Belleville Drink N Draw May 2026

 This past Wednesday was the May edition of the Belleville Drink N Draw at Egan's Pub. I worked on a few ideas for some cartoons, a fantasy job and sketched one of our sketchers, although it really doesn't look like her.

colored pencil in sketchbook

The little chickadee is my fantasy idea of attempting to instill some culture in the city where I reside. It'll never happen, but I can dream. I have another idea involving the military museum near my house. I can design a better sign than what they have...

These little catfish are for a cartoon that I will soon do, involving them and a kayak. Hilarious.

Dolly Varden Trout Sketch

 I had just about finished this sketch last night and would have posted it just before midnight. However, two things intervened at that late hour. A shooting at the end of our street ('murica) and then Tina's cousins had a refrigerator leak and needed some assistance. So, I'm a day late and you can call this a #Sunday/MondayFishSketch.

As with last week and in conjunction with #25DaysOfFishmas, the theme was framed as a quiz. My internet search was correct and was validated by the aquarists at the Belle Isle Aquarium. They enable me to cheat some. 

So, it's a Dolly Varden Trout.

    5x8                          ink in sketchbook  

Texas Cichlid Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

I haven't done a #SundayFishSketch in some time and in coordination with #25DaysOfFishmas, the theme this time was a quiz. there were four clues to try to figure out the fish in question. I was coming up with everything but the fish that I needed, so I cheated and consulted the aquarists at the Belle Isle Aquarium. They gave me the answer yesterday, but I found myself down at the aquarium today to do a little volunteer work and lo and behold, they have that fish, the Texas Cichlid on display. Well, a bunch of them, actually.

They were being very uncooperative and wouldn't stay still. This is probably the best pic that I could muster. Speedy, they are.

Jack Crevalle Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

I haven't done a #SundayFishSketch in quite some time, so today was a good time to jump in with another one. Although the theme this week are extremophile fishes, I decided to go a little off theme this time. This afternoon, I finished reading Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts, so I kind of wanted to do something with that, so I chose a fish that finds its way into the Sea of Cortez in warmer  weather. So, not extreme, but toasty? 

I chose to do a Jack Crevalle (or crevalle jack) fish and they find their way into the gulf usually from February to June.

Sugar Skull Gar

5.25x7.25 framed

ink and watercolor

This here sugar skull gar (among a few others) is now available on my Etsy store for purchase

Click here to take you there. 

 

A Gar Hat Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

Anything gar related is this week's #SundayFishSketch theme, and I thought that I haven't seen too many gar hats around lately. So, I fixed that.

Dragonfish Sketch

 

5x8

ink and markers in sketchbook

Well, it's been a bit since I've done a #SundayFishSketch and I'm actually quite busy these days prepping for the Kickstarter launch for my new book, but I felt that I needed to squeeze this one in. The theme this week is small fish that would be terrifying if they were enormous. So, this here is a dragonfish. Only a few inches long, but with that distended jaw, a rather scary site.

This Lungfish May Have Some Thoughts On The Michigan Air...

 

The other day, Paul Shuert, the aquarist at the Belle Isle Aquarium sent me an idea on his thoughts of the quality of the Michigan air these past few days; a lungfish, that needs air, as well, may need a gas mask or air filter of some kind, just to get through its day.

Hopefully, the Quebec wildfires will abate soon and we can all breathe a little easier.

A Great White Shark Innards Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

This week's theme for #SundayFishSketch is to show the inner workings of a fish, such as a dissection. I hesitate at times when I choose to go with humor, but I think that I'm in good company with the scientists. At least I hope so.

Arowana Sketch

 

Whoa, I've made two #SundayFishSketch themes in a row! The theme this week is in connection with 'springing' our clocks forward and so we needed to find a fish that does such a thing, something to do with that and time flies and all that. So, I was going to go with a flying fish, but then thought that an arowana will spring out of the water to snag its prey. They are quick too, as I can attest. I had one draw blood from one of my knuckles as it thought to teach me a lesson.

Plus, wouldn't this fish look great as a muppet with that mouth? Someone should do something about that.

A Cable Goby Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

This week's #SundayFishSketch theme are women who talk about fish. Louella Cable was the first woman scientist ever hired by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, which was the predecessor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. In the late 60's she invented a prototype for a digital fish-measuring calipers.

The above fish is called the Cable's Goby, named after the fish that she did study. Since I couldn't find any reference for the digital prototype, I went off the rails and did a steampunk fish-measuring device. It's steam powered, in case you were wondering.

Whale Shark Sketch

 

5x8

ink and Dr. Ph. Martin's white ink

in sketchbook

Yikes, it's been over a month since I have shown anything new. I have been busy and will have more on that soon, including a new newsletter thing. Stay tuned.

This week's #SundayFishSketch theme is what fish we first think of when we hear the word 'fish.' This could change by the minute, but as of right now, it's a whale shark. 

Oranda Goldfish Sketch

 

5x8

ink, colored ink and marker from sketchbook

This week's #SundayFishSketch theme are fish that are white as snow. So, being the rebel that I am *cough, cough,* I picked a fish that had some red and orange, as well. An oranda goldfish. 

Brook Stickleback Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

In conjunction with the #25DaysofFishmas, today's #SundayFish Sketch theme was another riddle. The clues were as follows:

1. Native to North America, including the Great Lakes

2. Has no scales, but has five prominent spines on its back.

3. Builds a nest using its kidney secretions.

At first, I thought that this brook stickleback wouldn't be that fun to draw, but no, I was wrong. It was very entertaining to draw as it's an interesting fish and I'm kind of happy with the outcome. 

Muskellunge Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

This week's #SundayFishSketch coincides with the #25DaysofFishmas thingie going on, as well. This one, we had to guess the fish based on 3 clues:

1. Native to the Great Lakes, but stocked elsewhere as sport fish.

2. A fish with serious 'duck face.'

3. Both its common and scientific names are derived from an Ojibwa word.

Hence, the muskellunge, or muskie. 

Urgin' Sturgeon Sticker

 

A few years ago I did a sturgeon as a floor decal for the Belle Isle Aquarium when they acquired some of the said fish So, I decided to make up a chonky version as a sticker. 

You can now get one of your own at my website store at www.brucegerlach.squarespace.com. 

A Cavefish Sketch

 

7x7

colored pencil on black paper

I'm not sure what to make of my sketches on the black paper. I truly envision something different as I begin, but that's half the fun, I suppose. 

This week's theme for #SundayFishSketch are fish with tiny eyes. You don't get any tinier than no eyes at all. This is a cavefish. 

Opah Sketch

 

5x8

ink from sketchbook

I've missed the past few #SundayFishSketch days, so I needed together back on track for the 6th anniversary of the event. Of course, I've only been doing them for a little over a year, but it has been fun to do so, with a bunch of fellow artists and scientists, as well. A great community of like-minded souls.

Anglerfish Sketch

 

7x7

mixed media

Bioluminescent fish was today's theme for #SundayFishSketch, so here's a simple sketch of an anglerfish.

Gyronchus Sketch

 

5x8

ink in sketchbook

A fossilized gyronchus for this week's #SundayFishSketch theme of petrified, whether afraid or...