Day 215 – Those Darn Dino’s.

February 6, 20153 Comments

These are my pseudoscientific drawings. My grandson is going to love these.

More Dino’s. As usual I had to write all over the page.

I picked out a few odd dinosaurs I have never heard of and as a former teacher and mother of three sons I have read about ALOT of dinosaurs. This one started out as rust and beige. He faded into the background. My caran d’arche neocolor II were sitting next to me so I started coloring. Like him much better a weird green blue and burgundy red. All the little circles were drawn with my Noodler Creaper Ahab. I embellished him with my Pentel Brush pen. Played with my waterbrush. Just had fun!! Wrote his name with my big black pit marker. .

I had to buy the Nanking Lizard with his huge claws and that weird long name. When drawing the geese today all I could think of was how much they reminded me of this Dino.

He also got a redo on the color so he would pop off the background. Rust and gold was not getting it. This time with piemonite and cobalt blue.

I just had fun with the T Rex. Wrote his name with my big black pit marker. Otherwise I used the same black pens. The greens are Tombow pens. White teeth the big Pitt pen. Where have you been all my life?!

Thinking about drawing a book of Dino’s for Henry for his birthday or Christmas. That would be fun for both of us!

Thanks for looking!!!

Day 214 Hoping for better LucK

February 5, 2015February 6, 2015Leave a comment

Hopefully this post will not disappear before I publish it like yesterday’s did!!

My sweet Jack Russell Zoe snoozing on the back of the sofa. She was annoyed because she wanted to be in my lap and I was drawing.

This picture is done completely with markers- blue, green, red and grey Tombow markers, a Staedlee pen and a Pitt white marker. That’s it. Nothing else.

I used a water brush to give the effect of watercolor, mixing color on the paper. The white marker was used to brighten some of the white lights. I am so good at loosing those!! The paper is Strathmore 500 mixed media.

Did you find Zoe’s second ear?! It’s there!!

Thanks for looking.

Day 214 Hoping for better LucK

February 5, 2015Leave a comment

Hopefully this post will not disappear before I publish it like yesterday’s did!!

My sweet Jack Russell Zoe snoozing on the back of the sofa. She was annoyed because she wanted to be in my lap and I was drawing.

This picture is done completely with markers- blue, green, red and grey Tombow markers, a Staedlee pen and a Pitt white marker. That’s it. Nothing else.

Did you find Zoe’s second ear?! It’s there!!

Thanks for looking.

Day 213 – WOW I don’t like that number!!

February 3, 2015Leave a comment

I started my post with some trepidation over the number 13. I am Irish enough I see a cloud over that number. I was right. I had my post all done and accidently closed it…vanished gone…nowhere to be found. SIGH!! That would never happen with blogger. It saves as you type…oh well we live and we learn right?!!

Time to post some more sketchbookskool homework. The assignment was to draw some plastic animals in preparation for drawing live animals. I did it backwards but at least I did it right?? I have lots of animals at my house…but no plastic ones.

I went to Krogers and bought some from their $1 bin. They stunk. I bought them anyway. More about the stinky animals from Krogers but suffice to say you can buy them at some Michaels and also at Dollar stores. They dont stink and the Michaels ones have great detail.

I had several pages already painted in my Strathmore 500 Mixed Media sketchbook that were for Dr. Sketchys 2 and 5 minute gesture sketches. We didnt have any gesture sketches last Wednesday so I decided to draw the animals on those pages.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

This is my Michaels T-Rex. I MISSPELLED his name. Seriously. SO I decided to write all over the page. Not happy with the first large drawing I drew him again….also from the front.I looked up T Rex in wikipedia and wrote down facts about him making this a scientific page.

Then I drew the Raffe…hes my favorite…hard not to love them. My toy giraffe is about 8 inches tall!! I drew him from various views like I was going to do with our Dr. Sketchys model. Rather like the effect. Then I wrote Giraffe all over the place. I can’t seem to stop writing on my sketches lately.

