Berlin-SFO-L.A.

I've travelled far and wide the past month. First stop was several days in Berlin for a speaking engagement at a 'Culture Meets Science' conference.  The brutal East German winter hadn't hit yet so it was still possible to sketch outside comfortably.

 The city has an eclectic mix of modern and classical architecture and threaded throughout is a network of blue and pink piping!

 On my last day I made a beeline for the Brandenburg Gate-I couldn't leave without seeing it first hand.

This last picture is more impressionistic-my memories of Berlin.

While in town I looked up Deutsch-uber-wunderkinder Jakob Shuh and Uwe Heidschötter-they showed me around Studio Soi and drew in my book-danke!

Back in SanFrancisco I showed new resident Mr Cruickshank around-we mingled with the un-dead at Dios de Los Muertos in the Mission and hit Ocean Beach to draw the (wrong) windmill.

 Seal rocks are impressive but not as impressive as the Farallons!  In the spirit of high seas adventure we took a day trip out to the islands where humpback whales spout & breach, rare birds nest and great white sharks bite the heads off elephant seals! Not much drawing that day . . .

 Then down to Los Angeles for CTN-X 2012. We stayed around Venice Beach, soaking up the culture and avoiding the nutters.

Highlight of the trip was catching the spectacular Stanley Kubrick exhibition at LACMA

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gesture Drawing book at CTN-X 2012

It's an 11th hour decision but I'll have a booth at CTN-X this year with my book on Gesture Drawing.  I'll be sharing a table with the Happy Beaver himself Mr Jeff Pidgeon-come see us next week!

I've received really great feedback for my first modest publication, many thanks to everyone who bought it and wrote back;

"I've just received your book today! Love it! Thanks again!"
"Wonderful gesture book, Matt. Strong drawing, lively gestures, and all wrapped in a great presentation. Looking at your book is also making me look forward to my next life drawing class this week!"

"I just received the book. Awesome man! It's real nice to see what you are doing, how you're pushing the poses, etc. Thanks so much, I'm looking forward to your next book! -no pressure;)"

"This book is amazing. I read the Drawn to Life books… which was VERY repetitive… and well I wish I saw bigger drawings and less repetition of text. You answered that completely. Love these gestures… and most importantly you have cartoonish gestures, where most books cover more life drawing style gestures. Good stuff! Make more books!"

"I received your book last week and it rocks. It's really inspirational, as you said and I want to study every pose because I think I can learn a lot."