Day 208 – Dr Sketchys and some InK!!

January 30, 2015January 30, 20154 Comments

Every month we look forward to Dr. Sketchys Anti Art School in Augusta. Its always the last Wednesday of the month at Chat Noir on 8th and Ellis in downtown Augusta GA. THE most fun an artist can have all month. Fast sketching, interesting off the wall models – we have had strippers, burlesque dancers, performers, side show performers, automatons, actors and actresses…next month a circus performer.

I arrived with the intention of drawing with my Noodler Creaper loaded with Carbon Platinum Black ink and my Black and brown pentel brush pens plus hmm then I discovered the water brush and the Tombow markers…and it was history! Most are done in my 8.5×11″ Strathmore 500 Mixed Media journal….LOVE that paper. Nice and crispy. Took the water very well.

My Warmup Sketch

First I did a warm up sketch in my Stillman and Birn Alpha with my Noodler Creaper Ahab. I LOVE that pen…such great lines. I like to do a quick sketch before I get serious because no telling what I will draw. I am getting better at quickly sketching body parts…been practicing that since November or so drawing out and about in Atlanta, Key West and Augusta. Looking at her she actually has the right body shape!! I think I have improved since I started figure drawing a year ago.

Waiting

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

This was a ten minute sketch. I got the figure done quickly and drew in the background…Kind of fun. I had limited pens to use. I drew all the sketches first with my Noodler Creaper. Then I filled in the colors. I only had a red, a green and a purpley blue Tombow and some grey Tombows, a brown and black pentel brush pen and the noodler when I drew this, And two gel pens….gold and white. I used a brush pen to let the colors loose…TOO fun. I had my one and only martini at this time!! I used the red Tombow for all the skin tones. Some of the brown pentel brush pens for the darks.

It was fun not having all the colors though at first I wished I had brought my portable watercolor box….but later I was pleased with what I had done just using pens.

The gold gel pen was used for the necklace the stockings and the table.

The Valkyrie

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

Loved the horns…and I discovered a few more markers in my bag. Three Wink of Stellas – gold, pearlescent and black. They twinkle with glitter. Another silver gel pen and a pack of 7 Varsity fountain pens in every color but black…thank goodness they were super on the flowers!! I drew the flowers with the varsity pens and hit them with the water brush!! AWESOME stuff.

I twinkled her with the wink of stellas. She definitely has the glitter going on!!! You can get Wink of Stellas at Binders in Atlanta. I had to control myself at $8.95 a marker but oh my is the glitter in them sparkly and wonderful. I used all three of them on her…the black on her clothes, the pearlescent and gold wherever. Silver gel pen on her antlers. A picture does not do her justice because she just SpArKLeS!!

Sarah with whips

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

I really liked the costumes she had. And this pose was one of my favorites. I get tired of just drawing nekkid people. I like a little fabric to play with….she had a great kimono with alot of gold. And a huge pearl necklace. WoW!! All the pen colors are the same as the first one! I used alot of gold on the kimono both the gel pen and the wink of stella. Also on her necklace. The background is the pentel brush marker and the Wink of Stella Black marker.

Sarah Birdsong

Strathmore 500 Mixed Media Journal

This is my imitation of my friend Ruth’s style. She’s just the most awesome artist with people. LOVE her work. You can follow her at BritPeach on Instagram. Nobody does a better nude!!

Back to the picture. LOTS of red and the brown Pentel Pen. Then wetting them with the waterbrush to let them flow. Gold gel pen on the pearls. Rather like this one the best even though I did it in under ten minutes!

Thanks for looking!!

Day 201 – A Sunset and some Ink!!

January 23, 2015January 23, 2015Leave a comment

The contest winners are Karen, Rena Lewis and Peg. Thanks for all the comments. There will be another contest soon!! Please contact me at m c m h u n t @ m e. C o m so I can mail you your prize!! I will also try to contact you!

I had another go at Tuesday’s sunrise. I was tired of painting the sycamores so I traded them for firs.

I got my bottle of Platinum Carbon Black ink from Goulet today. So excited. I drew this pic to see if it would bleed. Not a smidge. The ink didn’t even lift. Hurrah!!!
Get a bottle at Goulet Pens

Pictures of the box just in case you need them.

