Oh Kate Lea!

So this is what i'm working on at the moment. It's a picture that forces me to focus completely on attempting to make it look like the original picture. Honestly i've fiddled around with this color pencil drawing for well over a month. With millions of ideas swimming back and forth throughout my mind i know i can't move forward until i complete this one first. Just for FYI reasons, her name is Kate lea and she's a professional wrestler.

Norfolk Drawing Group XXIX

Emily modeled for us this pat Tues night. I must admit that Emily is not only a very cool person but a great model as well. I think i enjoy her bubbly approach to life,because not everyone can feel that way. These are some of the sketches that i did through the night. As the evening grew on my draws became better. If you didn't make it out that evening i can only hope to explain what i mean when i say it was a truly fun evening.

Penelope Cruz (sketch)

I mentioned some time ago that i was watching the movie Vanilla Sky and without mumbling i can say I'm attracted to women with exotic beauty. I can't pin point exactly what it is, possibly the accent or the facial structure but when you draw as often as i do you learn to appreciate things that are different. Cherish them in some sense. I jokingly revealed to some of my co-workers that exotic women are turn on. There response was go looking on-line for one, but my beliefs lay in the realization that the best things are let up to chance and being patient. I guess until then I'll be dreaming until my Penelope Cruz tells me to "Open Your Eyes!"

Diana Meyers (pic & sketch)

So yet again it's time for Saw because Halloween is right around the corner. i bring up Diana and the Saw series for a reason. She was the one of the detective in the movies until she was killed off. I'm was first drawn to her when she appeared in the movie Starship Trooopers. Which was extremely an over the top sci fi movie that i saw over 10 years ago with my friends Art and Kimani.

"Cara & Erica"

The story behind this sketch that Cara gave me a couple of photos taken in a picture booth as part of her going away gift to me. Cara since then has moved from Va to Texas. One of the things that Cara is most proud of in life is her children. Erica being her youngest and the only girl which makes her that much more special in the family. This sketch i believe shows the importance of children within our lives. It reminds us of what it means to be young. So often as adults we can't remember being young and living life without boundaries. No one should ever feel tied down because we aren't. Who knows maybe one day soon I'm put this sketch to some good use and it's become a true drawing with this key statement as well.

"James and his Throne"

It's no mystery to anyone who knows me that i love wrestling. i have and probably always will as long as i live. I can sell and spin it in some many ways but the truth is I'm an addict. Every time a ppv would come around i would manage to find my way into a Hooters to watch it, eat, and enjoy the lovely ladies that they have working there. Around the time that my best friend from high school, Art had left to go overseas to fight in the war i decided that i would go by myself to indulge in wrestling. I noticed that a guy just like me would be there all the time sitting at the bar watching the event. As with most guys small talk leads to each other saving sits for when one is running late especially if the restaurant is packed. It's good sometimes to talk to someone who is a scholar of the sport. Who has followed it close if not closer than you have. Our friendship has grown even with he moving aways as well. We've seen ppv's together and i even was one of his groom's men. I can truly say I'm enriched for having James as one of my friends and i can only attempt to show him gratitude by drawing him.

Norfolk Drawing Group (Cramped into 1 blog)

I have to apologize ahead of time for not posting these drawing but as most know i haven't had the Internet nor have i been had any free time with getting settled in.

This is my 1st night back mentally and physically after having a horrible day drawing. That's a large part of the reason why that session isn't posted. I can't explain what happened but the previous session simply wasn't working for me. This however was a good night. I want to say it was my birthday which almost makes it better in that sense. Except for a few small miscues which i can see at the moment. I was very pleased with how the night went. This was my first time drawing a full figured model which was fun because it's to easy sometimes to get caught up in the simple line work when life has some many curves and bends. The model was fantastic and full of energy.

I'm not a painter. I do paint but i will never make a living as one because it take way to much energy to do. So i draw and sketch instead. This is my 1st attempt to paint in cheap acrylic during our trust sketch session's painting night. Honestly i attended for it to match the colors of the couches in the living room but it doesn't at the moment. Which means i will have to finish it.

It's good to draw someone that makes you feel fat. In all seriousness the model did a pretty good job for his first time modeling for our group. I attempted to rekindle my love of working in markers but soon found that due to time restraints i should go back to what always seems to keep my as close to having a finished sketch which just so happens to be color pencils. I guess color papers and sketch drawings go hand and hand with me. I would saw a pretty alright night to draw.

