Day 342 – at the zoo

June 15, 2015Leave a comment

I went to Riverbanks Zoo last Thursday with my extended family. While I was waiting I drew some of the animals and the carousel. Finally gettin around to painting them. Today’s its the lion. All of the writing and sketching was done while I was at the zoo.

The lions were chilling and I could hear them thinking dumb humans standing in the sun in the heat to see us. Like the lions I chose the shade.

Tiring of the Orange and cerulean on journal pages I used this Stephen Quiller book to find a different color combo. Thus getting the purple and gold combo. Like the new look. Great book for color. Check it out.

Used of the purple gold theme on the lioness page too. She kept moving. I decided to full in the background with a journal page to remember he fun we all had at the zoo.

Colors used. Yellow ochre Inathridone blue and. Mineral Violet. The lions main Quin burnt sienna burnt umber and the Inathradone blue and purple.

Lots of layering of the colors. Always fun to me. I love the way you can leave the lighter colors shining thru the darker ones.

Gotta run.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

DY 341 Snuggling and Drawing

June 14, 20154 Comments

Zoe loves to snuggle. Drew this while we were watching CBS Sunday morning. Painted it while listening to Super Soul Sunday my two favorite shows. Noodler Creaper Ahab in my Stillman and Birn Alpha. Wish I had bought a zeta. The paper buckles a lot with washes but will flatten out somewhat when the book is closed. Also the paper does not let you live color without some pilling. No book is perfect but S&B tries hard.

Noodler creaper Ahab Carbon Black ink. Greys – Cerulean and Quin Sienna on the blue side darker grey Quin Sienna and Inathridone blue. Red fur Quin Sienna and Burnt umber w touches of Inathradone blue. Letters and border Quin red and cad orange. Background cerulean and Aureolin yellow. Scarf. Hmm all the above colors and mineral purple. Splattered with cerulean.

TIP!! Paint brushes. Thought you might like to see my favorite brushes, my kolinsky Isabeys. I have six now. – 2 4 6 8 and two big mops a 2 and an 8. They are Charles Reids favorite brushes.

If you think your paintings are too tight get a big mop or the biggest paint brush u can afford. Though I want a huge 12 or 14 Isabey they are very pricey but I am happy with my cheap Joes kolinsky Legend which is a 12 for $65.

Fealin Lin loves her Isabey mops. Lucky lady got hers off the reject table at Cheap Joes for $9 instead of the normal $65 ish.

Ink sketch stage.

Used negative space to keep the legs and nose in proportion. That’s looking at the shapes that surround the object like the hole in the coffee cup handle aka the inside shape that Zoe’s legs form almost a square.

Zoe posing.

And doing her favorite thing. Snuggling!! Couldn’t wait to paint this but hated dislodging her. Now she’s annoyed with me and staying in her bed. Sigh.
Fur soresto flea collar regular collar. She is such a princess. She loves to dress up. Newest scarf a triangle of amy butler fabric.

TIP: I love the bit of fur above the scarf. It’s done by painting lightly with grey. Letting it dry and adding more greys and Blues on top letting each layer dry.

The dark grey under the scarf is the Inathridone and Quin Sienna with dabs of mineral Violet added.

Details of furwith cerulean toothbrush splatter.
More fur and scarf details.
Thanks for reading!!

Margaret and Zoe xxx

Day 339 – Sgt. Wyatts Bar B Que

June 12, 2015June 12, 2015Leave a comment

Sgt Wyatts Barbecue is around the corner from one of my kids. I keep thinking we need to stop. It’s so funky and charming it’s been on my to draw list for a while. It’s bright yellow and sags a lot. Smoke billows from the chimney.

I found this photo of the side fence when I was looking for more information about it. I forgot to write on two signs and used artistic license after I found this photo on http://foodio54.com/restaurant/Atlanta-GA/20836/Wyatts-Diner. Evidently the food is really good. It’s moved up my list to try next time I am in East Atlanta. Most of the reviews are great.

The old Chevrolet truck was at Flying Biscuit on Piedmont Ave. I think I need an old Chevy truck. Thought of fit with the funkiness of Sgt Wyatts building so I added it.

Yellow is Aureolin yellow and yellow Ochre, grey my current fav Inathradone blue and burnt umber. Green roof was painted with a viridian green dulled with a burnt sienna.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

338 this and that

June 11, 2015Leave a comment

I was told by the manager of french Market Grill that this was expensive top drawer tea sold only at the best restaurants as he charged me $8 plus gratuity for this tea. Also available at other fine restaurants like Waffle House. Never bought another meal at french Market Grill.

Thanks for reading

Margaret xxx

Day 337 – More Ponce Market

June 10, 20152 Comments

My favorite side of the old Sears building now known as Ponce Market. Both have problems.

I drew this one first but really had just wanted to feature the tower and the sign. Love that sign. Vintage but brand new.
TIP: Since I didn’t use a pencil or a ruler you might be wondering how i get all those lines parallel and fairly straight. I put the pen on the paper with my hand on the side of the paper and run it down the page with my hand sliding down the edge of the paper. It really does work. Try it.

