The Iron Man

by | Aug 24, 2021 | Art | 178 comments

The Iron Man

straffinrun

 

It’s been about a year since I introduced you to Tora-san (https://www.glibertarians2018.link/2018/05/31/movie-review-otoko-wa-tsurai-yo/) and I hope you haven’t forgotten our loveable woman beating, binge drinking loser with a heart of  gold.  I figured I’d try to bring his statue to life.  This is placed at the  home station where Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo was set.  I’ve been there and saw a 14 year old girl eating a sausage on stick in a very vulgar manner.   I’m an artiste and things catch my eye, what can I say?

First, I needed to sketch an outline.  I cheated and used a ruler to make sure I had the proportions right.

 

Next, it’s time to fill in the collar so that I can get an idea of the shading and texture needed.

Let’s fill in the rest of the jacket.  Layering the graphite as I go.  Let’s hope we don’t reach the parchment barrier.

 

Unfortunately, gotta add some pants.

Briefcase and stand and I’m done.

 

 

That’s about it for now.  Got any ideas for the background, let me know.  I just didn’t have time to draw all the stalls, chairs and tables in the background.  If you’re interested in the history of the statue, check out the link.  https://www.nippon.com/en/nipponblog/m00018/

*Supplies used were: 2H, 2B, 3B, 4B and 6B pencils.  Blending stump and Q tip for shading.  Ruler and kneadable eraser.  And free time.

**Pictures were taken with low exposure filter in place.  Couldn’t capture the lighting with regular exposure.

About The Author

straffinrun

straffinrun

Don’t forget to smash the notification bell to get all the latest videos of me doing Brochettaward’s mom.

178 Comments

  1. UnCivilServant

    Wait, is that statue wearing a suit and sandals?

  2. Sensei

    It’s been really interesting to see your progress!

    • The Hyperbole

      Yep, It’s been a lesson in determination, or something about journeys starting with one step, or persverance or something.

  3. pistoffnick

    “Got any ideas for the background, let me know.”

    a 14 year old girl eating a sausage on stick in a very vulgar manner.

    • R C Dean

      Yeah, that was kind of a layup.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      When was George Carlin’s line about an attractive woman eating an ice cream cone? Soemtimes one can nail down the concert by shirt color (light blue?).

  4. pistoffnick

    straffinrun
    The only person here with the humility to use all lowercase in their handle.

    ahem…though it’s true, I’m more about the hubris than the humility.

    • UnCivilServant

      He’s actually just too proud to admit his shift key was broken when he picked a handle.

    • waffles

      yeah I was gonna say.

    • l0b0t

      I think this very topic came up on the previous Tora san article.

    • robc

      umm..yeah.

    • blighted_non_millenial

      oh the humility.

      • blighted_non_millenial

        Lol.

    • db

      uhh

      • Ozymandias

        I really enjoy seeing our Glib minority groups come together like this.

  5. Toxteth O'Grady

    Yeah, impressive. My artistic pursuits plateaued long ago.

    • UnCivilServant

      I haven’t seen that one before. I was thinking of some painting tutorials where the expert goes ‘just highlight the edge of the eye’ when dealing with miniatures whose eyes are in the submilimeter size range.

    • rhywun

      LOL

  6. Mojeaux

    Wow! I am very impressed. I couldn’t learn how to do that on my own.

  7. Not Adahn

    Tangentially related, the BBC is reporting that a Yakuza boss has been sentenced to death by hanging. Of all the countries to not have a headsman…

    Then the BBC came this close to saying Kamala got zapped by the Cuban Microwave Gun.

    • rhywun

      I wonder how many doses of that Joe has received.

    • Swiss Servator

      What happened to the old, traditional ways?

  8. The Other Kevin

    Well done! You use a different sequence than I do, but there is no right or wrong way to do any of this.

    For the background, have you thought of doing a sketchy version with little detail or shading, like Ingres would do? I always liked that style.

