Pencil Art

[bobhopefan1940]

I whole heartedly second Chris' thoughts... That what's so wonderful about art, it is a part of you and only you. No one can draw like you do, that's what makes it so special. It's amazing how in some people's drawings you can tell how they were feeling when the drew it, like an insight into their mind.

That's awesome that you write songs, Chris! I once wrote a song for my church, too. They actually sang it, which was pretty awesome. There's no feeling quite like it, as you already know. I hope you keep it up, I just think it is wonderful the emotion and feeling that can go into the lyrics of a song.

And um... I'll be MIA for the next three hours, downloading the rest of the Buster Keaton folder on Simplyclassics.net. It's my therapy for the week I don't know what is happening when I type the address into my browser, but your link works *sigh* THANK YOU

[movieman1957]

Danny:

For a long time I did them myself at the piano. Last year I wrote one for the opening of our new building and got the whole band to play. I have a recording and, apart from my vocal, it's really nice. It's an unusual feeling to hear all the instruments and a harmony vocal on my song. People have been nice enough to ask if I've had anything published but it doesn't seem to be worth it.

BTW, if I can get my kids to help I have a colored pencil drawing of "Sniffles" the mouse that a friend did for me that I'll try and get on here for you to see.

[MissGoddess]

Thank you for the encouraging words, Chris! I buried the sketches so if I decide they're OK, I will have to dig them out and then sneak them to work and scan them when no one is looking. Ha!

[bobhopefan1940]

BTW, if I can get my kids to help I have a colored pencil drawing of "Sniffles" the mouse that a friend did for me that I'll try and get on here for you to see.

How wonderful, I'd love to see it! So many people adore Sniffles...

[MissGoddess]

I love the "Sniffles the Mouse" cartoons. Was that MGM or Warners he was "under contract" to?

This little guy, right?

[pktrekgirl]

As for posting my own pics, I'll have to look at them again, if any are not tooooooooo embarrassing, I'll consider it. But I don't know....after seeing yours and PKs work I don't want to look like a goof!

Maybe I'll take a few hundred art classes first and get back to you...meanwhile I have been busy uploading a gazillion Bobby M. pictures into my Photobucket for "future reference"

Danny---off topic I know but I did want to ask you if you've seen Bobby in PETTICOAT FEVER. It's with Myrna and a goodie. Maybe I need to start him his own "thread" in People of Film.

Okay...a couple of things.

First, please post your art here! That is what this forum is for!

I think we are all too critical of our own stuff...but the point of this forum is not to 'show off', but really to share our stuff with others who can lend support and inspiration.

As I was telling bobhopefan upstream, I really admire anyone who can draw. All I do is Photoshop - messing around with a computer program - little more. But I couldn't draw to save my soul.

And the thing is, there are plenty of folks in the graphics community who make me look like a rank amateur with PhotoShop. Maybe you guys are not aware of it...but I'm really not that good. I just have good material to work with. There are tons of things I don't know how to do yet, or could improve upon. I have a LONG way to go as a graphic artist. In fact, I don't even consider myself to be an 'artist'...but really a hobbiest hack.

Seriously.

But I'm learning...and wanted this forum really as a place where those of us who love to create can 'play' and share ideas....and maybe, if we get lucky, produce something occasionally that is actually GOOD. In which case, we will have people to celebrate with.

I think comparing oneself to others is a dangerous thing. I know we all do it - I know I certainly do every time I get on LJ and see some of the creations of REAL graphic artists whose journals I follow!

But I'm trying to take the attitude that as long as I'm improving, that's a good thing. Everyone has to practice and learn...I mean, even the graphic artists I admire over at LJ at one time couldn't do a THING in PhotoShop themselves!

And what I was hoping to achieve here was a supportive environment in which to have fun, share with each other, and improve.

So I say, post away!!!!

Oh...and by the way, although I'm not as huge and knowledgeable a Robert Montgomery fan as you two are, I *have* seen PETTICOAT FEVER. And I liked it - cute film! And you really can't go wrong with Bob and Myrna, IMO.

[bobhopefan1940]

I love the "Sniffles the Mouse" cartoons. Was that MGM or Warners he was "under contract" to?

This little guy, right?

That's him! Isn't he cute?

That is what is wonderful about this forum in particular, you can get other people's view points on your work and always get encouragement.

I think we are all too critical of our own stuff...but the point of this forum is not to 'show off', but really to share our stuff with others who can lend support and inspiration.