Ayesha Sketch

It's funny how you run across picture of the past and you wonder why you've become the person you have. This is a sketch of Ayesha and a few people know the story of who exactly she is and what influence she had on my life. I may never have the opportunity to tell her this face to face but I'm glad what occurred between us did. I'm a better person for that ordeal and I've grown leaps and bounds (so i tell myself). It's always hard to look back on things in life and say well in the end everything will be in the right place because mentally most people are blocked from seeing life in that light. I'm watching this cheesy Kung Fu cinema pack that i picked up from Best Buy (endorsement plug) and the shaolin monks no matter what happens always seem to have a positive spin on life. It's extremely hard to do that I'm attempting to do that as well.

"Wake Up!"

rings in my head at the moment. Once you don't have cable or are unable to watch regular TV you teach yourself to trust your DVD collection to the fullest. I made myself a must watch listen as i attempted to piece together my apartment. Vanilla Sky. The Darjeeling Limited, The Life Aquatic, The Bourne Identity, Slackers, Brotherhood of the Wolf are all movies that i rotated in and out of my DVD player Was i searching for something outside of the directions to putting together Ikea furniture? Of course i was. Well i make sense for me to tell you exactly what it was maybe not. One thing is clear though this apartment is now my home. With sliding doors longer than my arm length you can hear ever single car that passes by in both my living room and bedroom. Plus with paper then walls you possibly could hear the neighbors upstairs running on their exercise equipment or possibly the neighbor next door having sex. Hey maybe i should start a comic book/ journal about what happens in my apartment.

this pic are simply phase one and my apartment is 85% to where it need to be.

"I can't afford not to record"

"I can't afford not to record" is one of my favorite lines by music artist Andre 3000. Which means when the moment to express how you feel you do so.

This blog comes a few days shy of my 29Th birthday and at this moment i feel my age. I've been steady packing up boxes full of memories, papers, books and they all mean so neatly fit into a box. One box lays on the bottom of a piles and piles of boxes that has my scribbled handwriting entitled "Past." Inside the box are Cd's, letters, picture albums from a shell of the men i once was that should never be opened again. Within my brain i rewind those days, events, and ideas that brought me to this place. For example yesterday i drove to Northern VA something that I've done 1 million times. But yesterday it hit me that i use to drive a little bit further to an airports to pick-up someone that will remain name-less. I had to block those feelings and ideas out of my mind because my main goal was to find furniture for a new beginning. The same things were going through my mind as i was scribbling the word "Past"on the box.
The most important reason i started this blog right now was to be honest with myself. Every birthday that I've had has been alone. Yes I've surrounded myself with friends and other times family but never a special someone. Just to show you how bad my karma has been I'll share a story with you. A girl i was dating who was older than me thought it would be a good idea to break a date with me and instead go out with her ex-boyfriend on my birthday. Yes, it happened and this wasn't in high school. This was no more than 5 years ago. Shame huh, nope not at all this is my life. Welcome to being Tommy.

DJ Chassis

i would apologize for my last blog but i feel i shouldn't. It was exactly what i meant for it to be. In the misty of all the changes that are taking place within my life at the moment i began making decisions that will ultimately change who i am. Friends who i once held near and dear to me simply have began to fade away. Why should i try and reel them in any more?

This is one of the DJ Chassis that i ran across while on talent data base website. I was drawn to the simplicity of this photo in which she clutches her headphones in one hand. I wanted to do a complete color pencil drawing. That's something that i haven't done in some time. I've been playing around with the idea of doing something finished instead of a sketch. This is my first attempt in some time that i had an infinite amount of time to complete. I never meet her nor had i heard her music but if it's only 1/2 as pretty as she is then it's probably worth it. Her website is
MySpace.com - DJ CHASSIS TML - 88 - Female - Ogden/Salt Lake City, Utah - www.

Kate

I know Kate because we work together at Old Navy and i love to tell everyone this but i work with some of the best ladies in the world. All of have interesting things that make them specials for various reasons. Kate's reason is that she's artistic as well. Though i've never seen any of her works but from what i've heard she's quite polished. I only wish i was as polished when i was in high school. I didn't get invited to any shows i simply drew in a sketch pad which is still piled up in my room even now. This is one of the draws that i found in her photo gallery that i wanted to use as a drawing. I'm fascinated with reflection drawing even though i did little with this one because it was a sketch.

