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greygraphite.bsky.social
Brian
@greygraphite.bsky.social
250 followers 480 following 240 posts
Artist, college drawing instructor, union organizer, amateur Sasquatchologist.

www.brianrwilliams.com

Creator of the independent webcomic “Orick & Argyle."

www.orickandargyle.com
patreon.com/greygraphite
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greygraphite.bsky.social
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 2. Still one of my favorite projects: illustrating "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," by Wallace Stevens.
V I do not know which to prefer, The beauty of inflections Or the beauty of innuendoes, The blackbird whistling Or just after. Stanza V from "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird," written by Wallace Stevens. A digital illustration showing a red-winged blackbird perched on a twig next to a muddy pond at twilight. The blackbird is calling. Next to it is an old stone with a spiral pattern carved into it. The scene's reflection on the surface of the pond appears to show a moment in the near future: the stone is glowing and the blackbird is flying away.
December 2, 2025 at 1:12 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Gonna participate in #artadventcalendar this year -- thanks to @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca for the heads-up!

Day 1: Orick's Cave
A digital illustration showing a Sasquatch reading a book in his cave with his friends, a mountain lion asleep next to the fireplace, and an extraterrestrial laying on a rug watching The X-Files on an iPad. The cave is illuminated by the fire in the fireplace, candles, lamps and glowing crystals. Above the fireplace is a framed portrait of a Sasquatch ancestor. In the background is a bookshelf and a staircase.
December 1, 2025 at 1:35 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
I'm halfway through "Will-o-the-Wisp," a story about a Sasquatch, an extraterrestrial, a human & a mountain lion who are following a spook light through the woods. The Will-o'-the-Wisp is also being pursued by wood devils, and the gang has to capture the light before the wood devils get to it first.
Cover image of "Will-o'-the-Wisp," a webcomic. The title is written in glowing green font. Below it are main characters Orick, a Sasquatch; Ursula, a human; Argyle, an extraterrestrial; and Leona, a mountain lion. A page from the comic. Ursula is describing an encounter with a wood devil she had as a child. The illustration shows a flashback to her childhood room where a wood devil lurks outside her window while she cowers under her covers. She says she always thought it was just a nightmare until seeing wood devils as an adult. A page from the comic. Ursula discovers a staircase inside an old tree. It goes down into the earth; the faint glow of the Will-o'-the-Wisp can be seen. Ursula, Orick, Argyle and Leona follow the stairs down. A full-page illustration showing the characters following an underground staircase between stalactites and stalagmites. Ursula is in the lead, carrying a flashlight. Behind her are Orick, Argyle and Leona.
November 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Use only one piece of art to convince folks to follow you 🐵🐱👽

#digitalart #comics
A digital illustration showing comic book 3 characters in a rowboat on a pond at twilight. The pond is ringed with lily pads and cattails. Orick, a Sasquatch is rowing the boat; sitting in the boat behind him are Leona, a mountain lion, and Argyle, an extraterrestrial. The characters are looking cautiously in different directions. In the distance is an island with a spooky old wooden church and a pier.
November 25, 2025 at 1:10 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
boids 🪶

#birds #birdart #digitalart
XI He rode over Connecticut In a glass coach. Once, a fear pierced him, In that he mistook The shadow of his equipage For blackbirds. Stanza Eleven from the poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens, illustrated by me. A flock of blackbirds flies alongside a greyish-blue streamlined steam passenger train speeding over a stone bridge under an overcast sky.
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
If you see this, post your art with clouds 🌥️
III The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds. It was a small part of the pantomime. A digital illustration of Stanza III of the poem, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens. A red-winged blackbird flies above a metal contraption made of old rusty tin wind-up toys. It is placed over a rectangular hole in the ground that emanates purple light. The contraption is inspired by the painting "Twittering Machine" by Paul Klee. In the distance is a foggy field, a tree line, and pink and grey clouds at dusk.
November 3, 2025 at 5:46 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
A digital sketch for a drawing. I love sketching digitally even if the plan is to finish the drawing using traditional media.
A digital sketch of a giant jellyfish floating in the air in front of a large Tudor-style house at dusk. The jellyfish glows orange and pink, and its long tentacles drag on the ground.
October 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Artists, quote with your night art!

#digitalart #webcomic
A digital illustration showing comic book 3 characters in a rowboat on a pond at twilight. The pond is ringed with lily pads and cattails. Orick, a Sasquatch is rowing the boat; sitting in the boat behind him are Leona, a mountain lion, and Argyle, an extraterrestrial. The characters are looking cautiously in different directions. In the distance is an island with a spooky old wooden church and a pier.
October 27, 2025 at 6:27 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Quote your art with fire 🔥🔥🔥
"Carbon," graphite and charcoal powder on toned paper, 2025. A pair of tree trunks in the foreground have square holes cut out of them. Emerging from the biggest hole is a man playing a burning violin; his arms holding the instrument and the bow are emerging from two smaller holes. The arm holding the bow is coming out of a different tree than the rest of his body, revealing the surrealistic and nonsensical nature of the scene. An ammonite and a pile of uncut diamonds are seen in two other cut-outs in the tree. Also emerging from the trees are steel smokestacks belching copious amounts of black smoke and sparks. In the background is a meadow with a creek running through it; along the horizon more trees can be seen. The sky is overcast. Everything in the scene is composed partly or entirely of carbon: the trees, the violin, the diamonds, the steel smokestacks, the smoke, the man.
October 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Oh it’s #portfolioday !?

