Drawing Kung Fu

As my vision heals and I am able to see fine lines on paper again, I have started drawing with Prismacolor pencils, a medium I love for sketching. My figure drawing skills are rusty, so I am practicing the figure manikin exercises from the Watts Atelier online program. In the online program, students draw using a number of manikins, but my favorite is the skeletal manikin. Jeff Watts did some wonderful demos featuring martial arts poses with this manikin, and I am taking my inspiration from there, although the skeletal manikin I am using here is more based on the one taught by Karl Gnass in his classes at the American Animation Institute many years ago. Perhaps I’ve modified it a bit to fit my own tastes, but I love using this manikin for action poses, especially martial arts. I used to practice martial arts many years ago, especially Tae Kwon Do, but my art career didn’t leave a lot of time for martial arts practice. Nevertheless, I like to pretend that I wield the pencil in the same spirit as the samurai wielding the sword, the mind totally focused at the point where the pencil touches the paper. For inspiration, I have dug up my old martial arts books from the 1980’s and used them as reference for these sketches. Great fun drawing on actual paper again!

Brazilian Jaguar Drawing Step-By-Step

More than a year ago, I drew the Brazilian Jaguar in graphite on illustration board, in preparation for painting. This was one of my last pencil drawings from the time leading up to my cornea transplant surgeries, as my vision was degrading to the point where I needed to wear heavy magnifying glasses to even see my drawing. Eventually, I decided it was too difficult to see even with the magnifiers, so I ended up painting the jaguar in Photoshop. But I did photograph the original graphite drawing in stages, so here is a breakdown of my drawing process step-by-step. I should mention that I used several reference photos of jaguars (including photos I took at the Sacramento Zoo), but the final drawing is not based on any one photo.  

Step 1: Lay-in

I started with the basic layout of the head, focusing on rhythms and alignments. You probably notice the light lines from my previous attempt to draw the jaguar - the head was not quite centered and the drawing wasn't working so me, so I erased it out and drew right over the previous attempt. Actually, I made a number of attempts before arriving at the final version.

Step 2: Alignments, Proportions, Structure

After the initial lay-in, I take time to carefully check proportions and alignments, before hammering out the structures and refining the line work. This is the time to correct any mistakes before taking the drawing too far. If everything is more or less working at this stage, I will develop the structures of head (hammering out the precise shapes of eyes, nose, mouth, ears).  

Step 3: Redrawing/Refinement

If the underlying structure of the head is working, I will further refine the line work. My lines get progressively darker as I tighten down the drawing.  

Step 4: Adding Detail

If I have a solid foundation to build on (proportions, alignments, underlying structure are all in place), I can begin to add detail. In this case, I was not concerned with copying the jaguar spots from photo reference; I tried to design spots so as to create interesting/appealing patterns.

Step 6: Refinement

Periodically, I will take time to check and recheck my proportions and alignments. If everything is more or less working, I will keep developing the structures of the head and refining the drawing. Notice that my lines are getting darker as the drawing develops. 

Step 7: Adding Tone

Finally we get to the part where I start adding tone. Typically, I spend a lot of time on the previous stages because I feel that tonal rendering is wasted energy is you don't build on a solid foundation. If the understructure is working, then the tones should fall in to place.

Step 8: Developing Tonal Range

At this point, I am using darker pencils (6B or even 9B lead) to push the darks as dark as graphite will allow. Also, I try to finesse the line work so that the drawing will look like as polished as I can make it (like a finished illustration, only in graphite).  

Step 9: Adding a Background

Now that I'm satisfied with the drawing of the jaguar head, I need to address the background. Initially, I tried several sketches with different background designs. including many more plant shapes. However, I felt that too many plants around the jaguar head were starting to remind me of the mane of a lion, so I drew fewer plants and added a large rectangular shape to help tie the composition together. I wanted the plants and the ears of the jaguar to overlap the edges of the rectangle, because I have always loved the effect of illustrations that break out of the borders - as if they were escaping the surface of the canvas or paper. 

Step 10: Developing the Background 

I did apply some workable spray fixative to the jaguar head to help preserve my drawing as I work on the background. Nevertheless, I do my best not to smudge the jaguar as I develop the background.  

Step 11: Refinement

At this stage, the drawing is approaching completion. Out of habit, I keep stopping to check my proportions, alignments, etc., making sure the previous steps in the drawing are working before I proceed with the rendering. When I feel the drawing is working, I will use blending stumps and tissue paper to gently blend the graphite. A kneaded eraser helps to adjust and edges, lighten any values that need to be lightened, and generally cleanup the drawing. 

