Illustration Friday - Asleep

Detail from a recent life drawing session

Illustration Friday - Soaked

When Tom Waits moved to Island Records and released Swordfishtrombones he explored a whole new range of sonic territory including the Howlin Wolf influenced blues shouter Gin Soaked Boy. Swordfishtrombones was one of the greatest albums of the 80's in my opinion

Tom Waits - Gin Soaked Boy Lyrics

I got a belly full of you
and that Leavenworth stuff
now I'm gonna get out
And I'm gonna get tough
you been lying to me
How could you crawl so low
with some gin-soaked boy
that you don't know

I come home last night
full a fifth of Old Crow
you said you goin' to your ma's
but where the hell did you go
you went and slipped out nights
you didn't think that I'd know
with some
gin-soaked boy that you don't know

Well I would bet you as far
as Oklahoma by now
the dogs are barking out back
and you're knittin' your brow
well I'm on your tail I sussed your M.O.
from some gin-soaked boy
boy that you don't know

Illustration Friday - Safari

There's been a large controversy about animals in zoos recently in Toronto, specifically elephants. Much as I can understand the concerns, since I will likely never be able to go on an African safari I do appreciate the opportunity to see these animals at close range

Illustration Friday Beginner

Every surgeon was once a beginner. A friend whose son had finished his studies and was now a practising surgeon said it must be very hard to make that first incision into a living person

Illustration Friday - Lesson

Apart from arts and crafts at school my first drawing lessons were provided by Jon Gnagy's Learn To Draw TV shows which ran in the 50's and 60's. I would sit or lay on the floor with paper and an HB pencil and follow along as he demonstrated various techniques. It was years before I learned that there were varying grades of pencil to draw with. In rertrospect I learned a great deal about form, shading and generally developed a love of drawing from his program. So here's his portrait - done in HB pencil of course.