  9. Aloysious

    Suggestions for background: girls. Possibly wemons, but definitely wimminz.

    • Bobarian LMD

      Anime Tiddies are always good!

      SFW.

  10. Not Adahn

    Hold on…

    Isn’t that Kim’s Hat?

  11. Not Adahn

    Ever had one of those repairs where you have to hold something in place with your forehead, and you realize you’ve been singing “motherfucker” to the tune of “Good Night Ladies” for the past fifteen minutes?

    • Mojeaux

      Yes.

    • UnCivilServant

      No.

      Mostly because I don’t sing.

      But I have had repairs in the same vein.

    • ron73440

      No, but I put a new serpentine belt on my SAAB Sunday that had me wanting to blow up the car.

      1/2″ clearance and the belt tool would go in but the handle would be against a part of the frame.

      Ended up using socket extensions and my floor jack to push the tensioner up, after taking off the wheel and fender liner, yelled FUUCCKK!! once when the jack rolled back as I almost had the damn thing in.

      It was a 3 hour fight, but I won.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Saab, huh? I miss those (and their two distinguishing first-gear characteristics).

      • ron73440

        I like it, not many around and it definitely has its quirks. 5 speed manual and enough power to be fun between 20-80mph.

        I’ve had her for 5 years and apparently the belt is a maintenance item every 60,000 miles.

        I’ve driven 65,000 and don’t know when or if it was ever changed.

      • ron73440

        2005 9-3 Aero

      • Tundra

        I loved the mid-80s 900 turbos. What a fun car!

      • Not Adahn

        I test drove a Saab convertible (9-3?) with a 5-speed in it when the Z3 got crushed. I did NOT like the transmission.

        The Honda S2000 OTOH… I didn’t buy that because as a daily driver I was worried about my adrenal glands exploding.

      • ron73440

        two distinguishing first-gear characteristics

        Not sure what you’re talking about there.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Unusual ignition key site, and not just the R gear to start (not unheard of) but its funny little foreskin too.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Maybe it is unheard of in other makes; I forget…

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        (Sorry, ‘s been a while.)

      • ron73440

        The key is in front of the center console and you have to pick up a tab on the gearshift to go to reverse.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Yeah, that. Kindly pardon my hazy memories.

      • Tundra

        On the 900s the key was between the seats and you lifted a ring to go in reverse. Volvos had a similar shift setup.

      • ron73440

        Ring is a much better way to describe it, it hasn’t changed.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        T remembers. Dose funny Svedes!

      • Zwak, jack off, all trades

        65-66 Mustang 4-speeds you had to pull up on a little gizmo to get into reverse.

      • Bobarian LMD

        My Cobalt SS has one of those.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        Did they give you a tweed jacket with elbow patches when you bought it? 😉

      • UnCivilServant

        Oh, he already had a wardrobe full of those.

      • ron73440

        IT”S A VERY NICE CAR!

        I like to remind my wife that when it was new it was a high level automobile.

        Leather seat, automatic climate controls and a 210hp engine.

        She says I shouldn’t drive it wearing work boots and open carrying a pistol, it doesn’t match.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        I know they are, but I couldn’t resist.

      • ron73440

        I know, they’re odd.

      • Tundra

        That’s fair. I was abused by my pals about my love of Volvos.

      • Not Adahn

        Why, were they gay?

        Oh, you said Volvos.

      • Zwak, jack off, all trades

        The last SAAB I drove was a 99, with no self-centering steering.

        I have been halfway looking for a two-stroke 96, as I love stupidcar, and there is a professor with a Trabant around here. Can’t let that stand!

      • Bobarian LMD

        You can’t get more stupid than a Trabant…

        A Model T is a better ride.

      • violent_k

        We should have beers. Currently in the fleet:

        1987 900 Convertible
        1989 900 SPG
        1996 9000 Aero
        2003 9-5 Aero
        2005 9-5 Aero
        All with clutch pedals, natch.

