Drawn in Black » Tool

How to Draw a Horse Tutorial

Lee — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:22:35 +0000

This post is divided into two sections: first, the horse drawing tutorial that I have put together (immediately below); second, links out to other worthwhile tutorials on how to draw a horse.

How to Draw a Horse: the Drawn in Black Tutorial

Now let me start by saying that before this tutorial, I have never drawn a horse (that I can remember anyway). However, I know I can do better than most tutorials out there, so what I want to show you is how I would go about if I wanted to become an expert horse drawer (heh). This method would work well for me, and it might work well for you!

First, find a good picture of horse. If I want to draw a realistic horse, the best thing to do is actually look at a horse. If you don’t have one in your backyard, find an awesome picture online. Some clutch resources are Flickr Commons, Wikimedia Commons, and of course Google Images. We’re looking for pictures that are large in size, good resolution, and with proper contrast so they make nice print-outs. Here’s a picture I found via Google Images: a pretty badass wallpaper a wild horse on its hind legs.

Next, print out the picture. The first thing I did was crop it in Photoshop so that it would fill out the entire sheet, and then printed it out:

Now the first thing I want to do is explore the shapes of this horse. I’ll do that using my lightbox and a separate sheet of paper (don’t worry, this is NOT a tutorial on how to trace a horse). The lightbox I’m using is the Artograph Lighttracer Elite:

Then, trace the major shape masses of the horse. Put the horse printout on the lightbox, overlay it with a sheet of paper, and then find the large shapes that make up the horse:

What this gives you now is a general sense of the shape masses of the horse and the proportion they have to one another.

Next, freestyle an outline of the horse. The final drawing will not be traced, but by tracing, our hands and minds get acquainted with the horse so that when we freehand we already have a much better sense of how all the parts fit together.

Now that we’re more familiar with the horse, let’s go ahead an sketch it out freehand (remember, we’re NOT tracing this drawing!):

Freehand the horse outline. This was my first pass just getting the basic shapes of the horse down. Having traced the horse before, this is much easier to get down.

Find the shade shapes. After you have the basic outline of the horse on paper, it’s time to explore in more detail and putting the outlines of the various gray values down. I like to just go ahead and pencil in absolute black value shapes right away.

Finally, shade the horse. Here I’ve completed most of the shading using cross-hatching. Finally I cleaned it all up a bit and darkened the outline so it would pop a bit more:

Overall, I worked fairly quickly, so there’s obviously a lot of room for improvement. I wasn’t particularly loose, so the horse actually looks stiff. You’ll also notice that the neck and head are a bit shrunken and that the tail could look a bit more like hair.

But if you want to learn how to draw a horse, this is how I would go about it. Hopefully this little how to will be of benefit to you, definitely let me know in the comments what you think.

For more horse madness, here are additional horse tutorials worth your time.

Interview with Jonathan Bergeron aka Johnny Crap

Lee — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:54:03 +0000

"Balloon" by Johnny Crap

What’s your name?

Jonathan Bergeron

Where did you grow up?

Beloeil, a suburb of Montreal in Quebec.

Where do you live now?

Montreal.

How old are you?

ugh, 38

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

I am a self taught artist, who studied graffiti, punk/harcore album covers & skateboard deck art on his own time.

"BMX Viking" by Johnny Crap

How do you make a living?

It’s a 50/50 split between “Fine” art & band shirt designs.

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

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember but I really fell into art when I started doing graffiti in the early 90′s. Around 95 I picked up the brushes when my mother gave me her set of oil paint.

I am now lucky enough to say that art is what I do, my personal escape & on top of it it’s my “Job”.

"Jackalope" - Johnny Crap

What does “art” mean to you?

That’s a tough one. Not sure how to answer that.

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

I love drawing, I even sometime prefer looking at drawings from other artists more than their paintings. I find that it gives you a better insight to their true personality.
& there is no end.

