New Materials

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In progress: acrylic paint and acrylic markers

In progress: acrylic paint and acrylic markers

I never thought I would really like acrylic paint. And, I never really expected that traditional art supplies would really evolve…but they have! After doing the mermaid painting, I realized that painting can be fun…it may not be my media in the end, but it is fun. Somehow I stumbled onto Acrylic markers. These things are super cool, they allow you to “draw” on canvas or wood panels. It’s just a little more comfortable for me, as painting does not come naturally. I am looking forward to learning how to use these and combining them with a brush. I am going to to work on a bug series.

Shells & Bugs

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Acrylic Painting in progress

Acrylic Painting in progress

I think that the bugs are here to stay. They are so much fun, on regular paper, on my Paper 53 app on my iPad…super fun. Why is that?

Just getting back front the beach I have the beach on my mind. After trying the mermaid, I thought I would try a shell in acrylic. Still not sure this medium is for me…but it is quick. I think I will try a little oil painting (I have the kind that work with water) tomorrow. Good to try new things. After that I am going back to watercolor and ink pen. And, of course I will continue to experiment with the Paper 53 app.

Ladybug: Paper 53 app on iPad

Ladybug: Paper 53 app on iPad

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.

First in a series

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Orange Tulip

Orange Tulip

Sketch to painting. Imaginary color. Experimental background. Sometimes I wonder…what in the world am I doing? I just launch into a painting using materials that I have either never used or have limited use in…I feel like I should be using materials that I am really adept at. However, I don’t even know what that would be. Painting doesn’t really come naturally to me, so I am approaching it like a drawing.

I had a lot of fun deciding on the colors to use for this piece. I really enjoyed doing the ink only sketch and then re-interpreting that into a small painting. This is 5″x7″ on a cradled birch panel. I really like opaque watercolor and water-soluble crayon, but I wanted to work on something other than paper. So, I found some absorbent gesso ground and made that my first layer, (purposely painted on in several layers with some nice texture) then I did an abstract opaque watercolor background and added some salt. Then I painted my image right on top. I am happy with the translucency almost tissue paper look to it. I am like that some of the background comes through in the flower. Opaque watercolor is a challenge though and some areas seem muddy to me.

I think that I will try inktense or maybe casein next.

Tulip Study: fountain pen, black ink

Tulip Study: fountain pen, black ink

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

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

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

Splash of color

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Pitt pen and water-soluble crayon

Pitt pen and water-soluble crayon

So hard not to break the rules sometimes! I love, love, love the ink only drawing. But, sometimes it is just impossible for me not to add a little color. This Koel bird was a prime example. I drew this from a black and white only image from the Animals, Mammals, Bird, Fish, Insects etc. book I have been using. I decided to look the bird up to just learn some more about it, and the images I found show the bird with brilliant red eyes and a green toned beak. The sketch was begging for the color.

I loved this little Jack Russell Terrier that was running around on the lava stone at the beach on The Big Island of Hawaii. i took several photos of him. I think I might do a couple more sketches of him.

Pitt Pen Medium Point

Pitt Pen Medium Point

Behind again on my sketches, two more to do today.

Stuck on shells

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Inktense and colored pencil

Inktense and colored pencil

Seems like shells are the subject matter of the moment. The great thing about them is that I have so many to choose from! Before my #sketchbookskool class  I was drawing a lot more from photos. I have discovered I really like drawing from life. Many of the shells I have are tiny, so I can just put them in my purse and pull them out to draw at any time.

For my next few drawings I am going to work on putting color down first and then working over in ink pen. Love, love, love working in ink. And, I am surprised at how much I like working without any guidelines.

Quick sketch: ink pen

Quick sketch: ink pen

Hosta

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Hosta on Stone
Hosta: Encaustic on Stone

Size is approximately 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2 ”

Substrate is stone found along the beach in Stockton Springs, Maine

Materials: Casein and colored pencil, encaustic

Image is inspired by a photograph that I took of a Hosta plant blooming outside of a motel in NewHampshire. It was raining and overcast that day, and the motel wasn’t the greatest. But, the flowers were beautiful.