I’m Brian, I like to do drawrings. You can see more at my website: brianrwilliams.com
A graphite drawing showing a surreal scene: in the foreground is a tree trunk with four square holes cut out of it. A man playing a violin emerges from the biggest hole; his arm holding the violin sticks out from another hole. His other arm holding the bow emerges from a hole in a second tree trunk. The violin is on fire. Diamonds and an ammonite are seen in the last two holes in the tree. Additionally, connected to the front of the two tree trunks are three smokestacks belching black smoke and sparks. In the background is an overcast landscape with a meadow, a creek and a forest in the far distance. A graphite drawing shows Krampus stepping into the hallway of a fancy house. Krampus has one human foot and one cloven hoof. He wears a basket of sticks on his back and drags chains shackled to his wrists. He looks at the viewer and sticks out his tongue. A graphite drawing shows an outdoor scene in a desert, with a mountain, clouds, stars and the moon in the background. In the foreground, a woman sits in a carved wooden sleigh being pulled by fantastical creatures whose whiskers the woman is using as reins. A graphite drawing on sepia-toned paper shows a woman wearing a wig and garments from the early 1800s. She stares at the viewer. Behind her is a nighttime landscape with a river, trees and stars. The spirit of the Mothman floats in the sky above the river.
October 14, 2025 at 7:54 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
www.patreon.com/orickandargyle
Argyle asks Wicked Jenny, "Wait a minute. How do you know how rich they are?" Wicked Jenny replies: "I ask them." From out of frame, Argyle says, "And they TELL you!?" Wicked Jenny answers, "Aye." Wicked Jenny points at Ursula and says, "She did." Ursula glances guiltily at Argyle, who looks disappointed.
October 6, 2025 at 9:21 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
If you see this post something monochromatic

#traditionalart #drawing
"Carbon," graphite and charcoal powder on toned paper, 2025. A pair of tree trunks in the foreground have square holes cut out of them. Emerging from the biggest hole is a man playing a burning violin; his arms holding the instrument and the bow are emerging from two smaller holes. The arm holding the bow is coming out of a different tree than the rest of his body, revealing the surrealistic and nonsensical nature of the scene. An ammonite and a pile of uncut diamonds are seen in two other cut-outs in the tree. Also emerging from the trees are steel smokestacks belching copious amounts of black smoke and sparks. In the background is a meadow with a creek running through it; along the horizon more trees can be seen. The sky is overcast. Everything in the scene is composed partly or entirely of carbon: the trees, the violin, the diamonds, the steel smokestacks, the smoke, the man.
October 4, 2025 at 9:45 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Artists, quote with something silly

#traditionalart
“The Hermit II,” graphite on paper, 6x8” oval, 2025. A birch tree grows from the neck of a woman from a 17th-century Dutch painting. She wears an elaborately-embroidered dress and stiff ruff collar. A woodpecker peeks out from a hole in the tree approximately where the woman’s head would have been.
September 24, 2025 at 1:26 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
It's almost Squatchtober! 🍂

Quote repost with your Autumn themed #art

orickandargyle.com
A digital painting of Orick, a Sasquatch wearing an orange scarf and carrying a hot drink of some kind, walking between some trees and saying "boo" to classic movie monsters Nosferatu, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and a werewolf, who cower in fear and run away.
September 23, 2025 at 1:14 AM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Tomorrow! My solo show, "Rare Earth," opens at La Luz de Jesus Gallery! @laluzdejesus.bsky.social

This one's called "Alarm Call V," one of a series of absurdist little vignette drawings of birds & rusty old fog horns symbolizing nature's warning signs about climate change

#traditionalart #drawing
Rare Earth, drawings by Brian R. Williams, Friday, September 5 at La Luz de Jesus Gallery "Alarm Call V," graphite on toned paper. A pair of brant geese fly past a fog horn with 5 horns of various sizes, each facing in a different direction. The horns emerge from the top of a rust-stained cylindrical concrete structure built among an archipelago of sharp-edged triangular rocks. Visible at the base of the structure are metal pipes, wheels and drums of uncertain function. A photo of "Alarm Call V" matted and framed in a gold wooden frame.
September 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
If you see this, post something monochromatic 🖤
A black and white digital illustration showing comic book characters Ursula, a human woman; Orick, a Sasquatch; Argyle, an extraterrestrial; and Leona, a mountain lion, walking down a staircase carved into a cave. Ursula, holding a flashlight, leads the group.
August 28, 2025 at 5:33 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Here's a pic of "The Hermit III" framed:
A photo of the above drawing matted and framed in a wood frame with gold accents on the outside edge.
August 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
I also love digital art, and do a fair amount of it myself, but I'm always on the look-out for more traditional-media artists. If you see this, share some traditional art ✏️🦉