Your ink should have INKC 1500 on it. Beware of the one with 1200 on it. It’s not waterproof. Now to get some. De Artmentris (sp?) document ink. Also supposed to be waterproof and comes in colors!!

Day 200 – Sky Practice

January 22, 2015January 22, 201513 Comments

Don’t forget to leave a comment and a like to have a chance on a watercolor. Contest is over at midnite.

My 200th day of consecutive blog posts!! Who would have thought I would get this far. Originally I was trying for 50 days of posting, and here it is Day 200!! No skyrockets but a wild sunset.

A redo of last nights sunset. This picture is bluer than the actual painting. The treeline and foreground is purple and blue not blue in the original. I used quinacridone Rose instead of the red in the first version. This is the third try and I think the best. The first one got glued over with a fresh piece of paper. I think I am ready to paint some new trees. Some firs?! My neighbors are looking better and better.

Tip: wash sky starting at top with cobalt shading to burnt sienna. It won’t go green like yellow will. With a hog bristle brush add bits of the pink and purple blue at an angle for the clouds. Darker at the top, brighter toward the horizon. Some thinned Sienna or nickel Azo gold on the bottom of the clouds makes a nice yellow glow.
Tip 2: Fuzzy tree and bush tops Paint them while the sky is wet. Add some burnt sienna for a glow on the tree tops. Hmm should have tried that on the bushes and the trees.

Here’s the first one so you can compare them. Have fun.

Thanks for looking!!!🎉🎉🎉

Day 199 – Two Skyscapes!

January 21, 2015February 5, 2015Leave a comment

Don’t forget the giveaway. Leave a
Comment and a like.

Second go at this post. WordPress crashed after I finished the first one and it evaporated. 😜

This is my fourth go at this early morning view out my back window.
I painted the background a very pale yellow and let it dry. The. I washed it with water. Added cerulean and some piemonite mixed with cobalt for the grey clouds.

The tree line is piemonite and cobalt as is the water and the foreground trees.

The trees are done with my wonderful Isabey #2 I bought at Utrecht dick Blick with my Christmas money. Love it. Long and a narrow tip. I have 1s and 0s that are bigger. I smeared some of the branches to make them look fuller. Twiggier.

Some negative painting in the tree line. A little sponging on the river to make fog.

Tonites sunset. Aglow with pinks and touches of yellow. I laid down lines of Quinacridone red and aureolin yellow. Then I filled I with cobalt and cerulean. The treeline is cobalt violet and ultramarine blue with a touch of burnt umber. Trees painted with the same paint.

I will try to add the other skyscapes. But saving this in case of crashes.

Day 199 – Two more skycapes

January 21, 2015February 5, 20152 Comments

Don’t forget to leave a comment and alike to qualify for the drawing of one of three Watercolors I have painted. They are ok my Monday post.

I have now painted this skyscape four times. This one is on Strathmore 400 series watercolor paper. The purply greys are made with Daniel Smith Piemonite, a delicious granulating color , combined with cobalt or ultramarine blue. A lot of negative painting of the background trees, sponging of the river for fog.

All the tree tops were painted into wet so they would fuzz slightly.

The trees were painted with my #2 Isabey I bought with my Christmas money. Lovely brush with a very narrow tip from Dick Blick. I also smudged the trees a little to make the branches look fuller.

Tonites sunset. Very pink with yellow. Hard to photograph. Pink is Quin red yellow aureolin, sky cobalt and cerulean. The camera picked it up as red. I should scan it but no time.

I laid down the pink stripes first. Then went back in while they are still damp with the blue. Yellow here and there and along the horizon. Cobalt violets and ultramarine blue with some burnt umber for the trees and foreground bushes.

First try

Second try. Really didn’t like this one. Got too dark.

Third try. Too much dabbing of yellow leaving hard edges.

Detail of the third one. Negative painting.

Day 198 – Fixing Mistakes & a giveaway!!

January 19, 2015January 19, 20152 Comments

To celebrate my 200th consecutive blog post and my new blog leave a like and a comment on my blog between now and Wednesday midnite. I will randomly pic three winners for a small original watercolor – one of the three Watercolors at the end of this blog post!!

Good luck!!

Now back to how I fixed my mistake.

I did this great sketch at Key West.

