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5-22-2010
I'm getting swept up in convention preparations again this week. Fanime is next weekend in San Jose. Everyone at Megamoth Studio is working hard to finish up some great work for the artist's alley tables. If you happen to be going to Fanime, you should check it out.
I finished reading Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" this week. It was pretty fantastic. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of reading a better story of necromantic horror. Lovecraft actually lives up to the adoration his fans give him. This is a rare phenomenon and should be celebrated. I may have to do something about that, but I know at least one person who beat me to the punch.
As for my own drawings this week, I have three for you all. These are all inspire by a novel in progress by my brother, Wesley Grunig. First is one of the heroic characters, Lance Captain Tein Dorz:
After Dorz, we get to see some of the villains. Giants with armored skin,
and some ugly abomination creatures.
That's it for this week.
5-15-2010
I finished my sketchbook this week. It is now full of drawings on every page. Well, there are two pages with just text, but I tried to make the text pretty, so we will pretend it's a drawing too.
Filling a sketchbook is always a cause for celebration. It takes me months to fill each one and it is so nice to close the cover and know that I filled another one. It's even better to crack open the supply closet and select my next sketchbook. It's always a difficult decision. Do I want the big one or the little one? Do I want the smooth paper or the rougher stuff? What pattern will I pain onto the cover? All important decisions, as I am certain you all understand. This time I chose the 11" x 14" field sketchbook from Canson. Nice double ring binding. Hard covers (now gessoed according to my usual custom). It should provide a nice contrast from the 7" x 10" book I just finished.
So how have I celebrated the beginning of a new sketchbook? Drawing, of course! Proof of this activity will have a wait a couple of weeks. there are a few images from the old book that are at the head of the line. In fact, here is one of them now:
Wasn't that nice?
There is one problem. The happy feeling of finishing a sketchbook is wonderful, but it only happens every few months. That's a long wait for my next fix. I will need something else to tide me over. I think I'd best get back into the studio.
I'll be going now.
5-8-2010
It certainly felt like a busy week. I don't know how much I have to show for it. I suppose the activity was largely centered on intangible accomplishments. These things happen.
I read a rough draft of a fantasy novel by my brother today. I will admit to having something of a bias towards the author, but as fantasy novels go, this one is quite enjoyable, though it needs a bit of editing. I have a few drawings based on the reading of a previous draft somewhere. If I can find them, I'll post them here. Maybe I should just make some new ones. In any case, many congratulations to Wesley for getting through the first draft!
So that's one of my aspiring novelists with a finished novel draft. All the rest of you had best follow suit. I'll be waiting....
5-1-2010
Grind, grind, grind.
It's worth watching the entire series of Vision of Escaflowne to hear the choir sing the Escaflowne battle song. In case you were wondering.
I've been working my way through some H. P. Lovecraft stories this week. "The Temple" and "The Music of Erich Zann" are the stand-out stories from the collection I am currently reading. I'm generally not as interested in the horror aspects as the quality of his writing. My enjoyment of his writing shouldn't come as any surprise given Lovecraft's own fondness for Lord Dunsany's writing. I find Dunsany's flights of fancy to be more engaging than the mounting and numbing horror of some most of Lovecraft's work. I suppose that puts me outside of the Lovecraft worshiping population, but I won't argue that his stories are amazing and worth reading.
The recent movie version of The Fantastic Mr. Fox was a lot of fun. The rat security guard was particularly fun to watch and the dialogue was very enjoyable at every turn. I was somewhat surprised by the cinematography. Almost every angle was framed in very static compositions. Given the dynamic camera action in most other animated features, Mr. Fox's squared-off visuals were not what I was expecting. It didn't really hurt the film, but it was an interesting choice.
One last note: training in weapons sparring is a lot of fun. I can't wait until we get to staves.
