Day 963 Rachel Maddow!

March 10, 20173 Comments

These sketches brought the total of people drawn for the week to 82 or so. Has been riveting lately. It’s like watching a spy novel written by one of my favorite authors John Le Carre or Robert Ludlum unfolding in real life.

So why did I write all the notes?! My mind tends to drift when I don’t take notes. It’s rather like a doodle for me. It keeps my attention focused and it helps me remember what’s been said. Truly I think I would be paying attention with or without the note taking BUT I kind of like the way it looks too.

It’s my writing on my art work taken to the extreme. And you know I do love to write on my artwork. It gives a sort of Susan Shie flavor to it.

I almost left her without her black jacket and top painted. I took a pic like this in case but decided to paint it and I like it better painted.

Here’s the sketch.

And a sketch of her only guest that night US Congressman Eric Swalwell who is also fascinating. Not to sure how his right cheek got so much darker. Oh well. I guess I could go back and paint the other one but just been too busy. Getting close to the 100 people mark for the week.

The sketch. These are done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha with a Lamy Safari loaded with Lexington Gray ink.

Colors used. Quin gold Quin coral Quin burnt orange cerulean burnt umber ultramarine blue.

Ttyl

Margaret xoxoxo off to do her last ten people.

Day 962 its all about the Catsup!

March 10, 2017Leave a comment

Off drawing something somewhere today so thought I would share this new painting with you.

All about the Catsup based on a picture I took on my birthday at Flying Biscuit in Candler Park on McClendon in Atlanta. I had my camera propped on the counter which gave everything an odd angle.

I lightened and brightened the catsup and darkened the counter so it would stand out. I added some Indian yellow to Quin red to make a lighter brighter catsup color. So far I like it.

Last Wednesday my friend Drew said I had made her look like she was drooling. Oops. I hope I fixed that.

Colors I have been using Quin red Indian yellow ultramarine blue and thalo blue titanium white. Burnt umber. A liquitex light blue and flesh color and a tad bit of primary yellow. And that’s it.

Here’s the picture.

Thanks for reading.

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 960 – Day 1 OneWeek100People2017

March 7, 2017Leave a comment

Yesterday’s output. 41 people.

These were drawn off tv while I waited for the plumber. $135 later and a new kitchen faucet I was off to Panera in Evans.

Undercover spy duty yesterday. I got a glass of their great I sweet iced tea and plopped my huge black purse on the table to hide behind.

I spent about two hours there including eating a late lunch. I moved around a lot to get better views of my “victims.”

The past few took longer because the Panera girls kept clustering around talking to each other. They must have been on break. I wanted to draw the one girls curly hair but it kept getting blocked by the other girls.

I drew five people at least twice as they moved around.

The girl with the curly hair ended up taking a quick nap on the table – and no she did not look very comfy. Her shoulder is a bit too much on such a skinny little girl. The other girl walked off before I drew her legs. Oops.

41 people done 59 to go!!

These were drawn quickly in my Stillman and Birn Alpha using my Lamy safari and Noodlers Lexington Grey Ink.
Ttyl off to vets to get Zoe’s stitches out. She had minor surgery two weeks ago and it’s time. Hmm wonder if there are any new victims there for UnDeRcOvER SpY!!

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 959 -OneWeek100People2017

March 6, 2017Leave a comment

That’s 14 or so a day?!! Is this a new kind of torture?! Or just an excuse to spend the week drawing everyone I see?! You say Why? For the fun of it! To improve my eye! Change of pace! To get me out and drawing in the community.

Now to get them done. Luckily I am on spring break this week. Hurrah!

This sketch out is being lead by Marc Tao Holmes and Liz Steel.

I drew these people at Farmhaus Burgers in downtown ugusta. It was slammed with people. And the burger was pretty delicious too. As were the French fries not that I could eat all that food.
The guy on the bottom left was completely absorbed in his iPhone. I wish I had had longer to draw him but I was on the run. He kept putting his heads on top and all over his face. I wonder what he was reading?!

A few drawn of the dvr the Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. He was interviewing Michael Moore always an interesting man. Great thing about the dvr is that you can pause it if you need too. Since these are suppose to look human but not represent people I didn’t.

More talking heads on Brian Williams show. Top Left – Congressman Elliott Engle who refused to shake 45s hand. First president he has done that with.
These were drawn in just a few minutes with my Lamy safari in a Stillman and Birn Alpha.

Ttyl off to draw. Stay tuned.

Margaret xoxoxo

#OneWeek100People2017

Day 958 A relaxing Sunday

March 5, 20172 Comments

Well kind of sort of. Been busy posting about our show and getting it a write up in the local paper. In the meantime here’s a watercolor for you. I have to do it on paper for my friend Monica who is in it.

Monica works at the DuPont Planetarium at USC Aiken also known as the Ruth Patrick Science Center. She leads tours of school kids and gives them talks about the stars.

Follow the Drinking Gourd is the black history month lecture about how slaves used the Drinking Gourd the Big Dipper to find their way north to freedom.

I paint across the parking lot from her at USCAiken Etheridge Center. She invited me over to hear her Drinking Gourd talk. Monica did a dynamite job and I had to draw her. It was almost pitch black by the time I finished.

The sketch sat around while I decided how to draw the star field and the whirlpool galaxy. Never done that before.

I realized I could paint the night sky black and then splatter it with white gouache which worked out great.

I also wanted to make the galaxy bright in the center and fade at the edges. As I painted the sky with a mix of indigo alizarin crimson and hookers green I bled the edges around the galaxy with clear water. I coated it with very watered down Quin gold just to give a glow. Let it dry.