As a final step, I break out the electric eraser to lighten the highlights in the eyes and on the nose. The final rendered stage can be seen up at the top of this blog post.

Eventually, I did paint the Brazilian Jaguar in photoshop. As my vision heals, I may make another attempt at painting the Jaguar in traditional media. Also, I am developing many more animal illustrations which I hope to post here in the future.

Eye Update: Drawing Unplugged

My most recent trip to the doctor’s office yielded mixed news. The good news is that my vision remains much better than it was prior to the cornea transplants. However, as noted in my last post, the cataracts are getting worse. Also, I learned about another factor possibly contributing to my current blurry vision: the eye undergoes changes as a result of the healing process after surgery, the surface of the eye is changing, sort of re-shaping itself, and vision can be unstable for a while. In spite of blurry vision, I can see well enough to draw in a sketchbook again. The above page was sketched on paper with an ink pen. I haven’t been able to work in a small sketchbook like this (and actually see what I’m doing) for quite some time. 

Some folks are curious as to how I managed to continue making art as my vision degraded, so here are some thoughts on living as an artist with Fuchs Dystrophy: the Fuchs progresses so slowly over years of your life that you just sort of adapt to it, making compromises little by little, until you are living in a daily fog and the fog just seems normal. As the Fuchs progressed, I started using a magnifying glass to read. Eventually the magnifying glass wasn’t enough, I adapted to reading “e-books” on my iPad or computer screen. I bought a large print keyboard for my computer so that I could see the keys.

As an artist who loves detail, I was most frustrated by the impact of Fuchs on my drawing; I stopped drawing in sketchbooks and started working on large drawing pads at my easel. I stopped going to the figure drawing sessions, or drawing portraits from live models (this is a startling admission from someone who dedicated years of his life to drawing from live models with almost religious zeal). For a time, I would try to sit up closer to the model stand (but then you risk blocking the view of the other artists). Eventually, I just gave up on life drawing altogether.

Since most of my income has come from animation background work created on a computer screen, it was easy to resort to digital art: the high contrast of the computer screen allowed me to see details much better, and the ability to endlessly edit my work was a temptation I couldn’t (still can’t) resist. I purchased a Wacom Cintiq 18x24” touch screen, on which I can enlarge drawings as much as needed. The Cintiq became my primary “canvas” for the past several years. I finished many animation backgrounds on it, as well as demos for students in my online classes.

My work area with animation backgrounds for ABC Mouse

During this time, I also purchased an iPad, and began learning ProCreate. Even with the smaller screen, the high contrast allows me to see details better. Add the ability to quickly enlarge sections of a drawing with “pinch and zoom”, plus the opportunity to endlessly edit my work, not to mention, organize and store multitudes of sketches where I can find them when needed… and I was seduced by the iPad. It soon replaced my sketchbook. Nearly all of my work for the past 5 years has been digital: I typically start with ideation sketches on the iPad, while finished works have been completed on the Cintiq.

As my vision heals, I am breaking out the traditional media again, rediscovering the tactile feel of ink pen on paper, or charcoal on newsprint. I am also struggling with my lack of practice in these media in recent years, which forces me to an uncomfortable realization: digital media can make us lazy. Traditional media can be unforgiving - you can’t endlessly “undo” mistakes or radically rework your composition in the final stages of a drawing (at least not without destroying what you have already done). I think this becomes a crutch for digital artists - we come to rely on easy solutions which the digital media provides. There is a term in art known as the “resistance of the medium” which entails the obstacles one must overcome to create art. For example, stone is hard and immalleable, so the sculptor must develop strong, skillful hands to meet the challenge. Ink cannot be erased, so the artist learns to be decisive with each stroke of the pen. Watercolor can be unpredictable, so the painter learns to be spontaneous, improvising with the flow of the water. I think these obstacles help shape our art, and force us to grow as artists. We learn from the struggle. Digital art tends to take away this struggle. 

One the other hand, it’s possible that digital media may be opening doors in making art in a way that recalls the impact of Gutenberg’s press on drawing during the High Renaissance. The printing press created a need for mass produced paper. As paper became less expensive and more readily available, artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo experimented with composition, exploring variations of figurative arrangements that just weren’t done when paper was rare. Renaissance pictorial composition became more daring, and drawing was elevated from a preparatory stage of painting to an art form until itself.

