Globspot

Here's all the best perspective drawing tips I've discovered in my storyboard art career.

2021-06-26T13:34:00.001-06:00

I published a Skillshare course on perspective tips I've learned over the years to make me a better, and much faster production artist.

Things I cover include:

Drawing uphill and downhill

Reflections

Stairs

Properly placing ellipses on the ends of cylinders

Wide and narrow fields of view

And lots more things that have saved my bacon!

You can check it out for FREE on Skillshare by clicking this LINK. That's because I created some free link tokens so you can access this class with a free membership, not the premium paid membership, even though it's a premium class.

Here's the link if you want to copy and paste it.

https://skl.sh/3j6K7YT

Here's the trailer I put on YouTube. The link is in the description there too.

I hope you enjoy it!

Learn how to draw dogs, with or without reference.

2021-06-06T07:27:00.000-06:00

Here's a thing I just published on Skillshare, the online learning platform.

You can check it out for free, for 2 weeks if you're curious.

It's a series of video lessons where I demonstrate how to learn to draw dogs from your memory and imagination.

It starts REALLY simple, and each lesson builds bit by bit so you can move ahead at your own pace.

If you are a premium subscriber to Skillshare you get access to everything they have, but if not you can get 2 free weeks with the link below. You can check out my course, and anything else you want, and if you don't want to continue beyond the 2 free weeks, just cancel your subscription.

The video below is the trailer for the course, and here's the link to get your free 2 week trial (cancel anytime before the 2 weeks are up if you don't want further access, for no charge).

New bronze mouse up for grabs on Kickstarter. Meet Neo Chubby Mouse!

2018-10-27T17:55:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to the project (running for 1 month, so you can get in early at 20 percent less than retail).

http://kck.st/2Oay21K

Here's Neo Chubby!!

Neo Chubby Mouse - Solid bronze, in an elegant art deco style by Steve Worthington

My latest flipbook.

2018-07-30T18:00:00.000-06:00

This is really time consuming, but also rather fun.

I have a queue of ideas lining up I can't wait to make...

Here's a video I made showing how to make them (at least the physical part, not the scribbly part)...

'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell' PDF, part 1 - pages 1 thru 10

2018-02-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a 30 page book/PDF that is a sensibly organized, brief distillation of the most important and useful principles (with practical examples) I've learned from the Western art tradition.

I would like to have had this much info in such a small package when I was younger, that's for sure!

My plan was - principles, plus practical examples, equals something useful.

Free download at storyboardsquad.com/links

Here's the first 10 pages:
Pages 11-20 click HERE
Pages 21-30 click HERE

It's filled with stuff which once I learned, made my figure drawing better. Free to download from storyboardsquad.com/links

Page from 'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell' PDF - Download free at storyboardsquad.com/links

'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell' PDF, part 2 - pages 11 thu 20

2018-02-24T10:56:00.003-07:00

I decided to make a 30 page book/PDF that is a sensibly organized, brief distillation of the most important and useful principles (with practical examples) I've learned from the Western art tradition.

I would like to have had this much info in such a small package when I was younger, that's for sure!

My plan was - principles, plus practical examples, equals something useful.

Free download at storyboardsquad.com/links

Here's the middle 10 pages:
Pages 1-10 click HERE
Pages 21-30 click HERE

It's filled with stuff which once I learned, made my figure drawing better. Free to download from storyboardsquad.com/links

Page from 'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell' PDF - free to download at storyboardsquad.com/links

'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell' PDF, part 3 - pages 21 thru 30

2018-02-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

I decided to make a 30 page book/PDF that is a sensibly organized, brief distillation of the most important and useful principles (with practical examples) I've learned from the Western art tradition.

I would like to have had this much info in such a small package when I was younger, that's for sure!

My plan was - principles, plus practical examples, equals something useful.

Free download at storyboardsquad.com/links

Here's the last 10 pages:
Pages 1-10 click HERE
Pages 11-20 click HERE

It's filled with stuff which once I learned, made my figure drawing better. Free to download from storyboardsquad.com/links

Page from 'Constructive Figure Drawing in a Nutshell'

My quick pose figure drawing thought process...

