Are you ready for the ruff-neck bass?

Man it's been a while, eh? I started extrastilllife to force myself to do personal work on the side, and so far the only sketch that didn't have to do with Riot is this.

Not to worry. This is the beginning of a new era. I've got a ton of Riot work backed up and ready to show, some of which I'll be uploading on DA and cghub. Don't have too much written down these days, because most of it is short enough to fit in a tweet!

Anything you want is just a matter of time. Be patient and opportunities will present themselves.

Everyone loves to be sincerely flattered.

You know your own flaws, but you're afraid to admit them.

Stop yourself from ruminating. Recognize when you're having negative thoughts and get rid of them. The more you think the less you do.

Don't introduce new values into your painting unless you know that all the present ones are in the right place.

It should be more about shapes of value than strokes.

There are things that will fall in your lap, and there are things that you're too young for. Doesn't mean you won't get them ever. Be patient.

SPRING BREAK DIRTY SOUTH DUMP

I didn't actually do any drawing over spring break. These are the remnants of what I did before and what I did just this morning, which is just a hogarth study.

I've been watching the Gnomon workshops sporadically and I highly, highly recommend it. Or at least get the videos with Scott Robertson. He taught me crazy things about value, things that I would have probably learned if I went to real art school.

So we went on a road trip down south and this is one of the guys I went with. Pay attention to the writing on the DVD's. I might upload more all-definitive pictures later.

Before he left my apartment for Ireland, I painted a portrait of my dear friend and world traveller, Travis. You might recognize his name from earlier blog entires that had nothing to do with drawing. I'm gonna start doing a lot more friend portraits. If you recognize him on the street or anywhere else, (as I'm sure you would seeing as how he has hoes in different area codes) tell him I said hello.

I think I had a little under an hour so I didn't have time to fill out all the necessary information.

These are more or less chronological. Toward the end I began to try to achieve more and more realistic lighting, with things like atmospheric perspective and decay. I know it's too early for that, but it's still fun. The latest study may seem like a step back, but that's because I forgot to put down the full value range. Also I don't know where to put speculars. Gotta still life some shiny surfaces, damn it! Anyways, tomorrow's study will be better.

July 4th, 2009 - Heathrow

Wow I was a bartender in a post-apocalyptic Toronto where people rode around on the public bikes from Paris. Some guy stole one of my customers' bikes so I chased him down and took it back. Then later I got a message from his gang buddies that I was gonna pay for what I did and I thought that the world was unfair.

It's not so much that I want to be in love, I just want to hang out with someone who is cool and attractive who I can be naked with...and have sex.

So apparently Sean watched a little too much CNN. They got him with the commercials for countries nobody wants to go to. Such as: Montenegro.

Mullets are all the rave in Paris.

From above Paris looks like a frowny face, the Seine being the mouth. It is the face of a true Frenchman.

Nobody wants to leave Paris, so there are no lines at Charles de Gaulle. Or maybe no American flies on the fourth of july and they are the ones who cause lines.

Wow. Who would've thunk that I would be sitting next to a guy who had my first name as his last name and had been John Lasseter's driver? Good thing I changed my seat at check in. Won't let no computer decide my fate.

God damn it, Travis. All your Taoist ideas may really be the way to go, or at least your interpretation of them.

Have a "safe" trip.

Either I'm more attractive than I give myself credit for, or that wasn't my doppelganger.

The reason people don't tip as much in Europe is because waiters didn't figure out the "is everything ok?" technique.


I have a friend named James. You get a better tip.

I find it very amusing that they play the Austin Powers theme song in the center of Heathrow.

Dear England, stop scaring the world with your bathroom robots.

In retrospect, that girl I sat next to on the train to Venice was probably the cutest human being I've ever met. I would have fallen in love at first sight if I believed in it.

The life jacket is equipped with a light and a whistle. The whistle goes "WHOOP!"

Dragonball: Evolution wins movie of the year.

Goodbye Paris.