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Showing posts from 2015

Hotel Living

I've been staying in a hotel for the last 3 months now. It's a nice place, to be sure - but it means I have been away from the bulk of my art supplies for an excruciating amount of time. I finally snapped yesterday, and used a cheap watercolor set to draw this wilting petal I found. Using a brush to guide the pigment and water through paper felt really satisfying - I guess I've really missed that feeling. Also, while my updates have been slow as of late, I can say that I've been really good about keeping up with my sketches. Life will return to normal eventually. As long as there are things to draw on and stuff to draw with, I'll be just fine.

Meeting

I tend to doodle quite a bit at meetings - but I never attempted to draw the crowd and the presenters before today. One of the big problems I have with drawing people is that they are either constantly in motion or very much aware that they are being watched. In a setting like this, I have a room full of people who are sitting still and looking away from me. Whenever someone new came up to the front to speak, I would make a few attempts at capturing their features - then I would move on to random people in the audience. Some of these turned out pretty good - a great record of that particular moment in time. Others, well, they look pretty nightmarish. Portraits are the thing I would say I am least comfortable with. I suppose that means I need to try drawing (or painting) them more .

A Pile and a Possible Elk

I am attempting some different subjects and different working methods in my daily drawings. I wouldn't say that this project is getting stale - but I think I can use it as an opportunity to do new things and venture out a bit. The elk/deer is based on a statue across the street from where I work. I didn't have a copper color on me, so I challenged myself to use the blue and yellow I had on hand. I had no idea what I was doing - but there is something fun about that.

Full Page

I am using this sketch as a background for some invitations I am working on. Not much else to say here.

More Pipes

I went searching for more pipes this morning. I wasn't disappointed to find this gem. The challenge of drawing discs, cylinders and protruded hexagons in my short, self-imposed time limit made for a fun experience. Tonight's lesson involves triangulation and enveloping - which I believe are techniques for getting more accurate proportions in drawing. I hope to return to doing more long form drawings soon. And painting ... I miss my office.

Pipes and Chain

I found this crazy pipe structure on the side of a building. It seemed too good to pass up. I really enjoyed the change of subject matter these man-made objects provided me. I'll be keeping an eye out for more things like this. I recently had some family in town for a few days - that would have been a great excuse to stop drawing for a bit. Luckily, I was able to keep drawing. I may have missed out on some blog posts, but I've almost filled my small sketchbook. Seeing the last few blank pages of this 100 page sketchbook makes me really happy - I am excited to fill up several more!

Rough

I wanted to make another attempt at measuring and getting the correct curves. This time I used a decorative vase and an orange peel. I may need to do this a dozen or so more times before I finally get it. At least I'm willing to put in that kind of time. I'm having trouble finding the right way to hold my pencil. Embarrassing - but this is where it starts.

Back to Basics

I've noticed some things with my drawings - areas that could use some improvement. With that in mind, I decided to seek out some help . Here are the results from the first lesson. It's not perfect (I wouldn't even call it that great), but I learned a lot from this drawing. The primary technique here focuses on construction lines. It's all about being patient, creating a very light outline or the major areas, and getting more specific as you go. I still don't quite have a handle on it yet. One thing I observed during this drawing is how uncomfortably I tend to work. I should probably use an easel and stand for these longer drawings - it really shows in my line work.

Wild Peas

These interesting plants were growing just outside the property my employer occupies. I was drawn to their color, and I stayed for their shape. I'm pretty sure I drew pea pods. There is an art show around the corner: December, to be exact. A few months seems like plenty of time to come up with something to show, but I don't know where to start. What would the subject matter be? What do I have to say? I've really enjoyed these quick drawings and paintings. Without the pressure of producing a masterpiece, my mind is free to create without worry. How do I transition to creating a "finished" piece? Hopefully, the ideas will come - I have a notebook full of plants and flowers that may guide my decision.

Gift

I bought this gargoyle for my mom, but I had a couple minutes to draw it before delivery. Using a pen, I was unable to fix any mistakes. I experimented with a lot of different kinds of marks - which makes it a little too chaotic for my taste. But  there are some areas (near the eye on the right) that I really like.

Maudlin

I did a lot of drawing today. All of my recent drawings have been a record of the places I've been and things I have seen. Unfortunately, today I saw dead Jay on my front porch. I'm not sure why I was compelled to draw this scene, to take it all in. A lot of different thoughts kept running through my mind - I'm having trouble untangling them all right now.

