Stanley Kubrick

Graphite on 5.5 x 8.5 ins. paper. Quick 2 minutes.

Head studies

Ink on 5.5 x 8.5 ins. paper.

Inspired by Robert Liberace

Ink on 5.5 x 8.5 ins. paper.

Inspired by Jason Seiler

Ink on 5.5 x 8.5 ins. paper.

Figure study

Head study

Charcoal on 9 1/2x12" on Strathmore.

Charcoal on 9 1/2 x 12" Strathmore. I just learned about the fascinating talent of this French artist, Cali Rezo. Her paintings are full of vibrant colors and the subjects were just marvelously done with an hint of Klimt in color and a twist in their style. Just love it!

Inspired by Gottlieb's

Graphite on Bristol vellum . "Portrait of Victoria", as titled by Adrian Gottlieb, is the original artwork of which this one got its inspiration. I did this in between taking care of my new baby and it took for about 4 days to finish it. I am so drawn to marveling Gottlieb's rendition of the eyes that has brought tremendous challenge to my part. I think my version made the subject look 10 years older. The original work is, of course, by far better in all aspect. Click the title and see it for yourself.

Study of Glenn Beck

Graphite on 9x12 Canson paper. I could have drawn a straight face of my favorite tv and radio news commentator Glenn Beck, but I chose to do this because I find him very animated, entertaining, and passionate; and so I find this face more fitting. I got the lighting on this subject on both sides and I hope I defined it clear enough. The tone of shades on different areas is suppose to make justice of it's articulation. It's something more challenging; I did this for about an hour an a half. His show comes on the FoxNews Channel at 2 and at 11pm PT, and I have been religiously watching his show now that I'm on vacation. I've read his book, "Common Sense" and his new one, "Arguing With Idiots" will be next. If the current events and political bickering is not making sense to you, watch Beck's show. Lots of common sense. In this drawing Glenn is suppose to be grimacing with tears.

Little Megan

Graphite on 9x12 Canson paper. My first attempt to draw my daughter, barely a month old.

Head study of Mark Levin

Graphite on 9x12 Canson paper. I did this sketch in the style of Dave Malan's cross hatching. I did this for about 30 mins. It still need working but it's not that bad, just getting used to it. Giovanni Civardi, an Italian artist, is also one that I admire of their cross hatching drawings. Mark Levin is a radio news/conservative commentator and a brilliant constitutional lawyer. At first I was turned off by his belligerent screaming and cursing at the microphone on the radio station that I listen to, 790 kabc AM. After giving time and chance to listen to his piece, I came to realize that he has got substance and arguement in every point he raised. The guy is a smart and learned in the Constitution and Law, that he has short fuse on people who are openly stupid enough to be in the office wasting our tax money, continually destroying the fundamental freedom and sovereignty of America, and disrespecting the God-given values that our forefathers have laid on to us in the Declaration of Independence. We have a lot of public officials presently and continually doing that, both from Republican and Democrat party. Not only that I listen to his show and I also have read his book, "Liberty and Tyrrany". I consider him a mentor ,and in a culture war that we're in , aside from Bill O'Reilly, he's my hero.

Head study

Compressed Sanguine on 9x12 Canson paper. Using a stick is one of the few things that I ever done because it is simply difficult. It takes a skill on how to hold a stick so one could get a certain result; either an edge line, a shade of tone, or the fluidity of a stroke. I know I have to grind the learning of it. Nathan Fowkes is one artist I know who has acquired this mastery. Perhaps, in the future you would see more of my artworks on this medium and see how I fair.

Another one from Dave Malan

Graphite on 9x12" Canson paper. This is another reproduction of Dave Malan's work. I used a 7B graphite on the top hair that is why it kinda' stood out all over; the rest of the hair was done by HB. I learned that Malan uses one grade of pencil, varying the pressure for darkness and lightness. I thought of using various grades to avoid getting kinks on paper caused by pressures. The face was mostly done by HB. I didn't quite like my rendition of the lips, top dark hair is just a sore in the eye. I post this anyway.

Inspired by Dave Malan

Graphite on 9x12" Canson paper. One of the artists that I admire, Dave Malan, whose drawings doesn't require so much of strokes to express a ton of information. And because I don't have to exhaust hatching, it forced me to back off using my pencil and analyzed the plane and volume of the figure. I'm getting this concept of -less is better. Malan understood anatomy well enough that his drawings are clean and crisp. Moreover, he emphasized on the extreme contrast of light and dark. I spent 20 minutes copying Malan's work; of course, it is not as good as the original but this artwork stands good enough by itself.

