B. Farmer, can I be like you when I grow up?

Were I to have my wish, days would be spent searching for inspiration followed by days of "doing". Truth be known, sometimes I do. Guilty as charged when I'm oh-so-lucky. On one of those cyber journeys I came across stellar gestural, aka continuous line art, by Bridget Farmer. The bird link that follows is eerily simple and complex, all at once. Currawong, Australian Native Bird Etching In spite of its singular color, Bridget Farmer's "Australian Native Bird Etching" doesn't restrict its complexity and emotion. She's taken the brilliant style and set it to an etched print format. That process, in and of itself, is fascinating. Check out her blog for a sneak peek at how etching is done. BridBird's Blog Fascinating stuff, no? We'll revisit that technique with a more focused eye in the future. Back to line drawings. Buddy Guy by Suzanne Jacobs-Fabian
stipple technique in Rapidograph Pen

Rapidograph time! The above "Buddy Guy" portrait is done almost entirely with a simple, old-as-the-hills approach. Stippling. Stippling is something of a precursor to newspaper printing. The use of dots - small or large; spaced near or far - creating varying tones. It requires patience but is extremely effective. Not to mention forgiving. It's mindboggling to see the complexity that can be achieved with mere dots. Case in point, almost any printed material. Even a dollar bill. (see correction on this - entry dated 10/11/08) That's engraving. Duh. Most images ARE, however, comprised of dots. Seriously. For those not familiar with the print process, take out the magnifying glass and see for yourself. Millions of dots - or NOT dots. Okay, enough of Printing 101. Back to drawing techniques. I can already see that this is gonna be a multi-entry blog subject considering the sheer volume of options. Are you a beginner? Interestingly enough, About.com has lots of links breaking down the methods. See http://drawsketch.about.com/library/blinktexture.htm for info on crosshatch, continuous, scrumbling, stipple... you name it.

The trick to continuous line is not lifting the pen or pencil before the drawing is finished. It really makes you think about your next step. No, there's no pen police but when adhering to strict technique, the rewards can be well worth it. My experiments in continuous line usually surpise me. "Anybody's Girl" (at right) is extremely simple line but sweetly efficient.

Combining stippling with continuous line or with scrumbling adds even more textural interest. My "Louis Prima" and "Muddy Waters" drawings illustrate this. Pun intended. "The Lip" (Louis) is actually my very first real attempt at a portrait in line! See? I told you it was forgiving! If you know how to draw a tic, tac, toe game then you already know crosshatch!

See you back here soon. Until then, try a doodle and let me see it. I'd love to post it.

Note to self: put The New Artist's Manual: The Complete Guide to Painting and Drawing Materials and Techniques Simon Jennings on my Christmas wish list. I'm never too old to learn new tricks. Woof, WOOOF! There I go botching cliches again. You fill in the blanks for me, k? Old dog, new tricks, get it? Thinking of a word to describe me. Oh - rhymes with "itch". Ha. Slater.