A Rainbow

There are so many bushes, flowers and trees around the places I now inhabit - every time I think I've found them all, a new one suddenly appears. Each new plant features endless combinations of leaf shapes, colors, textures and sizes. This particular bush caught my eye with its bands of multi-colored leaves. There are a lot of plants left to draw, but I think I need to expand into other subject matter before things become a little too stale. 

Hong ng

I've driven by this sign a million times - I don't think I ever considered drawing it. The neon glow effect was created by laying in the basic shapes of the neon lights with watercolor pencil and bleeding the lines with a mop brush. I think the effect was successful, but I may want to think of ways to push it even further.

Centerpiece and Fire

There was a fire at my house recently. I'm typing this post from a makeshift computer desk in the hotel I'm staying at. So the updates can now continue. I'm happy to say I never stopped my daily drawings. Some drawings looked better than other drawings, of course. I'm beginning to notice some improvements here and there. When I create something that I view as less than successful, I ask myself what could be improved. The above piece took a couple hours to put together. It is based on some fake flowers from a centerpiece in the dining room of this hotel. I can't wait to get back to my art room at home, but this unexpected trip has given me some new sights and experiences to look forward to.

Computer issues - little flowers

Preventing me from uploading today's drawing. I'll edit it in as soon as I am able.  EDIT: Opening my computer and touching the various components inside sounds like a bad idea, but apparently that's how you fix it. I don't think I have taken these daily projects to their logical conclusion yet - but I'm feeling like I need to make some changes to the operation soon.

Upward

I wanted to challenge myself with a complex form today - this ball made of wrapped wooden string was the perfect thing. It was very difficult to stay focused on an area and build outward, but I am feeling more confident with my observation skills. The plant I drew this morning contains elements I really like - things that will probably make their way into future projects. I like the way the elements appear to be sweeping upward. There is an energy to the overall composition that I hope I can carry forward into other drawings.

Another Ladybug

Oil pastel on construction paper. I like the way opaque media can appear to glow. It was nice to mix things up a little and pick up something unfamiliar. Not much else to say here.

Market

The Saturday market was full of people and tents. This is the second time I've ever tried sketching in public (at least with people aware of it). Today I learned that as long as you aren't in anyone's way, you can sit, sketch and be practically invisible to crowds of people. The whole experience wasn't nearly as intimidating as I feared.

Powerlines

This is as close as I could get to the birds today. I set out to draw birds, but I was caught off guard by how intricate and interesting the power lines were. It was a shame I didn't have more time.

Glass and Twine

I took some extra time on today's drawing. The initial outlines were basically done yesterday - all of the shadows and textures took way more time. I struggled quite a bit in the beginning trying figure out how to create the textures and make the glass look...glass-y. This was a challenge. It feels good to walk away from this with a little more experience. I haven't done this much drawing in a long time. Tomorrow could use a little color, though.

Plum

Trying something different today. I used my second break of the day to do a full ten minute sketch using only an HB and 4B pencil (no eraser or tortillon). Using some new techniques I read about (using the side of the pencil, rather than the tip), I began sketching a plum I was given earlier. It's not perfect, but it definitely feels like I'm getting more confident with the pencil.

Two Strawberries

I switched over to bristol paper for this drawing. I've found the smooth finish makes blending a little easier. Still getting used to creating different value ranges with the pencil. They look like strawberries - I guess that's a success. I had no idea how to create the texture of a strawberry, so I tried a bunch of different things. The dark values are a bit muddy - maybe I should leave a little more white space and incorporate some pure black marks. I still have a long way to go - but I am enjoying the journey more than I have in a long time.

A Tangle

There's a really cool plant sitting next to the sink in the kitchen. The base of the plant looks like twisted wood. Today seemed like a great day to finally attempt to sketch it out. More than a few times, I felt like I was in over my head. I couldn't get everything in frame. I couldn't decide where to focus my attention. The sunlight was shifting and disappearing. I got lost a couple dozen times attempting fit the tendrils together. This was going to be a disaster. I silenced my inner-critic enough to put the final marks on the paper - I'm glad I did. The final results don't look like much, but this drawing got me thinking about next time. I asked questions and I challenged myself. Now I can look into solutions and be ready for the next drawing.

Horse in Ink and Brush

Based on a toy horse I use for reference. I don't have a lot of experience with ink and brush - but I thought tonight would be a great time to just play around and try something new. Without the pressure of creating a masterpiece, I went to work immediately. I think I may have mixed too much water into my ink for this one. I really like some of the lines and relationships here. The proportions are pretty messed up, but this may be the closest I've come to getting a horse to look like a horse. I'll probably do more with ink and brush soon.

