Groeten uit Utrecht!

Peter van Straaten - Een jongen en zijn boom

2011-08-23T22:51:00.000+02:00

Today I bought the only children's book ever written by Peter van Straaten: "Een jongen en zijn boom" ("A boy and his tree"). It tells the story of John; a young teenager who moves with his mother to a new neighbourhood where he is constantly picked on by the other children. He finds piece in nature, and specifically in the comforting presence of a large tree. This tree -"his tree"- personifies in a way all the qualities John lacks and longs for: strength, piece and maturity.

I was very touched by the story, because it made me remember my own puberty when I had similar insecurities as John. This was incidentally the first piece of writing I read by Peter van Straaten, who is more celebrated as an illustrator than a writer. I've written about his illustrations before on this blog. Anyway, for those of you who understand Dutch :), go check it out!

On a different note: I will be moving to the United States in a few days, to study there for a year at a graduate school in Minnesota. I'm very excited about it. This will also mean that I will post fewer images or artwork on this blog, at least, that's what I expect. I plan on making a detailed notebook during my stay in Minnesota with lots of Peter van Straaten-meets-Ronald Searle-like drawings. So stay tuned!

Portret commission

2011-08-16T22:42:00.000+02:00

Wow, I didn't think I'd see this one again, but apparently my parents had a copy of it on their pc. I made this portret commission a few weeks ago -with a lot of help from my father I might add. The execution of the piece was a nightmare from the start: bad photographs, bad colours and most of all it was to long ago since I had last painted seriously. With the help I received from my father it turned out very nice however!

Another go at pastel...:-)

2011-08-07T22:29:00.000+02:00

It's mostly sketched on cheap-ass paper, but lots of fun!

More pastel!

2011-08-07T19:12:00.000+02:00

More messing around with pastel

2011-08-07T16:17:00.000+02:00

It's so relaxing to just doodle with pastel without having to worry about the result. And it applies to painting as well! This one's a sketch from a Thor screencap.

Warming-up!

2011-08-06T22:40:00.000+02:00

A warming-up caricature of myself ;)

Pastel sketches

2011-08-01T18:31:00.000+02:00

Finally something new!

2011-08-01T13:23:00.000+02:00

I've occasionally done some drawing in the last few months. Almost like finding water in the desert. Anyway, there were a few portret assignments -one of which was done in acrylic;)
Here's a sketch I made before starting one of the portret assignments. Next are two storyboard sketches made for the animated project I'm working on with a friend.

New sketch in pastel

2011-05-07T13:05:00.000+02:00

Working in pastel is very relaxing!!

More fooling around with pastel...

2011-04-25T01:29:00.000+02:00

Pastel exercise...

2011-04-24T15:25:00.000+02:00

2011-04-11T18:40:00.000+02:00

Bronze

2011-03-30T23:02:00.004+02:00

A few days ago I visited TEFAF, together with my father. Needless to say, we encountered wonderful art. What struck me the most however, were the sculptures exhibited by the Sladmore Gallery. Sladmore Gallery is based in London and specialises in fine art bronze sculptures. There were works by Rodin, Barye, Bugatti, Degas, etc. And then there was the work of Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. I had never heard of this Russian/Italian sculptor before, ...what a shame! His work is fantastic! Elegant and bold at the same time. Look at these pictures:

© unforth (flickr.com)
© DeBeer (flickr.com)

To post something of myself: here a little sketch, drawn inbetween work;(

Glen Keane

2011-03-18T00:59:00.005+01:00

Ok, I know this sounds silly, but I've always wanted to see the rough pencil-test of 'Part of your world'. On top is one of the production drawings made by Glen Keane for this scene. It is rumored that while animating the entire scene, he added shadow's to the drawings, to enhance the (sculptural) feel of 3-dimensionality of Ariel. Below are some of his storyboard-sketches for the scene. Oh, if only this scene was to be shown in it's original form..!

Scribble

2011-03-11T03:27:00.000+01:00

Moses 2

2011-02-17T23:41:00.002+01:00

Doodle

2011-02-16T00:42:00.000+01:00

Experiment..;)

2011-02-06T21:33:00.002+01:00

New sketches

2011-01-30T16:46:00.004+01:00

Update...

