Dark...

Visualising the modes... Lydian

This is where you can see how subtle the differences between the musical modes can be. The Lydian mode scale illustrated below is almost identical to the 1st posted Ionian (natural major scale), except that the 4th interval (dotted green wave) is augmented (or a semi-tone sharper), resulting in a sound altogether unique.
The next on my list is the Mixolydian, which is also only very subtly different from the natural major. How reluctant the human mind can be to grasp subtlety. We're all 99.9% genetically identical, 0.01% different. Yet that 0.01% difference makes up probably 99% of our perception of each other. No wonder we're all crazy.

Fairwell washing line

Killed by potmouse the destroyer last weekend. Your tethered and sun-kissed sinu will be sorely missed. 2007-2010 RIP


Since it's a Sunday, and there's death in the air, a verse from the 'Good' Book...

Exodus 32:27 (New International Version)

Then he said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.' "

Radio Protector

Press your headphones tightly against your ears. Ignore everything else. Just listen.

New year is so last week.

Somewhere a permanent marker is dribbling streams of quasi-consciousness all over a block of primed canvas.



Welcome back to reality?

Best birthday ever!

MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE :)

Hope you all got what you wanted!

Far from an insult, this is an enlivening portrayal, celebrating the immense depth of the man that was (apparently) Jesus Christ. Bless his vast bowel.

If you're offended, you should probably calm down, then click here. and here. And here too.

Then pray for me. I like that. It gives me a tingly feeling.

Visualising the modes... Phrygian

Four weeks later, and one tone up from the Dorian, I finally bring you the the Phrygian, which is essentially a natural minor with a flat 2nd (orange):

Sometime in the near future I will bring the Lydian.

This is Africa time.

Last figure drawing of the year

Still haven't got back to the art shop, so it's H and 4B pencils in A4 Moleskine. Cropped in to show my somewhat sketchy (pun intended) line work.






Happy Holidays! Travel safe, and remember: Christmas is not really Christmas unless you've been slapped by a nun.

The vectorised nipple effect (a rehash).

Simple: Live trace old moleskine drawing. Offset path a few times. Scale offsets. Apply gradients fills and effects.
Digital print A0 and block-mount: Christmas presents for the family?

Figure drawing

I kept it simple this week with an H and a 4B. Ran out of paper so started an A4 Moleskine. The model kept moving. Sore teeth kept me from snacking. Had been up til 4am working. Concentration was waning.

25 minutes each:







Never thought I'd long so much to chew.

Last week's figures

Last weeks figure drawings. I'm back on white paper. I need to get to the art shop, but I might not be leaving the house this week. Getting the braces put in tomorrow morning, 9.30. 18-24 months. I need a cigarette.

3 min each (soft pastels):



25 min each (ditto):






I'm quitting tomorrow proper. wearing braces + smoking cigarettes = not fucking cool.

Visualising the modes... Dorian

So I pried myself away from the B-string just long enough to bring you the Dorian mode. The Dorian represents a minor scale with a regular 6th interval.

You can see in this visual of the wave forms, compared to the previous Ionian/major scale, that the 3rd (yellow) and 7th (crimson) intervals are a semi-tone flatter, or at least dotted. The 6th (violet) is the same.

If you played all the white notes on a hypothetical piano in your mind, using D as your root, this is (in some strange sense) what you'd play:

If you move up the white keys and root on the E, you'll be in the Phrygian mode, pronounced much like the offspring of a fridge and a pigeon. Until then...

Happy Friday! I love the rain :) And Other Truths is arriving today. Tears of joy.

Figure drawing

Couldn't get into the zone this morning. I've got one thing on my mind - my new (well, second hand...) 5 string fretless bass. I brought her home yesterday. She's beautiful. I can't even do her justice yet, but I will soon.

3 min:



30 min:







Mmmmmmm.

Bit off more than he could chew

Mozzie commits accidental suicide.







No Tabasco in this blood. Just the RAW Sessions...

More some day.

Figure drawing

In the spirit of Movember, last night I shaved most of my goatee away, leaving a nice fat moustache. I also left a soul patch so it's not too top-heavy. I went into the class this morning feeling a little self-conscious, but nobody noticed. So far so good...

Otherwise, maybe it's not a bad idea to skip a week - today wasn't bad.

3min:



25 - 30 min:






The mo will stay on for the month, though it may well get shaved off on the 24th. With the braces it might be a bit much.

Visualising the modes... Ionian

After the first music visual I posted recently, I thought I should clean up and expand the concept a little. I figured the best way to expand might be to try to distinguish the modes. So I reformatted the waves slightly, and started by defining the Ionian, which is the mode that represents the basic major scale. If the red lines in the diagram are 'C' then the spectrum between them represents the rest of the white keys on a piano (D orange to B crimson).


Music is happiness. The Dorian coming soon...

A sleeping Miu

Figure drawing

Not my best morning, but such is life. This model is an older lady (I didn't ask...) but in pretty good shape for whatever age she happens to be. Otherwise, still fumbling around with the pastels. I'm gonna have a breakthrough soon. I can feel it.

Oh yes, there were these 2 hens sitting at the table next to mine today. They were chatting away about the kids' exams and how crazy some of the exam schedules are cos little Robbie, who's grown up sooo much by the way, has to write two subjects on the same day! Then the drawing started and it was otherwise quiet and now I was trying to concentrate on what I came there to do - draw the naked ape in front of me - and still it flowed, this painful dribbling outlet of small talk, like cold coffee being slowly dispensed upon my forehead. I hollered SHUT THE FUCK UP! Well, in mind I did. When I did politely ask them to snap it, they snapped it. But it was awkward. I felt the glares.

3min mofos: was off to a good start

Supposedly 30 min but I'm certain they call it early. Fuckers.

The last drawing got cut short and I really didn't finish. Bummer, 10 more minutes woulda made all the difference. And less glaring.

Musical masturbation

Unkempt male gets carried away in his undies.




Crack.

Another RAW Sessions with Sony Ericsson character identity. A couple more coming at some point...

Thursday... figures.

Still plugging away at the pastels... feisty motherfuckers.

3 min each:

25 minutes each:

A little heavy on the texture...

And again...

Nothing the smudging of loo paper wont' fix...

Had to leave early again. Back to the dontist. *cringe*