GUSARAPOS

How do you deal with this when you draw outside &/or in a public place?

2011-08-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry my last post cut off, I was gonna say I find it weird to draw from life outside, and have people crowd around to look at what im doing. I m pretty sure its just my insecurity. How do you deal with this when you draw outside &/or in a public place?

Actually, I am a very shy person but I believe in turning my insecurities and inadequacies into motivating factors. Along with my irrational fear of messing up in front of people, comes a shot of adrenaline and some sort of perverse excitement that most often leads me to perform at my best, I'm drawing scared and excited at the same time.

Knowing that at one point or another I will have to draw in front of people, makes me want to learn and practice even more. It's not that I have a lot of confidence, it's just that I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing.

As a young adult living n NYC, I used to love the subways as the best place to draw strangers. I never had a problem in there because New Yorkers don't bother you, they don't care what goes on around them, they mind their own business. If you see someone staring at you while you're drawing, there's a good chance that person is a tourist.

Alberto, I love your works. But as a teenager...

2010-12-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Alberto, I love your works. But as a teenager, I am just not so used to the "F" and "S" words that you put here without any discretion. Do you always expose those words to your loved one too? You did something that question askers here never did.

Well, isn't this interesting?

First of all, if you love my "works" and are offended by my words but not by the sexual nature of the images I draw, there's a serious flaw in your character. I don't believe you are a teenager because a teenager drops more "F Bombs" than most adults I know, any time. Even if you were such a proper and model teenager, you have got a lot of growing up to do; you should not be visiting my pages or reading the answers I provide to the dopey questions I receive.

If you were a smart teenager, you would be able to discern between my responses to idiotic questions, which are given in jest and in an almost "cartoon violence"-like tone and the semi educated answers I give to serious or legitimate questions. Read the different replies to the many different questions and then tell me to my face that I don't show any discretion.

If you ask a stupid question you'll receive and even more stupid answer. If you ask an intelligent question, you might get an intelligent answer or at least an honest answer which can only be as intelligent as my intelligence (or lack of such) can allow.

Secondly: That's the beauty of a free society. You don't have to read all the "F" and "S" words. You are free to change the channel. Stop reading me altogether. What I give to you comes free of charge, unfortunately for you, the naked girls come with the foul mouth. If you don't like it, tell me how much you paid for my content and I'll give you your money back.

Thirdly: I am an artist, as such, words to me are tools and symbols of self expression, no different than lines on paper. I don't think you are an artist, either, your asking this very question proves to me that you are a fake and a fraud You are not who you say you are, you hide behind the dark veil of anonymity, you are a coward and a failure as a parent and as a human being. If you really want to censor what your children read or watch, cancel your cable TV subscription.

I feel your attitude is somewhat hypocritical in that you don't mind the full nudity being displayed at will on my blogs, but rather you focus on my apparent use (or abuse) of the english language. At worst, you are a self-righteous phony and extremely ignorant in the matters of the arts. At best you are a genuinely clueless person with good intentions; I believe in people so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, I'll go with the latter.

Remember this: There is nothing an artist cannot express, no subject is taboo and there are no limits to his/her methods and tools to achieve that self-expression. It is up to you, the viewer, the reader, if you feel offended by the art of others (in this case by the art of written self-expression) to not allow it to corrupt you and offend you, it is YOU who has the self-responsibility and the power to not continue to be a patron of my art and of my written art, in particular.

Notice that no "F" or "S" words were used in this reply, so far.

Btw: I do understand human protocols of behavior and I also know when those formalities do not matter. I do not curse in front of my clients or in front of my young children, even though my children curse like sailors when they're among their peers (not in front of me, though) and seldom in front of my wife. However, in the presence of my brother—whom I love deeply—I sound like a motherfucking truck driver. Go figure!

Anyway, thanks for the question. Now turn off the computer and go to sleep, it's way past your bedtime.

I wonder why you love to draw women?

2010-11-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

What exactly do you find inspiring in them?

A woman —any woman— is the most beautiful thing on this or any other planet. If this fact is not apparent to you, you and I have less in common than you think.

What inspires me is that despite having pretty much the same basic structure, they are vastly different from men.

Even women artists themselves love to draw women, ask them why and they will tell you the same thing. Women are beautiful.

Besides being living, breathing works of art, they are difficult to draw; drawing men is easy, drawing animals and flowers and buildings is even easier. I don't enjoy doing things that are easy, anyone can do that. I love animals and buildings and men but they're a bore to draw, there is no challenge in that whatsoever.

I believe at the very core of my being that if a person is to be called him/herself an artist in the true sense, in the human sense he/she must come to the understanding that only by mastering the human form, in particularly the female form, he/she can become an artist. This is my personal believe, furthermore, I don't give a shit if others think differently; I know they are wrong and deep inside of them they know it also :)

For men, women are complicated to figure out as individuals and they are even more complicated to draw convincingly, that's why most male artists treat women as objects. They don't understand them and that frustrates them, so they draw what they perceive as opposed to how women really are, they think drawing women is all about sex so they draw women how they see them or wish to see them, not what they look like in real life. I'm not saying that women are not sexual, I'm saying that's one small part of what makes a woman, well, a woman. I don't try to understand them, they were not made to be understood so I made it my job in life to try and figure them out artistically. I may never be entirely successful but I like to think I'm onto something.

It's not a sexual thing for sure, I like porn but I hate artistic (erotic) porn. Women are by default sexual beings in ways that men can't match. In the end, things are never that simple, I attempted once to explain my fascination with women but I fell short, let's just say it's complicated.

What do you try to accomplish with each piece you create

2010-11-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Hope this isn't sound weird but when you are creating a work of art. What do you try to accomplish with each piece you create. Do you hope to learn or have you learned something new artistically with every endeavor? (Two questions, I know, my bad!)

All I do is draw poses of naked women, am I consciously trying to accomplish anything? The answer is NO.

I do hope and want to learn but I don't approach it from that end. Mostly, I want to enjoy drawing the form, it really is a lot of fun to draw women in the nude, it makes me warm all over.

I know through previous experiences that the best way for me to learn is to draw really fast, pose after pose, after pose and so forth. I can't quantify the learning. I don't know how much I'm learning or if I'm learning anything at all; all I can feel is a sense of orientation in regards to my position within the the female body as if it were the map of city with landmarks, I don't know what the names of the streets are, I just know I am not lost. Likewise, I don't know the names of all the bones and muscles —just the most prominent ones— but I definitely know where everything is and the shapes they adopt given a particular light source or pose.

