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Emma

@labsplaining.bsky.social

1.1K followers 830 following 4.7K posts

professional lab rat | hobby artist | anxious bean She/Her. Married to @pseudochamp.bsky.social

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Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · Dec 10

Did someone say art?

Just finished this 9x12" pencil drawing of Tom Morello.

Winsor & Newton graphite pencils on Strathmore 400 series drawing paper.

📷 Milan Risky/Shutterstock (from Tom Morello's Twitter feed a few years back)

A finished pencil drawing of Tom Morello, yelling, with one fist in the air and the other holding his guitar, which is flipped up to show a sign on the back that says "Fuck Trump".

The drawing is laying on a wooden drawing table, surrounded by some of the pencils, blending tortillons, and erasers that I used to complete it.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 3h

OOOOHHHH I love it!

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 3h

If you mean upbeat political/protest punk, try The Iron Roses?

Class War Cheer Squad

YouTube video by The Iron Roses - Topic

www.youtube.com

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 3h

1000%

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 3h

A faculty colleague/friend (not even in the sciences) was apparently bored today, so he decided to help me do lab dishes while we chatted. It was super weird and kind of great?

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 4h

SAME

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 5h

Now look what you made me do 😏

A record player with the sleeve for the self-titled RATM album on a display shelf above it. I also have an acrylic painting of Tom Morello's Arm The Homeless guitar hanging above the record player.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 5h

Sure, that'd be awesome, thank you!!

And absolutely this can wait - I have until dec 1 to submit something for the art show!

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 5h

Help, I have too many different craft components in this Halloween costume and not enough work surfaces in my craft room 😅

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 5h

Thank you! 🫶🤘

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 15h

Who even *are* you??

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 15h

💛💛💛

This was the first one where I tried to use a lot of very heavy, dark blacks on white paper (something an art teacher many years ago was always pushing me to do 😅)

It was a little scary and I burned through a lot of pencils, but I do love the depth that it adds!

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 16h

Thanks, Greg! 😊

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

I *fully* picked that reference photo because I loved how dark and moody it was. And I wanted to try charcoals on black paper. I really like how it turned out 🖤

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Oh, I don't know if this art show is a competition! I hope it's not 😅

They are just encouraging faculty and staff to submit art or crafts of any kind to kind of show the campus community what creative things we like to do!

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you!

Fun fact: this is one of the first portraits that I actually finished (and the first one I was happy with) when I started drawing again during the pandemic. At that time, it had been almost 20 years since I had spent much time drawing, so...this is the one that got me back into it.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

I'll allow it! (And thanks!)

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

OK, there are a few others, but I think that's all I'm going to put up for a vote. Thank you all! 💛💛💛

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

9. RHCP
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Red Hot Chili Peppers, 14 x 17", graphite, completed 5/29/22

Ref 📷 Gus Van Sant (I think - sorry, having trouble finding the ref photo for this one!)

#ArtPosting

A pencil drawing of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, from left to right: Flea, Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Chad Smith.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

8. RATM
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Rage Against The Machine, 14 x 17", graphite, completed 1/3/23

Ref 📷 Robin Harper

#ArtPosting

A drawing of the four members of Rage Against The Machine, from left to right: Tim Commerford, Brad Will, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello. The drawing is laying on a wooden table with several pencils and other drawing tools around the edges.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

7. Scott Weiland
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Scott Weiland, 9 x 12", charcoal, completed 3/5/22

Ref 📷 Garrett K. Woodward

#ArtPosting

A charcoal drawing of Scott Weiland on black paper. It is a very dark, moody picture, in which Weiland amis smoking a cigarette and leaning his face against his hand

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

6. Zack de la Rocha
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Zack de la Rocha, 9 x 12", graphite, completed 2/2/22

Ref 📷 Frank Micelotta

#ArtPosting

A pencil drawing of Zack de la Rocha on cream-colored drawing paper, laying on a wooden table

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

5. Kurt Cobain
PLEASE NOTE this is actually a 6 x 8" (v. small) drawing - I mistyped it on the post I made earlier
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

Kurt Cobain, 9 x 12", graphite, completed 6/18/21

Ref 📷 Frank Micelotta

#ArtPosting

A small graphite drawing of Kurt Cobain on cream-colored drawing paper. Two graphite pencils are laying on the edge of the drawing.

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

4. Tom Morello
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · Nov 10

Over on the bird site, it was this one (Tom Morello reposted it, so it got like 800+ likes).

That was pretty cool, given that this was only like the 3rd portrait I did since I started drawing again 😊🎸

A pencil drawing of Tom Morello, from a photo he posted on instagram. He's wearing a t-shirt that says "I play the guitar", and holding what appears to be a Gibson Les Paul Classic guitar.

This drawing made me fall in love with drawing guitars - they are DIFFICULT, and so satisfying...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

3. Chris Cornell
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · Jun 26

I do not want to Monday, so here's a pencil drawing from a couple of years ago instead: Chris Cornell, 6" x 8" (from a ref 📷 by Mark Seliger)

Perhaps some Soundgarden will help get me through the morning 🎶

Photo shows a pencil portrait of Chris Cornell displayed on a wooden table, with two pencils laying over the bottom left corner of the drawing.

The portrait shows Chris Cornell's head and shoulders. He is wearing a black leather jacket, his eyes reflecting light as he looks into the camera. His hair is on the shorter side, the top styled in wild waves.

I really liked the hair details (including eyelashes, eyebrows, and facial hair) in the reference photo that I used for this drawing, as well as the intense look in his eyes - this small portrait was challenging and fun to work on!

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · 1d

2. The Iron Roses (this one has also since been signed by Becky and Nat in gold Sharpie)
bsky.app/profile/labs...

Emma @labsplaining.bsky.social · Aug 15

Finished! 😊

Becky and Nat from the Iron Roses, 14x17", Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt pencils on Strathmore recycled drawing paper.
(Ref 📷 my own)

A finished pencil drawing showing the two vocalists from the band the Iron Roses singing on stage