Figures Fillière 1(b)

This is page 35 from Figures Fillière 1, available at amazon.com / books / Scott Fillier

It is one of a number of faces shown in the book and drawn in many different media, to demonstrate in this instance, that a mechanical drafting pen can be used to produce a landmark and powerfully expressive image one doesn’t usually associate with the output of that pen. All the more reason to investigate its off-beat potential.

The left-hand page of this two-page spread is of US President Jimmy Carter as the perfect opposite in personality type, and, in drawing tool effect.

Drawing Jenna

This time I will insert one of my YouTube videos, a drawing of my niece Jenna –three years old this week– but drawn a couple years ago.

My prime goal was to avoid cute; difficult to do in drawings with very small children, but the reference photo was all about her unusual sleeping pose, a superb, very unusual, neatly folded, accordion-like composition. I would only need to follow its lead and focus on that dynamic pose she had been so used to, and which had been so practical in her previous life.

As the drawing went forward I photographed its progress moment by moment, eventually arriving at what seemed a satisfactory finish. The drawing resolved itself without effort, and later on it was very easy to convert its dozens of stills into a video format.

For the music also, since I so enjoy creating the odd piece, I decided to take the most challenging route and discover whether something in a jazz mood might be less cute, less cloying than a lullaby. I think I found it.

The blend of image/music is surprising and, personally, is as close to flawless as I could hope.