| UP-Date |

Found this multimedia-feature on UP at the NYTimes giving some visual and oral insights on first drawings and characters evolving (step-by-step) not as easy every time. 

See another first sketch Enrico did, too.

Click on screenshot to see details and on links to listen and see more.

| Mi Domando |

The perfect song to start in this sunny day. 

I know, Adriano Celentano may seem akward for this, but just give it try.

Such a funny man. Just follow the b/w-videos in that section and follow him back to his roots in San Remo, see him making jokes in "Rockpolitick" with Benigni and so on. No, I am not his biggest fan. He just a wonderful character to draw. 

Instead of looking into a wiki you might want to follow some of his steps in this article. 

And to complete the rambling: If you are in the mood to fell Italian, be Italian. (via Enrico). 

And if you think Gipi is the only current wonderful Italian artist you might want to take a look here at the "Animals", too.

"60th anniversary of the Federal Republic of Germany yesterday and you keep talking of Italy all the time!" - "Well, you know, Goethe went there, too." - "Oh, gee, leave me alone with that ..." - "And Heine went to France!" - "Now, that's it ..."   

| The Early Bird Catches the Worm |

Die ARD startete ja mal ganz früh mit dem Liveticker ... für alle, die es weder im TV sehen noch den Kommentar dort ertragen können: Der WDR bietet via WDR-Event für solche Anlässe gerne durch Gebühren und nicht Werbung finanzierte Liveberichterstattungen im Livestream (startet bei Klick direkt) an. 

Ansonsten ist auch der 11Freunde-Ticker wieder bereits gut in Gang gekommen und wird dort auch wohl abgespeichert bleiben. Für alle Freunde des guten Textes, sind hier alle HSV-SVW-Ticker der letzten Wochen nachzulesen. 

So, nur noch knapp eine halbe Stunde. Ich bin gespannt ob Bildblog & Co. im Nachhinein enthüllen, dass der Hellseherhase von der Boulevard-Zeitung getürkt war ... a propos Türkei: "Auf geht's Werder, kämpfen und siegen!"

UPDATE 23:16 Uhr: Viel mehr hat man dann auf dem ARD-Ticker auch nicht im Laufe des Spiels ergänzen müssen.

| Sternekoch || Five-Star Chef |

This one is saying: "... nothing left to cook? I thought you'd be a five-star chef!?"

Dieser ist noch nicht so ganz ausgereift. Seltsame Sprechblase, Bildausschnitt und Details, daher nur fotografiert und nicht gescannt. Oberthema: Himmelfahrt - ist ja Donnerstag und machen die Astronauten ja täglich. Ist also nichts Besonderes.

Kann man ganz schlecht übersetzen ... really hard to translate. I just took a photo and didn't scan it, as there are some ... many things to be done better. 

Talking about better: I am on a trip to copy great masters of art, to learn from. So I stumbled upon this wonderful colleague again. Go ahead and find out about him on your own. 

UPDATE: Crawling through the net back again, I found that Sven Knoch, had an idea on a cook, working with stars, too - done May 27, 2009.

| Paul Flora |

How could I forget about it. Paul Flora died on Friday, May 15. I was shocked that day, when I got told about it. 

I stumbled on the date again visiting Sven K.'s blog (daily ivy). 

I quickly took out one of his books I bought a couple of years ago. This one is from 1975 and can't be purchased other than second hand. 

The steam-ship, as I remember, has been reprinted in one of my first primary school books, too. 

And one of my first birds I drew had a lot in common with birds, Paul Flora drew, though I didn't really know him at that age - so he must have left a big impression one me.

Besides his dark pictures I have always been impressed by his playful compositions - for instance this tree and a meadow just made of single letters. And as handwritten lettering is kind of modern, you might want to take a look at Flora's play with letters, too.

UPDATE: Sir Beck linked to a nice Austrian page on Paul Flora, showing some pictures and videos. 

| Pennography |

Got a parcel from Japan yesterday. Not only my pens arrived packed safely in time, nope, Marty even added some of his numbered collectibles. Thank you, Marty San. 

Where to get these? Here!  

| A dream comes true |

Up made it to the front newspages earlier, but now hit the real frontpage of Germany's most selling daily quality newspaper. Certainly pushed by the big studios to be shown - as other big shots - on festivals in Europe, it nonetheless is a big surprise to have it upfront and a review inside ;-)

Hello to Enrico and Ronnie overseas! Good luck with your book, too, Ronnie!

Even left-winged weekly news-mag "Freitag" starts on their blog with it today ;-)

| Welt als Wille und Vorstellung |

| Photoshop doesn't have to be cold |

Alex Noriega did a great describing video on this picture - in which he combined PS and wonderful textures and shading techniques here.

And shows the result at flickr too.

Might be worth sharing.

linked

| ... oh Tutor, my Tutor! |

Mark Chong gives live and recorded lessons on drawing --- meanwhile they are bit longer than ten minutes, but you really learn splendid basics and keep some eye openers right away. 

Click here, enjoy and donate. 

| Happy birthday ... |

... dear bookstore!!

Come all and celebrate - my favorite place to buy my current readings .. which I will show from now on. Once in a while.

UPDATE:

Schanzenfest is set to be on July 4, 2009. Follow the link and see the inviting video, too. 

A peaceful happening everyone.

| Up and away to Cannes |

Finally, with trailer after trailer, "UP" made it to open in Cannes - and I'll have to wait until September to see it opening in our cinemas. Gee ...

(top news in Germany's most selling daily newspaper)

| The (dancing) brother I never had |

The Top (Music Video) from Francis and the Lights on Vimeo.

| Video killed the photography star |

Done Eastern - long time ago at Farge/Weser ...

| Been a while |

If you'd like to see more - click here, to see a steadily growing portfolio.

| Freischwimmer |

| Sketchcrawl # 21 |

... everyone set for the next?

Please check out the forums, to meet for the WinterCrawl. It will be sunny, dry and surprisingly warm ...

... btw: this head is E.'s head and copyright :-)

| Copy and Paste ... Paint |

Copy and paint after the biggest masters to learn from them --- so did I, using one simple character of one of Gipi's covers (Appunti per una storia di guerra).

| Sketchcrawl # 20 | Results |

-- what a splendid day out. For details and exclusive report on my SCrawl click here. And for the outstanding crowd of the worldwide Crawlers please go here.

UPDATE

"The rest of the world was sketching away too, don’t miss the ton of different locales posting their drawings at the SketchCrawl forums!!! Hamburg, Florence, Detroit, Tokyo, Berlin, Milan, Seattle, Honolulu, Bangkok, Toronto, Brisbane, Sapporo, Israel, Melbourne, Rome, Copenhagen, Vienna, Brussels, Barcelona, Portland, Gustavsberg (Sweden) and more. What an amazing turn out!!! The world brought together by paper and pencil … Thank you all for participating and for making this the most successful drawing marathon ever ! Looking forward to the next one already … early January, date tbd."

by Enrico Casarosa

| nochmal || once again |

I sent a thank-you-card after a visit at an academy for graphic designers.

We've been told, that "Once again / Do it again / ... " ought to be the sentence / the word which the students as well as the graduated will be about to hear most , ... SURPRISE ;)