Could digital media have this kind of impact? I don’t know, but I can say that the opportunity to make changes to a painting - such as radically alter the color scheme late in the process, or resize/move things around, and save work at multiple stages so you don’t risk losing everything – has prompted me to try things I probably wouldn’t have tried when painting in acrylics or oils. For example, I’ve tried color combinations which I would have avoided previously, and I’ve completely reworked compositions in ways I probably wouldn’t have dared while working in graphite. For better or worse, digital media has enabled me to achieve the results seen in my recent portfolio pieces.

In any case, I am getting back to traditional media now and drawing unplugged. I’m enjoying the feel of the ink pen or brush on paper. Most of all, I’m enjoying making art without having to look into the glare of a computer screen.

Eye Update: Vision Worsens

Since my last update, vision in my right eye had peaked around 20/30. However, at last doctor visit, vision in both eyes was hovering around 20/40. Since then, vision has worsened, especially in my right eye. It’s somewhat anticlimactic, not to say disappointing, to still be experiencing vision problems after undergoing cornea transplants in each eye. However, my situation is actually pretty good and there is much to be grateful for. My doctor believes my current vision problems are caused by the cataracts, which progressed much faster than expected following the cornea transplants. This is good news, since cataracts are relatively easy to address. My situation could be much worse. For example, I’m not experiencing any retinal detachment (previously I had a retinal tear, but it was addressed long before it could lead to permanent blindness). I don’t have glaucoma or high eye pressure. I don’t have keratoconus (bulging of the corneas). My biggest fear was graft detachment, or rejection of the donor tissue in my eyes, but both cornea transplants are fully attached and functioning properly. Aside from the cataracts and some corneal scarring from the Fuchs Dystrophy, my eyes are relatively healthy. My doctor thinks that with cataract surgery, my vision might reach 20/25 or better.

I’ve been living with blurry vision for so long. It seems normal now. I was very hopeful when vision in my right eye reached 20/30 and I was able to see textures and details with such clarity, but now I’m back to fuzzy edges. I confess, it’s easy to lose patience with the healing process, but on the positive side, I’m not living in the fog as I was before the surgeries. Hopefully the cataract surgeries will enable me to see the fine details again. 

Eye Update: Improving Vision

At this time, vision in my left eye is hovering around 20/40, while my right eye seems to have reached about 20/30. While not the highly coveted 20/20 vision, this result is dramatically better than before the surgeries, where vision in my right eye was maybe 20/50 (on a good day), and my left eye was worse than 20/70 (yes, that bad! I could read the big "E" at the top of the Snellen chart and also the next line down, but after that, everything was turning to fog). The doctor says I probably can't expect better than 20/30 until after we address the cataracts. 

Even so, I am absolutely thrilled with the progress so far. I am seeing the textures on tree trunks, the shapes of individual leaves and blades of grass, even the dust I missed while cleaning the house. I can read books without a magnifying glass. I can see drawings and paintings on the walls that I have not seen clearly in years. Colors are more vibrant, and I am definitely seeing a fuller range of contrast (whereas lights and darks were previously grayed down). 

I am still trying to process the impact of my vision problems on my art. I have been collecting my thoughts and planning to write about how my drawing habits changed as the Fuchs Dystrophy progressed. I will post those thoughts when I'm ready.

Eye Update: Post DMEK surgery on Right Eye

About 2 weeks ago, I underwent DMEK (partial thickness cornea transplant) surgery on my right eye. The surgery was successful, but there were some issues following the surgery, so I held off writing this update until I was sure my eye was OK. 

At this point, I have undergone cornea transplants in each eye, so I have some basis of comparison, and I better understand that there can be a range of experiences among cornea transplant patients. The biggest difference between my 1st and 2nd surgery experiences is that I have more distinct memories of the first surgery (as documented in my earlier blog post). With the second surgery, I seem to have lost consciousness until it was all over. I do remember arriving early at the surgical center. I remember the nurses preparing me for surgery. I remember chatting with the anesthesiologist, but he did not start applying the anesthetic until after I was inside the OR (compared to last time, when I was already fading in and out of consciousness as they wheeled me into the OR). This time, I was wide awake as they wheeled into the OR, and I remember thinking, “Oh no, did they forget to numb me?” I remember being inside the OR and being much more aware of sounds and what the room looked like (compared to my last experience where everything seemed to be lost in bright lights and fog). From somewhere out of my sight, a music player began playing some pop music. I remember looking up and seeing the face of the anesthesiologist, who seemed to be enjoying the music. Then I remember looking at bright lights. From this point forward, I have no memory, until I heard my doctor’s voice saying, “That’s it. We’re done.” I remember being surprised that it was over so quickly. I have no memories of the surgery itself. (This was mildly disappointing, as I was hoping to compare what I saw with my previous observations of eye surgery from the patient’s point of view – but I was very relieved it was over!)

