Category: Anti-Art School

Posted on

Paco Fish – Umm, yes, that’s a seahorse.

Anything I write about last session with Paco Fish could not possibly do it justice.   It easily was one of the best sessions we’ve ever had.  We were the first folks in Baltimore to see a new Paco costume and if you came out on Friday to the Windup you got to see the new act that goes with it, which was hysterical.  His poses were dynamic and interesting too as always – I’d be stunned if he didn’t have some sore muscles on Tuesday.

It started on such bad omens too – minutes before everyone arrived, Russell wolf-howled at a baby which instantly triggered panicky pandemonium and just as he and the child’s mother managed to calm the poor thing down, my dumb ass managed to electrocute myself with those stupid Christmas lights we hang on the front podium sometimes.

I’m telling you – you think you’re too tired and sleepy for Dr. Sketchy’s?  Stick your fingers in a socket.  It’ll wake you right up.

Anyway…

John Brewer

 

After the 1 and 2 minute poses we took a short break for folks to fill up on drinks and nicotine.  For the foreseeable future, Russell is running a drink promotion for Dr. Sketchy’s – every person that comes through the door gets three drink tickets, each of which is good for a $1 off a grown-up Don Draper drink or allows you to get a Sally Draper drink (like a soda or juice) for just a dollar.  If he’s running a special, like, “Get three extra pitchers of PBR when you purchase nine pitchers!” then of course it doesn’t apply.

When we got back from the break it was time for the first contest of the evening, the opposite-hand-drawing contest, where if you’re right-handed you draw with your left and if you’re left-handed you draw with your right and if you’re ambidextrous just lie.

The two winners got mystery drinks from Russell at the bar – they looked like something brown, so Lord knows what he put in them.

John Brewer

Then it was time for the two ten minute poses.

For the first ten we had a random noun contest where folks in the crowd shout out random things until we hear something amusing.  The noun this time around was “Patrick Stewart” with Alexis tacking on a the verb “jumping” for the fun of it.  By the way, we didn’t realize till afterward that this was the second time we’ve done “Patrick Stewart” as the noun – so, whichever regular is obsessed with Patrick Stewart, we’re so on to you now.  You’re going to have to switch to Avery Brooks or something.

The two prizes, one for each winner, were decorate-yourself masquerade masks from Artist & Craftsman Supply, your friendly neighborhood art supply shop just across the street at the corner of Howard and North.  We also announced a dollar off your door cost at the next Dr. Sketchy’s if you show up in costume.  More on that later.

Lois Borgenicht

The third contest of the evening was for the best incorporation of the BP oil skill with the prize being Miss Mindy’s Sassy Paper Doll Bonanza from Atomic Books, the best Indy comic book shop in America.  (Btw, that book is also published by Baby Tattoo Books, are other cool as beans sponsor .)

Lois Borgenicht

The last contest of the evening was in honor of John Lennon since someone said he had a birthday or something that week.  The prize was Popping Through Pictures by Amanda Visell from Baby Tattoo Books, who also runs the L.A. branch of Dr. Sketchy’s.

Lois Borgenicht

John Brewer

Christopher Pennington

Tons of thanks to Paco Fish of Sweet Buns Burlesque for lending Dr. Sketchy’s his modeling expertise; thanks as well to Russell of the Windup Space for playing great tunes (to the point that Paco at one point called out that he was going to have to kill him on the next break – side note, sorry about that Meatloaf song folks- we PROMISE FOR REAL THIS TIME that was, ummm, the last time.  We promise.  Pinky-swear.); thanks to Jeff for the rocking photos you see above; and thanks of course to Alexis for captaining this big ol’ creaky ship of crazy from the stage.

What’s next?

Oh, you have NO IDEA.

Monday, October 25th, with Viola Van Wilde is the next Dr. Sketchy’s – and this ain’t any old normal Dr. Sketchy crazy, this is our full blow out Halloween Zombie Dr. Sketchy’s Extravaganza Smorgasborg of Crazy Zombie Sketchyness . . .umm, craziness?

If you can only make one Dr. Sketchy’s Baltimore session all year, THIS IS IT.  Why, you ask?  Well, one, even if ALL OF YOU show up, we’re still taking a loss on this one and we just plain don’t care.  There are all sorts of crazy prop stuff going on.  You ain’t ever seen a drawing session like this one, I can guarantee you that.

Posted on

Special Zombie Dr. Sketchy’s Oct 25th with Viola Van Wilde!

Next Dr. Sketchy’s is this Monday with Viola Van Wilde!

If you make one Dr. Sketchy’s, this is it.

We’ve blown so much money on this thing there’s no way in hell we’re going to make a profit, and we just plain don’t care.  It’s going to be crazy.