#art #drawing #traditionalart
“The Hermit III,” graphite on toned paper, 2025 An oak tree trunk emerges from the neck of a cloak worn by a sitter in a painting by Renaissance painter Hans Holbein the Younger. A barn owl peeks out from a hole in the tree trunk.
August 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
New drawing: "Carbon." All drawings are carbon, of course, but this one is about carbon, too.

#traditionalart #drawing
"Carbon," graphite and charcoal powder on toned paper, 2025. A pair of tree trunks in the foreground have square holes cut out of them. Emerging from the biggest hole is a man playing a burning violin; his arms holding the instrument and the bow are emerging from two smaller holes. The arm holding the bow is coming out of a different tree than the rest of his body, revealing the surrealistic and nonsensical nature of the scene. An ammonite and a pile of uncut diamonds are seen in two other cut-outs in the tree. Also emerging from the trees are steel smokestacks belching copious amounts of black smoke and sparks. In the background is a meadow with a creek running through it; along the horizon more trees can be seen. The sky is overcast. Everything in the scene is composed partly or entirely of carbon: the trees, the violin, the diamonds, the steel smokestacks, the smoke, the man.
August 14, 2025 at 1:20 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
New drawing: “The Hermit III”
“The Hermit III,” graphite on toned paper, 2025 An oak tree trunk emerges from the neck of a cloak worn by a sitter in a painting by Renaissance painter Hans Holbein the Younger. A barn owl peeks out from a hole in the tree trunk.
August 1, 2025 at 9:11 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
QRP with your skull art ✏️💀
“Chronospecies,” graphite and charcoal powder on paper. A man in a black hoodie sits at a desk holding a book. A human skull is superimposed over his face. Next to the human skull are the skulls of two ancestors of humanity: Homo ergaster and Australopithecus. A pocket watch sits on the desk in front of the man and a cuckoo clock hangs on the wall behind him. Through a window in the background, behind the skulls, can be seen the landscape of Tanzania, Africa, the geographical origin of the human species.
August 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
New drawing, The Hermit II
“The Hermit II,” graphite on toned paper, 6” x 8” oval A birch tree trunk emerges from the neck of an ornate dress and ruff worn by a female sitter from a 17th-century Dutch Golden Age painting. A woodpecker peeks out from a hole in the tree trunk.
July 26, 2025 at 2:08 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Happy Portfolio Day! Here's a sample of my traditional-media work. You can see more on my website:

brianrwilliams.com

#portfolioday #traditionalart
A pencil drawing showing a young boy asleep next to a creek in the woods. Watching the boy sleeping are three fantastical creatures made of moss. A rabbit rests beside the boy, an owl is perched on the shoulder of one of the moss men, and a white-tailed deer watches the scene from behind a tree trunk. Client: Worthy Tales Magazine A pencil drawing of a woman driving a sleigh across an alien landscape. Pulling the sleigh are 4-legged creatures whose whiskers are being used as reins by the woman driving the sleigh. Client: Worthy Tales Magazine A pencil drawing of a cat dressed in a hunting suit, partially obscuring his face with a white mask in the shape of a French bulldog's head. On the wall behind the cat are paintings depicting hunting dogs. Client: Drool Magazine A pencil drawing showing a woman dressed in an elaborate Renaissance dress with a ruff poses for a portrait with her pets, two cats and a pug, who are also dressed in Renaissance clothing. On the wall behind the woman are framed portraits of more dogs. Client: Johns Hopkins Magazine
July 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
New drawing: "Ventifact." A ventifact is a stone that's been shaped and weathered by wind-blown sand.

#traditionalart #artonpaper #drawing
"Ventifact," graphite on toned paper, 9 x 12 inches, 2025. A pencil drawing showing a man wearing a two-toned hoodie, buried up to his waist in sand in a desert landscape at dusk. The sand around him has been shaped into ripples by the wind. His head has transformed into a stone with cracks sharp edges all over its surface. The man's hands rest on the sand in front of him. In the far distance are mountains and clouds in the evening sky.
July 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
greygraphite.bsky.social
Me and my bluesky bubble
"Sixth Extinction Sonata," graphite and charcoal powder on paper, 2021. A graphite drawing showing a man wearing a white shroud and a Greek theater mask playing a violin. He stands in a barren landscape with dark clouds on the horizon. Displayed on poles around him are the skulls of five extinct animals, clockwise from top right: sea mink, Tasmanian tiger, great auk, King Island emu, and dodo.
June 17, 2025 at 12:45 PM