Drawn in Black

"Cinderella Castle, Magic Mountain" by Charles Ott, Jr.

Lest you think that I have a predisposition for trippy, vulgar, and raunchy drawings (what am I saying, I confess I do!), I want to showcase an artist who’s been making a name for himself in the Pittsburgh area and beyond with his meticulously rendered architectural style scenes – Charles Ott, Jr a.k.a. Steel City Artist.  I’ve always thought that there is something peculiarly special about this genre of drawings, illustrated best perhaps when considering such drawings of hundreds of years ago.  That is to say, they have a distinctly historical appeal by capturing a scene suspended in a time and place.  They almost present a sort of ideal of that place and require, I suspect, a focused type of concentration when in the process of rendering such pictures.

Charles agreed to partake in the Drawn in Black Artist Interview (thank you!), so without further adieu:

What’s your name?

Charles R. Ott, Jr.

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

Pittsburgh, PA

How old are you?

36

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

Self-taught architectural illustrator.

"Bethany College" by Charles Ott, Jr.

How do you make a living?

Nearly two years ago, I was at a certain crossroad in my life and career due to the fact that design firm I was working for out-resourced. I decided to focus my time and effort into doing what I love. I spent my days working to supplement my evenings through the mornings on creating a solid portfolio of illustrations. This in turn led to the development of my illustration website, Steel City Artist, which I launched in Spring, 2008. The illustrations feature detailed hand-drawn pen and ink illustrations of the prominent landmarks from Pittsburgh and across America and continues to grow. Right now, I make a living selling my work throughout the world and marketing/branding my work to various companies/businesses where I feel my illustrations have relevance.

What does “art” mean to you?

As an illustrator, I am a realist and that is the art form that has meaning to me. My artwork allows me to combine my lifelong passions/interest of architecture, illustration and history and my love for the city I call home, Pittsburgh. My artwork allows people to remember and reminisce the places that have had significant meaning in their lives, whether it is the steel mills, buildings or colleges they attended. Art to me means expressing yourself in a way that moves people and inspires them.

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

I began drawing at a very young age and I have been drawing for nearly 25 years. Like anything in life, if you have passion and perseverance anything is possible and you must be willing to devote yourself to your craft/talent. My illustrations are the cornerstone of my life, my identity.

"Heinz Memorial Chapel" by Charles Ott, Jr.

What would you consider your “style” of art to be, if you have one?

My style of work is traditional pen and ink architectural illustrator. With advancements in computer/design technology, it is very rare anymore to find true artists who can create incredible illustrations freehand, I truly consider it a gift.

What’s your weapon of choice? What medium and drawing tool do you prefer to use?

All of my pen/ink illustrations are created by hand. My tools simply include T-square, metal ruler and a series of Pigma micron pens. These pens range in size from .008-.05 mm and create a very fine crisp line which does not bleed like some ink pens while creating the drawing. Each 18×24″ illustration is created first in pencil and then retraced with the pens. Each drawing begins from the center of the paper and blossoms outward after I spend a good deal time evaluating the photo with which I am working from. My work is also featured at Sakura of America whose micron pens I use for my work.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

During the 1980’s my father owned a business at The Shoppes of Station Square in downtown Pittsburgh. Nearly every evening as a young kid I would visit him. There was a well-known Pittsburgh artist who I believe inspired me to become an illustrator, Nevin Robinson. Our work is somewhat similar in that we both work in pen/ink and feature the places of Pittsburgh. My work is more technical in nature and requires a series of techniques such as cross-hatching/stippling for the landscape. Since I launched my website, I have been introduced to artists from all over the world. One artists’ work who I admire is Michael Smith, Buffalo, NY.

"Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church" by Charles Ott, Jr.

Tags: architectural, lines, precise, realistic, religious

"Monstrum" (Detail) by Andreas Martini

Looking at some of the drawing art of German Andreas Martini, it might be a bit surprising to find out that he was schooled as an architect, and even more surprising that, as he states on his website, “andreas works in the field of 3d-design and cg. he simply loves to work and play with the machine.”  Indeed his 3-d art and animation is compelling in its own right and worth your time.

When it comes to Martini’s drawings, they are no less compelling.  Consider that the images above and below are but details of the larger image, and that each square (I presume) is a full sheet of paper.  His abstract collages are varied and entertaining to study, and if there’s one complaint I’d have, is that there isn’t more work available.

"Monstrum" (Detail) by Andreas Martini

He graciously agreed to take part of the Drawn in Black Artist Interview, so here goes:

What’s your name?

Andreas Martini

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

Germany

How old are you?

