(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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001-144_41057.indd 57 4/24/14 7:20 PM56 The Drawing Club(Text)
Jonathon Cripple in a steampunk
themeStacy E. Walker in a steampunk
themeStacy E. Walker as Red Sonja Andy Flaster as the detectiveHeather Capps as Pris from Blade
RunnerJohn Mackey as a circus clown Sara Streeter as the gangster’s
girlfriend 2Sara Streeter as the gypsy girlAbigail Caro as the flamenco
dancerEric Underwood as Zorro Steve Jacobsen as the safari hunter Jee Teo as Bruce LeeExErcisE:Draw from memory
What defines a good storyteller? For me, it’s when I hear
someone retell an event that we both experienced, and his or
her version is so much more interesting than what actually hap-
pened. Sure, there might be some embellishment, but everyone
listening wishes they were there.
When a great storyteller draws, the same thing happens. At
any given time in any of my workshops, an artist will do a draw-
ing of a character from a particular spot in the room. At face
value, the pose might be good or bad, but maybe it is better on
the other side of the room. Some people move. This is under-
standable. But there are always some who stay in one spot and
draw a great drawing anyway because they are not just copying
the pose. That artist might have been observant enough to draw
based on all the poses the model made that night. Even when
the model was just walking around between poses, that artist
was observing the character and how the model moved in the
costume. This results in a unique story of that artist’s observa-
tions told through the drawings.(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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57(Text)
Andy Flaster as the detectiveSara Streeter as the gypsy girlJee Teo as Bruce LeeExErcisE:Draw from memory
What defines a good storyteller? For me, it’s when I hear
someone retell an event that we both experienced, and his or
her version is so much more interesting than what actually hap-
pened. Sure, there might be some embellishment, but everyone
listening wishes they were there.
When a great storyteller draws, the same thing happens. At
any given time in any of my workshops, an artist will do a draw-
ing of a character from a particular spot in the room. At face
value, the pose might be good or bad, but maybe it is better on
the other side of the room. Some people move. This is under-
standable. But there are always some who stay in one spot and
draw a great drawing anyway because they are not just copying
the pose. That artist might have been observant enough to draw
based on all the poses the model made that night. Even when
the model was just walking around between poses, that artist
was observing the character and how the model moved in the
costume. This results in a unique story of that artist’s observa-
tions told through the drawings.If you are sitting at home watching TV, try this: Watch a pro-
gram, movie, or sporting event, and allow yourself to really get
absorbed by it. When you feel ready, start drawing. Don’t freeze-
frame the images on the screen. Just draw from your memory
and imagination. The challenge is to try to feel the characters
and poses based on the impression they made on you. You will
think about what you found the most memorable and important,
and that will be what you draw. Sometimes, it’s the gestures;
other times, it could be the facial expressions or details. The
more you do this, the better you will get at it. This tests both
your observation and storytelling skills.
After a while, you will find yourself doing drawings that are
more about what you think rather than a copy of what you saw.
As an illustrator, I used to work this way to keep from just copy-
ing my reference.The Safari Hunter, colored pencil on paper, Forrest CardChapter 3: Concept and Story(Fogra 29) Job:11-41057 Title:Drawing club Handbook
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