2011-01-09T22:03:00.003+01:00

It's difficult to post new things..., mainly because I'm to busy with work. Here is a nice close-up of a Frazetta picture. There is some new work of my own to post however, I hope to do it soon.

Work

2010-12-05T20:38:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since I posted anything of my own art,...interesting things! Unfortunately I've been very busy with my work. I occasionaly draw or sketch, but not as much as I'd like to. When I browse along all the wonderful art-blogs it makes me yearn to be more creative. The following image shows the work of Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington (March 10, 1876 – October 4, 1973), an American sculptor. I only recently discovered her work.

Screencaps...

2010-10-31T21:44:00.009+01:00

I've not much to post right now from my own work. Therefore some nice screencaps....enjoy!
(from top to bottom: 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Enchanted', 'Ben Hur', 'Il Postino')

Sketches galore!

2010-10-08T15:02:00.001+02:00

Lifedrawing sketches and one of Rihanna...

Frazetta

2010-10-07T14:04:00.003+02:00

Some pictures made by Frazetta, . . . he was a giant!

Old man

2010-10-03T17:37:00.003+02:00

Heart final

2010-10-02T00:33:00.005+02:00

Heart

2010-09-24T17:44:00.001+02:00

Night shift

2010-09-22T04:39:00.002+02:00

Tonight I unexpectantly had to work a night-shift, after having worked in the evening as well. In spite of the serene atmosphere in my workplace, I think I'm more of a 'day person'. Anyway, I haven't posted for a long time (and haven't drawn that much for that matter). There are a few new pictures I've made however, ready to be posted....so more to come!

another photograph of a pastel...

2010-07-30T20:23:00.003+02:00

Pastel requires much practise, but it's a wonderful technique. This one was taken from a photograph of Berend Zweers, a reknowned Pictorialist.

Pastel...

2010-07-11T19:19:00.003+02:00

I'm goofing around with pastel crayons,...very challenging but fun as well. These two where photographed with my iMac-camera; I'm a bit worried my scanner will get smudgy. If anyone has advise on how to scan such an image properly, I'd be much enclined. In a scanned image colors are more vibrant.

Sketchbooks full throttle!

2010-06-23T22:21:00.003+02:00

Alas, so little to publish! Here's a homy from the sketchbooks and a caricature of Chopin (easily one of the most gifted pianists in history and taken from the only photograph of Chopin known to exist). Greets and more to come!

Catwoman

2010-06-19T11:58:00.005+02:00

Rihanna caricature

2010-06-14T00:17:00.002+02:00

Doodle

2010-06-14T00:14:00.000+02:00

Two pictures for a colleague

2010-06-03T20:12:00.001+02:00

Matrix

2010-05-24T00:01:00.005+02:00

On my work I'm (among other things) in charge of the 'lief en leed-pot': it is my task to buy farewell-presents for colleagues who leave our company and also to make a little book for them, filled with photos and postcards contributed by the co-workers. This time I decided to vivify thinks up and make the book 'Matrix style'. I like the idea myself, but it is a bit out there....I suspect few will appreciate the joke (the parallel I suggest between our clients thought worlds and that of the Matrix). I like how the sketch turned out though!

Olivier Rameau

2010-05-23T23:50:00.003+02:00

The series 'Olivier Rameau' (in Dutch 'Roze Bottel') was comicartist Dany's (Dany Henrotin) first succes. I have one of these comicbooks titled 'La caravelle de n' importe ou' (in Dutch 'Het Karveel van heb-ik-jou-daar'). My edition is from 1978; it was first printed in 1973. In 1998 Dany created a new cover-illustration for this comicbook. I've always fancied the old one though; it has a more 'vigorous' feel to it. Compare for yourself,..the old one's on top.

2010-05-19T12:14:00.000+02:00

More water colouring from my life-drawing class

2010-05-16T20:11:00.001+02:00

Frank Frazetta passed away at age 82

2010-05-11T11:03:00.003+02:00

I just read the news that Frank Frazetta (02-28-1928) passed away yesterday at age 82, after having a stroke. When I was 12 years old I first discovered his work, and was enormously attracted to it. His work has since influenced my own art. His death is a major loss to the art world.

