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.

Imaginary Color

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Goldfish in imaginary color

Goldfish in imaginary color

My 75 days of Ink only is still proving to be fun and even more educational than I realized. I am using all kinds of different references–my own photos, life drawing, magazines and books. I don’t normally use resources that aren’t my own, but I am just learning after all. I am trying not to take each sketch so seriously.

The fish resource is from a book I found in my studio, I forgot I had it. It’s called Animals 1419 Copyright-Free Illustrations of Mammals, Birds, Fish, Insects, etc. Selected by Jim Harter. It’s AWESOME! That is where the fish came from. They are all black and white. I did a quick sketch of this great fish–the book says its a type of gold fish. Then I thought–this might be fun with some imaginary color. A lot of fun!

I think that the first black and white only sketch is actually nicer, but I felt like adding the color from my imagination was a good experiment, one I will work on improving. I used a water soluble disposable fountain pen and inktense pencils.  The water soluble pen offered up some nice surprises.

Goldfish black ink only. Quick sketch.

Goldfish black ink only. Quick sketch.

Two Trees

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Inktense and graphite

Inktense and graphite

I have been thinking about this image for quite awhile. So, I decided to make it the subject matter for my first “finished” piece of the new year. I’m not sure what that really means, but I suppose it will just be well attended to and slower to complete. My approach is to get to know the subject by doing at least 2 or 3 warm up sketches. And, they can fulfill some of my more minor goals too. The first sketch was done in my 75 Days of Ink Journal. Fairly quick. Next up, color! I am missing color with the ink drawings, but trying not to break the rules.

The sketchbook skool folks are emailing assignments to previous klass participants! That is pretty awesome. This week’s assignment is to scrutinize a tree. Perfect for Ink!

Ink only

Ink only

Lunch time ink

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Warm-up sketch for flower journal

Warm-up sketch for flower journal

Sketching at lunch is great, I have limited time, so I really have to focus quickly. Perfect combination for ink only drawing. I am officially behind in my challenge–yesterday was packed with so much activity I didn’t get a sketch in. That means I have to do two today or three tomorrow! It’s a work day, so I will try to at least get one done. The gladiola is a warm up sketch for my flower journal.

I want to start drawing the same subject several times–just to get to know it better. I always want to move on to something new, but I feel I need to spend more time with the same subject. I think I am ready to do that.

Lunch time sketch

Lunch time sketch

Seeing

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Ink pen and water-soluble crayon

Ink pen and water-soluble crayon

This week at #sketchbookskool is with Cathy Johnson. I love her work and I really like her lessons. First homework assignment was birds (or a squirrel, or some little creature). Unfortunately there isn’t a bird in site right now due to all the snow we are getting, but luckily for me I take a lot of photos. These gulls were at the Searsport Harbor a couple of years ago, I have always admired them and thought they would make nice painting subjects. Gulls are not as easy to draw as one might think.

One thing I really like about this lesson is the idea of learning about your subject–drawing as if you were working on a field guide. There are a lot of different types of gulls. These are most likely Herring Gulls, but the one with the dark eye could be a Thayer’s Gull.

The gull in graphite is not as successful as the one I did in ink. I find it interesting that I seem to do a better job when I use tools that I can’t erase! Funny.

Graphite and water-soluble crayon

Graphite and water-soluble crayon

Art Journal Challenge Day 17

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Minneola: inktense and colored pencil

Minneola: inktense and colored pencil

White ink pen explosion! Everything was going great until I decided to add some white! Yikes! You can’t wipe that stuff off either, so I had to figure out a way (quickly) to save what I had. I did the best I could. So, this turned out differently than planned, but sometimes that happens. #AJChallenge Day 17–draw a recipe. Minneola’s are in season, and I had one to draw from. This smoothie recipe is easy and delicious.

Thinking about a piece to start out with for my body of work plan. I think that I am going to do some dandelion sketches and then an 8 x 10 finished work. For the finished work I really need to decide on medium. I am thinking watercolor and ink pen. It’s so hard for me to think of just using one medium for a cohesive group, but it seems like the right approach.

