Bugs, Frogs, Joints
This week, I’ve continued studying at the start of my daily practice. Pinterest has become an indispensable tool for that; I went from practicing master studies of existing art to photography-based studies pretty quickly.
Anyway, in my digging I came across this weird bug. I drew this tree hopper later from memory, so it’s not a totally accurate representation of the real thing. It turns out there’s a treasure trove of entomology photography out there, and oh boy, are there some interesting insects. They are a popular subject for dynamic drawing practice, but I also see a real benefit in studying them for future mech design. That and I’m just fascinated by them (though I’m not sure I’d feel the same seeing them in real life). This little guy has an incredible crescent shape and was one of my favorites of the week.
On the topic of mechs, I’m working on a design with frog-like legs, so I wanted to learn more about frog anatomy. Frogs are fun.
The illustration I’m actually challenging myself with this week isn’t ready to share just yet, but I know the character’s design will involve a tank top and carpenter jeans. I’ve never been great at fabric folds in pants, so I wanted to give it a go. Copic markers have been a reliable tool during this week’s exercises.
I drew a separate reference wireframe of the figure before arriving at the final version, and I can see how much more dimension it has versus drawings where I’m flying by the seat of my pants (hah) without any regard for form.
I want to keep doing studies like these until they become memorized, reflexive; that’s my level-up goal right now.
Worth Your Time
Urszula Dudziak’s self-titled album (1975)
I first heard the opening track, Papaya, played in a live set by Bobby Ghanoush. That made me curious enough to check out the album it’s from, which I say was well worth the dig. It’s Corea/Return to Forever tangential; cosmic, intense fusion.
Listening to this album is like smoking a joint and riding the high. Some of the early tracks following Papaya are so anxiety-provoking and abstract that you may want to escape as soon as you can. But just like you can’t escape a high, I’d encourage you to ride it out and give it a chance. There are some memorable, incredible, satisfying grooves inside! There are also vocal effects and techniques I’ve heard used on Todd Terje’s Album Time. Without proper verification on my part, I wonder if this album was an inspiration to him.
If you give the Dudziak album a spin, I want to hear your thoughts. Have a great week!
Your technique keeps getting better and better, wow! Undersung.