Parade of Oddities

Technical Pencil on 5.5x12" Strathmore paper. I drew and processed these two artworks in a number odd ways: first of all, I was not using the usual pencil. I didn't have my graphites with me and I just got to use whatever I can grab out of necessity for some odd reason. The techincal pencil was a token of consolation for the time and effort rendered at my jury service, which is another oddity. The paper size is not even ideal as its width is too narrow, its lenght is too long. Anyway, on top is Ramiro M and above is Mike H., both are my boys from work. I am in a mission of trying to draw the whole department as much as possible. Why? Another question which I don't have an answer. In addition, the part that I am most excited about, I am experimenting with my new Canon XSi camera and the Adobe Photoshop Element 6. It's real cool. When I shoot these two artworks, after attempting too many times to my satisfaction, I thought of disabling the flash, but the result was yellowish; with APE 6, I clicked on "Auto Color" and, the photo switch instantly to its normal white (I thought that I should write this down so I will just have to read it in case I forget). Then another one for the parade, somehow this pc was having a hard time of browsing these particular files that I could not post, and by shear flawless-ingenuous thought process as normally my brain would react in a distress situation (pardon my modesty), I thought of just dragging the images from the photoshop album to another file of a different window where I'm used to exracting photos for posting. Voila! The result was a success, and here are the two artworks in their crisp and clear images! I will definitely do these studies again in graphite and in more finesse strokes. Lesson learned (let's just pretend): let persistence finds its own way of getting things done no matter how much odds are up.

Rick T

Graphite in 9x12" Strathmore paper. "I like 'em thick, dawg!", as he would usually say refering to his favorite subject of conversation -- FBG (fat bottom girls). Since then on, it has become an expression of humor through out the department. To tell you the truth, as "thick" as he is himself, he was the sneaky one who came out from behind the race in the 6-month weight challenge we had, and ran pass me to claim victory. He lost 37 pounds; I had 31. I got to give him props for that! The lesson I learned: never join any weight lost challenge if you're not fat enough to lose a lot of weigth. At the end part of the challenge, for no matter what I do, I platuea-ed and lost no more weight; I never thought that I have reached my bottom already at 151 pounds!
I find this drawing quite easy and fast. It's not that bad.

Tinker Bell - a study

Graphite on 9x12" Stratmore paper. I guess from now on I will have to start soaking myself into the world of Disney as my new arrival is coming on mid-September. I just finished painting her room with pastel colors: pink, off-white and mauve with pictures of green Tinker Bell on the border. The above artwork is a study of Tinker Bell I made as I am planning to draw it in chalk pastel then frame it for her room. I still have lots of stuff in line. I am so excited and our anticipation is building up as we get closer to her arrival. This will be my first and I can't wait to be a father. I'm imagining myself watching Disney channel all the time, learning all the nursery rhymes, not to mention the sleepless nights and diaper changing. I don't know how will it affect our everyday routine, that includes my time for hobbies, all I know it will drastically change. I might be away from my blog very often and slow down on posting my art. After I get enough practice with Li'l Megan, it'll be all good for me.

Mike H

Garphite on 9x12" Canson paper. My boy from Texas. At work, somehow he always get his way around the system to his advantage: "Can you cover me at 5? I have to pick up my girl from the hospital; it's an emergency." He carries himself with confidence with a certain cocky attitude. He picks up his charm when surrounded with lady nurses specially at ICU, not bad for a young kid. He'd be screaming his heart out inside, but still wearing that poker face outside. He would share to us what happened.
In every funny face that I do, I believe that for as long as I get the eyes down, that's more or less a home run; I can play with any degree of exaggeration on the rest of the features. In Mike's case, I got his cheeks, brow ridges, and his pearly teeth at play to an excess. I see the resemblance more or less, but not quite satisfied.

Darrel CJ

Graphite on 9x12" Canson paper. We call him the "walking google", known for his intelligence and quick wit. A real nice guy, team player, hard worker, but a little wierd, at times. Either you would see him reading a book in a corner or doodling cartoons with his fast hand --he could be a great cartoonist/writer. He's aspiring to be a nurse someday; I think he has the knack for caring sick people.

I still continue on experimenting drawing funny faces from photos. After doing a number of them, I find it a bit challenging now on trying to catch each of their distinct likeness, no matter how exaggerated their features are. Although they're all my boys from work and I am pretty much acquainted with them, I reckon that this drawing process is still a hit and miss. Perhaps, if I repeatedly work on them I would somehow get the result I have been looking for. I might have to call these works "a study". When I went through Seiler's and I see some of his subjects he repeatedly worked on different poses and perspectives, it amazes me how he masterly keep it interesting and funny with their likeness intact. He may have exaggerated a facial feature, like the lips or a nose, and it would still look who they really are. I mean, man, how does he do that?!

Mike K

Graphite on 9x12" on Strathmore paper. Known as "Big Dawg Daddy", "Pitbull", or to some, "Bully". I made him look meaner and intimidating with thicker eyebrows and mustache of the defunct Sadam Hussein; somebody who you don't want to be in your way, or get his attention and be his subject of ridicule. Run before he gits ya!