true hab...

originally intended for an "illustration friday" post... now several fridays later, i'm finally getting around to slapping this online. the topic was "sweater" which always reminds me of old tyme hockey, when they wore wool sweaters and not synthetic mesh what-have-yous.

maurice "rocket" richard
montreal canadiens - 1942-1960
8 time stanley cup winner
1st player to score 50 goals in a season (1944-45)

watercolor & pen on paper 2011

back with a new plan

so it's been a minute for the sketch blog, but for the most part the pocket sketchbook is collecting dust and most sketching is done on whatever's handy. so the new plan is to post them in whatever form with links to the lank williams page featuring their final outcome on walls or panels or both.

this is the first round... here are two pieces that will be displayed at the smile gallery in philly for a show called bangkok & blacklight with the good folks of albus cavus and s.a.g.e. collective. it's a smaller version of a show we did in june at artworks in trenton.

these eventually became the stencils so the only place these sketches exist are here on the interwebs. both 8x8 pencil and pen on bristol. enjoy.

milton & me (and others)

thanks to my good friend and mentor, kurt d. hollomon, i had the rare opportunity to meet design legend milton glaser at his studio in new york. it was definitely the high point of the year to sit for 45 minutes and listen to an honest to god genius talk about his work, the value of art to humanity and the current state of our country. it was an inspiring afternoon and my only hope, is that when i hit my 80's i'm still as passionate and enthusiastic as mr. glaser is.

so don your "i <3 ny" t-shirt, grab a DC comic and crack open a brooklyn lager (all logos designed by milton) and salute a living legend.

for a great recap of the visit and kurt's entire nyc visit (he's an oregonian) check out jake hollomon's top notch blog.

back to the book

some watercolor sketchbook randomness... good paint on cheap paper.

hey jon, where's your sketchbook?

i've fallen behind recently on the pocket sketchbook of late... mostly working on a stencil series and doing my sketches ad hoc on whatever is laying around. here is what may be considered a stencil sketch as it's a test version of a piece that will most likely be on wood or canvas..

hockey hall of famer (and certainly mustache hall of famer as well) lanny mcdonald. part of a broader series of sport's great mustachioed heroes in line with woodgrain larry and the illustriuos michael jack schmidt. we'll see how it goes.

Basketball Jesus a.k.a. Woodgrain Larry

i did this piece (spray paint, acrylic and gold leaf on panel) with the intent on giving it to espn's bill simmons at his book signing in philly today... but alas i teach a section of drawing at the local community college at night and could only cut the class a bit short... so i jet out, hit the rainy highway and hope for the best. make decent time and arrive at borders in center city at 10 after nine only to have the doughy f*ck at the door tell me about their strict closing policy... bite me.

i am belligerent enough to get his boss down there who gives me the same schpeil and a "bill's been signing for 3 hours." no sh*t, i know what time it started and the truth is, i don't want him to sign anything, i just wanted to give him woodgrain larry and a hearty handshake. settle up a bit for the hours of procrastinating he's provided in my cubicle. so manager guy agreed to bring it up and put it "in bill's box." HIYO!

here's hoping the dough boy made good on his word and basketball jesus finds a home at the simmons's's's and not at the bottom of the border's books dumpster....

pens & markers

testing a line of pens and brush tip markers....