As usual I had to write on it. WHAT was I thinking?! The original lettering got lost in all those great Palm fronds. So brilliant me decided to try a red Tombow. Green and red complimentary colors so red letters would pop. Uh yes they did. They popped TOO much. Tried to black them out with my Pentel brush pen. Nope that wasn’t working either.

Then another brilliant thought use some gouache on the letters. Anything was better than that red. Well better yes but still NOT great. I got out an old accounting register that I have and decided to glue some ledger paper over the offending letters.

I tore it using a ruler. I like the rough edges. Glued it down. Painted the palms over it. Redid the letters and

ThAnK goodness it worked. Lapin who I have been following on Instagram uses ledger paper in his watercolor sketches. He’s right it paints just as well as watercolor paper.

I am pronouncing this one done.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 198 – Fixing Mistakes & a giveaway!!

January 19, 20158 Comments

To celebrate my 200th consecutive blog post and my new blog leave a comment on my blog between now and Wednesday midnite. I will randomly pic three winners for a small original watercolor – one of the three Watercolors at the end of this blog post!!

Good luck!!

Now back to how I fixed my mistake.

I did this great sketch at Key West.

I tore it using a ruler. I like the rough edges. Glued it down. Painted the palms over it. Redid the letters and

ThAnK goodness it worked.

I am pronouncing this one done.

Thanks for looking!!

Day 197 – Downton Time!!! Or how to draw those characters!!

January 18, 2015January 18, 20152 Comments

Being of the impatient sort I used to read the Downton wikis to see what would happen next on Downton. They have already been shown in England before Christmas. We get them months later. This year I am resisting the urge to peak and “read the end of the book”.

Instead I journal about Downton drawing the characters and writing snippets of their lines that I find funny. I had to watch the first episode twice because I was so intent on sketching I missed half the show. Thank goodness for dvrs!!

I started trying to draw them when they were on screen for a lengthy period. Difficult difficult!!!

Aha moment. I realized I could pause my tv during the show. They would stay there as long as I wanted them too.

Your tv won’t do that?
The idea to drawing these character sketches is either photographing them off the tv or stopping the Dvr and drawing them.

Photographing with your phone has the added benefit of letting you watch the show while you draw. You can have your cake and eat it too!!!

The background of the large words. When I tried to paint it I had lettered it already. The Noodlers bulletproof black ran. Gre. I added some white Winsor Newton Gouache to Cerulean and repainted the background after it dried.

Have fun. Freeze that screen!! Thanks for looking!!

Day 195 I hope! Ink Comparisons

January 16, 2015January 17, 20157 Comments

A fast sketch I did of Peter Dinklage from an HBO Game of THrones ad at midnite a couple of days ago…not bad for midnite!!

As some of you know I have been really into ink lately. I now own three fountain pens seen in this Je Suis Charlie Sketch, a Noodler Creaper Ahab, a Lamy vista Fine and Lamy Safari with THREE bottles of ink.

Noodlers Bulletproof Eelskin and Black and another Black that was a total wreck with water.

I did some Ink and pen comparisons on Strathford 500 mixed media paper. I let the ink dry overnite.

Before I wet the paper.

After I wet the paper.

The Platinum Carbon Black was a BIG FLOP. I think the problem was my ink had NO D on the box…gotta call Goulet and order from them next time. UPDATE: I have gotten to the bottom of why this supposed always waterproof fast drying ink wasnt!! Mine though it was sold as waterproof has the wrong number on it…back it goes…sending it to amazon tomorrow…well Monday…drawing tomorrow after all this computering!! The ink should have an INC-1500 on it mine has an INC-1200. A guy named Treor was complaining that his new bottle ran, his old one had not. The new one had a different number under the barcode. HMM…well Goulet is mailing me a new one…hopefully SOOON!!!

The Noodlers did well in the fine point Lamy Vista but not as well in the large nibbed Creaper or Safari but they were acceptable compared to the carbon black which was supposed to be waterproof!! OOPS!! I threw in the Pilot Varsity because I have them and blue was a nice contrast with all that black!!

Sketching at Panera

That said I used my Noodler Creaper loaded with Noodlers Bulletproof on this sketch that I did at Panera…the words were added BEFORE the paint in the background.