Norfolk Drawing Group XXIII

Honestly i love these series of sketches that i did this past Tues. I think it has to do with the weary sense of mind state that i stumbled into the drawing group in. I was extremely tired as i mentioned earlier i had be working 9+ hours for a week straight. This night became my emotional awakening as well. I had spent the better part of the weekend juggling friends, going to see art shows, and of course work. The art shows i saw were so energizing that i wanted to draw and paint right then and there. But as soon as i got home i found myself in the arms of my broken sofa and soon in a deep slumber. Just as much as i need to be at the art galleries opening i needed to be among my artist friends.

Norfolk Drawing Group XXII

Honestly little did i know that that Tues would be the day before i worked a week straight. Even on my 2nd day off i'm still a little physically tired, but i'm managed to be semi productive.
Isiah was the model of the evening and i attempted to go a little work in charcoal which was iffy at best. I likee the first drawing of this back but the 2nd one i got a little to caught up in the details of the figure which brought the drawing down. The last sketch i did which is almost always the reclining one was very figurative. i didn't' go out of my way to show volume or emotions but i wanted to give it a better feel to the speed in which it was created.

Nickie was a Beach Babe (pic & drawing)

I plucked this picture some time ago very close to the end of July. My first attempt was sketching inside of a coffee shop EXCEPT it was live music night. My color pencils in a very cramped space didn't quite work out as well as i had wanted it to so i pushed it into the back part of my sketch pad. Sometime last month it became in lunch break and after work project. A picture to lost myself and attempt to stop the world for spinning if only for a moment. The picture created itself without much extra effort at all. I became even more energized when i looking inside an art magazine and saw someone had made their artwork look photo realistic. I was slight jealous because i knew i too could create this same effect as i had in the past.

The funny part about drawing at work or in public is the looks and questions that you get. Is that your girlfriend? Where do you know her from? Wow, she's pretty and oh you draw well too..lol
As always thanks Nickie for allowing me to use your picture again and show the world what a great friend you are

Norfolk Drawing Group XXII

Last Tues night i have one of my best drawing experiences in ages. I think it had more to do with the simply fact that i actually had time to draw for a change. I love doing sketchy drawings but sometimes you want to do something that a little more polished. The drawing isn't complete by far but it's more than 50% of the where i want it to be. The skin tones are still off and the background needs some love as well but it tries to showcase my techinque. A flash of a camera and color pencils don't work well together!

"Lenore" (pic and drawing)

I'm not sure why i haven't posted this drawing because it's been laying completed in one of my many sketch pads for some time. The best part about this is that there's a story behind it all on how i ended up with a single pen & ink drawing.
Lenore is one of the ladies i attend Norfolk Drawing Group with and when i first started going sometime back in spring i was fascinated by her line work. I recall when she drew her lines always seemed to fall into the perfect little place and very rarely went off course. So yeah i'm slightly envious of her control. So as what happens with most people she disappeared from the group and there was some time in which we didn't hear from her much. I hate to see this happen up a group of friends but people come and stop coming for no reason at all. One evening i was flipping through Bernard's flicker site of the group and i stumbled upon this picture. I mentioned earlier that i'm a picture junkie because it allows me control on how long i can spend on a subject matter. My previous conversations with Lenore lead me to believe she was a very interesting person. My first attempt of this drawing was going to be a styling of her own. A very simply but delicate line drawing. As i began drawing i quickly realized that my version would be rather flat so i changed it into an all out pen drawing.

There was something in the way she looked at me

I had this sketch pad out at work and some of my fellow co-workers were flipping through it. After they got done flipping one of them asked me why i always drew women. That's a fairly easy question to ask. There is something very natural about the female body that i feel appealing. That i really enjoy drawing. If i was attracted to anime like most of my friends are then i would draw it. Almost like other paint landscapes etc etc but i enjoy someone more of the human natural because it's something we all can relate to.

The original picture was something that i found through a friend's myspace pad and i kind of stuck with it and it stuck with me. I loved the pose and the way that she was almost hiding from the camera but not really. This is one of the better self taken photos that i've seen in some time. Devaughn, one of the guys i attend drawing group with always draws in pen. His drawing and control with the medium is unrivaled at the moment. I wanted to see if i could get close to or obtain the skill in which he has and the photo gave it to me.