      • ron73440

        Impressive

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      All the time! How did you know?

  12. Tundra

    Wow, straff, that’s really impressive!

    I’ve really enjoyed watching your progress.

  13. ron73440

    Came out nicely.

    “Got any ideas for the background, let me know.”

    a 14 year old girl eating a sausage on stick in a very vulgar manner.

    +1

  14. The Late P Brooks

    Wow.

  15. Zwak, jack off, all trades

    As far as the background goes, since you asked, I would do some version of Urban Decay. Like Angkor Wat, jungles eating statues and buildings.

    But, man, you are getting good! My wife kept talking about learning to draw, and this year she admitted it wasn’t about drawing, it was about color. And so she bought some watercolors and now paints test strips.

    • ron73440

      paints test strips

      What do3es that mean?

      • Zwak, jack off, all trades

        She simply paints random colors. Usually in a row down the side of the paper.

      • R C Dean

        Modern art. Very avant garde.

      • ron73440

        Thanks

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        My first thought was the strips you use to measure engine part tolerances or strips they use to see if you have been smoking the Devil’s Lettuce.

      • Mojeaux

        Swatches. Learning how to control the water or let it control you.

      • Zwak, jack off, all trades

        I thought a Swatch was a cheap Swiss Watch?

  16. db

    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully completed “Handling Compressed Gas Cylinders in the Laboratory!”

    • UnCivilServant

      Yay!

      *stock cheering sound effect*

    • Timeloose

      I still can remember my training: Compressed gas cylinders aka “The Sleeping Giant”

    • Zwak, jack off, all trades

      Always make sure you store them on the side, and use a hammer to remove the valve.

      • UnCivilServant

        I’m afraid we’re going to have to mark you as having failed the course.

      • OBJ FRANKELSON

        and drop them from second-story windows to test their structural integrity.

      • Timeloose

        Like the A-Team using them as rockets to defeat a fully armed foe.

      • ron73440

        Mythbusters sent one through a concrete wall by knocking the valve off, but couldn’t get one to explode with a bullet.

    • OBJ FRANKELSON

      Are you going to frame the certificate and put it right next to your fire extinguisher training diploma?

  17. Gustave Lytton

    Spoiler: the 14 year old girl was straff.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      The walrus was Paul?

      • Not Adahn

        Goo goo g’joob!

  18. DEG

    Unfortunately, gotta add some pants.

    Pants? Are we supposed to be wearing pants?

    On a serious note, very nice job straffinrun.

    • ron73440

      That can’t be real, can it?

      • Suthenboy

        Of course it is. real. Was there ever any doubt? The Dem party has been co-opted by people that may as well be running the USSR. They are following the same playbook. That dunce just does as he is told. Theft and demoralization are at the heart of their strategy.
        Hillary and Pelosi are at the head of this. One used to pal around with Jim Jones, the other might as well have hung a ‘FOR SALE’ sign on her office door.

        The useful idiots in this country have put our enemies in charge.

    • Certified Public Asshat

      I’m surprised he could physically do it.

      • blighted_non_millenial

        Everyone is applauding because he was able to stand?

    • The Hyperbole

      Looks like he was on a platform higher than the team already and kneeled for the photo-op so he wouldn’t block out some the women behind him, seems like the decent thing to do.

      • Suthenboy

        Your rationalization sometimes looks a lot like excuse making. Meaning comes from context. Look at all of the other things he has done.
        Why did they not just build a platform for the women so they were above him? You know the answer as well as I do.

      • The Hyperbole

        Yes, they built the platform and risers for the team and Joe to stand on specifically so he could take a knee at the very end of the photo-op to signal to the world his hatred of America. Why am I reminded of the lefts constant whinging about Trump’s “dog whistles”?

      • R C Dean

        Looking at the pic, there was no need for him to kneel. They could do the thing everybody does when they are lined up in rows – scootch a little to make sure everybody is in the pic.

