Quarantine Sketchbook

There is something exciting about starting a painting with just a few brush strokes. I was tempted to go back in but I am really trying to practice more restraint lately.  Everything needs to breathe among the chaos which makes perfect sense to me in the current landscape we all reside in. “Big Horn” ink and wash on paper 12x18 .

One of the things I love to do after completing a piece is to take the image and design some type around it. It's just something to do and it does give me an idea as to how that particular painting or illustration will look if ever used as a book cover or promo piece. This is a painting originally titled "His name was Country" an oil on canvas which measures 11x14. I was just mess'n around and came across this typeface which I think gives it a cool little retro vibe. Please click on image to enlarge.

 Every week I submit one to three images to Tribune Media who provides images to various newspapers across the country. If they post one of my drawings I get paid for that image. Pretty simple. I'm not making hand over fist but it does get my work out there and I have the opportunity to try various mediums and styles. Many of the pieces are used for a newspapers "Opinion" page and us in the business refer to it as "Op-ed". These are a couple of the Covid-19 inspired pieces I recently did. The first relates to "Greed, individuals and companies who look to make a profit during these times" and the second image relates to "Spring". Newspapers seek strong imagery which states a simple message quickly and to the point and I strive to keep it as simple as possible. These two pieces were drawn using brush and ink then scanned and colored digital in photoshop.

Automatic drawing is a way to loosen up and free your mind while enjoying the act of making art while not having a set idea. A form of doodling. I do the same with paint as I'm sure many of us artists do. This piece shown here is a good example.

The cool couple. They're out there somewhere. This was a random sketch I did last night while watching tv. I inked it with a micron pen then colored it in ink and watercolor. A caption would fit below this well as it reminds me of a cartoon you might see in the New Yorker. If you have an idea, shoot it to me! And as always, please keep me and other artists in mind for commissions and purchases during these trying times. Have a great day! www.markweberart.com

My wife Chris and I put up a gazebo last Thursday and have been spending a good amount of our time enjoying it and it's somewhat bug free environment. We are hoping it will last the Summer and not be blown away or punctured by some falling tree limb. It is nice to have a spot where we can hide from the sweltering sun or watch the rain fall as we sit and read, or in my case draw while enjoying the fresh air. If you have something you want drawn, please mail me at mark@weberillustration.com