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

I would fall into the Pop-Surrealist category…

"Shreddin Zombie" - Johnny Crap

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

For drawings, I always love pencil but most of my inking is done with a simple Pentel Pocket Brush pen. Rives paper is also a favourite.

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

Todd Scorr, Robert Williams, Rick Griffin, Jim Phillips are old faves, and right now I really like Craola, Martin Wittfooth, Travis Louie & Viktor Safonkin’s artwork. I have a terrible memory of names, I could probably think of hundreds but can’t remember anything that isn’t an image. Haha.

What are you currently working on?

A couple of commissions, including a Mona Lisa/Calavera mash up for another artist as well as a couple of themed paintings for group shows at Gallery 1988.

"Sideshow Pigeon" - Johnny Crap

What would you tell aspiring artists?

To keep at it. Try to find their own thing & to push it. It’s not easy, lots of ups & down, especially if that’s all you do, but at the end it’s worth it because you do it for yourself by yourself.

What websites can we find you on?

You can purchase my work through Yves Laroche Gallery
I have a blog that has older stuff, johnnycrap.com & I maintain a TUMBLR site until my real site is ready: johnnycrap.tumblr.com

"Oldschool Line art" - Johnny Crap

Matt Cassan: Charcoal Art and Interview

Lee — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:00:01 +0000

"Renee" by Matt Cassan

Matt Cassan sits down for a brief interview with Drawn in Black. His charcoal art is splendid and I especially like his women on bed. Thanks to Matt for participating.

What’s your name?

Matt Cassan

Where did you grow up?

Port Colborne, Ontario

Where do you live now?

Toronto

How old are you?

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

I started off at Niagara College, in Welland taking Visual Creative Arts and Design. Then I kind of did a year of Fine arts at Brock University (the program wasn’t for me). Then I went to Sheridan College for Classical Animation.

How do you make a living?

I work in animation as a character designer/production artist. I also teach Life Drawing at Seneca College.

"Rival" by Matt Cassan

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

My parents tell me that I’ve been drawing since I was 2-3 (mostly garbage trucks and street cleaners then). Now art is my career and my hobby. I draw in my free time, paint digitally, and dabble in photography.

What does “art” mean to you?

I think something is ‘art’ the moment it is labeled ‘art’ by someone, however I don’t think that necessarily makes it good or appealing. I’m attracted to art that required skill and talent to create it. I like art that changes my view of its subject… art that shows me something in a way I’d never considered looking at it before. I like Art that’s challenges me.

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

It’s both. For some work I’ll draw first and paint over top…other times I’ll just draw.

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

I’m not really sure … I guess it’s realism, although I try to be expressive with a lot of the figure drawing I do.

"Amanda" by Matt Cassan

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

I change it up all the time. My standard for Life Drawing is conte or NuPastel and newsprint. But I often use craft paper too. For longer drawings I like to use charcoal and handmade paper, with big chunks of grit embedded in it. I’m also a big fan of drawing digitally, so Flash for work, and Photoshop and Artrage for fun.

What approach do you take for your work? Do you plan it out or does it emerge spontaneously? How long do you usually work on a piece?

My figure drawings are from 30 seconds to 3 hours. I enjoy the 5 to 30 minute drawings the best I think. The longer drawings that I use photo reference for take 5 to 20 hours-ish so they’re planned. I print out several copies of the same photo in different tonal ranges so I can see all of the value and form. Often the photos are of figure drawing models, or people I know or have drawn before, so that makes it easier. It’s hard to keep track of how long each one takes because I’ll just keep it on an easel and work on it in passing. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for 10 – 20 minutes at time.

Untitled (Woman on Bed) by Matt Cassan

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

I admire and am inspired by a ton of artists … too many to list… off the top of my head … Henry Yan, James Jean, Craig Mullins …

I really like the art of the old illustrators, Albert Dorne, Bob Peak … My mom had Norman Rockwell collectors plates around the dining room and I used to draw those as well.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve almost always got a drawing on the go, and I’m practicing my painting in Photoshop. Plus I’m really enjoying my SLR, so I’ve been playing with that as well,

What would you tell aspiring artists?

