Rob

I could not NOT draw a sketch of Robin Hood. Afterall, I drew Marian, how could I not try to capture Rob's likeness?

The lips are still wrong...just saying...also, I feel like his forehead is still distorted. The brilliant Jonas Armstrong has very distinct- non distorted features and I do not feel like I portrayed them accurately.. Maybe I'm going to have to try again.
;)

Overall, I really enjoy trying to draw portraits. Too bad they aren't in high demand anymore. Maybe the novelty of the portrait will come back around after all the smart phones and digital cameras become passé...

 

Brave

Well, this certainly isn't going to quell my fascination with archery anytime soon.

This isn't helping either.

Even as I was driving by a school marquee, the banner read, "Archery Tournament [blah blah blah]..."

I mean, THAT'S gotta be a sign, right? --a sign that I should purchase a hand crafted longbow online for $399, right? Don't worry, I included the link in case one of my readers wins that ginormous lottery jackpot and feels especially generous...as it could be an early birthday present for moi...or if anyone wants to snake it from under me and buy it for themselves, I suppose. ;)

Of course, flaming arrows are for the more advanced and I wouldn't expect to incorporate fire for several months--even years from now. But how will we know until I get my hands on a bow and arrows. I could be a natural.

A natural, like K. Cos....

Or Legolas...

There's even going to be a dwarf in The Hobbit who will wield a bow and arrow which is not the traditional weapon for a dwarf. Ah! I can't wait!!!!

Susan's even got one. And a really nice quiver too!

It's like everybody and their brother are archers these days.

Seriously?!?!?! These punks don't even look like they know what they're doing! They're all probably missing an eye now. ...Okay, I take that back. I hope they all have their eyes. (Notice the 3 lefties of the group? That's certainly rare.) I'm sorry, Pucker-face (second from the left) is making me really nervous....Am I the only one?

So, clearly I am not going to be able to forget about archery for sometime.

Lady Marian

As I previously stated in a recent blog post on Robin Hood, I've found myself between a rock and a crazy place as of late (who am I kidding? More like "for as long as I've existed).

Here is a sketch that I did this week. The subject matter would obviously be associated with Robin Hood, so before I sketch my favourite outlaw, I thought I'd brush up on my skills ("You know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...") and because I really wanted the challenge of creating a face behind a veil, I chose the love of Robin's life, Marian.

If only it hadn't taken me "like three hours to finish the shading on the upper lip," I may have been able to finish the lace work.

It's ridiculously tedious because it's not really drawn, it's erased! It's negative space. Now I can see why this sculptor omited the lace detail on this veil. Does this look familar to anyone? Is it in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice?

Image from Mahsuri1284

Alright, I'm hoping to follow up this post with a drawing of Robin. Wish me luck!

Rockin' Robin

Pop quiz:

Who is the most dashing of the Disney characters?

a. Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid

b. Prince Philip from Sleeping Beauty

c. Flynn Rider from Tangled

d. Aladdin from...well, Aladdin


*(Dimitri from Anastasia could not be included in this survey because he is from a FOX animation, not to be confused with Disney.)
Did you decide?




Well, go on then!



Okay, if your answer was secret option e. Robin Hood then you are right!!!!!!
(I would have also accepted "e. Robin of Locksley")


I know, I know, he's a fox, so he shouldn't count, right? But he's a fox...who happens to talk with a gorgeous British accent and you can't dispute the fact that he is devastatingly romantic in every meaning of the word. So much so that he wears a disguise to participate in an archery contest just to win a single kiss from Maid Marian! He even carved their initials into the trunk of a tree for crying outloud! So he wins. End of story.

Though you know I wouldn't be writing a post about Robin Hood unless I had recently crossed over the line into a obsession- a kick, if you will.
It's what I do. (I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to deal with that, Mom.)

Thanks to Netflix, I was able to check out the BBC's version of the most infamous outlaw in Nottingham. (Infamous: that's "more than famous!")

Bullseye! I can't get enough. I realize that I'm going to have to cope with what I have, because the show only lasted for 3 seasons. (When I see the end of season 3, I plan on being in a bad mood--Just warning those that will be subjected to being in my vincinity. ) Ah, I really don't want that day to come, so in the mean time, I'm gonna make treasuries on Etsy, and maybe even set up an archery range in my backyard (Just kidding...or am I?) in order to prolong the idea that the series isn't over...even though it is.

So here's my latest Etsy treasury:

And because I'd like to be blatantly pathetic with you, I shall count thy ways to prove this Robin Hood obsession to you.

1.  As a child, the cartoon I liked. The cartoon I loved...even though it is made up of many recycled scenes from previous Disney movies and the animators at Disney were so embarrassed of it. I still love it. Anyone else agree with me?

2.  I won't deny that I secretly love the Kevin Costner version Robin Hood :Prince of Thieves (1991). I don't even care that he doesn't have a British accent! K. Costner somehow manages to make me forget that he has a mullet, so that's got to count for something! Also, Alan Rickman's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham is so skeevy! It's brilliant!

Here's one of K. Costner's costume..I still can't believe I saw this in person.

3. I would NEVER fathom changing the radio station if Bryan Adam's rendition of "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" were to play. (Though, I'd rather listen to silence than Clay Aiken's version.) I even have a copy of the sheet music with the original cover and bought multiple versions of the VHS to find the copy that has the music video that plays behind the credits. (I know, ultra-geek moment, but this was pre-youtube days.) Here's the video that I absolutely had to have in case you're curious. Ah, don't ya miss the days when one could wear denim from head to toe?

I still think it is one of the best songs of the 90's. It's timeless.

4. I even tried to convince the Senior Prom commitee to have "Everything I Do) I Do It For You" as the Prom Theme! In the end, they selected the theme song, "Heaven" by DJ SAMMY, but who was "Heaven" orignally by? That's right, Bryan Adams, so I'd like to think I had a little bit of an influence on them after all.

So, yeah, I'd say I'm a fan. But this is what I find interesting. Bryan Adams is synonymous with the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves version in my twisted mind and I've actually thought for sometime now, that Bryan Adams would have made a great Robin Hood. (Okay, I've really exposed my insanity now. There's no going back.)

SO, you can imagine my elated state when I discovered that the actor they cast as Robin of Locksley in the BBC series resembled none other than...wait for it: My Bryan Adams--I have earned the right to call him "my". You don't want me to get into it. Just trust me.

I'll prove the resemblance between the two:

Okay, so let's talk logos/design now.

This is another reason why I like this BBC series.

I believe their logo is ingenious.

 Compared to...

which reads as "Robin Backwards-K-ood" to me. But in their defense, they do utilize the "o" as a target...so...I guess I'll let it slide. How does it read to you?

Any other fans of Robin Hood?

What did you think of the Ridley Scott version?

Here's are some beautiful screen captures from Ridley Scotts's Gladiator 3...I mean Robin Hood provided by mmorrow.

Alright, alright, I'll put an end to the Robin Hood madness...for now.

Hope my lovely readers all had a Happy Valentine's Day!

Sincerely,

Jana of Locksley...just kidding...not really...