How Much Is Too Much

 

How Much Is Too Much!   Expect this to be a crutch I rely on; it's one of my favorite series.  It's one of Ross's suggestions, much like the Alligator/Crocodile note.  Barista Powers is nothing if not a community project.  Well done, team.

Well, I got nothin'.

So you can see, I'm not always prepared.  That doesn't stop some people from expecting a note.  Trying to find the right entertaining coworkers / rest of my life balance.  I've followed a number of comic artists as they make the change from posting irregularly while working full time to full time illustrating.  I'm not that guy.  Need more practice.

An Introduction To Alberto Giacometti

Another of my unfunny Art Lessons, perhaps the least popular of my material.  You can see Giacometti's work at the Chazen Art Museum.  I like the roughness of his work.  You can see that I used a Sharpie for these drawings; fine lines were unnecessary to convey the feel of his work.

How To Recognize Alligators And Crocodiles

An important visual guides to Alligators and Crocodiles.  You never know when the knowledge may save your life.  Many thanks to my buddy Ross; he sent me the reference picture while I was working.

A Dramatic Re-Enactment Of Life As A Cashier

Long form comics!  Insane!  I've been experimenting with the best way to display these.  At work I just post them all at once across the register.  It's a display problem on blogs and Facebook albums; a picture that contains all the panels has unreadably small text.  I thought maybe the overlap would create a visual continuity.  I'll let you know when I've settled on a format I like.

Starting Volume 2

And I say that only because it's true.

I want to redraw that last panel enough that this may be a series I explore again if I do another Art Lessons run.  Brace yourself!

Thus begins the beginning of Barista Powers Volume 2, or at least the it does in the book version.  In the Kindle version this is somewhere in the middle.  Which reminds me, I should start formatting Volume 3 (the book) or Volume 2 (the Kindle book).

Beardless!

I've had a beard for so long, beardlessness is terrifying.

That guy again!

Phone camera as photo reference fail.

The folks at Isis have been good to me. 

Watching Spaced makes it hard to have enough brain left to write things.  I don't know how much insight I can share on a memorable phrase like "Oh Isis, I'll miss you."  I drew myself, wearing my shirt, with my tattoo, at my counter, and people asked "Is this you?"  Le sigh.

Minimalism

 .

Albers was an important guy.

Ben's a more popular artist than I am already.

It's more important to act prepared than be prepared.

What can you do?

That Guy Is A Jerk

I want a shirt with a question mark.

 Life drawing is a very use-it-or-lose-it skill.

 Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to say it.

I like that shirt and that pen.

Draw a talking head a body, and they go mad with power.

Let Me Light The Way

 Illumination

Expressionism. Oops.

 Not everyone agrees.

A poor craftsman that blames his tools.  That said, that pen was crap.

Artists are defiant children.

More art, at the urging of good customers.

The Old Days

I'm not the type to retain 6300 names.

 During this series, I learned that if I draw the hat I'm wearing, and then take the hat off, customers will demand I put the hat back on.

I like that hat, but it gets hot by the espresso machine.  Drew myself into a corner.

 Oatmeal: Culinary Napalm

I delivered unto them a second sugar free flavor.

I was hearing a surprising amount of "Back when I started..." stories, and it seemed a good way of disguising my lazyness.

Filler Is The Least Of My Crimes

Art Is Fantastic!

This is not a pipe.

I love stippling, but damn if it doesn't make even the smallest drawing take a long time.

 Hatching is slow too, and for me, trickier.  I'd love to work up to Edward Gorey level of draftsmanship, but I don't think it's in the cards.

"Well this is unflattering." 'Yeah. Blind contour is not my favorite.'

The art lessons gave me an excuse to catch up on my art history.  Try out some new styles.

A few of my customers were art majors of various sorts. They push me to cover specific topics.  Bring mistakes to my attention.  It's a weird exploration of knowledge and opinion via sticky note.