took of the seafood restaurant at the end of the shopping center, which overlooks the Ocean….And in case you’re still romanticizing this place–it’s sandy sidewalks, tarps for roof repair, and a lot of duct tape on all the small fishing boats in sight….But then that’s the charm–at least for us and everyone else who enjoy something for what it is–not what it’s trying to be….
So back to the Looney Bean….Our Favorite Coffee Shop….Like all of the shops, it opens onto a tile-roof-covered walking arcade–All OPEN….just a big garage door to close off the shop at night….Each day when they open for business, they open up the big garage door and pull out the coffee tables, chairs, and rocking chairs….So you can sit and enjoy your coffee under the covered arcade….The Owner is great….she’s American….and she comes down each year from Klamath Falls for the season–I think from September until March or so….She’s done a great job fixing up the place so it’s clean and comfortable….a relaxed, happy atmosphere….But probably the best part is what they do for the community….They are involved with a local church, and they provide higher education in exchange for jobs for the local kids–high school age and older….So you will be served by a local kid who is getting an education funded by the coffee you just bought from them….That makes the whole experience even better!
The Looney Bean is the halfway stop in our morning walk when we are in Mazatlan….It takes us about 45 minutes walking at a pretty good pace to get there….we usually open up the place….enjoy our morning coffee, relax, talk with the owner, relax some more….and then head back….Aaaaaah, Vacation….That’s one of the best things about vacations–You can close your eyes, take a deep breath, and take yourself back there….at least for a few minutes….
January Jokes
Heard the old joke….”Have you ever seen Stevie Wonder’s wife?….(Well, neither has he)”….Not really that funny, but it makes me laugh….Funny thing, Humor….If Stevie’s in the room and laughs, it’s all cool….seems like it’s all about not hurting someone else’s feelings–and I like that actually….that’s not a bad thing….That’s why it’s so much fun joking around with family, because they can all take a joke, and we all know each other well enough that nobody gets their feelings hurt….
OK, here’s another one….Guy walks into a doctor’s office with a duck on top of his head….When the doctor comes out, he says ‘What can I do for you?’….and the duck says: ‘Hey Doc, can you get this guy off my ass?’….(rim shot)….My dog is laughing anyway….The dog seems to get all my jokes, which is disturbing….
This sure beats talking about architectural illustration, don’t you think? Besides, I don’t know any architect jokes….actually I take that back–I do know one….When asked what he would do if he suddenly bacame a millionaire, this guy thinks for awhile, and finally says, ‘I’d practice architecture until all the money’s gone’….If you’re not an architect, you probably won’t get that joke….Then again if you are an architect, you may not be laughing….
Here’s an old person’s joke….An older guy’s playing golf with his wife, but he has trouble seeing the ball nowadays–can’t find it even in the fairway anymore because of his eyesight….so his wife says, ‘Why don’t you ask your older brother to play with you because he can see better?’….So he takes his brother out with him next time they play, the guy hits his drive and asks his older brother, ‘Well, did you see it OK?’….’Oh, yeah, his brother says’….so they walk out to find the drive, and they can’t find it in the fairway anywhere….so the guy says to his older brother, ‘OK, so where’s the ball?’ (exasperated)….and the older brother says, ‘I can’t remember’….
Thank You
Funny how sometimes a mere “Thank You” is one of the best things to happen to you all year…..I’m serious….You work on something for a client you just met this year….You work hard on it, and things go well, and you’re just hoping you’re going to “click”, and that client will be happy with your work–maybe even very happy….and when you’re done, you receive a hand-written note from the client that not only confirms that they are very happy, but it says ‘Thank You’…..it floors me….
because now that I have gotten to know that client, I know that this represents a sincere appreciation for what I do….Now, of course you know when you’ve done a good job for people, so you don’t really need the reinforcement to build your confidence, but….I guess I sometimes take for granted that I can perform my job well, and make my clients happy….So when you see it in writing, it hits home–and you realize in a fresh, new way that your customer was absolutely thrilled with the results of your efforts, and can hardly wait to tell you so….Ah, the simple things in life are sometimes the best, aren’t they?
Colonoscopy and Basketball
I’ll take “Events that Happen When You Turn 50” Alex, for $1,000….That’s right–the answer is “Colonoscopy and Senior Basketball”….Fun, fun, fun! At least the basketball part, anyway….Actually, there is another relationship between the two, as during the colonoscopy, it feels like something the size of a basketball is used in the process….But I digress….