2018-02-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

It goes a bit like this making a 2 or 3 minute drawing from life:

Ooh, wow, great pose! Look at that arch and twist and the weight all over there and how great that shape is. Right, so that's the furthest big bit to the left, so if I put that there on my page, and make sure that's no bigger than half way across I should be OK fitting it all in. So there's my furthest point that way, that's where the foot goes. Legs going that way, long legs, couple of straight lines will do for now, hips going that way, ribs twisting this way, couple of straight perspective lines cover those directions, sternum, yup, a bit more space between hips and ribs than average, arms, head there, OK that's where everything's going to go, lets do those wonderful stretched bits. Oh, best do a quick double check, that's directly above that, that's right across from that, that overall area is square-ish, OK, that width matches that width, is that foreshortened part too long? Nope, all good, right, we are a GO for contours...
Look how far out that pelvic point sticks, nice, down the front of the thigh, around that, ooh, nice squish there, that comes in front of that, look how hard that is, I know that goes behind that but I can't see it in this light so I'll make sure I draw it anyway, back around, the weight's all on that side, now let's get that arch in there. Is that gap between those bits too big? Nope, weird negative shape there, but it's good, thank god! Oh, looks like she's lost some of her spring. Her ribs were facing a bit more that way and I couldn't see that part earlier. I won't draw what I see now, I'm sticking with what made me go 'wow'. I know that was facing more that way, now I've got this point in I can put those bits where I know they would be. Keep moving. I love how boldly that wedges into that and how softly that plane curves there. Sharp transition there, soft one there. That part is really straight. Ahh, look at that definition around there! How great is it to see that. That bone, that muscle, I wish I had 10 minutes on this one. What's next? OK, head: Put that there, connect those parts, they'll do for features, I bet I'm nearly out of time. Breasts. Let's get those breasts in. Falling over the ribs, middle third of the rib cage, glad I made the rib cage long enough for those pectorals and arm connections at the top.
BEEPBEEPBEEP NEXT POSE!
Shit, relaxed foot and calf not done, OK she's moved on. Shall I? Yeah, I'll just sling it in real quick here, I know how that goes, toes, that'll do. At least it's all drawn in now, dump that sheet of paper on the floor, OK what pose next? Oh WOW, look at that, OK, I'll have to turn my paper horizontal....etc etc

A couple of 3 minute figure drawings. Prismacolor pencil on paper.

John Watkiss figure drawing and anatomy demo sketches

2017-12-15T13:03:00.002-07:00

When I took John's figure drawing classes he would, one person at a time, sit down and demonstrate concepts he was explaining, on each person's sheet of paper.
My friends and I would photocopy and share amongst ourselves our bits of scribbled wisdom.
I have now put them together in a YouTube video/slide show.
If improving figure drawing is your thing, I would suggest watching this at full screen and set the speed to .25 and use the space bar to pause and resume play a lot.
It's REALLY great stuff...

60 quick pose figure drawings

2017-12-10T19:39:00.001-07:00

Quick pose figure drawings (1-3 minutes per pose). If you can squeeze in some quick blocking, then a decent, lively contour, without missing head, hands or feet, you're on to a winner! All from live models during 20 minute sessions of either 1's, 2's or 3's (minute poses), followed by 10 minute breaks.
Gives the old gray matter a bit of a workout!

I'd suggest full screen on decent size monitor.

Table tennis skeleton attack T-shirt on Kickstarter for 15 days...

2017-11-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here it is (CLICK HERE), ending on November 20th.

Skeleton forehand attack table tennis t-shirt

Ping pong pirates

2017-10-20T08:20:00.002-06:00

I made a table tennis playing skeleton digitally and then used it to make an unofficial poster for fun, of the World Veterans' Championships to be held in Vegas 2018.
It's all the same pose from different sides. When I get around to making a skeleton chopping the ball I'll swap one out for that one. Maybe I'll add eye patches in a future iteration!

Unofficial, just for fun World Veterans' Championships for table tennis ping pong pirates poster

Here's the sculpture.

