Mermaids & Bugs

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Fountain pen (light blue) and sepia ink pen with watercolor pencil

Fountain pen (light blue) and sepia ink pen with watercolor pencil

I really love drawing the bugs. It seems kind of weird, but I like them. I have been looking for a piece to go in our bathroom–and specifically I want something beachy and thought a mermaid would be fun. After looking around I have decided to try and paint it myself. So, even though the painting will be pretty primitive, I am doing some studies. Stretched canvas is pretty inexpensive and readily available, so I have decided to use canvas. That means subjecting myself to acrylic paint–generally not my choice of medium. So, it’s an exploration piece and I am trying to just have fun with it and not get too caught up in the end result. After all, it’s going to be acrylic to I can paint over it if it turns out awful.

Mermaid study for larger painting

Mermaid study for larger painting

Paper 53 App

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Gerber Daisy: drawn with the pen tool in the iPad app Paper 53

Gerber Daisy: drawn with the pen tool in the iPad app Paper 53

Leave it to #sketchbookskool to open up another medium for exploration. I have had the Paper 53 app on my iPad for a long time. I have never used it, until yesterday! It’s AWESOME!!!! No doubt it is going to take some getting used to, but it is super cool. I am really surprised how nice the pen and pencil tools are. I am using a cheap stylus that isn’t great, but good enough for some experiments. I ordered the Paper 53 stylus in hopes that it will prove easier to use. I am really excited about the possibilities for this new way of sketching.

The pros: 

  • The iPad is always with me
  • Endless color options
  • No need for new supplies
  • Quality reproduction

The Cons:

  • Results are not the same as working on different paper surfaces
  • Spontaneity of splashy unexpected, unplanned color can’t really be achieved

Overall, I am really excited about using this app for different sketchbooks. I have created one for “Learning”, “Bugs” and one just for “Sketches”.

I am also working on the Every Day in May Facebook Group Challenge. Basically just a drawing a day using the prompts from the group. Hopefully I can keep up. May 1 was your favorite food, I couldn’t get the entire image on the scanner–but the eggplant turned out okay. It was delicious roasted for supper. Today May 3 is curtains. Of which I have none in the house, so I will have to figure that one out.

Water-soluble crayon, black & white sharpie

Water-soluble crayon, black & white sharpie

Big Heads

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Fountain pen and water-soluble crayon

Fountain pen and water-soluble crayon

I am now two weeks in to #sketchbookskool #stretching class. Great to be back in class again! The time is already flying by. This second week I skipped over the blind contour and went straight to drawing big heads. It’s harder than one would think! I need to try this assignment again with a live subject. Reggie the boxer was hanging out at Java Joe’s coffee shop in Sugarloaf, he was a great looking guy–so I snapped his photo. The drawing is kind of wonky and I think that I will re-do his tag, but he was super fun to draw.

The think I like most about this assignment was the feeling of freedom from changing the proportions. Figures can be so intimidating…and changing proportions somehow takes some of the fear out of the drawing.

Winged Creatures

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Sepia Pitt Pen, Water-soluble Crayon, White Sharpie

Sepia Pitt Pen, Water-soluble Crayon, White Sharpie

I think I have found a use for the white Sharpie that has been so frustrating for me to use! Wings! I kind of stumbled onto this subject matter…I don’t really like winged ants…but I thought the shapes were fun and the wings were pretty. The sharpie seemed to work well on top of the water-soluble crayon background on my tinted strathmore paper. Maybe I have found my next encaustic series! Winged creatures! It’s just about time to get back to the wax.

So, my plan is to do a bunch of these winged creature sketches that will turn into encaustic panels. Hopefully I can make that work out.

Second in a series

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Single Daffodil. 5x7 cradled panel.

Single Daffodil. 5×7 cradled panel.

Sketch to painting. Imaginary color. Water-soluble crayon over absorbent ground–not sure about that choice. The background laid down very nice, but this is a difficult choice of medium. I think that I will try this one again with Casein. I like the softer background of the tulip, I think prefer a little less chaotic. But, all in all, an interesting experiment. I am working on achieving a series of paintings that will all work together–regardless of the medium chosen.