Pens used! Pentel Brush Pen, Lamy Vista Fine and a Stadler. Also my Noodler Creaper Ahab. I did add some color to the giraffe. Burnt sienna and touches of Burnt Umber in the spots. Shadows were done with Cobalt and Piemonite.

Thanks for looking…lets pray this one posts!!

Day 212 – a few leftovers?!

February 3, 2015February 3, 2015Leave a comment

I almost have more than I ever post. This is Sketchbookskool homework leftover from last week- Friday. While I was watching Roz’s SBS video where she drew the love bird my cat was looking for that darned bird. He sat on that rug listening and patiently waiting for that bird. So I played it again and I drew him. Often he moved as soon as I started. Sometimes not. Some are complete some aren’t.

Then he moved to the backdoor. He knew there were birds outside that door. That also involved considerable yowling on his part. I made up a story about him as I drew him wishfully thinking about eating and being let out.

Next I noticed my Jack Russell Zoe watching Tom carrying on from a sunny spot in the window. Zoe loves to sleep in the winter sun that streams into the den.

Wish I hadn’t painted the background yellow but oh well.

A quick tiny sketch of Roz that I did while watching the supply video. Has a Rozish quality I think. Painted with Daniel Smith paint which I know she would approve of.

Day 211- a New Beginning or Trials and Tribulations!!

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015Leave a comment

Sometimes you just have to start over.
A new sheet of paper a new sketch. I went with the plumbline approach. Trying to be sure that eveything was in line! I started drawing her by trying to matching up the angle of the neck. Then I drew an oval for her head and her shoulder line.I also tried to check the negative space that her chin, neck, and shoulder form.

Making progress. A little Jawy still. Colors used DS Quinacridone Coral with a touch of cad yellow light for skin. Cerulean and burnt umber plus piemonite and cobalt for shadows. Hair is quinacridone sienna for highlights and ultramarine blue mixed with burnt umber for darks.

Calling her done at least for the moment. I think she’s much improved. Especially her hair! Background piemonite and cobalt.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 211- a New Beginning or Trials and Tribulations!!

February 1, 2015Leave a comment

Sometimes you just have to start over.
A new sheet of paper a new sketch.

Making progress.

Calling her done at least for the moment. I think she’s much improved. Especially her hair! But darn naked and no hair too!! Please models wear your lovely hair down!!

Henry time aka off to play with my grandson.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 21o – Life Drawing at USC Aiken

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015Leave a comment

It’s Saturday. That means the faithful are trekking to Aiken to sketch. Most Saturday’s find Ruth, Tom and I meeting at Earthfare to make the forty mile drive to USC Aiken.

Our model today was Elena.

This is as far as I have gotten. The purple in it is piemonite mixed with cobalt. I am going to check my plumb lines. I think the left eye is too high still. And her hair…please models wear your hair DOWN…that upswept hair may look quaint and cute but oh my what a pain it is to paint with watercolors!!

At least she does have a nice glow to her. I have to say LOVING that Fabriano Artistico cold press 140#. Dampen the offending paint and it just about wipes off this paper. THANK goodness!!

She’s gone thru quite a few revisions. Still not happy with her.

My favorite part…that might tell you how much I like this painting!!

Here she is after working on her at USC AIken this morning. Not liking her much at all!!

Splattered most of the background on with a combo of Piemonite and Cobalt…soupy. I should have turned that top paper towel DOWN!! Had to clean up alot of splatters from her face and her right shoulder OOPS!! But the background is my favorite part of this.

Thanks for looking!! Sorry to be so whiny!!

Day 209 – Pretty Sketchbooks

January 31, 20152 Comments

After a conversation on Facebook about nasty covers on sketchbooks yesterday I decided to cover mine. I had a great box of hand made paper from Paper Mojo, a large bottle of Modge Podge, and a foam brush or two.