Listen to everything you’ve heard about drawing through the form, and learning how to see. Use online resources to get feedback on your work from other artists.

Untitled (Charcoal Torso Drawing) by Matt Cassan

Untitled (Sitting Woman) by Matt Cassan

“Making work makes me want to make more work” – Interview with Henry St.Leger (aka Sainty WHAT)

Lee — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:07:44 +0000

"Chameleon Tree King" by Henry St.Leger

What’s your name?

Henry St.Leger

Where did you grow up?

A town called Bridport in Dorset

Where do you live now?

Bristol

How old are you?

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

I have a degree in illustration with animation from UWE in Bristol.

Self Portrait by Henry St.Leger

How do you make a living?

I am a freelance Illustrator, Animator, Character designer and Storyboard artist.

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

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I used to sit there with a pile of paper my parents had got me and my brother and draw constantly.

It’s hugely important in my life and I still draw in my down time. I think I’d still make images even if it wasn’t what I did for a living. I was not very good at very much else at school and nothing brings me more pleasure.

What does “art” mean to you?

I think art can cover so much. I think it has to be something that makes you feel something. So much of it is a gut feeling that happens when you first see a piece or hear some music or watch a film or animation. You know almost instantly. For me Art is something that inspires and pushes my own work or makes me look at something differently.

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

I work in illustration or even just drawing for the pleasure of doing so, it’s what I want to do and I don’t particually care if it sells or if people even like it (although both are always nice).

Making work makes me want to make more work and develop and evolve as an artist.

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

I would consider my art to have an illustrative style. For years I thought I was a fine artist but then on my foundation course someone pointed out that I was an illustrator. I sat there and looked through my sketchbooks and realised how obvious it was.

"Tree Whale King" by Henry St.Leger

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

By far my favorite pen is the Pentel Brush Pen. I spent a while looking for a good brush pen and this is the best by far. It doesn’t dry out and keeps its shape beautifully. You can achieve such fine lines and massive fat ones with one pen.

I also use a Pilot G-Tec-C4 for super fine work. I hold a pen at a strange angle and so a lot of fine liners end up breaking or become stubby. This is a super fine roller ball that holds up.

Some of my work is done digitally on Photoshop. I learnt to use it so much in the industry i work in and you can do so much with it. However there are things i can do on it that i can’t do hand drawn and vice versa.

What approach do you take for your work? Do you plan it out or does it emerge spontaneously? How long do you usually work on a piece?

It can vary really. I usually doodle in a sketchbook and when I draw something I like I develop it further and then sometimes that develops into a more final piece outside my sketchbook on a lager scale.

Sometimes I draw an image straight off and it doesn’t need any more work to it. Often these more spontaneous drawings are what I consider my best.

I often make a pencil plan first and then go over in the pen if I am planning composition a little more. For example with the large skull piece called ‘Nest’ i did i made a rough pencil line showing the shape of a skull on the page and then went straight on with pen to make the detail that makes up the piece.

I work pretty quickly. I have quite a short attention span when it comes to my work. I need to get the image on the page. The ‘Nest’ image i mentioned before was probably my largest piece. It’s about two meters squared. It took me two long evenings to complete.

"Nest" by Henry St.Leger

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

Ralph Steadman was a huge influence to my work and also comic book artists like Jack Kirby have made their mark.

At the moment I’m really into Charles Burns. His graphic novel Black Hole is a lesson in black and white illustration. I have a massive signed screen print of one of the panels from it above my desk at home. I’m trying to get some of his style to rub off on me.

I’ve been making screen printed gig posters through a company called Jacknife who are based in Bristol. The world of gig posters has a huge amount of very talented artists and designers that have inspired some new approaches and ways of working. One artist that particually caught my eye recently is Aaron Horkey. His attention to detail is mind blowing.

Whilst I was growing up my brother, Sam St.Leger, was a huge influence. We now have very different styles but i still get inspiration from his work.