      • Sean

        ^^ Yup.

      • Not Adahn

        If they let him get too close, they couldn’t stop the hair-sniffing

  19. Certified Public Asshat

    BREAKING: We’re suing to end South Carolina’s ban on mask requirements in schools, with Disability Rights South Carolina, Able South Carolina, and parents.Students with disabilities are effectively being excluded from public schools because of this ban.Courts must intervene.— ACLU (@ACLU) August 24, 2021

    There is no liberty without mandates.

    • ron73440

      War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength

    • ron73440

      Worst part, the actual legality doesn’t matter, just the politics of the judge.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      ~ ~ ~ ?

      Lost count of the Nots; I forget my symbolic logic. :. ACLU sucks again, eh.

      • ron73440

        I had to read it a few times because it doesn’t make sense to sue against a ban.

        How is that excluding people?

        Wouldn’t a mandate exclude worse?

        Why don’t they sue NYC for ACTUALLY excluding people?

      • Suthenboy

        Best I can figure children with disabilities are more at risk of serious illness so having other kids unmasked leaves those children in danger so they have to stay home. They did not seem concerned about other transmissible illnesses before this lunacy.
        By the way, MASKS DONT WORK. We have known this for 100 years. Why not have the children hang a voodoo chicken’s foot around their neck to ward off evil spirits?

        The argument is nonsense. The measures, all of them, are about OBEY. Nothing else.

      • Ed Wuncler

        Part of me is tempted to wear a mask that says: This doesn’t work.

      • ron73440

        A congress lady had one that said This mask is as useless as Joe Biden

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        You handy with a needle? Eh, never mind, Etsy would probably ban you anyway.

      • Nephilium

        The Glibstore used to have one.

    • DEG

      Fuck the ACLU. They’ve stopped being about civil rights long ago.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Yah, all the cool kids are giving to IJ (really true though).

      • Akira

        Glenn Greenwald (if I remember right) recently lambasted the ACLU for caring more about their wealthy “liberal” donor base rather than making principled stands for civil liberties.

        I used to kind of like them. I thought it was screwy that they totally ignored the Second Amendment but didn’t really care as long as they weren’t lobbying against it. Now they seem to be a complete tool of the Democrat Party.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Eh well, many people probably let them ride too long just re Skokie.

    • Suthenboy

      What the hell are they talking about? That makes no sense whatsoever.

      • WTF

        War is peace, freedom is slavery, etc. etc.

        Newspeak is a real thing.

      • Not Adahn

        We have to ban peanut butter sandwiches or people with peanut allergies can’t go to school, violating the ADA.

        I got my law degree from Beverly Hills Upstairs Medical College.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Hiiii, Dr. Nick!

    • R C Dean

      This isn’t a ban on masking, its a ban on mask mandates. The ACLU now apparently believes that liberty means “government at any level isn’t restricted from imposing rules.”

      What’s interesting about the way they framed this is that they will be arguing that requiring students, not employees, to wear a mask is a “reasonable accommodation” of a disability required by the ADA. I’m not aware that the ADA has ever been applied to require that customers do anything, just the company and its employees.

      And, of course, reasonable accommodation has historically been done on a case by case basis to address an identified person’s actual disability, not a hypothetical person’s theoretical disability. This will mean that reasonable accommodation of a disability is required when there is no actual disability in view.

      The ACLU has always been a leftist organization. Always. They used to run interference for the commies, now they run interference for the Dems.

      • ron73440

        They used to run interference for the commies, now they run interference for the Dems.

        Is there a difference?

      • Bobarian LMD

        In this case, RC, the Government is the customer and the students are required to provide the service.

  20. Ownbestenemy

    Awesome work straffinrun

  21. Timeloose

    Great stuff Straff. I hope you review your comments tonight while drinking in the parking lot.

