Theology Illustrated
Brandi contemplating on a rainy day at Foolish Things with churches in the distance in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 05/12/14.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
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Sunrise at Starbucks
I got up early on the day after the Dallas Marathon that Caitlin and I ran in. Caitlin and Linda were sleeping in so I went off to Starbucks to draw and have some coffee.
The sun rose as I started to draw, hitting this woman who was studying intently. The pale yellow glow was focused directly on her and I quickly started getting her down on paper. After I had drawn her top half she got up, picked up her backpack and laptop and looked like she was getting ready to leave. Luckily she was just going to the bathroom. When she returned she crossed her legs as you see here and I was able to finish drawing her without it looking disconnected from the top.
She kept her head down for a good portion of the time but I had to draw her facial features from memory since I hadn’t drawn them while she was sitting the first time and now her face was turned at an angle. I kept waiting for her to turn back to the right side of her page so I could see her face straight on again but she didn’t.
I showed her the drawing after I was done. I try to gauge the reaction from the people I draw and I definitely felt that while she was impressed to some degree, she was also perhaps a bit freaked out by it. I introduced myself, gave her my card and told her to contact me if she was interested in seeing the drawing after I had finished it. I asked her name and I thought she said ‘Alton’ but when I repeated it back to her she said what I thought was ‘Alta’. So, until I hear otherwise, she is Alta!
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Drawing and story by Marty Coleman
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Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School – November, 2014
Figure Drawing
Ever since I was 17 and still in High School I have been figure drawing (yes, that means naked people). I also taught it for quite some time during the 80s and 90s.
Often times artists don’t really want to take a class in figure drawing, they just want to draw the figure. To fill that need around the country at art centers and museums and schools they have open figure drawing sessions. You pay a certain amount to cover the cost of paying the model, and then you just draw. They have someone in charge of hiring the models and keeping time, but that is about it.
Zaira Amar – 3 minute pose
It’s Not What You Think
Most of the time these sessions are very staid and mundane. I don’t mean there aren’t great models and drawings being done but, opposite of the popular imagination, they aren’t lascivious bastions of libertine men and scarlet women indulging in pornographic excess. They are models, male and female, with bodies of all sorts posing in academic poses that aren’t presented as sexual or titillating.
Zaira Amar – 3 minute pose
Dr. Sketchy
About 10 years ago a burlesque dancer in San Francisco, Molly Crabapple, decided to try something different to shake up this way of figure drawing. She founded the Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. It really isn’t a school at all, it’s just a fun, recurring event that combines performance, modeling, drinking and drawing.
Zaira Amar – 10 minute pose
Lot6 Art Bar
Last night (11/15/14) was the first Dr. Sketchy event in Tulsa in many years. I had wanted to go to it back when it was last active, in 2010, but never got around to it. But I had an opportunity last night to go. These are the drawings that resulted. Nothing fancy or profound, just some fun drawings. It took place at a very cool Art Bar close to downtown Tulsa called Lot6.
Zaira Amar – 5 minute pose
The Belly Dancer
The model you see here, Zaira Amar, first did a belly dance, then sat for a total of 5 drawings, ranging in time from 3 to 20 minutes in length. I can tell you, it’s not a lot of time when a model is nude, but put her or him in a costume with textures and baubles and jewelry and yards of fabric and it’s really not a lot of time!
Zaira Amar – 20 minute pose
Scimitar
She had a giant scimitar sword that she held for a few of her poses. I was worried she would drop it or cut herself somehow, but she obviously knew what she was doing with it having danced with it many time I think.
Here’s the finished drawing, completed a few weeks later. Here’s a link to a short story illustrated with this image.
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Comedy Included
In between the dancing and modeling there also was a stand up comedian, Drew Welcher. She was pretty funny, mostly self-deprecating about her sexuality and her body. She got a bit raunchy, but I was busy drawing her and was actually only paying so much attention to her routine.
Drew Welcher – Stand-up Comedian
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The Burlesque Dancer
The other model for the night was Afsana Rose, a burlesque dancer. She did a very cool feathered fan dance, then modeled for times ranging from 3 to 20 minutes just as Zaira did.
Afsana Rose – 3 minute pose
While I was drawing, Hilton Price, the MC for the evening, took this photo of me drawing Afsana for future publicity.
Draw What It Is Doing, Not What It Is
I got a drawing lesson many decades ago from a great professor of mine, Michael Mazur. He said, “make your hand do what the thing you are drawing is doing.” In other words, if the thing is solid and rectalinear, then make your drawing hand make those solid and rectilinear movements. And if your subject is a feather fan, then make your hand make the movement a feather makes. That’s easier said than done of course, but that is what I kept in mind as I drew her feather fan in these two drawings.
Afsana Rose – 5 minute pose
Tattoos
Afsana had a many tattoos, most of which I was not able to capture in the short time I had. One tattoo I had noticed and was glad I was able to capture was a spider web in her underarm. All I could think about was how much it had to hurt to get it done!
