Tag: illustration

I like writing by hand

It’s been a long while. Sorry about that. Here’s something I just whipped up:

The “… by hand” bit above has nothing to do with the drawing. This is just an unedited page from one of my sketch books. And since I just used it: I never liked the term “sketch.” It seems weak, inconsequential. Draw Book? It’s not great, but it’s better than “sketch pad” or sketch whatever. A Latin term would be better – or even better still, a Greek loaner word. Dibum? Iconologue? And speaking of original terminology, I often wonder if snow-globes have a technical name; perhaps a manufacturer’s jargon for the thing made. Uniopticon? Friuniopticon?

Tags art, fort dudak, illustration, jesus, seattle

illustrations musings

Some more portraity-caricaturey things

Post author By Fort
Post date March 18, 2012
No Comments on Some more portraity-caricaturey things

If you haven’t seen it, Peep Show from the UK is a FANTASTIC show. A goofy, witty, dark, little character-based sitcom shot in an entirely unique way (to my knowledge). There’s something about anglo-tv that lends itself well to repeated viewings. When I was 25, I watched Red Dwarf over and over and over for a winter, and this year it’s been Mitchell and Webb in “Peep Show.”

But if you’re more into meat and potatoes (rather than steak and kidney pies), then It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is, to my sensibilities, one of the best sitcoms ever made in the States. Danny Devito is slowing growing on me, and Sweet Dee is an essential character, so take no message from the fact that I didn’t scan in my drawing of her. It just isn’t as good as I feel these three were. Well, not ‘good’ exactly, but the line weight, etc., just didn’t suit the three below.

It’s pretty weird to put your own drawings up on the web for all to smile or snigger at. It’s like standing naked on the roof of your building in Greenwich Village. You know that thousands of people could be laughing at your gynecomastia or shrinkage in the cool October night air, but you can’t see it or hear it (thank god). Though, the desire for feedback is precisely why you do it (once you get over the initial euphoria of self-expansion).

So, I’d love some comments. Even insults are okay. Just leave my manboobs out of it!

Tags fort dudak, illustration, it's always sunny in philadelphia, peepshow

illustrations musings

Art Need Not Be Topical

Long gone (or, rather, a generation gone) is the artists’ quest for the universal message. Self-expression, self-distinction (in the West, anyway) and personal cultural typification is the name of the game. What I mean by the italicized bit is that we seek to record the things we’ve seen and promote them, utilizing our inimical skills to place a uniquely “me” flourish upon them.

Enough with the trying to sound like I’m all intellectual. These words are simply to justify the fact that I’ve drawn some characters from ABC’s LOST, several years after the show sputtered out.

I mean, if I drew a bunch of characters from Gilligan’s Island, would I have to jump through hoops to justify it? No. Unless I was wrangling for the big hit – the exciting meme, the 15 blog links of fame. But for that, I’d need to mix my images, combine Gilligan’s cast with the Republican hopefuls (a lovely, extant photoshop meme, floating around), or some other clever novelty. The crowd I run in is beyond the appreciation of simple forms – at least in politic company.

But I haven’t done that. I’m still indulging myself in the pleasures of drawing, for the sake of drawing — for the sake of my own limbics.

Topical?

Well, somewhere out there are several thousand kiddies working their way through Lost right now. They haven’t seen from the top of the lighthouse, they haven’t felt the blade of Jacob, they haven’t w i s h e d for the promise of good television to be kept just this once.

I wish.

Tags ben, fort dudak, hurley, illustration, jack, lost