I tend to subconsciously choose what I consider challenging poses (at least for me they are) Poses that offer an opportunity to draw the things I have problems with.

For instance: since I have trouble drawing hands I would pick a lot of poses where hands are prominently displayed, not hidden behind the back of the head and such. So I go after them with vigor, sketching mad like it's 1999.

Like I said earlier, I don't know if I'm making immediate progress but with each new drawing I feel more and more comfortable as if I know my way around a city that once felt totally foreign to me.

2010-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

El Meollo Del Asunto
The Core of the Problem
A Simple Solution

I am going to sound like a big asshole to some of you for saying what I'm going to say here but I don't give two shits, I'm going to give you the secret of life right here and right now, you better take notes.

Disclaimer: Now, I am not saying my personal life is great, far from it -—at this point it's a manageable chaos—- or that I'm free of problems because I know The Secret of life; this solution has nothing to do with attaining perfection or the elimination of all your troubles but rather a way to approach life so all this relationship garbage can be managed from a safe vantage point, just so you can enjoy the peace of mind necessary to navigate through this fucked up experience we call life and the assholes in it. Maybe some opportunistic self-help guru already wrote shit like this but I'm giving to you free of charge and based on my own life and personal experiences; we, humans are pretty much alike so if you see yourself portrayed in this note, don't take it personally, THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK ON ANYONE but a general observation.

Many of my friends and relatives find themselves in very similar situations, when I hear and read their stories, I always say things like: "Your case is different", "You have different needs", "Not everyone has the same problem as you" or "Your situation is unique" and I really do mean that; no two problems are ever alike but that's mainly because the people involved in them are different, but the overall issue, the core of the problem is always the same.

The Problem: People are by default mental midgets; they are indeed mentally lazy and lack self responsibility, if you know me some, you have heard me say that a lot. They love to blame others for their own suffering. Nothing is ever their fault. They also love to place their sentimental, artistic and economic health in the care of other people, who in turn are doing exactly the same to them, so now you have two problems!

People get together, get married and have all kinds of relationships, but most often than not, they hand the keys to their own individual happiness to their partners and spouses. They wrongly believe that they need to let others make them happy. They have not developed the tools to make themselves happy, why? because to do that requires real effort and a deep understanding of oneself. Most people don't like themselves and never really got to find out what makes them tick.

WE DON'T KNOW OURSELVES VERY MUCH Years ago someone sent me a list of really good questions for an interview, not the ones in these internet games. At that point, while answering —or rather, attempting to answer them— I realized a lot of things about myself I didn't know, or perhaps I knew but weren't clear. In my attempt at finding honest answers for these guys and not the usual self-congratulatory artist's bullshit like: "I've been drawing since I was 3 months old" and nonsense like that, I began to dig deeper and deeper to expand on my answers and to reinforce the views on myself I've already held as truth and I have to tell you, some of the shit I unearthed was very revealing and not too pleasant to come to grips with. In fact, a bit of it was really ugly and vile, there is a darker side to me I didn't think I had and which I have grown to despise.

If those guys never would have asked those questions I'd probably still be as ignorant about myself as I was before the interview. This is because I would have never asked myself those questions. We don't ask ourselves certain questions, we rarely interview ourselves in an truly inquisitive fashion and when we do, we rarely reply with brutal honesty; we tend to generalize and sugar coat everything because we don't like ourselves very much, not the real self, anyway and we're ashamed to show that to the world. During the course of our relationships, our friends, partners and spouses will eventually find all this and that's when the proverbial shit hits the proverbial fan. We want to present ourselves in the possible light, it makes sense but it doesn't help in figuring out who we truly are. "How could I have married that psycho?" well, now you fucking know.

SELF HEALTH Giving your life to your lover does not mean dumping your shit onto your lover and building unrealistic expectations around him. It means giving of your SELF! The self is at the core of the issue. It is OK to give oneself to others but you are always yourself and you remain yourself forever and with the self comes the responsibility to its well being. You must feed and nurture your SELF and keep it healthy and independent so when you give it, it doesn't overburden the other person and if it's not accepted or if it's given back to you all fucked up and abused, you can nurse it back to health with minimum loss and minimum pain.

The SELF is then at the heart of the dilemma.

I know what some of you are thinking, you're saying: "this is nothing new" Now, if you said that and haven't done anything to improve your condition, then stop reading this because you're a total moron and you deserve to remain miserable for the rest of your life. This is a world-wide disease, most everyone does it. This Facebook shit hole is full of the same story with different players; everyone thinks their story is different, guess what Jack? IT IS NOT!!.

It is the same old boring story and I'm sick of it!!

I'm so sick of it that I'm doing something about it. Easier said than done, right? but doable nonetheless. No one is free of an accident or some random act of violence but this is not what I'm addressing here, that stuff is only a tiny percentage of what occurs to us on a daily basis, I'm only concerned with the stuff you can control. Stop being the victim, that gets old pretty quick.

The Solutions: Take two or three minutes of your time, maybe when you're in the crapper, taking a healthy dump and tell yourself the following:

"I am the captain of my own ship, I am the master of my own destiny, my life belongs to me and as such, I am solely responsible for it and for everything that happens to me".

"My decisions (which are based on my personal needs) dictate the course of action I decide to embark on".

"That being the case, from today on, my needs will change; I will make myself and not others, the center of my emotional, artistic and economic needs"

like I said, people undoubtedly (and mistakenly) lay all of their hopes and dreams in the hands of others, instead of their own hands, it is a very human thing to do but it's also NOT the right thing to do, unless you want to suffer, which I gather, you don't want. The fear of suffering is another stupid human trait and a problem for another time.

Only YOU can make YOU happy. Lots of people say that because it sounds nice, but why is that so fucking hard to understand??!!!

I don't know and I don't care and neither should you. Just fix the fucking problem and move on with your life!

The happiest and most successful couples and partners I know, and I do know some, are the ones who are fiercely independent and individualistic in their pursuit of their own personal goals (and I don't mean selfish or egocentric either)

When people like that get together, they are in concert with each other and they are at peace with themselves because they don't carry the heavy burden of "making somebody happy" and they don't put that burden on their partners either; that doesn't mean they're perfect or that there's no room for error or that they don't love each other as much as irresponsible people do or anything like that, but it does eliminate the disappointment issue, which is the outcome of the core of the problem. There is nothing stopping you from becoming self sufficient and independent. Just YOU!

