Saturday, November 28, 2015

Planning A Travel Sketching Kit

Crayola watercolor pencils have remarkable pigment content.  A few of these, a pen and pencil, some Peerless watercolors and a sketchbook and I'll be all set!

Playing with My New Inktense Blocks

Friday, November 27, 2015

Learning to Draw?

 
 
I found a new source of drawing instruction through the free Strathmore classes.  One of their instructors, Alphonso Dunn, has a YouTube channel with many videos.  This page was inspired by the "How to sketch & draw people Part 1 | How to use a mannequin" video.


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Animals Too!


Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"
Pencil

Of course bulls were a favorite subject of Picasso's.  Picasso was born and studied for awhile in Spain.  

This is from Sketchbook # 105, 11 x 17 cm (about 4" x 6").  He used a wide variety of sketchbooks; he kept a small one with him when he was out, and used a large one in his studio.  I'm in good company.

This may be the last drawing copied from his sketchbook that you'll see here. 

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Such a Wide Variety of Subjects

 
Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"
Colored Pencil
 
I did a terrible job of copying the whole Picasso sketch, but I practiced this child a few times.


Monday, November 23, 2015

Still Channelling Picasso

 
Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"
Pencil
 
In one of Picasso's sketchbooks there is a wonderful series of cubist interpretations of a woman in a chair.  Cubism is one of my favorite styles.  Even after copying a few of these, I still don't "get" how he does them, though.  How does he look at a subject and make the transition to these different planes?


Sunday, November 22, 2015

More Picasso Chanelling

A couple more copies from Picasso's sketchbooks.
 
 
Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"
Charcoal
 
The photograph of this isn't very good, but I love the energy of Picasso's sketch:
 
 

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Channelling Picasso

 
Fabriano Sketchbook
8.5" x 11"
Charcoal
 
I realized that I haven't posted on my blog the sketches I've been copying from "Je Suis Le Cahier:  The Sketchbooks of Picasso".  They made it onto Instagram (much easier to post to) but not here. And not everyone is on Instagram, are they?


Friday, November 20, 2015

Birthday Card for a Hockey Fan

 
Watercolor and Elegant Writer
 
He's a Montreal Canadiens fan, although he lives in Toronto.  I think that's all the birthdays for awhile!


Thursday, November 19, 2015

Calligraphy Practice


 
I made a little 8 Fold Book to show off my Gothic lettering practice.  Each month at the Westcoast Calligraphy Society we receive a homework assignment, and there is a table on which to place your homework for all to see.  I try to participate when I can, because I love to see the work that others have done.
 
Here are the pages:
 
 
Front Cover
 


 

 

 

 
Back Cover
 
Latin phrases make great gothic practice!


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Birthday Card for a Train Lover

 
Elegant Writer and Watercolor
 
Lot's of birthdays at this time of year.  Inside I wrote, "It's Your Birthday!  Go play with your trains."


Sunday, November 15, 2015

I Said I Couldn't Do It

 
Elegant Writer and Watercolor
 
Remember I said that I couldn't do it?  That statement proved to be a challenge that I set for myself.  This is a birthday card that I made for my husband.  On the inside it says, "Happy Birdie!"
 

 
 


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Maui, Hawaii

 
Strathmore Watercolor Journal - 8.5" x 5.5"
Elegant Writer and Watercolor


Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Monday, November 9, 2015

Digby, Nova Scotia

 
Strathmore Watercolor Journal - 8.5" x 5.5"
Elegant Writer and Watercolor
 
My hubby has taken me on some wonderful trips over the years.  Now, in my old age (HAHA), I'm painting from all those photographs I took.


Sunday, November 8, 2015

Rediscovering the Elegant Writer

 
Strathmore Watercolor Journal 8.5" x 5.5"
Elegant Writer and Watercolor
 
The past few days I've been playing with my Elegant Writer.  It takes awhile to get the hang of it again.  I'm painting from photographs; this first one is from a cactus garden in Palm Springs.
 
 
 
The Everglades

 
 


Saturday, November 7, 2015

Je Suis Le Cahier: The Sketchbooks of Picasso

 
Fabriano Sketchbook
Pan Pastel
Pencil Crayon and Ink Wash
 
I'm reading Je Suis Le Cahier: The Sketchbooks of Picasso.  Picasso is my favorite artist, and as he learned by sketching the masters, I thought I'd give it a whirl.  It might be a beginning of a deeper study...


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Finishing Off Projects

 
Artist Trading Card
Gelli Print
 
I always have a basket of unfinished projects in my office/studio.  When I'm not inspired to do anything specific, I rummage through the basket and find something to finish.


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Nature is Friendly

 
Markers on Acrylic
 
Wonderful little mushrooms, all huddling together....to stay warm, perhaps?  It is starting to feel like winter out there!


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Couldn't Have Done it if I Tried

 
Elegant Writer and Watercolor
 
I don't have the guts to set out to make a hand drawn, watercolored card.  But if I fool around with paper scraps and supplies, sometimes something turns out well enough to be made into something.  Go figure.