There you go... That really says it all.

[MissGoddess]

Thanks everyone---I will root around my portfolios this weekend and see what turns up.

In the mean time, I hope to see more of everyone's work here. It's inspiring me actually to think about really going back to the Art Student's Leage for some drawing courses. I cuold use the practice and instruction.

And one day, in my ideal future, I want to learn a program like Photoshop. When it first took off I thought it sounded like such a fun thing to learn, even for someone as low-techie as myself.

And PK, you may have seen what you think is better photoshop work but I honestly haven't---especially in regard to classic movie star imagery (is that word?). Your stuff is "classy" and I like that.

[pktrekgirl]

^ Well thank you. That means alot.

And was actually the exact reason I got into this. Last spring I was just so bewildered by all of the BAD desktops out there in the classic film community (at that time I was looking particularly for Errol Flynn stuff...but saw many others as well in my travels) that I finally decided that even if I NEVER got good, I could do better than THAT! I mean, the bar was set to appallingly low that there was no WAY I could do worse! Everything was either so boring (basically, movie posters and photos with a few words of text slapped on) or was just so ghastly technically and color coordination-wise that I knew I could do better if I applied even a minimum of 'elbow grease'.

And so I took up PhotoShop. For Errol Flynn.

I wanted something with 'zip'. I knew it would be tricky, because it's hard to blend classic film stars and alot of b&w photography with some of the more contemporary designs out there and not look ridiculous. But I just could not STAND to see another ghastly desktop of Errol Flynn.

I mean...with that material to work with, how come I could not find a single desktop of him that did him justice????

Now I look back on my first efforts and I think they look terrible...but even back then when I first began, the stuff that I was putting out made me alot happier than what I was finding for Errol on the internet.

I was looking through my early stuff last night, in fact (pretty much all of it is Errol Flynn-related as he was the one who 'started' this whole thing)...and kind of resolved to try and re-work some of them some day...because they were good ideas. I just didn't have the technical skill in PhotoShop to carry them out to my liking.

And I do need to do a Flynn desktop soon. I've not done one since about last August or September (when I got all obsessed with Valentino and Gary)...and so now I have alot of decent avatars of Flynn (they are alot quicker to make)...but not any desktops that I'd want to send out, particularly.

But yeah....the whole reason I got into this was because I saw a niche that badly needed filling...in the area of Errol Flynn Desktops.

[movieman1957]

Danny:

Here is the picture of Sniffles I talked about. (Thanks to Mo for helping me.) It was done by a friend as a Christmas present at my wife's request. He did it from a freeze frame of "Bedtime for Sniffles." It's the one where he waits for Santa.

[bobhopefan1940]

Danny:

Here is the picture of Sniffles I talked about. (Thanks to Mo for helping me.) It was done by a friend as a Christmas present at my wife's request. He did it from a freeze frame of "Bedtime for Sniffles." It's the one where he waits for Santa.

THANK YOU so much for going through the trouble of posting it, Chris! That is really fantastic Sometimes cartoons people draw just amaze me, the expression that really goes into them. It's just like drawing anything else, there has to be a likeness. I drew some when I was little, but they never looked as good as that one, that's top notch! And they gave you that as a gift?

Not only the cartoons people draw, but the caracatures are really neat, too... To see an artists perspective on someone's appearance is always very interesting. I think the people that draw at the theme parks are amazing artists. To do something so quickly always astonishes me. Anyway, that's alot of the reason cartoonists really impress me, because they can work so quickly.

I really appreciate you posting it (with Mo ) I just love cartoon work! -

Danny

[movieman1957]

You're welcome Danny. My wife had the idea to have him draw this for me for Christmas. "Bedtime for Sniffles" is one of my favorite cartoons. It's not a laugh-out-loud cartoon as much as it is an adorable one. It is required viewing in our house every Christmas. The drawing hangs, neatly framed, in our living room.

[MissGoddess]

^
But yeah....the whole reason I got into this was because I saw a niche that badly needed filling...in the area of Errol Flynn Desktops.

Those stars would just be amazed at how they are still inspiring us today!!

[MissGoddess]

That's such a cute drawing of "Sniffles!" I just love that little mouse. I used to almost cry over his cartoons when I was little, he seemed so helpless (hapless?). Hee! Thanks for the memory....

[bobhopefan1940]

In honor of you, PK -