I am also lucky to be amongst some hugely talented illustrators and artists who I can bounce ideas off of and I think we influence each other.

What are you currently working on?

My day job at the moment is at Aardman Animations doing some photoshop work and a bit of animation.

In my spare time I’m currently designing a gig poster for the band Chew Lips.

Also me and my brother have been discussing an animation project for a few years now. I am determined to get it going this year.

Do you have any upcoming events?

I’ve got a joing show called ‘Deep into the Woods’ with a load of very talented individuals in May at a gallery above Start the Bus in Bristol.

The show is including work from:

Stuart Kolakovic
Log Roper
Jon Boam
Matthew the Horse
Seb Burnett
Dave Bain
Rosie Miles
Amy Brown
Paul Roberts

What would you tell aspiring artists?

I don’t know really. Just keep at it I suppose. If you really want to do it keep pushing. I’m freelance and it is pretty hard work sometimes but when it pulls off it can be so rewarding.

"Big canvas" by Henry St.Leger

"Big canvas" (detail) by Henry St.Leger

Illustration Friday: Surrender

Lee — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:10:16 +0000

Illustration Friday - "Surrender" by Lee Clemmer

Here’s my entry for “Surrender”, this week’s topic for Illustration Friday. The concept here was inspired by Enter the Void, an amazing movie I think everyone should go see, which deals with what happens after death (based on the afterlife conception as written in the Tibetan Book of the Dead). Basically the idea here is one of surrendering oneself in the moments after death. Unfortunately the illustration here isn’t as clean as I would’ve liked, there just wasn’t the time!

The drawing was done using a Pigma Brush Pen and watercolor.

Product Review: Realistic Pencil Portrait Mastery by Christopher Sia

Lee — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:27:06 +0000

Realistic Pencil Portrait Mastery

Today I’ll be reviewing Christopher Sia’s “Realistic Pencil Portrait Mastery”, a home-study course that will teach you how to draw realistic portraits. Now let me begin by saying that I care very little for so-called “pitch sites,” the online version of OxyClean infomercials. They all have the same structure: 1) Hey check out how great my product is; 2) see how great these people think my product is; and 3) but wait, there’s more!

Well, this online course is sold through just such a pitch site, but Mr. Sia got in touch with me so I figured I’ll give it a try. At this point let me also provide full disclosure: if you access his site through any of the links I provide on this page and ultimately end up purchasing his product, I will earn a commission on that sale – money that will be reinvested in keeping the lights on around here. Nonetheless, I will try to do as objective a review as I can.

So let’s get started.

All sales pitch aside, what product do you get for your $47.00?

5 e-books lessons and 5 process maps (more on that below)
1. How To Draw A Realistic Eye
2. How To Draw A Realistic Nose
3. How To Draw Realistic Mouth And Teeth
4. How To Draw A Realistic Ear
5. How To Draw Realistic Hair
100 high-resolution reference pictures (70 head shots, 30 facial feature close-ups)
12 weeks of exercises

Ok, so let’s a look at what we’re getting.

The Lessons

As the author states, the lesson contain 208 pages and a total of 605 illustrations. The basic technique used is that you start with a picture, draw a light outline of the feature, and then shade it in. He goes into painstaking detail on all the required shading.

How to Draw a Realistic Mouth

Following his instructions will definitely make you see things you might’ve otherwise not caught. There are good little tips dispersed throughout. Here’s a bit on drawing hair and eyes:

How to Draw Hair

How to Draw Eyes

The Process Maps

Each lesson comes along with a process map, which is essentially a diagram on how to go about attacking the particular feature that you are looking to draw.

Process Map for the Eye

The High-Rez Photographs

Included in the package are 70 high-resolution images in black and white (resolutions are in the area of 1500px by 2000px). These are definitely helpful as they provide you good reference material, although they are all celebrities – subject matter I always find slightly tacky. In addition to the celebrities there are 30 images of facial features, which are great for you to get a sense of how individual features vary from person to person.

