My first assignment for Illustration class is to fill up one of the small Moleskine sketchbooks (the kind that come in the three pack) over the course of a week, with the idea that anything we put in it would become a visual artist’s statement. I have one full day left and only four pages to go. Last semester, I all but stopped using my normal sketchbook for “sketching,” it just became a place to take notes and draw thumbnails for school assignments and freelance gigs. No doodling, no life drawing, no plain old mark-making, and it was getting me down. I started a new sketchbook devoted to those things, but stopped again because I didn’t like carrying around two hardbound books everywhere, especially with my healing back. I think these little Moleskines are the answer to my problem. I’ve never used one before, and while the paper feels flimsy, I like how it takes ink, and its portability makes me more liable to grab it anytime to write or draw anything in it without worrying about quality. It’s been really freeing so far.

Below is this character I’ve been drawing everywhere lately. I was doodling a beard and mustache in the sketchbook (cause, you know, that’s what I do) and put a little face where the mouth should be; after that, he just kept popping up page after page. I wanted to just call him “Beardface,” but because I didn’t check the internet first, nor do I watch Scrubs, I was blissfully unaware of the handful of other “beard faces” inhabiting the world. I really have some plans for this guy in terms of prints, short comics, and even plush, so I think he deserves an official name.

Some possibilities already given to me:
- Beardhead (already taken by an awesome knit hat)
- Winky Monocle
- Phil Bunyan (Paul’s brother or cousin, although I assume Phil to be closer to normal, human size)
- Beefeater

If you have any name suggestions, let me know ‘em. I’ll probably send something cool to whoever comes up with a good enough name for this fella. I sort of like the idea that he is an alter ego of mine, so if his name happened to have the initials of BT, that would be cool too.

Speaking of contests, the Baby Otto Theme Contest is still open at the moment, so keep the suggestions coming.

Tags :: Sketchbook