Warning: if you click on the image above you will see my latest Etch-A-Sketch effort — a rendering of Francis Bacon‘s Head VI in dramatic close-up. But it’s not for those of a nervous disposition.

Mind you, the original is much scarier.

Selection is one of the most important aspects of Etch-A-Sketching those old (and more modern) masters. Head VI is a good place to start if you’re not too hot when it comes to drawing faces. Somehow, I recognise myself in that description; so if you’re expecting me to tackle Raphael’s School of Athens any time in the foreseeable future, buddy you better think again.

Amazing what you can do on the Etch A Sketch, isn’t it? Here’s my attempt at recreating Giorgio de Chirico‘s 1914 classic, Melancholy and Mystery of a Street. Click on the image (go on, give that mouse a good old thump) to see it a bit biggerer.

And here’s a small version of the original painting. Look at all those arches and shadows; spooky, ain’t it?

Just in case you think we do nothing all day except twiddle about with bits of string, here’s my latest effort on the Etch A Sketch. In case you’re not familiar with the original, it’s a version of Edvard Munch‘s expressionist classic, ‘The Scream‘. Go on, admit it: you’re lost for words, aren’t you?

Shana got me an Etch A Sketch as an early Christmas present. It’s is fine for drawing straight lines, but curves and circles (especially if you want them to be at all regular in shape) present more of a challenge. After only a couple of days’ practice, though, I have now mastered the art of manipulating the aluminum powders hidden within the device and have produced the holy grail of Etch A Sketch users: an ampersand. I shall leave it to you to fathom exactly how I accomplished this feat. It could’ve been sheer artistic skill; or fantastic hand-eye coordination.

Or maybe it was all down to great knob control!

[Next week: the Mona Lisa. Er...maybe!]