Another Still Life in Graphite

I think I'm starting to get the hang of this again. I'm still finding it really difficult to get my tones correct in relation to one another. There are some troubling spots here and there, but I'm glad I did the work. Moving forward, I think I should take some time to save my highlights rather than trying to carve them out with my eraser after the fact.

Three Colors Challenge

I was anticipating some "waiting around time" today, so I decided to pack some extra drawing supplies. I usually do all of the drawing in the field and color when I get home, but today I brought three watercolor pencils - red, yellow and blue. I stood leaning against my car in a hot parking lot while trying to capture my surroundings with a strict 10 minute time-limit. The colors were applied directly afterward, while they were fresh in my mind. I don't have much familiarity trying to draw buildings. It was difficult to focus with so much visual information right in front of me. I wanted to get up closer and draw some of the interesting windows and stains of the faraway buildings. That must be a good sign.

Berries Again

I have been trying to draw this berry bush for a while now. The lighting conditions at the time of my walk usually prevent me from being able to draw this particular scene (the light in the morning shines directly into my eyes). Lucky for me, it was an overcast day. That mood probably comes across in my other drawing of a tree in the parking lot. When I showed the drawing to my girlfriend, she thought I had visited a graveyard (that's a parking sign, not a headstone). I tried out something new here - a soft graphite stick and micron pen. I really like the variety of marks I was able to create with the graphite stick - but I had to be extra careful not to smear everything around.

The Park

The weather decided to calm down for a bit, so I took a trip to the park. I've always had a weird thing about sketching in public - but the more I do it, the easier it seems to become. There were so many things to draw, I had no idea where to start. This is definitely the start of something bigger.

Some Kind of Berries

I tied doing things in a different order this time. The drawing was done during my break in pencil, then colored at home, then covered in pen. I think that some of the energy and spontaneity is lost in this way. I also wasn't able to translate my pencil marks as well as I would have hoped. I'll try pencil again tomorrow, but I think I should try pen afterward before applying color (as I did yesterday).

Rescue

I almost lost this drawing today. I traveled to the beach for a quick getaway. Along the way, I encountered so many beautiful plants and trees. When it came time to draw, I found this great driftwood fort built on the sand. I reached for the first thing I could draw, a 9B pencil. Everything was going great until I realized that the graphite was too delicate to retain any sort of image. All of the graphite rubbed off on the way home - it was very disappointing. I decided to try and save the few marks that remained - going over them with pen and ink. This was a great opportunity to practice building up values with cross-hatching and texture. I'm really glad I was able to end the day with a record of one of my favorite moments.

Succulents by the Pool

I brought a small sketchbook and my trusty flair tip pen to the pool today. There were a lot of possible subjects all around - but I was drawn instantly to this large succulent plant. I gave myself a little longer than usual to capture the scene - unfortunately, I ran out of space on the page to fit everything in. Maybe next time. I am finding that this particular pen is prone to bleeding when water is applied. It's a neat effect, but I'll have to make myself aware of that whenever I'm working with a lighter color.

Someone's Portrait

I haven't done any portrait drawings in a long time. I haven't used charcoal in a long time. I guess this turned out pretty decent considering those two factors. You know what? It looks silly and out of proportion. At least it was fun.

Back by the Trucks

Shade is a commodity in the Summer. Even at 8:30 in the morning, it's difficult to find a place where I don't have to constantly squint to get a look at the thing I'm drawing. Between that and the fact that I somehow left my sketchbook at home, today could have been a tragic "no drawing" day. Instead, I rescued a piece of paper from the recycling bin at my desk, taped it to a book and went on an adventure to find something to draw on it. I ended up at a shady corner of the building where trucks deliver crates and palettes of goods to a place near the highway underpass and the train tracks that run perpendicular to it. I decided to try and capture the scene - a small truck blocked by shipping debris, girders and a curb with various plants sprouting from it. I had trouble focusing, but I had a lot of fun trying to get it all down in my seven minute time limit.

Hydrant and Snapdragon

Hydrant was sketched in the usual method - 7 minutes, flair tip pen. The second was done in 20 minutes with a dip pen. I have had very little experience with the classic pen (I switched over to to Micron pens as soon as humanly possible), but I really like the marks I was able to achieve in my short time out. With some more practice, I think I can make some really fun and dynamic drawings.

