BIG ART PROJECT: Recreating Joel’s Sketchbook from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (NSFW)
This post is inspired yet again by the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If you DON’T want movie spoilers, it’s best to skip scrolling down any farther.
It’s considered NSFW because of a risque image down below. You’ll know which one. View at your own discretion.
Oct. 18, 2011 | As I have mentioned earlier in my last post, I was planning to recreate Joel Barish’s sketchbook for Mike to carry around during Halloween.
I first saw it as a small, fun side-project to do and was really only going to imitate a couple of his more notable drawings. But the moment I placed a ball-point pen down on the first page, I was thrown into a crazy creative road and haven’t stopped drawing for the past six hours.
SCREW WAITING! I’m too proud of myself right now. I want to show these off ASAP.
Copying Joel’s handwriting was almost an art in itself. I had to alternate between print and cursive on the left page. I almost had to make up a word towards the end because the screenshots I was depending on didn’t show up very well.
Above was the first image I drew. I sketched all the drawings in lead pencil before the pens roll in.
I didn’t have any watercolors for some of the paintings I recreated so I substituted them with color pencils.
(A drawing of Clementine from afar.)
(Above) My favorite image from the movie but boy, was it difficult. I kept messing up on the perspective of the train windows. Luckily Joel’s messy artistic style allowed me the liberty to hide mistakes.
(Above) He did a few simple doodles with some indecipherable scribbles which I replaced with quotes from the movie. Same for the one below as well.
(Below) Another demented sketch of Clementine. His art is unique though a little depressing to look at.
Eh, it does look similar to the original but I wish it turned out better.
This was actually a note that Clementine gave to Joel to remind him of the sweet things he said to her. I liked it so much I included it in the project.
I used a regular binder paper to write it on to make it more similar. I drew the photo of the rag dolls and added scotch tape around it as though it’s been attached.
Rag Doll Clementine had a speech bubble but since I couldn’t make out the words again, I added her most memorable quote:
“Too many guys think I’m a concept, or I complete them, or I’m gonna make them alive. But I’m just a fucked-up girl who’s lookin’ for my own peace of mind; don’t assign me yours.”
Then I folded and taped the love letter into the sketchbook.
With another binder paper I later taped into the sketchbook, I drew the raunchiest sketch of Joel’s collection. The comic came from the “Humiliation” scene in the movie.
I was fascinated by the combination of retro and depravity and actually had a lot fun drawing it. I realized halfway that the first row had three panels and not two. Since it was blurry in the screenshot, I redrew it with a snazzy title panel.
God, family, don’t hate me.
Another one of the lovebirds lying on top of the frozen Charles River.
That dismembered arm thing was another one of Joel’s small doodles. To fill space, I included the quote from Alexander Pope’s “Eloisa to Abelard” which inspired the movie title.
Ah, finally, the biggest and most time-consuming piece of the bunch.
After a while of sketching, I outlined the rest with a fine point Sharpie and finished it with color pencils. Yes, I know, it’s supposed to be a watercolor painting — give me a break.
Phew, now I’m tired. And very satisfied to have done this. Thanks for sticking around, guys.
Something Old: My Tiny, Flowery Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern
They were selling pumpkins on campus back in my first year of college and I got a tiny one to spruce up my dorm room. My friend Jenny and I carved it with a plastic knife and spoon.
Then I drew and Scotch-taped the paper flowers and smiling bugs on there. Cheap-o-rama!
A GIFT: Customizing a Munny Doll of Director Woody Allen
December 19, 2011 | This customized doll was a Christmas present for my boyfriend Mike, who’s the biggest Woody Allen fan and has watched all of his 40+ films (his favorite being Stardust Memories). It’s my first Munny doll so things aren’t as polished as I hoped it would be. Here’s a step-by-step of how I did it:
The finished product.
Molded the clay over the head. You have to be careful because the clay won't stick unless it's all over the surface.
I took off the head for the rest of it to dry and started painting on his clothes on the body.
Then the wool vest and collared shirt.
Here's the paint palette.
I'm sorry, I forgot to take photos of several steps. I painted white gesso paint on his hair to fill in the cracks and then fashioned a pair of his signature glasses by glueing two glossy cardboard papers and coloring it with black Sharpie.
Here's a close-up of the glasses.
As I let it dry, I cut out a cardboard mitten and painted stripes. It'll be used for a card.
After adding pinkish tones and Sharpie lines, then glueing the glasses on, here it is! Tis the director himself! Mini-fied.
His left side.
The back of his head. I even included his bald spot.
A 4-inch Munny doll and a package of white air-dry clay. You can buy the doll on KidRobot’s MUNNYWORLD. I got mine at Blick Art Materials.
I let it dry for a day and then molded more volume into the hair and fixed the cheekbones. I got a little scared at that point because he started to look more like Ron Paul or the guy from Up.
Took apart the arms for the sleeves. Don't worry, it snaps back on.
Pants! Woody's really into the corduroys.
Painted his skin on both his face and hands.
I made a cheap-looking gift wrapping out of three pieces of paper and different colored Sharpies.
I added the eyes and brows.
I couldn't find my knife so I stupidly wasted time by poking a line of hole around the frame with a thumb tack until I realized I could just use scissors.
His right side.
I don't think Woody Allen has ever held a pinwheel in a movie (Correct me if I'm wrong) but there was one included in the box and it helped balance his big head.
The reason why I decided to post this blog before Christmas is because we decided to open presents early.
He got me a Bamboo digitizing tablet, how wonderful. : )
I put him back into the Munny box and covered it in the wrapping paper I made. I did a pretty bad job of taping it.
Placed the mitten on top. I folded a long strip of artist tape in half and made a ribbon to tie the box with.