Month: November 2019

Drawvember 2019 Days 16-20

This five-day series is a tribute to illustrator extraordinaire Jean Giraud, aka Gir, or Moebius, who I discovered thanks to Virginie G. a few years ago when she convinced me to meet up with her in Toulon to see an exhibition of his work. Instant love!

Supersonic

Black ink drawing of a man flying, his arms straight alongside him, looking up. There are parallel straight and dotted lines at his waist down to indicate speed.

Lots of line work, using a ruler, for this soaring character.

Incantation

Black ink drawing of a plump robed character wearing a toque. He's standing up next to two very high-legged wingless birds with big eyes. His arm is raised and finger pointer.

I loved the mood of this comics strip. A chubby priest of sort casting a spell maybe, in a funny hat, with a couple long-legged chickens at his side. All of them somewhere in space perhaps, in a glass corridor? I used a black ink 0.05 mm Graphik line maker from Derwent, and black ink Pentel Brushpen for the large black areas.

Major (Fatal)

Black ink drawing of a tall thin man seen from the side, wearing a pointy helmet and carrying a leather back. His back is to the light and long parallel line stem from his feet and run throughout the artbook page and carry forward to the page opposite.

Another very recognisable character from Moebius, with his characteristic pointed hat, long slim figure and bag. I used a black ink 0.05 mm Graphik line maker from Derwent, and a ruler.

Firecamp

Gouache painting of a night desert scene where a group of people sit in circle around a fire at the foot of a large dune, next to tents and camels.

My first gouache painting and I absolutely loved doing it, and how it came out! I used some of the five Holbein Artists’ gouache tubes supplied in the November Sketchbox: burnt sienna, yellow ochre, ivory black and prussian blue.

(Watch the 22-second time lapse)

Cat

Black ink and gouache painting of a cat sitting at the center of a circle of light.

Mix of black ink 0.05 mm Graphik line maker from Derwent and leaf green Holbein Artists’ gouache tube supplied in the November Sketchbox.

(Watch the 40-second time lapse)

Manga donné à un fan de BD

La semaine passée, en cherchant des références photos pour dessiner des samouraïs, j’ai retrouvé un manga chinois que j’avais acheté à Hong Kong en 2001 lors de ma première visite.
La couverture cartonnée magnifique représente un jeune homme au teint rose pâle, à l’air déterminé, habillé d’une tunique claire à broderies dorées, et dont les cheveux longs ondulent au vent.
Le papier est épais et les dessins nets et soignés. L’histoire semble être celle de ce jeune homme et d’une quête mystérieuse qui l’emmène à travers je ne sais quel pays (mais il y a des campements aux tentes similaires à des yourtes, mais plus angulaires), avec une jeune fille qui lui colle aux semelles, en évita d’être au milieu pendant les combats, et qui le regarde avec des yeux pleins d’amour.

C’est un bel objet mais il ne sert qu’à remplir ma bibliothèque : je n’ai jamais été alléchée ni par ce que l’histoire semble être, ni par les dessins que je trouve ressembler trop à ceux des dessins animés pour enfants. À l’époque, c’était soit la couverture qui m’a plu, soit c’était le seul manga que j’ai pu trouver par faute de temps.

Toujours est-il qu’aujourd’hui au hasard de la venue d’un plombier pour prévoir quelques travaux, ce manga a changé de mains !

À la vue sur ma table de la BD ‘le garage hermétique’ de Moebius, le plombier m’a demandé si j’étais fan de BD et m’a dit que lui l’était. ‘Non, pas vraiment,’ lui dis-je, ‘mais j’aime Moebius. On m’a offert cette BD, et je recopie des dessins que j’aime sur mon carnet.’ C’est clairement un passionné. Il va même faire des pèlerinages en Belgique, capitale intersidérale de la bande-dessinée.

‘Si vous êtes fan de BD, vous aimez peut-être les mangas,’ lui dis-je. ‘J’ai retrouvé un manga de Hong Kong dont le style ne m’inspire pas.’ Et je prends le livre et le lui tends. ‘Vous le voulez ?’

