Leather You Like It Or Not!

I'm a member of the RetroMen Yahoo Group and lately I've been going through my picture files, sketching as I go. I may just as well confess it -- I've saved a lot of leatherman images.

There is no need for me to clarify or explain myself. I'm a grown man. I like what I like. BUT -- in my closet you will find no leather gear. No harnesses, leather pants, chaps, biker caps/hats, wristbands...not even a single pair of leather boots (with the exception of one pair of black leather dress shoes). That is to say, I am not in the leather scene myself. I just like drawing the fashion.
It's also a place in the community where one still finds the hyper masculine ideal which inspires a lot of my Beefcake artwork. For my money no one did it better than Tom of Finland (obviously). Which is why, when I attempt it, I tend to cartoonify the image a little or use it as an accessory (like Jett Vector's harness, boots and gloves).

Leathermen also remind me of He-Man toys of which I was a huge fan as a kid (and still am today).
j.

Cock of the Walk!

Summer is nearly here and I am THRILLED! Granted we here in Toronto have had an easy winter compared to, say, Washington DC and much of the Northern United States. With all of this warm weather, and my work being more or less complete, I've been spending a lot of time outdoors.
I've also been incredibly inspired lately and have a bunch of half finished beefcake drawings! I've got a terrible habit of doing partial drawings -- I get an idea for a drawing, sketch it out in between comic book pages or illustration gigs, and then I forget to go back and finish the drawing. Strangely the carefully coiffed gentleman above was drawn from start to finish all in one day. Today, as a matter of fact.

Oh, I in NO WAY endorse the smoking of cigarettes! This guy is a cartoon and being fictional he is not at risk of dying from any of the many cigarette related ailments that can strike you down and kill you!

sincerely,
j.bone

I Win!

A few weeks ago I came across (pause for pun to sink in) the blog of the amazing Colby Keller. Some of you may know of Colby from his films with Randy Blue and other films for grown-ups -- but how many knew that he is a lover of the arts and himself an artist? I sure didn't. But I quickly pored over his blog, reading every single post. I love his enjoyment of the arts. He's got a sense of humor about art and gallery space which the elite may pooh-pooh, but which I embrace! I love cracking wise at galleries especially when I think the art/artist is taking things too seriously (my perception. They may very well be laughing right along with me -- especially if they acquired a tremendous grant from the government for their piece entitled "Pool of Vodka").

I found Colby's blog just in time to enter an ART CONTEST! Yes, I was running late on a deadline and had much work to get done, but I really wanted to enter! And enter I did: With the Colby Keller paper doll with fashion accessories. I'm absolutely thrilled to be the first winner as selected by the Man himself! I believe Mr. Keller is selecting his top three choices and then will open up voting to his blog readers in the selection of remaining winners.

Visit Colby's blog and check out his art! Check out his cute butt! And be sure to print out your very own Colby Keller paper doll to dress and undress as you please (sorry, no nude variant -- you guys know my policy by now :)

Warmest regards,
j.

Cleansing the Palette!

Or -- what I do when I should be working! This is what happens after I've been drawing on napkins at the bar. I try to translate the guys I've seen and sketched into cartooned versions. When I draw someone at the bar there's usually some characteristic or feature that I want to exaggerate. Sometimes I get it in the bar sketch -- but often it's not until I'm messing around on paper at home that I get that "thing" I want.
The guy above is Toronto leatherman Sean Cribbin. I've drawn him, and his boyfriend, before when I saw them laughing and hanging out at the bar. Sean's got a heavier beard and I wanted to get that chin extension. He looks mean in the head-shot, but I assure you he's never been anything but smiling when I've seen him out.
Oh, his shirt was also riding up just a little bit and that peak of flesh above his jeans was just oh, so lovely!
This page is an attempt at the guy I introduced myself to. It's still not exactly right -- there was something about his strong jaw that I'm not getting in my drawing. The other two guys are Woody's bartenders. Adorable, hot and friendly! Am I out at the bar too often? Perhaps! But who can blame me when surrounded by such delightful man-folk!
And this disembodied torso is something I'm working. It's a paper-cut out doll. No. Not Roger Rodgers. It's someone I've never drawn before and will be revealed in due time.

All right now! I've got work to get done! Enough porn-crastination!
Be well, boys.
j.

p.s. I've labeled this post as "Guy a Day". I've decided that "Guy a Day" should include any post about regular Joes!