Coated the sky with the indigo mix again and bled the edges again. Then I added dabs of watery alizarin crimson and marine blue in a circular swirl. Let it dry. Added more of those colors and grey and purples to define the galaxy spin. Trying for that glow.

Finally I splattered the galaxy with white gouache and a very small brush. I should have used a tooth brush. Next time I will.

Highly recommend the Ruth Patrick tour!!

Happy Sunday.

Still in my Jammies relaxing on a chilly Sunday

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 955 Urban Landscape Knoxville

March 2, 20172 Comments

Yesterday we had at lunch Kathe Drew and I had a big discussion on gridding our paintings or not. Drews currently working on a huge painting of downtown Augusta. The view is five floors up and he’s frustrated trying to get all the buildings in to the scene.

I told him about drawing this view of downtown Knoxville last May. I was five stories up too at 7 am drawing away. It took about half an hour to draw this.

Most people looking at it would think that yes that’s exactly what Knoxville looks like but it’s not quite.

No matter how hard I try to plot the drawing of a cityscape like this I usually run out of room by the time I work right or left to the edges.

I end up leaving out buildings. I told Drew that as long as you get the important buildings in the skyline is recognizable. What would the Knoxville skyline look like without the Workds Fair golden globe or the the big basketball from the basketball hall of fame.

Some buildings are musts in the skyline. Other nobody will ever notice they are missing. Nobody has yet to say where’s xyz.

These are actually what I was looking like.

I didn’t even paint it so it looked like this.

I added nice dawn colors. Layering buildings with a base coating of Quin gold letting it dry and then painting it the colors of the buildings. It gives a nice early morning glow to the sketch.

Anyway that’s it for today. Ttyl

Margaret xoxoxox

Day 952 Odds and Ends

February 27, 2017March 1, 2017Leave a comment

A little urbansketching at an ACA rally Saturday in Aiken. These rallies are great opportunities for drawing people.

Drawn on 300# arches cold press with a Noodler Konrad loaded with carbon Platinum Black Ink. Ted Nuttalls transparent colors.

Yeah she’s done. Well at least I think so. Kinda yellow but at least her body’s no longer distorted.

Here she was before I worked on her today.

I shortened her shoulder, added some her butt on the left,thinned down her right thigh and moved the right arm.

And I finished the hand on this one today so Sarah is done. Yeah. I ran out of time before I finished her left hand.

And that’s all folks. Time to head to French class. Ttyl

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 951 Lazy Sunday

February 26, 2017February 26, 2017Leave a comment

Ah NO. have a pile of 7-8 sketches to paint. Oh my!!

In the meantime. MY fav heathy out and about breakfast the bowl at the Inner Bean. Scrambled eggs black beans avocado tomatoes bacon and hmm oh cheese. Yum.

These guys sat next to me at the Bean as I ate my bowl. Deep in conversation over Masters preparations at local golf courses. Never noticed me sitting there sketching them.

Both done with a Lamy EF with Lexington Grey ink in a Stillman and Birn Alpha. Ted Nuttalls transparent colors plus cerulean.

A few of the pics of sketches I need to get painted.

Thanks for stopping by.

Margaret xoxoxo

Day 950!! It’s Saturday

February 25, 2017February 25, 2017Leave a comment

Busy day! Hard to believe in 50 more days I have been blogging daily.

I didn’t quite finish her. Had to leave at second break but I do think she’s interesting. Her thigh is too big and her right elbow is too high. Both easy fixes. And I think the shadow on her jaw is a bit dark. Ear. Oops never got around to adding details. But I can. Of course will I is the question? Maybe?!

She was up high above me on a box and I sat in a low chair with the board just a foot off the floor. Loving the Winsor purple with the Indian yellow. Flesh rigt out of the liquitex tube.

Here she is at first break. She’s 24×36″ and the figure is big. Almost life size.

A fun bit of cartoon homework. Imagining what goes on in a hen house b

The last old house on upper Broad Street downtown in Augusta sitting in the middle of a car lot. Somebody said there were three blocks of these houses that ran from 1300-1500 block of Broad Street. Sad to me they are all gone. The last three are just shabby or derelict like this one. The first floor windows are really boarded up but I didn’t want to do that to it. Upstairs lots of windows are knocked out.

Here’s the sketch. Stillman and Birn alpha drawn with a Lamy EF and Lexington grey ink. Ted Nuttalls transparent palette.

The other two houses a few doors down still lived in though shabby.

Ttyl Margaret xoxoxo

Day 949 OOPPPs

February 25, 2017February 25, 2017Leave a comment

Slated to appear on the local dr Sketchys page as the logo I think it’s the logo. Well will let you know!!

Went to Dirty South Burlesque at Le Chat Noir and almost forgot to blog tonite. OOPPS. On the up side is I have NOT laughed so hard since….well I don’t know when. It was so FUNNY!!
This is the cast at the finale.

And then everyone dances. But I had to take pics.

More of the dancing and

Yes more. Lol

Did I say I have one at least free tickets to this at least three times and never gone. Well as I told Princess Augusta NO MORE!! I will be using them!!!

While we are on the subject of Chat Noir here are the rest of the dr Sketchys sketches.

All but the last one are done with a Pentel brush pen, whisky painters box with Winsor newton watercolors plus Daniel Smith Quin coral in a super aquabee 11×14″ tablet.
She was leaning on an exercise ball which I turned into the Chat Noir cat. Lettering in this one is done with a noodler Konrad.