Ben Towle

Author's posts

Portrait Night 3/22 (Ludwig Wittgenstein)

Tonight’s subject is philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. I was a philosophy major in college and did my thesis on Wittgenstein. I’d love to tell you that I therefore have a really solid understanding of his two most notable contributions to philosophy–logical positivism and ordinary language philosophy–but his ideas are pretty slippery and even after studying him …

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A Child’s Garden of Mini-Comics

My father’s in town for a visit and, as is his wont, he brought with him a giant cardboard box of stuff to pawn off on me. As usual, this box contained an assortment of “closet-clearing” items (old coats, clothes), new items that he bought but doesn’t want (the two-volume Lynd Ward set!), and some …

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Portrait Night 3/15 (John Irving)

This week’s Twitter #PortraitNight subject is a suggestion from Tim O’Shea of Comic Book Resources. After two disastrous attempts at his other suggestion, Peter Gabriel, I wound up switching gears and attempting a likeness of author John Irving. This was a quick drawing that took maybe twenty minutes in my sketchbook and I think turned …

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Hot off the Press: Get Yer Oyster War Bookmarks

I’ve been making strides recently to be a better self-promoter. I’m still not on Facebook, but hey, I’ve been on Twitter for a while… and now I’ve got bookmarks! OK, bookmarks are as old-timey a promotional item as possible and not “social” in any way, shape, or form… but I’ve had good luck in the …

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Drawing Drapery / Folds

Lately I’ve been taking a break from my obsessive sketchbook hand-drawing and have instead been doing exercises to address another problem drawing area: folds and drapery. If you’re drawing people, you’re most likely drawing them clothed (well, at least some of the time!) and that means that you need to know how to draw folds …

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