  22. Ownbestenemy

    Kid got off light for the pot at school. Less than an ounce, so two-day suspension, time served as of today. Now as far as home life…

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Hurrah!

    • UnCivilServant

      Kid got Caught?

      That’s a paddlin.

      You’re gonna do something, do it right.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Yeah wifey and I discussed that. He did something kids have done since they have been kids. However, stupidly taking it to class and then loitering in the bathroom with buddies just screams beyond stupid.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        His sentence is to watch early That 70s Show?

        “Everything is legal, as long as you don’t get caught.”

      • Tundra

        Meh. I almost always had some on me or in my locker. Kids do dumb things.

        He’ll learn.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Nice…

      • R C Dean

        This is his opportunity to learn. I think OBE is just making sure he doesn’t miss it.

    • DEG

      That’s good.

    • Mojeaux

      I think I missed some drama, but this was explanation enough. Good that he got off light.

    • Ted S.

      You’re going to punish him for not sharing with you?

      • Ownbestenemy

        If I were not a fed…yeah

    • R C Dean

      On August 31, there will still be a lot of Americans in Afghanistan. As is true today, none of them will be allowed to go to the airport without Taliban permission. The Taliban doesn’t even need to lay hands on them to hold them hostage; they are all, already, effectively hostages.

      The Taliban holds all the cards. If we stay, I guarantee you not a single American will make it to the airport after August 31. And I suspect the Taliban just might shell our enclave at the airport into oblivion. Using the artillery we left behind. If I was in the military, I would want to know where those guns are. I bet they are coming to Kabul right now.

      What will the Taliban require to allow them to leave? Who knows, but it will be a hard pill to swallow. The Taliban has a once in a century opportunity to humiliate the Great Satan – they aren’t going to let it pass.

      We are only beginning to see the magnitude of this fuckup. And not a single person has resigned or been fired. I’m not even hearing any serious chatter about anyone losing their job over this.

      • Sean

        We are only beginning to see the magnitude of this fuckup.

        The ripples of death and blood will span generations. Quite some legacy there for Gropey.

      • The Other Kevin

        This is just getting started. Once they’ve established their courts and police force, and they’ve cut off communication to the outside, the real oppression will begin. We’ve effectively turned back the clock 20 years +1 day.

      • R C Dean

        I suspect Taliban 2.0 will be worse than OG Taliban. Fighting a war for 20 years is unlikely to have made them kindler and gentler.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Well the news is reporting ISIS-K… whatever that is. Apparently we are applying variants to everything nowadays.

      • Sean

        While giving them a mountain of real modern tactical tools of oppression.

  23. The Late P Brooks

    I had to read it a few times because it doesn’t make sense to sue against a ban.

    Make sense? Haha, good one.

    *slaps knee, guffaws*

    • ron73440

      My wife asked me about some stupid rule and I told her:

      “It hasn’t made sense since the beginning of the stupidity, why do you think it would make sense now?

  24. The Late P Brooks

    That “Mask bans are exclusionary!” nonsense is the new talking point.

    Another “right” to establish the lowest common denominator as the baseline.

    • Akira

      Another “right” to establish the lowest common denominator as the baseline.

      Or, another “right” that is actually taking rights away from other people.

      “Right to feel safe” = Your 2A rights are cancelled
      “Right to get an abortion” = The right of entrepreneurs to not pay for procedures that they are morally opposed to
      “Right to a gay wedding” = Any vendor that provides wedding-related services absolutely must service this wedding if they are asked

      • Suthenboy

        You left out Women’s rights – Free tampons that you get to pay for.

  25. Ownbestenemy

    The White House is now reporting that President Biden will explain his decision to ignore G-7 allies and stock to the Taliban’s plan to leave by Aug 31st.

    Look if things were going swimmingly, I would be backing the Prez on this. But things and plans didn’t quite go right.