Four Strathmore journals, a Stillman and Birn Zeta and one Moleskine.
It took most of the day but I think they look great!!

A lot of the blocks with the word Sketchbook is made with scraps of watercolor paper that I tested pa don’t colors on.

This was a black moleskine.

I think they will look a lot better in the shelf than the old brown and black covers like the old one in the stack that’s still not covered. It does have stickers all over it. If that counts?!

Thanks for looking!

Day 208 – Dr Sketchys and some InK!!

January 30, 2015January 30, 20154 Comments

Every month we look forward to Dr. Sketchys Anti Art School in Augusta. Its always the last Wednesday of the month at Chat Noir on 8th and Ellis in downtown Augusta GA. THE most fun an artist can have all month. Fast sketching, interesting off the wall models – we have had strippers, burlesque dancers, performers, side show performers, automatons, actors and actresses…next month a circus performer.

I arrived with the intention of drawing with my Noodler Creaper loaded with Carbon Platinum Black ink and my Black and brown pentel brush pens plus hmm then I discovered the water brush and the Tombow markers…and it was history! Most are done in my 8.5×11″ Strathmore 500 Mixed Media journal….LOVE that paper. Nice and crispy. Took the water very well.

My Warmup Sketch

First I did a warm up sketch in my Stillman and Birn Alpha with my Noodler Creaper Ahab. I LOVE that pen…such great lines. I like to do a quick sketch before I get serious because no telling what I will draw. I am getting better at quickly sketching body parts…been practicing that since November or so drawing out and about in Atlanta, Key West and Augusta. Looking at her she actually has the right body shape!! I think I have improved since I started figure drawing a year ago.

Waiting

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

This was a ten minute sketch. I got the figure done quickly and drew in the background…Kind of fun. I had limited pens to use. I drew all the sketches first with my Noodler Creaper. Then I filled in the colors. I only had a red, a green and a purpley blue Tombow and some grey Tombows, a brown and black pentel brush pen and the noodler when I drew this, And two gel pens….gold and white. I used a brush pen to let the colors loose…TOO fun. I had my one and only martini at this time!! I used the red Tombow for all the skin tones. Some of the brown pentel brush pens for the darks.

It was fun not having all the colors though at first I wished I had brought my portable watercolor box….but later I was pleased with what I had done just using pens.

The gold gel pen was used for the necklace the stockings and the table.

The Valkyrie

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

Loved the horns…and I discovered a few more markers in my bag. Three Wink of Stellas – gold, pearlescent and black. They twinkle with glitter. Another silver gel pen and a pack of 7 Varsity fountain pens in every color but black…thank goodness they were super on the flowers!! I drew the flowers with the varsity pens and hit them with the water brush!! AWESOME stuff.

I twinkled her with the wink of stellas. She definitely has the glitter going on!!! You can get Wink of Stellas at Binders in Atlanta. I had to control myself at $8.95 a marker but oh my is the glitter in them sparkly and wonderful. I used all three of them on her…the black on her clothes, the pearlescent and gold wherever. Silver gel pen on her antlers. A picture does not do her justice because she just SpArKLeS!!

Sarah with whips

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

I really liked the costumes she had. And this pose was one of my favorites. I get tired of just drawing nekkid people. I like a little fabric to play with….she had a great kimono with alot of gold. And a huge pearl necklace. WoW!! All the pen colors are the same as the first one! I used alot of gold on the kimono both the gel pen and the wink of stella. Also on her necklace. The background is the pentel brush marker and the Wink of Stella Black marker.

Sarah Birdsong

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

This is my imitation of my friend Ruth’s style. She’s just the most awesome artist with people. LOVE her work. You can follow her at BritPeach on Instagram. Nobody does a better nude!!

Back to the picture. LOTS of red and the brown Pentel Pen. Then wetting them with the waterbrush to let them flow. Gold gel pen on the pearls. Rather like this one the best even though I did it in under ten minutes!

Thanks for looking!!