Our model last nite at Dr Sketchys was Paul “DJ Codec” who designs, orchestrates, creates the great awesome sometimes whacky music that accompanies each session of D Sketchys. 

When it was announced who was modeling for us I had thought perhaps not a great model but I have to say he was terrific. Lots of interesting poses to draw and he held them like a rock. Best model in quite a while. 

And who doesn’t klove a guy in a kilt? Great legs Paul!  Ok no kilt sketches? In a minute. 

This pose presented problems because he was working the music and moving the whole time. The easiest way to draw this was to set the body size measuring heads both body length and width FIRST! 

Then I drew body parts. He might change his head but once it was set I didn’t change it. 

 Same with his arms when he moved  them I didn’t change them.  And of course he never moved his legs. 

Double trouble drawn in ten twelve minutes. Princess Augusta the Beautiful Elf and Santa Paul. 

I set the angle on his head first. As I draw I am always looking at angles and negative shapes. Also dropping plumb lines from say a shoulder to the knee to get bod parts where they Belong. 

Title inspired by one of the tunes Paul was spinning. 

The Warmup Sketches. 

The next three were very quick so I am always pleased when they turn our mostly right aka in proportion which these did especially since earlier in the day I was NOT drawing well with my Carbon Platinum pen which I love to sketch with lately. 

So these are all drawn with my pentel brush pen which smeared when I tried to add Tombw markers to them so I quickly got out my hand held large watercolor box from Charles Reid’s class and used it hoping not to turn the faces NOT into grey mud like the tomboys were doing.  

As you can see in the first two sketches above the watercolors with a pentel water brush were the answer. I did not bring even ONE good sable brush. Eek! But Dr Sketchys is partly the fine art of making do. And I did with good results. 

So I may go back and watercolor these quick sketches. My own coloring book. 👍🏻😃

Sketchbook used – my big superaquabee 10″ x14″  which LOVES ink and watercolor. 

On his knee. 

This was a three minute warm up sketch. Face is terrible but proportions great. Maybe watercolor would improve this? 

Tomorrow part two. The best are yet to come. And they really tuned out well. Thinking of using one for my annual Christmas card. 

Ttyl 

Margaret xoxoxox 

Still using Ted Nuttalls transparent colors plus cerulean for greys. I decided to paint the background with quin gold to brighten the page. The cookies have a lot of small dots down with my #6 Isabel which has a very sharp point. Still a little large but oh well. 

Lettering is done w the same 6 Isabey and deartrementis document brown a good fall color.

 Greys are quin sienna and cerulean or a brighter blue that dwells on my palette next to cerulean. Looks very close in color but brighter when u use it. 

This is the back of the page. A page meant to be entertaining for a two year old and a four year old. My grandchildren Henry and Livia. I left a wide gutter on this back because sooner or later I hope to do enough if these to bind them into a journal of our days at the cabin. 

No quin gold background. Like it better gold. 
Ttyl. Time for yoga at the Y. 
Margaret xoxox

What I am up to. A Thanksgiving journal page. Can’t wait to paint this.

I don’t usually start with pencil but I wanted to get everything laid out correctly with this page. 

I included activities we did like baking cookies which the kids loved and of course the big feast  also all the attendees names. The cookies are the ones they cut out the most of.

 I tried to include at least one of all the adults favorite foods. Two out of three kids will eat anything we serve them. 

The center will be inked with some Bombay ink the rest will be watercolor. Check back for the finished page. Hopefully this afternoon but maybe tomorrow. Off to painting. 

 #thanksgiving #artjournal #ink #watercolor #sweetwatertroutfarm #NC

My daughter in love working in her coloring book at the cabin in Sapphire NC where we spent Thanksgiving holidays. Something about her legs is off. I think perhaps the thigh is too long or maybe her calves are too short?

 Oh well. The dangers of sketching in ink! 

All those colors compared to his Crayola washable markers. 

This is colored with my tombow markers which Henry fell in love with.

Really like the first two. You know a lot of early twentieth century painters were inspired by children’s art especially Paul Klee.  I can really see both of these as abstract paintings. 

So pardon an indulgent grandma sharing her grandsons art. 

