Day 53 A Day in Havana

Not sure it’s done. Maybe I will like it better in the morning?!

vlads photo.Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev.

the value sketch

First wash Always a tense moment.

Adding more shadows and what about that old Buick?! My dad had a thing for Buicks.

Well that was fast. Almost done.

Making progress but that grill is ginormous.

Done for today but think I will add a bit of white gouache to the figures to set them off aka light on the shoulders and head.

Margaret who once again is Tahred. Xoxoxo

Day 48 ReALLy?!

That many days?!!😭

Yesterday I planted a bunch of tomatoes and herbs on the back deck. I also pulled up a few baby oak trees in the process. Somehow this one missed the trash can. Koosje said draw something near you with a ballpoint pen. It was nearby on the floor. Only one problem my paper did not like the only ballpoint I had so I want over it with my Lamy vista upside down. The point gave a crowquill pen like effect. Interesting. Then I decided to add some quin gold watercolor to the page.

TodY boss lady Koosje said paint first then draw over it with ink. Something in the house. A plant. Well only have two plants. Here’s one of them a Christmas Cactus that blooms off season. I don’t know what happened to the two blooms. I painted them but didn’t draw them. Hmm kinda fun though.

And this is the sketch I did while I binge watched Balthazar on Acorn. It was awful and NO you can’t see it.

Margaret trying to save some Balthazar for the big weekend. Might go to the grocery store en mask. What a crazy world we live in now. Hugs. Xoxoxoxo

Day 47 A quick trip to Florida

To the Forgotten Coast in other words another paintalong with Vlad.

The value sketch and class notes.

The sketch. Tough drawing on that rough press Paper. First wash. Very light.

middle tone wash.

Painting on the kitchen table. Watched the class on Zoom on my iPad.

I did catch a sbsdrawingparty with Koosje but I need to flatten it to take a pic so tomorrow.

Margaret who’s Tahred now. Xoxoxo

Day 45 Today’s pile

Drawing sheep with Danny Gregory on a video during #sbsdrawingparty at noon on YouTube. Always like drawing animals. Then I got the bright idea to “paint” them with one of my soupy teabags. Namiki Fude pen

6. Draw your keys. No idea what these keys are for so afraid to toss. And 7. draw with your non dominant hand which did not turn out too badly. I did use a pigma pen so I wouldn’t smear the ink.

10. Draw your keys from memory. And 11. Draw a pile of clutter. Time to clean up or maybe I can make the pile teeter if I add more.

22/23. What I ate yesterday. U didn’t see all those snickerdoodles.

48/49. What I bought last week. Really just groceries and some things from Amazon. Did I say the birds were hungry?!!

16/17. Draw blobby doodles and turn them into something. Hmm. I do like the last page. First one not so much.

Only 24 pages left to draw in Koosjes Killer Sketchbook Filler book. 😱😱 It’s a small book so maybe I can get it done soon. A Fabriano Venezia Journal. Love the red hard cad cover based on bricks at San Marcos in Venice. Fabriano has been making paper in Italy since the 1200s.

Margaret ready for a nap. Wait I already did that. Hmm xoxoxox

Day 44 A Day in Provence with Vlad

Did a paint along with Vlad Yesilesev today. He will be doing some more. Think it’s a great format that lets what he says sink in. And you get a copy of the class to download. Some dummy didn’t get that 911. They expire after a couple of days. OPPPSEY. I Will do it this time. Using a 2B mechanical pencil we all do a value sketch under his tutelage. Lots of squinting.

Light washes of yellow ochre cobalt and dioxzine and alizarin.

First wash. Oopsey. Always leave holidays and then duh go back and repaint. That does NOT work on damp watercolor. You get blooms.

And opps forgot to take more photos duh. Next time.

Hugs Margaret. Xoxoxoxo

Day 43 Koosje’s Killer Sketchbook Filler

A fun live class today. And oh my were we busy. We drew 16 pages but have ideas for 34 more pages all neatly enumerated in our journals.

The title page. Just a small 4×6″ Venezia Fabriano 90# paper journal. Had it for years and never used it. It’s day has come.

Two Blind Contour Selfies done with 2 Crayola crayons. NO mirror. Put your finger on your nose and trace your face with the finger as u draw it. WHAT?! Not so bad considering and quite interesting to try.

P. 4 Draw the contents of your purse. A veritable jumble but also fun. So much stuff I missed drawing my sunglasses in the pile-all THREE pairs!! 😳 Namiki Fude. Really having fun with that pen.

Draw a musician. Micron uniball. Wish I had used my Namiki Fude. Cal Scott is quite the guitar player. Excellent job!!

