"The Broken Seal"

Gonna kick off the year with another message of hope nope for humanity, start off with positivity + encouragement obviously too much too drink. Originally drawn back in February of last year as another in-class demo for the inaugural Pen & Ink course. Students got to see the process of penciling from the original sketchbook doodle (posted below) to the inking of the basic shapes. Then I scanned the line art and proceeded to spend several hours the next day in-between classes working up the stippling on the seal, the hatching on the bar, and then the crosshatching for the background. Apart from the dots, which were rendered with Microns (an 05 + 03), it was done entirely with dip-pens, including a crow-quill + the usual Hunt #513EF. Note that this has always been a mysterious misnomer as the designation is "Extra Fine," yet the actual Extra Fine as far as a finer line and comparatively much more flexible point is the #512, which literally says ("ex-fine") right on the nib itself. Having a heavy hand I have always preferred the stiffer nib, as I can really bear down heavy while drawing, so as to get a greater line weight variation.

Also I would be remiss in inspiration not to implicate the influence of Edward Gorey, whose work I had highlit as an exemplary example of consummate craftsmanship. I had intended to use the usual flat colors in Photoshop as per my newfound MO for the print version, but became so enchanted with the end result that I felt the aesthetics of the piece merited the rare raw scan instead. I even resisted the temptation to tint a bit with some watercolor on the original Bristol board, and just left it alone. I did tweak it a wee bit during digital cleanup, but it's come closest in many years to the illusive goal of making a drawing that's done and needs no further editing afterwards.

What with my macabre sense of humor, this one cheers me up. What we find funny in the depths of seasonal depression more often than not works as a sort of defense mechanism, similar to gallows humor. Whatever gets you through the cold and darkness... emphasis on through. Some folks are successful with outdoor activities, others retreat into their own worlds, some healthier than others.

The panel ran in the newspaper during what I had once heard was the statistical height of suicides in the arctic. One reason being the sometimes agonizing yo-yo between slowly warming temps and being teased about the returning sun, contrasted against frequent snaps. I couldn't find anything beyond anecdotal evidence to back that assertion up, but Alaska routinely ranks as the top state for people taking their life, with young folks, Alaska Natives and military members taking a disturbing and frustrating lead in the numbers. In all seriousness, here's the requisite reminder that there are options to consider: please reach out for help.

Bonus Update: Hat-tip to the layout artist who juxtaposed trhese two items on facing pages. rAmen.