Gibson Girl with model Marissa Gomez sketches

Another costumed session at Center Stage Gallery, featuring model Marissa Gomez as a Gibson Girl. Here are some of my sketches from the 3 hour session. Medium: markers and watercolor.

Secret Agent with model Michael

Another costumed session at Center Stage Gallery, featuring model Michael, who filled in graciously as the model for the night was unable to come. As we waited, Michael, who works security at the gallery, filled in with some fun poses. Here are some of my sketches from the 3 hour session. Medium: watercolor and markers.

Cowboy with model Andy Flaster

Another costumed session at Center Stage Gallery, featuring model Andy Flaster. Here are some of my sketches from the 3 hour session. Medium: watercolor and markers.

Tree Spirit with model Mather Louth

Another costumed session at Center Stage Gallery, featuring model Mather Louth. Here are some of my sketches from the 3 hour session.

Bowler Hat Guy with model Johnathon Cripple

After a long time, I managed to squeeze in time to do some life drawing. I went to a costumed session at Center Stage Gallery, featuring model Johnathan Cripple. Here are some of my sketches from the 3 hour session.

Rajasthani Kathputli Watercolor Sketch

Just a practice sketch, sharing some tips with my friend Rajan.

Doctors and Engineers EP Release Tropico De Nopal

I went to see my friends Doctors and Engineers at their EP release show at Tropico De Nopal. These are friends I have known for years and it was so fantastic to see the fruition of much labor. People don't often realize how much it takes to put together music, record and create an event. It's a ton of after hours blood, sweat and tears to hone skills and create something incredible, somehow between all else that life throws your way. I was so glad to be there and enjoy the incredible lineup of King Kang, El Haru-Kuroi, Discostan and headliners, Doctors and Engineers. After the shit show that has been this election, it was quite amazing to be in a room that represents a cross section of what this beautiful city has to offer. It was a gathering of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, artistic diversity, with all genders, orientations and simply fantastic people doing what they can to better the world around them in those on stage and off.Many around the US don't seem to understand or care about the ramifications of what just happened. Bigotry, misogyny and a complete lack of relevant experience was rewarded with the presidency. Overwhelmingly white America sold out the rest of the country in the hopes of possibly reclaiming some tax dollars, cutting out healthcare and in many cases being able to be a bigoted piece of shit without guilt. I'm thankful for spaces like this show, because so many of all races have fought to get us all that we have, and in this beautiful, musical release, I felt like this was a window into that richness that we're going to fight to protect. If you don't see the problem, check out this link.Here are some sketches I made during the show, while peeking from behind heads, dodging elbows and trying to see in the dark.

Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal Party Grand Performances Jam

Thanks to Leigh Ann Hahn and the wonderful people at Grand Performances, I got to enjoy a little musicians jam with Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal Party, all the way from Pakistan right here at Inner City Arts. I've enjoyed their soulful music for years and got to see them a few years ago at a concert put on by the Pakistani Arts Council. It was a real treat to see them in such an intimate setting and to spend time and talk to them as well. Did I mention there was delicious Pakistani food catered at this little jam session? How could anyone pass up such an incredible opportunity on all levels.I can't thank Grand Performances enough for making opportunities like this possible. Don't miss their public performance on Sunday at Grand Performances in downtown Los Angeles!Here are a few sketches I made during the performance.

Kristeen took some photos and video with a cel phone:

You can see where friends Sheila Govindarajan and Sri joined in. Also in that last, unfinished sketch, you can see Tasneem with a saxophone on her lap and a tuba next to her.

Qing Qi to Landa

I spent the morning blogging since the internet speed was useable. I started uploading blog postings and photos I had already prepared. It is always bitter sweet reading through them. I surprise myself with all that I have dealt with thus far. I suppose it is best to not know how difficult the road ahead might be. Instead, I keep putting most of my energy into that next step rather than focusing just on the big picture. That is the only way to get through is to celebrate each small victory. Really, that is how animation is too. Being that it is such a laborious process, you need to plan the whole piece out, but then push each step of the way to get it done.Umar and I were able to finalize the rest of the background designs, so being sunday, we head over to the Landa Bazaar to pick up cloth. It had been raining the night before and sprinkled a bit during our time out. It was nice to get out after being cooped up storyboarding for quite a while, with only small trips to the local neighborhood for groceries. This place is a mess, but I felt good today, just looking around and being here. I really want to go home, but like every time I come here, there are things about this home that I miss, that fill me with a lot of joy.So, Umar and I walked through the crowded market and picked up seven dollars worth of cloth, that should help us create a river bank, decorate a king’s court and provide huts for villager puppets. As usual, we’ll pick up the few colors we could not find tomorrow at the khadar market. We got a lot of interesting types of cloth, with different textures which work really well for the background. That’s why Landa Bazaar is the best for these backgrounds.We got back to Imran’s place and there was some nice cooking going on.

