The Original Mummy

One of my favorite classic monster movies is Boris Karloff in "The Mummy" from 1932. If you never sat down and watched all of the Classic Universal Monster Movies you don't know what you are missing. There is just something about sitting in your favorite chair on a rainy Fall night with the lights out watching an old monster movie in black and white. They all have such great music in them as well. I recommend that you buy the whole series and spend a few weekends in the Fall enjoying them,

The Mummy - The Legacy Collection (The Mummy/Mummy's Hand/Mummy's Tomb/Mummy's Ghost/Mummy's Curse)

Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of)

Dracula - The Legacy Collection (Dracula / Dracula (1931 Spanish Version) / Dracula's Daughter / Son of Dracula / House of Dracula)

The Wolf Man - The Legacy Collection (The Wolf Man / Werewolf of London / Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / She-Wolf of London)

Creature from the Black Lagoon - The Legacy Collection (Creature from the Black Lagoon / Revenge of the Creature / The Creature Walks Among Us)

Invisible Man - The Legacy Collection (The Invisible Man/Invisible Man Returns/Invisible Agent/Invisible Woman/Invisible Man's Revenge)

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

A Few More Characters

Playing around with a few more characters.

Just Goofing Off

Here are some goofy characters I was messing around with. These were all done in felt tip pens and colored with highlighters.

Damn Those Art Supply Catalogs!

Today when I got home from work there was a http://www.jerrysartarama.com/ Back to School Sale catalog waiting for me. Big deal, I get them all of the time, right? I sit down to glance through it and an hour goes by. Pages are folded down, drool stains are quite evident and I feel exhausted. It is only about 140 pages long and there are only a couple of mediums that I use. So why did it take me an hour? I'll tell you why, it's an addiction, and these art supply companies have us users in the palm of their pastel smeared hands. The glossy full colored picture strewn pages and the "oh so seductive" descriptions. The picture below is an example.

Here's the description that goes with it:

• Specially formulated half pan watercolors that blend easily to create an endless color range

• Water brushes that have a unique reservoir barrel to carry water in the compact kit


• This sleek field kit slips easily into a shirt or jacket pocket, and are perfect for travel or working outdoors

I wear shirts. Heck, I have even been known to wear a jacket, and usually not a day goes by that I don't go outdoors. I must have it! Of course I already have three sets of watercolors...

Alright, I won't get the watercolors. But what about these?

What a great idea. You make miniature pieces of art and trade them with other artists. Jerry's catalog informs me that, "In 1997 M. Vanci Stirnemann, a Swiss artist created 1200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception." The next thing you know I have 5 browsers open and each one has some exciting information about these ATCs (Artists Trading Cards). I simply have to do this. If I did when would I fit in any time to do my regular drawing, play the guitar, not to mention taking care of the yard?

Next we have the Golden Panda Blackest China Ink.

"This imported ink is used by professional artists in the orient to produce vivid black strokes with brush or pen. The ceramic jar is not only ornamental but keeps the ink inside stable and at a more constant temperature than plastic or standard glass. It is the preferred way to store this type of ink, and in the past has not been available in the USA."

I use felt tip pens so I have absolutely no reason to buy this ink, but the whole ceramic jar and not being available in the USA in the past sucks me in.

Nope, I'm going to make do with what I have. It's not what you use but how you use it. The two hours I spent going through the catalog and surfing the net really would have been time better spent drawing. The craving to look at and pine for art supplies is just so overpowering...

"Hello my name is David and I like to draw."

As I threw the dog-eared catalog into the trash I felt a bit guilty, but it will only be a month or two until the Christmas ones get mailed out.

Of course I 'm kidding. Kidding, yeah that's it, kidding. Actually, I really love to receive these catalogs since they inspire me to sit down at my drawing desk.

Here's another monster and he's with a puppy. Aw, a puppy. I drew it with a ballpoint and then went over it with a felt tip pen. The color is a red ballpoint and a blue highlighter. Hey, you use what you have right?

If you are interested in receiving art supply catalogs you can click on any of the links under Art Supplies on the right and sign up.

More Character Designs

These are just me messing around trying to come up with characters.

Wacky Packages

Today I was thinking back to when I was a kid. My friends and I would ride our bikes to the store and buy Wacky Packages. We would take the doubles, and like the little hoodlums we were, we would stick them on the ceiling of the school bus. By the end of the year the ceiling was completely covered. Sorry Gloria (she was our bus driver)! The one above was one of my favorites because it featured a Classic Movie Monster. It is from the 4th series which was out in 1973. I did this in Faber Castell pens and watercolor. If you are interested at all in Wacky Packages check out http://www.wackypackages.org/index.php#images .

There is also a great book for sale that showcases the artwork on the stickers, Wacky Packages.

Oh yeah, the bike I rode in 1973 was none other than the Schwinn Sting-Ray, with banana seat, sissy bar, chrome fenders and a 3 speed shifter. Boy was I cool!

More Monster Sketches

A few more monster drawings.

Another Monster

Here is another design for a monster that I was messing around with. Someday, I would love to do a children's book with all kinds of friendly monsters.

Familiar Characters

Here are some quick drawings of characters you may recognize.

Trains

I still have the first train set I received for Christmas back in 1975. It was this Chattanooga Choo-Choo With Smoke & Steam Whistle.

My parents ordered it from the Sears Christmas Wishbook. I would spend hours pouring through the pages of that heavy tome of Christmas wonder.

I did these in pen and watercolor.

Frankly Zappa

You may have figured out by the music on my Playlist that I have sort of an eclectic taste in music. One of the musicians who really expanded my horizons was Frank Zappa. I have a very vivid recollection of going to a wedding for a family member in 1976. My cousin, Eddie and I snuck out during the reception and walked to a record store near Harvard. I was really into Dylan, Kiss, Yes, Aerosmith and Zeppelin at the time. I asked my cousin who was a bit older than me if he had any recommendations. He told me that I couldn't go wrong with Zappa, so I picked up One Size Fits All. Music was never the same after listening to that album a couple of hundred times. If you have never listened to Frank, I strongly suggest picking up One Size Fits All first. I was sitting out in my truck listening to some Zappa on my iPod when I drew this one.

Just My Imagination

I guess I watch too many classic Sci-Fi movies.

Random Items On My Desk At Work

These are some items that I have laying around my desk at work that I drew a couple of weeks ago during lunch.

This first one is of a plastic pawn. I don't know why I have it at my desk since I don't have any of the matching pieces.

This one is a drawing of the train that was on the cover of a little pad of paper a friend at work picked up for me when she went on vacation.

This one needs no explanation.

I have a Chicago Black Hawks puck on one of the shelves on my desk. Don't get me wrong I live and die the Bruins Black and Gold, but I have always loved the logo and uniforms of the Black Hawks.

The Simpsons

One of the gifts that I received for Christmas was this great book on drawing the Simpson's, The Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips from the Pros (Simpsons (Harper)). I did all of these in pen. The top two are watercolor and the bottom two are colored pencil.