Let’s stick with the basketball portion of this discussion…. I just finished my third season playing basketball in a recreational Men’s Senior (50 and Over) League….and I enjoy it more each year….
I was never much of a basketball player growing up….Oh, I was into sports, just not basketball….I think it had more to do with the fact that I did not make the team in 7th grade, and the fact that the other kids in my neighborhood were better basketball players than I was….So, “Tell me Jeffrey, have you always been such a sore loser?” Guilty as charged….I stuck with baseball, tennis, track & field because I was better at those sports….But…. ever since I talked myself into going to the “Basketball Try-Out Night” three years ago, I’ve had a blast!
I ask myself, why is it so much fun to play basketball with a bunch of old dudes that are way past their athletic prime? And the answer is, ‘I have no idea’….But it is….
Maybe it’s the cameraderie….or the competition….or the challenge of a new sport for me….Anyway it’s thoroughly enjoyable….For me, it’s fun to play “The Big Man” at the center position at 6′-1″ tall….Sometimes I wonder how that keeps happening, that I end up playing center (of all things) for my new team each year, but I think it’s because I can jump–something most guys my age either cannot do, or do not want to do. So I get a chance to pretend I’m Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (I almost slipped and said Lew Alcindor) and put up the “sky hook” every now and then….Jostling around with a handful of sweaty dudes may not be your cup of tea, but I like getting out there on the court and competing among friends for bragging rights, and possibly the season title….
Actually you’d be surprised just how athletically-skilled and conditioned some of these guys can be in their 50’s–as they take you to the hoop….I’m still hoping to win it all one year, but….No matter what the outcome, you end up with a group of great buddies and you get some exercise at the same time….Walking out of the gym following the last game of the season, with another year ending up in second-place, I find myself mumbling the predictable “Wait ’til next year!” At least with the colonoscopy, I know it won’t happen for another five years….Maybe by then we’ll be in first place!
A Neighborhood Reborn
One of the best parts of my job is that I get an opportunity now and then to see an entire neighborhood transform itself from overly-mature and obsolete, to brand new and vital once again….This transformation does not happen quickly or easily–it’s the product of many long hours spent planning, creating, presenting to community groups, re-thinking, re-presenting, and finally, waiting for the actual construction to be completed, sometimes in phases….It’s a long haul….
But, when the dream eventually becomes a reality, it’s all worth it….All the long hours, all the hard work, all of the time spent communicating to the public what this dream will be when the hard work is done….These five illustrations are color renderings that I have done for Van Meter Williams Pollack, Architects of San Francisco for a site to be developed by Mercy Housing Corporation, a nationwide non-profit housing developer, locating in San Francisco….My clients have the tough job–they do the planning, the designing, the presenting to the public at evening meetings….My role is to give them the illustrations they will need to show at these meetings….The architects give me their plans and flat drawings, and I generate three-dimensional perspective renderings in color that not only show their designs in the best light, but explain to the public just what this neighborhood will look like….What it will be like to walk down to the New Playground at the end of the street….
How the New Community Center will sit at an angle and set back from the busy intersection they all know so well now….What they will see when they look down toward the Bay from the highest street on the hillside of their new neighborhood….This is what helps the public visualize and comprehend the architect’s design, so they can react intelligently and share in the knowledge of what will be their new home….My drawings help them get excited about the changes–how much space there will be in the “Public Market” where they will be able to buy fresh produce that their neighbors grew next door at the “Community Farm”….
and maybe enjoy a piece of fruit while watching the kids play soccer in the New Park you can see in the distance….My last view shows the good design thought that has gone into the major street leading into the heart of the project from the main intersection….Instead of being crowded on both sides with buildings right on the sidewalk, there is a generous park-like setback on one side, with bicycle and walking paths, large shade trees, and ample landscaping, some elements of which carry away drain water through what is called a “bioswale”, using the natural water that is collected for nurturing tall grasses….so the landscape is aesthetically pleasing–and functional….
Many of the paths are made of pervious, or porous, materials which reduce the impact of water flowing out of control when it rains heavily–lessening the likelihood that the excess water will cause any flooding problems for surrounding streets and properties….Building entries with a small set of steps create a link with traditional San Fransisco architecture, while providing a lower floor level which can receive natural light and air from the ground level….Sun canopies suspended by cables give the buildings a modern look, while providing shade to the interior spaces behind the glass….All of this is set against the scenic backdrop of McLaren Park at the top of the hill behind the homes….The story of this Neighborhood Reborn is just beginning with much work left to do….but the work continues, and the ideas are becoming more well-defined as I write this, and we prepare for a new round of presentations in mid-April….with this deserving neighborhood getting another fresh look at the latest design thoughts….I’ll keep you posted.