Figure drawing class with water-colour

2010-05-09T21:57:00.002+02:00

Oleta Adams

2010-05-09T00:44:00.001+02:00

Less than an hour ago I was at a concert of Oleta Adams, and was standing in the first row. What a fantastic experience to hear a woman sing so beautifully! Unforgettable.

Tryout # 2 at water colouring

2010-05-03T22:15:00.002+02:00

Another go at water-colouring. The girl has a somewhat 'Jeanne d'Arc'-like quality about her. This one's as large as a postcard; I'll definately work on a larger scale next time.

Watercolour mix-up

2010-05-02T22:33:00.003+02:00

Aargh!!;)
While working on a watercolor drawing, I made a big mistake: I used a tissue to soak up a large spot of water. The result was a hard edge on the cheek of the girl.

New illustration in the making..

2010-05-02T00:07:00.002+02:00

A new illustration I'm working on; I plan to add text and skew the picture somewhat...I'll post the finished one soon!

Life drawing

2010-05-01T22:40:00.002+02:00

Still practising life drawing!

2010-04-22T19:53:00.002+02:00

Pixar

2010-04-16T14:59:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I applied for an internship at Pixar Animation Studios. I'm very anxious to see if I receive a positive reaction on my work!

Memory-sketch of a little girl at church

2010-04-13T18:46:00.002+02:00

Cook

2010-04-11T19:59:00.003+02:00

Wolf design #1

2010-04-10T22:14:00.001+02:00

Maria upgraded!

2010-04-09T15:36:00.002+02:00

More sketches

2010-04-09T15:22:00.002+02:00

Life drawings from the zoo

2010-04-07T23:30:00.002+02:00

Today I spend at the zoo in Amersfoort. The sun was shining and all the animals were playful; it was a real treat to sketch them!

More developmental sketches for the Maria illustration

2010-04-06T01:41:00.002+02:00

Personal project continued

2010-04-04T13:48:00.002+02:00

A new life drawing and a series of concept-art/sketches for a project I'm working on with a friend.

Life drawings and an illustration sketch

2010-04-03T23:59:00.002+02:00

Two life drawings...one of my sweet sister! And a sketch from my parents barn.
The last sketch is for a revision of the Maria/Breath of Heaven illustration from a few posts ago....looking back at it I think it doesn't work. Now I try to make a more sober 'Mucha-esque' version instead.

More life drawings

2010-03-19T20:07:00.002+01:00

two sketches from my sketchbook

2010-03-19T20:04:00.003+01:00

Nijntje Pleintje in Utrecht

2010-03-14T14:27:00.003+01:00

Todays' sketch (15 min.): the 'Nijntje Pleintje' in Utrecht. Named after Dick Bruna's famous little rabbit. The second one is colored in PS.

The sketching goes on

2010-03-13T18:02:00.004+01:00

While sketching a part of the city (again) I noticed I lost my patience,...so this one's made more quickly (10-15 min.). Since I don't have an A3 scanner, I had to squeeze 2 A4 scans into 1, and then tried to smooth out the overlapping edges.
Also 2 colored versions done in PS as an experiment.

New cityscapes and then coloured in PS.

2010-03-12T19:54:00.004+01:00

Life drawings continued...

2010-03-11T23:37:00.002+01:00

A quick sketch (1-2 min.) from tonight's life-drawing class.

Tryout

2010-03-11T16:07:00.002+01:00

Another try at making a drawing using only a few colours.

Another cityscape

2010-03-11T15:37:00.002+01:00

Drawing cityscapes really makes you appreciate the town you live in! I added some colour in PS.

FRET ALERT!!

2010-03-11T13:53:00.001+01:00

More work!

2010-03-10T20:27:00.003+01:00

Today I set out to practise more on drawing cityscapes, but due to the cold weather my line was 'shaky'. I coloured the sketch in PS.

I often collect interesting photographs from magazines of newspapers. I like the dramatic pose of the woman!

Two images from 'Gloria van Goes'; an old comicbook written by Paul Deckers and illustrated by Piet Wijn. Piet Wijn was one of Hollands greatest comicartists.