Norfolk Drawing Group XX

So i know that i haven't posted any new artwork in a while yet alone blog but i've been busy. Never to busy to draw but busy enough that i've been able to find a quiet moment to think. These past weeks have been a whirl wind of work and play.
This past Tues night was my first night that i've been to drawing group in some time. Either life has caught up with me or i had other things to do that evening. I know i missing some amazing model and more importantly my friends along with my drawings. After hours especially, but my drawings were fair for someone who hadn't been drawing live models in some time. My favorite one out of all of them is the last one that i did the green color pencil sketch. It's easy on the eyes and shows a relaxing classical pose that i'm attracted to.

Ann (pics and drawings)

(a drawing of her self photo)

Ann (Mother) & Child

These are both drawing that i've started and finished this weekend. It was one of those situations where i finished these drawing quicker than i began them. It's was a small opportunity to take a break between this massive painting that i'm attempting to finish. This actually was fun to do.
I'm not sure if i told this story before but of all the people that i've met my last work related trip to North Carolina she was one of the most friendliest. I've loosely keep in touch with her over the last year. I can honestly say that i don't have any unattractive friends. That isn't merely limited to being physically attractive.
I'm getting off the topic because these drawings i actually used a set of pens which i haven't used in a while. These pens are more expressive and ink flows better than your average BIC pen. I also wanted to see if i could create more expressive lines. I somewhat accomplished my goal by leaving complete and uncompleted shading but it could be better. Overall i'm pleased with these drawings and i hope that it does Ann and her son justice.

Janet (Searching)

Around the same time i started drawing the pencil sketch of Amy, i was drawing Janet. I was drawn to the original picture. I've only have a couple of small brief conversations with Janet and to the best of my knowledge she seems to be a very upbeat person. In this photo i saw something different. If you're at a party or a small gathers you most likely mingling but instead this snapshot shows her dialing away at her phone. Not saying this story is real by any stretch but my take was that she appears to be mentally somewhere else. That's where all the blues and purple come into play to create the drawing. It's a small theory that some people feel so alone that even in a crowded street they are still by themselves. So with this small bit of knowledge is she searching for someone via phone or searching to find herself. I guess you have to form your own opinion.

Amy

Every story that has even a little bit of interest starts off with a friend of a friend. Well this story is no different. This is a drawing of Amy and i've been friend with her online for some time. I yet to draw any pictures of her. It has a little to do with the fact that i've really never flipped through any of her galleries but not to long ago i did. It had a little to do with her wonderful sexy haircut (this is coming from a guy but it's nice). Especially the way her face fell on her eyes leaving a hint of mystery to her. I didn't want to do as i always do can create a complete drawing. I wanted to allow the paper to breathe a little. To finish the circle of comments, Amy is a friend of Ashley's mom Janet, and i use to work with Ashley. I long circle but that just how life is.

Bundle Up

This drawing done in markers organically comes from a magazine image that i liked. I was searching for something deeper than me just scribbling down some marker lines. My original theory for this blog seems back to how a lot of my females friends allow their feelings for guys to cloud their normal judgement. It's a large part of the reason why i draw females often. Not because i'm some sex crazed guy who's single but because i wanted to empower them. What better why then through a drawing. I went to dinner a couple of Sun's ago and when i was there i chatted with one of my friends about a guy she was dating. If you know someone appears to be a bad choice and you know he's a bad choice but yet you won't leave? I'm vexed to say the least.

Even more recently this past weekend i love going to Richmond if only for one night. I hung out with some of my Old Navy buddies. One of the most awkward things you can do at a club is bump into an ex and as you can imagine that happened to one of my friends. There is even more drama mixed up in this tale that i'm not bring forward but my point still remains that people on a whole don't trust their gut feelings. If something inside of you tells you not to or to do something then it's probably in the best interest.

I can speak openly on this topic because not to long ago i allowed numerous females to do the same thing. I don't mean for months i prefer to say "years"

Norfolk Drawing Group XIX

I know these drawing were taking some time ago and to be honest they didn't even come out that well. To be honest with you, it wasn't a great drawing day. It could have a little to do with my skipping the geture portion of the drawing session. I never truly found my groove. I honestly had a better time in the soical session we had later that evening.