Skeleton biker sculpture

2017-10-06T16:44:00.001-06:00

Here's a skeleton biker sculpture I made digitally which I am thinking of casting in bronze. I'd tweak it a bit more first, but it's 95 percent done.

Lively Mouse now up for pre-order on Kickstarter

2017-05-07T08:37:00.000-06:00

My mouse family just grew a bit bigger with the addition of Lively Mouse!

Inquisitive, energetic and ever upwardly mobile, Lively is always trying to get somewhere.

Until June 6 Lively will be available for pre-order at a special price through my Kickstarter project.
And to celebrate Lively's arrival, you can add any of my other mice to the deal (20 percent less than retail).
I should be mailing them all out in September.

Click HERE to check it out...

I wonder if the box is open?

I wonder what's up there?

mmmmm.....cheese...

Everybody wants a piece of what Chubby has got

Meet Lively Mouse, at least a wax model prior to bronze casting

2017-04-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

Here's my new mouse, Lively.
Lively will be launched through a Kickstarter campaign where you can pre-order one or more, plus some of my other mice, for 20 percent less than retail.
When Lively hits my Etsy shop, and galleries, the special Kickstarter pre-order deal will be over.
Stay tuned for that, or get on my sculpture mailing list of course.

Anyway, here's some photo's...

Lively's favorite Google search (wax model, prior to bronze casting)

Lively meets Nosey (wax models of Lively, prior to bronze casting)

A Lively game of patti cake (wax model, prior to bronze casting)

Wild among the flowers (wax models of Lively, prior to bronze casting)

Is that a ping pong ball, or a round piece of cheese (wax models of Lively, prior to bronze casting)

Lively Mouse checking out the bathroom (wax models of Lively, prior to bronze casting)

Lively Mouse fell in the bath! (wax model, prior to bronze casting)

In and out (wax models of Lively, prior to bronze casting)

Lively in the snow (wax model, prior to bronze casting)

Lively Mouse exploring outside (wax model, prior to bronze casting)

Quick pose life drawing fourth attempt.

2017-03-19T10:47:00.000-06:00

I'm getting better at getting a descriptive contour line down in the time (90 seconds, 2 minutes, or 3 minutes per drawing) but I must not miss my chance to put in at least a line for hands and feet (when I can see them, sometimes they are covered by cloth or props).
Too often I haven't even done a head when I find myself rushing to it knowing there's only a few seconds left.
Same goes for hands and feet.
It's so easy to indulge yourself for a full 30 seconds on some excitingly dynamic part of the body, only having to rush madly to get to the other parts!
Anyway, here's some of my fourth session's crop.

Quick gesture drawing, terra cotta pencil on paper

Frame friendly figures in pencil and watercolor

2017-03-19T10:32:00.000-06:00

My splashing on the water color experiment got me thinking about doing something for my Etsy shop.
So I picked up a decent looking, but very cheap popular sized frame from Walmart (under $10) which had an 8" x 10" cardboard matt in it.
Then I got some 14" x 11" acid free mixed media paper, a bit thicker than my life drawing paper so it wouldn't wrinkle as much with the watercolor.
Then I re-drew (in terra cotta colored pencil, and also in graphite pencil) a few of my most recent figure drawings to go right behind the matt, snugly inside the frame, so it wouldn't need any re-positioning or trimming assuming someone had an 11" x 14" frame with an 8" x 10" matt. Actually, an 8" x 10" matt, for framing an 8" x 10" photo, is closer to 7.5" x 9.5"
A splash of water color and some photographing later, and now they're up on my Etsy shop.

A splash of color...

2017-03-19T10:16:00.000-06:00

Watercolor, to be precise.
I pulled out some from my third attempt pile and got my sable brush out of mothballs...

