Dr. Sketchy & 3-D Porn (fixed)

Finally, something to blog about! I guess I’d say this was a busy weekend – Date night with Dorinda on Friday, spring clean up at our church, (lots of yard work, back hurts much), on Saturday, and a trip to Boston on Sunday.

Date night took us to our usual nerdy haunts –a poetry reading followed by a trip to the bookstore. I made a HUGE score on the bargain racks of B&N, picking up 3 fantastic reference books. The first is a really lame “Demon Hunter’s Handbook” penned by, (of course), Abelard Van Helsing. It is crap of the highest order, but its full of great ideas for demons and whatnot.

The second book is one of the best automotive reference books I’ve ever seen –“Muscle Cars: High-Performance Machines”. When I’m forced to draw cars I like to use the big muscle cars of the 60’s and 70’s. I’m way too Green to ever bee caught dead driving one, but in my fantasyland they are all I think about. This book is packed with almost 200 pages of “action shots” and spiffy 5-point schematics. I would marry this book if I could.

The last book was not so much a “must have” for my reference shelf, as it was “too weird” not to buy. Harold Lloyd’s “Hollywood Nudes in 3-D. Any book that includes beautiful naked women AND 3-D specs is too awesome not to purchase. Plus, there is something fantastic about those old pin-ups. There’s no air brushing, no implants, curvy hips, a little roll of flesh here and there, and breasts run the range from A-cups up to C’s. In short, these women possessed a natural beauty (warts and all) that you just don’t find in mainstream media anymore. Most women I see in TV and movies today look like they were manufactured in some LA chop shop. Of course, back in the 50’s there was all sorts of clothing to tug, pull, suck, and push a woman around. I know. I;ve worn them. But this book is great because its just them and their beautiful, imperfect, bodies. And its in 3-D!!!

I won’t bore you with my gardening exploits at the UU Church.

But I will tell you all about Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. To explain it, here’s a snippet from their website (some para-phrasing has been applied); “Dr. Sketchy’s is what happens when cabaret meets art school.

Dr. Sketchy’s was founded in 2005 by artist Molly Crabapple, Dr. Sketchy’s asked a simple question. Why can’t drawing naked people be sexy?

Here’s our attempt at an answer.

We combed New York to find the most beautiful burlesque dancers, the most bizarre circus freaks, and the most rippling hunks of man. Then, every other Saturday, we let you draw them for three hours. Interspersed with posing are ridiculous drawing contests (best left handed drawing? Best incorporation of a woodland animal?) where you can win booze or prizes.

We hauled the lights, sent out thousands of listings, and wheatpasted posters during snowstorms. We also insisted on our models making the highest wages in the city.

Dr. Sketchy’s has received scads of media attention for it’s combination of burlesque and art. We’ve been written up in The LA Times, the Washington Post, Time Out New York, Time Out London, The Village Voice, The Sunday Age in Melbourne, NY Press, Gothamist, Fleshbot, The National Post (Canada), Nikkei Trendy (Japan) and scores of alt.weeklies. Talking heads have talked about us on NBC, BBC, WPIX, Richmond’s NPR affiliate and The Hi Definition Network. We were chosen as “Best Wacky Life Drawing Session” by Shecky’s 2007 Best of New York.” –Molly Crabapple.

I was afraid that I would be overwhelmed with burlesquery and obnoxious hipster artists. But I was not. If anyone knows Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you’ll know that there are only 3 kinds of people in this world –Phonies, Real Phonies, and Rats. Dr. Sketchy’s seems to be a place full of Real Phonies. Since I try to be a Real Phony myself, I was pleased.

Now, Dr’ Sketchy’s has a Boston off-shoot, and that is what I went to check out. Because it was Mother’s Day, and absolutely gorgeous outside, it was a small crowd. But the baker’s dozen that showed up were an interesting mix. 6 women, 7 men, one male and one female model. We drew for three hours, drinking Guinness, listing to music and sketching –or charcoaling, or painting, depending on who you were.

I took Dorinda along, (y’know, for Mother’s Day), and got her drunk. So she had fun.

The poses started with a bunch of one-minute shots, then 2 minutes, 5, 10, and finally 20 minutes. I found myself really having a hard time doing anything decent. Its been 12years since I worked with a live model, and my ability to draw anything realistically is also covered in a decade of rust. But towards the end I said “fuck it”, and did a few sketches as I would have drawn them on a comic book page –and they came out all right.

I think I felt a certain strange pressure to draw “realistically” at first –though it was purely an internal pressure since they whole point of Dr. S’s is that you do what you want. But for myself, I feel like I should have more than one style, more than one trick up my sleeve. But then again, I’ve never been to art school, I have a child to raise, and a crazy life. When they hell should I be learning these things? I thought maybe Dr Sketchy’s would be the place for that, but then I changed my mind –this was pure fun, NOT an art class.

So we had a good ol’ time. Can’t wait to go back. Anyone in the Boston or NYC area should definitely check it out. Skill level is irrelevant –I saw some awful stuff, and some pieces that made me weep because they were so amazing. It really is all about having a good time. And for you gay ladies who might be reading this, lots of very friend lesbians. My pretty wife was a very big hit.

On a final Dr. Sketch’s note, Aliza, the lady who runs the Boston show, was a very cool cat. Look forward to seeing her again.

In other news, I’ll be finishing the pencils of KILLER OF DEMONS #2 tonight. 35 pages is a LOT to pencil in one go. Phew! Hopefully inking will be a little smoother of a ride.

Check out the Sketch gallery –I took down some stuff, and put up new pieces. I keep finding myself outside the studio/laundry room armed with a sketch pad and I’ve been putting it to good use.

And now for some Random Spledor-

I need to get my technique down like this guy.

What the FUCK are these folks talking about!?! I can’t stop watching. Its like a train wreck.

Picture time!

Muscle cars are Sex-to-the-E!

I have no words for this one . . .

Dorinda scopes some boobtastic breastages.

I think these glasses will be a new part of my daily outerwear.

Me no draw real so good . . . (me no draw fastly neither good).

Still sucking . . .

Looking more normal. Normal for me, that is . . .

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The last sketch of the day was the only one I really liked.