Afsana Rose – 10 minute pose
Frilly
Afsana changed costumes a few times. She wore a frilly sheer polka dotted light covering over a 50s style white push up bra in the pose above. Once again, trying to capture the action of that frilly outer garment was the key to the drawing.
Afsana Rose – 20 minute pose
Boa
In her final pose she was in what seemed like a pretty classic burlesque outfit. The preeminent feature was the very big feather boa. But it wasn’t feathery in the same way as the fan. The feathers were blocky and squared off at the end, so I made that sort of movement with my hand as I drew it. She also had long gloves on that weren’t too different in color from the boa so I had to make sure their texture and lines were sufficiently different enough to stand out.
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Award
At the end of the session the artists can submit drawings to be judged by the models. Each model, and the comedian, decide which drawing they like best and that artist gets a small prize. In my case I received a little sketchbook, something you all know I will use! I also got free admittance to the next Dr. Sketchy, so that’s cool as well.
It was a cool and different figure drawing experience. I made a number of new friends and had a great time drawing.
I might work on some of the drawings a little bit more. I am tempted to finish some, add color to others. We shall see and I will let you know!
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Linda on our Eighth Anniversary – Sketchbook History Tour
My wife of 8 years, Linda, and I spent our 8th anniversary at the hospital. We were married on 11/11/06 at 11am.
She had already been sick for 9 days at this point so I already knew we weren’t going to be doing a big night out. I was expecting to cook something up, something easy. But instead the xray from the day before came back and her bronchitis had turned into Pneumonia. Her Dr. requested we go get a ‘breathing treatment’ at whatever ER we wanted to go to. That trip turned into a 2 day stay at the hospital and that is a good thing. She was able to get breathing treatments and IV antibiotics.
We had Pei Wei take out for our anniversary dinner while watching TV. That is what she is doing in this drawing, though she says it looks like she is calling to heaven to be taken away! I told her not quite yet. She said ok.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
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Nissi at Starbucks – Sketchbook
Yesterday I posted a napkin drawing of Nissi, who I met and drew at Starbucks while waiting for my car to be serviced. Here is the other drawing I did of her, this one in my actual sketchbook.
After I had finished the first drawing on a napkin I showed it to her and asked her if I could draw her again, this time in my regular sketchbook. Nissi was very kind to allow me to draw a second drawing. I gave her my card and told her the drawings would be up on my site in a few days. Hopefully she will come see them.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
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The New Napkin Sketchbook – Drawing #1, Nissi at Starbucks
Almost a year ago someone sent me a link to a cool site that was selling an actual napkin sketchbook. I tried to buy one then but they had just sold out and had not made any new ones yet. I forgot about it until recently when I was going through old emails and saw one from that store. I wrote back and found they had them in stock and off I went to order it.
Nissi at Starbucks
Nissi
My first opportunity to use it was, no surprise, at a Starbucks while my car was being serviced. I love drawing in coffee houses because you are going to find people who are still. They are engrossed in their world and that makes for unconscious poses, expressions, postures, and habits. I found Nissi studying and she became my model for the day. I drew her on one of the napkins that came with the sketchbook. They are cocktail napkins, smaller than my usual lunch napkins and absorbent in a different sort of way. I also drew her in my regular sketchbook and will show that one to you when it is complete.
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The Sketchbook
Here is the drawing right after it was done in the coffee house. Since the napkins aren’t attached to the sketchbook I took mine out to draw on it. I am sure others do it the other way but I need a harder surface underneath than a pile of napkins.
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Here is the sketchbook closed.
And here it is open
Baum-Kuchen
The company selling the sketchbooks is Baum-Kuchen, located in the Glassell Park area of Los Angeles. They have this and other cool products, some of which would be perfect for a Christmas gift. I plan on shopping online at their store in the future.
Screenshot of the Baum-Kuchen Napkin Sketchbook page
You can find them online at this location: http://www.baum-kuchen.net/
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Creativity Coaching – Marla Selph
Creativity Coaching
Part of my Napkin Dad plan for 2014 and beyond is being a Creativity Coach. I have been an art and drawing instructor at the college level, have lectured locally and nationally on everything from Photography to ‘Coping with Change’, have been writing advice and insights on creativity on this blog for over 6 years and I have been hired a number of times to help people one on one to implement their ideas in fashion, social media, real estate and branding.
In one form or another, I’ve been a creativity coach most of my life. There is more information about this at the end of the story.
Marla
I met Marla for lunch recently at Cosmo Cafe in Brookside. We had met a number of years before when I had been doing a project called ‘In Public/In Private’ about reporters and anchors in the Tulsa area. At the time she was kind enough to share some of her poetry with me and I thought it was pretty good.
