Sunday Mailbag
Q: Do you ever get a hankering to stretch your artistic legs by doing some “serious” art like portraits or landscapes, or to try your hand at more traditional media like oils and watercolors?
A: Not as much as I used to, but I still like to break out of the box when I can. I am still challenged artistically daily with my regular work, but I have always found it relaxing and fun to switch gears entirely and work realistically or with different mediums. Life drawing I especially enjoyed, and just can’t find the time or the venue for it these days. Here’s an example of a life drawing pose I did at a co-op a number of years ago:
Some time back I also took a watercolor landscape class at a local art studio… my first realistic attempt at the medium. The results were not so impressive, but I learned a lot and found it very therapeutic:
Thanks to Timothy Houston for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!
Tags: life drawing, mediums, Sunday Mailbag, watercolor
Weird! I was going to submit this very excellant question to you a day or two ago.
Refreshing change to see a more serious side to your talent on the blog Tom. Nice work examples. Your answer was perfect.
I think its safe to say “most” artists like to shift gears-especially musicians.
Can picture an established hard rocker relaxing by playing classical standard in the studio or a blues artist wailing away to some thrash metal etc. just to let loose and have fun.
I usually have a personal serious portrait or two I do for myself on the side that when I fall in a rut,not feeling my cartoon project or have down time I pick away at detailing it as much as possible. May take 2-3 months to complete but its nice to as you say- break out of the box.
Back to shoveling snow…got a mini Nor’eastah outside…ugh.