Colors same as yesterday. Noodler Creaper Ahab loaded with Carbon Platinum Black Ink. Stillman and bIrn Alpha. The color was hard to move on the sky and blotched. That did not make me happy. Oh well. They are done right?!

Thanks for reading!

Margaret xxx

Day 336 – Ponce City Market

June 9, 2015June 9, 20155 Comments

This is the back side of the Ponce City Market from the Binders store parking lot.

It was sketched with my Noodler Creaper Ahab no pencil first. Silly me. Wish I had painted the building farther down. Oops!!!

Sky is cobalt blue brick cad red and vermilion with yellow ochre and a bit of Inathridone to grey it slightly. Black is Inathridone and burnt umber. Letters are cad red and vermilion.

Stay tuned for more drawings of this building on Ponce de Leon in Atlanta. It’s the old Sears building that’s being rehabbed as condos and a market similar to the Pike Market in Seattle. There’s something about the tower on that old building with its flag flying against the blue sky that I never tire of. Add in the signage and its a winner. Best part of it to me is the new Binders store minutes from my kids houses!! Love that store.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 335 – Thirty Days to

June 8, 2015Leave a comment

go till I make a year of daily blogging. On the downhill slide.

A sort of contour drawing of Bear who decided to move in the middle of the drawing. I have drawn him so many times I can get him more or less right even so.

He’s a big brown brindled pitty that somebody dumped. Wisely Bear attached himself to my son Ben two years ago and there he stays. He’s really a very laid back relaxed dog who would rather be petted than ever chew on you. He was fun to journal about with my Noodler Creaper Ahab in Carbon Platinum Black ink.

Once again he was painted with Quin burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, Inathridone blue and burnt umber was added for the stripes and shadows.

The background started as a dirty grey cerulean. I stood the sketch book at a 90 degree angle and let bits of Quin burnt sienna, yellow ochre, Inathridone blue for the drops and splats.

I thought about painting the background another blue layer to even put the color but decided I liked it as is and left it alone.

Here’s the whole double page spread. I thought you would like to see it.

I am going to enter it in a win a free pen and ink contest on Instagram. They like to know what the pen and ink is in writing plus a photo of the pen. The white page looked so plain I quickly wrote one of my favorite dog quotes and painted the leftpage to match the right page.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 334 – Inner Bean

June 7, 2015June 6, 20152 Comments

Inner Bean is almost all shades of grey so a lot of fun to sketch it and paint it with all those shades of grey and black by mixing blues and Browns to get different greys.

There were a lot of patrons coming and going getting take outs and their awesome coffee to go. The wierd guy in the blue plaid shirt was really into his coffee while he waited for his fellow members of the Mens Club that meets every Thursday afternoon til closing at the Bean.

Most of the other colors were straight out of my paint box. Off course I used my Noodler Creaper Ahab and Carbon Platinum Black ink both of which can be bought at Goulet Pens on the Internet.

Thanks for reading!!

Margaret xxx

Day 332 – Those Darn Squirrels

June 5, 2015Leave a comment

On our day trip to Columbia SC Tuesday we stopped by City Art which is carries all the supplies for both Charels Reid and Mary White then we went to Nonnahs and last Mast General on Main Street ended we found this super SQUIRREL PROOF bird feeder.

Mast General Store an old fashioned general store on Main St. The original is in Valle Crucis near Boone NC.

The squirrels are gluttons for bird seed gobbling voraciously. This bird feeder is actually squirrel proof. They are now entertaining us trying to figure out how to get into it. The top locks on and the bar across the front licks the seed up when the weight of the squirrels sets it. LOVE it. They don’t. They are actually hanging out on the porch rails staring at it with occasional attach forays and leave soon after. Very entertaining to watch their consternation over the shut off food supply. And of course they sit there staring making them easy subjects to draw.

Colors used. Inked with my Noodler creaper Ahab loaded with platinum carbon black my go to ink. Greys cerulean and burnt sienna or Inathridone and Burnt umber for darker greys on squirrels. All done wet on wet. Bird feeder is vermilion and cad red medium. Same greys were used on the roof. Background is cerulean toothbrush splattered with Inathridone blue.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 331 -Tom Cat

June 4, 20152 Comments

and painting greys.

Tom spent a long time on the sofa grooming today. You have to wonder why cats do that. He’s always immaculate.

He’s drawn and lettered with my Noodler Creaper Ahab. I painted Tom with a wash of orange and then laid in Quin burnt sienna for the stripes and to warm up the orange. The Quin burnt sienna was added when he was wet and when he was dry. He’s really almost red in some light. A dark auburn. Darks are done with burnt umber and Inathridone blue.

Greys. Watercolor makes lovely greys. Combine any blue with any brown or yellow ochre and you can get a wide variety of interesting greys.

Here are a few I made that way.