Creative Block
Fast forward a few years and recently I asked her how the poetry was going. She mentioned it was tough to find the time and I gave an encouraging word or two, hoping to help motivate her to write some more. We set a time to meet to talk about her writing and how she might be able to move forward with it.
I asked a number of questions about her creative process; how she goes about being creative, what works and what doesn’t, and that led us on to possible directions, experiments and exercises she could do to build momentum in her creative pursuits, both at work and on her own time.
Small Steps
As a running coach for the last 4 years I have learned the value of small steps. No one goes from couch to marathon. They go from couch to 5k. And that takes 12 weeks. And it’s hard. They can get to whatever distance they want but it happens in small increments.
The same is true of creativity development. If we are stuck, we often want a BIG PLAN to get unstuck. But the big plan, while maybe great for ultimate creative career goals, is not going to be effective in bringing out your creativity. Why? Well, big plans are pretty intimidating, they take a lot of time, and there’s the demon of high expectations looming over it all. It’s very easy to become paralyzed by the intensity of the process.
But small steps are doable. You don’t have to shout them to the world, you don’t have to get some ego validation for it because it took so much out of you. All you have to do it write that one line, draw that one drawing, sing or play that one song. The rest will take care of itself.
As part of our coaching collaboration, we plan to meet a number of times over the rest of the year. The purpose is to build on the momentum she has started, explore avenues for creativity in her work and her private life, and, most importantly, keep taking those small steps.
Drawing
As is the case often with reporters, she had to take a number of calls and texts during our lunch. I used the time to draw her.
Marla Working Her Phones
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Here she is after I had done the original line drawing.
Marla with Drawing
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Your Turn
If you need a jump start in some area of your creative life, I would love to help you. You might want honest feedback about something you have created in a safe, supportive environment. You might want to talk about where you can go with your creative output. Perhaps you have put your creativity on the shelf and don’t know how to take it down off the shelf and get it to work again.
Whatever it is, I can help you. contact me at marty@napkindad.com or 918-760-0581 and we can talk about the particulars.
Creatively,
Marty
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The Church Pianist – Selections from a Sketchbook
As some of you know, I draw in church. I have oodles of sketchbooks full of drawings. Sometimes I start with real person, other times I make something up out of my head.
We usually sit about 3-6 rows back on the right side of the sanctuary and I have a pretty good view of the pianist playing in the orchestra or accompanying the choir.
She’s become my go-to model and I suppose I have drawn her at least 100 times over the years.
Years ago I showed her the drawings in a prior sketchbook. I thought she enjoyed them and was flattered.
My wife thought she was probably creeped out. It was probably something in between.
I just finished a sketchbook that took close to 2 years to fill. Since she is a recurring theme I thought I would show you those drawings.
I drew her from the balcony a few times. Linda was in the choir so I moved around the sanctuary, sitting wherever I wanted just for fun.
People who sit still for long periods of time in the same position are good models.
She is a wonderful starting point for my imagination, a muse. I thank her for that.
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Drawings by Marty Coleman
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A Portrait at Starbucks – A Short Short Story (True)
#1
I’ve gone to the same Starbucks in Tulsa about 3 times in a row now. It is not where I usually travel but I had to get my car serviced a number of times and it’s the coffee spot closest to the dealership. Each time I’ve spent time working and drawing, usually about an hour or so. Each time the same woman was there. The first time I noticed her but I was faced the opposite direction and ended up drawing a couple talking at a window table while it snowed.
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#2
The second time I drew her on a napkin and showed it to her. I also showed her the sketchbook drawing from my first trip there and the sketchbook drawing I was doing that day, of a woman being interviewed at the end of my table.
I haven’t finished her napkin yet but I did take a photo of her with it, as I always like to do if possible. I emailed her the photograph. While we talked I found out she liked to hang out there before her job at Dillards, a department store at the nearby mall. I also found out she had taught English in Korea for a year and had just got back in the summer of 2013.
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#3
The third time I sat across from her and drew her in my sketchbook. She told me that she had decided to go back to Korea for at least another year to teach again. I admire the courage it takes to go off to a new part of the world all by yourself. To go back a second time, that really says something about what you discovered about the place, and about yourself, the first time around. I wish I had done that in college or afterwards.
I wish her great fortune in her journey to Korea!
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Drawings and writing by Marty Coleman
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Anatomy of a Drawing – Two Woman at a Tulsa Starbucks While Snow Falls
I had to drop off one of our cars to be serviced this week. I waited at a Tulsa Starbucks for a few hours hoping the car would be done without me having to drive home and back.
Here is the finished version of the line drawing I did in my sketchbook while there.
I thought it might be fun for you to see how one of my drawings looks before it is finished so I scanned it before I shaded it. Here’s the flat, color-only version.
The original drawing was done in pen. Here it is before any color was added.
What do you think? Is the final drawing the best or do you like one of the other two better?
And another question, what does it look like they were talking about? What are their stories?
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
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