Since I am headed to Hawaii soon I will have to work on a couple of pieces that are more tropical. Maybe I can make this a second body of work…one that might come together more slowly.

Art Journal Challenge Day 16

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black prismacolor drawn in moleskin sketchbook

black prismacolor drawn in moleskin sketchbook

Black and White. #AJChallenge for today was black and white…I decided to try my acrylic metallic silver as a light wash underpainting and then black prismacolor for the drawing. I have always loved this image that I took of fallen plumeria’s in Hawaii…I think that we were in Maui. Even on the ground these blossoms are so beautiful. We were on our way out and these had fallen under the tree in the parking lot. It was the last photo I took on the island that trip. I think it would be nice to do a graphite piece of this, not sure about the acrylic ground.

Day 13 was a mythological character, I took a stab at a mermaid. Super fun to draw, but not great proportions. The great thing about the challenge is that even if I don’t have the time to do the day justice, it gives me great ideas for the future. Mermaids are a subject I will come back to for sure.

Mermaid: ink pen

Mermaid: ink pen

Day 10

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Inktense and colored pencil

Inktense and colored pencil

This #AJChallenge day was fun because of the research involved. I learned about a few medicinal plants that I was unaware of. My goal was to find something that fit the category that I would have a photo resource for. I found it! Rose Hips. According to webMD: Rose hips are used for stomach disorders including stomach spasms, stomach acid deficiency, preventing stomach irritation and ulcers, and as a “stomach tonic” for intestinal diseases. They are also used for diarrhea, constipation, gallstones, gallbladder ailments, lower urinary tract and kidney disorders, fluid retention (dropsy or edema), gout, back and leg pain (sciatica), diabetes, high cholesterol, weight loss, high blood pressure, chest ailments, fever, increasing immune function during exhaustion, increasing blood flow in the limbs, increasing urine flow and quenching thirst. Wow! Pretty cool.

This rose hip was found on Ram Island in the Penobscot Bay–from a wild seaside rose–not a rugosa, but a smaller native rose.     Tomorrow the challenge is to draw your lunch or dinner. I am not sure about how interesting that will be…I will have to really think about what I choose to eat now!

Challenge Day 9

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Water-soluble crayon and ink pen

Water-soluble crayon and ink pen

So happy to get a resource photo for the turkish teapot from my friend Mallory. I really like to draw either from life or from my own photos, and it’s fun to include friends in my search! This is a great teapot, And, a challenge to draw. The great thing about the #AJChallenge is that every day I get an opportunity to learn about something new. So many of the subjects i would never choose on my own, I am really enjoying the discovery part of this project.

Today’s challenge was coin or paper money. I happen to be visiting my parents, so I asked if they had any interesting money. Turns out my Dad had a little box with some old coins and paper money from his Uncle Norman. He hadn’t opened the box in several years. It was fun to open up the paper money and look at the different coins. I didn’t enjoy the sketching part of this, but I really loved the discovery.

My Dad's box of coins

My Dad’s box of coins

Artist’s Journal Challenge

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Boat propeller: sepia ink

Boat propeller: sepia ink

This is such a great idea! It’s great to have some sketch motivation until my next Sketchbook Skool Klass start. Each day of the #ajchallenge has a different subject for drawing. I started late on this–on day 2, but will do my best to keep up with it. This drawing is for Day 3–something industrial. I don’t think my choice of subject fits exactly, as industrial seems to bring to mind the tools needed to fabricate a product. But, it feels industrial to me as this boat propeller is made out of metals and had to be forged in an industrial way! What is really funny about this is, it was drawn on 1/3/15 and I put in the date as 2014! Change it hard.

Next challenge is to draw an animal. Looking forward to that one.

Here is the link just in case you are interested to the Artist’s Journal Challenge list for Facebook: AJChallenge

And, here is the link that anyone should be able to see: AJChallenge