Jan 2018 Sketches!

**Giggles!**

Technically, this is my first post of 2018.  The whole idea behind doing these sketches was to get back into the groove of drawing again, something that I have gotten out of these last few years.  Accuracy would be good to get in a lot of these drawings, but for now, it's just trying to get the ideas down more as roughs and incomplete ideas than realized pictures.  At least for now.

I discovered that the sketches are often too light for me to just scan in and hope that you can see them.  These are done off of a small 5.5x8.5 Strathmore Sketchbook with a 2HB pencil ... and then inked using Copic Blackliner Pens.  Most of the time, it's just an idea that comes to me during the day that I try to sketch out first thing in the morning while having my morning coffee or bottle of water or during the lunch hour while waiting for the next task to come along.  Sometimes, squeezing them in when I can is hard since I'm often tired in the afternoon since I get up at 4 am, but that's all part of the life I have chosen.  

The idea started with a chat with a good friend of mine, the Left Fielder ... y'know, the one who said, "He looks like Jack Black!" ... had asked about me getting back to work on my artwork and stories again.  Now, I admitted to him that I had felt I had gotten so busy with work with the Firm that I didn't have to think about the deaths of my folks, Mom in 2011 and then Pop in 2015 with both being buried at Jacksonville National Cemetery later in 2015, and the constant problems with my Big Sister, this was something I had not really spoken about over the last few years, feeling like this was my problem and not something that was a reason.  But, here I am making it an excuse.  Well, enough pity!  I asked the Left Fielder to keep an eye on me and ask me when he felt comfortable about how things were going with my other side-projects.

For now, this is going to be a slow process, one that I hope to stick with as much as I can.  I'm still dealing with the warehouse for the Firm, something that seems like it's never going to end, but does keep me employed so I can do what I do.  As does the vending machines, the company cars, and any other tasks that people don't wish to do.  I keep on telling them that if they are too busy to get it done, hand it to me and I'll do it.  All I often ask is to make sure that I have the time to get it done.

So, here's what I managed to finish within the first month of 2018.  Enjoy.