DO NOT LIE TO YOURSELF The main complaint is disappointment; you married or got into a long term relationship with someone you love deeply and you know they love you back, with two main issues in mind: The unrealistic expectation of having a wonderful, blissful life full of love, sex, happiness and understanding and most of all, the delusional thought of leaving it up to him or to her to make sure your needs are met. BIG MISTAKE!!

When your needs stop being met you can't understand why. Why? people ask, 'Why? Why?" "if all I did was to love him/her", "I put all my trust in him/her! and he/she let me down" "I gave him the best years of my life"

I never hear: "Shit, I shouldn't have overwhelmed this man/woman and expect him to make me happy, that's my responsibility" or:
"I didn't meet his/her crazy expectations and I just couldn't make him/her happy all the time, I was too busy placing the weight on him/her to realize my mistake"

Same goes for business, friendship and everything else. YOU put your life, your livelihood and the key to your personal happiness in the hands of another person and later you complain. To the same person! That's real dumb! Accept responsibility and you'll begin to see things differently.

"He betrayed me, he destroyed me, I was devastated!" No, fool! you did it to yourself! Where is your responsibility in all of this?

I said to a dear friend who loves me very much: "Don't come too close, I don't want you to get hurt" She said: "You can only hurt me if I let you", I love that!

NO ONE CAN HURT YOU unless YOU let them, YOU also are in this, do not give up the responsibility to your actions just because you are in love.

DO NOT put yourself in a position where you can get hurt, because undoubtedly, YOU WILL! and if you love so much that you must remain at peril, perhaps because the payoff is so handsome (I can definitely understand that, been there myself many times) just don't act surprised if your heart gets broken, as simple as that!

DO NOT say to anyone: "I'm going to give it to you but you have to promise me you won't hurt me, because that would break me in two" Man up and take it, enjoy the madness and deal with the consequences later or leave it and face being alone but for the love of god, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

DO NOT say to anyone: "I trust you would do what's right" Make sure you do what's right for YOU, not what's right for HIM or HER.

DO NOT stay in an abusive relationship and don't rationalize fucked up behavior: "He can change, he says he doesn't want to lose me" or "That's the way he loves me"

DON'T DO THINGS FOR OTHERS, DO THEM FOR YOURSELF Relax, Chief! let me explain. It's great to share but you should also enjoy or take pleasure in doing it, perhaps the pleasure you take is the knowledge these things you do, can help, heal or make others happy. Mainly you should do them because YOU WANT TO.

Understand wholeheartedly that neither Life nor Love nor Happiness are guaranteed to anyone; The constitution unequivocally states that Man is guaranteed The Pursuit of Happiness, not Happiness itself! That's there for a reason.

People fall in and out of love all the time, there's not much you can do about that. Trust yourself to take care of the SELF to achieve personal satisfaction and peace of mind by developing your talents and pursuing personal excellence; these things are very rewarding to the self and in turn, they bring with them the confidence and strength you need to deal with the rest of the shit, and that in turn, reflects upon you as an individual and impresses those people that are worth being friends with or falling in love with; those who will respect you and admire you, and even love you.

DO NOT be afraid of being alone. Learn to enjoy solitude. Fuck whoever said being a loner is sad or depressing, being alone can be productive and wonderful. Fuck anyone who says: you need the company of people all the time in order to become a healthy and productive member of society! BULLSHIT! It's great to know and to love people but YOU are most important to yourself and if you're not, then, you're an idiot and you better change and soon.

DO NOT FALL PREY TO SEXUAL BLACKMAIL AND EXTORSION Everybody wants to fuck and everybody needs to eat, but as a wise man put it a while ago, fucking is not indispensable to our survival; fucking is no longer even vital for procreation purposes, you can go without having sex for as long as you want and you won't die but you cannot go without food or without taking a dump for very long. You don't even need two people to have sex in order to enjoy it fully, a partner would be nice but in the absence of one, god gave you two hands and something called imagination, use them, don't be a lazy fuck.

Sure it's OK to be alone. It's certainly better than to spend your life with an imbecile and to give him/her full control over your SELF, unless that imbecile is you, in which case I stand corrected. But you can change that if you want, it is up to you, as with everything else.

Love yourself.

Cheers!
—A

You always knew you would be an illustrator?

2010-08-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have always known I wanted to express myself in an artistic sort of way, regardless of the medium or discipline.

I'm no more an illustrator than a graphic designer or a sculptor or a book publisher or a person who likes to write poetry. When I'm putting a book together I feel the same joy as if I was drawing or sculpting or writing poetry. I don't claim to be good at any one particular thing, I might be better at one over the other but I do enjoy them all the same so they are the same to me.

I don't call myself an illustrator because that's not what I do for a living, I have done a couple of illustrations here and there, but not enough to deserve that title. An illustrator generally brings to life other people's ideas or writings, I'm not interested in illustrating other people's ideas, just my own.

I say I'm a person who loves to draw, mainly because that's true and that's what I do the most but if I couldn't draw, it wouldn't matter much, I'm sure I'd be doing something else, something art-related, though.

Scratching The Surface

2010-06-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Q: Any small tips you think are helpful to know in figure drawing? Like noticing the difference between the male and female torso, consistent curves etc?

Yeah, I have a tip. Not a technical one, mind you (although in essence it is quite technical)

Tips To Get Better at Scratching The Surface.
by Alberto Ruiz

During the hottest summer month of the year, draw 17 hours a day non-stop for 7 straight days and then go out to a busy corner of the city, if you live in a small town, go to the nearest mall and observe real women for 4 or 5 hours.

Now go back to review the drawings you've just made and come to the sad realization that you don't know squat and that your life is so insignificant against what god and nature had created; understand that you will never be able to capture the female form at its glorious best and accept with sincere humility the fact that you are only a meager tool, a clumsy instrument of the universe; a tool being manipulated by forces bigger than you and as such, all you can ever hope to accomplish is to scratch the surface. Realize wholeheartedly that only by drawing ferociously fast for ungodly amounts of hours a day you can make any progress at all and that progress is the closest you will get to greatness.

Anything I can possibly say to you has already been said and written by better men than I could ever hope to become. The information is out there, I believe it's useless, silly and downright arrogant for me to even attempt to come up with 'new' tips on how to get better at depicting the human form. There's nothing you can't find in anatomy books regarding figure drawing, NOTHING; no one has the secret pill or the magic bullet or that photoshop filter which can make your drawings shine like the morning sun. In the end, the responsibility for achieving some level of success in educating yourself in this or any other artistic subject rests entirely upon you, yourself, upon your ability (or lack of such) to observe life with an bias, discerning and critical eye and in your discipline (or lack of such) for consistently applying what you discover in the form of practicing until your arm falls off.