We had two more opportunities to draw Cal and listen to him. Did NOT like my brush tip pit pen. I think I will toss it. The tip is all splayed and chewed. Wonder how that happened.

Last time drawing Cal with the Namiki Fude. Like the lines MUCH better.

Draw your shoe four times- each time faster. Five minutes to start. Last time 15 seconds. What?!

Added the story of my poor lost Chaco flip flop which I actually found in a parking lot over in Columbia FIVE DAYS LATER. Still wearing them. Fav want weather shoes.

Draw a double spread of various things around the house. Fun. Lamy Safari!!

Drawing Meditation. Focus on the wrinkles in your hand. Micro Uniball

Sixteen pages in TWO hours. Only 34 more pages to finish. What?!!

I decided to add the background colors.

Margaret whose Tahred. Xoxoxo

Day 40 dragging

Calligraphy day with Danny. I LOVE a calligraphy. And it’s the last drawing in my Stillman and Birn I started at the end of March. Fastest I have filled one of them. An alpha has about 94 unique pages. So a lot drawing.

This may be one of my favorite drawings. The Hepburn quote was too good to pass up and there was That amaryllis newly flowering. A new shoot coming on now and two new blooms while the two in the sketch are drooping. Too good to pass up.

I like the added page of my parents old business ledger from years ago with both of their handwriting on it. After I did the lettering with the Namiki Fude which will defy your urge for perfection I lightly painted a vining plant and splattered the background.

First drawing yesterday in my new sketchbook. Filled up the other one. 52 double pages in about a month.

This one is a little loud and ovnoxous but I had fun which is all that matters. Words for strawberries in a wide range of languages. Hope they are spelled right.

I drew this with a set of water soluble Pilot Varisty pens that I have had for years. A veritable rainbow of colors.

Danny did freeze frame drawings job sbsdrawingparty today from his video Red Hook of Tommy Kane doing some urban sketching.

Danny tried to wear us out. Each drawing was only two minutes. Lamy Safari.

Last but not least a quick sketch with Koosje drawing cups and bowls from the kitchen. Only improvement would be to make a bigger difference in the height of the stacks. Thought about using a spoon but it was too late.

Drawn with a Pilot Precise Rolling Ball marker that bleeds when you wet it. Fun effect.

Margaret who needs a nap. Xoxoxo. Ps don’t forget to wear your masks.

Day 39 How do the days

Just get so busy?! Maybe the double shot of Espresso this am?!

Lifted the area taped on this drawing with a damp sea sponge. Still have to repaint it.

Here it is now. It was the same color as the bottom part and I didn’t mess up the light. Thank goodness.

Thought you might like to see the only way I know how to load a palette without skipping colors. Getting ready for Vlads Tuesday paint along.

Here it is loaded and ready to go. This palette worked well with his technique. It will seal and keep the paint wet. It’s either an Alvin or Miele.

So here’s The Green Door (Fabriano rough press 140# paper) painted today when we spent the afternoon in Prague. I am quite pleased with it. My friend Ruth said NOT to touch it. Hmm. She usually knows. But maybe those red flowers need a little brightening?!! Just a tad.


Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev
Vlads photo. Kinda wish my flowers showed more but oh well.

My value sketch. Off to the races with Vlad.

Greens done. Cad yellow cobalt teal and cobalt. Oh a bit of ultramarine.

adding windows

Getting heavy handed but painting as fast as I can to keep up.

Flowers Done.

adding dark calligraphic lines.

Done.

This is Vlad yeliseyevs. Still way better than mine but I am getting better. Three hours of painting as fast as I could and I can paint fast. Pant pant. We did get breaks today. Hurrah. Tough task master but learning a lot. He explains everything from the colors to use to how to do it as he paints. Oh and he has to handle the video production too. A man of many talents.

Take his class!! You will be glad you did.

Margaret who needs to call her mom. Xoxoxox

Day 36 entertainment never

Stops around here. Took another paintalong with Vlad Yesileyev. Maybe I will like this better tomorrow.

Vlads. Better pic on Fb tomorrow.

For some reason I seem determined to cross every t and dot every eye though I have known from freshman art that’s a no no.

My value study.

Loved his explanations that surround it.

    Use the biggest brush you can.
    Heads are on the horizon line.
    Start drawing and painting in the middle.
    We are not cameras. We don’t see everything. We focus on what we think is important.
    Give an accident a chance.
    Use your eraser too much you are an illustrator.
  • First sketch. I had to eliminate quite a few things.
  • First wash now that it’s been thinned out.
  • Coming along. is Vlads.
  • Margaret who need a nap now or to go to bed.