YSL-y, 3

I've been doing multiple iterations of this sketch on varying layers, and I can't seem to decide how far to take the changes on his face. The good thing about digital work is you can always regress without any losses. I often feel like it's cheating, but oh well. I'm not sure this version will last...

Vintage Black Label, 13

I cut the them's hair and now he looks more like a They/Them. Ugh, I am still not used to how these pronouns work grammatically.

YSL-y, 2

I picked this drawing up again after a pause, as I was looking for older sketches that I had temporarily abandoned (as is my wont) when I went on vacation. Hunh, weird to write that—guess I DID go on a vacation, even if I don't have a day job I'm actually vacating.

Charlie's Bathtub 2

I added a few more details. I suppose this is done, not part 2. Again, fun as a naive work, but not sure I'd want to lay claim to this style going forward.

Charlie's Amazon Chair

I finished up this sketch on Sunday but did spend a couple of days out in Charlie's little courtyard drawing his Amazon purchase lounge chair. It's not really anything pretty, but I thought I'd just do an honest observational sketch of the subject, because it was there. Not so fond of it, but hey, it's an exercise!

Charlie's Bathtub

Charlie mentioned that if I wanted to do any more sketches like the Cuban Oregano one, feel free. Idid one of the bath tub, because I liked the color blocking.

Cuban Oregano 2

Charlie really liked the sketch yesterday, and I thought I'd play with it more, but I didn't get beyond a few strokes in the background. But, since I was on vacay, that will have to qualify for my sketch for the day.

Cuban Oregano

Charlie has a pot of Cuban Oregano growing in his kitchen, a plant that he's had since he lived in Hudson, and when Rainer—intrigued by a cutting of the herb in his dinner plate—took it home and planted it successfully. I had a successfully grown cutting at one point myself. Anyhow, this is an Procreate Pocket app sketch I did on my iPhone. This was in the morning, as I was looking for idyllic things to do while having breakfast and discussing how I don't love the iPad drawings of David Hockney. I demonstrated to Rainer and Charlie how I can finger paint on my phone.

Rainer in Charlie's Garden, 2

I didn't get much of a likeness from my first round of sketches, but I was never going to get anything significant with the way I approached the sketches that day. This is from a photo I took yesterday and sketched from in the evening. I think it captures something of Rainer, in my minimalist way. Rainer was nonplussed about it but I know he doesn't like his features being posted, even if I did it as a gift for him. I think I'll give it to Charlie instead.

Rainer in Charlie's Garden

I went up to Providence RI for a week, and went out and bought a sketch pad and some charcoal to sdo some sketching while I was up there. You'd think I would have brought some of my existing materials, of which I have many, but I couldn't decide when I was packing. Anyhow, these were just a few random sketches I did of my friend Rainer, as well as various items in the patio set where we all gathered. Rainer commented that I was weird, because I would jump from one part of the page to another with no seeming rhyme or reason other than laying out on the page. Isn't that the way others do it? Apparently not!

image to be scanned...

SS23 Men's Croquis

I'm always on the lookout for men's runway poses that really show a lot of good positioning. This one had nice contraposto, but not too much that it looked dated, since most recently, models were much more robotic on the runways (although that seems to be changing once again). Then I decided he needed to wear the short new short length as well as the loose, wide boots that have prevailed for yet another season, this time showing up more in menswear.

Cyclops Formal 3

I saw a shawl collared jacked a while back and wondered, could the lapels be enough to form an X? From my sketches, I don't know if this idea will pan out. Ah well, back to the proverbial (and almost literal) drawing board.

Yellow Lining

This Etro exit from the recent SS23 shows in Milan had a jacket lining that had the same fabric and pattern as the underpinning, which I had to sketch really quickly.

Mantel Boy

He was originally the model for the men's version of the 'mantel' clothing line my friend at Vintage Black Label is doing, but I felt like his face wasn't right for the fashion, so I'm reusing him in a nekkid drawing. Not sure of the pose and anatomy just yet...