Anyone can teach you how to draw, no one but yourself can teach you how to see. Stop asking for tips, start having a life and observing life, I mean OBSERVING as in PERCEIVING, CAREFULLY ANALYZING AND REGISTERING, not just looking and drooling at it like a fool, so that you can make those discoveries and find those 'tips' you are so desperately looking for, on your own, which in turn can give you the necessary confidence to move forward. Get spiritually groomed, get mentally fit, acquire some good taste and good manners so you can attract the opposite sex, listen to and make love to a real woman and find out what that experience is really like, what flesh and bones (other than your own) truly feel like not just on the surface, don't just have sex with her, make love to her, watch her sleep, cook her a meal and once you've done all that, pick up a pencil and draw.

Sincerely,
Alberto Ruiz

© 2010 Alberto Ruiz all rights reserved

Thought of The Day Jan 28, 2010

2010-01-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

Five-Step-Solution for those who find it intimidating to fill a 100-page sketchbook:

Step 5- If after following steps 1 through 4 you don't succeed at keeping a visual journal, it's not the end of the world but it does speak loudly of your (lack of) commitment to the craft.

Sketch compulsively and observe keenly if you wish to capture the figure with authority, anything less is a waste of your gift.

Thought of The Day Jan 27, 2010

2010-01-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

Five-Step-Solution for those who find it intimidating to fill a 100-page sketchbook:

Step 4- If you're just starting to draw the figure this may be your first sketchbook. It would be wise to NOT show it to working professionals at conventions.

I understand you want feedback, the thing is most professional comic book artists HATE looking at beginner's work and they're not honest.

A nasty or disingenuous reply from your hero can crush your dreams and your spirit.

Thought of The Day Jan 26, 2010

2010-01-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

Five-Step-Solution for those who find it intimidating to fill a 100-page sketchbook:

Step 3- Sketches are NOT finished illustrations; there's more pressure to perform if you're convinced each drawing must be a masterpiece.

Jot downs ideas as well as quick live gestures. The main goal is to gain confidence and discipline but don't forget, you're not drawing for the mere sake of filling pages. Have fun!

Thought of The Day Jan 25, 2010

2010-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

Five-Step-Solution for those who find it intimidating to fill a 100-page sketchbook:

Step 2- Go to the last page of the blank spiral sketchbook and open it wide. Pry the wire loops open carefully, one at a time.

Remove 80 sheets and close the gaps. Now you only have 20 sheets to draw in and the book is not so intimidating.

Once you fill those, add another 10 or 20 sheets until your fear is gone forever!

F.U. True story: (no donkeys this time)

Throughout my adolescence, friends and family members who knew I liked to draw, gave me all kinds of sketchbooks as gifts.

Generally, I couldn't wait to break them in but inevitably I ended up drawing in just a few pages and putting them away. So I have all these sketchbooks with one or two drawings and not much else.

Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of anatomy, fear of ruining the book. Fear is a powerful thing. Remember: "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to ugly drawings"

Back then I used to envy those compulsive sketchers. Me? I used to draw once a week and sometimes (when I got funky) I wouldn't pick up a pencil in months, so I know how that feels. Fear can paralyze you unless you take action and beat it.

Once I destroyed my fear of failure, the sky was the limit. I fear nothing and no one now, not even myself :)

Thought of The Day Jan 24, 2010

2010-01-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

Five-Step-Solution for those who find it intimidating to fill a 100-page sketchbook:

Step 1-Buy a cheap spiral bound, all-media sketchbook. Stay away from fancy books such as moleskins or leather bound books. If the sketchbook is luxurious or expensive, you'll be even more reluctant to draw in it and—god forbid— ruin its pristine pages.

Leave the moleskins to professionals (and to the trendy fools)

Thought of The Day Jan 23, 2010

2010-01-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

Today's Thought of the Day is being brought to you by the letter "H"

Thought of The Day Jan 22, 2010

2010-01-22T08:10:00.000-08:00

Pornography is Erotic Art without the pretense.

When my mother in law saw my books for the first time, she said: "Oh, I didn't know Alberto drew pornography!" my sister in law 'corrected' her: "No, it's not Pornography, it's Erotica"

Personally, I don't know which one is worst. Ever since that day I quit explaining to people what I do, whenever I'm asked I just say "I Draw Naked Women"

Thought of The Day Jan 21, 2010

2010-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

Most artists draw tiny comprehensive sketches (thumbnails) before they draw a final. This is so helpful in so many ways, I highly recommend it.

But for those students who want to simplify the form I suggest doing thumbnails AFTER the final. Trust me, you'll learn lots from deconstructing your own drawing.

I Often end up scrapping the final and keeping the thumb.

F.U. Usually a 'finished' piece is a dead piece, this is why Anthony Ryder and people like him do more harm than good to students of the form. So by re-drawing it the size of a thumbnail you'll get some of that energy back and a totally different drawing will emerge.

Thought of The Day Jan 20, 2009

2010-01-20T03:07:00.000-08:00

Motivation works in mysterious ways. Mr. Tandazo, my life drawing teacher, whom I adored, back in the 10th grade told me: "You're all over the place, you lack discipline, you'll never become a successful artist" He was right, of course, but I hated him for saying it and vowed to one day prove him wrong.

I was so hurt that it never dawn on me (until fairly recently, anyway) that this was precisely what he wanted me to do.

Thought of The Day Jan 19, 2009

2010-01-19T00:32:00.000-08:00

Never leave for tomorrow what you can do in about a month.

Thought of The Day Jan 18, 2010

2010-01-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Line drawing is the most important, hence the most difficult to master of all the disciplines in figurative art.

Most painters and sculptors are lousy at drawing. I guess they feel as if drawing is just a step towards the end result (which is true but it doesn't need to be)

It's a shame because if they'd learn how to draw, their work could gain greater insight and even more depth.

When I paint I solve complex foreshortening issues with specks of certain colors, in drawing I can't hide my ignorance behind cheap tricks.

Thought of The Day Jan 16, 2010

2010-01-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Back when I started drawing women I wished for long flowing lines to match the ideas in my head.

I found that the vellum paper finish (tracing, onion paper) against the wax of the Col-erase pencil made my lines smoother with minimum smudging. The strokes seemed to flow with almost effortlessly. I stopped using vellum but I do believe it helped a lot.

If you're looking to achieve more fluid and cleaner lines, give tracing paper a try.

