Matinee Melodies

Granted, I apologize for this being a touch late to the party - but at long last, I present the poster for our last show, "Matinee Melodies". This was a program celebrating the music of 1930s Hollywood, so I went with simple black and white, with a cinematic theme. Let's have a look at our model...

As Norma Desmond famously said in Sunset Boulevard, "We had faces!" - and I quite enjoy this lady's coy countenance. She holds her trusty Western Electric carbon microphone, although the cord isn't attached to the element - the magic of illustration, in favor of a better line! Her evening gown is cinched with film, that cascades into a train, circling around the perimeter of the drawing...

A lot of fun, as I love to work with long, fluid curves. The "Matinee Melodies" lettering is actually India ink on white bristol - I prefer to let the paper itself show through, rather than use white ink on top. You can see how rough the inked surface is here...

And finally, a little detail - one of her feet. Just short of being indicative of a fetish, I love feet, and get a kick - no pun intended - out of drawing them. Heels, pointe shoes and slippers in particular have a power over my pen, sneaking in at every opportunity.


What else do I like? Seeing these lines so close-up. I tend to get lost in the moment when I'm working, and miss out on how India ink plays with the almost-smooth surface of bristol, like a funny ballet between the weight/control of my hand, and the unique character of whatever nib I'm using at the moment. And trust me, no two are alike - not only in terms of makes and models, but individually. It's a pain and a joy, working with such temperamental tools.

Up next - the antithesis of this drawing, a veritable orgy of color! Stay tuned!