Drawing on Napkins!

When I'm out at the bar and I've forgotten or not wanted to carry along a sketchbook, and I see someone who's face I'd really like to draw I have very few options! At a bar, at least, there are always napkins. I've drawn on a lot of napkins. I've learned the lighter, more delicate touch required when drawing on flimsy, absorbent paper with a felt tip marker. How to cross-hatch just enough to get a dark area but not so much that I soak through the layers of paper and tear a giant hole through my drawing. And I've done all of this while nicely sauced on double-short rum and cokes!

For those of you keeping track of my growing bold/adventurous nature I will tell you that I spoke to "Anthony", introducing myself and telling him that I thought he was quite handsome.
Going through my old pictures the other day I found some really nice shots I'd taken of Josh (nearly a year ago now). This one in particular was something I'd always wanted to get down on paper. I've only had time so far to do this rough but I like how his profile turned out.

It's a shame drawing on napkins doesn't pay the bills (or my bar tab).
j.

I Call 'em Like I See 'em!

From the same producers who brought us Xena: Warrior Princess (and Hercules) comes a new sword and sandal epic -- SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND. I, for one, can't wait! The trailer has been online for a while now and I keep watching it just to catch tid-bits of what looks to be some terrific action. The creative team has smartly dressed the show to look like a continuation of (or at least in the same vein as) 300! Which is a feast for the eyes.
Spartacus promises to show plenty of beefcake! I sketched a few of the guys from the trailer, sometimes having to add my own details when the images weren't exactly clear.
This scene reminded me of something from a Frank Frazetta painting. Fur clad barbarian battling it out with our hero!

j.

You're an Animal, Man!

Hawkman is one of those characters I've always wanted to draw in a comic book story but have yet to get the chance. I think he must be a tough character to get a grasp on...so tied up is he with his past life/next life history. I thought it'd be fun to draw a story with his great, great, great ancestor back in the days of Egyptian pharaohs when animal headed Gods ruled!
Speaking of animal heads...this guy I drew after a night hanging out at Woody's! For those of you who've never been there, Woody's has a rhino head mounted in the main stage area of the bar. An artificial rhino, mind you. He's kinda the mascot of the place. There is also a wall/showcase full of rhinoceros knick-knacks. So I wanted to draw a cartoon hunk of rhinoceros beefcake who I might one day pitch to Woody's management for use in advertising or something. He would, of course, be named Woody!

Speaking of Woody's, I've lately found myself with much greater confidence when it comes to simply starting conversation with guys I think are good lookin'. I haven't reached the point yet of asking anyone to pose for me...but I'm off to a good start :)

Happy New Year!
j.bone

Happiest of Holidays!

All the best during the holidays, folks. Make it the best and brightest however you celebrate!
Sincerely,
j.bone

The Unbreakable Bottom!

First seen in spring of this year, The Unbreakable Bottom (aka RJ Danvers, comic book fan and adorable blogger) returns to the page! I was inspired by a post made by RJ on his own blog (p.s. Not safe for work) of a drawing featuring Spidey and Ms. Marvel and a questionable tangent. One of RJ's fans suggested a Ms. Marvel team-up with the Unbreakable Bottom. Well, didn't draw Ms. Marvel but I did want to draw UB again. I don't consider myself a very good costume designer but I really like how this one turned out. It's a little bit Jett Vector with Wonder Man colors.

Update: Sketchbook's coming along slooooowly...oof! I've finally started putting it all together in my layout program. So that's something! :)

best,
j.

Post-Poser Post!

I love finding new sites that make it seem like I'm working (because they're art related) but that actually distract me from doing my work! The above drawing is based on a photo found at the always delicious Super Underwear Perverts. Below are sketches drawn from a brand new site (to me, anyway) filled with terrific reference pics of anatomy. The poses are digital, meaning they're not real people, but I've yet to see a pose that breaks any rules of anatomy
Check out Posemaniacs and try out the timed/random sketch sessions. Every 30 seconds (set your own time) you get a new pose. Do your best to sketch it up quickly, getting the gesture, etc... OR take a stroll through their cache of 19,440 images, rotate for different angles and build up your visual library of human anatomy. I like that the "models" are skinless...it means that I'm not distracted by staring at someone's "junk"* and focus, instead, on just drawing! That's important!
These were all drawn on the 45 second setting. You don't have the option of choosing only male poses but, c'mon, we need to draw women just as much as we need to practice drawing men! Right?