F.U. After you have done the preliminary sketch, lay another sheet of vellum on top and go over it with the pencil as if you were inking it. Only this time you draw faster and without fear, using longer (and less) strokes. I used to do this several times until the drawing became sharper and streamlined.

By the third or fourth re-draw, you will clearly see the difference between the first and last sketches.

For really long lines, do what architects and industrial designers do when they project, put a dot on each end and draw the line in one take from dot to dot.

The idea is to gain confidence in your stroke, not much different than playing baseball or throwing a football around, the more confidence the more chances you'll take.

By drawing on top of your own sketch you won't be ruining the original so you can be as bold as you can be.

Thought of The Day Jan 13, 2010

2010-01-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

There are two lines of work in the USA, which (in order to operate) don't require a state issued license.

Two industries where prices aren't regulated or determined by the market but rather set arbitrarily by the parties involved. Both businesses are so remarkably similar in nature that at times it's hard to tell one from the other.

The first profession is Art, the second one is called Prostitution.

Comment by Mary Apikos: But both are mediated by dealers and trafficers/pimps. Both involve people in power relationships in which one person usually gets fucked.

Thought of The Day Jan 12, 2010

2010-01-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

A Proposal/Estimate is the most important form a freelancer must put together.

You should be able to specify your terms to avoid needless pain. If the client hands you a contract, you have the right to amend it if you consider it unfavorable to you.

If you accept unfair terms because you need the money, at least make sure to add the following line:

"I hereby reserve the right to tell you to Go Fuck Yourself"

Thought of The Day Jan 11, 2010

2010-01-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

I had a most interesting night, I rode my bike over the 59th Street bridge into Manhattan to meet Wade and Angela, on the coldest fuckin' day ever.

I made it back home barely alive but I won't be able to have children ever again. Turned on the tv and caught Woody Allen saying: "You're always trying to get things to come out perfect in art because it's real difficult in life" Good point, Good night.

Thought of The Day Jan 9, 2010

2010-01-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Most figure drawing students feel the need to hang on to every single piece of badly drawn art they ever made.

Bad drawings are a contagious ill. They're garbage and they should be treated as such.

There's nothing to learn from keeping a poor effort around. It breeds more bad art, despair and low self esteem. Bury theem or trash them NOW!

Measure your progress against your best past drawings.

Thought of The Day Jan 8, 2010

2010-01-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

When I went to bed this morning, I dreamt I was staring directly into the bottom of a cliff. I was thinking about 'The Thought of Day' and peeing straight down. I would hold it for a few seconds and then I'd let it flow, and then I'd hold it again just to admire the bright yellow streams as they slowly evaporated in mid air. It was beautiful!

And then I woke up in a pool of water.

Thought of The Day Jan 7, 2010

2010-01-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

As artists, how do we avoid objectifying women?

First, you must arrive at the understanding that women aren't objects but subjects.

The line might be thin but is also strong. If —as it has been said— Art mirrors the artist and not his/her subject, then you must respect the subject because the subject is in essence, YOU. If you don't value and respect yourself, you'll never respect your subject

F.U. We can stop an uninformed viewer from perceiving what we do as artists as objectifying women. I did say 'it's a thin line'.

It has little to do with execution and everything to do with honest intent and purpose.

People (read the viewer) do what they do and they want what they want. If your intention is to exploit and utilize women, or men or children or whatever, rather than to honor your artistic bend and integrity, unless it's painfully apparent, it's up to you to recognize and come to terms with.

If you do it in ignorance, then learn, educate yourself. Study the subject and most importantly study yourself, try and see things from a woman's perspective.

Thought of The Day Jan 6, 2010

2010-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

.

Facebook Picture Tagging is a wonderful thing . . .

. . . . IF THE MOTHERFUCKIN' PERSON YOU ARE FUCKIN' TAGGIN' IS ACTUALLY IN THE MOTHERFUCKIN' PICTURE!!!

Thought of The Day Jan 5, 2010

2010-01-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

Distilling the figure into a few well-placed lines explaining space, likeness and weight is like driving an 18 wheeler through a drinking straw.

It's a well known secret that the secret to solving this dilemma lies in a combination of speed, volume and patience. Fans of instant gratification need not apply.

(Wow! The first TOTD that's not patronizing, mean-spirited or morbidly sarcastic)

Thought of The Day Jan 4, 2010

2010-01-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Dream of getting into comics but hate anatomy or you just find it takes too long to learn?

Draw zombies. That's right!! Dead people (as well as robots) are easy to draw.

There's no wrong way to draw them. All comic professionals who can't get it together, draw zombie (or robot) books and the fans LOVE them!

Best of all, no one will ever suspect you're lazy and a big failure at drawing live humans.

Thought of The Day Jan 3, 2010

2010-01-03T02:43:00.000-08:00

Not to get mushy but this I thought while I was drawing something I won't show anyone: At this moment, someone is loving a person who will never love him back, a soldier is killing someone he has never met, a poet is writing a poem no one will ever read and so forth. I wonder how many people could be thinking this very thought at this very same time, even though I'm sure I'll never know the answer.

Thought of The Day Jan 2, 2010

2010-01-02T23:29:00.000-08:00

.

Lines are as imperfect as the artists who draw them. But if they're lucky, they can grow up to become as sublime as the women who inspire them.

Because all women are sublime and all lines are jealous.

Thought of The Day Dec 31, 2009

2009-12-31T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last Thought of 2009:

I really don't know what 2010 will bring, I have a few ideas but not 100% sure, which I find terribly exciting.

The best thing about being a well-respected sociopath is what I call: "the expected uncertainty". So true to my contradicting self, instead of a Happy New Year, I wish you the same things I wish for myself:

A year full of happy accidents, obvious discoveries and art related epiphanies.

Thought of The Day Dec 30, 2009

2009-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

Add these to your list of New Year resolutions, no need to thank me:

I'll stop being a worshipper and a fan and I'll become my own man (or woman).
I'll fill up at least two 80-page sketchbooks this year.
I won't lie to myself.
I won't think in terms of style or confuse style with technique.
I'll attempt to solve my design problems instead, through keen observation and practice.

Thought of The Day Dec 29, 2009

2009-12-29T23:02:00.000-08:00

If you are currently over 18 years of age and really have no talent for figure drawing, it's OK.

Don't feel bad. There is a lot of ugliness in this world already. Besides, you could save a few trees if you stop now.

If all you want to do is express yourself, write a long e-mail to yourself explaining why it is so important for you to keep on lying to yourself, but don't send it.

Thought of The Day Dec 23/24, 2009

2009-12-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

As my profile says, I think religion sucks but I do believe in Love and I believe in the power of Art to foster true friendship and unity.

