The gist:
You are to produce exactly 100 figure drawings/pictures of humans between 1:00 today, Friday, and Monday morning at 9:00 am, when your new week begins. These drawings should be at least 11” x 14”. The figure must dominate the picture–no “scenes” with teeny figures. And 100 drawings means 100 drawings.
This is the exact assignment as I remember it. Drop the bomb on your students on a Friday afternoon; due first thing Monday morning.
Cue panic.
DB spells out the objective in his post, but essentially, you start drawing (on 11 x 14 sheets of paper mind you...not small) only to realize around #20 that you've used up your bag of tricks. It's designed to bring you to the brink of insanity. I drew a cluster of faces a year ago in one sitting (an hour?)—and heck, I was ready to put the pen down at a dozen.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBDvgC-69Jrd0Yk3uXULr5SzKSYyrvxtu-xfbZrY3FT8Yuyw9Myyww7zoyy32bln_RhZ-tALaavUgLvzH5erV9SRo1t7z7yfseXV_-JxtdJQO3va2YJ6bsh_pVjBvF-oJgrDR/s400/faces.gif)
100 unique figure drawings in less than 3 days. Go!
After reading his post, I went straight to the studio and began digging through my college portfolios. I finally came across the mass of 100 drawings. Here are some of them spread out haphazardly:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCG01qEgPF7Av-GyQUfvTE6sLhgvPk50nVU1uOftwzQPgkW3ifUrTdCSRapya9wDIqkvuYQGtQLGZhUtoUgnCfDOLv4Av5me5pd33H2Hxc4Twpm1CxwZlnEHEL00GBA8vMjic/s400/pile1.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAhHmg1mavR0P0xkLBu-op5Avm_AM83GlQT147iw-Rq4mXS_KtfQo7HyebIUPD-6R8p77elgOhSYzcgrzzv8vjeLX9UThyphenhyphen7m7QyYPvYrztUZIKy9uwkn5yovM50c09MaTGl78/s400/pile2.jpg)
It turns out I only counted around 85, so I'm either missing some or they've been misplaced. As unfair as it is to pick out favorites, here are the dozen or so images that I deem "interesting" today. But that's kind of the point. You create a lot in a short amount of time, hoping to make some discoveries.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKz3aP4VX3KcFS-yrjrCS02CQS63UOSNgLf82uGKBKshwoC4n0zL62xPcclGayqDCymNcdv29KaVhSAWKtuVkfHXzFM_3QGqvEV_BsbmNOWvGt23YBtyv0PCc3PX_6bkmHohy/s400/booger.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7M2xg5a9gwsfbCEH3R8h_9x5qm6Jsk8I4ZG0JhA1UdxAkTKwn5o0N95Z0JjqHgyr_YF3O9bT5rxRUOEOkL-PWhfcBNjKpChXYZEHRWmwTXMFnEK3RCbn45nnRa8C5K2uXpGmU/s400/boy.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrxFCTBWAheSWmpOQj8H7drb0nNXIPoa1iQKvb_fflMOdWAXGKAAJyLoojC3E_1orG_4GUxz8x2fYbn9-YHMV4mKT6Gt38kDLtPuiG0BkomwSaMyG_R1_y5y30NO9vLEzMpuh/s400/bubble.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnKrvQZ4EXzx2TybQPyPlcR9M4TmP8K86-QUJcofPheV2xzzXRQyp8Pyb4Fc1osKPk8w1B19p1TK_FJh0Y78M234nR3l7__f9Z92oPJVmWkjKEHOf5vIDPsdTegzin738pRuy/s400/cereal.jpg)
I look at these, and while I can see the cartoon themes poking through, it strikes me how far in the direction of cartoony imagery I've gone today. This was definitely before I dipped into Fleischer and classic animation. Probably before I discovered Gary Baseman...maybe even before I started watching SpongeBob.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLySz3tC8gp_pA2W9AmvgnPascQu_5k5bLGka9rLFBxI4kkq5ByWQnaR8Cj67pAAC8yLWiUHq2zW2E4RhI7TMRt3TNeFKd0pXXVadJsLKglkyM4qgxmNT9dOCdYFLIBF7WlqQW/s400/pirate.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRMkuLw7DrC6xPHyjC7rGwZTUjN1k5Mw8LVSZKnsxalE8iHDgM-jg06Ny99YCdau00ICsRvKk6xaGLiIm48d3sFBkVhOQdkr_aWX-oxdPlwTH2l1i7qCvVcw6EvsgYZLq_xbk/s400/ratboy.