./monroec

Let’s take a look at a small sample of drawings from these last few months. My original goal was to explore different styles and mediums. In the past, my drawings all had the same feel to them -> 6H to 6B graphite on strathmore paper, realistic still life, and portraits.

The new goal was to veer away from this comfort zone and see what happens. This involved changing my shading technique, pencils, and lowering my focus to detail. The emphasis was on doing more with less.

4B Graphite:

(It’s Peter Murphy by the way….)

The shading is done with a mixture of cross hatching and traditional shading. Since I was limited to a single shade, I had to use the white background to my advantage. This is by far my favorite way to draw. I find it to be more expressive and a lot less messy. The lines and shades give hints of shape and form.

Pen:

This is a regular black ink pen on strathmore paper.

Pen ink forces you to cross hatch effectively. The distance between cross hatching lines creates the illusion of different shades. Overall, most ink drawings look the same and are just displays of patience. Reflections are rather easy to deal with though. Notice the sun glare.

6B Graphite:

6B is so soft that I went through an entire pencil during this drawing. Fine, detailed lines are almost impossible to achieve. Instead, the hand stroke and pressure on the pencil will dictate the look and feel. These two faces are more expressive than anything else I’ve drawn.

2H Graphite:

I find that a 2H is too hard for shading. In general, it is used to lay out the original shape and layout of a drawing since it’s easy to erase. In this case, repetitive lines and movements are what make the drawing come to life. I also find that curves don’t come as naturally. The result are the jagged edges that you will also find in modern cartoons.

Charcoal:

The problem with charcoal is the mess. It is extremely easy to get carried away and ruin a drawing. However, the benefit to charcoal is in the shading. The beard comes to life here with very minimal effort. For some reason, charcoal makes me want to draw a little more cartoony.

Conclusion:

And there you have it: My drawing style changes drasticaly with different mediums.

(Epsilon Minus)

Back in 2002, they were a trace/future-pop band by Bogart Schwadchuck and Jennifer Parkin. Critics hailed them as the next VNV Nation killer: original, danceable, and creative. Something about their sound didn’t strike me, so I never paid attention to their releases.

(I was, however,  a huge fan of their flash rendition of VNV Nation)

Jennifer left the band to start Ayria. (You might remember her from the most recent Cruxshadows tour). Bogart, on the other hand, went on to create more diverse electronic music.

I have to say I’m impressed. Check out his DJ mix on the website. It’s a free download.

If you’re still not impressed, check out his 2007 release: “Bitch Go Buy Me A Hot Dog“:

“This is a concept album. The concept is that I tell a bitch to go buy me a hot dog, and she does. While she is buying me a hot dog, I wait patiently, and do The Robot. I eat the hot dog and it is delicious.”

More info here http://www.fullcodemedia.com/.

I leave you with the best Synthpop/Futurepop video ever:

I got fed up with the absolute incompetence of my previous web-host and cancelled it. I’ve opened a new hosting plan through fatcow.com (only $20.00 more than my previous hookup!).

The story behind my old host involves the somethingawful.com forums. All members were offered a discounted plan through some guy’s side business. I figured the web servers were Pentium 2’s sitting under a desk somewhere, but I couldn’t argue with the $35/Year pricetag.

While my previous experiences had all been stellar, this last week’s e-mails left me with a bad taste.

I suppose it worked out for the best since I was up for renewal come August.

Oh well, HVLV.ORG and JASMINEGARDENS.NET will both redirect here. No need to go crazy updating bookmarks.