Day 456 -Inktober continues

October 9, 2015October 10, 2015Leave a comment

Sometimes you need a do over. I actually drew this street cafe in Aiken twice. This is number two. I started drawing the horse first with my Lamy vista fine point but it would not draw. Which is why it looks so scratchy. The ink would not flow. I threw in the towel and used the Noodler Konrad loaded with Platinum Carbon black ink.

It was going well till I smeared the eyes of the lady on the right. Oops. I used a white gel pen to try to fix them. I also could have used gouache and painted the scene but have not had time. It might help if I stayed home.

Actually the first drawing. So why else did I redraw?! Terrible eyes. And things in the wrong places. I ran out of room for the horse. Ooops!!

Here is the photo the sketch is based on. That’s it for today from the river where the water is still muddy but behaving staying in its banks. Something to be thankful for in the state or South Carolina- a river that does not flood.

Thanks for reading.
Margaret xxx

Day 454 – inky month

October 7, 2015Leave a comment

Really like this sketch with one blot in my copy book. The guys head. Oooopsss.

I actually rearranged the people at the inner bean to fill up my sketch. I started with the girl on the left and then the guy. The other two ladies were actually sitting behind him. Decided to move them. My guy needed company.

This was drawn Monday in class while I waited for the teacher. I like her though I think both of these will look better when I paint them.

Spent the day hiking all over Aiken looking for pictures to paint. I cajoled Adrian into modeling on the bench downtown. She’s a pretty girl.

And what’s not to love about a pile of hats?!!

And fr the postman NOT to look at the camera and act like he was working.

The parish hall at St Thaddeus where I stood in an ant hill taking photos.

I mean you look UP not down dont u?!

Itch itch itch.

Something about the guy and his truck. Maybe the shadows?! Or all that red yellow and orange?!

Thanks for reading.

Margaret who is ready for a nap xxxx

Day 450 – Inktober

October 3, 2015October 2, 20152 Comments

All I can say is WOW!!!! 450 days of consecutive daily blogging. And I didn’t think I would make thirty.

Jan DAY 1

Noodler Konrad pen w carbon platinum black ink Super Aquabee tablet

Decided to really drove myself nuts and participate in Inktober. Aka posting an inksketch daily for the month of October. I tend to do art everyday anyway so it’s not a big stretch just to do ink sketches all month. Takes the pressure off doing watercolors too lol though I bet I end up painting some of them.

Old Man at Panera Day 2

Carbon platinum pen w carbon platinum black ink Super Aquabee tablet

Not happy with this sketch. This guy was in his eighties. Lots of wrinkles. Eyes set deeply in his head. He was busy giving someone his power of attorney. The things you learn when you sit and quietly draw while people yammer on about their lives on their phones.

If I had taken a photo of him I would have redrawn him. Although the carbon platinum pen has a very fine point I don’t think it gives you the range of lines that the noodlers do. And it was hard to do any fine shading on his small face.

The Smoker Day 3

Noodler Konrad pen w carbon platinum black ink Super Aquabee tablet

What a character! A lot off wild waving of her hands with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, bright pink shirt orange overdyed black hair. I had to draw her.

Notes about drawing

All my sketches are drawn from live people not pictures unlike my finished big watercolors which are usually drawn from photos. I think it gives the drawings more life. And people that know art can actually tell they are from real life as we say.

Drawings are more successful if I lay down one line and don’t fiddle with it. Original line is usually the best.

Been practicing life drawing almost daily for a year.

Faces often easier to leave them out because that’s usually where I screw up a sketch like the old man. The heads need to be fairly large to draw a good face.

Start drawing from the shoulders and add the head- the attention getters. Then the rest of the body.

Favorite pens :

My star pens are any Noodler pen. I have several and love their flex nib. These were done with my Konrad because my big ahab is leaking. I am going to redo the rings in the ahab. It’s hard to beat because it holds loads of ink and is cheap at $23 at http://www.gouletpens.com

I am also fond of my Lamy Vista fine point and the Carbon Platinum pen.

Brush Pens Pentel and Kuretake. The Kuretake is an elegant Japanese pen. And very reasonable at $20ish.

INK hands down favorite is the ultra waterproof Carbon Platinum Black from Goulet pens. DO NOT BUY IT FROM AMAZON. The ink there looks like goulets but runs like crazy. I use CPB in my Kuretake too. It’s the reason I bought the Kuretake. The Pentel is a great brush but sometimes the ink just is not waterproof.
Other inks I like a lot are the super waterproof De artementis DOCUMENT brown and Noodlers Lexington Grey. Also from Goulet.

I have a Bottle of Noodlers Eelskin which is supposed to be waterproof it isn’t for me.

Smooth paper is a must for ink sketches. Favorites are superaquabee, Stonehenge or other Bristol and strathmore Mixed media 500 and Stillman and Birn Alpha. All but the S&B Alpha do well with watercolor too.

Ok my chickadees that’s enough for today. Hope you haven’t caught this virus half the world seems to have in Augusta Ga.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 449 – it’s a ViRuS

October 2, 2015October 2, 2015Leave a comment

Henry

Carbon platinum pen, superaquabee sketchbook

That half of Augusta seems to have including myself and my sister Jan who lives at my house. Sneezed and dripped our brains out. I hope you all my sweet chickadees do not have it but it’s also not a terrible virus to have. You just don’t feel up to par.

