Brush Pen Doodles, 1988
And here is more notebook detritus from my spotty post-High School academic career. From the evidence this was from my Philosophy class at Mesa College.
Cigarette Man, 1985
Another back of a notebook, like this one previously. I’m so glad my Mom saved these old papers.
The Tan Punk, 1985
High School. Loved to draw. Back of a notebook. Anger is an energy!
I remember the marker – it was one of those intensely smelly Japanese markers. It was short and oh-so inky.
Vertical Capital Letters
After High School, I flailed.
Which is to say I took classes at Mesa College without much of a focus. I enjoyed these classes. Drawing, History of Film, Psychology, Design, Architectural Drafting, Philosophy, Marketing, Broadcasting, Broadcast Studio Operations. This was in 1987-1988 — before we moved to Roanoke Virginia and I shifted my focus to Respiratory Therapy.
One class I really enjoyed, but that was technically challenging was Drafting. It took hard work to get “right” but the effort was good. It was utterly different from the free form cartooning I was used to doing. I learned a lot in that class. I think what I learned can be summed up in the spirit of the quotation from this lettering exercise.
THESE STROKES; THIRD. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH DEGREE OF PRECISION IN FORMING AND SPACING OF LETTERS IN ANY OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF LETTERS UNIFORMITY IS VERY ESSENTIAL.
APPROXIMATELY EQUAL. ALMOST ANYONE CAN LEARN TO LETTER IF PERSISTENT AND INTELLIGENT IN HIS EFFORTS. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT “PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT” THERE MUST BE CONTINUOUS EFFORT TO IMPROVE. NO MATER HOW WELL THE LINE WORK OF A DRAWING HAS BEEN DONE, THE DRAWING MAY BE RENDERED ACTUALLY USELESS BY POOR LETTERING.
In short, work hard, get better, pay attention to details.
One of my favorite aspects of that class was the fact that we took a field trip to the Nissan Design Studio in La Jolla. It was an inspiration to see them actually applying some of the things we had learned in the class. And even more satisfying in retrospect was the fact that I smuggled my friend Chris Greazel into the class. At the time he was attending Cal State Fullerton and he made the trip special, a two hour drive for about a 2 hour visit.
Prom Program, 1987
For my High School Prom, I was asked to do the program. It was quite an honor. What I wanted to do was have a kiss featured. Here’s a sketch of what I presented:
I used to consider it censorship, but I suppose that was my first big run-in with design and audience considerations. This was for the University of San Diego High School, and all-in-all I do feel honored to have been chosen to design the program.
What’s ironic is that one of the main things I think about from High School with regards to drawing is that in my Freshmen drawing class, the teacher, on the first day, told me I was holding my pencil wrong and I subsequently never listened to a single thing she said.
I can be a stubborn jerk.
Update: I didn’t realize I had mentioned the pencil thing before: Lil’ Johnny Crivello, 1983.
Vampire
Another oldie, an illustration enhanced with Photoshop. It makes me wish I had the original drawing.