Of course, I'd prefer if people would love each other all year round rather than to wait until the end of the year but I take whatever I can get.

I won't be here tomorrow so I'll say it now: Much Love & Art to all of you, regardless of your faith!

Thought of The Day Dec 22, 2009

2009-12-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

I was surprised (but not shocked) to learn that most working artists in the US don't keep a sketchbook.

I admit that as passionate as I'd like to think I am about drawing, I never made it into a habit. I've always bought them hoping to fill them up each time but never really did, until 9 years ago. This I regret to no end, so in 2010, I wish you all a sketchbook full of lovely doodles.

Thought of The Day Dec 20, 2009

2009-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Being negative and pretending you hate everything you draw gets old pretty quick. If you really hate what you draw so much, try knitting sweaters instead (or learn how to draw).

F.U. Being self-critical is great!! That is what I have been advocating all along. I am not talking about painting, painters have a whole lot of other issues to deal with. Before I start to paint I want to learn how to draw.

When you are learning to draw, It is imperative that you observe and practice. when this is done conscientiously, progress is inevitable.

In my personal opinion, If an artist can not find anything in this process to enjoy or to like, if new forms of expression, however minor, are not encountered, if there are no 'eureka!' moments at all; then the whole exercise is fruitless and useless. Go drive a truck.

If someone (other than you) after seeing one of your drawings, says to you: "It sucks, I hate it!" you might reply: "Hey, man, wait a second! be more specific, what is it that you dislike?, what is it that you hate?, you just can't generalize like that"

You might even be offended by the comment. Unless, of course, you knew all along that what you presented was a piece of shit, in which case why bother?

Likewise, you wouldn't say this to yourself. That's how you become a better artist, you may not like it, you don't have to like everything you do but you simply cannot hate everything you do.

Ask yourself questions about it, find what is wrong and fix it. There might be things about it that you don't like and such but if you really hate everything, end it all, there is no use.

There is nothing wrong in drawing something you will eventually hate, that's actually a good thing because it may mean that you are moving beyond that particular piece, that you are better now than you were then. Perhaps you felt if was great, OK or just sufficient at that point in time but now you have grown.

You can not continue to beat yourself over your own progress or lack of it. That is not constructive if it's really the way you feel about it and if you are lying to yourself, it's even worse.

If you can't avoid being negative or you can't find anything positive about what you do then what is the point in continuing? I may be wrong but to me it says you either need professional help or Drawing may not be your thing.

I always generalize for effect, otherwise 'The Thought of the Day' wouldn't fit on the bumper sticker but I'm sure you guys know what I mean.

Thought of The Day Dec 19, 2009

2009-12-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Art School did not end just because you graduated; now it gets tougher than ever because you only have one teacher left: yourself!

Thought of The Day Dec 17, 2009

2009-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

This was posted in response to a fellow artist asking for advice.

"I want to have my own style. And I'm not quite sure how to develop that. I wonder if I should copy the greats for a while? Or if I should start all of my drawings with a grid for now?

Do you ever use a grid to start a drawing? I'm sure you've tried it ... but, what I'm wondering is: Will using a grid keep me from naturally distorting things? I like drawings that show a love for the medium, have a sense of realism but also have a bit of playfullness in them too.

So, grids or no grids?

Copying the greats? Frazetta, Kirby, You?

lastly

"Drawing from the right side of the brain" and its exercises ... drawing stuff upside down and what not ... what do you think of that book?"

I haven't seen any of your drawings so I don't know whether you need to develop your own style or if you need to learn how to draw from scratch, I mean, basic drawing, anatomy and such.

Searching for a style without at least understanding the fundamentals of how to draw the human figure makes absolutely no sense to me.

Since I don't know, I will attempt to answer your questions assuming you have a basic understanding of the female form:

First some sermonizing: In my opinion, style is a natural byproduct of years of relentless practice, observation and problem solving, it is a set of personal responses (solutions) to the many challenges an individual artist confronts while attempting to depict his/her subject and his/her individual needs. Style is by definition something unique to the individual. Copying someone else's "style" without first developing your own ways to solve designs problems, via your own personal experiences, careful observation and obsessive practice, is a counterproductive measure.

What I'm saying to you is not new, people way more qualified than yours truly have said and wrote pretty much the same stuff for as long as I can remember, it's common sense to me. Nothing qualifies me as a teacher so I will tell you this as a fellow student.

I don't advice anyone to copy other artists in order to develop their own style, maybe you can do that for fun if you are a child but for a grown man such as yourself, copying from comic books is a useless exercise. I am not a moralist so this is not an issue of theft or dishonesty. Copying from other artists just doesn't work as a learning tool when you're 41 years old.

Whenever you copy others you are only furthering their cause, not yours. If you, for instance, are successful at faithfully copying the way Frazetta draws, your drawings will inevitably look like Frazetta's, which may seem fine by you since he is such a great artist but people will see only Frazetta in your drawings, they won't see you and more importantly YOU will not see you.

You would, in fact, be perpetuating Frazetta's legacy, not your own. If you don't have a problem with that, perhaps you and I have less in common than you think.

To be influenced by others is not an excuse to become a clone, all clones are losers, they hide behind the word "influence" as if it's something to be proud of, when in fact, it's quite the contrary.

Another huge issue with mimicking someone else's style is that whatever flaws the original artist has, which are read as intrinsic parts of his/her unique character, are in a sense, camouflaged by his/her 'style'.

In your case, however, you would be copying his/her mistakes and flaws as well as his/her idiosyncrasies, without having arrived at them through the natural process of personal exploration and discovery. By doing this you will be amplifying his/her mistakes, which would then become more blatant, so that what may seem whimsical or cute in his/her drawings, in yours may be perceived as awkward, contrived and even grotesque.

This is true in any artistic endeavor, music, acting and such. If you are not serious about learning to draw, then discard all I said here and go have fun copying at will. Just don't ask me for advice again. There are some how-to books by Christopher Hart that can serve you better.

I say this with nothing but fondness and good will towards you.

Instead of copying someone else's style you should find artists who are great at drawing (interpreting) aspects of the figure which you have trouble depicting.

Let's say you have trouble drawing hands, then observe and study how other artists draw them by copying just their hands in an effort to understand how they are put together. You could do the same with other elements (body parts) such as feet and hair.

The best artists have already spent ungodly amounts of time, talent and brain power studying and decoding the human figure, their shapes and lines are streamlined and the complicated things are stripped to the bare essentials, that's why the best artists need just a few lines to explain complex objects, If you must, copy these elements, again, not to pass as your own art but to help you learn how to solve this issues in your own drawings.