Reindeer head at the house we stayed in last weekend. I didn’t know the lives in Western North Carolina!!😳

And it’s still raining. Was hoping to go downtown tomorrow for more band sketching BUT I think hurricane Joaquin will make that a wash. Hoping it doesn’t.

Anyway that’s it for today. Tomorrow find out about the pens and ink I love and the paper too.

Thanks for reading! Stay healthy and dry!!!

Margaretxxx

Day 447 Kerchoo

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015Leave a comment

Undoubtably the best time to sketch my grandson is when he’s watching Disney. He becomes almost immobile occasionally moving his body but mostly staring at the screen.

These were drawn in my Aquabee sketchbook with my Lamy fine point loaded with Carbon Platinum Black ink. I have been meaning to paint them as soon as my cold clears up. Hiking in the rain in the WNC Blue Ridge is not conducive to good health. Kerchoo!!

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 447 Kerchoo

September 30, 2015Leave a comment

Undoubtably the best time to sketch by grandson is when he’s watching Disney. He becomes almost immobile occasionally moving his body but mostly staring at the screen.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 441 – More You know What!

September 24, 20152 Comments

Adam Harris Thompson Group

Arts in the Heart is a BIG event in Augusta. Downtown closes down for several blocks. There were at least four stages with acts, tents for almost every nationality selling food and endless arts and crafters selling their wares.

The sketch

One of the band members named Michael I think. Played a great lead guitar.

Adam Harris Thompson Group is a great blues band. We really enjoyed their music.

I actually drew the Adam Harris Thompson Group three times. This was the first time. There was an interesting group watching the act on stage which I had already drawn. I decided to draw them. Who knew it was the next group?!!

I drew a lot of the audience too. And then drew the group again which is the first sketch. There is one more drawing of the group which I will post tomorrow.

Tomorrow more u know what👀!!

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 433 Savannah Sketches

September 15, 2015September 15, 2015Leave a comment

River walk

Got eight Sketches done on Sunday. Four in Savannah and four on Tybee. All of the Savannah sketches were done with my Lamy Fine point.

It was hard to resist those x’s ones the building. I think they hold the building together for earthquakes. I added the people as they strolled thru my view. If you want to give it a go feel free to use my photo.

The Cotton exchange and the Freemasons Hall. Also on River front.

The Sphinx fountain in front of the Cotton Exchange. How could you resist this guy?!

Wesley Square. Love the guys. John Wesley not so much. Better extend that live oak tree!! Oops. Actually I extended the drawing adding the men last and didn’t fix the tree. I had places to go and things to see and a timed parking place!! 😄

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 431 – Two point perspective Trick(TIP)

September 13, 2015September 13, 20151 Comment

is tough to say the least. And mine was confused on this painting. The bricks were off especially above his head. Oops!!

Al Beyer showed me a technique that is easy to do when you have two point perspective, i.e. perspective with two vanishing points.

The vanishing points are to the right and left of the painting on the horizon line which runs across the top of the OPEN letters.

ALL parallel lines should converge at the vanishing point. The runs of bricks make up these parallel lines as do the top and bottom of the window and the bottom of the OPEN letters.

So how to get them done correctly.

Get a piece of paper. Lay the straight edge along the horizon line. Then fold the bottom edge up to follow parallel line. I chose the window sill.

This is the order you fold the paper in.

Match 1 to the horizon line to get fold 2. Of course you can’t see 1 now!!

Here it is on the painting.

Make fold 3 by matching up fold 2 with the horizon line.

Then make fold 4 by folding the paper in half between the bottom fold and the #2 fold.

Ideally before you paint match the horizon line on your folded paper with the horizon line on the painting draw along the folds with a watercolor pencil to transfer the lines to your painting.

Flip the paper with the horizon line on the bottom edge to get the top lines.

Some thinking is required. And the whole thing reverses on the right side to complicate your life. 😳

What you end up with looks like this. The lines were drawn with a brown watercolor pencil. The horizon line comes off of his shoulder.

Let me know if you have more questions. I will try to answer them. Thanks for reading.

Margaret xxx

Day 428 Busy as a bee

September 11, 2015September 11, 20152 Comments

Day 1 at the dog park. I hated this one but now I think I like it because of all the people and all the dogs.

The seat on the right was completely misdrawn. And I tried to correct it. I had run out of room for the people OPPS.

This group is my favorite part. Lots of dogs, lots of people. I sit in my car in the parking lot and try to catch the people and dogs before they move. I used a Noodler Creaper pen and de artrementis document brown ink.

The bench was painted with Daniel smith green apatite which granulates and Inathradone with a touch of burnt umber. All painted wet on wet. The bushes were painted like the background in Monday’s post though I didn’t take as long.

I did this one today. There was only one dog in the whole park!? And three people. Wonder where the other dogs were.

These were drawn yesterday or the day before. The tall guy stood there right until I started to draw him and then he walked off. Same thing happened with the lady. Before that they had a BIG conversation.