To make up for the lack of posts, I give you...color!

Lefty.

Insane cowboy.

Speaking of insane, I haven't been able to log into Blogger for the past few days--what gives??

My shame at failing to get onto my sister-in-law's wi-fi while vacationing shall go unmentioned--but I hope my lack of posts didn't create any unmentionable holes in your life, fellow art lover.

p.s. OK, I Pho-Sho'ed his eyes a bit--still doesn't capture effect I was going for...The Rifleman is proving difficult.

More from The Rifleman. As a kid, the relationship between the sloe-eyed son and his just-but-violent father fascinated me.

The kid almost seemed developmentally disabled...as well as emotionally vulnerable.

(p.s. it's the Sheriff and the son I've drawn above...son thinks his dad is dead--terrible job on the son, BTW, but I taped the episode and I'm going to get him right!)

Spotted on an episode of The Rifleman.

Buddy Hackett!! And he was MEAN!
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UPDATE: @ John Wayne Airport and just got my best-ever Starbuck's name-warp on my cup:
BERMIE

When you know people a little bit, it can be hard to get a good drawing.

It is in that spirit of humility that I offer this.

I thought this drawing would have been perfect for the right side/left side layout.

But to make it really work, I'd have to write something worthwhile to fill this side column...

...and I got nothing.

Sorry.

p.s. her arms are all messed up.

p.p.s. I never did do that thing I promised, did I? I got thumbnails and everything, too....

p.p.p.s. We're going on a trip day after tomorrow. Don't know how the posting will go.

You're right: I default to a 3/4 view too easily. I'll work on that....

Kids.

That balcony is emerging as a clear danger zone. Yesterday I found a child's sun hat that had been tossed over the railing--that and a half-eaten Fig Newton.

Danger.

Wimins.

We were walking under a neighbor's balcony when a sippy cup came flying at us.

Blair was nearly brained.

When you click on him,
you see him twice
his original size: cool!

You've got to guard against repeating yourself. Especially with life drawing--the kind of life drawing done in public. If you only get a minute (or less) to look at your subject (and you can't stare!), you are working as much from previously knowledge as what you are seeing. Like this guy. I saw his whole head and thought, oooh, that's a good head!

But then his lunch partner sat down and blocked the lower half of his face--and to cap it off, he put on sunglasses. So I had maybe a 10 - 20 second look at him before "losing access".

The result isn't bad, but from the bridge of the nose down it wants for specificity.

And a sideburn.

Went out and had an old-fashioned, man-to-man sketch party with my ol' bro Joe today. It was fun!

These were all Zen Brush on the iPad. They've added new cheater functionality with a tonal slider and an eraser. I tried to rein in the urge to fudge.

That thing that I promised? I'm still totally gonna do it.

The old college sweatshirt trick.

OK, I haven't gotten that other thing I promised done.

Sorry.

Teaser.

(Hey, I can't spoil you with a new drawing every day--that would cheapen the experience.)

I don't know where you stand on prophetic dreams, but I had one last night....

The dream had me dropped back into my life, but five years into the future (2016, I guess--yikes, that really does sound like the future). Life looked much like today, except for one thing: all of the men-folk had taken to wearing flamboyant, over-sized old-lady sun glasses--glasses not unlike Dame Edna's. They had curlicue styling and rhinestone accents, tho', (possibly as a nod to man-folk needs), each pair also showed signs of having been designed and built with Oakley-style sports technology.

?!?!?!

One of the men wearing the glasses (and wearing them unselfconsciously) was my father.

"Dude, what is with those glasses?"

He didn't understand what I was talking about.

The trend had already so suffused the culture of 2016, it was impossible to find anyone not wearing similarly feminine shades. Just like how strange it seems now when you see a movie from 1990 and can't believe how high-waisted everyone's jeans look.

Even the very oldest men had jumped onto the trend. On them the glasses looked even more out-of-place--like they'd mistakenly grabbed their wife's eyewear.

Still more upsetting, the only ones not wearing this style were the women.

I leaned into the Saab to find a pair of my own sunglasses, (noontime solar intensity blazed down on all), and the insecurity of my obviously out-of-date choices made me hesitate: I chose the pair that looked most like the new trend (a kind of old-fashioned, classic tortoise-shell I often wear in real life)...but when I turned to the group (a kind of family reunion),  a little wave of paternal embarrassment clouded my father's face.

"Those...are the only glasses you've got?"

Fear the future!

Been following all the Osama death news, and almost missed getting a post up. We celebrated with dinner at Downtown Disney--a gesture that I think you'll agree says "When we're afraid, the terrorists win."

And, "America, f--- yeah!"

Funniest comment heard today: "That's one less fan for The Arsenal" (yes, that doinkus liked my favorite soccer team).
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UPDATE: The Guardian reports bin Laden's Arsenal affection a myth. Phew!

I post my (tame) rant against XM/Sirius Radio's lack of solicitude, and guess who calls me the very next day? (5 months for $25 bucks? SIGN US UP!)

Perhaps this blog is more widely read than I thought? 

(Would have been even better if it proved a con job--some kind of internet scam generated from the kernel of my public complaint: "Um, hello *heavy Ukrainian accent* we vould like to resume your sputnik--errr, satellite radio, but firsting, vee vill need credit card number....")

My pal Carls, brilliant on many fronts and always at work developing something, asked if he could film me drawing and talking about the human head.  Just basics. When Carls has it ready for prime-time, I'll post a link. Haven't been drawing in this "academic" style for a while, but working off the rust proved...entertaining.