Quick pose life drawing third attempt

2017-03-12T14:25:00.000-06:00

I feel like I am getting the hang of one to three minute poses with a colored pencil a bit more now.
It's quite interesting being so focused on a person so intensely for 3 hrs, in so many poses.
I was stretching a bit during breaks (20 mins drawing, 10 min breaks) and found myself looking at more nude figures in the wood grain of the floorboards without thinking about it.
Kind of like seeing shapes in clouds. Its seems to happen more when you are not really paying any attention to what you are looking at, and your mind is elsewhere.
Anyhow, my goal for future drawings I think is to try and get some cursory shading in along with a decisively drawn contour line drawing, if I can.
Here's my favorite 9 out of the 50 or so I drew (I'm not showing the real stinkers!)...

Quick pose life drawing second attempt

2017-03-12T14:08:00.000-06:00

I like a challenge.
On my second 3 hr stint of super quick poses (one and a half minutes, up to 3min poses) I determined to be a bit more assertive earlier on with my lines.
Rather than lightly plotting my main lines/masses carefully and faintly and then running out of time before I could attempt a contour line of any worth, I thought I'd minimize the planning and try and get those lines in before the timer ran out!
Instead of letter size, I'm working on 11"x17" paper as well, which I like better.
I think I'm heading in the right direction (at least for my current choice of medium, a prismacolor pencil). Here's my favorites (out of the 50-ish drawings I made).

Quick pose life drawing

2017-03-12T13:34:00.003-06:00

I decided to do some life drawing. 

Meridee runs a quick pose class (no instruction, just do your own thing) and finally dragged me along. 1min 30 second poses, up to 3 minute poses for the most part for 3 hrs. Maybe a 4 or 5 minute pose at the end.

Quick pose takes some getting used to!

I did a fair bit of life drawing at college and for a few years after (like every chance I got). Usually 5 to 30 minute poses.

I always used to take my time figuring out the proportions, direction, volumes etc as I went. There's hardly time for that, you just put your pencil down and the timer goes off. NEXT POSE!

Here's some of my wrong headed approach (for quick poses) from those first tries. I could make a start with an attempt at a methodical approach, but that's all. I was just starting to enjoy myself, then time to move on. A bit like someone giving you a shove every time you just start to drop off to sleep.

For any feeling of accomplishment I needed a more direct and immediate approach...

Friend and mentor John Watkiss will be missed by many

2017-01-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

John Watkiss died a couple of nights ago, I am very sad to say.
He never got recognition from a particularly wide audience, but among his peers, if you can call lesser mortals that, he was well revered.
I’ll miss him, as will plenty more. He helped make my move to California a welcoming one too, as well as being the best teacher by a mile I (and many others) ever knew.
Generous, inspiring, overflowing with knowledge and talent, and with a playful sense of humor.

I wrote a three part series of posts about how the impact of meeting him affected me.

Here's a video of him taking himself a little less than seriously...

RIP John, the finest artist I ever met.

New Kickstarter - Bronze snail

2016-07-27T17:27:00.004-06:00

New bronze snail currently up for pre-sale on Kickstarter, until August 11 2016

This bronze snail is my effort to create the finest bronze snail ever made available to anyone, anywhere.
If anyone shows me a better one, maybe I'll switch my goal and next time make the finest woodlouse ever.
Anyway, the snail was sculpted around an actual snail shell which my parents sent me from the English garden of the house in which I was born (breach birth as it turned out).

The project will run for two weeks until the afternoon of Thursday, August 11. So if you want to be the first to get this, at a nice discount too, then check out my project by clicking HERE, and that's where you can speedily make your pledge for this slow moving reward!

I'm going to send my parents back one after I have a bunch cast, so it will probably have tiny around the world luggage stickers on its shell when it arrives home!

That's a wrap! (1 year of whitteboard scribbles)

2016-07-21T06:24:00.003-06:00

On this day last year I did a whiteboard scribble to celebrate junk food day, and posted it here. Every day since, for the last year, I've done another scribble to celebrate some of the daily 'holidays' that exist.

If you've enjoyed them, thanks! They were fun to do (most of the time)!

Here is a reprise of junk food day, this time in glorious animated-o-scope! Woo hoo! 

Share it if you like it!

July 20 is...

2016-07-20T07:59:00.003-06:00

Today's dry-erase whiteboard cartoon celebrates national lollipop day, and moon day. And would seem to have a typo.