Banco. Il a hésité juste le temps protocolaire, et est reparti avec un grand sourire. Moi aussi ça m’a fait plaisir que ce livre ait trouvé un meilleur propriétaire que moi.

Drawvember 2019 Days 11-15

This series focuses on Japanese men warriors.

Sugegasa

Warm grey ink drawing of a man seen from the side. He wears a Sugegasa (conical straw hat) and holds a sword at his side with both hands.

Sugegasa (conical straw hat).

I used a few warm grey PITT artist brush pens from Faber-Castell, and my black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Zen

Thick black strokes to draw a young man in cross-legged position, arms folded, head bent and his sword propped between his shoulder and arms. There is a large black rectangle as background.

Young man in cross-legged position, arms folded, head bent and his sword propped between his shoulder and arms.

I used a black ink Pentel Brushpen without drawing a sketch first.

Sword

Thick broad black strokes create movement around a young man with long black hair wielding a sword.

I didn’t like how this one turned out 🙁

I painted directly black ink strokes with a coarse brush to create movement, and then added detail with a black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Duel

Think black lines depicting two dueling samurais seen from above. One wears a Sugegasa (conical straw hat) and has his sword in front of him, while the other is about to unsheath his.

Dueling samurais seen from above.

I used a black ink 0.05 mm Graphik line maker from Derwent.

I’m not very good at hatching and cross-hatching, but if I ignore that aspect, I like how this one came out.

Musashi vs. Denshichirō at the Rengeōin

Black and grey ink drawing of a two samurai fighting with swords on the railing of a wooden deck by a temple near vegetation. One just missed the other who jumped high above the railing and whose sword is ready to strike.

This is how I imagine the duel between Musashi and Denshichirō at the Rengeōin (from the Eiji Yoshikawa novels). I really enjoyed doing this piece and love love love how it turned out.

I used black ink 0.05 mm Graphik line maker from Derwent, a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, and black ink Pentel Brushpen.

Drawvember 2019 Days 6-10

This series focuses on Japanese women in traditional attire.

Lantern

Ink drawing of a woman in a dark blue kimono, seen from behind, holding a paper lantern

Lantern. Woman in kimono, holding a paper lantern. I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, indigo ink Cambio brush pen, my black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a touch of red watercolor.

Tea

Two women having tea, kneeling on a platform by the water

Tea. Two women having tea, kneeling on a platform by the water. Again I used a grey ink brush pen from Kuretake, indigo ink Cambio brush pen, my black ink Pentel Brushpen, and a touch of yellow, green and red watercolor.

Wagasa

Delicate young woman, holding an umbrella and wearing a white veil over her head. Her long kimono is pale yellow outside and pale blue inside. Her obi is black with starry white motifs.

Wagasa (Japanese paper umbrella). Delicate young woman, holding an umbrella and wearing a white veil over her head. I used a Seiboku ThinLINE grey brush pen for the outline, a fine black line maker for the face and hands, my grey ink brush pen from Kuretake for the background, black ink Pentel Brushpen for the wagasa and Obi (belt), watercolor for the coat decorations and a white Posca pen for the motifs inside the coat and on the Obi.

Maiko

Grey ink drawing of a maiko (apprentice Geisha) checking her reflection in a portable round mirror, and adjusting her hair.

Maiko. Very quick drawing using a Seiboku ThinLINE grey brush pen. This maiko (apprentice Geisha) is checking her reflection in a portable round mirror, and adjusting her hair.

Onna Bugeisha

Very detailed pencil drawing of a seated Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) who carries a fan in her right hand and rests her left hand on the sheath of a sword. My iphone displaying the reference photo is at the left of my drawing. My mechanical pencil is visible next to the drawing.

Onna Bugeisha (female warrior). I got carried away sketching the detail work of her kimono, so I finished the piece in pencil and snapped a photo. But I wanted it in ink, so I erased much of it. See next.

Grey ink drawing of a seated Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) who carries a fan in her right hand and rests her left hand on the sheath of a sword.

Onna Bugeisha (female warrior) in grey ink.