Perspective Drawing in 2010
Perspective Sketch by PiranesiPerspective drawing has been on a wild ride for the last 30 years. Illustrators who work in perspective on a daily basis have had their world rocked over this time period....and most of it has been good. Starting in the early 1980's computer programs were beginning to pop up that would be able to figure out the perspective for you--and that, as Humphrey Bogart would say, was the "beginning of a long and beautiful relationship" between the illustrator and his computer. So why am I showing you a picture from the 1780's by Piranesi when I am talking about the 1980's? Because not a whole lot changed for a long time in the perspective world before computers arrived on the scene. For centuries, creating a perspective drawing meant laboriously following a time-honored procedure of plan projection, picture planes, station points, and vanishing points all hand-drawn on a flat piece of paper on a drawing board. It was, for those of us very familiar with the procedure, a "labor of love", a necessity in order to provide an accurate and believable perspective of a building, a landscape--whatever the subject of the drawing happened to be....2-Point Perspective Diagram
This simple diagram shows the basics of perspective drawing as we know it. Lines that are parallel converge toward a common “vanishing point”, either to the left or the right….One can measure heights by scaling them at a particular point (at the picture plane) and then projecting them forward or backward in perspective to show the heights correctly–or, as they would appear in perspective context. But we don’t need to know all that now, because the computer does all the figuring for us, right? It wouldn’t matter whether we could tell a station point from a vanishing point, or even knew what a picture plane was….right? Think again….
- Makers of FormZ
that are available are fantastic, especially when you want to change a view angle or get multiple views of a subject–you can even do “fly-overs” and animation, allowing one to virtually “walk through” a building before it is built. I happen to use FormZ, by AutodesSys, and I like it best for its ability to fine-tune a perspective layout view–being able to get exactly the view you want by moving the station point location, the cone of vision, and making all the verticals vertical, even if your view angle would not typically allow this–it’s fantastic! But let me state clearly: a good fundamental understanding of the perspective method and how it works is essential to good illustration work….Having a perspective program on your computer does not mean you have mastered the art of perpective presentation. As in any other artistic endeavor, it is the hand that guides the tool that makes all the difference….Before and after the computer, the artist’s judgment of what creates a good view angle, and the knowledge of how to best manipulate the tools is the key….You need to see it in your “mind’s eye” before you even sit down at the computer or the drawing board….The rest of the process only confirms what you already knew in the beginning.
- Oil Painting by Raphael
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Architectural Illustration: Drawing the Unbuilt World
Architectural Illustration: Drawing the Unbuilt World
The great purpose of architectural illustration is to attempt to explain to the public that which does not yet exist. The architect has done his work, the plans are drawn to scale, the materials are chosen, all the details have been designed. However, the future building remains an enigma. What will it really look like after it is constructed? How tall will it be next to the other buildings we know? What about style–is it outrageous, or will it fit quietly into its context? All of these questions are answered by the architectural illustrator through his renderings. The role of this artist is to take the plans and all supporting descriptive information about the architect’s design, and forge it into a product that the public can understand. The illustrator must show the unbuilt and future design in a real-world context and in a natural perspective, as if the viewer were able to see into the future.
To the experienced professional illustrator, there is no greater ill than deception. It is anathema to good work, and is to be avoided at all cost. Renderings are to be governed by the same rules that govern the buildings they represent. The sunlight on the materials, the placement of the trees and landscaping, the cars and people that surround–all of these are real concerns to be dealt with honestly by a professional illustrator. They cannot be ignored, avoided, or shown disingenuously. In fact it is a disservice to treat them so. Dealing with some of these concerns can be a challenge, but the challenge must always be met truthfully, and the solutions must be found using real-world logic and reason.
To put it in layman’s terms, what good is a perspective rendering that shows the future building better than it will actually be? The whole purpose of the illustrator’s work is to communicate clearly and accurately the future building, as designed by the architect–to be true to the design. The illustrator’s work can be playful, suggestive, even flattering at times–in fact the best renderings always have these qualities. But a good artist’s rendering never abandons the true nature of its subject. It never exaggerates purely for dramatic effect, leaving the actual building to disappoint when construction is completed.
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