No phone..no internet

The phones were down and so was the internet. Surprisingly, the electricity wasn’t going out every other hour or more, so I set one of the stories to render so that I can share a version with the dp. I did not know how long it would take. 14 hours later, it is still rendering. I took a break today from storyboarding and decided to read Hans Bachar’s excellent book on production design once again, called “Dream Worlds”. It is my favorite book on shot design. The studies of scenes from different film and the entire look at production design is fantastic. I reread it every time I am working on storyboards, hoping that I can apply a bit more of this knowledge.Other than that, I am starting to organize lighting references. I don’t know that I have time to paint lighting references for each shot, so I am digging up photo references for lighting. These will provide inspiration for the lighting setups of each shot. There is so much planning that goes into a shoot.

Tumbling puppets

I spent the day, between waiting for the electricity to come back and go again, by cooking, and photographing shots for the latest draft of storyboards for “Sohni”. I photographed scenes as I storyboarded them in drawing initially, then walk around the stage, looking for other interesting ways of telling the story. This gives me material to play with in the edit. I can see how well the shots connect and what more I can gain from each option.Using the actual puppets allows me to work with them with their actual scale, and details. This is close to how it will be shot, so as a sort of test run, it is hugely helpful. Once I get a photographed draft of both stories down, I can scrutinize things further and try adding or removing other shot ideas.It takes a lot of back and forth of putting too much material in, then cutting it down, adjusting it over and over until it feels right. Shots where there is more to see and understand need to slow down a bit, while others need to move faster. On “Sorath” I am also trying to play with ideas that you could not do in a live puppet performance, but with editing and quick cuts, can accomplish in a film. I have a scene where a character falls down. You would not be able to control the poses of the fall well enough to not make it look like a rag doll if it were performed live as far as I can figure. By taking that movement and cutting it into 4 or 5 shots that interconnect, each shot provides a starting pose and moves towards the next pose, before actually cutting to a shot with that pose. It can work at speed. As a series of stills it works well, it will be interesting to see it in motion. These are the kinds of things that are fun to experiment with in telling the story and playing with the medium.

Stylizing animals and typing Sindhi

I met Javed at Shahid Sahib’s place to work on typing the surs we had completed. I worked on drawings for Sur Karayal. I played with the shapes of the animals. Previously I drew different poses of swans, crows, cobras and peacocks based on photos. The next step was to look at how those animals have been depicted in miniature paintings and other artwork from the region, adding my spin on top.It was very relaxing to be in an air conditioned room. I felt my energy levels come up and managed to create a lot of sketches. Javed worked for hours while I did that and typed up verses. I don’t know how I would do this without his tireless efforts.

Smithfield Bargain at the Hotel Cafe

I got to enjoy the music of Smithfield Bargain at the Hotel Cafe. Here are a few quick sharpie sketches of them.

LA India Ensemble at Calarts Watercolor Sketches

I went to see my friend Neelamjit Dhillon perform along with Raginder "Violinder" Momi, Rajib Karmakar and Vineet Vyas as the LA India Ensemble at Calarts. Great show! Here are some sketches I made during the show.

Hari Kondabolu at the Troubadour

I went to see comedian Hari Kondabolu at the Troubadour. Great show, with some really good comics such as Solomon Georgio, Elicia Sanchez. Here are some sketches I made during the show.

Young Workers Rising Block Party

Congratulations to my friend Shukry and all the people that came together to make the first annual Young Workers Rising Block Party a success. I managed a few sketches of Maya Jupiter and her band with a guest cameo by Omar Offendum. What a set. Wow. I can't wait to hear more. They were followed by ever fantastic band Quetzal. Here are a few sketches and some youtube videos below that to give you a taste.

Urdu Markaz Los Angeles 2014 Mushaira

I took my parents to a mushaira (Urdu poetry recital) featuring Pakistani and Indian poets. There was a lot of beautiful poetry with commentary on social issues in both serious and humorous tones. I took my iPad with me and made these sketches in an app called Procreate. You can also see a video of each sketch being drawn thanks to a feature in the app.

Here's the full piece of Iqbal Ashhar performing his poetry that I included in the video above.

MPV Youth Open Mic at Levantine Cultural Center

I went to the MPV Youth Open Mic at Levantine Cultural Center and saw a lot of talent sharing pieces, close to their hearts. Here are a few pencil sketches I managed during the night.

Sheila Govindarajan and friends at Downstairs at 57

Exhausted from work, I went over to see my friend Sheila Govindarajan with other great musicians play at Downstairs at 57 in downtown LA. I managed to grab some markers and a small sketchbook on my way out the door and made these sketches during the show in all my sleeplessness.So much talent on that little stage. Thanks.

An Evening of Ramadan Poetry - DTLAB - Writ Large Press

I want to Ramadan Poetry, a night of poetry that came out of my friend Taz's "Poetry a Day for Ramadan" project for people to create poetry every day as during the month. This was the outcome of that wonderful project, in Union Station thanks to DTLAB, Writ Large Press and Traxx Bar for generously hosting.

Here's a video of the process behind these sketches thanks to Procreate, an app on the iPad that I used to create the sketches.

ramadan poetry sketches from Adnan Hussain on Vimeo.