Touch-A-Truck Day 05/31/2014

It's Touch-A-Truck day again, huzzah! Here are some sketches of the petting zoo of exotic vehicles at the 41st annual Star of the Sea Festival, literally on my doorstep.

An ambulance, not to be confused with a waahmbulance.

Julie challenged me to draw the whole control assembly as well as the sewer inspection robot.

The back end of a garbage truck. Sorry I couldn't make this one scratch-and-sniff...

So many exciting things to draw that I attempted to get them all in a single shot.

By request, the Triple A tow truck.

Last one for the day is the street sweeper.

San Francisco Zoo 05/23/2014

Back to the San Francisco Zoo for the opening of the Washed Ashore exhibit, plus another new animal arrival!

Washed Ashore is a collection of ocean-themed acoustic sculptures made from washed-up debris. (See washedashore.org for more info.) A couple of musicians were on hand to demonstrate the fine art of banging on the sculptures.

Whale bones, tube worms, and musical starfish made from recycled beach debris. I've painstakingly documented the corresponding sounds.

Jellyfish, seaweed, and colorful fish that rattle like rainsticks when you spin them.

And now, random animals. Here's a fine cassowary.

I think the langurs are planning something.

Foraging with the mandrills.

Assorted giraffes and sleepy zebras.

A single corner of the Lion House now houses a toucan, an anaconda, and a highly adorable two-toed sloth. The sloth can climb up its tree and hang from the ceiling when it feels like people-watching.

Finishing up the day at the Animal Resource Center. Lots of snakes and reptiles today!

San Francisco Zoo 05/07/2013

Another round of sketches from the San Francisco Zoo, which just introduced a red panda named Tenzing. I was there for the press event where the name was announced, and judging from the size of the media presence, this was clearly the only news story in San Francisco that day!

First order of business was the media event introducing the new red panda. He was a little shy - maybe it was all the cameras.

And here's Tenzing, named after the famous sherpa who scaled Mount Everest alongside Edmund Hillary.

The fabulous treehouse created by Pete Nelson of "Treehouse Masters."

The ground hornbills are magnificent. I should try drawing more of the birds...

The grizzlies are so lively, it's hard to get a full pose, but I think I'm getting closer.

The obligatory peccary update.

My first time drawing the penguins. Visually, they're pretty simple little critters, so I spent some time on the environment.

From the daily show and tell at the Animal Resource Center. What a cute possum!

Superhero Costume Workshop 05/05/2014

From the traditional end-of-semester workshop hosted by the AAU Comic Book Club. We had some video game and anime characters in the mix this time, which I think is great even if I don't recognize them all!

Whitney as Catwoman.

Not sure if Catwoman really carries a mace, but if she does, surely it must have a kitty face on it.

Kids, this is why we don't wipe our brushes on our sketchbook pages - you might need that space later.

Chie from Persona 4, apparently. I don't really know my videogame characters!

Elektra, of course. Since the costume's based on a leotard, it keeps reminding me of Kate Bush, who would make a very strange ninja assassin.

Apparently not Goku - it's Guy from Final Fight and Street Fighter, but the blue undershirt made me think of Dragon Ball instead.

More Cat-bondage. You're welcome!

A Megaman homage. Since I don't know what Megaman's costume looks like, you get a blue biker with a ray gun instead.

San Francisco Zoo 04/09/2014

And here I am taking advantage of the monthly free day for SF residents to do some drawing around the San Francisco Zoo.

The daily grizzly feeding creates some serious stroller gridlock. We checked back later in the day and found one of the bears doing yoga (not pictured).

The peccaries are as adorable as ever, and there are some new babies! Sadly, my weak eyes can't capture them as well as a camera lens.

Rhinos! Toucans!

It was a cold, cloudy day, and a lot of my favorite animals were napping.

Ditto for the tigers. Jillian was pressed right up against the glass, about 12 inches from me and my sketchbook.
 

From the critter show and tell at the Animal Resource Center. Mohave the tortoise is 70 years old!

Julie challenged me to paint the splendid turkey. Like all the zoo's turkeys, he's named after a Food Network host.

True fact: A big old ball provides hours of entertainment for your hippopotamus.

Costume Carnival 04/05/2014

It's been another busy season, and I haven't updated my blog in a while. Let's catch up on some recent life drawings, starting with the Academy of Art's traditional Costume Carnival. The theme this semester was "The Vagabonds," a roundup of oddball Americana...

Kicking off our cavalcade of characters, here's the Soda Pop Princess.

 

 

A pair of runaways, with luggage.

The awesome main stage set. Sarafina, the Illustration department's model coordinator, was justly proud of the trailer.

Lady mechanics and drag queens. America! 

 More teenage runaway 'tude.

Sundae time on the diner stage.
 

According to the back story, Bob and Connie are a southbound traveling couple discovering America. Our heroes, if you will.

And that's all, folks!