I’m unpacking (mentally and physically) from the 3-day ComicCon, and I’ve got a lot of cool photos to share from it.  For now, I’ll mention a fun little aside that came from it.

One of the best things about conventions is meeting other people.  I’m not so good at the “walking up and making small talk” thing, but I really really enjoy one-on-one connections, and a booth gives you a great chance for that.

So the first day of the Con, a guy named Kenneth Rocafort walked up and said he enjoyed my artwork, and that he had a table set up in the Artists’ Alley, and also that he works for Marvel or something.  No big deal.  😛  He talked about how much he loves drawing in sketchbooks and tries to just draw a little every day.  Then he pulled out his little tiny sketchbook, and I was blown away:

He said he tried to keep it loose, just whatever he felt like doing every day, just to keep his creative brain going.  He has a Tumblr, and has just started posting his daily doodles on Instagram.

It reminded me (in a different way) of the sketchbook diaries I used to do, ages ago…

And although I draw every day ANYway, I thought that was a good habit to get back into; maybe carrying a little book around, and not making it so “precious.”  Just drawing whatever I wanted, just for fun.

My friend Annie had come to the show to help with my booth, and–inspired by Kenneth’s tiny sketchbook–brought a little sketchbook, and was asking artists to draw in it.  Usually artists at conventions will do this for a fee, but some will do it just for the fun of doing it.

Since we had watched Mad Max: Fury Road in 3D at her house the night before, I drew her a little Furiosa and Nux to kick things off:

Later, I added a Ron Perlman (since we were going to meet him for a photo later):

When we met him for the photo, we were ushered in there, snapped, and then ushered out.  The whole thing took about two minutes (if that).  I didn’t get a chance to show him the Hellboy drawing that Myla and I had done, or the drawing I did of him as One from one of my all-time favorite movies, City of Lost Children.  But I DID get this derpy photo of me, unready for the camera, surprised at how normal-sized he was (I imagined 9 feet tall, at least), and making the most unintentionally goofy face, while everyone else looked great:

(I mean, what is that face?  Really?  Where is my neck?  I don’t think I’ve ever even made that face before.  I didn’t even have time to be awestruck or anything, so that face was more of a “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MY HANDS”…..)

The day after the convention, my mom and I went to the craft store, and I found these cool little watercolor sketchbooks on sale, and thought I’d try one.

It was longer & thinner, which would make for a more awkward drawing space, which I found to be a fun challenge.  That night, while my  mom & I watched movies, I doodled Myla and some autumn moths in a pair of antlers.

Anyway, I liked the sketchbook so much, I went back and got more because they were on sale and they were trying to get rid of them.  So don’t try to find them at the store in Killeen, Texas, because they’re all gone, I got them.  I couldn’t help it, and I don’t even really feel bad about it at all, because they’re awesome, and there weren’t very many of them anyway.  Sorry.

My mom had been giving herself a “drawing a day” challenge to get back into her own artwork, and bought she and my dad one, hoping to get him on board.  I know another friend, who does amazing things with those drawing prompt books…  (I’m talking about you, Kendyl…)  I bought one of those books one time, and only ever drew one thing in it:  a bulldog in a monocle.  So there’s also that.

I drew Tuna from @tunameltsmyheart…do you know Tuna?  His little face makes me smile.  Anyway, there was a contest or a thing about drawing him, and this is what I drew.  Because:  TEETH.  Tuna is all about that mug.

I wanted to draw more faces, so I drew a page of Rosanna Arquette….because why not?  She’s got a cool face, cool lines, and her face always tells a great story…

Apparently, though, she saw it on Instagram and didn’t really like it….

And that’s okay, because you know what?  I didn’t draw it for her, I drew it for me.  I love her lines, and if she’s not comfortable with my version of her lines, that’s alright with me. (sniff).  Of course, I’d have loved her to love it, but the thing that makes me enjoy making art is not whether or not someone else likes or doesn’t like it…even someone famous.

Because I learn from each one, and that experience is inexchangeable (that’s a word I just created.  You’re welcome to use it).  I learn something new and nonverbal each time I doodle, and that’s why the end result doesn’t matter.  I used to hate people to look through my sketchbook if it was full of false starts.  I wanted to say, “NO!  I’m better than that wonky eye I scratched out!”

But it doesn’t matter.  I HAD to draw that wonky eye to learn.  All the struggles, all  the mess-ups….at least it’s a STEP, right?  You have to make those mistakes to show yourself, “nope.  That’s not the way.  Let’s try this way.”

So don’t be afraid of criticism or judgement.  Don’t take that criticism seriously.  They’re looking at the front steps without walking into the house.  It gets better the further you go.  You just have to PRACTICE it….

So here’s to new sketchbooks–hooray!