Liam Neeson

Female Mouth

The Exercies

The 12 weeks of exercises are a bit light on the exercises per say, but contain some additional good information on various shading techniques.

How to Draw Eyebrows

But wait, there’s more

Once you’ve purchased the course, you can upgrade to the VIP level for another $29.95, which will give you access to another 30 high-rez black and white celebrity pictures as well as a worthwhile guide on how to make sure your drawing doesn’t lack contrast but shows more volume.

David Beckham

In addition, you can send in your reference picture and Mr. Sia will make sure that it is properly edited for you to draw from.

My Thoughts: The Bad

There are several things that I miss from this package, the most important being a lesson on how to pull it all together into a coherent face. There is no theoretical background on some basic things like proportion of the head or face. Moreover, each lesson focuses on only a single facial part, instead of varied facial parts to illustrate some facial differences.

If you want to be able to draw from your mind, this course is not for you – it is strictly useful in drawing from a given photograph. The course also requires some basic skills in being able to trace the contours and features that you’re later going to shade in.

The Good

Mr. Shia is very detailed and you can fully follow along his entire drawing process. If you want to see each step in how his drawings are put down, you’ll find them. There are many good tips and tricks on shading and pulling off tricky bits like hair. The process maps give you a birds-eye view of the drawing process and the exercises have some additional beneficial information.

The reference material will keep you busy for months if you don’t mind drawing celebrities. The facial features pics give you sense of the variation of facial features. The photographs are very large and very crisp – great to draw in other words.

Conclusion

If you have been drawing largely from photographs and want to elevate your game to the next level, this is certainly a purchase you may want to consider. If you are looking to be able to draw the human head and face in 3 dimensions from your mind, look elsewhere.

Hopefully this review has been beneficial to you, and thanks to Mr. Sia for letting me review the product.

Good luck and happy drawing! – Lee

“The Drawing Is the Most Important Part” – Interview with Matt K. Smith

Lee — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:15:36 +0000

"Geist" by Matt K. Smith

In our ongoing series of artist interviews, I was able to catch up with Matt Smith, illustrator and artist in San Diego, California. Matt has some great figure drawing work displayed on his sites that form the basis for his superb illustrations, often of the fantasy or horror genre.

Thanks to Matt for agreeing to participate.

What’s your name?

Matt Smith

Where did you grow up?

Endwell, NY

Where do you live now?

San Diego, CA

How old are you?

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

I got a degree in Illustration, but I am where I am today because of Watts Atelier, a traditional figure drawing and painting school in Encinitas, CA, and all the hard work I have put into it. I still take classes there, as good as my drawings are, I still have lots to learn.

"Untitled (Female Head)" by Matt K. Smith

How do you make a living?

I create fantasy and horror illustrations for different companies.

What does “art” mean to you?

This is kind of a hard question since the word art and artist now applies to so many things these days. I am not the deep “artsy” type of person exactly. For me I guess I use art to create things, but not “abstract”, bizarre stuff, but tangible and understandable. Anyone can look at my work and understand it, it’s a monster, a person, its a skull, etc, just trying to take these things and make an interesting story. As well as all the figure drawings and paintings that I have done, they are not in depth pieces of art, just practice and training so I can get good and keep getting better, nothing more or nothing less. I hope that answered the question.

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

I have been drawing since I can remember. I used to draw all my favorite video game and cartoon characters, such as Super Mario, Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mega Man, the list goes on.

"Godzilla Sketch" by Matt K. Smith

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

Drawing and learning how to draw is very important in my work. When it comes to creating a finished piece, the drawing is the most important part. Flashy rendering and awesome paint strokes can never save a piece if the foundational drawing is lacking.

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

Besides my teachers at Watts Atelier (Jeff Watts, Erik Gist, Meadow Gist, Lucas Graciano, Ben Young, and Stan Prokopenko) I have many artists that influence my work. Here is a short list of people whose work I enjoy looking at: Zhoaming Wu, Joseph Clement Coll, Frank Frazetta, Phil Hale, James Gurney, Steve Huston, John Asaro, Glen Orbik, Richard Schmid, and many many more.

