The Anti-Conjuror

 

Honest, I am not the most dedicated, organized, or consistent keeper of sketchbooks.  That said, I do keep one in my purse, and one by the little television in my studio.  One of my favorite things to do when I just want to more or less relax and watch something I've recorded on the DVR is to pause the program and quick draw something from the screen.

I have a an inexpensive little (3.5x5.5 inches) notebook I bought at the drugstore last spring, thinking I'd fill it up and use it in a future journaling/sketching workshop for homeless high school kids.  I wanted it simple - just black pen and maybe a colored marker.  The notebook is slowly filling up, with jottings from trips, ideas from art books, sketches of things in the house, quotes and so on.  Anyway, I did this sketch while watching a show called The Illusionists, who turned out to be magicians working in various styles.

Dan Sperry bills himself as  the "Anti-Conjuror" and has gothic makeup, lots of tattoos, and a really interesting act.  I ended up liking his sketch best, complete with a fairly wonky job on the hand on the left side of the drawing.  I like the way the drawing ignores the center fold of the notebook, like the simple use of color, and I like the use of a frame.  I've been looking at books concerned with cartooning, and they use a frame, which make the drawing more appealing on the page, I think.

This may affect the design of my future pages.