30

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I had 9 years Latin in school.  After that I went to university to study architecture, but instead of designing paper houses we took our chances to reprogram ego-shooters and build wooden sculptures. I graduated as an engineer of architecture and design with the focus on new media.How do you make a living?3d visualizer, animation filmmaker

What does “art” mean to you?

To select between one million possibilities.

Live Drawing at Agency Achter by Andreas Martini

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

Maybe forever. But since people told me I could draw, I developed an attitude, which is sometimes good, but mostly disturbing.  Art is important like food. It comes and leaves.

What role does drawing play in your work?  Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

The less I speak about the importance of drawing, the more I feel, that I do justice to it.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, Robert Breer, Bruce Conner, Lutz Dammbeck, Guy Debord, Marcel Duchamp, Germaine Dulac, Fluxus, Hollis Frampton, Sheila Graber, Raymond Salvatore Harmon, Co Hoedeman, Ken Jacobs, David Lynch, Norman McLaren, Jonas Mekas, Yoko Ono, Man Ray, Hans Richter, Frank Stauffacher, Andy Warhol, Zeitguised, Matthew Barney, Henry Darger, Johnny Hardstaff, David O’Reilly, Bitter Films, Thomas Hicks, Dürer, Toccafondo…

Way too many to be helpful for my productivity.

Thanks again to Andreas for taking the to talk a bit about himself and to share his artwork here on Drawn in Black.

Editorial Illustration by Andreas Martini

Tags: collage, huge, pastiche, trippy

Untitled (Zombie Head) by Scott Move

Jim Phillips on acid – that’s kind of what the art of Scott Move reminds me of, and why I was so excited when he got in touch with me.  The interwoven imagery looks almost like the T-2000 burning in the molten steel at the end of Terminator 2;  the clear black lines have a visceral and uncompromising feel to them.  Can’t wait to see more of these kind of drawings.

Scott graciously agreed to fill out the Drawn in Black Artist Interview, so here’s what he had to say:

DiB: Where did you grow up? and where do you live now?

Scott: Essex in the south east of the U.K.

How old are you?

Never ask an artist his age! I’m 33.

What is your educational background? What, if anything, did you study?

I studied art at school and college until I realised it was a bit of a huge waste of time for me. I learned all the basics from my mum and the rest was all guess work and a series of mistakes.  I don’t want to draw apples thanks.

How do you make a living?

Unfortunately I have to work a full day every day in construction. Theres no way I can make enough money from artwork to pay my rent and increasing phone bills. I dislike the work i do immensely, but can’t survive without it. Hopefully I can one day start to make a living creatively but until then, its a double life for me….

What does “art” mean to you?

I really have no idea. Some kind of expression of feeling or emotion. Whats the correct answer to that?

Trauma by Scott Move

How long have you been making art, and what role does that play in your life?

I’ve been making art for years, with the encouragement form my mum to do something creative every day, no matter what. I still try and do that. It plays a huge part in my life now as I spend nearly all my spare time drawing stuff (and then re-drawing it) – either for myself or for some kind of commision. I tend to feel like I’m wasting my time if I’m not drawing, I get a bit irritable.

What role does drawing play in your work?  Is it a means to an end, or an end in and of itself?

Well, as far as my artwork, its all I really do, so its the begining and the end. I dont have the patience or the skills to use computer programmes so its all hand drawn or nothing at all. Very time consuming but i like it that way.

Are there any people that influenced you that stand out? What current artists do you follow?

There are hundreds of artists that are influential, far too many to mention. I think anyone who does what they do from the heart is pretty much doing it for the right reasons. Theres some truly incredible artwork out there from all eras, its all an influence at some point. Nothing is original.

***

Thanks to Scott for taking the time to answer these questions and sharing his artwork.  You can find Scott online at his blog I SAW NOTHING, on MySpace, Twitter, or Fecal Face.

Everything is Under Control by Scott Move

Untitled (Filled With Hate Flyer) by Scott Move

Yoink by Scott Move

Tags: cartoon, horror, trippy, visceral

Construction by Ange Dudman

Recently I had the good fortune of being contacted by New Zealand artist Ange Dudman, who shared with me a number of her charcoal drawings that I’m delighted to share with you now.  Ange, 31, finished her Bachelor’s in Visual Art & Design at EIT Hawke’s Bay (see it on a map) after leaving life in the corporate world at Cadbury Confectionary in Auckland.  She now lives in rural New Zealand, may take up art teaching and is considering pursuing her Master’s.

My first impressions of these drawings was that they possessed some of the same qualities as old childhood memories: distant but laden with emotion.  Things aren’t exactly in focus, but rather a bit faded and blurry, but the mood and feeling is very much present.  As is the case with the human psyche in general, what these drawings convey and communicate is complex and multi-dimensional.  I’m reminded of those early memories that will sometimes bubble up into consciousness for no apparent reason, random snapshots in time that have meaning not in content but in feeling.