Following the surgery, I was sent home with instructions to lie down, facing up. This is so that an air bubble in my eye would push the transplant graft up against the back of my cornea. The next day, I went back to the doctor for my fist post-op visit; the eye patch was removed, computer scans of my eyes were performed, and my vision was tested. I was pleasantly surprised that vision in my right eye was not as bad as I expected (compared to last time when I was almost totally blind in my left eye following surgery). I learned that the reason my vision was so bad last time is that the doctor had used an “aggressive air bubble” (meaning higher air pressure) to hold the graft in place at the back of my cornea. This time, the graft was attaching right away, so the air bubble was “less aggressive”. Hence, my vision was comparatively better this time around (this was something that concerned me my after the previous surgery: everything I had read about DMEK suggested my vision would be “blurrier than normal” for a few days – not almost totally blind). With the graft fully attaching from day one, I seemed to be well on my way to a speedy recovery.

However, my vision began to worsen over the next couple days, and I noticed redness – even brownness - around my right eye. To make matters worse, about 2 days after the surgery I read an email notification (which had been sent the day of surgery but I hadn’t yet read it) which stated that a lab test of the donor tissue yielded the results: “rare white blood cells” and “gram stain positive cocci”. I looked up these terms; the news was not good. These results likely meant infection and probably redoing the surgery. Fortunately, on my next visit to the doctor, I learned that the lab test had been taken from the rim of the donor tissue, but was not a culture of my eye. In fact, my cornea seemed to be healing nicely. Much relieved by this good news, I went home feeling better.

Nevertheless, the vision in my right eye continued to worsen over the next few days – but this wasn’t the “ghostly fog” I experienced previously, this was more like looking through a Gaussian blur filter in Photoshop. My eye became increasingly reddish, itchy and was constantly tearing. Knowing these were signs of potential graft rejection or infection, I returned to the doctor fearing the worst. Well, it turned out that my eye had become too dry following the surgery, and the top surface of my cornea had become irritated or inflamed. While this condition was uncomfortable, it was actually very good news (no graft rejection and no redoing the surgery). The solution was simple: moisturizing eye drops. Over the next few days, the itchiness went away and my vision improved.

At the forth post-op visit, the doctor removed the suture (he used only one for this surgery, but its removal resulted in some additional irritation and tearing over the next few hours). He confirmed the graft transplant is fully attached and my cornea is healing nicely. My vision is improving.

One more difference in this surgery compared to last: the doctor placed this transplant graft slightly above my center of vision in order to avoid an area of corneal scarring. He said this might take a little longer for my vision to recover, but it meant less chance of graft rejection. 

Today, the vision is my right eye is still blurry, but significantly better than it was before the surgery. I will post more eye updates as my vision improves. I also want to post some thoughts on how the loss of vision was impacting my life and my artwork.

Eye Update: Next DMEK Surgery

This will be my last eye update before undergoing DMEK cornea transplant on my right eye (see my post on my left eye DMEK here). I post this info in hopes of encouraging those struggling with Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy and other eye problems.

My current situation is a mix of good and bad news. Following the DMEK on my left eye, my vision in that eye was getting dramatically better, but then stopped improving, and actually started to get just a bit worse (although still vastly improved compared to before surgery). The doctor believes this regression is due to my cataracts growing worse, and I might possibly be developing keratoconus (thinning of the cornea). Typically, patients with cataracts and Fuchs Dystrophy are treated with a double surgery: cornea transplant + cataract surgery combined. But my cataracts were so mild that the doctor recommended we do the DMEK first and then address the cataracts later (probably years down the road, or so we thought at the time). But recently the cataracts have worsened much faster than expected and will need to be addressed sooner rather than later. The keratoconus is new, and hopefully can be treated with contact lenses designed to support weakened corneas. The plan for now is to just get through the next DMEK surgery (and subsequent recovery process), and then address the cataracts and keratoconus.

The good news is that all of my eye problems are treatable; it’s just that the road to anything resembling a full visual recovery will take longer than expected. I hope to document my recovery process here on this blog, and share any info that might be helpful to those suffering with eye problems.

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One caveat to Fuchs Dystrophy sufferers: don’t wait too long to do the cornea surgeries. The longer you wait, the more chance of permanently scaring your corneas. My first doctor thought it was too soon to do the cornea transplants, so I put it off… and then I put it off some more… I waited almost slightly too long, and now I may have some mild cornea scarring in each eye even after successful DMEK surgeries. Fortunately, it’s not bad enough to significantly impact my vision too much, but I do wish I had done the surgeries a bit sooner.