by Marty Coleman | Jan 2, 2011 | Sketchbook History Tour |
In 1998 I took a trip to New York to visit my sister. I went into Manhattan a few times via the Long Island Railroad to visit museums. I drew along the way. Looking back I saw 3 different types of portraits I was creating. I still do the same three types.
Woman on the Long Island Railroad at Christmas
A portrait of what I see: She was looking out the train window pensively. We stopped and there was an outdoor Christmas Tree with a star on top in front of a house right next to the tracks. She never changed her expression. I took note, quickly adding it to the scene before we moved on.
Woman Peering Through Her Only Portal
A portrait with what I imagine: She was also on the Long Island Railroad, this time on my way back to my sister’s house on Long Island. I didn’t get into the drawing long enough to draw a background so instead I started imagining how the light fell on her face and where it could have come from. I imagined a knot hole in a wall and went with that idea.
Woman With Articulation Of What Once Was
A portrait from all imagination: Maybe I saw someone’s eyes, lips or nose in passing and had that in my head, but basically I made the whole portrait up. It’s a caricature of a type that I see once in a while, oversize and undersized everything, dramatic in how extreme the features go together.
Drawings © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 26, 2010 | Sketchbook History Tour |
We started in 1972 (6 months ago) and now are at the 25 year mark in my sketchbook history tour.
Church and Details
We went to Asbury United Methodist Church in Tulsa for many years. I spent many hours drawing in this church. I spent an extra long amount of time on this one after the service where I did the original sketch.
Woman being Enlightened by an Accordion Bug
Who’s to say where we will get our inspiration. Some from world leaders of peace, some from Accordion Bugs.
It’s a fun challenge to make something look like something else. I drew the profile first, then had a very large space to fill. I am not sure if the landscape idea came first, probably it did. But eventually it was an attempt to create a body landscape that wasn’t immediately obvious.
Drawings © 2016 – Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 19, 2010 | Sketchbook History Tour |
A Woman with Rain on Her Shoulder
A portrait of my first wife, K. We were married for 20+ years (1979-2000). She had her moments of being bummed about things and I was visualizing one of those little moments in this drawing.
This was in my very small sketchbook I carried with me at the time. 2″ x 3″ Probably I started to draw this woman and she moved after I had just done her profile. So instead of figuring out the back of her head I just made her into a giant sculpture in a parking lot watching a rocket take off. Made sense at the time!
Wife and Husband with A Block Between Them
I met the woman at church and drew her from behind. I heard her talking about marital issues and I imagined an actual block between her and her husband.
The Bather
I almost never cross hatch using color so this was an interesting exercise for me. I was especially fun because I was trying to work in the water covering part of her.
Drawings © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 17, 2010 | E. W. Howe, Work - 2010 |
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Day #5 of Work Week at The Napkin Dad Daily
I weigh myself. Not every day, but most days. But I wouldn’t as much if I were busier (I wouldn’t as much if I didn’t have a scale in my bathroom as well).
But here is a question: Do you think the aid workers in Haiti weigh themselves very often?
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by E. W. Howe, 1853-1937, American novelist and editor
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 16, 2010 | Anonymous, Work - 2010 |
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Day #4 of Work Week at The Napkin Dad Daily
It’s easy to mistake thinking about doing something with doing it. It takes up a lot of mind power, mind time and mind energy to think through something. The mind work make you feel as if you have already done it, so it can be hard to get up the enthusiasm to actually go and do that thing.
But taking action is the only way to make your thoughts real so best go do it!
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote author not known
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 15, 2010 | Theodore Roosevelt, Work - 2010 |
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Day #3 of Work Week at The Napkin Dad Daily
Long ago I had a job where I used certain development software very intensely. My boss came to me and someone senior to me and asked if either of us wanted to work with a new software program neither of us were familiar with. The person senior to me had first pick. He said no. I jumped at the chance and said yes. But my boss wasn’t sure. She asked ‘Can you do the job?’ I said yes and immediately started staying late after work to learn the program. I succeeded in mastering it, the other guy soon quit under pressure because his work was suffering and his skills were laking. I became the boss a year later. He went back to Texas and worked in construction.
If each challenge you face in work (and in life) is met first with a ‘I don’t know how to do that’ response, then guess what? You won’t be given the chance to learn how to do it. Whether it’s taking a class for your own enjoyment or something at your place of work, make your first response be ‘Yes, I can’ then work like hell learning how.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Theodore Roosevelt, 1858-1919, 26th President of the United States
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 14, 2010 | Oscar Wilde, Work - 2010 |
I decided it is ‘Work Week’, so today is day #2 of it!
I don’t just mean your ‘work’ job. I mean the jobs in your life. Want to appreciate your job as a mother? Imagine your children gone. Want to appreciate your job as a communicator? Imagine all the communication methods you use gone. Want to appreciate your job as a friend? Imagine you don’t have any.
What jobs do you have in life that you overlook?
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by Oscar Wilde, the best source of pithy quotes in the universe!
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 13, 2010 | Thomas Edison, Work - 2010 |
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Day #1 of my week long series on either ideas or work, not sure which yet. You will just have to come back tomorrow to see!
No matter how bizarre the mechanics, how advanced the electronics, how many people behind you are helping to turn the gears or switch the switches – if you don’t do your work your idea will not work either.
Preached to myself this 13th day of December, 2010.
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Quote by Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931, American inventor
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 12, 2010 | Sketchbook History Tour |
I don’t really have an explanation for these drawings from 1995. I was just goofing off and came up with this series of women dancing in their bathing suits. I like them, they make me laugh. Which one is your most favorite and least favorite? Why?
Drawings © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 5, 2010 | Sketchbook History Tour |
1994 was a big year. It was the year I gave up on a path and started to forge a new one. In May of 1994 we moved from San Jose, California where I was teaching part-time at 3 Community Colleges AND working as a manager at Eulipia Restaurant to Broken Arrow, a suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Here are some last sketchbook drawings I did in California.
A Drawing of a Woman as a Sculpture
A Woman as a 3D Painting Facing off Against Singing Snake
A Teenager Contemplating The Finger of God
In the next weeks I will show some of the images from my time in Tulsa as an artist/animator in my new job. You will see an interesting change but at the same time you will see that I never really change all that much.
Drawings © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com
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