Enjoy.
j.
p.s. Send links to your own drawings if you check out the site.

* Junk - slang term for a man's privates. I also like to use the term "junkyard" when referring to the entire pelvic region. As in, "I would like to pay a visit to his junkyard."

This is Anatomy?

Well, I'm sure this isn't exactly the type of image you'd expect to find on this here Beefcake drawing blog! My previous post where I played around with straight lines vs. curved inspired me to try a little experiment: to draw a figure alternating, as much as possible, between straight and curved lines. You might be inclined to call me out on a few of my curve-ishy "straight" lines...but I would argue with you that the area in question leans more to the straight and, therefore, counts as such :)

Now, I'm a cartoony cartoonist so my technique does favor the more exaggerated. There are certainly very few(if any) completely straight lines in actual human anatomy. But drawing is all about interpretation of the actual/real. Even in the most realistic of drawings there is stylization going on (meaning that the artist is making choices in what and what not to include in the interpretation of the three dimensional world onto the two dimensional drawing surface).

Whew! That's nearly enough "Art" theory for me! As one of my college art teachers used to say, "Talking about Art is like Dancing about architecture." *

Here's a fleshy colored doodle to put us back on the Beefcake track. This was another experiment, however. The Red line running up the front-side of the figure was my starting point. I wanted to build a figure with as much of his form "locked" to a solid perpendicular. When I'm drawing from life I'll sometimes look for such "through lines" on which to build the rest of the figure.

j.
* (As I know there are both artists AND dancers who read my blog, I type that quote with tongue firmly planted in cheek ;)

Roughing it!

Rough sketches today provided by delicious beefcake found on the excellent Super Underwear Perverts blog managed by sexy Ray Randell. Just some quickies to warm up this morning before I get to the actual work.
The guy on the right was drawn for his backside...my aim was to alternate curves with straight lines. Those curves, to me, are absolutely beautiful and are among my favourite lines of the human body. The guy in shorts explores a little of my other favourite curve vs. straight line balancing act...the curve of the pecs connect with the straight lines of the abdominal, curving into the pelvis with a short straight before you get the quads, knee and shin.

Speaking of sketches I really ought to update on the whereabouts of my sketchbook. It was put ever so briefly on hold while I finished another issue of the Super Friends. But I'm back on it. I hope everyone hasn't lost patience with me...I want to make sure I give you guys my best stuff and finding all my big Photoshop files of color work has taken more time than I'd like.

Also, I changed some of my Cafepress merchandise to include the Hot Toddy Devil Drawing. Toddy is supposed to be coming to Toronto soon and I can't wait to see him perform again. Hopefully I'll get to draw him again, as well! Fingers crossed!

j.

All Hallow's Eve!

Happy Halloween, boys and ghouls! Have a fantastic night of tricking and treating! Don't overindulge and always, ALWAYS, play safe!

j.

Man-Made Man!

Frank makes the scene. How to achieve this look at home: Green body paint, black or dark green body paint for the stitches, ripped jeans or dress pants (dark gray), big ol' belt buckle, big ol' clunky boots and bolts for your neck. You could make the bolts from stuff lying about your house...like cardboard or foam. Hold them on by tying a string around your neck, which you can hide under drawn-in stitches.

Easy peasy!

j.

Costumed Cro-Mag!

I think cavemen are hot.

:) j.

Costume Count!

Halloween is just around the corner! It's definitely become my favourite Holiday of the year as Church st. becomes a carnival of costumes and parties until the Great Pumpkin comes! I've been busy with work and not had a chance to create a costume for myself at all this year! I'm searching for inspiration, I think.
In the comments section last post Musclsvg put a question to me thus: "What would be your ultimate Halloween costume design? "

The Ultimate anything is a difficult request to fill. I have so many things I'd love to see as costume for Halloween or just every day life :) that I can't draw fast enough to get them all down. So, I thought what I'd do is draw up a few ideas I've got for Beefcake Costumes that play on some of my own personal favourite fantasies! As cartoony as the proportions are in my drawings I've tried to consider each costume as if it were to be worn by a "real" man.