In the artist’s own words:

… to me they also speak of fading memories, of loss and very much of silence. There is also for me a sense of disconnection from the works as some of the images used are from my own past and I often wonder if I remember the actual event or if my only memory of it is encased in the photograph, and all the details leading up to and after are lost or irrelevant.

People have often commented to me on recognizing their memories in the works, such as in Outside, the resounding opinion is dull, rainy saturday or sunday afternoon, hours to wait until dinner and sleep…

Outside by Ange Dudman

I guess the works may have intrinsic power as they feature images of children or childhood, but not in the standard cute or pretty format, nor with any intention or imagery set to disturb or shock. My intention for the viewer is that the works are quiet but not restful, they are familiar but distant and they provoke far more questions than they can answer. I think they achieve this. There is a notion here in New Zealand, of a cultural mood called the “New Zealand Gothic” (not to be confused with the Goth trend or fashion). This is based on early european immigration into a hard land, the dark, the cold, formal and the unspoken (think the movie The Piano etc.) the undercurrent of violence and hardship. I guess these artworks fit here also in dealing with children but not the childlike.

I think that’s a perfect way to describe these drawings: “quiet but not restful, they are familiar but distant and they provoke far more questions than they can answer.”  I think they achieve this as well.

If you are interested to learn more about “New Zealand Gothic” (something I hadn’t previously heard of), check out this article on Art & Australia on the topic.

Thanks to Ange for sharing her work with me; unfortunately I cannot link to a website, but hopefully we will see more of her work in the future.  In the meantime, tell us what you think in the comments section.

Curtsy by Ange Dudman

How You Said It Would Be by Ange Dudman

Courtesy on Stairs by Ange Dudman

Us and Them by Ange Dudman

Tags: distant, faded, familiar, gothic, quiet

Back in Black T-Shirt by Godmachine

Aziz a.k.a. Godmachine is an illustrator based out of Wales, UK, with some seriously nasty skills. Growing up and working as an electrician and bricklayer as a young lad, it was skateboard graphics through which he rekindled his connection to art.  Influenced by artists such as Horsebites, Gieger, Aubrey Beardlsy, Klimt, and Richard James, it is probably fair to say that he does a bit of influencing himself these days.  As a freelance artist Godmachine’s art graces skateboards and band merchandise such as t-shirts, album covers and posters. Even though he considers himself old-school, he does most of his sketching straight on the computer these days.

I think t-shirt illustrations such as the one show above are a great example his work and what I personally like: gory, detailed illustrations.  His work in general is quite dark, and this is the essence of his appeal I think – at least for a certain type of audience.

If you haven’t done so already, check out Godmachine’s website or blog and put some food on his table by buying his stuff from his store.  There are also a number of interview with Godmachine if you want a deeper look at who he is:

Interview with Godmachine on Abduzeedo

Interview with Godmachine on We are the Zombie Nation

Interview with Godmachine on Creep Machine

Interview with Godmachine by Rockett

Sonisphere Poster by Godmachine

Untitled Sketch by Godmachine

Untitled Sketch by Godmachine

Untitled Sketch by Godmachine

I’ve found drawing hands one of the most challenging aspects of drawing the human figure. You can get away with quite a bit when rendering the human figure, but get the hand wrong and it sticks out like a sore thumb.  Once you start learning about the hand in greater depth, you’ll find it is truly amazing just how complex the hand is even though we see it everyday.  Perhaps the following tutorials can help you and I draw better hands. Enjoy.

• Tutorials, How-To’s and Step-by-Step’s
• Videos
• Anatomy
• Books
• Poses
• Photo Reference

Tutorials, How-To’s and Step-by-Step’s

It’s often useful to have a step-by-step guide, tutorial, or “recipe” on how to accomplish a certain task.  I’ve found that following steps is good to grasp basic concepts before going on to experiment and expand one’s understanding.  Tutorials on drawing hands are no different, and the tutorials and how-to’s listed below should be a good starting point.

J. Peffer created some nice step-by-steps for about a handful of hand poses.

Read more »

Tags: cartoon, helpful, inspirational, instructional, realistic

Axodendriticore by Paul Stanek

Fillmore by Paul Stanek

As part of this local talent spotlight series, animator Paul Stanek got in touch with me and shared with me some of his amazing work.  Although primarily an animator, Paul also composes large black and white drawings as shown above.  Large-scale trippy drawings are always a personal favorite of mine, and the two above are no exception.