On your own you should do lots of life drawing and plenty of keen observation. For example, pay attention at how women differ from men, even though we basically have the same skeleton and muscle structure; find the differences and exaggerate them. For instance, women have shorter torsos, which gives the appearance as if their legs are arms are longer and more slender, so make their torsos shorter and the extremities longer and thinner. Hips are wider so make them even wider, shoulders are narrower and so on and so forth. It's not rocket science but it takes lots of observation and practice to get these things right.

Observe how fatty tissue defines a woman. For instance, If you want to make a woman look younger, give her a rounder face, bigger eyes and a big head. Observe how women move about, how they stand, how they talk and what makes them so uniquely female. A woman accumulates more fatty tissue than a man in certain areas, like the back of the knees, the back of the arms (and other less obvious places) and slightly accentuate them. Women themselves do not appreciate this extra fat but you must live by it.

Once you have learnt these differences, visualize and identify them on every woman you want to draw and amplify them, rather than just copying what you have in front of you, whether live or photo reference.

Get familiar with your subject matter. If you have a wife or a girlfriend, treat her kindly, make her your goddess and your muse. Whenever you get a chance, run your fingers softly all over her fatty tissue and her extruding bones (and everything else) as if you were sculpting and molding the finest of clays so that when you draw her, your mind can make that emotional connection. If you don't know what a real woman feels like and smells like, there's no way you could ever learn to draw an imaginary one, convincingly and with confidence.

Now regarding the use of a grid— I don't see the point of a grid, unless you are transferring or scaling a drawing.

"Drawing from the right side of the brain" is for people who are not serious about drawing. This book is perfect for children with ADD, weekend hobbyists and ladies who live alone with at least 6 cats.

I'm going to post this reply on my blog, because I get these same questions all the time. Hopefully this will save me from typing this again :).

Have yourself a wonderful holiday season!

Cheers,
—Alberto

Thought of The Day Dec 15, 2009

2009-12-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you non-artists who love comics and have no talent whatsoever but still want to learn how to draw like professional comic book artists. Let me suggest the Christopher Hart line of 'how-to' books available at any Barnes & Noble These are the instructional art books most comic pros use, (that's why they all draw alike). No talent, no problem, let Chris Hart guide your hand and caress your brain.

Thought of The Day Dec 14, 2009

2009-12-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

As you all know, I no longer work for a living, my investments in Exxon/Mobil have paid off —rather handsomely I might add— but when I freelanced as a graphic designer, I was horrible at pricing my work. I used to wear all black to the negotiations, I got that bit of advice from Jay Vigon; he felt wearing black would give him an edge. Try it, it may be all psychological but it works.

Thought of The Day Dec 13, 2009

2009-12-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

Today I had a burst of crazy thoughts, at least seven in a row!

Normally I only think of one thing and one thing only, which I won't mention here because there are children present. I should call this segment 'Thoughts of the Day', really.
Anyways, it occurred to me a way to export my revolution to South America. I'm working on the details.

More on that later.

Thought of The Day Dec 11, 2009

2009-12-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

What is love?
I don't know and I don't care
but you're going to tell me anyway.

Thought of The Day Dec 9, 2009

2009-12-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

A distinctive style in drawing is nothing more than a collection of comfortable fixes, lazy shortcuts and ignorance driven mannerisms. All of which develop when we're too busy to be searching for a distinctive style.

Thought of The Day Dec 8, 2009

2009-12-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

When drawing the female figure from photographs REMEMBER: You draw with your mind, not with your penis. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed by the apparent sexuality of a pose, pick full-body poses. It's OK if the vagina opening is not visible. Make sure appendages are not hidden and that there's plenty of negative space.

This advice is just for men, women artists are good at picking poses to draw.

Thought of The Day Dec 7, 2009

2009-12-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

Drawing the human figure is backwards engineering of the most sublime kind. Which means deconstructing and interpreting things creatively or how I like to say: "improving" on nature, not copying what you see verbatim.

Life drawing affords you the unique opportunity to become a problem solver, something that can be of great help If your life is a big mess. I should know.

Thought of The Day Dec 6, 2009

2009-12-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

Some believe we should find out where our strengths lie; I say that's easy to do. I propose you also find out what your deficiencies are and work around them. Why not just conquer them? Because if you 'simply' overcome them you will never become resourceful and a resourceful person is worth ten determined people.

Thought of The Day Dec 5, 2009

2009-12-05T18:57:00.000-08:00

I solved the mystery of life again, earlier today. All of the sudden it all became crystal clear. My wife was cooking with her back towards me, "The Jeffersons" was playing on cable (channel 90 here in NY), but all I could hear was the fridge humming. She had no clue I'd been watching her nonstop for a good 20 minutes or so. The second she turned around, it hit me like a runaway freight train.

Thought of The Day Dec 4, 2009

2009-12-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

With some drawings, I can feel the purpose, the will and the intention of the creator. I can sometimes visualize the electricity bolting through the pencil lines, touching me and curing me of whatever ails me at the moment. No different than when I envision the healing elements in my own blood being pumped at dumbfounding speeds.

Thought of The Day Dec 3, 2009

2009-12-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

To enjoy drawing something you like can be difficult when you know you're getting paid for it. If you truly want to take pleasure in it, don't take the money... Or, take the money and redraw it later while enjoying the tasty meal you bought with the money you just got paid.

Thought of The Day Dec 2, 2009

2009-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Fuck all self-proclaimed fans and the hobbling goats they rode in on.

Thought of The Day Dec 1 2009

2009-12-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

People are fans, artists are admirers.

F.U. Well, look around you, this place is full of fans, I truly like what I wrote because is the most intelligent thought I have ever had (and the Lord knows I don't have many intelligent thoughts, my balls usually do the thinking for me, as it should be due to the nature of what I love doing) The crickets have spoken, just a few people "like" that post for a good reason. This place is nothing but a gathering of fans of some sort or another. You do understand the meaning of the word 'surrender'?

The minute you declare yourself "a fan" of a fellow artist, regardless of his/her relevance or stature, you surrender your dignity and free will. There's nothing wrong with admiring someone or something someone creates or does but being a "fan" is artistic suicide.

Fans are drones, fans follow blindly, fans do not question, do not reason; fans, in their true form, can not muster the courage to challenge (intellectually or otherwise) the object of their devotion. To become a fan is to grow into the opposite of what an artist should aspire to become. I don't have an issue with people being fans, people are dumb and their nature is to follow like sheep. Art is something else altogether.