Drawing a Day

The daily drawings continue. The bottom drawing was inspired by a book I recently checked out. Without completely giving away the contents of the book, I will say that I plan on trying to complete each of the assignments for the next six weeks. Let's see how this goes.

Daffodils, maybe

They're yellow, have a familiar petal pattern, and they look like daffodils. I think they're daffodils. The interesting thing about knowing next to nothing about flowers and plants is that it prevents me from naming and simplifying these forms. I changed up my strategy a bit this time - focusing on a single flower and ignoring the surrounding areas. The pen part turned out surprisingly well. I am happy with the colors too (for the most part). I think I would have liked to try using purple rather than green and brown for the shadow areas. EDIT: Upon showing this drawing to my girlfriend, I was informed that this is probably a daylily.

Some Weird Flowers

I opted not to add any color to today's drawing. This drawing in particular seems to be mostly scribbles - but it carries the memory of what I saw earlier today. Not what I would call a successful drawing in the traditional sense - but at least I showed up and put something down on paper.

One Flower and One Bee

The flower illustrations continue. There were some great berries I really wanted to draw, but the sun would have been in my eyes the entire time. On a whim, I decided to walk to the nearest flower I could find. I'm lucky I did, because I found this really cool pink flower (I have no idea what I'm looking at). Even better, a big, black bumblebee landed on my subject in the middle of the drawing. I have been working at the same place for 6 years now. I can't believe I am just now discovering all of the fantastic nature around the building.

Good ol' Graphite

I decided to do some drawing yesterday. Once I started, I realized just how rusty I was. I really need to do this more - and I should refresh what I used to know. I don't hate this. But I can see all of the areas that need improvement. I guess that's why I'm here anyway.

Blackberries at Break

I was really happy with the results of yesterday's exercise, so I decided to try again. It's not hard to find blackberries in the valley where I live - they grow like crazy just about everywhere. Today was a particularly great day to pay attention to the berries - they seemed to glow in fifty different hues. Five minutes. Flair tip pen. Go! This time around, I decided to also take a picture of the area I would be drawing. This way, I could remember roughly which berries were which color when I got the chance. Even with a color reference I did a lot of guessing. Which color should I start with as a base? How should I apply water? Looking at the end result - I am really happy with the way this one turned out. The colors are very intense. It's like a memory or a dream: far more colorful and hazy than the thing itself.

Pink Flowers at Work

I walk by these flowers just about every morning at work. This morning, I decided to finally try to draw them. I set my phone alarm for five minutes and attempted to catch as much detail as possible with my Papermate Flair pen (which I mention by name only because it's such an amazing tool to have around). The colors were added with watercolor pencils after I clocked out for the day. I had to challenge myself to not only remember what the colors were, but how to achieve those colors through mixing. This is such a small and simple project, but I feel like I accomplished a lot today. How long has it been since I posted the last painting? Could my new project be to just try posting something everyday? I think that might work out. Still need to think about it.

Back at the foot...

Life happened. I have always enjoyed that expression - it's great shorthand for "a lot of things in my life  transpired to keep me from doing what I love". Even better, that phrase takes the blame off of me for not keeping up with the painting, drawing, blogging and thinking. I can't say that I haven't been extremely busy, I just know that I really didn't have to stop being an artist during the busy period. I moved to a new place. I'm typing this from a completely different office. My paints and paper are rearranged. I'm removing the dry paint from my palette. I am back where I started - only now, I haven't set any sort of rules for myself to keep me on track. A good friend asked me the other day, "So, what is your dream job anyway? If you could make money doing what you love, what would that look like?" I didn't know exactly how to respond. I love art and design - but that is so vague and broad. What do I like to design? What kin

Water Lily

The flower part was done with watercolor pencil. I don't have a lot of practice or experience with these. I'm definitely not feeling the combination of cold press paper and watercolor pencil. The texture of the paper interrupts the color transitions and makes for rough washes. For now, I'll say I'd like to try hot press for my next flower illustration. The background is a flat wash of Hooker's green under a dark wash of lamp black. I'm trying to get more comfortable with the basic washes - getting a feel for drying times and paint mixing techniques. It's surprising how little information I have found with regards to how water is mixed in with paint in the palette. I'll take whatever I can find. Tonight also marks my first Earl Grey tea. How have I gone on so long without trying this? I think I'm really starting to appreciate unsweetened tea a lot more.

Something Here

This piece started off promising, but it got away from me. Things just started getting too muddy and overworked. I decided it was time to move on - try painting more plants and flowers and get better as I go. I am pleased with the drawing this time at least.