New life drawings

2010-03-09T19:48:00.002+01:00

The first one's a random sketch, the other two new life drawings. I plan to practise more on how to draw large layouts.

Explorational sketches

2010-03-04T23:53:00.004+01:00

Earlier I was looking for the right design of a 'somewhat depressed mom', for a project I'm working on with a friend. Here are sketches of family-pictures for the same project. Notice the mom is still happy here..:)

+ a random sketch I like...

Life-drawings and postcards

2010-02-26T01:45:00.003+01:00

Some life-drawings from tonight's class. I made postcards for my ex-housemates, ...and because I find hard to separate from my drawings, I scanned my favorites. Here are a few of them (all are referenced).

New magazine-sketch

2010-02-20T23:23:00.001+01:00

Lifedrawings and a magazine-sketch

2010-02-19T21:14:00.002+01:00

Yesterday's lifedrawing-class was very dull, without an inspiring model. My 'catch for the evening' where these two 1-2 minute sketches. Also a sketch from a magazine; I discovered a nice way to 'underpaint' a sketch using a light brush/marker-pen. The top layer is done with a brush using black ink.

John White Alexander (1856-1915)

2010-02-19T21:11:00.001+01:00

A postcard with a painting that immediately cought my eye. Painted by John White Alexander, titled ' Jesse Steele reading'.

Lifedrawings

2010-02-14T21:03:00.003+01:00

Today I joined a lifedrawing group; we drew all day, with a few intermissions. It was very tiresome, but good practise. Here are some of my sketches; all were done in 1-3 minutes.

Mr. Hyde

2010-02-13T23:53:00.004+01:00

I recently read 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Here's a sketch of Mr. Hyde. The book is quite a page-turner!

Two crazy elves

2010-02-13T23:29:00.000+01:00

Depressed mother

2010-02-13T23:26:00.001+01:00

Remember I was trying to design a depressed mother? Here are some more of her sketches!

2010-02-13T23:25:00.000+01:00

New lifedrawings..!

2010-02-13T23:23:00.003+01:00

Illustration #8

2010-02-13T21:55:00.003+01:00

The girl from the previous post, inked and colored.

Sketch

2010-02-05T17:05:00.002+01:00

I haven't been able to ink this sketch the way I like. It does not work well with my light-table....

Illustration #7 Wolverine

2010-01-30T18:30:00.001+01:00

More sketches from life... and one doodle

2010-01-25T01:44:00.003+01:00

I try nowadays to always keep a sketchbook with me, in case I spot something interesting. And maybe I have a chance in the near future to sketch at a ballet-school!

Illustration #6

2010-01-21T19:20:00.001+01:00

I reused the girl from the Solaris-illustration, and removed one of her arms.

Illustration #5

2010-01-21T12:17:00.005+01:00

Messing around in PS

2010-01-17T22:57:00.001+01:00

2010-01-17T22:39:00.000+01:00

Illustration #4 reworked

2010-01-17T22:23:00.002+01:00

2010-01-17T20:53:00.001+01:00

Hulk cartoon

2010-01-17T19:45:00.003+01:00

Life drawings

2010-01-12T23:59:00.003+01:00

I feel I'm regaining my skills in drawing from life! I haven't done this for quite some time, but lately I'm trying to practice wherever I am.

Scribble

2010-01-10T02:21:00.001+01:00

A scribble I made while on the telephone..and adding some Photoshop.

More life drawings

2010-01-10T02:20:00.002+01:00

Lifedrawings

2010-01-02T02:36:00.001+01:00

2009-12-29T23:34:00.001+01:00

I've made many sketches the last few weeks and am working on a new illustration! Some of them...:

Dazzling J.S.Sargent closeup!

2009-12-15T06:59:00.000+01:00

Illustration #3 reworked

2009-12-08T03:08:00.001+01:00

I suddenly thought about 'crayoning' the previous post...really nice effect!

Illustration #3

2009-12-08T02:36:00.002+01:00

This evening I thought about tightening up my sketch of the little girl from a few posts earlier. It's nice to experiment with color renderings.

More lifedrawings!

2009-12-08T00:56:00.001+01:00

Twilight memory sketch

2009-12-08T00:55:00.000+01:00