Fuck all self-professed fans and the goat they rode in on.

You are a true artist, you're no fan!

Thought of The Day Nov 30, 2009

2009-11-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

The War of Art: Your revolutionary war is fought on paper or on canvas and won or lost inside your head. Your intentions must be sharper than your pencils and your end, truer than your means. You owe nothing to anybody and everything to no one but yourself. No excuses, no apologies and no regrets. Just get it done!.

Thought of The Day Nov 29, 2009

2009-11-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

My momma always said: "Life was like a box of chocolates, which someone else had riffled through before you"

Thought of The Day Nov 28, 2009

2009-11-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

When you don't have to listen to a sorry-ass art director babble incoherently about some stupid cartoon character's peculiar likes and dislikes as if he's talking about a real person, Mondays seem like Fridays, Tuesdays smell like Sundays while Wednesdays & Thursdays have the look and feel of Saturdays.

Thought of The Day Nov 27, 2009

2009-11-27T18:31:00.000-08:00

To me, life is nothing but the gigantic, unfinished drawing of a woman. If I were a butcher, life would be a giant cow. And so on and so forth.

Thought of The Day Nov 26, 2009

2009-11-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

If you don't feel like drawing for a day or two,
don't be alarmed, you might be tired.
if this extends beyond a week,
peruse a book or go outside and get yourself inspired.
But If you can't even sketch a single page for more than a full year
Just say goodbye, turn on the gas and go to sleep, my dear.
There'll be no pain, nothing to draw and nothing left to fear

Thought of The Day Nov 25, 2009

2009-11-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

Art is a miserable profession but a wonderful occupation.

Bonus Thought of The Day Nov 24, 2009

2009-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thought of the day Nov 24, 2009: If you think drawing hands is hard, try licking your own balls.

Thought of The Day Nov 24, 2009

2009-11-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

Believing in yourself blindly is sports cliché BS. Neither determination alone, nor talent alone, nor skill alone nor a combination of all these will make your drawings sing and dance. You'll need all 3 plus the awareness to spot mediocrity in your own work, the conviction to eliminate it through careful observation and relentless practice and the presence of mind to disregard praise.

F.U. blank has a unique perspective as well, he says he hates his own work until people tell him otherwise and you think everything you do is crap and no amount of praise will convince you otherwise.

I, on the other hand, LOVE a lot of what i come up with, because a lot of the stuff I do is inspired by the object of my affection and when I draw it I am in a trance. I love drawing and sculpting women way more than the drawings themselves and whether people like or hate what I do makes absolutely no difference to me.

Most often than not, if the work is full of ideas (regardless of the theme or concept) I end up liking it a lot. It could be a quick sketch full of energy and crazy connections, loops and elements left out on purpose to let the viewer fill in the voids.

The work doesn't have to be extremely detailed or laboriously crafted, by ideas I mean original ways to depict something: how an arm connects with an elbow, the graphic representation or shorthand one uses to illustrate a complex form, an apparently outlandish curve driven to its logical conclusion, strange shapes that explain familiar elements, things not normally associated to certain elements, which at first sight may seem ridiculous but upon further inspection make perfect sense. Drawings that make you feel funny inside, drawings that can be stared at for long periods of time.

I really don't care if I created it or someone else created it, or the reason why it was created or any other information.

Once the drawing or sculpt is done, I sit there contemplating it in awe as if I'm staring at something I've never seen before, from someone I have never met. Because I have no recollection of how it was done.

No amount of praise will make me like something I dislike, I believe the difference lies in that I don't draw for people or with people's expectations in mind. I really appreciate praise when it's given honestly, independently of whether i like or dislike the piece. I believe good things must be celebrated so I don't have a problem with praise, i just don't live and die by it. I am my worst critic and my biggest fan.

People are dumb and people like dumb things that they can identify themselves with and mirror themselves in. We, artists may or may not be qualified to judge other people's work I personally am not interested in judging anybody's work, I just know what I like and what moves me, if the work does not move me because it lacks in ideas or the execution of said ideas is poor, that's the end of that.

Thought of The Day Nov 23, 2009

2009-11-23T17:37:00.000-08:00

Symmetry has no place in figure drawing. My right ball is bigger and hangs lower than my left one so they won't bang into each other.

Thought of The Day Nov 22, 2009

2009-11-22T16:53:00.000-08:00

THE THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Lately I've seen a few artists turned into motivational speakers. My first reaction was: "Big steaming pile o'shit!" but then I thought: "What could be better than corrupting innocent and susceptible young minds with psycho babble disguised as sound wisdom?"
The answer is sex, but I digress. So I started a new series of inspirational and motivational tweets entitled: "Thought of the day". Collect them all (or not):

NOTE: These are my 'Thoughts of the Day' originally posted on my Facebook page. I'm reposting them here for archival purposes as per the request of my dear friend Alvin, who does not have a Facebook account and most likely never will.

DISCLAIMER: These are general observations and actual random thoughts or dreams, usually made in a playful or sarcastic tone, aimed almost exclusively at fellow artists in training and art students. I'm sick and tired of people posting quotes from celebrities, dead or alive. These are my own thoughts and my interpretations or stuff I've heard others say. My own experiences as flawed and crazy as they may seem to you.

If you see yourself being portrayed or addressed in one form or another, don't be too concerned, I'm not speaking to you directly, I don't even know you.

Any similarity with any person or persons alive or dead is purely intentional.

These 'thoughts' are 240 characters in length, sometimes less. Some of the follow-ups may be longer. I am aware most issues, solutions or sound advice cannot be compressed into such a tight space, but that's what you get. This is offered free of charge so don't email me with complaints, although I welcome your comments I will not tolerate trolls or non-artists.

The main idea for this exercise is to make young artists and students aware of the many pitfalls in this so called 'Business of Art' and the many assholes who run it.

Cheers!

—Alberto

2006-01-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

Chapters From "El Dibujo De Historietas"

2006-01-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

Learn to Draw The Right Way
Andrew Loomis' Successful Drawings

2006-01-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Oscar Wilde's de Profundis

"The Philistine element in life is not the failure to understand art. Charming people, such as fishermen, shepherds, ploughboys, peasants and the like, know nothing about art, and are the very salt of the earth. He is the Philistine who upholds and aids the heavy, cumbrous, blind, mechanical forces of society, and who does not recognise dynamic force when he meets it either in a man or a movement."

2006-01-09T04:51:00.000-08:00

ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog: Media: Bill Nolan's Cartooning Self Taught