Fountain pen sketch for painting

Fountain pen sketch for painting

Quick Sketches

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Sharpie in Ink Only Journal

Sharpie in Ink Only Journal

Sometimes a sketch just comes at you in a surprising way. My Mom posted this sweet photo of a newly born lamb, and I immediately thought–so cute I want to draw him! And now, because I am drawing so much, all my supplies are readily at hand. I picked up my ink only journal and a sharpie and did the sketch. What a joy, fun and quick. A happy drawing. I think that is a good goal, to draw as many subjects as I can that really make me happy.

Inspired by one of the #sketchbookskool email assignments I decided to get a Strathmore tinted paper book. The first couple of pages are just experimenting with different mediums to see what works best. I have discovered that that oil based white sharpie I bought has some limitations–the paper just sucks it in, so it really doesn’t show up well. I have a feeling this paper will do best with colored pencil, conte crayon, things like that. The stock is not heavy enough to support too much wet media. It’s one of the largest sketch books I have ever used at 9″x12″–so that will be a good challenge to work a little larger.

This should be a busy week. I have some concentrated time off work and several days in a row–5 big ones, that will be devoted to drawing and painting. Really excited about that!

Colored pencil and white sharpie

Colored pencil and white sharpie

Thinking Spring

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Opaque watercolor and colored pencil

Opaque watercolor and colored pencil

I actually saw a robin in the yard today! Spring can’t be too far away. I think I am going to take a break from the daffodil’s now. I won’t see my own blooming for at least another 6 weeks, I will get back to them once I see them in my own yard. Trying to keep the tulips simple, just a little color and a little ink brush pen. Looking forward to filling up my flower only journal with nice variety. of flowers drawn from life.

Inktense and small brush pitt pen

Inktense and small brush pitt pen

We had snow this Easter Sunday! No accumulation, but some heavy snow squalls.

quick Easter bunny sketch: ink only journal

quick Easter bunny sketch: ink only journal

Daffodil’s

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Opaque watercolor and colored pencil

Opaque watercolor and colored pencil

I have to admit, I love daffodil’s. However, I find them one of the most challenging flowers to draw. From the front, from the back, from the side, it doesn’t matter…they are hard to capture. Easier to paint than to draw I think. I am working on daffodil’s only because a friend mentioned that these were truly her favorite flower. I was happy to give her the tulip drawing, but after hearing her story of why she loves daffodil’s I felt I had to try the daffodil’s. It may be awhile before I feel like I am doing them justice. A good challenge.

Daffodil Shadows: opaque watercolor and colored pencil

Daffodil Shadows: opaque watercolor and colored pencil

Colored Paper

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Tulips on colored paper.

Tulips on colored paper.

Quick experimental sketch for email sketchbook skool assignment. Orange colored paper stock with water-soluble crayon a sharpie and white marker. Absolutely something to try again! The colors are so different…not exactly what I was hoping for, but it’s fun to try something new. I really like using the white marker, and I actually picked the sharpie up by accident. Once I started with it however, there was no going back. I had intended to use a water soluble ink pen in order to get some funky shadow. I will have a do-over with that technique.

Really enjoying the extra bonus of sketchbook skool email assignment. What a nice surprise every Sunday to get them. I will tip this in to my ink only journal. #sketchbookskool, #art4all

Brush Pen

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Pitt Pen, brush style tip

Pitt Pen, brush style tip

Trying out new materials for my ink only journal. I am trying so hard to play by the rules and not add any color! Using a different style ink pen helps keep me away from the color! The brush pens are a great exploration, such a different feel. Heavier lines, and the ability to fill in more quickly. Next up, using a combination of different pens in one drawing.

Loved drawing my old friend Garth. I miss him all the time, he had a good long life. Nice to remember him with some sketches.

Difficult perspective

Difficult perspective