First up is Vlad The Impaler! Very simple. Very, I think, sexy! I think it'd be hot to see the guy with the cape pulled across his chest at first before the big reveal as he swoops in for the big bite! Swoon!

I'll post as I finish each drawing, hopefully each day...though I can't promise it :)

If anyone has any requests as I go along feel free to post in the comments. I've got my own ideas but am not at all opposed to inspiration from all y'all!

j.

Bear Bar Doodles!

Last week was Woody's 20th anniversary and they celebrated by throwing a big party with plenty of food, cake, and drag queens! It was fantastic! And fantastically packed! I think every hot guy in the city was out for the festivities. I finally met the guy from the previous post, the one in the baseball tee. Practice makes perfect, and I'm working on what I call my "Man Courage". One day I'll be comfortable approaching just any ol' guy and introducing myself.
The above drawing is my memory sketch of a guy at the Woody's party who grabbed my attention and held it all night. He was just incredible looking. He was wearing a nice white plaid shirt (is plaid a color or just the pattern?) and an adorable smile (a good sign that someone is actually fun to be around). I got his attention as he passed me at one point just to introduce myself. *sigh*

These two pages are holdovers from the weekend at Man Camp (The Point). Mostly trying to capture the hotness of the guy who posed for me. He had a very sexy smirk, that one did!

Halloween is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to an evening of incredible costumes and eye-candy!

best,
j.

Raising The Bar!

Looking a lot tougher than he did in person, is my drawing of the tattooed guy from last weeks post. I say tougher because in person he was laughing and having a good time with his friends. Which is what attracted me in the first place (beyond the muscled frame, good looks, and tattooed hotness :) I most likely wouldn't have felt the urge to draw him right there at the bar if they had not looked like such a fun group!
This fella is another Woody's delight. I had seen him around a few times but on one particular evening he was wearing this t-shirt, a look for which I am an instant sucker (minds out of the gutter, boys ;) A shirt like this makes broad shoulders look even broader...accentuating that "V" torso that I so adore! I took a memory snapshot and drew him as best I could once I got home.

Now, let me ask you guys a question...because this topic has come up a few times in conversation with friends: When you see someone at a bar to whom you're attracted what is your approach?
Ladies, please feel free to weigh in as well! I like to hear all sides!

cheers,
j.

Rough Men!

What do you do when you're out at the bar, surrounded by hot tattooed and muscled men, and you absolutely MUST draw them but you haven't brought your sketchbook and the bar seems to be completely out of napkins? I'll tell you what I do. I grab one of those free newspapers available in nearly every city (you know, the ones promoting music/art/movie events in the city as well as their own political agendas). Find some open areas on ad pages, grab your pen (which you always carry around in your pocket) and draw, draw, draw!
I scribbled down these doodles at Woody's on Sunday night. First was the new bartender (bottom left) who is just simply adorable. Then the tattooed guys (middle and upper right). I couldn't stop staring at them because they were both incredible, were having a great time and the tall one in the dark shirt "spoke" sign language with a cute blonde chick. All my staring caught their attention (which, really, isn't that what I wanted to happen anyway? :) and the shorter guy and I chatted for a bit.
I'll be doing real and better illustrations of these guys but for now I wanted to get these doodles up. I make sketches like this often and then turn them into proper drawings later on...my sieve-like brain often forgets details and the doodles help remind me of important stuff like the arm tattoos, the fact that the tall guy had the cutest little overbite and both ears pierced, and that the new Woody's busboy wore his cap backwards.

j.

Summer Days Behind Us!

Like a selfish lover Summer has come and gone leaving me with no other alternative than to draw alone. It's true. The days are already getting shorter and the pants are getting longer. I take a jacket or sweater with me when I go out because it can be chilly walking home in just a t-shirt and jeans. I'm extremely glad for the terrific weekend I had at Man-Camp (my pet name for The Point (see previous entry)). The weather was perfect, I managed to get a suntan (actually a bit of a burn) and discovered a new and wonderful vacation destination. I will most definitely be returning next season.

In the meantime I'm buckling down with a re-newed workload, and nearly finalizing art for the sketchbook. I was hoping to be further along by now...all blame for delays rest squarely on my shoulders. I'm picking up the pace on the sketchbook when I get moments of spare time from regular work.

Hope everyone had a good summer (or, if you're on the other side of the world, are looking forward to a good summer ;)
best,
j.