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNcEDR7PBxN3fRvL2j9KR-c1Z2L-X4Rr37jwF-CYb4QsVvdFuiZ-AWbSbEDW5DWu7tBpg_CYHxssD_jvYC3ryVHW0cg4ZkMh6juGb76kTGocj3gNut6zY_B58pN7hE_BoIgKW/s400/crossing.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0iSc0fhMYanGV1tPqVnD7bSUYCX7HIU87VzcU393jlGxwr3bBk7_Vk9sFJ8hieM0ZS_RJDDw4QnjtoHXI-liYLB2XjCWGF_Sjuy6lvwE5mUBGB0JSBu1MrC_mX0B9IC3S5nC/s400/surgery.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROy4fVuhvyXUCwqUSW3_wOYHjjjgWQQvtSrpkuxlCGaSdkruxnWmltMg9Lp9McVO0XJ9QBnq092YU1GucDn-J09fKXKiOl0Di4-m70YYC7CXgNI7iG4noiu2XKp52b7k8xRoo/s400/toaster.jpg)
Not to mention that a lot of these are either gouache or watercolor paintings (nothing is digital). I remember distinctly during the critique people mentioning that I draw big heads (I still do). But I now notice how small most of the eyes are—eyes have now all but taken over my characters' faces.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSCf4z9Q0qVZjn558Zu2OZB7C2xhTXOYWu2dUa3XeL6Tusgs0Y9OtVpU_Sdt9QN3HOsv52yKL6adGD_tSTNoH2aMx5uQkc9UVD7DaEqlsMeu2tjCUFZ4uBphAeuX0yv0zzrnz/s400/eggs.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhFfCMNcdVtLN4JOMa3v3CzY1gtWqW0WkSw1i9pLRTKwpjVY0LTurOQ6AUT89e3qZEjWUMHU6PDYl_LAW9T2b2SasADpG40Wk1yufZ4Ts3u-nNdwc5KvaYfJNE33ImFMTmnF5/s400/fire.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGFOSc3HervhQ7-ZaSpC_7lghtMe4KVwHxz7yC6gV5RTR1xZBfmQZ5NdlN4r2X16tuGnnynWK-Pqrv-TVILGAN5abXc1yE2V1bI4-U6MXoGOAgA7LhyphenhyphenvlH5qp9LZ0sNqze2es/s400/candy.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgge_LyvTca3utYML9TdwAQaynbhc1ZMyKs8KmPD_5RmuT0kVrgr4WppL8PTdwBTFDukdL6B7SaQVyYb9TLFI_REUI3SQkC3-2xM6DeYY2nAD4ebu4f-Mw4uOiJG3zeDpr3bgND/s400/watercan.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISbPrwjAw6FrbmkbM78MjDLZKVUmSZezw23K2iODLla0W1VSnyQEM5Yn8EE2SIfb3uc9wrwuy2TuCqt6RFVhPtYX94br4Fi0bZz97WsTppVkJ0m_fMi0GhBu5PyfDla1XIoRi/s400/sneeze.jpg)
A did a dozen or so like this—brush and ink...flicking the brush at the page to inspire fun ideas. That was key throughout this—keeping yourself in good spirits. I remember having fun with this set.
Here are a few more of varying styles and media.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxRx7FylR5Er_9O7EJMHB2H_T7hlGvthbJVFkuxs_dCuz0ZxyLcd8vVAQHcWcRaxJxHUG2S_annRFae5_0wQQikfTSHrlWsTfz8Q2h3bp76qHYaK_-mKlyIPhKQcNjCrxRHuz9/s400/flag.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl_Qa0g0ueW-2FVGopMJxTsIDOjzw4P-gmSg7T_0D67LjM_vAxNrOX3QpbGf7JRiVcVJq4IuHYFsb8YZJvVhp2Uc0njzKMv-sK2NurXTdp2Iz0RZvkcbWcybu1YN4jRg2qOkO/s400/football.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbKBPqHLFbK0Nfkto2FGR-lddRWNawLurpYY_FiLORx98I_hiA7ewydJO0zSXes25tZPuBB2SZfQObZ7yg2w1GzB42tXPpZ7sgDFIuCf6EhBZXnjO7Yg-hZLI2ri30jGmcoud/s400/highchair.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_9lBMnitR-9JxKsRGl-05rwbe7rwUgdY56CjTzyhopKP62RRflXQx0-A1vy4Oz_UzvHdvevqsJgRseQ-0WWCNFnfZy_DyMyjuXwzYD_LyyOUwCDgblLQ447xsy3SKPrP1C9Z/s400/superkid.jpg)
I doubt I'll ever create so much work in such a short period of time. And it's hard to imagine a more practical exercise. We could all benefit from doing this at least once a year to work out the kinks in our style and explore new approaches of drawing. I like to think that's what a sketchbook is for, but this was much more intense by comparison.
I may do another college-related post, but until then, back to 2009.