Rachel 6/16/10

Well, i've been on hiatus from sketching or typing much due to a bad flare-up of carpal tunnel--i've had sporadically recurring RSI in particularly my right wrist since 2005, and managed to aggravate it with a combination of intense periods of typing too much, writing longhand, and sketching, topped off with overly-vigorous bowling. (I wish i were joking.)

The main lesson here is, if you don't have RSI yet and you are a costumer, please be mindful of taking regular breaks and resting your hands and wrists, and don't ever work somewhere that won't allow regular breaks or makes you use ergonomically-harmful cutting equipment or table heights.

But, to get off my soapbox, i did a sketch today! I was literally about to climb the wall wanting to draw something, and i remembered something i did back when i first had the initial bout with this injury: left-handed artwork. (I'm a right-hander.) I did a couple of paintings that first time out with brushes stuck down inside a wrist brace, then some with my left hand. I thought, why not try that again?

So, i'd collected a couple inspirational images i wanted to sketch from of dancers, in keeping with my overall desire to work with drawing figures captured mid-motion doing expressive action. This drawing was inspired by an Oya orisha celebration dance done by the Afro-Cuban Arenas Dance Company. Check them out here (my lady is 3 pix down)!

Totally drew this with my left hand, first using a red ballpoint for roughing it out, then going back over it with a navy marker. I kind of wish i'd stuck with the thin lines and gone back over it with a black inkpen or really anything with a smaller nib. But whatever, live and learn, and i DREW SOMETHING and it doesn't suck, even left-handed. So, hooray.

Eric 6/15/10

Wow... so, it's been what?  Two weeks?  Eh, it's the summer.  I'm sorry for all of our dire-hard readers, but summer time in the theatre is rarely down time.

Here is a sketch from the Isaac Murphy play we're doing this fall at LCT.  I decided to only post one, but here is a link to the rest of the sketches.

This sketch is of one of the Gossip characters in the play.  It's a really interesting function for a character.  She drives much of the story through her rumors and exaggerations.  From her and others we learn about Issac's changes, his failings and his perceived successes.

As a concept, there are eight actors to accomplish many characters.  They never leave the stage, and the shifts in characters are almost instantaneous.  Therefore, I wanted to create a world based on 1890 silhouettes, but simplified and layered, so that we can move through the costumes easily.  In some ways, this is much like the design I did several years ago for The Laramie Project.  Same deal: eleven actors play MANY characters, all within moments.

In terms of sketching, I'm decently happy with the work, but I'm seriously impressed by my own speed.  I'm still in my old mentality that a sketch would take me forever.  Now I'm knocking them out in fifteen minutes, tops.  Sure I could slow down and probably make fewer mistakes, but I'm enjoying the freedom of expression.

So, until next time my faithful readers (whenever that may be).

Eric 6/1/10

So, yeah,  I took some time off of the blog.  With the new job at LCT, I allowed myself a bit of a sabbatical in order to focus on the transition.  But now that it's June, and that I have two shows to get designed over the summer, it's high time to begin the sketching again.

Today I had my second design meeting for a new play by Frank X. Walker about the jockey Isaac Murphy.  What I'm exploring is a modernized 1890's silhouette that is stark, mutable, and simple.  My primary research image comes from the Kyoto book, so I don't have it scanned in yet.  But I also found this great image of Harriet Tubman, in a simple, strong silhouette.  That's what I decided to sketch tonight.

Well, it's not easy picking the pencil back up after an extended rest, I'll tell you that.  My hand is actually sore from the stress of gripping the pencil too firmly.  I think I made some proportional mistakes, and the face isn't a good likeness.  But, I'm relaxing back into my good habits, so too much pressure is a bad thing.

It's good to be back!  I hope I keep it up!