    • Suthenboy

      How many of them helped the puppet get elected simply because they hated Trump because Trump Bad. This is what happens when you let TDS seep into your brain. It corrodes your brain. Drop an anvil on your foot and guess what? Reality always wins.

      Congratulations motherfuckers.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Choir is right here*, cher.

        *mostly?

      • Suthenboy

        My comment was aimed at the Europeans. We have plenty of idiots to blame here was well but not on this site that I am aware of.

    • robc

      Expand the wall to include Manhattan Island as well.

      They could then make a movie about it.

    • Not Adahn

      Wait, there are people at Rikers? I thought they were let out to stop the spread of covid.

      • Zwak, jack off, all trades

        They were, just nobody gave them a lift off the island.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, Deblasio brags about this constantly. The actual point of springing half the prisoners was so he could tear down Rikers and replace it with smaller “neighborhood” prisons, because those fine folks “deserve” to be housed in “their neighborhoods” (I am not joking – that is his rationale).

  26. robc

    Re: Afghanistan

    Hindsight is 20/20, but things would have gone better if congress had passed Ron Pauls’s Letter of Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001.

    Like Suthen above, I am preaching to the choir.

    • R C Dean

      I don’t have to go back to 2001. Things would have gone much better if Trump had gotten rid of just about every flag officer while he was in office.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Bless his heart.

      • robc

        Well yeah, but Paul’s bill was an even better fix.

  27. Not Adahn

    Next person who gets the keys to the time machine, could you go and fix the Romanization of Chinese?

    All of my colleagues pronouncing “z” as “j/ch” is finally beginning to get on my nerves.

    • rhywun

      Right? When it’s supposed to be pronounced “dz”.

      Akchually, Pinyin is the best of several Romanization schemes. The older ones were way worse.

      But yeah, one does get the sense they just picked free letters and assigned them at random.

    • limey

      Sjzizchuwaaan peppercorns.

  28. Fourscore

    We were just at the doc’s office, the missus ask about the vaccine ’cause she wants to go to CA in a month or two. The doc hemmed/hawed/shuffled his feet/looked around, explained the negatives. While he remained noncommittal, we knew he’d already had covid several months ago. He talked about the statistics, even among old people.

    Finally Mrs F said she’d decided not to get the vaccine, would take the opportunity to travel now. I am proud of her decision, arrived at with the explanation from someone she believes is smarter than I.

    Doc also agreed that I have an allergy as a result of a med change that was made while I was more comatose than usual. Changed my med to one minus the side effects. Hope it works.

    • Fourscore

      Oh, also, I have to re-repeat myself. Straff, you and others have so much talent in varying fields of expertise, it just overwhelms me. I feel like a kid looking in through the window of a candy store. No money but still everything looks so good…

    • Ownbestenemy

      There are docs on the ground who are not following the narrative it seems. Give people the information and let them decide will be punishable by death in the upcoming Patriot Act: Operation Inward Gaze

  29. Ownbestenemy

    Not sure if the WH narrative is going to play out so well. Reportedly they are sticking to the 31st deadline because of fear of ‘terrorism against our troops’ or really in how I see it, afraid to say we need to fix this and once everyone that wants out is out, we are gone. Since the WH has postponed the teleprompter reading session now to 1630 ET, I am sure they are tailoring this the best they can.

    • R C Dean

      We don’t have a choice. The Taliban is in control. They have thousands and thousands of de facto American hostages. We hold part of an airport, that we can be blown off of as soon as they move the artillery we so considerately left them into position.

      Our only military play is massive airstrikes. Against an enemy holding thousands of American hostages. So, not gonna happen.

      Bend over, US military and diplomats. And don’t expect any lube.

  30. PutridMeat

    Late to the party, but very nice work. You are very good at shading/shadows.

  31. db

    Very nice work, Straff.

  32. limey

    Unfortunately, gotta add some pants.

    Not having been to a restaurant for over eighteen months, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that.

    • limey

      Ps lovely sketching. Really nice.