Master Otake

I am obsessed with books and fascinated by martial arts. In my collection you'll find a decent selection of martial arts books such as The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere, and one titled simply The Martial Arts. It is from this last book that I have referenced and drawn.

The Martial Arts was picked up at a terrific bookstore on Baronne Street when I lived in New Orleans. The book title itself seems fairly generic but its overview is a rich exposition of the martial arts culture, particularly Japanese, Okinawan, and some Chinese.

These drawings are of Master Otake, a budo swordsman. In trying to understand the drawing of Asian features, Master Otake's face was an enjoyable study for me. I can only guess at the interesting experiences he has had. His quiet intensity certainly bears the stamp of a man that has committed his life to the mastering of a martial art.

These two were layed out in orange color erase pencil. Then I inked them with Faber-Castell Pitt brush pens. Above I was going for a slightly more cartoony look with a nod to Jack Davis. Below I wanted to retain the light and shadow dynamics of the photograph, but rendered graphically.

The same applies to the martial arts as to the drawing arts, dedicated practice and honest evaluation will manifest satisfying results.