Join us at the Windup Space on Oct. 25.  As always, doors open at 6 and drawing starts at 7–and seriously, show up early to get a good seat. Flex your creative muscles by joining in our crazy drawing contests, and you just might win prizes from Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books!

$8 cover, 18+ to draw, 21+ to drink, and no photography, please.

Not only that, but if you come in costume, you get $1 off your cover!

AND Russell will be running his new drink promotion where each person through the door gets 3 tickets for $1 off an alcoholic drink or get a non-alcoholic drink(soda, juice, whatever) for just $1.50!

Oh, and there’s going to be some blood.  A lot of it.

 

Posted on

Hail to the Queene!

Zna Queene rocked—and from what we hear, a couple folks now have a new favorite band.  I must have posted the LAZERBITCH music video for “Coquette” in twenty places, and made at least six or seven people at the door watch it on my iPhone while I was doing door stuff, but here it is one last time.  Watch the entire video, and you’ll even see the Windup Space at the end.

By the way, they have a free iPhone app with a lot of their music on it, so if you’ve got an iPhone, you should check it out.

On with the one- and two- minute poses!

(Hipstamatic photo by Alexis)

The first contest of the evening was the opposite hand contest, where right-handed folks draw with their left, left-handed folks draw with their right, and ambidextrous folks probably aren’t out drawing anyway cause I hear they get all the girls/boys.  Anyway.  The two winners got mystery shots from Russell, and honestly, I don’t even think Russell knew what he made this time.

Stewart White

(THAT’S an opposite-hand sketch?  Holy cow.)

I think one of the winners gave their shot to Zna, either that or she stole it.  After that, a few more 5 minute poses…

Brian Dugan

Ben Carnow

Liz Beetem

Brian Dugan

For the first ten minute pose of the evening, we’d started out intending on having a “random noun” contest, but it somehow turned into a “best incorporation of Futurama” game since the prize was a Kidrobot vinyl Futurama toy from Atomic Books in Hampden.  Honestly folks, if you go to Dr. Sketchy’s, you’ll like Atomic Books.  We went there for years before we did Dr. Sketchy’s—actually, in Alexis’s case, for over a decade, since way back when it was still in Mt. Vernon—and will go there for years after.  They recently got top independent comic book store in the country from Flavorwire.  No kidding.

Brian Dugan

Stewart White

Brian Dugan

John Brewer

With that, we took a short drink/smoke/tinkle break before we started up the 20 minute poses.  The first contest was, I don’t know, another random noun?  God, I hope that’s how we got to “Meatloaf”.  Maybe it was his birthday.  I’m not going to look it up since the whole thing ended up being somewhat traumatic.  The contest was the best visualization of what a Meatloaf & LAZERBITCH video would look like.  Russell picked out what appeared to be a nice Meatloaf ballad for inspiration—and, well—the damn thing just wouldn’t end.  I think it literally went on for 20 minutes.

It was horrible.  Alexis was near tears.  The only redeeming moment, which was missed by most of the audience, was when Russell would try to distract himself from the pain by running down the bar, practicing his jazz hands.

Normally at Dr. Sketchy’s we don’t attempt to murder you, but, well, errrr . . . sorry.  We can guarantee we will NEVER play Meatloaf again.

Next session it’s going to be the entire soundtrack of High School Musical 4.

Where was I?  Oh, yeah.  We had two winners for this contest again, this time for two packs each of tinted Fabriano Tiziano drawing paper from Artist & Craftsman Supply, which is just down the street from the Windup at the corner of Howard & North.  They’re open till 8 on Mondays, so if you’re rushing from work to Dr. Sketchy’s and are missing art supplies, it doesn’t get more convenient than that.

Brian Dugan

John Bintz

Liz Beetem

John Brewer

Stewart White

(BTW, we just realized that Stewart White has some kick-ass watercolor sketches from past Dr. Sketchy’s sessions up for sale on his site—check them out under the “Figures” section.)

Our last pose and contest of the evening was the best incorporation of the Segway since, well, the founder of Segway had died that morning by accidentally driving his Segway off a cliff.  Yeah, we know— too soon.  The prize was Beyond Ultraman: Seven Artists Explore the Vinyl Frontier from Baby Tattoo Books, who also runs the LA branch of Dr. Sketchy’s.

Brian Dugan

Ben Karnovski

Liz Beetem

Many thanks to Zna Queene of LAZERBITCH for providing inspiration to fill everyone’s drawing pads on Monday;  special thanks as well to our sponsors Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books.  Thank you also to the best bartender in Baltimore, Russell of the Windup Space; thanks to Jeff, whose snazzy photos you see above; and, of course, to Alexis for manning the mike in between poses and Meatloaf aural attacks.

Our next session is Monday, October 11th with Paco Fish of Sticky Buns Burlesque!  Doors at 6, start at 7!

(photo of Paco Fish courtesy of Twilight Images by Melody Smith, www.twilightimages.net)