Vintage Black Label 12

I ended up making my They guy a bit more masculine, but while the face is improved for a Him, I'm not sure it's good for a Them. And now his technique is too refined compared to my American black guy, whom I have a crush on and reminds me of a few guys I've had in my life who echoed his 'feel'. I might just spin him off into a nude.

Vintage Black Label 11

My friend challenged me to cast and draw a model whose pronouns would be They/Them, so I started out by imagining a square-faced guy who resembled model Hanna Gabi Odiele. BUt while it's a fun quirky face and I'm happy to say I created him...er, them, out of imagination, I'm not quite sure he's cast right for teh drawing.

Vintage Black Label 10

Still 'casting' my guys for the third 'ad' page, and I really like how the kid on the right turned out: he looks like a black American as drawn by Neal Adams! Although I have my doubts about whether or not he's apropos for the clothing.

Vintage Black Label 9

I looked at myself in the gym earlier and realized, I had the elbows wrong. I was posing in front of the mirror, standing with my arms like the model in this drawing, and people must have wondered what the hell stance I was trying to achieve, haha! I'm still a far cry from being confident in how I draw arms, but gotta keep practicing...

Vintage Black Label 8

I think the first and second poses are good to go, barring any last minute adjustments. Made them look like vintage Lord & Taylor ads.

Sweatshirt Only

Saw a photo of a guy in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and decided to draw just the sweatshirt! Hehe

Vintage Black Label 7

Now I want to do a menswear version since Greg also has men's shirts in his line. But am still uncertain about my casting. I think a black guy but I don't know if I should make him more African, or more like an old school African American model. This is my attempt at the latter, as a test.

Greg at Le Gamin

Went up to Hudson again with my friend Greg and decided to do a quick sketch of him on m Pocket Procreate while we sat at brunch on Friday. He didn't like the fact that he had a double chin (only from staring at his phone) so I drew a different version of it without the folds.

Vintage Black Label 6

I didn't realize that even my hand-written logo looked very Lord & Taylor. I had only had Fred Greenhill's iconic sketch layouts in mind, but I guess I subconsciously  channeled the whole ads. But this will be fun to do as a series—since it's Vintage Black Label, vintage ads work right in.

Face Wipe, Done

I went to the gym again yesterday, after a long bout of not going again (I still have not gotten back into it) and there were guys again doing their face wiping with the hems of their shirts. And the guy I watched (he did it often) had great abs, of course. But after he finished working out, he pulled out a towel he had lying about somewhere and went off to the locker rooms. So he had a towel, but was too lazy to use it?

Hooded Rogue 2

I rather like this face the way I drew it. Now just need to make a suitable costume to match!

Hooded Rogue

All this Hellfire Gala stuff got me thinking what Rogue might wear, because the last outfit she had for last year was absolutely hideous. But I'm not sure yet, although I'm a bit inspired (apparently, I found out after I sketched it) by vintage Alaia.

Manspreading

I thought, could I get away with this pose on Instagram? Probably not.

Vintage Black Label 5

Refining yesterday's closeup. I was originally trying for a more current African model but my gal is looking more like a n Alfre Woodard face, which isn't a bad thing, just not my original intent. Anyhow, I added the WIP overlay because sometimes people pin my drawings on Pinterest, and this is by no means anywhere close to done.

Vintage Black Label 4

Yet another pose, this time trying to determine a good closeup.

Vintage Black Label 3

I'm thinking the sketches will be a suite of 3 or 4, so this is a second pose I'm exploring

Vintage Black Label 2

I wasn't sure I liked the Deliciously Dry brush I was using, so I went for a softer feel with the Ruffin brush, to evoke a bit more of that Fred Greenhill Lord & Taylor painted ad style. Plus I changed her hand—that forward swing of the arm opposite the leading foot always gives me a problem.