Ttyl still unpacking and cleaning the house and starting Christmas decorations. Why would I want to do just one thing. 

Margaret off to grocery shop. Xoxoxo a lot of salad in my future.  

This one sat around in the studio not quite finished. After consulting with my friend Cathe Dennis I completely redid the bottom sleeve. Also added contrast to the background so the head of the man showed better. 

I added green to the girls hair and hmm fixed her upper lip. Added outlines. Really like it alloy now but no idea what to name it. Any ideas? At Ponce City market in Atlanta. 
Maybe Lunch?

WordPress was misbehaving and did not let me finish this post. Sigh. It does that a lot lately. 

#poncecitymarket

Looking for something fun to do this holiday weekend in Atlanta?! These space ship like jungle gyms are in the courtyard of the High Art Museum free for the kid fun. Fun stuff!!

 All the kids who were off from school were having a ball on these. Lots of dads were in charge and even some grandpas. I love that. 

There’s also a large orange pig that I didn’t have room for in the sketch. 

For once my trees turned out. As in not overworked. I laid down a light layer  of quin gold and quin sienna. Let it dry then added more of those colors and some burnt sienna. And a dab of watery thalo green and cad yellow. 

Colors used. Quin gold cerulean ultramarine blue burnt umber and burnt sienna alizarin quin sienna thalo green and cad yellow.  and a grey tombow on the lettering. 

Ttyl 

Margaret xoxox 

Nope!!! 

No shopping going on here but maybe a large pot of soup and some Christmas cookie baking with the grandkids.

 I hope you are with your loved ones and relaxing and not hitting the stores. 

The denizens of Barnes and Noble which is packed with people on a frosty day. So much reading going on there.  As an ex reading teacher and media specialist I loved that. 

The lady was politely working away quietly talking into her earphone microphone unlike the lady sitting in front of me who was talking loudly on her phone. This lady just flew into the page. A piece of cake unlike the man. 

The man – well I loved his pose. And yes his leg is off. Foreshortened legs are always a challenge. And his right leg is just not right. Oh well. This was the first sketch of the day and sometimes they just don’t go well. You need to warm up. How you ask?! NO clue but you do need to. 

Colors used. Quin gold cerulean ultramarine blue burnt umber and burnt sienna alizarin and a blue tombow on the lettering. 

Ttyl 

Margaret xoxox

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I went people watching on Monday at the Barnes and Noble in Elmwood Shopping Center on Moreland. The Starbucks was packed with life models. 

People were actually reading. I don’t know why I don’t go more often because it’s a great place to find people to draw and photograph. 

I loved this guys pose as he read his paper. He sat so still as if chiseled in granite. 

Colors used. Quin gold cerulean ultramarine blue burnt umber and burnt sienna alizarin and a blue tombow on the lettering. 

Ttyl time to eat turkey!! 

Margaret hugging her grandkids. Xoxoxo

The other day at Barnes and Noble. Lots of eating and reading going on which leads me to Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful one. 

Colors used. Quin gold cerulean ultramarine blue burnt umber and burnt sienna alizarin and a blue tombow on the lettering.

Around our house the day before Thanksgiving is pie bake off day. Pumpkin pie and pecan pie and maybe a nice meat pie if my mom is around. She loves a good mince meat pie. 

Here are the recipes. I really need to draw these old tattered recipes of my mothers. 

Pumpkin piePecan pie. I know my mom has been using this exact recipe since the late fifties. Mom is a famous pie baker. Lots of pie stories in our family mostly having to do with cherry. 

My favorite pecan pie story is when my son Ben came home expecting to have his favorite pecan pie ready or to help chop the nuts for it. The oven had died. 

 On the eve of Thanksgiving off he VOLUNTARILY went to Walmart to buy a small convection oven. He climbed the heaps of preBlack Friday stock in all the aisles to claim his oven. It worked better and faster than the regular oven ever did. Thanksgiving was rescued.  

Ben

Ben and his new bride who are on their honeymoon in Rome Italy this week. NO Pie for him this Thanksgiving. Just rea Italian gelato! 

Ttyl off to Sapphire Valley for the bake off hopefully with a two year old and a four year old helping!!

Margaret who has to get the car packed soon.