The Sketchbook Project

My favourite spread from the book.

I participated in the Sketchbook Project, a project that is based out of Brooklyn, New York. The participants of the project choose one of several themes offered and fill the supplied sketchbook with the theme. I chose "life underground". I can't say it's my best work, but it allowed me not to over think every line I put down. Plus, I procrastinated too much and meeting the deadline also forced me to just put images down on paper. Some images are a stretch from the theme but that's ok with me. A fun project and now it's time to concentrate on my oils.

The last three of the type and image illustrations…

So here is the last three "larger" illustrations I've completed for the Riverdale Art Walk show this weekend. I think I'll put the words and image idea to bed after this show. It was getting a bit tiring doing these guys and my goal is to have a new body of work in acrylics for the Queen West Art Crawl in September.

However, I have a few more smaller rink drawings to complete before I start packing for the show.

Of course if goes without being said (but I will anyways), that you are all invited this weekend to the show and drop by booth 106 and say hi... that's if you're in Toronto.

Hopefully I'll have one more uploads of smaller ink drawings before I leave tomorrow.

sketchbook 11/11/09

I returned to the Art Gallery of Ontario for the second time since the Gehry renovation. It's still an inspiring space and I had hoped to climb the serpentine staircase that cantilevers and inhabits the Walker Court, the main foyer upon entering the Gallery. Unfortunately, it was closed due to over use and a ventilation system was being installed (Frank Gehry didn't anticipate the humidity created by the heavy traffic up and down those stairs). So the closest I got was this sketch.

I also went did a sketch of the Henry Moore Sculpture studio. A Canadian sculptor who produced these powerful, primal, bone like figures. Simply beautiful.

sketchbook 31/10/09

I didn't have the energy to wander further a field so I returned to Dufferin Mall to sketch people in the food court. What I noticed right away was the large congregation of older european men talking to each other in smaller clusters. I also noticed that most of these gentlemen had really unique shaped ears and noses. Something to sketch, you say?! Absolutely!

The Varsity

Well a few days ago I accepted a request to illustrate an article from the Varsity, The University of Toronto's student newspaper. The article was about the differences in male/female brains and the nature vs. nurture issue.

Here are the roughs from thumbnail right up to inking and the finished piece… and I'm going to bed now.

The Varsity trials

Last month , the University of Toronto's student newspaper, The Varsity contacted me about becoming one of their illustrators. I guess it's flattering that someone would seek me out and invite me to illustrate for them, however, it'd be a bigger honour if they paid me for my drawings! However, I do understand that it's a student run paper and funds are limited. It'll also give me a chance to work with a real brief and timelines. Good practice for the real world, I guess.

The concept for the original request was to illustrate a student juggling too many things, such as school/deadlines, work, family, OSAP. I didn't have the time to submit anything for it, however, it gave me a chance to work on two new approaches to illustrating an image. Neither image really speaks to me, but I thought I'd throw it out there to see what you all thought.

Joy Eliuk--Potter/Ceramic artist

I had the opportunity today to sketch Joy Eliuk, a really talented potter/ceramic artist. I went to visit her in her home studio and wedged myself into a corner while she cleaned up a few cups. Not only was she a great model, but we had a really good time talking. I found out that before she decided to take her pottery on as a full time career she was an interior designer. Her design sensibility certainly comes through her work. She also was really generous with her time and knowledge about pottery, but most of it escapes me now. (Sorry Joy.)

As a side note, drawing Joy today made me confront two of my weakest areas as a drafts person. The first being facial resemblance. This image of her does not resemble her at all, and I promised her that I would set the matter straight and tell the blogasphere that her nose is not that big! (It's a really nice nose in reality). Second, I hate drawing circles in perspective. I get uptight about it and that screws it up even more.

But here it is, and I'd like to thank Joy once again for letting me in her studio and being so generous with her time and knowledge.

So if you're interested at all in throwing clay and will be in Toronto, she holds classes and you should contact her through the above link.

sketchbook 01/10/09

I thought i'd sketch behind the counter of a Starbucks since I've spent so much time sketching things in front if it.

sketchbook 29/09/09

I went to the newly renovated Bloor/Gladstone Library branch and it blew my mind away. It had a Indigo feel to it and there were big, orange, comfy seats to sit in on the second floor overlooking the 2 storey foyer area. I chose to sketch my fellow orange seat sitters and this is the result.

Random Thoughts

I did the Lola sketch yesterday but didn't feel the spread was finished. So I finished it with the first thing that came into my mnd: Run Lola Run and Franka Potente, the main character of that movie.

sketchbook 27/09/09

Today was Toronto's Word on the Street. It's a books and magazine festival where authours, publishers and independents sell their books and magazines. It's also where authors have book readings of their most recent work. What was new this year, was the demo kitchen and this was where I drew this image of Marilyn Smith, a cookbook author, who demonstrated how to make chocolate chip muffins, a recipe in her most recent cookbook. She was informative with a lot of nutritional facts but also hilarious. She made the 45 minutes zoom by.

As a side note, due to the limited time that each author had on stage, it gave me a reason not to be so uptight about everything I put on the page. It simply was a case of slapping lines down and trying to get enough information down to convey what the space was like.


The crowd from above. Inevitably I attempt to draw every figure. Not the smartest approach to drawing crowds. I'll have to learn a better method of drawing large groups of people.


Author John Bemrose, reading an excerpt from his most recent book, "The Last Woman". I'm not a big literary reader, so he and his book were news to me, but it did give me a chance to sketch a person.


My father. He's the hardest person I've ever tried sketching and I'm still not happy with these images. I guess it's because I know what he looks like intimately and anything out of place in these images really is blown up in my mind.

sketchbook 25/09/09

As serendipity would have it, I was grabbing a drink with a friend right by the St.Lawrence Market tonight, so as sketching habit dictates, I went down a few hours earlier and sketched. I happened to find another like minded person and decided to sketch her while she was sketching a fish (i think). I never did get the opportunity talk to her because she left before I finished my drawing, but if mame, you do happen to stumble onto this blogger account and you are reading this, I thank you for not freaking out and being a perfect model for me.

sketchbook 21/09/09

A rainy day in Toronto = a few hours in a coffee shop sketching. Happy.