Drawing

An artistic talent you think about taking up or improving.

For quite a while I wanted to be a comic book artist. I took lessons at the Lion & Unicorn comic shop in Hoover, AL. My dad was an artist, mostly in pencil and pen and ink. He did portraits of country singers, like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. He was (and still is) very talented. Mom and I agree he really could have done something with it if he just had the motivation. He only did drawings occasionally and sold them for a lot less than he could have.

I’m largely a self-taught artist. I began by using tracing paper, copying photos and comic books. I then began changing the tracings, morphing the bodies into different shapes. Later, I began copying by eye, until I could eventually draw on my own. My favorite artists are: Jim Lee, Brett Booth, Rob Liefeld, and James Bama. Dad was even featured on a book about James Bama’s art.

Since becoming interested in Japanese culture, I’ve enjoyed manga, Japanese comics. The art style is completely different from American comics. One of my former students wants to be a comic artist (manga-ka) and she has the talent for it. Her work is outstanding.

I really wish i had kept up my drawing ability. I’ve stopped doing it since I’ve focused on writing. But maybe I should take it up again.

Thanks for reading.