Paul came to Philadelphia after growing up in New York and living in Los Angeles for six years, where he attended the California Institue of the Arts and worked on his Master’s in Experimental Animation.  During that time Paul and a friend of his decided to make cell animations using t-shirts, and the U-Shirt Project was born:

Paul: “We really liked the idea of shooting each frame (shirt) on different people so when the animation was played back it would unify all these people in to one entity, with the animation in the middle being the glue.  The projects and the accompanying U-shirt Party were a smash hit, and we ended up being approached by Viacom to use a similar concept to make a few 30 second spots for Black History Month to be used on their t.v. channels (nickelodeon, vh-1, etc.).”

You can see some of the video clips and additional information on the U-Shirt website.

Thankfully Paul also shared with me a couple time-lapse videos in which he paints directly on a pair of beautiful nude ladies, as seen below.  Take a look for yourself here and here.

Untitled (Painting on Nude Female) by Paul Stanek

Ever the Renaissance Man, you can also find Paul creating music under the Johnny Longmind pseudonym, and he’s recently been signed with a small London label by the name of End Daze Recordings.  You can find some of his music (which is actually pretty damn good) on his MySpace page.

Tags: fluid, hallucination, trippy

Transformers by Tom Mulholland

So I decided to do something a little bit different this time around.  One of my other projects currently in the works is a t-shirt company: Backyard Threads.  The concept is still a bit fuzzy, but basically the idea is to give the consumer the opportunity to support their local community by purchasing a (awesomely designed, of course) t-shirts screen printed and / or designed locally.  This lead me to the idea of tapping into the local artist community for this project just to get a feel for what kind of artistic talent is passing me by on the streets everyday – on the streets of Philadelphia is, the wonderful city I now call home.  One Craigslist posting and a few emails later, I’d like to introduce: Tom Mulholland.

Cadaver Studies by Tom Mulholland

Tom is a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, and judging by some of this artwork, he should have an interesting career ahead of him.  Beyond drawings he’s made some great sculptures as well.  I think his artist statement is something I can definitely relate to:

As my academic background and transcripts may indicate, my interests are very widespread. Not surprisingly, my work has grown to reflect my affinity for multiple genres and I have developed an utter distaste for art that pretends to be understood in only the most esoteric contexts. I envision myself as being of and for the commoner, whose exposure to intelligent and aesthetic art has been relegated to school trips and the occasional sited work. This is not because there is not a sufficient body of works readily available to be viewed, but because most artists are less interested in devoting their lives to general humanity as they are to dedicating their work to a specifically interested populace. No, it is an artists function to reciprocate, to reflect on humanity, and to express their vision in the context of that same humanity and all of its wonderful endeavors.

Tags: distorted, piney, sculptural

Tower of Babel (Detail) by Colin McAllister

Tower of Babel by Colin McAllister

Looking at the artwork of 24-year-old U.K. artist Colin David McAllister, you get the sense of a man on a mission.  The scale, detail, and perspectives of his drawings are immediately overwhelming; in fact, that they are really too big to appreciate on the web, as you can see from above.  You can get a close-up view on Colin’s website, Snublic, but your monitor is likely too small to see the whole picture and the detail at once.

Once you wrap your mind around the idea of how big these drawings are and just how much time, dedication, and yes obsession it must’ve taken to create these works of art, it’s then even more incredible to consider all of the time spent on researching the topic at hand.  For these works are social and political commentary as much as they are works of art, and his immense works tell incredible stories, both broad and detailed at once.  Behind these stories lurks an immense curiosity about the world and a desire to see it improved.

Barn Interior by Scott Tulay

Looking at the work of Scott Tulay it should come as no surprise that he is both artist and architect.  The drawing above was the won the 2008 Wiley Award for Excellence in Hand Delineation from the 34th KRob Architectural Drawing Competition (try saying that 10 ten times in a row). There’s something very compelling about his drawings as they, in my mind, are somewhere between abstract and realistics – an interesting area for exploration; but Mr. Tulay says it much better than I could (from his website):

One of my interests in architecture is the dissolution of the edge between building and landscape. My drawing studies are an extension of that interest, as I explore the nebulous relationship between assemblies of walls, beams or groupings of trees and the landscape beyond.  This series of charcoal, pastel and ink drawings explores varying degrees of human intervention with the landscape.  Each drawing begins as an empty landscape with a perspective towards the sky.  The sky, which is completely devoid of rectilinear man-made geometries, is then layered with various degrees of human presence, whether with a simple phone pole or a complex structure.  The light struggles to penetrate these spaces as their forms are fragmented by dark shadows.  Sometimes the white of the paper is light; other times it is an object, creating spatial ambiguity.

Tags: Abstract, contrasting, linear