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

I guess I would say that I have several “styles” (though I don’t really like that word) depending on the client I am working with, but mostly I consider myself a traditional illustrator and figurative artist.

"Untitled (Sitting Woman)" by Matt K. Smith

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

I mostly use pencils, pens, conte charcoal pencils, and oil paint. I am also a good digital painter, but I don’t use it so much now, I prefer getting a real painting as opposed to something that doesn’t really exist.

What approach do you take for your work? Do you plan it out or does it emerge spontaneously? How long do you usually work on a piece?

When I create an illustration for a client everything is planned out, starting with small thumbnail sketches, to a finished drawing and then to the painting. When I draw or paint from life, it is planned out as well, but much more spontaneous due to the fact I only have a few hours to create an image.

What are you currently working on?

Creating designer T Shirt illustrations for Remetee. I get to draw a lot of skulls which is fun! And also working on some personal projects.

"Grunt" by Matt K. Smith

What would you tell aspiring artists?

Do lots of research before you pick out a school to go to. If you want to do figurative types of work like I do, I would suggest not going to college and go to a traditional figure drawing school like Watts Atelier. Check out the Art Renewal Center for schools. Also try to always keep a positive attitude, a negative attitude only gets in the way. Anyone can get as good as me and better, you just got to find the right place to learn and work real hard.

Anything you would like share and let us know?

There is another Matt Smith artist out there. He is an awesome plein air painter, I wish I could paint half as good as he can. Just letting you know I am not that Matt Smith!

"Untitled (Asian Male Head)" by Matt K. Smith

Eduardo Recife: Interview and Drawings

Lee — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:41:33 +0000

"True Love Waits" by Eduardo Recife

Eduardo Recife seems to me that rare talents who’s work is both distinctly his own and in tune with the times. This Brazilian illustrator has an impressive list of gigs under his belt, including a cover for a New York Times article and ads for Upper Playground – check out his professional portfolio for more. He’s developed a fun “mash-up” typography and was even voted as one of the Top 10 Fonts of 2008 on MyFonts.

His personal site is misprinted type, itself a collage like many of his art pieces. On version 4 now, you can see still the previous versions. As he puts it, it’s his “personal playground” and also features many of his great drawings.

Eduardo was kind enough to partake in our interview. Here’s what he had to say:

What’s your name?

Eduardo Recife

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

Brazil

How old are you?

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

I graduated in Graphic Design (even though I consider myself self-taught).

"Question Everything" by Eduardo Recife

How do you make a living?

Illustration, art and type.

What does “art” mean to you?

It means something that touches you somehow.

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

I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid. But I started doing it professionally 11 years ago. I guess its something that was born with me, sometimes I just have an urge to produce.

"Judge Not" by Eduardo Recife

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

I usually draw things that are in my head. A large portion of my work was about things I was searching for answers, things that bothered me, or made me full of joy.

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

I think tht Eric Boucheron from antitext.com was probably the guy that influenced me the most when I just started working with collage. I still think that the stuff he did 10 years ago was fantastic! Nowadays Im very much into abstract art.

"Heal" by Eduardo Recife

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

I’m not really into categories.

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

I really love everything; Collage, drawings, painting… But drawing is probably something Im more obsessed with. I draw all the time.

"Are You Together" by Eduardo Recife

Thanks Eduardo for taking the time to interview and sharing your fantastic work with us! Hope to see more from you in the future

Steel City Artist: Drawings and Interview with Charles Ott

Lee — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:05:06 +0000

"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?

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.

Selecting Between One Million Possibilities: Drawings and Interview with Andreas Martini

Lee — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:23:10 +0000

"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?

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, GuyDebord, 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

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Selecting Between One Million Possibilities: Drawings and Interview with Andreas Martini